“The young master is back,” the butler announced, interrupting their conversation.
“Grandma, Grandpa, Dr. Zigmund.” Shanley, who had overheard everything, greeted them respectfully, a faint smile on his lips.
“It’s been years, Shanley. You’ve become quite the mature young man,” Dr. Zigmund said, sizing him up. He then asked cautiously, “Do you have a girlfriend? If not, I can introduce you to someone.”
He had always believed that no one in the world was good enough for his kind, brilliant, and exceptional Master. But seeing Shanley today… he had to admit, they looked like a good match.
“Oh?” Shanley sat down, raising an eyebrow in curiosity.
“My Master,” Dr. Zigmund began, launching into a stream of praise. “I dare say, you won’t find anyone in all of Borealia more beautiful than her. And more importantly, she has a wonderful character and phenomenal medical skills.”
“Your Master?” Shanley’s deep eyes narrowed slightly, a hint of a smile playing on his thin lips. His voice was a low, amused drawl.
“Yes,” Dr. Zigmund leaned forward, pushing his sales pitch. “Because her skills are so advanced and her personality is so… uncompromising, she tends to make enemies. When I think about it, you’re probably the only one in Borealia who can protect her.”
He sounded genuinely distressed at the thought of his Master being all alone, with no one to care for her. Plus, Shanley was rich. If he could make a match happen, he might have a good reason to ask the Schwartz family to pay for all the equipment his Master had broken in her fits of anger. He was a genius!
“I’m afraid that won’t be possible,” Hannah said, jumping to her feet and waving her hands frantically like a pinwheel. “Our Shanley is already spoken for. Don’t you go starting trouble here.”
“Spoken for?”
He wouldn't dare meddle in a relationship. He still remembered how fierce Hannah had been in her youth, swinging that iron rod. He’d made the mistake of giving Kent some bad advice when he was courting her and had nearly been beaten senseless for it.
“I also have someone I’d like to introduce to Dr. Zigmund,” Shanley said, pouring some coffee with a meaningful look.
“My future granddaughter-in-law,” Hannah chimed in with a grin. “The young miracle doctor I was just telling you about. I guarantee you’ll like her.”
Dr. Zigmund just sipped his coffee with a silent, polite smile. He couldn’t believe this. If he had known that visiting would involve being saddled with some half-baked amateur, he would have skipped it.
Suddenly, his appetite was gone.

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