<h4>Chapter 25: Viin Simtor, Ch 25</h4>
[Red Night is not your ordinary ce of pleasure. You know the hidden secrets within it. Pantalone uses this establishment to gather leverage against many nobles and officials. You don''t mind giving him some "small leverage"; in fact, you need to expose more "weaknesses" to reduce the Tsaritsa''s suspicion of you.]
[Age 533: Today, Pierro found you and mysteriously told you that he had fulfilled his promise. Before you could understand what he meant, he presented you with a special "gift."]
[It was a woman sealed in a crystal coffin, her body constantly burning like mes, with her blood flowing like moltenva.]
[You immediately recognized her as Rosalyne, the one you''ve longed for. Even after 500 years apart, you recognized her at first nce.]
[Pierro exined that after the Mondstadt cmity 500 years ago, Rosalyne, freed from her seal, burned herself, bing the "Crimson Witch" and traveled the world hunting down remnants of the undead.]
[Eventually, her mes consumed her life. On the brink of death, Pierro found her and brought her back, using the Tsaritsa''s pure ice powers to suppress the endless mes within her.]
[However, even the Tsaritsa can only temporarily suppress the life-devouring mes within Rosalyne. As for whether she can be revived, only you hold the answer.]
[Pierro left the choice to you. You could decide what to do with Rosalyne. Restoring her was not difficult for you, but you hesitated. Even if you revived her, how could you face her?]
[Rosalyne admitted to once loving you, but you had hidden behind the identity of Rustan, leading to the destruction of Mondstadt. She turned her life into mes to burn away all "impurities" in the world, and you were the creator of those impurities.]
[Moreover, even if you revived her, her memories would only cause her endless pain. Your choices are...]
[1. Let her remain in her current state.]
[2. Revive her.]
[3. Revive her, but erase her past memories.]
Perhaps due to theplexity of the situation, the system rarely presented Lucas with three choices.
Letting her remain in this half-dead state would only prolong Rosalyne''s suffering. Reviving her but erasing the painful memories seemed like the best option to Lucas.
[You took three days and nights to finally revive Rosalyne, but during the operation, you also erased her memories.]
[Only you could perform this surgery, as her skin, muscles, and blood were unbearably hot. Your exceptional regenerative abilities allowed you to withstand the extreme burns.]
[Even after the sessful surgery, the seed of me within Rosalyne didn''t disappear. If left unchecked, it would one day consume her body and mind. The only way to suppress it for the long term was with a Cryo Vision.]
[But acquiring a Vision, especially a Cryo Vision, wasn''t easy. To ensure Rosalyne''s survival, you asked the Tsaritsa to bestow her a Delusion. She agreed, but the price was that Rosalyne had to be a Fatui Harbinger. You knew you couldn''t refuse.]
[From that moment on, Rosalyne ceased to exist, reced by the Eighth Fatui Harbinger—La Signora.]
[Perhaps due to the memory erasure or the toll of burning for 500 years, La Signora''s personality had drastically changed. She became cold, arrogant, and condescending,pletely different from the gentle and understanding Rosalyne you remembered.]
[La Signora''s rtionships with the other Harbingers were strained, but her rtionship with you was particrly poor. She even once said to your face, "Don''t look at me with those eyes of yours—they disgust me."]
[There was nothing you could do about it. Even after 500 years, whenever you looked at La Signora, your eyes couldn''t help but show affection, which she, being sensitive and irritable, misinterpreted.]
[Yet you didn''t mind. Just being able to see her was enough. You knew there was no chance of rekindling your rtionship. First, you feared that her sealed memories might resurface. Second, Scaramouche would never allow you to be with another woman.]
[Age 534: You thought this life would continue forever, until one night, after finishing a day''s work in yourboratory, you were visited by an unexpected guest.]
[That guest was La Signora herself. You had no idea why she, who usually wanted nothing to do with you, would visit in the middle of the night...]
[Entering forced immersive mode]
"Damn it! Again?"
When Lucas regained consciousness, he was already in hisboratory. In front of him stood a tall, cold-looking woman—someone familiar, yet distant. Her face instantly reminded him of Rosalyne.
"Have you seen enough?" Rosalyne—no, La Signora—red at Lucas coldly. Her disdain was obvious. "I knew it. Your gaze disgusts me."
"I apologize," Lucas chuckled awkwardly. "What brings you here sote, La Signora?"
Although the Fatui Harbingers were ranked, there was no clear hierarchy among them. Thus, even though La Signora was the Eighth, she showed no respect toward Lucas, the Third Harbinger.
"I know that besides ying with those disgusting corpses..." La Signora sat down casually, "you''re also a half-decent doctor, right?"
"Half-decent?"
That was like telling Morax, "You''re kind of rich."
On the continent of Teyvat, no one could rival Lucas in terms of medical expertise and experience.
"Sort of..." Lucas nodded. "So, are you here for a consultation?"
"What else?" La Signora raised an eyebrow, sneering. "Did you think I was here for ate-night rendezvous? Someone like you is only fit to sleep with corpses."
Despite her harsh words, Lucas felt a wave ofplex emotions, seeing how Rosalyne, who once was sweet and loving, had turned into such a sharp-tongued person.
But it was only La Signora who could speak to him like this. Even Pierro, the First Harbinger, showed him respect, and Scaramouche was obedient.
"Well, we''re colleagues. If you have any hidden ailments, just tell me. I''ll do my best to help," Lucas replied, unfazed by her attitude.
Perhaps it was guilt, or perhaps it was love.
"Hmph, let''s get this straight: you can''t tell anyone about this," La Signora''s pale face blushed slightly. "Or I''ll snap your neck!"
"Don''t worry," Lucas nodded. "Patient confidentiality is a doctor''s principle."
"Doctor''s principle?" La Signora nced at the half-dissected corpse on theb table, intestines still exposed, and said coldly, "Is defiling corpses also a doctor''s principle?"
Even without her memories, La Signora''s instinctive hatred for the undead remained.
"It''s not defilement, it''s a necessary step on the path to medical discovery," Lucas replied calmly. "So, what''s bothering you?"
La Signora hesitated for a moment before lifting her clothing, revealing a patch of her icy, white skin marked by burn-like scars.
"For a while now, I''ve been experiencing strange burning sensations," La Signora said with a slight frown. "It bes unbearable at night, keeping me from sleeping."
"It''s hard to diagnose just by description. This is quite unusual," Lucas pondered. "Would you mind if I conducted a thorough examination?"
"How thorough?" La Signora bit her lip.
"As thorough as needed," Lucas said, putting on gloves. "Don''t worry. I''ve seen more bodies than you''ve killed. To me, your body is just... meat."
"You—!" La Signora was taken aback by the remark but didn''t know how to respond.
"Just hurry up," Lucas said, pping his hands. "If I''mte, Scaramouche will start nagging."
"I... I understand."
For La Signora, nothing was more humiliating than exposing herself to the Doctor. Sometimes, even she didn''t understand why she hated him so much, why she felt the urge to kill him.
But now, she was the one on the operating table, subject to his whims.
She chose Lucas for two reasons: first, because his medical skills were unparalleled, and second, because her body, chilled by the mes within her, was too cold for most people to touch.
The examination was entirely professional. Lucas showed no interest in taking advantage of her, which surprised La Signora. After all, she had heard rumors of the Doctor''s promiscuity and his frequent visits to the exclusive club "Red Night."
Could it be that she was less attractive than those other women?
Impossible!
La Signora had full confidence in her looks and figure. In her mind, only the Tsaritsa could rival her beauty.
"The examination isplete," Lucas said, removing his gloves.
"The cause of your condition is not a disease but the umtion of the mes within you. Though they are sealed, they aren''tpletely suppressed. Over time, the mes build up and cause you pain, especially when you''re resting."
"I see..." La Signora nodded. "So, how can I release this buildup?"
"Since the mes are rooted in your consciousness, physical treatments won''t work. You need to find a way to release the built-up energy."
"What method?" La Signora asked urgently.
"There are ways to relieve stress. For example, in my case..." Lucas cleared his throat, "well, never mind. My method probably wouldn''t suit you."
"Stop beating around the bush!" La Signora grabbed his wrist. "What method? Tell me! I can''t take this burning any longer!"
"Well..." Lucas leaned in and whispered a few words in her ear. La Signora''s face immediately turned crimson.
"What?!" La Signora stammered. "I... I can''t possibly do that! That''s utterly absurd!"
"I did warn you," Lucas shrugged. "My method isn''t for everyone."
"No, even if I wanted to try it, it''s impossible..." La Signora sighed. "My body is too cold for any man to touch..."
"Wait..." La Signora suddenly realized something. She had been holding Lucas''s wrist this whole time, and his skin only had a faint red mark that quickly disappeared.
Although Lucas never unted his strength, his body had long surpassed human limits. It had the resilience of a god. Even La Signora''s freezing touch couldn''t harm him.
"Hold on..." La Signora narrowed her eyes. "You can withstand my body."
"So... what does that mean?" Lucas muttered nervously. "You... you don''t mean..."
"I don''t have a choice," La Signora said, her voice trembling with embarrassment. "If I had any other option, I wouldn''t choose you. But if this burning continues, I''ll go insane. I don''t know if you have any principles, but..."
"But what? Hurry up and get over here."
La Signora was stunned. When she looked up, she saw Lucas, already shirtless, sitting on the bed and patting the mattress. "I''m sorry, but I have no principles. How could I say no to such a convenient opportunity?"
"You... you!"
La Signora was furious at his shamelessness. Clenching her fists, she growled, "I''ve changed my mind! There''s no way I''m letting a scoundrel like you have his way!"
"It''s your choice," Lucas said with a slight smile. "But if you need help, feel free toe back anytime."
"No need for your concern!" La Signora huffed as she stormed toward the door. "This is ridiculous! It''s infuriating!"
With that, the door mmed shut with a loud "bang."
Lucas, however, remained calm, smiling slightly as he leisurely poured himself a ss of strong liquor and took a sip. He wasn''t fond of drinking, as one of the pleasures of alcohol was the sensation of intoxication, which he couldn''t experience. Due to his unique constitution, alcohol would break down in his body almost instantly, making it impossible for him to get drunk. But the burning sensation of strong liquor down his throat was enough to keep him alert.
"Ten, nine, eight..." Lucas counted softly while looking at the closed door.
Just as he reached "one," the door opened again.
La Signora, who had just stormed out, reentered the room. She leaned against the door, her face slightly flushed, her expression conflicted. "I... Wait! Why are you still sitting there?"
Indeed, Lucas hadn''t moved at all. He was still sitting elegantly on the bed, sipping his drink, as if he had known she would return.
"Because I knew you''de back," Lucas said with a knowing smile.
"You... I..." La Signora, caught off guard by his spot-on prediction, was at a loss for words, losing her usualmanding demeanor.
"There''s no need to say more," Lucas said calmly. "I understand your pain—whether it''s the immense pressure with no outlet or the increasing inability to feel truly alive. You don''t have to feel any guilt. This is merely a ''treatment.'' After it''s done, you can go right back to hating me. Just... think of me as a medical tool."
"A medical tool, huh..." La Signora raised an eyebrow, then let out a cold chuckle. "Fine. It''s not like I have any other options. But if your ''treatment'' doesn''t work... I won''t let you off easily."
"Don''t worry, I''m a doctor with principles," Lucas said, cing his drink down. "Though I don''t exactly have a medical license."
...
Two hourster.
Both La Signora and Lucas were far beyond the physical limits of ordinary humans. The "battle" between these two "monsters" couldn''t be measured by human standards.
"Want to keep going?" Lucas asked suddenly.
"No more," La Signora replied, eyes wide as if still processing what had just happened. She muttered, "You''re a beast."
"Beast" was usually an insult, much like "brute" or "animal." But in this context, it was undoubtedly apliment to Lucas''s performance.
La Signora had never imagined that the seemingly lethargic "Doctor," always d in hisb coat, possessed such a strong physique.
Of course, Lucas was also still savoring the aftermath. La Signora''s body, much like her personality, could be described as "cold on the outside, fiery on the inside."
Her exterior was as cold as ice, but inside, she burned like moltenva.
It seemed that only someone with a body as monstrous as Lucas''s could withstand her extremes.
"So..." Lucas stood up, draping a coat over La Signora''s shoulders. "Did your symptoms lessen?"
"I..." La Signora finally realized that the burning sensation, which had tormented her for so long, hadpletely disappeared without her noticing.
She nced at her abdomen, where the burn-like scars had vanished without a trace.
"Looks like the treatment was effective," Lucas said proudly. "Remember toe back for ''follow-up treatments'' weekly."
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Author''s Note: Follow-up treatments are needed fr ??
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