The Ascent of Jeffery Flamel; Restoring Alchemy's Legacy

CHAPTER 6

Rita hesitated, eyeing Jeffery with a suspicious glare. His “methods” were unlike any she had experienced. It sounded like he was just a pervert trying to get a glimpse of her body, but the sincere expression on his face said otherwise.

“You fucking pervert, how dare you!”

The doctor flared up in anger upon hearing Jeffery's “methods.”

To him, Rita was a noble lady of extremely high standing. For this strange and seemingly perverted man to even dare suggest such a thing was… pure insanity.

Even the guards glared at Jeffery, their eyes burning with hostility, as if they wanted to tear him apart.

Rita furrowed her brows, staring at Jeffery as she weighed her options.

After a few minutes, she made her decision.

“All of you, leave us,” she commanded, waving her hand at the doctor and the guards, who stared at her, startled.

“But—”

“Do as I say,” she interrupted, glaring at him.

Reluctantly, the guards and the doctor left, leaving only the two of them alone in the room.

“This is your one and only chance, Jeffery. Make it count—or else.” Rita sighed, removing her outer shirt and lying on the bed, her curves displayed in a way that left Jeffery blushing furiously.

“Deep breaths, deep breaths,” Jeffery muttered to himself, trying to calm down.

“What are you waiting for?” Rita teased, her tone carrying a playful edge.

Still blushing, he walked over to the bedside and sat down. “I will begin the treatment now.”

Taking a deep breath, he banished every inappropriate thought from his mind and focused intently on the treatment process.

He raised his hand, placing it on Rita's left chest, directly above her heart, and closed his eyes. Tapping into his alchemical knowledge, he felt as if he could see her heart directly in his mind’s eye.

Her heart pulsated with a steady beat, but surrounding it were red-hot flames.

The fire element surged within her, weakening her body. Jeffery focused on balancing the elements, recalling the teachings he had acquired. The fire could only be quelled by its direct opposite: water.

“I think I’ve found the cause of your sickness,” Jeffery muttered, making Rita’s eyes widen in shock.

For the first time in years, she dared to hope for a miracle.

With a steady breath, Jeffery summoned the water element, visualizing it as a stream weaving its way through the fire within Rita. The water flowed into her body, seeking out the intense heat and working to neutralize the flames.

The alchemical matrix he created inside her was like a delicate web, directing the water to exactly where it was needed.

Rita’s breath quickened for a moment, but then she felt cool vitality flowing through her like a calm river. The burning sensation in her chest began to subside, leaving her utterly shocked.

As time passed, beads of sweat formed on Jeffery’s forehead.

The pain in Rita’s chest gradually dulled until, at last, it vanished completely.

Twenty minutes later, Jeffery exhaled deeply, opening his eyes and removing his hand from her chest.

“Rita, the treatment was a success. How do you feel now?” he asked, smiling as he wiped the sweat from his brow.

Rita slowly rose from the bed, an expression of astonishment on her face as she examined herself. Her physical condition was the best it had been in years, and the burning sensation she had felt in her heart was completely gone.

“This is… amazing,” she said, looking at Jeffery in awe. Then, with curiosity in her tone, she added, “It might seem unethical, but I investigated you thoroughly while you were unconscious. How could someone with such outstanding medical skills remain unknown in this city?”

Jeffery let out a bitter chuckle.

“It’s kind of hard to explain. The situation is… complicated.”

How could he possibly explain? He dreamed of his father at the brink of death, then suddenly gained the knowledge of alchemy? It felt like something out of a video game, and he was sure she would think he was insane if he told her that.

“Thank you so much. I feel a lot better now.” A wide smile formed on her lips. “What would you like as repayment? Money? Beautiful women? Anything—it’s yours.”

Tempting as her offer was, Jeffery shook his head and waved it off.

“No… I don’t need anything. You saved me from the brink of death, and I cured your illness. We’re even.”

“Really?” Her eyebrows rose in surprise. “No need to be modest. I can make any of your greatest desires come true. Just say the word.”

“If we could be friends, that would be enough for me,” Jeffery said.

Hearing his response, Rita began to admire him even more.

Skilled in medicine, calm, kind, and handsome to boot.

If he turned out to be her fiancé, it wouldn’t even be that bad. In fact, it would be a steal.

But there was one problem—from her investigation, she discovered that he was already married.

She opened her mouth to ask about that when, all of a sudden, his phone rang.

Seeing the incoming caller display on the screen, Jeffery’s expression darkened, twisting into something ugly.

It was Cora.