Leo understood the emperor’s concern. Princess Lyra was afflicted with the fire poison of the Flame Fire Devil Scorpion, and in the absence of a cure, it could only be suppressed with cold energy.
Outside the palace gates, two maidservants dressed in snow-white coats hurriedly opened the door upon seeing the emperor’s entourage approaching.
Beyond the gate was a courtyard filled with various ice-type spirit flowers, each exuding a faint, cool fragrance that lingered in the air.
In a flowerbed of ice-type spirit flowers, a slender woman dressed in a snow-colored gown was carefully trimming the branches of a spirit flower.
“Princess Lyra, His Majesty is here to see you,” one of the maidservants beside her quickly announced.
“Father is here?” The delicate figure in the snow gown immediately stood up and walked out of the flowerbed.
It was then that Leo got a clear look at Princess Lyra’s appearance.
Princess Lyra had clear, bright eyes and a fair complexion. Her entire demeanor exuded a gentle, endearing quality.
If not for the faint red scorpion-like mark on her left cheek, her beauty would have been unparalleled.
Upon seeing the emperor, Princess Lyra’s thin face lit up with joy.
“Father,” Princess Lyra said, walking briskly to the emperor and bowing gracefully.
“Lyra,” the emperor’s stern face softened with affection for his daughter.
“Uncle, Caius, Salvador,” Princess Lyra continued, bowing to Prince Caspian, the Crown Prince, and Prince Caius.
When Princess Lyra finally looked at Leo, she paused in surprise.
Clearly, she had not expected to see a stranger in a place usually visited only by her father and a few others.
Noticing the stranger’s gaze, Princess Lyra quickly regained her composure and took out a thin veil to cover the unsightly scorpion mark on her face.
“Lyra, this is Leo, Lord of Clearwind Town and a Fourth-rank Alchemist. I have invited him to treat you,” the emperor introduced.
“Leo? The alchemist who summoned Pill Thunder twice at Clearwind Town Lord’s Manor?” Princess Lyra blinked her clear eyes in curiosity as she studied Leo.
The young man before her, about the same age as her second brother, was surprisingly a Fourth-rank Alchemist capable of summoning Pill Thunder. This seemed incredible to Princess Lyra.
Seeing Princess Lyra’s curious gaze, Leo smiled and said, “Princess Lyra, do I look different from what you imagined?”
Princess Lyra instinctively nodded lightly, then shook her head, looking rather adorable.
“Lord Leo,” Princess Lyra said softly, bowing to Leo.
“Please rise, Your Highness,” Leo quickly gestured for her to stand.
Leo glanced around the courtyard and pointed to a nearby stone bench. “I will examine your injury first. Please sit there, Princess Lyra.”
Princess Lyra nodded and walked to the stone bench.
“Lord Leo, I leave this to you,” the emperor said.
After Princess Lyra sat down on the stone bench, Leo continued, “Your Highness, please extend your hand and remove the snow silk glove.”
“Lord Leo, my hand is very ugly and unsightly. It might scare you…” Princess Lyra hesitated.
“It’s alright. Don’t worry,” Leo reassured her with an encouraging smile.
Princess Lyra bit her lip and slowly removed the snow silk glove from her right hand.
When Leo saw Princess Lyra’s right hand clearly, his expression tightened.
The severity of Princess Lyra’s right hand exceeded Leo’s expectations. The once slender and fair hand was now covered in blisters. The blisters made her hand resemble the back of a toad, with pus seeping out, making it look quite repulsive.
The edges of the blisters were marked with fiery red scorpion-like patterns where they met normal skin.
“Did it scare you?” Seeing Leo’s tightened expression, Princess Lyra quickly withdrew her hand.
Leo comforted her with a smile. “Don’t worry, Your Highness. This injury is manageable. Please extend your hand again; I need to examine it closely.”
Seeing Leo’s gentle smile, Princess Lyra slowly placed her hand back on the stone table.
After carefully examining Princess Lyra’s hand, Leo said, “Your Highness, please roll up your sleeve.”
Princess Lyra’s face changed slightly. “Lord Leo, my arm is scary just like my hand…”
Seeing Princess Lyra’s frightened expression pained the emperor deeply. He gently urged, “Lyra, let Lord Leo take a look.”
“Yes, Father,” Princess Lyra nodded and rolled up her snow-white sleeve.
The skin on her arm was just like her hand’s condition-covered in blisters resembling a toad’s back. The edges were marked with fiery red scorpion-like patterns that looked shocking.
A nearby maidservant couldn’t bear to look any longer and turned away.
“Your Highness, please roll your sleeve higher,” Leo instructed.
Princess Lyra gritted her teeth and rolled her sleeve up to her upper arm. The blisters had spread to her shoulder.
Leo’s expression grew more serious.
The fire poison of a half-step Demon Saint Realm Flame Fire Devil Scorpion was extremely potent. Leo could imagine the immense pain Princess Lyra had endured over the years.
It was remarkable that Princess Lyra had managed to hold on for so long.
Princess Lyra’s keen mind guessed what Leo was thinking from his expression. She softly said, “Lord Leo, Father has been very good to me. With Master Tanner’s elixirs, I can endure the pain from the fire poison. It’s just that these terrible blisters on my skin…”
Princess Lyra trailed off at the end. Women cared if they looked good; having such terrible blisters on their skin was hard to accept.
“Your Highness, I need to examine your internal condition,” Leo said.
Princess Lyra nodded.
Leo placed two fingers on Princess Lyra’s wrist and closed his eyes slightly as a wisp of his consciousness entered her body.
The internal condition of Princess Lyra appeared clearly in Leo’s mind. Her dantian was an eerie fiery red color, with most of the spiritual power in her spiritual lake already depleted. Her heart was the only organ not yet invaded by fire poison; all other organs were affected.
Soon, Leo withdrew his hand and opened his eyes.
“Lord Leo, how is Lyra?” The emperor asked with concern.
Leo replied truthfully, “Princess Lyra’s internal organs are all infected by fire poison except for her heart. The fire poison on her skin has spread to her shoulders. Once it reaches her face, even a Pill Sovereign alchemist won’t be able to help. It doesn’t look hopeful for Princess Lyra.”