Chapter 322: I Deserve A Salary

Cecilia and the other doctors quickly understood why this case was such a nightmare.

On one hand, their medical duty demanded they save these six women, no matter the circumstance.

But on the other hand, one wrong move—a single misinterpreted headline—could destroy everything.

The hospital’s reputation, Lady Fauna’s image, their own careers...everything was at stake.

Cecilia bit her lip.

"If this leaks, the media will twist it." She said softly. "We’ll wake up tomorrow to headlines saying ’Holy Sisters left to suffer while the hospital refused treatment.’ Or worse—’The Blessed of the Church brought to shame under Lady Fauna’s care.’"

Her colleague grimaced. "It’ll become a scandal before sunrise. Every outlet will run with it."

"Yes. That’s why this is so difficult." The nurse nodded in agreement. "If we act improperly, it’s over. If we do nothing, it’s still over."

But Fauna, standing at the foot of the patients beds, didn’t look at the others or think of the cameras waiting outside. She didn’t care about the noise of reporters gathering at the gates.

Her focus was solely on the women before her.

She quietly took a tablet from the nearby counter, scrolling through pages of data, bloodwork reports, and mana readings. Her brow furrowed as she examined the readouts carefully, line by line.

After a long moment, she sighed and walked toward the leader of the group—Sister Fiona, the woman with long black hair and the strict yet dignified presence.

The moment Fauna approached, Fiona tried to rise out of respect, despite the pain surging through her body.

"Lady Fauna...I apologize." She said breathlessly. "I would have liked to greet you properly. It’s disrespectful for me to remain seated in your presence, but I—"

She gasped mid-sentence, the spasms in her body preventing her from getting up.

"Please." Fauna interrupted softly, placing a hand on her shoulder. "There’s no need for that. You’ve already done more for this world than most people ever will. Rest. You’ve earned that much."

Her gentle tone made Fiona’s stern face soften, a small, grateful smile appearing despite her suffering.

The other sisters, too, smiled faintly—for them, this was like hearing the voice of the Goddess herself.

To be praised by Lady Fauna, the Saint of Healing, the Plague Maiden who brought salvation where death lingered...it was an honor beyond measure.

Fauna continued with a faint, bittersweet smile.

"You’ve brought light to so many dark corners of the world. I truly admire your devotion. But..." Her expression turned somber as she held up the tablet. "...these reports...I can’t say I’m optimistic."

The room tensed.

"Whatever creature you fought." Fauna continued. "Its nature was something entirely new. Its secretion, its chemical signature—we’ve never seen anything like it."

"It’s...alien. Its structure isn’t anything like demonic venom or toxin. It’s something beyond conventional classification."

She shook her head slowly.

"If we had time—maybe a week—I’m confident we could break it down, study it, and synthesize an antidote. But right now...there’s nothing."

Everyone fell quiet.

"I know I’m not supposed to say this." Fauna added, lowering her eyes. "But I have to recommend the same method that the other physicians suggested."

"You...might have to resolve this in the most natural way possible."

The words were spoken with calm seriousness, not even a hint of jest.

Fiona’s eyes widened for a moment, then she exhaled softly, smiling as if she had already expected this.

"I appreciate your honesty, Lady Fauna." She said gently. "Truly. I know your words come from compassion, not malice. You wish only to help us."

She straightened herself as much as she could and met Fauna’s gaze head-on.

"But our vows, our devotion to the Goddess."

"They mean more to us than life itself."

"When we were chosen as Blessed, we swore to preserve the purity of our souls, to stand as beacons of light in a corrupted world. To break that vow now...would taint everything we’ve lived for."

Her tone was firm despite the strain.

"We always knew that our path would be dangerous. That our lives might end in battle or suffering. But we would rather die untainted, with our faith intact, than live as sinners who betrayed it."

The other sisters, hearing her, sat tall, sharing the same quiet, radiant determination.

Fiona then bowed her head, even as her hands trembled.

"I’m deeply sorry for the trouble we’ve caused, Lady Fauna. You’ve already done more than we deserve."

Fauna stood silently for a moment, watching her—this woman burning with conviction even while wracked by agony.

Then Fauna let out a faint sigh.

"Normally." She said softly. "This would be the part where I tell you that your decision is your own. That I respect it, and that as a doctor I can’t force treatment upon a patient who refuses it."

Her tone grew heavier, her eyes falling to the floor.

"If I said that, it would be the end of it. You’d endure your pain until it consumed you."

The silence that followed was suffocating.

But then Fauna smiled suddenly, a spark of mischief in her eyes.

"But...today might just be your lucky day."

Fiona blinked. "Pardon?"

Fauna turned slightly and pointed over her shoulder with her thumb.

"Because I have someone here who might actually be able to fix this without breaking your vows or using...extreme methods."

The sisters exchanged puzzled looks.

"Help us...?" Fiona asked. "Who could possibly—"

And in response, Fauna turned toward the boy who’d been standing over there, watching everything unfold with the faintest trace of amusement.

"Oh, come on." Fauna said, pouting slightly. "You can stop acting all nonchalant now, Mika. Help us out already."

The room turned toward him.

They’d all assumed the young man accompanying Fauna was an assistant, maybe a relative or a junior trainee at best.

But the way she said it—the tone of trust in her voice made everyone realize he was far more than that.

"Come on, Fauna. I’m not even employed here!"

Mika groaned loudly, rubbing his forehead.

"Every time I drop by, you rope me into some crisis. If this keeps up, I’m sending you an invoice—salary, overtime, hazard pay, the works."

Fauna only giggled, walking over to him. Then, before anyone could react, she wrapped her arms around him and leaned against his chest with a sweet smile.

"Oh? And what if your payment looked like this?" She teased, snuggling closer. "You get to hug the cutest battle angel in the world. That’s worth more than any paycheck."

The nurses nearly fainted and were extremely jealous, but Mika looked unimpressed.

"I’d still prefer cash. Something that can actually buy lunch."

"Oh, come on, Mika." Fauna pleaded with mock desperation, tugging his sleeve. "Don’t make me beg!"

"Fine, fine. I’ll handle it." He sighed heavily. "There’s no need to use your manipulation on me."

Fauna beamed and stepped aside proudly as Mika walked toward the bed where Fiona lay.

The sisters eyes widened as he approached, his calm, confident presence seeming almost out of place for someone his age.

Fiona, still bewildered, looked between them.

"Lady Fauna...forgive my rudeness, but...will he really be able to help us? He looks so young. Like one of the boys who serve tea at the church courtyard."

Fauna chuckled softly, her voice full of warmth.

"Trust me, Sister Fiona. Or rather if you trust me, then you can trust him. Whatever he does—just cooperate. It won’t take long, and before you know it, you’ll be perfectly fine again."

The sisters looked at one another uncertainly, but none of them could ignore the absolute confidence in Fauna’s tone.

So, the sisters had placed all their hope—silent, trembling, desperate hope—in Mika, believing that surely now he’d begin examining charts, ask the standard questions, maybe run a diagnostic spell or at least check their pulse.

Instead, he did none of that.

"Excuse me for a moment."

He muttered lazily, walking straight up to Sister Fiona without so much as a glance at the tablet still clutched in Fauna’s hands.

Everyone watched, waiting for some grand declaration or intricate medical procedure, but Mika merely raised his hand, extended a single finger, and leaned in toward Fiona’s face.

She blinked in confusion, holding her breath. And then—

He touched her forehead.

Or rather, he lightly ran his fingertip across it, collecting a faint sheen of sweat glistening at her hairline.

The gesture was so strange, so intimate, so out of place that it made several people instinctively step forward, unsure whether to intervene.

"What’s he...wiping sweat?" One nurse whispered.

"No tissue? No handkerchief?" Another murmured. "What is this kid—"

And then Mika did it.

He brought his finger to his mouth—

—and he licked it.

The room erupted with gasps and stifled cries.

"Wh–What is this? What’s going on?" Fiona jolted back slightly, her breath catching. "Did he just...did he just lick my sweat?!"

"This...This can’t be right!" One of the other sisters stammered. "Right? There’s no way this is actually part of a treatment!"

"Is he...taking advantage of her? Right now?!"

"No." Another sister whispered quickly, clutching her chest. "Lady Fiona trusts him. So we must trust him too."

"But I...I can’t understand what he’s doing. It’s so strange..."

Cecilia leaned toward Fauna, confused and uneasy.

"Lady Fauna." She whispered, her voice low with concern. "Is this...normal? Do you have any idea what Mika is doing?"

Fauna simply gave a serene smile. "Not a clue."

"...What?" Cecilia blinked.

"Come now, Cecilia." Fauna said with a soft laugh. "You know as well as I do. Mika never does things the usual way. You think he tells me anything?"

She gestured toward him with fond exasperation.

"He’s probably inventing the treatment while tasting it. Just...let him do what he does. I trust him."

If Cecilia had heard that a week ago ago, when she first met him, she’d have been horrified.

But now...now she knew. She believed.

And just like that, she nodded, placing her trust in him too.

But Mika wasn’t thinking of trust or confusion or the dozen eyes on him. His eyes were closed, his expression strangely serious as he swirled the taste of Fiona’s sweat on his tongue.

He was...analyzing.

Tongue gliding slowly, thoughtfully, almost like a gourmet food critic at a five-star banquet. Savoring every subtle detail of the ’dish.’

Fiona, meanwhile, was about ready to melt into the sheets. Her face was burning red, and despite the searing pain still in her body, she found herself overwhelmed by a completely different kind of feeling.

In her thirty five years of life—years spent in strict chastity, discipline, and spiritual devotion—this was by far the most intimate contact she’d ever had with a man.

And the fact that all he had done was taste her sweat only made it worse.

She opened her mouth, intending to ask—why, what, how—but before she could speak, Mika’s eyes snapped open, bright and alight with excitement.

"Congratulations." He said, smiling broadly. "Looks like the Goddess is really watching over you."

"All hope is not lost as I have a alternate solution for you...A bizzare one but a solution nonetheless."