Chapter 148: Chapter 148: Underground Doctor

"You say you don’t want to be pawns, but what are you doing now?"

Lu Xia found Sivier’s words contradictory.

Sivier continued, "The current climate in the Empire no longer allows the Daferno family to build starships in peace. It’s not hard to understand why the Daferno family would seek a new patron, is it?"

Lu Xia scoffed. "I’m aware of your goals and ambitions, but I’m afraid I must disappoint you. I have no interest in power within the Empire, so you should find another patron."

Sivier fell silent for a moment upon hearing this, seemingly unsurprised by Lu Xia’s words. In fact, if Lu Xia had been so easily persuaded, the Daferno family would have had to reconsider their choice.

"Duke Lu Xia, you don’t need to give the Daferno family an answer right now. You’ll change your mind one day, and the Daferno family will be ready."

After ending the call with Sivier, Lu Xia reflected. ’Have I ever done anything to make the Daferno family think I want to start a rebellion?’

*

Smelian took off his white lab coat and was grabbing his jacket to leave for the day when a message appeared on his terminal: "19 Nanxi Street."

Smelian glanced at the time, sent a message to the old butler saying he had to work overtime, then drove to 19 Nanxi Street.

This was a civilian district on the Imperial Star. Compared to the more prosperous sectors, the buildings here were mostly dilapidated, clear signs of economic depression and social disorder. The residents were the Imperial Star’s lower class, its cheapest source of labor. Smelian got out of his car and expertly weaved through the streets; he had clearly been here before.

When he reached 19 Nanxi Street, Smelian confirmed the address number before pushing the door open and stepping inside. A tall male in a black uniform stood guard by the door. Smelian’s expression changed at the sight. He knew exactly what that black uniform meant—they were the Rebel Army.

’The Rebel Army is on the Imperial Star, and they sent me that message.’ Smelian remained calm and said, "I’m afraid I can’t take this job. You’ll have to find someone else."

"Won’t you reconsider, sir?" the man said in a low voice, seemingly unsurprised by Smelian’s refusal. Smelian turned away, coldly rejecting the offer. "There’s nothing to consider."

Just then, the door was shut behind him. Smelian glanced back at the man. "What’s this supposed to mean?"

The man activated his terminal, then held the holographic screen up in front of Smelian, gesturing for him to look.

As Smelian looked at the screen in confusion, he saw Graces on the other end. He was wearing the same black uniform—the attire of the Rebel Army, distinct from the deep blue of the Imperial Army.

Smelian’s eyes widened. "Graces, you...?"

’I can’t believe it. The missing Graces has joined the Rebel Army.’ But the evidence before him was undeniable. Graces wasn’t just a rebel; he was a high-ranking officer—perhaps even their commander.

A thousand thoughts raced through Smelian’s mind. ’Was Graces turned by the rebels, or has he been one of them all along?’ he wondered.

"Smelian, long time no see. I know you take jobs on the black market. The legendary Black Doctor... that’s you. I need your help. One of my subordinates is inside. I need you to heal him."

Graces spoke with a certainty that seemed to assume Smelian wouldn’t refuse. Smelian sneered, "And why should I help you?"

"On the grounds that we are both Xiaxia’s males. Is that reason enough?"

"You have the nerve to bring up Xiaxia at a time like this? Do you have any idea how worried your disappearance made her?"

At the mention of Lu Xia, Smelian’s anger flared.

Graces fell silent at Smelian’s accusation. After a long pause, he finally spoke. "I’m very sorry, but some things must be done. Smelian, I don’t want Lu Xia to suffer any more injustice in this Empire. I couldn’t protect her as a Major General of the First Military District, but as the Commander of the Rebel Army, there is much more I can do."

"I’ve heard about what happened to you and Xiaxia. Smelian, you know full well what kind of person Her Majesty Queen is. So you should understand what I’m saying."

And Smelian did understand. He stared silently at Graces, as if trying to see if he was lying. Having spent so much time with both Graces and Lu Xia, he knew how deeply Graces cared for her. He would never joke about something involving Lu Xia, which made his words highly credible.

They stared at each other for a long moment before Smelian finally relented. "Where’s your man?"

Without hesitation, Graces had someone lead Smelian inside to see the injured person.

As the black market’s renowned Black Doctor, Smelian was highly skilled. When it came to treating trauma, no one was his equal.

Smelian didn’t ask how Graces had discovered his identity. After all, he had hidden it well for years, using it to get many things done. But then again, ’Graces is the commander of the Rebel Army now,’ he thought. ’Is there anything he can’t find out?’

Everyone has their secrets. Just as he wouldn’t ask Graces why he became the commander of the Rebel Army, he figured Graces wouldn’t ask how he became the Black Doctor.

The man inside was severely injured. Smelian deftly treated and bandaged the wound, then left a sufficient supply of anti-inflammatory medication. "He needs a quiet, safe place to recover," he said. "This isn’t it. You should leave as soon as possible."

With that, he looked back at Graces on the screen. "When do you plan on telling Xiaxia the truth? Or are you just going to let her believe you’ve disappeared?"

"I’ll tell her myself, Smelian. But not yet. Please, keep this a secret for me. It’s too dangerous for her to know everything right now." 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

Smelian warned, "You’d better handle this perfectly. Don’t drag Xiaxia into it. If you do, I will never forgive you."

"That goes without saying. If I couldn’t even do that, I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself. Thank you, Smelian. I’m afraid I’ll need your help again in the future."

Smelian turned to leave. "We’ll see when the time comes!"

Leaving 19 Nanxi Street, Smelian went straight to his hovercar. He knew Graces would take care of the cleanup. ’If he can’t even handle something this simple,’ he thought, ’he might as well take his title of Rebel Army commander and use it to turn himself in.’

He still hadn’t decided whether to tell Lu Xia what he’d learned today. In a way, he had been passively dragged onto Graces’s "pirate ship."

But he didn’t seem to regret it. After years of working in the black market and meeting all sorts of people, Smelian had heard whispers about what kind of person Her Majesty Queen was. Because of that, what Graces was doing now wasn’t so difficult for him to accept. His only fear was that Graces would fail and drag Lu Xia down with him.