Chapter 111: Open Sasame
For the following days, Vivian kept an ear to the ground and another to her advisors. The business was booming in unprecedented ways, bringing with it money, assets, and a host of troubles in just a few days. Yet with this remarkable growth, Vivian’s attention was still focused on the movement of the Crown Prince and his cronies, as well as the heroine and any faction affiliated with them.
But once she turned home, Vivian would go up the stairs and see her father resting on his back and Saskia lying her head on his lap. They smiled at each other and exchanged words before she ate her dinner all by herself in the dining room.
Count Julian and Lady Saskia were in no critical state. Still, as Saskia was slowly recovering from her skin condition, the Count was not showing any signs of recovery from the Blackthorn.
Nobody was.
But a discovery was made.
"The pathogen in question has been confirmed as a parasite. Its mechanism of pathogenicity involves the steady depletion of the host’s vital energy reserves. While the parasite’s initial energy consumption is moderate, the host’s attempt to mount an immune response and initiate recovery processes triggers a counter-response from the parasite. This counter-response aims to maintain the parasite’s energy supply, thereby facilitating its proliferation and growth in size. Consequently, the host experiences a progressive decline in energy levels, resulting in a state of general debilitation," the physician reported to Vivian.
"Doctor Godwin, that’s the theory we had so far. Tell me something I don’t know—preferably good news," retorted Vivian in a sour mood.
"Well, that is not why I am here, my lady."
"More funds. I get it."
"In that case, we concluded that the only treatment that may work is overwhelming the parasite with nutrients," Dr Godwin said.
"What the hell?" Vivian leaned forward angrily. "If you give it more nutrients than it should take, you’ll harm the host along the way."