Chapter 20 - "You can't".

"Tsk... This makes things even weirder..." The King murmured.

Hearing that murmur, Ben stared at the King for a while before switching his vision to the young servant.

"We will see through this whole ledger after this, please proceed with your reports," said Ben.

"Yes, My Lord." said the servant.

Then, he pulled out a thick envelope from his sleeve and handed the envelope to the King, but the King did not take it.

"This is the routine report from my colleague regarding the spying operations in the Empress Dowager's place." said the servant.

"If I remember correctly, I have given a command to halt the spying operation after the Empress Dowager was sent to the Imperial Nunnery, did the spying operations still continue regardless of the command given?" Ben asked as he took the envelope from the servant.

"My Lord, due to a special circumstance, the dispatched units are unable to retract safely at this moment, they have no choice but to follow the Empress Dowager to the Imperial Nunnery, thus, they decided to continue the spying operation while they are finding their way out." said the servant.

"I see... Is there anything else?" Ben asked as he neatly opened the envelope and pulled out a small stack of papers filled with words.

"No, My Lord, that's all for today." said the servant.

Ben nodded without saying anything, he took out a string of coins from a drawer and handed it to the servant.

"Here's your reward, if there's nothing else, you may take your leave," said Ben.

"Thank you for your generosity, My Lord, I shall be taking my leave." said the servant as he bowed at the King and Ben before leaving the room.

As soon as the young servant walked out of the door, Ben looked at the King with concerned eyes.

"You look really uncomfortable since just now, are you alright?" said Ben as he swiftly opened his work trunk.

The King slightly shook his head without saying anything and laid back down on the bed with his eyes closed, tiny droplets of sweat could be seen on his forehead.

Ben put on his stethoscope and started checking on the King's heartbeat, after a short while, he put down his stethoscope and grabbed the King's right wrist to check on his pulse. As Ben was checking on the King's pulses on the right wrist, he frowned. Then, Ben proceeded to test the pulses on both sides of the King's neck and legs, he frowned even more.

"Tsk... What a stubborn venom..." Ben murmured as he took out his acupuncture set.

After properly disinfecting his hands, Ben started the acupuncture process. With extra cautiousness, Ben carefully yet skillfully poked more than ten acupuncture needles into a few different spots on the King's body, Ben is particularly cautious with the last acupuncture needle that is gently poked into a spot in between the two brows.

Ben let the needles stay in place for a few minutes before carefully removing all of them one by one. With the last needle successfully removed, Ben slowly walked away with his work trunk to a square table a few metres away from the King's bed. With his back facing the King, Ben seems to be hiding something from the King...

----

**let's move the time back for a bit.

When the King was in the middle of listening to the report from the young servant, his ears started buzzing all of a sudden, and shortly after that, his vision turned blurry as well while his head started aching, where towards the end of the report, the King's headache got so bad that as if it is going to explode.

The King was fully conscious when Ben applied the acupuncture needles on him. The King can clearly feels it when each of the needles poked into his flesh, but due to Ben's superb skill, he can barely feel any pain from it.

The acupuncture treatment from Ben works effectively, the moment Ben applied the last acupuncture needle onto the King's forehead, the King can clearly feel that his headache slowly faded, and when Ben eventually removed all the needles, the headache was fully gone...

***

With his ears still somewhat buzzing, the King opened his eyes and saw Ben a few metres away from him, with his back facing him.

"Mhmm... At least my vision recovered."

That's what he thought, and yes, wrong point of focus as always.

Then, out of curiosity and probably mixed with a dash of boredom, the King stared at Ben, watching his every single move. Despite Ben being quite a distance from him, and is back facing him, the King is somewhat able to figure out what Ben is doing no matter how hard the latter trying to hide things from him.

"Mortar and pestle, and... Wow! That's quite a variety of herbs... Ugh... Is that a cricket? He can't be planning to... Hmm?... Hold on... What's that?... A syringe? What is he trying to do with that?"

He thought as he watched Ben from a distance.

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.

.

Uncertain if Ben felt that passionate state from the King or what, he turned his head around and to his surprise, the King was lying still on the bed with his eyes closed.

"Am I just imagining things just now?" The doctor murmured in slight confusion.

Then, after double-confirming that the King's eyes were still closed, Ben turned back and continued with his work. What he doesn't know is that the moment when he turned his face away, the King opened his eyes, and doesn't look quite happy...

***

A short while later, Ben walked back to the King's bedside, in his hand was a small test tube of muddy brown concoction.

Seeing that the King's eyes are remained closed, Ben assumes that he has fallen asleep.

"I wonder if I can make him drink this without him realising it?" Ben murmured as he stared at the King's sleeping look.

Seeing that pale face of the King, Ben is uncertain of how should he feel about it. He can't remember how many times he had witnessed such a vulnerable state of the King, and by right, he should have gotten used to it but...

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"You can't."