The Marquis of Valorwing, a man who built his status on military merit, was never much for words. As soon as he spoke, the physicians' expressions changed dramatically—and when they saw the person carrying the medicine chest was a woman, their faces turned even uglier.
"Letting a young woman treat the heir, Marquis, that's far too reckless," one physician sniffed, looking down his nose.
"So it's Doctor Feng. I've heard she has some skill, but the heir's injury is life-threatening. Doctor Feng, you'd best be cautious," another physician said acidly.
In short, no one had faith in Serena Feng. Even the Marquis of Valorwing, hearing their words, began to waver.
Could Serena Feng, a young woman, really dare to wield the scalpel?
In the rear courtyard, the Marchioness of Valorwing heard her husband had called a woman to treat their son. She rushed in, ignoring the presence of outsiders, and blurted, "Old Master, our son's life is no joke! The imperial physicians will arrive soon—let's wait for them. Doctor Feng is just a girl; how capable could she possibly be?"
This was outright distrust of Serena Feng. She didn't take offense; she would always be responsible to her patients. But if the family refused to trust her and wouldn't let her treat, then their son's life or death was no longer her concern. She wouldn't be responsible, nor would she feel guilt—the ones who doomed the patient were his own parents...
Of course, as a doctor, even if she hadn't formally taken the case, Serena Feng would still offer all necessary reminders to the family.
Serena Feng glanced at the heir to the Marquis of Valorwing. Seeing that he was barely breathing, she kindly warned, "Marquis, your son is losing too much blood. He must be treated immediately. Please decide quickly—do you want me to operate?"
"Doctor Feng, are you confident you can save my son?" The Marquis of Valorwing had only heard of Serena's skill with external wounds, never seen it for himself. It was natural for him to hesitate now.
Serena Feng was young, and when life hung in the balance, the imperial physicians seemed more reliable. But the imperial physicians were still on their way from the palace, and waiting would take time.
"The blade is only a hair's breadth from the heart. I can't make promises, but if you let me operate now, I have a sixty percent chance," Serena said, almost coldly.
She was a doctor, not a god. The location of the wound was treacherous—otherwise, the other physicians wouldn't have hesitated to pull out the blade themselves.
"Sixty percent? Old Master, let's wait for the imperial physicians. Miss Feng is still young, her skills are limited," the Marchioness of Valorwing repeated, making her distrust of Serena clear.
The Marchioness of Valorwing was a bit plump, with sharp, triangular eyes that made her look harsh. Serena Feng didn't argue; she understood this kind of family anxiety.
"Marquis, within the time it takes to burn two sticks of incense, I still have a sixty percent chance. After that, only thirty percent. And after a quarter of an hour, I'm afraid I won't be able to help." Serena gave the Marquis the choice, and when he stayed silent, she knew he didn't trust her.
Serena didn't bother to explain further. She simply said, "Marquis, I'll wait for you outside. Please make your decision quickly."
Serena was brisk—she turned and walked out, leaving the whole room staring at one another in confusion.
This Doctor Feng was awfully arrogant.
Displeasure flashed in the Marquis of Valorwing's eyes. He'd never truly trusted Serena Feng's skills; if William Wang Jinling hadn't brought her, he wouldn't have let her treat his son. But now...
Only sixty percent confidence and still so arrogant—hmph, it's all because Ninth Royal Uncle spoils her. Maybe her so-called medical skills are just hype from Ninth Royal Uncle. How good could a little girl really be at medicine?
Outside the medical community, hardly anyone knew of Serena Feng's skills. Even those who did assumed she only treated women. It was normal for the Marquis of Valorwing to look down on her.
When Serena Feng came out, a flicker of surprise crossed William Wang Jinling's eyes, but he quickly recovered and smiled, asking, "What happened? They wouldn't let you treat?"
"Only you actually believe in my skills," Serena replied. She didn't care about the Marquis and his wife's doubts. Truthfully, she wasn't eager to save the heir to the Marquis of Valorwing.
If he died, it would only make things harder for the Bloodcloak Guard. But if the family asked her to operate, she would do her best. If they refused, she couldn't force them to accept her treatment.
"Mistaking a pearl for a pebble—they'll regret it. If Dominic Zhai hadn't begged me, I wouldn't even have bothered coming to Valorwing Manor," William Wang Jinling said, relaxing a little when he saw Serena wasn't upset.
Still, he couldn't help but be annoyed. Even if they didn't trust Serena's skills, they should at least trust his judgment as the Grand Heir.
"Since they don't know a good thing when they see it, let's go," William said, his pride evident. He couldn't stand Serena being slighted here, and got up to leave without another word.
If it were just him being disrespected, William could laugh it off. But seeing Serena treated this way, he couldn't accept it.
He, the Grand Heir, pampered and protected Serena—how dare these people show her such disrespect? Truly... they were getting too bold.
"Wait a bit longer. I promised to give them a quarter of an hour—after that, we'll leave." This was her principle: within that window, the heir could still be saved; she couldn't walk away yet.
Seeing Serena insist, William Wang Jinling had no choice but to stay. He was a master at hiding his emotions; outsiders couldn't read him at all.
To those inside the sickroom, a quarter of an hour felt endless. But for Serena and William, it was just the time for two cups of tea. When the time was up, Serena stood and sighed, "Let's go."
It wasn't that she refused to save him—the family wouldn't let her. The blade was dangerously close to the heart; she couldn't force her way in. If something went wrong, the heir would die instantly. So...
It wasn't that Serena Feng was abandoning him; she was truly powerless.
As Serena and William left, they ran into three imperial physicians rushing over. The physicians greeted Serena politely, but she waved them off from a distance: "Saving a life is like fighting a fire—I won't hold you up, gentlemen." Without waiting for a reply, she headed straight for the carriage with William.
"Sigh..." The imperial physicians wanted to say more, but had no chance.
"If even Doctor Feng couldn't save him, do you think we can?" said one imperial physician who'd seen Serena's skills firsthand.
"Maybe it wasn't that she wouldn't save him, but that she wasn't allowed to. We've done our best—let's just see what fate decides. Let's go in and take a look." Another imperial physician sighed, already knowing the outcome.
When it came to trauma, Serena Feng was the expert. If even she gave up, their efforts would be pointless. Still, they'd been sent by imperial command, so they had to make the trip, useful or not.
The three physicians hurried into the sickroom. The Marquis and Marchioness of Valorwing finally relaxed when the imperial physicians arrived, immediately ushering them inside. The other doctors treated the imperial physicians with respect and courtesy—Serena Feng had received nothing of the sort.
"Imperial physicians, please, I beg you, save my son!" The Marchioness's face was streaked with tears, utterly wretched.
One imperial physician stepped forward. Without even taking the pulse, he glanced at the wound and shook his head: "I'm afraid I am powerless. Prepare for the funeral."
Thud... The Marchioness nearly fainted, clutching the physician's hand: "No, no, my son can't die! Please, I beg you, save him—I'll kneel to you!"
She really did kneel before the imperial physician, who quickly helped her up. Another physician, unable to watch, interjected: "Begging us won't help. If you want hope, beg Doctor Feng. If she's willing to act, your son might still have a chance."
"Doctor Feng? You mean Serena Feng, Doctor Feng?" The Marquis of Valorwing's eyes nearly bulged out as he staggered back, looking utterly shattered...