The Villain Alpha's Cursed Mate-Chapter 119: How did you Learn To Make Medicine?

Esme returned to the tent, the snow crunching softly beneath her boots. As she approached, her steps faltered at the sight of Donovan emerging from her tent. His tense expression eased into one of relief the moment he sensed her presence, and without hesitation, he moved towards her.

"Where have you been?" he asked, pulling her into a sudden, tight embrace. His voice was filled with concern. "You shouldn’t disappear like that. I was terrified something had happened.

She said nothing, allowing the warmth of his arms to surround her, and it offered a brief moment of solace. After a while, he pulled back, his hands settling gently on her shoulders. "You should’ve told someone before wandering off like that," he scolded softly, his worry still evident. "No matter where you went, you can’t leave without informing the others."

Esme hesitated, realizing she had truly worried him, her eyes dropping to the ground. "I... went to see the children," she admitted quietly. "I know you told me not to, and I was furious when you gave that order. But after Leonardo explained it all to me, even though I understood your point, my heart wouldn’t rest. I couldn’t just sit back, so I brought them some food."

"Esme..."

"You can scold me if you like," she cut him off, her voice steady. "I went against your orders after all. But... after hearing how you went to those children, even knowing it was against everything you stand for, I have to say — I admire you for that. I truly do. What I don’t understand, though, is why you told them it was me. Why did you make it seem like I sent you?"

Donovan sighed and withdrew his hands from her shoulder. "Because feeding them wasn’t my idea, it was yours from the start. I knew how upset you were — you didn’t even leave your tent when we stopped to get some rest. And I get that. You haven’t been here long enough to see how dire it is to offer help in a place like this. Out here, it’s not uncommon for the very people you aid to turn around and take advantage of your kindness. I’m not emphasizing on the children, but those they were working for. It’s been that way for travelers for a long time, and even though I haven’t ventured far myself, I tend to stay updated."

Esme crossed her arms, biting her lower lip before releasing it with a soft exhale. "Then why did you help those children?"

"You were upset, and I knew I had to act," he answered calmly. "And, like you said, they were just children. I figured it was safer to keep them out of sight, that’s why you probably ran into them sooner than you expected. They promised not to speak a word about it, and the exchange turned out to be worth it, too."

Esme’s brow furrowed deeply, "What do you mean?"

Donovan’s expression shifted slightly, "They described a shortcut that led to the Northern land’s main gate. We should head further soon so everyone can freshen up properly. Right now, they’re sleeping so deeply, you’d think they wouldn’t wake even if they were submerged in the ocean."

Esme resisted a chuckle. "And Finnian?"

"He’s fine, and so are his friends. They wanted to play something they called ’slide.’ Not sure what that is but I convinced them to rest first."

"Why are you still awake then?"

"Someone has to keep watch," he replied. "The others need their rest, and Kangee is still scouting the area. I’m waiting for more reports to come in. You should get some sleep while you can."

Esme opened her mouth to protest, then thought against it. She knew he was right. She needed rest if she was going to be of any help tonight, and the last thing she would want is to slow anyone down.

"Alright," she conceded, her voice softening, "but it’s freezing out here, I’m not sure I’ll be able to sleep." Her eyes twinkled mischievously as she added. "Do you mind sharing your warmth with me?" she used his own catch phrase, and a slow, mesmerizing smile played on his lips at her boldness.

"Is that your way of saying you’ve forgiven me?" he asked, his tone gentle but teasing as he effortlessly lifted her into his arms. His body warmth was comforting, and she wanted to cling onto him for the entire day.

As he carried her toward the camp, there was a playful edge in his voice as he asked. "Remind me which way your tent is — I seem to have forgotten the path," he murmured. Esme looked up at him, and she felt her resolve melt away as she quietly guided him.

"It’s the one just a little to your right. Before I forget, have the eye drops I made shown any improvement yet?" Esme asked as he carried her into the tent, setting her down with care. "Do your eyes still burn?"

Donovan responded with a low hum, removing his blindfold. His eyes, those otherworldly shades never fail to captivate her, but the changes that occur whenever his anger surfaced was frightening, like during his confrontation with the king.

"Well?" Esme pressed gently, watching him shift his gaze towards the tent’s flap. To his relief, the burning sensation had faded. It was a small victory, because the pain had been unbearable before.

But as expected, the curse rune etched into his face flared to life, like black tendrils seeming to pour ink across his eyes, threatening to consume his vision.

"It doesn’t burn," he replied, his voice low. "But I won’t be able to see anything clearly until the curse is lifted. Still... the eye drops you made helped... for that, I’m grateful to you."

He couldn’t resist asking after he plopped beside her, "But how did you learn to make medicine... or poison? You come from a pack of warriors, and your father was the Alpha of that pack. Surely, there must have been pressure for you to train like Finnian, right?"

Esme shook her head, "It’s not what you’d expect. The truth is, I wasn’t always like this. You might find this hard to believe but I was actually born weak. My body didn’t function as healthily as others, and I was constantly ill. After my father died in the war, my health became unstable, but Dahmer and his mother didn’t care about me."

Esme sighed, "As to how I learned medicine, my step mother denied the healer from treating me. I knew if I didn’t get any suitable treatment, I might not live long enough with the neglect. So one winter night, I got out of bed, marched to the lonely library, grabbed every book I could find on herbal remedies. I started crafting my own medicine. I think I was thirteen at that time. I had this lovely maid, her name was Vivienne. You know she was like an older sister to me, and she’s one of the reasons I’m still here."

"Really? How come she’s not with you?"

Esme’s gaze wavered at that particular question, her voice softening. "She... she was killed during the demon attack."