Reborn: The New Empress 38 Ch. 1 - A Helping Hand

"My lady, where are we going?" Mei asked. I decided to leave the mansion in search of the necessary ingredients I need to make medicine. It was a good thing that this Empire specializes in trading herbs and different types of flowers. Most of the resources they trade are of high quality. I'll be able to make effective medicine using these.

It was almost noon and Mei and I were walking around. I've successfully bought everything that I needed and we were just on our way back to the mansion when I heard shouting nearby. My curiosity got the best of me and I ran towards the commotion.

"My lady! Wait for me." Mei shouted. She was trying her best to catch up to me but she was having difficulties since she was the one carrying all of the herbs I bought. While running, I noticed a crowd of people nearby. This must be where the commotion is.

"Excuse me?" I squeezed my way in and saw a poor man kneeling on the ground and a group of thugs threatening him.

"Hey! You still owe us. Pay up before I lose my patience." The big guy in the middle shouted. I a.s.sumed he was the leader of this gang. The man was crying, begging for them to let him go.

"Please, I don't have any money. I needed the money to cure my sick wife." He pleaded. The big guy was not satisfied with his answer. He was holding onto a piece of wood and was about to swing and hit the man.

"STOP!" I shouted. All eyes were on me. The big guy looked at me from head to toe and then looked back at his subordinates.

"Who is this?" He asked. None of his men knew me. I was wearing a hooded cloak to hide my ident.i.ty. I'm sure they'll recognize me once I reveal myself but I'm not going to do that. It would cause too much of an issue for father. I have to stay calm and lay low.

"Who gives you the right to bully this man?" I shouted at him. He looked at his subordinates and laughed. He pointed his wooden stick at me.
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"This is none of your business, little girl. Just walk away." He said, He ignored me and turned his attention back at the man. I noticed that the man was kneeling on the ground because his leg was injured. It was b.l.o.o.d.y and bruised. I immediately deduced that this big brute is the one to blame. My anger bubbled over. I reached out for a nearby rock and threw it at the big brute with all my might. It barely grazed him but it was enough to grab his attention.

"I'm warning you little girl! Stay out of this!" He said, But I wasn't listening. I made my way in front of the man and defended him.

"I will not stand idly by when someone is being treated like this." I said, The big brute laughed, his chest reverberated and his voice echoed throughout the street.

"I warned you, little girl. I'm not afraid to hit you." He said as he swung his wooden stick at me. Since he was big and lanky, his movements were easy to predict. I dodged his swing and immediately disarmed him. Hitting his wrist and twisting it so that he'll let go of the stick. He yelped in pain and stumbled back. Everyone looked at me in awe. The man was twice my size but I managed to scare him. He stood back up, looking even angrier than before.

"Why you little--." He was about to attack but I held up my hand.

"Is it money you need?" I asked, getting straight to the point. This fight shouldn't be prolonged since the poor man is injured. I have to get him away from here and heal his wounds. The big brute chuckled.

"This fool still owes me money and I'm not leaving until he pays me." He said, I reached for a small satchel that was tied to my waist and I threw it at him. He caught it and opened it. He was surprised to see the amount inside. He quickly closed the satchel and put it away.

"This will do. For now." He said with a chuckle. He struck a nerve in me when he said that. I took the wooden stick from the ground and faced him.

"If you ever terrorize this man and his family again, I will make sure that you'll never be able to see sunlight ever again." I broke the thick piece of wood in front of him to show him that I was serious. He faltered for a second but immediately regained his façade. He turned his back on me and he left along with his goons. I turned to the man behind me as he was repeating his thanks.

"Thank you, young miss. I'll never forget this." He said while in tears; seeing him like that tugged at my heartstrings.

"No need to thank me. You're clearly injured. Let me help you heal those wounds. Is your house near here?" I asked. He nodded and pointed to the street to our left.

"It's just at the end of that street." He said, I nodded and helped him up to his feet. I called out to Mei for some help. I put his hand on my shoulder and I supported him until we reached his house. It was small and dilapidated. I immediately thought of his sick wife and how she was living under these conditions.

"Dear, is that you?" A frail voice echoed in the empty walls of the house. The door slid open and a frail looking lady appeared. Her skin was pale and she had bruises all over her body. She was thin and her eyes had bags. I could tell her breathing was irregular by the way her chest rises and falls. The moment she saw her husband, she immediately tried to reach out to her but she was too weak to do so. I helped the man inside and told him to lie down.

"My lady, the master will scold me if he finds out what I've let you do." Mei said in a concerned voice. I looked at her and smiled.

"It is okay, Mei. I'll explain it to my father but right now, I have to help these people." I said,

"Young miss, what happened to my husband?" The lady asked me with tears in her eyes.

"He met with some bad people, but don't worry. From now on, you won't have to deal with those people." I said rea.s.suringly. I took the basket of herbs from Mei and I foraged through it to find the herb I needed to help the man's legs.

"Please stay still. I'll be cleaning your wound and applying some medicine. This will not take long but it will be a bit painful so please bear with it." I said, The man nodded and his wife sat near him, holding his hand. I successfully bound his injured leg along with the medicine.

"It's done. You'll feel better in no time, mister." I said, His wife looked at me and bowed her head.

"Thank you so much for saving my husband!" She said with tears in her eyes. I put my hand on her shoulder, and beckoned her to look up.

"You don't have to thank me. I did what was right." I said, She continued to say her thanks to me. While observing her, I noticed that most of her symptoms resembled that of a person with an iron deficiency. I realized that she was anemic and that's why she looked so fragile.

"Madam, if it's alright with you, may I feel your pulse?" I asked. She looked at me and then at her husband. Her husband nodded, signaling that he trusts me to do so. The wife gave me her hand and I felt her pulse. It was just as I expected. Her pulse was irregular.

"Madam, do you have trouble sleeping at night? Or do your legs sometimes feel stiff to the point of feeling pain whenever you move it?" I asked. Her eyes widened at my question.

"Yes, there are nights when I can't fall asleep and there are also days when my legs will become stiff and I'm unable to move." She answered. I wasn't wrong in my diagnosis. I took the basket and took out the dried dandelion.

"These are dried dandelions. Brew it every day and make sure to drink a cup after every meal. This will help you with your illness. Also, from now on, make sure to eat a lot of vegetables, preferably green leafy ones. You'll be cured in no time." I said with a smile. She clutched the bag of dried dandelion to her chest while saying her thanks.

"For your husband, I will come back tomorrow to give him some medicine." I said, She looked at her husband with a smile on her face.

"Young miss; we cannot express our grat.i.tude enough. We don't even have anything to offer you today and we cannot pay you for your help." The wife said, I shook my head.

"You don't have to worry about paying me. All I want is for you to get better." I said, I hope my sincerity was able to reach them. As a doctor, it is my honor to be able to help those who are in need. It doesn't matter if they are poor or rich.

"Young miss, may we know your name." The husband sat up and his wife helped him. I smiled at them and slowly pulled back my hood. The moment they saw my green eyes, they knew who I was.

"You are Lady Himawari, the Minister's daughter." The husband said in awe. He and his wife kneeled down in front of me. I asked them to raise their heads and to forego the formality. In this room, I'm just Himawari.

"My name is Muichiro and this is my wife Kanae." He said, I smiled at them and asked them about their life. He told me that they once were farmers and they had land and a steady income but when his wife got sick, he poured all his money on treating her but all of the other doctors just scammed him into paying them money without any improvement on his wife's condition.

Then he ran into trouble and offended the big brute that we met earlier. In order to pay for his wife's medicine, he borrowed money from them but was unable to pay them back. Hearing his story made me sad and angry at the same time. I didn't like the fact that the doctors in this Empire are only after money. I'll be sure to change that.

"Mei, could I trouble you to buy some food in the nearby market? Let's have our lunch here." I said, Mei smiled and nodded her head. I handed her a satchel of money and she went on her way. Not long after, she came back carrying a feast. I could see from their reactions that this was the first time in a long time they had a good meal.

"Please eat up. Don't be shy." I beckoned them. I spent the whole afternoon in their house, telling stories and enjoying myself. When the sun was about to set, Mei and I decided to head back.

"I'll be back tomorrow, Muichiro, Kanae. Please be safe." I said, They bid me goodbye and Mei and I went on our way. We arrived at home and I asked Mei to bring the herbs to my room as I went to greet my father.

"Good evening, Father." I entered his study while carrying a tray with a teapot and two teacups.

"Have you had dinner, Hima?" He asked. I poured him some tea and served it to him.

"I just arrived, father. Will you be having dinner with me?" I asked. He smiled at me and patted my head.

"Tomorrow, the Emperor wishes to see you." He said, I was surprised. The Emperor has never called me for an audience before. I wonder what he wants.