Filed to story: The Daughter in the Shadows (Yunice) Book by Una Norris
Elsie tried to comfort him. “She still has Dad’s books and notes. That pain relief recipe isn’t the only one. Even if it’s gone, it’s not a big deal.”
Owen stayed quiet. The most important thing now was finding Yunice.
But Elsie frowned and said, “I think the real priority is figuring out how to wash this stuff off our faces.”
Owen didn’t respond.
Hack at Virtue Hall
Gill laughed so hard she bent over. “I aimed right at them! That toner will take at least two days to wash off!”
Yunice sat calmly in a high-backed chair, thinking that Owen probably didn’t suspect this place belonged to her anymore. Now, the only way Owen could track her was through the old phone that used to belong to Elsie, but unfortunately for him, she had set it to take GPS locations. That phone was “moving all over the city now. Let him chase it.”
Sure enough, Owen got played for three days and couldn’t find her at all.
Yunice thought it would stay quiet like this, but to her surprise, Elsie showed up again. And she wasn’t alone. She brought Taylor with her. The two of them walked in arm in arm. Yunice and Gill were both stunned.
Gill’s jaw nearly dropped. “The mistress and the side chick became besties?”
Yunice nodded at her, signaling her to entertain the guests. Gill quickly stepped out from behind the screen, smiling. “Ms. Taylor,” she began, forcing a smile.
Yunice stayed calmly seated in her wooden armchair, watching everything unfold through the carved pattern on the screen. Gill only brought out one chair. “Please, have a seat.”
Taylor brushed an imaginary speck of dust off her skirt and sat down naturally. Elsie stood next to her, frowning at Gill as if asking why she hadn’t brought out a chair for her too. Gill rolled her eyes, then looked up at the ceiling, clearly showing her disdain for Elsie. Elsie bit her lip in frustration but didn’t dare show her true colors in front of Taylor.
Taylor didn’t even seem to notice Elsie was still standing, as if that’s exactly where she belonged. Behind the screen, Yunice’s eyes held a trace of mockery. Taylor was a born elite, someone on the same level as Paul. People like them moved through life with a natural sense of entitlement. They didn’t need to care about others’ opinions-they simply believed they deserved the best. If they genuinely cared about someone, they’d treat them well, like Paul did with Elsie. But if they didn’t, they wouldn’t bother pretending-just like Taylor now.
Through the screen, Taylor could faintly see a woman behind it, her face covered in a black veil. She crossed her right leg over her left, rested her handbag on her lap, and asked Yunice, “Can you treat health problems?”
Yunice had a jadeite on her tongue to alter her voice. She said, “I can treat your condition, but I suggest you have your friend step out. I’d like to speak with you privately.”
Taylor’s expression shifted as she glanced at Elsie, clearly with no intention of keeping her around. Gill motioned to Elsie. “Please wait over here.”
Elsie was annoyed but didn’t dare show it. Reluctantly, she walked away and waited to the side. She kept her ears perked up, curious about what Taylor needed treated.
Behind the screen, Yunice cut to the point. “It’s your hair, isn’t it?”
Taylor’s furrowed brow eased as she looked toward the screen in surprise. Yunice continued, “Hair is considered the excess of blood. Long-term mental stress disrupts your circulation. Eventually, your body uses physical symptoms to force you to pay attention.”
Taylor scoffed, as she was not entirely convinced. “I’ve seen plenty of private doctors. They say the same thing, prescribe a bunch of meds, and nothing works,” she said. She’d just had too many disappointing experiences and didn’t want to waste more time.
Yunice didn’t rush to brag about her skills. She said calmly, “You came here, so you’re clearly still hoping for a solution.”
After thinking for a moment, Yunice got up and started preparing the medicine, instructing Gill to begin boiling it. She sat back down and said, “I’ll give you a week’s worth to start. Come back after a week. Hair growth isn’t instant. It’ll take at least a month before you start seeing fuzz. If you’re in a hurry, don’t bother. But if you want to try, I won’t charge you until you see results.”
She was hoping this woman really was some hidden expert. Yunice said, “The medicine will be ready in about two hours. If you don’t want to wait, you can come pick it up later.”
Taylor gave a soft grunt in response. She didn’t want to sit around, so she stood up. “If you really fix my problem, I’ll make sure you’re well compensated. But if you’re just bluffing, I’ll tear this place down and rip that lying tongue out of your mouth.”
Yunice replied calmly, “I believe you can. But I believe in my skills more.”
Taylor’s eyes flickered slightly. If Yunice was faking it, she had some impressive nerve. She turned and headed for the door, with Elsie hurrying after her.
Outside, Elsie chased after her. “Taylor, you’re not really going to trust that quack, are you? My brother is a doctor. I’ll call him to take a look himself!”
Taylor glanced at Elsie’s eager smile and replied flatly, “I’ve already had your brother take a look. He couldn’t help either.”
Elsie was speechless. She thought Taylor must be out of her mind. Her brother was a top-tier med school graduate, and even he couldn’t solve it. However, she was going to trust some quack doctor?
“Fach has their own specialty. Maybe your condition isn’t in my brother’s field,” Elsie said, clinging to Taylor’s arm and acting coy. “Taylor, I actually studied medicine too, and I’ve done a lot of research on the traditional remedies passed down in our family. Why don’t you tell me what’s bothering you? I might be able to help. It’s better than trusting a quack doctor, right?”
Taylor replied half-heartedly. “Maybe next time.”
Not getting an answer about Taylor’s illness frustrated Elsie. She quickly changed the subject. “Taylor, let me take you to my family’s hospital! My brother is in a meeting today. He looks so handsome when he’s in a meeting; you have to see it for yourself!”
Taylor’s expression shifted slightly, a faint blush appearing on her cheeks. Elsie teased, “Come on, I’ll take you in through the back entrance.”
After glancing back at Virtue Hall, Elsie got in the car with Taylor. Two and a half hours later, someone Taylor sent came to the clinic to pick up the medicine. Yunice had already divided the boiled herbs into separate bags, labeled with dosage instructions, and personally handed them over. What she didn’t see was that, as soon as the person left the clinic, they slipped into a nearby alley and handed the medicine to someone else.
When Taylor returned from Saunders Hospital, Elsie came along to see her off. As Taylor got out of the car, she suddenly said, “I heard there’s a wedding coming up in your family. Don’t forget to send me an invitation.”
Wedding? Elsie only then remembered Yunice’s upcoming marriage. There were no secrets among the elite; embarrassing news like this always reached them first. Taylor, someone from such a high-status family, lowering herself to ask for an invitation to Yunice’s wedding, made Elsie feel deeply unsettled. But she forced a smile and said, “I’ll ask Yunice personally and bring you the invite myself.”
And if there was no invite, she could always say Yunice didn’t want to give her one. Taylor smiled again. “With Wyatt backing you guys, your hospital’s business should do well.”
Elsie felt suffocated. Everyone always talked about how capable Wyatt was, but no one ever mentioned her boyfriend, Paul. Not willing to give up, she added, “Actually, Paul’s really talented too. He just needs a proper opportunity to prove himself.”
For some reason, after she said that, Taylor chuckled and replied, “Him? He still needs more experience.”
Why did Taylor speak with that humble, half-joking tone? Wasn’t that how I was supposed to talk? Before she could figure it out, Taylor got out of the car. Bobby turned the steering wheel and drove out of the Kendall mansion.
Through the window, Elsie looked longingly at the old-fashioned mansion. Being born into the right family really was a skill. They were both human, but Taylor was born into wealth and power, while she had to claw her way up from a poor mountain village. But it didn’t matter. In just a few months, once Paul turned 22, she’d marry into the Powell family. Then she’d be on the same level as Taylor. No, if Taylor ended up marrying someone like Owen, Elsie’s status might even surpass hers.
Elsie smirked to herself. Being born lucky was one thing; picking the right man was how one truly won at life.
Elsie didn’t see anything.
Taylor was still thinking about the medicine from Virtue Hall and randomly called over a housekeeper to ask, “Has someone from Virtue Hall come by with the medicine?”
The housekeeper nodded. “They’ve been waiting at the gate for over an hour.”
“Someone from the shop?”
“Yes, ma’am. They said they’re the shop owner.”
The housekeeper added, “Shall I bring the medicine in for you?”
Taylor hesitated. “No need.” She was going to ask the person to come in while she headed upstairs, but her steps paused, and she changed her mind. Turning on her heel, she said, “I have something to do at the gate anyway. You go ahead.”
The housekeeper nodded and left. Taylor headed for the gate and saw a slim figure in a baseball cap through the window. From the build, it looked like a young woman. But the cap was pulled low, and a face mask covered most of her face, so it was hard to tell if she was young or older.
Taylor dismissed the guards and shut the door behind them. She asked, “Didn’t you see the person I sent?”
Yunice stood there, holding a bag of medicine. “Someone from the Kendall family came by earlier. But after they took the medicine, I realized I’d missed some instructions, so I came to deliver another set and explain it to you in person.”
Didn’t write the full instructions? Taylor frowned; she had no patience for sloppy work. Finished. If the instructions could be forgotten this time, what about next time? A wrong prescription, maybe? Her confidence in Yunice was beginning to waver.
With a cool gaze, she said, “Just leave it. You can go now.” She had no intention of drinking the medicine. She’d have someone toss it out later.
Yunice set the packet down and turned to leave, but suddenly paused. Something came to mind, and she began rummaging through her bag. Taylor had already stood up, ready to go.
Yunice called out, “Ms. Taylor, while I was waiting for you just now, I saw Mr. Gerardo. I noticed he was holding his elbow against his stomach as he walked-it looked like a stomach issue. This is a herbal blend that helps soothe digestion. Brew it for him; it should ease the discomfort.”
Taylor turned to look at the medicine packet in Yunice’s hand. Unsolicited kindness always has a catch. Even if she was a doctor, no one carried around a cure-all like that. She’d definitely come prepared. Still, if it meant pleasing her father…
Taylor reached for the medicine. Yunice didn’t let go. “Everyone’s constitution is different, Ms. Taylor. Even if you try it yourself first, it won’t mean anything. Your father has an internal cold; you run hot. This medicine doesn’t suit your body.”
Taylor considered that, then asked, “How much is it?”
Yunice smiled. “It’s complimentary-just part of the service.”
Taylor didn’t bother replying. As soon as she stepped out of the gatehouse, she saw the person she’d sent to collect the medicine returning. She frowned. “Why are you just getting back now?”