"Lilith…"
Seeing the sudden improvement in his daughter, Fregra—who had just been about to stop Eren—froze in place. He even retracted the hand he had raised.
Gazing at Lilith's rarely seen, peacefully relaxed brows in her sleep, Fregra forcibly suppressed his urge to interrupt Eren.
At this point, he looked more afraid of disturbing Eren's concentration than anything else.
Although he didn't know what that mysterious white light was, Fregra saw clearly how Lilith's complexion visibly improved after absorbing it.
The obvious, visible results—it was something he'd never seen in all these years.
And coupled with that mysterious glow, it seemed to hint at a new path he had never considered before.
Fregra had spent years running to the best hospitals in the world, but none had brought any hope. He had already given up on modern medicine.
That's why, when he opened the door for Eren earlier, he had seemed so full of despair.
But now, that light gave him the first glimmer of hope in years.
If modern medicine couldn't save his daughter, then perhaps the mysterious realm of the supernatural—filled with legend and unknown powers—might hold the key.
It was with this thought that Fregra calmed his worry and allowed Eren to continue working beside Lilith's bed.
But while Fregra saw hope…
Eren frowned.
Because—
He had just realized that Lilith's condition was even worse than he expected.
The Basic Holy Light Treatment had healed part of her physical injuries and expelled some of the Miasma of Calamity that had invaded her.
But that was only temporary.
Once the energy of the Holy Light dispersed, those tendrils of miasma that hovered around Lilith's body began creeping back, slowly but relentlessly.
At this rate…
In two or three days, maybe four, Lilith would regress to how she was before Eren's treatment.
And if that lingering miasma wasn't dealt with once and for all…
Even if Eren fully healed her body and spirit, she'd eventually fall right back into this state.
Just as this thought crossed Eren's mind, Fregra—who had just begun to feel hopeful—noticed Eren frowning and instantly felt a chill in his heart.
He couldn't help but ask, "Can you cure Lilith?"
Eren looked at the anxious father and replied, "Lilith's case is more complicated than I imagined. Her condition isn't just physical…"
"I can heal her body, but unless we deal with the source of her affliction, even a fully healed Lilith will fall ill again someday."
Hearing that, Fregra—who had already expected bad news—fell silent, eyes dim.
But a few seconds later…
He smiled.
Truly smiled.
Walking over to the bed, he gently brushed Lilith's tangled hair and said, "Even if all you can do is let her live a few more healthy years, that's already far better than now."
The truth was—
Not long ago, Lilith's attending physician had issued a critical notice.
After years of torment from her illness, her body was completely drained.
Lilith was only still alive thanks to the incredibly expensive medications Fregra provided every day.
But even so, she was hanging by a thread.
Fregra had already lost hope…
Until today.
Now, a miracle seemed within reach.
"I promise," he said to Eren. "If you can help her recover even a little, I'll join your Miracle Group and do everything I can to grow it."
"But—" he added seriously, "If I'm going to work for you, I'll need a proper salary. My monthly income can't be less than $300,000. That's the amount I've been spending monthly just to keep Lilith alive. For her continued care, I can't settle for less. Of course, I'll prove I'm worth every penny."
Eren smiled, looking at the man whose eyes now shone with determination.
"Don't underestimate my Miracle Group," Eren replied. "The base salary for the Executive CEO is one million dollars a month. And that's just the minimum."
"If your performance lives up to what Pepper Auntie says, and you can satisfy me, I promise—your bonuses will be several times your base pay. And that's just the beginning."
"As for Lilith…"
Eren's gaze turned to the small girl shrouded in misfortune.
He paused for a moment, then said, "There's no shortage of excellent doctors in New York, but in Lilith's case, staying in a hospital is just wasting time."
"If you're ready to commit, find a place to rent near my home. You can bring her over every night. I'll treat her personally—and I guarantee the results will be better than anything you'll get here."
With that—
Eren took a pen and notepad from his jacket pocket.
After quickly jotting something down, he tore off the page and handed it to Fregra.
"This has my number and address. Come find me once you've made your decision."
Mmnn…
Just as Fregra took the note, a faint murmur came from the bed between them.
The frail little girl stirred—
And slowly, Lilith opened her eyes.
Hearing her voice, Fregra instantly turned his full attention to her and rushed to her side.
Eren watched it all silently—seeing how much Fregra cared for his daughter in even the smallest gestures.
········
Groggy-eyed, Lilith blinked a few times. The first thing she saw was her father's tired, unshaven face.
Reaching up with her tiny hand, she gently pinched his nose.
"Daddy, you lied again. You said you'd nap with me… but you haven't been sleeping at all."
"I listened to you and took a nap. Now it's your turn. You promised, remember?"
"Yes, yes, Daddy will nap too," Fregra said, kissing her on the forehead.
Then, concerned, he asked, "Lilith, do you feel any discomfort?"
"No, I feel much better after sleeping! Look—" she lifted her hand and tugged playfully at his beard. "I even have the strength to pull your whiskers!"
Eren could tell this was a little father-daughter ritual—a loving gesture to reassure each other.
Lilith seemed to be trying to ease her father's worry by proving she was doing better.
But…
As Lilith reached out to tug his beard, Eren saw something.
He noticed the subtle trembling in her thin arm beneath her sleeve—the hidden pain in her eyes.
Even such a simple gesture took great effort for her.
She masked it well. Most people wouldn't notice.
But Eren, attuned through his Mind Field, caught it immediately.
Even more—
Through his spiritual sight, he sensed Fregra's brief internal tremble too—a sharp spike of emotion: pain.
But just like his daughter, he hid it with a smile.
········
Watching this pair who didn't want the other to worry, Eren let out a quiet sigh.
If only there were no miasma of calamity—
This father and daughter would be living a happy, peaceful life.
Looking at Lilith's tender yet heartbreaking sensibility, Eren's heart was touched deeply.
After giving them some space, he finally cleared his throat on purpose.
"Ahem… ahem…"
Hearing someone cough, Lilith tilted her head curiously.
That's when she noticed the older boy standing by the bed.
She stared curiously at Eren and asked shyly:
"Big brother, are you sick? If you're sick, you should see a doctor right away. Being sick for too long is really uncomfortable…"
Eren smiled gently.
"I'm not sick. I just coughed because I didn't want to interrupt you two."
"Ah!"
Realizing that he wasn't ill, Lilith relaxed. Then she blushed and snuggled into her father's arms bashfully.
Seeing that faint blush on her pale cheeks, Eren chuckled and stepped closer.
"Lilith, can big brother ask you a few questions?"
Does he want to find out why she became like this?
Fregra seemed to realize something and gave Lilith an encouraging look.
Nestled in her father's arms, Lilith saw his expression and nodded nervously.
"O-okay… go ahead, big brother."
"Good girl."
Eren reached out and gently patted her head.
His touch seemed to carry a calming aura.
Almost instantly, the nervousness Lilith felt from meeting a stranger began to ease.
Once she was more at ease, Eren asked, "Lilith, when you were younger, did strange or unlucky things often happen around you?"
Before Lilith could answer—
Fregra spoke up.
"I can answer that. Yes, strange and unlucky things often happened near Lilith when she was young—but it wasn't her that suffered. It was always others."
"But there's a reason…"
He gently stroked Lilith's hair and continued:
"When her mom was pregnant, I got transferred for work. We moved from California to New York. In a rush, we rented a place close to my new office."
"We didn't have time to inspect properly, and my wife was already pregnant, so we just moved in right away."
"Later, the neighbors told us the house had a reputation for being haunted. But both of us were rational people—we didn't take it seriously."
"But soon after, strange things started happening around us. Our luck worsened drastically. There were near-misses, accidents… once, my wife almost had a miscarriage."
"After that, we moved out immediately. I even beat the crap out of the agent who rented us that place."
"And oddly enough, after we moved, things did improve."
"For a while, we thought that was the end of it."
"But then Lilith was born."
"After that, weird and dangerous things started happening around her. Disasters, you could say. But every time, she miraculously survived unharmed."
"It was terrifying. Though the incidents became less frequent over time."
"Then, after her mother died… the disasters stopped. But that's when Lilith developed her illness."
"Wait… could it be that her sickness is also caused by that cursed house?"
"Damn it. It's my fault. I never should've rented that damned place…"
By the time he finished, Fregra's face was flushed with guilt—and his eyes filled with regret.
(End of Chapter)
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