Chapter 82: Ch 82. Other Treatment Methods

Dorven seemed to welcome her with a smile, while his room was filled with several chests, a dining table laden with dishes that looked delicious and luxurious, and a few valuable items.

In fact, inside the lion’s palace, there were many plants that this man had deliberately cultivated to create the atmosphere of a wilderness where a lion would typically live. However, it turned out that his room had been made as comfortable as possible—to the point that it didn’t match her expectations.

Was it this man who did this? Because as far as Selena could recall, back when the former owner of her body used to come to his room here, it wasn’t arranged nearly this well. That place was just an ordinary room with a simple bed and some standard furnishings.

It was quite different from the current state of affairs, which is why Selena took a step back in surprise.

"Come here," Dorven said, waving his hand at Selena. "Let’s eat first; I’ve prepared plenty of delicious food from the Lion clan."

Selena smiled slightly, stepped closer, and sat down. "Did you prepare all of this yourself, or did the servants?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

Dorven grinned slightly, then sat down as well and watched Selena as she examined all the dishes.

"I asked them to prepare it—I didn’t know if you’d like everything or not. Eat whatever you like; it’s all delicious," he said with a smile.

Selena’s plate was already piled high with food, ready for her to eat. She didn’t know the names of these dishes, but they looked quite luxurious. There was fragrant roasted meat, a mouthwatering sauce drizzled on top, and a few vegetable garnishes.

Most of the food served in front of her was also made from meat—of course, that was because Dorven was a lion king and a carnivore. He ate meat because he simply didn’t care much for vegetables.

They ate quietly, doing so simply to replenish their energy. Selena also had no intention of eating a large amount because, after this, it might only be a matter of time before she had to attend to this man.

For some reason, Selena felt unprepared. But since she had already made a promise, she couldn’t go back on her word—especially since that was the primary rule and the most effective remedy.

Selena just wanted to settle all these matters with her husbands so she could be free. As for bearing their children, Selena had absolutely no intention of doing so.

Perhaps once she’d finished her work as the Healer of Extinction, this would be easier to discuss; she might even be able to talk it over with the God who oversaw all of this.

At the very least, if possible, Selena wanted her husbands to take one or two concubines so she wouldn’t have to bear their children. But it seemed uncertain whether she’d actually be able to make that happen.

"What are you daydreaming about?" Dorven approached Selena, who was sitting on the sofa after dinner.

Selena looked at him and shook her head. "Nothing, just a silly thought. Want to do it now?" Selena asked, starting to get ready.

Dorven looked at her with a slight raise of his eyebrows, then smiled and sat down beside her.

"Isn’t there some other treatment you could give me if you’re reluctant?" Dorven asked, looking at Selena, who immediately furrowed her brow. "I don’t want you to do this against your will. After all, it’s been too soon since I complied with you at the Eldoria court. I know my place, so I don’t want to ask for more."

Selena was silent for a moment. "I’m not sure. I do have some reservations because I can’t accept having to make love with you people—who are even willing to kill me. But it’s the only way; I don’t want to try ineffective experiments. Healing you through lovemaking is my professional duty—whether you agree or not is irrelevant," she said, causing Dorven to take a deep breath.

"Wait a minute," the man replied, then stood up and took something from the box he’d placed on the table.

Selena watched him as he returned holding a book.

"What’s that?"

Dorven smiled, sat back down beside her, and opened the book. "This is something I found while going through my treasure storeroom earlier. I was planning to find a gift for you, but instead I found a book that’s an heirloom from my ancestors," he said, then opened a page he had marked.

"Look at this—here I found a healing method for the Lions afflicted by the curse of losing their emotions and feelings. It says it can be done this way," Dorven said, handing the book to Selena so she could see it more easily.

Selena read the page Dorven had opened, understood its contents, and then furrowed her brow.

"Burn yourself over a sacred fire? That way, you’ll purify all the feelings and emotions you possess. Do this all night long until the fire consumes all the curses within you," said Selena as she read the instructions in the book.

Dorven nodded as she looked at him. "Maybe this method is worth a try, since one of my ancestors once managed to recover from a similar curse. I want to try it, so you won’t have to sacrifice yourself or your feelings by having to make love to me," he said, making Selena swallow hard.

"The risk is huge—there’s no guarantee I’ll survive after being boiled all night."

"I’m certain I’ll survive. This method was recorded by my ancestors, which makes me think it was intentionally passed down for future generations facing similar problems. I won’t just passively endure being boiled either—if I can’t take it anymore, I’ll get out. It won’t be too late, because I’ll be boiled while conscious, not unconscious," Dorven said, causing Selena to sigh anxiously.

Boiling Dorven in water isn’t a good idea. Even though this man has a sturdy and strong build, even iron can melt if heated continuously, especially at high temperatures.

"The sacred fire doesn’t have excessive heat; I’ve seen it on the mountain north of the Lion Region and approached it quite closely. That fire isn’t hot—not as hot as the fires found in this world. So, its effect isn’t to cook food but to purge the source of disease."

"You’d be literally mistaken if you thought I’d be boiled alive like I’m being made into soup. Some records also say that the fire has hundreds of benefits; one of the benefits that’s just become apparent is this. So we can try it—from tonight until tomorrow morning is a good time. It’s not too late even if everything fails, because we can still make love tomorrow night," Dorven said earnestly.

Selena clasped her hands together, secretly feeling relieved that she wouldn’t have to make love to this man. She didn’t know why, but Selena herself felt that the marital relationship between her and Dorven was far more distant compared to the ones she had with her other husbands.

This man was indeed one of the three husbands who immediately apologized, but their relationship hadn’t developed as much as the ones she had with Stoner, John, and Stevan.

Even Selena’s relationship with Vylen felt a bit lackluster, even though she and Vylen were quite close. After all, she had helped out with matters at the Fox Palace, but Vylen still felt like something was missing, and that made Selena unsure whether she would end up making love to him or not.

"All right, we can try if you really want to." Selena felt a little more confident, especially since she didn’t hear any protests from the mysterious voice that usually echoed in her head. "Where’s the sacred fire? Have you prepared everything since you read about this treatment in the book first?"

"I’ve prepared everything in the backyard. Come on, I’ll take you there to see it."

Selena smiled and nodded, then closed the book before following Dorven.

Dorven, for his part, secretly felt relieved that Selena was feeling better and more enthusiastic than she had been when she was getting ready to make love earlier. After all, one’s feelings or desires cannot be ignored.

Selena felt reluctant deep down but still tried to heal him while also tending to him in bed—even though she didn’t want to at all, she still tried to remain professional.

Dorven wasn’t a heartless man. He was also aware that he didn’t share the kind of feelings between a husband and wife who love each other with Selena. Their marriage had been arranged by the Gods, and that meant they hadn’t had a chance to consider matters of the heart.

That’s why, now, he didn’t want to force Selena—a woman who had spent her entire life being forced into things. Not to mention, their relationship didn’t need to be forced too much because neither of them was emotionally connected to the other.

"This is the spot. I’ve quietly prepared everything and asked my aide to fetch a little sacred fire from the Northern region," he said, prompting Selena to look at all the items that had been laid out in the courtyard. "I’m ready to do this now. Let’s give it a try."