Chapter 73

Chapter 73

Tu Nan’s eyes flickered slightly.

The Head Nurse acted as if she hadn’t heard a thing, leading her further into the room.

This ward was approximately sixty to seventy square meters, featuring a private bathroom, a sofa, and a balcony.

A black-haired girl sat on the sofa reading a book. Her expression was calm, and even though they had been inside for a while, she hadn’t looked up from her pages once.

She had jet-black hair and skin as white as snow.

This had to be Snow White.

Another person sat on the balcony, holding a brush.

Her golden tresses shimmered in the sunlight, looking soft and lustrous. However, the girl’s expression was far from relaxed. Her brow was slightly furrowed as she obsessively brushed her hair from root to tip, over and over again.

Tu Nan estimated that her hair was at least two or three meters long, piled in layers around her.

“This is the new nurse,” the Head Nurse said, raising her voice slightly. “Her name is Tu Nan. You can go to her if you need anything in the future.”

Snow White finally looked up from her book, casting a cold glance at her.

She appeared calm, composed, elegant, and noble. Based on appearances alone, Tu Nan couldn’t tell what kind of illness she was suffering from at all.

On the balcony, Rapunzel continued to brush her hair with singular focus. When the brush got stuck in the middle of her hair, she began to tug at it violently.

“Let me help you.” Tu Nan walked over, reaching out with a smile to help untangle the brush from her hair.

Rapunzel glanced at her and immediately began to scream hysterically.

“Go away! Go away! Don’t come near me!”

The smile on Tu Nan’s face froze. Afraid of triggering her further, she immediately backed away several steps.

Only after she had moved a significant distance away did Rapunzel quiet down again, returning to her forceful tugging at the brush.

Snow White let out a scoff, gently turned a page of her book, and took a slow, deliberate sip of the black tea on the table.

Little Red Riding Hood was on the other side playing with building blocks, occasionally looking up with a smile and a face full of adoration at the blank white wall in front of her.

It was truly… bizarre.

After seeing Ward 403, the Head Nurse led her to the neighboring Ward 404.

“Some of the patients in 404 have bad tempers,” the Head Nurse warned. “You must pay constant attention to their moods.”

Tu Nan nodded and followed the Head Nurse into Ward 404.

The layout of Ward 404 was similar to Ward 403, with no major differences, but it was clear that the personalities of the residents were vastly different.

The balcony door in Ward 404 was closed, and the curtains were drawn, leaving the room somewhat dim.

She flipped through the patient files. Living here were a man named York, the Dwarfs, and…

Tu Nan frowned as she looked at the name on the file, thinking she had misread it.

Eric?

As the mini-boss of her very first Instance, Tu Nan had a very deep impression of him.

She remembered that Eric had been swallowed by the Weird at the end of that Instance. How could he have appeared here in the Fairy Tale Hospital?

Filled with questions, she took two steps forward toward the inner part of the room.

“Who are you?” a blonde man suddenly blocked her path and asked.

The man had a handsome face with deep features and striking blonde hair. A faint, lingering smile played at the corners of his mouth, making him look exceptionally charming.

“Mr. York, this is the new nurse in charge of you, Miss Tu Nan,” the Head Nurse said from behind her, her voice devoid of emotion.

For some reason, Tu Nan detected a hint of loathing toward the man in her tone.

“So, it’s the new nurse.” The smile on York’s face grew even more charming. He took Tu Nan’s hand and pressed a kiss to it. “It is a pleasure to meet you.”
His voice was low and raspy, possessing a magnetic resonance like the sound of a cello.

Tu Nan, however, felt a wave of goosebumps break out across her skin.

She pulled her hand back and offered a polite smile. “Thank you.”

“Heh.” A cold sneer drifted from behind them. “York, your intentions are far too obvious.”

The smile at the corners of York’s mouth faded, replaced by a flicker of anger in his eyes.

He turned around. “Shut your mouth, midget. Do you think stacking a few of yourselves together to look tall actually makes you a giant?”

Tu Nan looked past his shoulder.

There was nothing there.

She took a moment to process this, then lowered her gaze, finally spotting someone.

A small dwarf, reaching only about as high as her knees, stood on the floor glaring at York.

“You fake, stupid fraud,” the dwarf said viciously. “Nobody needs you.”

“You fake, stupid fraud.”

…

“You fake, stupid fraud.”

Several more Dwarfs suddenly jumped out from nowhere. They leapt onto the first dwarf’s shoulders, stacking themselves up until they reached a height that forced Tu Nan to look up.

“…What is this?” She looked toward the calm Head Nurse in confusion. “Aren’t there only three patients per ward?”

“This is an exception.” The Head Nurse waved her tentacles. “As you can see, they are ‘one entity.’ There’s no way to separate them.”

“Then won’t this room be a bit too crowded?” Tu Nan asked.

“Hospital beds are in short supply,” the Head Nurse said coldly. “These are not matters you need to concern yourself with.”

Tu Nan looked at the stacked Dwarfs and counted them. There were five in total.

“How should I address you?” she asked.

“Just call us Peter.”

They spoke in unison.

“Nice to meet you, Mr. Peter.” Tu Nan looked at them, momentarily unsure of whose hand to shake.

“Don’t mind them,” York snorted. “They’re just low-life robbers.”

The moment York finished speaking, the Peters let out a roar and lunged at him. The group instantly dissolved into a scuffle.

Tu Nan watched, dumbstruck.

The Head Nurse’s tentacles proved indispensable. Several of them darted in and out of the fray, nimbly binding each of the men separately.

“Fighting is prohibited in the wards, gentlemen.” Her voice was laced with a chilling frost. “Unless you’d like to be sent to solitary confinement.”

The men stopped struggling immediately. At the mention of “solitary confinement,” they all became remarkably well-behaved.

Only then did the Head Nurse release them.

Taking advantage of the lull, Tu Nan finally saw the bed at the very back of the room.

A person was lying there. Judging by the frame, it was likely a man-the reason for the uncertainty was that he was wrapped entirely in bandages, leaving only his eyes exposed.

As Tu Nan looked into those eyes, a sense of familiarity bubbled up.

It really did seem to be Eric.

“Mr. Eric suffered severe injuries and was only just saved after a difficult resuscitation,” the Head Nurse instructed. “His tongue was cut out, so you need to be extra attentive.”

It was confirmed; he really was an old acquaintance.

Tu Nan no longer had the appearance of Ariel, so she wasn’t at all worried that Eric would recognize her.

She walked to the side of Eric’s bed, covered her mouth in feigned shock, and said sympathetically, “Who could have possibly hurt Mr. Eric like this?”