CHAPTER 216: 215. THE ODOR

The next day arrived quickly for Asher. Early in the morning, as Sharon got up for school, Asher headed to Veyna’s estate. He was greeted by the female samurai guard, who led him upstairs into the sprawling mansion.

Today, Asher was dressed for work: new black leather shoes he’d bought the night before, gray chinos, a plain white tee, and a soft, cotton flannel shirt with faded patterns. The chilly air prompted him to top it off with a beanie. The guard directed him to the empty dining room and told him to sit on the couch, then left without another word.

Ten minutes later, Asher heard the unmistakable click of stilettos on the tiled floor. He glanced up and saw Veyna approaching, dressed in another black dress, similar to the one from yesterday.

Her face was partially concealed by a mask, covering her nose and mouth, but not her cold eyes.

Good morning," Asher said politely, rising from the couch.

"Spare me the greetings," she replied curtly. "Follow me."

Asher trailed behind her as she led him deeper into the mansion, passing through several empty rooms. Asher couldn’t help but wonder how many rooms this massive estate had.

Eventually, they arrived at a door at the far end of the hall. Veyna reached for the handle with gloved hands and pushed it open.

As soon as the door creaked, a wave of foul stench hit Asher like a physical blow, making him instinctively cover his nose. Flies buzzed lazily in the air. Veyna nudged him inside, following closely behind.

His throat tightened at the sight that met him. There was a person in here!

Bundled beneath dirty blankets. Her eyes fluttered open weakly as she noticed them.

"I’ll be gone for the day," Veyna said sharply, not daring to step farther into the room. "I’ve brought someone to watch over you."

The woman’s voice cracked. "P-Please... just kill me, sister..."

Asher’s brow furrowed, his stomach churning. Was this the sister Veyna had mentioned, the one who was so important to her? The condition of the room told a different story.

The stench in the room was unbearable, and the filth was overwhelming. It looked as though it hadn’t been cleaned in years.

"Stop talking nonsense, Valeria. No one’s killing you," Veyna snapped, adjusting her mask. She turned to Asher. "Alright, kid. You’re guarding her. Make sure no one hurts her or takes her. Got it?"

Asher nodded, still silent.

Veyna turned to leave. Asher instinctively followed her out the door, only to be stopped by her voice.

"Where do you think you’re going?"

"Uh... standing outside to guard?" he said, half-shrugging.

"You guard her from the inside. Nothing happens to her. Understood?"

He bit back a sigh. How exactly am I supposed to guard the estate and babysit a woman losing her mind in a disease-ridden room?

But there was no point arguing.

"Understood, ma’am."

He stepped back inside, and Veyna left without another word—though he caught a faint smirk on her lips as she walked off.

Once alone, Asher hurried to the window. He unlatched the burglar bars and pushed the panes open, yanking the curtains aside to let in whatever fresh air he could find. It helped—barely. The odor was still thick and sour, clinging to the walls like rot.

The woman on the bed—Valeria—lay motionless for a while, her face half-buried in the pillow. He tried to ignore her, but a few minutes later, quiet groans began rising from her throat.

She started shifting under the blankets. Her legs drew up, and her face twisted in pain.

She’s not going to suddenly die now, is she? Asher thought, uneasily watching her.

The groans turned into gasps. She flung off the sheet with a whimper and Asher’s eyes widened, freezing where he stood.

She was naked beneath.

But that wasn’t what hit him hardest.

It was the unpleasant vaginal stench that came from her body that made his throat dry. Her fingers were deep between her legs, clearly trying to scratch some unbearable itch. The sight of greenish-yellow discharge sent a chill down his spine.

"Pl-ease..." she whimpered, her lips trembling as she looked at him. "Please... help me... I need... to have sex... It’s itching!"

Asher’s eyes widened. This wasn’t normal. Her symptoms, the discharge—told him this wasn’t some random discomfort or lust. Could it be an STI? He had to fight the rising disgust and focus on the task at hand.

Could it be trichomoniasis? Asher muttered under his breath. Or something like it...

Her cries grew louder. He watched as she scraped herself raw, red streaks blooming under her nails.

Damn it.

His doctor instincts kicked in.

He stepped closer. "Ma’am—listen. This isn’t sexual craving. You’re suffering from an infection, and scratching is only making it worse."

But she didn’t even hear him.

"Hades cursed me!" she shrieked. "He cursed me!!"

She’s lost her mind, Asher thought grimly. She thinks she’s cursed. Do people here... not even know what an STI is?

He glanced around the room, then back at her. This woman was tearing herself apart. No wonder she wants to die. And Veyna calls this love?

He reached into his item box and pulled out a healing potion, attempting to make her drink it. But she resisted, her hands desperately tugging away from him.

With a sigh, he grabbed her hands, pried them away, and forced the potion into her mouth. But it did nothing. The potion couldn’t help with STIs.

He was running out of options, and he couldn’t just leave her like this. He needed something stronger. He remembered there are herbs in his realm. He could come up with something, not entirely a cure, but something that could help.

Quickly, he teleported back to his realm, gathered some garlic and other herbs, then returned. The woman was still frantically trying to scratch herself. He ignored her cries and peeled a clove of garlic. He nicked it with a knife to activate the allicin, then wrapped it in a strip of clean gauze. He tore the curtains and made restraints with them, then gently tied Valerie’s hands to the bedposts.

After that, he carefully inserted the wrapped garlic.

She whimpered as it burned, but he held steady.

"Just hold on," he murmured. "This’ll help."

Now, if he was to stay in this room for the next two days, he needed to do something about the odor.

And he had just the remedy in mind.

TBC