Time Healer Ceres
Chapter 7
Chapter 7
007
I had already heard that the parents were deceased, but I hadn't realized there was another family member besides Antonion.
‘…I need to reflect on this.’
Even if I hadn't been awake in this body for long, failing to accurately grasp the family composition was clearly my mistake.
I must have been too complacent, completely distracted by the fact that I had gained a new life.
“What do you mean she’s in a sanatorium?”
“Yulia has been in very poor health since she was a child. She is currently undergoing treatment at a sanatorium.”
“A sanatorium….”
Such things existed even when I lived as Grace.
They were high-end facilities built in quiet, scenic locations, mostly frequented by those with money who wanted to focus on treatment with personal healers on standby at all times, if I recall correctly.
‘Back then, they weren't common facilities, but I suppose they became more widespread over time? A sanatorium, given this family's financial state—that's unexpected.’
“So, the thing is.”
Here comes the main point.
Ceres nodded to indicate she was listening.
Why was she hesitating so much before speaking?
“What are we to do? The treatment costs are substantial this time as well.”
“…….”
Ceres took the documents Agne handed her and read through them carefully. It was the breakdown of Yulia's treatment costs for this month sent from the sanatorium.
“Hmm.”
Ceres, who had been reading with interest, chuckled after checking the final page.
Only one emotion surfaced.
‘How ridiculous.’
What on earth is this shitty treatment method?
Did the names of medicinal herbs change while I was dead?
The herbs listed densely on the statement were certainly rare and expensive ones, even to Ceres's knowledge.
The problem was that, as far as she knew, there was no remedy where those herbs were used simultaneously.
In fact, some herbs that become toxic when used together were even prescribed at once.
This wasn't a medical statement; it was just a piece of paper listing every expensive herb imaginable one after another.
Tap.
Ceres placed the paper back on the table without saying much.
“What will you do this time? You know there’s nowhere left to borrow money from, right? You know very well that this house and the land are all already mortgaged.”
Was this woman suffering from short-term amnesia?
She believed her niece had lost her memory, yet she kept asking what she "knew."
“And?”
“Regrettably, I have no way left to help you. As I told you before, there is only one solution.”
She said the house and land were already mortgaged? Yet there was still a way?
“The shop on Delasi 1st Street. This time, you truly have no choice but to sell that shop.”
Oho, so there was still something left to sell off?
“Actually, the income from there is barely enough to pay the interest. It’s time to give up and settle things……!”
Bang!
At that moment, the door burst open and someone rushed in urgently.
“Noona! You can't!”
It was Antonion.
“Aunt! I told you that shop is off-limits!”
The boy panted heavily as if he had run all the way here.
He had likely rushed over the moment he heard she had been summoned by their aunt.
The maid Jay had looked uneasy when she left the room; it seemed she had gone to fetch Antonion.
“Antonion, what is this rude behavior?”
Agne couldn't hide her distorted expression, clearly displeased by the boy's appearance.
‘That damn brat again!’
While Ceres had been agreeing with everything she said, the shop on Delasi 1st Street was the one exception.
Every time, that boy Antonion would block her, preventing her from disposing of the shop as she wished.
“You know very well what that shop means, Aunt!”
“So? Do you have another way?”
“That’s……!”
Another way.
Antonion couldn't properly continue his sentence at those words. He knew his argument was close to being stubborn nonsense.
But……!
“Anyway, not that shop! I’ll find another way somehow!”
“It is for Ceres, the owner of the shop, to decide, Antonion. It is not for you to tell her what to do.”
Agne, who had been maintaining a benevolent face, no longer seemed inclined to wear a mask and did not hide her anger.
“Aunt!”
“Quiet! What kind of way could you possibly find? And what about Yulia’s treatment while you’re looking? Are you planning to let the child die?”
“…….”
At the mention of Yulia's name, Antonion shut his mouth tight.
Watching his tightly clenched fists turn white, a cruel smile briefly flickered across Agne's lips before vanishing.
“Antonion.”
Her voice calling the boy's name became much softer.
“I understand your feelings regarding that shop, but it can’t be helped, can it? Think of Yulia.”
Had she decided to soothe the child? Agne continued speaking calmly as if she had never raised her voice.
“Sigh… if only Ceres had handled things a bit more intelligently, it wouldn't have come to this. I feel so sorry about it too.”
Agne shook her head and looked at Ceres as if she were exhausted, implying that this was all Ceres's fault.
“But don’t resent your noona too much. Ceres did it all to save Yulia.”
“…It’s because of you.”
“What?”
“This is all because of you, Aunt!”
Biting his lip repeatedly as if trying to suppress something, the resentment finally burst out of Antonion's mouth.
“Because of me?”
“You’re the one who introduced her to those loan sharks, Aunt!”
“…Ha!”
Agne's eyes widened for a moment before she let out a scoff as if she had heard something absurd.
Her gaze instantly turned fierce again.
“I simply suggested a way! The one who chose it was Ceres, not me!”
“You pressured noona to make that choice! Saying it was the only way to save Yulia! And now you’re pushing all the responsibility onto noona—you’re a coward!”
“What?”
“That shop is absolutely out of the question, so don’t ever bring it up again! Like you just said, that shop belongs to noona, so don’t even think about doing whatever you want with it, Aunt!”
“You… you insolent……!”
Finally, Agne's hand flew up.
Antonion squeezed his eyes shut. Even if he took a blow, he had no intention of backing down.
“……?”
However, even after several moments, no impact came.
Antonion slowly opened his eyes.
Soon, the boy's eyes widened as he realized the situation.
“You have a bad habit with your hands.”
“You… you!”
Ceres was holding the hand that had been swinging down toward Antonion.
Agne, seemingly shocked by the unexpected turn of events, couldn't speak properly.
“Let go! Let go of me this instant!”
She wanted to shake off the hand immediately, but it wasn't as easy as she wanted.
Why did she have no strength in her hand?
And above all, what was with that cold expression on Ceres's face?
“A… Aagh!”
Her shock was short-lived as Agne screamed at the immense pain radiating from her captured wrist.
Could it really hurt this much just from having her wrist held?
It didn't even seem like she was being gripped that hard.
“Ah, my apologies.”
Only then did Ceres smile brightly and release the wrist she was holding.
‘It’s going to hurt like hell.’
She knew all too well which parts of the human body to touch to inflict excruciating pain.
“I’ve always hated it when others touch what belongs to me.”
“What?”
Agne, clutching her throbbing wrist with her other hand, looked at Ceres with a look of disbelief.
Was she doing this just because she tried to touch her brother?
“…….”
On the other hand, Antonion still couldn't shake his dazed expression.
The boy's face flushed slightly as he looked at Ceres.
“First of all.”
Ceres picked up the treatment statement she had placed on the table earlier.
“Give me some time.”
“Ceres, are you actually thinking of stopping Yulia’s treatment? If the fees aren't sent, Yulia’s condition will worsen!”
“We’ll see.”
“What?”
According to this treatment statement, it didn't seem like she would get any better even if the treatment continued.
“I’m saying I need time to assess the situation.”
“What do you mean…….”
“I’ll give you an answer as soon as possible. Whether I’ll sell the shop or not.”
“Noona! That shop is……!”
“You, shut it too. I said I need time.”
“…….”
Facing the two people who seemed to have a lot they wanted to say, Ceres clapped her hands together and shouted.
“Dismissed.”
Antonion and Agne could say nothing more as they watched Ceres walk out after those final words.
