The Substitute Healer (BL)-Chapter 65: “Oh wow! You’re right!”

"Try the other robes again, will you?" Gideon said while crossing his arms over his chest as he sat comfortably on the chair.

He then tilted his head, clearly dissatisfied. "I’m wondering why you haven’t worn them yet. Aren’t they to your liking?"

He pouted as he spoke, watching closely while Soren obediently tried on each fur robe that Gideon and his family had sent. One after another, the heavy garments were draped over Soren’s shoulders while filling the tent with the soft rustle of fabric and fur.

And some time had already passed by then. Though he couldn’t feel pain, the repeated motions made his movements slower and his arms growing heavy in a way that was hard to describe. It wasn’t discomfort, just a dull awareness that he had been doing this for far longer than he realized.

’Putting these on and taking them off is more exhausting than I thought,’ Soren mused as he reached for yet another robe. ’I almost feel like a noble now, shopping for winter clothes.’

He then shook his head slightly at the thought, then slipped into the next robe without complaint inside his bedroom.

When Gideon was finally satisfied, a wave of boredom seemed to wash over him so he leaned back slightly and studied Soren quietly with a small smirk playing on his lips.

"Hmm... it must’ve been exhausting," he said, stretching his arms a little. "Now you see how tiring it is to be a noble. Hah... and look at me. Even just sitting here to check if those robes suit you, I feel... drained."

Hearing that, Soren tilted his head slightly, calm as ever. "Oh... would you like me to heal you, My Lord?"

Gideon’s eyes lit up. "Wow, you can even heal tiredness?"

Soren hesitated for a moment, careful with his words. "Uh... I’m not quite sure, but it should help you relax and clear your mind, My Lord."

"That’s amazing! Okay! Then, try me!" Gideon exclaimed eagerly, practically bouncing in his seat.

Then a soft, golden light gathered in Soren’s palm as he raised his hand and pointed it toward Gideon’s chest while being careful not to touch him. The warmth also spread gently through the air, and almost instantly, Gideon felt the heaviness in his body fade, just as Soren had said it would.

"Oh wow! You’re right!" Gideon exclaimed.

He even stood up at once while clenching his hands before opening them again, marveling at the lightness in his body. Watching him, Soren could only offer an awkward smile.

"It’s n-not that big of a deal, my lord," Soren said softly. "I’m a healer, so... I suppose this is the least I can do. Besides, you and your family even sent me gifts. I’m truly grateful, my lord. I don’t even know how to repay your kindness."

Gideon’s eyes widened.

Without warning, he reached out and took both of Soren’s hands, pulling them up to the level of his chest.

"Repay me?" Gideon repeated, his voice rising. "What do you mean, repay me? You saved my life! Those gifts aren’t even close to enough to compensate you." He then leaned closer, his grip firm and his expression are intense. "Do you always think so little of yourself? This won’t do. Do you have any idea what you’ve done?"

His words spilled out faster, louder with each one heavy with emotion. "If it weren’t for you, I would’ve been dead already. Or worse, bedridden for months or no, even that wouldn’t have been enough. I was told my lower body was completely crushed and four months of recovery wouldn’t have saved me. They said I would’ve died either way without your help!"

Soren froze, unable to respond and the weight of Gideon’s words left him stunned, making his mind go blank.

Realizing this, Gideon finally released Soren’s hands as the tent fell quiet. He looked down, his voice lowering when he spoke again.

"Soren... right?" he said gently. "I just want you to know that my father and I are truly grateful to you. Even those gifts feel shameful when given to someone who saved my life." He paused, swallowing. "If not for you, my father would have been left alone. He would have been hurt all over again..."

Then, when Soren heard a sniffle, he flinched at the sound. His eyes widened as he turned toward Gideon’s figure.

’O-oh no... is he crying?’ Soren thought, his chest tightening at the unexpected sight.

"M-my lord?" he stammered, his voice barely above a whisper.

That was when Gideon looked up at him, eyes glistening with tears. He also stepped closer and gently grabbed Soren’s shoulders while holding him firmly yet with care.

"I want you to know... that just by simply healing me, by doing your best to help me even though you barely knew me, I’m truly grateful," Gideon said, his voice trembling slightly. "You know, I really love my father. I didn’t want to leave him early. And... though I did participate in the beast subjugation, well, partly because we had a little fight, I never meant to get hurt like that and to make him worry. Do you know how scared I was at that time, Soren? I thought I might never see my father again but because of you... I got another chance."

He paused for a moment, blinking rapidly to hold back the tears. "I may be overreacting... or exaggerating things, perhaps but I’ve really been looking forward to meeting you in person, so I could thank you properly. And... if only my father weren’t busy, he would have even come here himself to do the same."

"O-oh..." Soren managed to say, his voice barely more than a whisper. He didn’t even know what else to say.

Being a noble was one thing, but he had never expected a noble to cry in front of him. Nobles that Soren knew preferred to hide who they truly were. The prince, Alaric and the twins, even Arctelle, Irlian, and Caelius—

all of them kept their vulnerabilities carefully locked away.

But Gideon... seeing him act so sincerely and so openly, right in front of Soren, caught him completely off guard.

It was a side of nobility Soren had never imagined existing, and it left him unsure how to respond.

"So... whether you accept it or not," Gideon continued, his voice steady now, "as I mentioned in the letter, I will have to give you your own servant as another gift."