Chapter 81

Chapter 81

Tu Nan felt as disgusted as if she had swallowed a fly.

“It’s about time.” York glanced at the sky and began humming a tune, clearly in high spirits. He looked at Tu Nan. “I think it’s time to head back.”

*

After escorting York back to his ward, Tu Nan followed protocol and asked Peter if he needed to go out. As expected, the answer was no.

Despite anticipating the response, she still felt a flicker of disappointment.

She had originally hoped to glean some useful information from Peter, but it seemed that wasn’t going to happen now.

York entered the room with a beaming smile.

When Tu Nan returned to the nurse station, a nurse on duty asked her curiously, “I heard something happened in the garden just now?”

“Yes,” Tu Nan replied vaguely. “A girl fell from the gazebo.”

The nurse clicked her tongue. “How could she be so careless?”

Tu Nan remained silent.

A moment later, two more nurses returned together.

As soon as they arrived, they huddled together to gossip.

“Did you hear? A girl had an accident in the garden.”

“I heard. How is she doing now?”

“I just came from the operating room. I heard that when she fell, she didn’t just hit her head; she broke her leg too…”

“Her leg was already in recovery. This just makes matters worse. I’m afraid she won’t be able to walk at all now.”

…

Tu Nan didn’t listen to the rest of their conversation.

She sighed, her chest feeling tight and heavy. It was a bitter feeling.

Beyond witnessing a young girl get injured right in front of her, what bothered her more was why York’s behavior contradicted what was recorded in his file.

She opened York’s file and re-read it meticulously, confirming she hadn’t misremembered.

Could it be… that York believed this behavior was a form of ‘salvation’ for that girl?

She couldn’t be certain yet.

*

Dinner time soon arrived. The nurses left in groups, even inviting Tu Nan to join them.

Tu Nan felt Daisy’s ID badge in her pocket and politely declined their invitation. She stood up and headed to the first floor of the hospital to find Daisy.

Daisy happened to be heading to the Dining Room, so the two of them walked together.

Tu Nan handed the ID badge to Daisy. “Dawson asked me to give this to you. I was too busy this afternoon and forgot to hand it over.”

Daisy took the badge with a look of surprise and pinned it on. “That’s wonderful! I forgot to go pick it up this afternoon and it gave me quite a scare. I’m so glad you were here.”

She smiled and looked down at the badge on her chest. “It would be a real problem if I didn’t have my ID badge at night.”

Tu Nan’s heart stirred, and she asked casually, “Why would it be a problem to not have your badge at night? You don’t have to work at night, do you?”

Unlike the nurses, Daisy didn’t seem to have night shifts.

Daisy sighed. “It’s a hospital regulation; everyone has to follow it.”

“Does someone actually check?” Tu Nan continued to fish for information.

Daisy nodded solemnly. “You must keep your badge safe and make sure to carry it with you at night, otherwise…”

She stopped just as she reached the crucial point.

“Otherwise what?” Tu Nan couldn’t help but press for more.

“Oh, look, we’re at the Dining Room.” Daisy acted as if she hadn’t heard her, briskly quickening her pace. “Find a seat and sit down; I’ll help you get your food.”

Before Tu Nan could say a word, Daisy had already dashed toward the serving window.

*

The Dining Room was crowded during dinner. Tu Nan searched for a long time before finally finding a seat. By then, Daisy was already walking over with two trays of food.

“Dinner is quite lavish today,” Daisy said with a smile as she set the trays down. “I wonder if it’s because the Dean has returned.”
“The Dean eats in the Dining Room too?” Tu Nan asked, a hint of surprise in her voice.

“Occasionally,” Daisy replied, taking a seat across from her. “The Dean isn’t particularly fussy about such things.”

Tu Nan recalled the man she had encountered that afternoon. He didn’t seem like the type Daisy was describing, but she knew that asking too many questions would make her look suspicious.

Instead, Tu Nan changed the subject. They chatted for a bit as they ate until Tu Nan finally found an opening to bring up the events of the afternoon.

“…Oh, that girl,” Daisy said, swallowing a piece of potato. “I know her. She’s a young lady from a duke’s family-very naive and inexperienced.”

Tu Nan nodded in agreement.

“The Duke and his wife are estranged and barely pay her any attention. Even when she accidentally broke her leg and was sent to the hospital, her parents rarely visited,” Daisy sighed. “It’s truly pitiful.”

If that was the case, Tu Nan could understand why the girl had been so easily charmed by York’s sweet talk.

“Actually, I was in the garden this afternoon as well,” Tu Nan said tentatively. “I was accompanying a patient for some fresh air at the time.”

Daisy’s eyes widened with curiosity. “Then did you see how she fell?”

Tu Nan shook her head. “I happened to step away for a moment when it happened.”

Daisy looked a bit disappointed. “So she really did just fall on her own?”

“Why do you ask?” Tu Nan inquired.

“The Duke and Duchess were furious when they found out, but when she woke up, she insisted that she had simply been careless and tripped down the steps.”

Daisy shrugged. “The nurse responsible for her wasn’t by her side at the time. The Dean was very angry and punished her.”

Tu Nan silently offered a prayer for that nurse.

It would have been bad enough if the patient were a commoner, but she was a noble lady. One could only imagine that the nurse’s fate would not be a kind one.

“I can’t help but feel that this matter isn’t as simple as it seems.” Tu Nan frowned, hesitating over whether she should tell Daisy the truth.

“Oh?” Pristley asked. “In what way is it not simple?”

“…”

Tu Nan stiffly raised her head to look at the man who had appeared beside her at some unknown point.

Only now did she notice that the once-bustling Dining Room had suddenly grown much quieter.

A pair of emerald eyes behind gold-rimmed spectacles watched her with an unreadable expression. Pristley’s lips curled into a slight smile, and his voice was soft. “There are no seats left. Do you mind if I join you?”

“Lord Dean!” Daisy’s eyes widened in pleasant surprise. “What are you doing here?”

“I felt a bit hungry and remembered I hadn’t visited the Dining Room in a while, so I came down for a bite.” Pristley pointed to the seat next to Tu Nan. “You don’t mind if I sit here, do you?”

She minded. She minded very much.

“Not at all, not at all! Please, have a seat,” Daisy answered for her.

Pristley sat down beside Tu Nan, and a unique fragrance drifted into her nostrils.

Her entire body went rigid with unnatural tension.

“You just said ‘this matter isn’t as simple as it seems,'” Pristley said, turning his head toward her with a smile. “Would you care to share your thoughts?”

Her greatest fear had come true.

Pristley appeared gentle and polite on the surface, but he exerted a powerful sense of pressure. Unless it was absolutely necessary, Tu Nan really did not want to deal with him.

“Tu Nan, the Dean is talking to you.” Seeing that Tu Nan hadn’t responded, Daisy couldn’t help but nudge her.

“I just think… since she knew her legs were injured and the nurse wasn’t around, how could she have fallen from the gazebo?” Tu Nan forced a smile. “Perhaps there was someone else with her at the time?”