A Replacement Bride

Chapter 128
"Hmm?" When the indifferent old man heard the names of the herbs Katherine was searching for, his eyes twinkled with
amusement.
There weren't many that would use a Millennial Gentiana Scabra and a Green Dribble Gramineae. At the very least, it would be
impossible for the named herbs to find their place in the local modern era of medication. However, the olden days were different.
These herbs were the optimal herbs in a certain formula for curing poison, especially against the ones that were specialized in
inflicting neurological damage.
"And how should I address you?" Putting away his earlier belittlement, the old man spoke respectfully to Katherine.
"Can you do it?" Katherine didn't answer and only repeated the question once more.
"I can. However, it'll take up to three days before I can get it into Hovington." When the old man noticed Katherine's displeasure,
he dared not inquire any further and only answered what he was asked.
"That's too long. At the very least, I want it in one day." The reason why Joaquin had lost his sense of pain was that the poison
had already invaded his cranial nerves. Should the poison not be neutralized soon, he would be utterly ruined.
"That would be..." The old man hesitated slightly.
After a brief thought, Katherine took out something from her pocket and tossed it over to him.
Though the old man didn't see what was tossed over to him, he instinctively reached his hands out to catch it. When he laid his
eyes on the item he caught, his expression immediately changed as he shot up from his chair. Almost kneeling to her, he said,
"Your—"
"Deliver what I want as fast as you can to No. 731 Honor Street. I trust that you will not divulge what you shouldn't be divulging?"
Katherine warned him with a stern expression which caused the old man to immediately swallow back whatever he wanted to
say.
With a frightened expression, the old man looked at Katherine before taking another look at the badge in his hand and failed to
get himself together. It was only when she had left the house did he immediately make a phone call to arrange for the herbs to
be brought into Hovington.

After she was done with her business there, Katherine went straight back to Ben's clinic.
Meanwhile, Joaquin was leisurely lying on the bed while reading something off his phone. When he heard noises coming from
the door, he looked toward the door with his eyebrows raised as he was surprised to find Katherine by the door.
Without saying a word, Katherine came toward him and grabbed his hand to take his pulse before she crudely undid his clothes
to check on the recovery of his wound. After she finished checking him, she couldn't help but mock, "You should be thankful for
your loss of sense of pain. Otherwise, you'd be suffering here now."
"So I should be glad?" Joaquin smiled.
Katherine pulled a chair over to the side of the bed and sat down. "How were you poisoned? That kind of poison is very rare.
Ordinary people won't ever come across them in their whole life. Just what did you do?"
Joaquin's eyes only flickered briefly as he kept his silence against Katherine's question.
Unbothered by his silence, Katherine continued, "From your condition, I suppose you were poisoned close to a decade ago."
"Are you that interested in me? Don't tell me that you've really fallen for me?" Joaquin said playfully with a mischievous smile.
Yet, Katherine only continued to stare at him while propping her chin in one hand. Since Joaquin's mask had completely hidden
his face, she was slightly tempted in taking off his mask to see the face behind the mask. Nevertheless, it was just a passing
thought, as she didn't act on it in the end. Then, she dismissed her thoughts and stopped staring at the man before she said
indifferently, "It's just personal curiosity. After all, Zephyr isn't circulated in the market much."
"You know of it?" Joaquin was caught off guard. He had already been surprised by the woman in front of him numerous times,
but he had never thought that she would even know about Zephyr. Perhaps she even knows about... His thoughts trailed off
before he asked, "Do you know what sort of person would be able to procure such poison? Or perhaps what organization?" He
looked at her with fiery eyes.
Katherine looked at Joaquin strangely, as though he had just asked a ridiculous question. "Since this poison was destroyed not
long after it was concocted, there weren't many that got their hands on it. Besides the maker, I would guess that only a few of the
veterans from the Vermillion Alliance still have some in their possession."
"The Vermillion Alliance?" Joaquin became even more surprised.

Noticing Joaquin's expression, Katherine froze briefly before she realized she had said too much. Then, she simply shut her
mouth and refused to continue talking.
However, Joaquin had already come to a conclusion after looking at how she reacted but chose to let sleeping dogs lie. Back
when she delivered Xyadin to him, he already had his suspicions about her connection with the Vermillion Alliance. Now, his
suspicions were proved to be true.
"Since your wounds seem to be recovering well, I'll take my leave here." Although Katherine had only sat with him for a bit, she
felt uncomfortable as she could feel Joaquin's eyes on her. And so, she stood up and made her way out the door.
"Don't you find it pitiable for me to be alone here? Won't you keep me company, my dear fiancée?" Joaquin gave her the googly
eye.
It was, however, in vain as Joaquin's mask was in the way, so Katherine pretended not to have noticed as she rolled her eyes at
him before she turned away. Just as she opened the door, Ben, who was eavesdropping the entire time, was caught off guard as
he fell into the room. Looking at the sorry state he was in, she looked back at Joaquin with a smile and said, "Look, your
company has arrived." Then, she walked away with big strides.
Suddenly feeling a shiver in his back, Ben became tense as he sneakily turned his eyes to Joaquin. When he saw clearly just
what kind of expression Joaquin was wearing, he immediately felt that his life was in danger. "Ah... I-I forgot that I still have some
very important things to deal with in Area Seven. I gotta go." Having said that, he left with great haste, as though he had
slammed on the gas pedal.
Only after everyone had left did Joaquin chuckle in amusement.
Katherine wasn't in a hurry to go home after she got out of the clinic.
Now that some time has passed since Hebert's recovery, there should be some reaction on Tessa's part right about now.
Counting the timing in her head, Katherine determined that trouble was on the horizon and that it was coming very soon. With
that, she decided to take a drive around the city.
When it was three in the afternoon, Jorge's phone call came just as she expected. The chill in her eyes grew colder as she
looked at the ringing phone. It was only after a few beats did she answer the call with a tone tinged with anxiety. "Dad, did
something happen? You seem to be trying to reach me urgently."

Jorge's discontentment disappeared for the most part when he heard what his daughter said. Sneaking a glance at Tessa who
was right in front of him, he said gently, "Kathy, here's the thing. There's actually some guests at home now. Are you free to
come back now?"
"It's not convenient for me right now, Dad. Joaquin was injured and admitted, so I'm at the hospital accompanying him right now,"
Katherine said miserably.
"The hospital? Is it serious? Is he alright? Which hospital is he in? I'll bring the guests with me to visit him as well." Upon hearing
that Joaquin was injured, Jorge grew anxious.
"I don't think that's convenient. The Levisay Family wants to keep things under wraps. Dad, are the guests there to meet me?"