Chapter 76: Maggie’s Scar
“Maggie? What happened to you?” Flora was startled by the gash on Maggie’s face. It was a significant wound, running from the outer corner of her right eye to her chin, as if inflicted by something blunt, the edges jagged and gruesome.
Hearing Flora’s voice, Maggie’s eyelashes fluttered, and she opened her eyes, looking at the four concerned faces at the doorway.
“Oh, you’re back! I… Ow!”
Maggie instinctively smiled, but the movement tore open the wound, fresh blood welling up.
“Ah!” Flora gasped, quickly pressing a clean handkerchief to Maggie’s face. “Don’t talk; let me stop the bleeding.”
“Mmm…” Maggie winced, closing her eyes, afraid to speak.
Flora chanted a healing spell, and the bleeding stopped, sealed by magic.
Abyss, Leona, and Rebecca gathered around. Abyss asked, “Just speak normally, don’t smile; it’ll reopen the wound. How did you get such a large cut on your face?”
“I was scratched by a branch…” Maggie spoke carefully, barely opening her mouth. “It’s nothing; I have a strong constitution; it’ll heal in a few days. But I can’t laugh for a while, so please don’t tell any jokes. If I laugh…”
“Don’t talk so much; it’ll hinder the healing,” Flora said, removing the blood-soaked handkerchief, her brow furrowed in concern.
Maggie immediately fell silent.
“Why were you scratched by a branch? Aren’t you quite agile?” Leona asked, looking at Maggie with sympathy. “Look at you; such a pretty face, scarred like this.”
“It’s nothing. An apprentice fell from a tree today, and I rushed to catch her. She brought down a broken branch with her, and I couldn’t dodge it,” Maggie explained quickly. “It’s fine; I was just helping. I’m her senior; I couldn’t just let her get hurt.”
“You saved her, and she didn’t even help you bandage the wound? That’s outrageous!” Leona was indignant. “How could she be so inconsiderate?”
“No, no, no… She did thank me. Bandaging isn’t necessary; I didn’t even bother. It’ll heal in a few days; I told you, I have a strong constitution,” Maggie sat up, trying to appear nonchalant, but the movement pulled at the wound, so she stopped.
“Just a thank you?” Leona cracked her knuckles. “What’s her name? I’ll bring her here and make her apologize!”
“Really, it’s fine!” Maggie seemed touched but still refused Leona’s offer. Her eyes flickered, and she whispered, “I’m used to it; it’s not a big deal…”
“It’s deep; it’ll scar,” Rebecca said, crouching beside Maggie, frowning. “It’s not a serious injury, but a scar this size across your face will stay with you for the rest of your life.”
“Ah?” Maggie finally panicked. “Then… how will I find a boyfriend?”
“Wait here,” Rebecca said to Maggie, summoning a portal and stepping into her alchemy lab.
She quickly returned with two small bottles, crouching beside Maggie again and pouring a few drops from each bottle onto her hand.
“Good thing I’m here; otherwise, it would have been irreversible. Neither natural healing nor healing magic can guarantee no scarring, but my potions can,” Rebecca mixed the liquids on her hand with her finger. “Here, let me apply this. Don’t move, and don’t make any exaggerated facial expressions.”
“Oh, okay… Ow! It hurts, it hurts, it hurts!”
“Don’t make exaggerated expressions,” Rebecca carefully applied the potion to Maggie’s wound, gently closing the gash.
Miraculously, the wound rapidly closed, new flesh growing and transforming into smooth skin, filling the jagged gap. Rebecca carefully aligned the edges of the wound, creating a seamless repair. Soon, only bloodstains remained; the wound was gone.
“Itchy, itchy…” Maggie felt the tingling sensation of healing but dared not scratch or make any expression, only furrowing her brow and rolling her eyes.
“Alright, your wound is healed. Feel it,” Rebecca smiled, patting her hand. “There won’t be any scars now; it won’t hinder your search for a boyfriend.”
“Eh?” Maggie touched the healed area, surprised to find the long gash gone, replaced by smooth skin, as good as new.
“See? I didn’t lie,” Rebecca smiled, stroking Maggie’s hair. “Be more careful next time. I saw you catch the falling apprentice, but your arms weren’t injured, so she couldn’t have fallen from a great height. Don’t risk yourself like that again.”
“I… I understand…” Maggie nodded hesitantly.
“Maggie, I have a question,” Abyss said after a moment of thought.
Maggie looked up at him. “What is it? I’ll answer truthfully if I know.”
“Are you being ostracized by your peers in the Druid gathering? I feel like they’re avoiding you, as if you’ve wronged them.”
“Ah…” Maggie was taken aback by the question. She hesitated, then stammered, “No, everyone is very nice to me…”
“You’re lying; I can tell,” Abyss tilted his head.
“I…” Maggie lowered her head, a stark contrast to her usual cheerful self. “Yes.”
“Why are they treating you like this?” Abyss pressed.
Maggie’s eyes flickered with conflict. After a moment, she finally said, “It’s because… my mother was a Necromancer…”
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