Grace Lane's pretty face instantly turned red to the tips of her ears. She hadn't expected Hunter Carter to reveal such a private matter, but what surprised her even more was that Hunter Carter described it perfectly, matching her symptoms exactly. She shyly nodded and softly replied, "Mm!"

Chapter 6 [Hard to Speak Of] (Part 2)

Hunter Carter laughed and said, "Miss Lane, there's no need to be embarrassed. My true identity is that of a doctor. What you have should be wind-heat headache, and curing this illness isn't difficult!"

Grace Lane said half-doubtfully, "I've sought out many famous doctors for this illness, but although they prescribed me many remedies, none of them ever worked."

Hunter Carter secretly chuckled to himself, thinking that the medical standards in this world were truly poor—they couldn't even cure a simple headache. He tentatively said, "But all the instruments I use to treat illnesses have been taken away by your people. If you could help me..."

Grace Lane immediately became alert and said coldly, "I thought you were a real doctor, but it turns out you just want to set a trap and trick me!"

Hunter Carter hurriedly explained, "Since Miss Lane doesn't believe me, there's nothing I can do. But since you helped me just now, I should at least express my gratitude. Do you have things like chrysanthemum, licorice, mint, saposhnikovia root, angelica dahurica, or rock sugar here?"

Grace Lane said in confusion, "I've never heard of saposhnikovia root or angelica dahurica. The others we do have, but they're not medicines—just seasonings used in the kitchen."

Hunter Carter smiled and said, "If Miss Lane trusts me, gather those ingredients and use them to brew tea. I guarantee your headaches will soon lessen."

Grace Lane clearly didn't believe Hunter Carter's nonsense. She had never heard of curing illness by drinking tea.

Hunter Carter further advised her, "If I'm not mistaken, Miss Lane usually drinks very little water. That's also one of the reasons for your headaches. If you want to avoid this illness in the future, you must drink more water. Also, rubbing mint leaves on your temples will quickly relieve your pain."

Following Hunter Carter's instructions, Grace Lane gathered chrysanthemum, licorice, mint, and rock sugar to brew tea. She only tried it out of curiosity, but to her surprise, it was very effective. Not only did her headache improve, but her long-standing insomnia was also cured. Grace Lane's fondness for Hunter Carter grew even more. However, she noticed that her mistress hated Hunter Carter deeply, so in public she still ordered him around, but in private she gave him quite a bit of care.

The meals for these slaves were all the same: only two meals a day, morning and evening. Each meal consisted of two thin pancakes and a bowl of porridge. At dinner, each person would get a pickled cucumber, which was far from enough to fill their stomachs. Although the Bit people were short, they had enormous appetites, and this meager food wasn't even enough to fill the gaps between their teeth. After a few days on the ship, they all became listless from hunger and were full of resentment.

Ever since the conflict with them, Hunter Carter and the others kept to themselves. He cleaned the deck during the day and curled up in a corner of the hold to rest at night. The Bit people were so weak from hunger that they couldn't be bothered to mess with him anymore.

Every day at noon, when no one was around, Grace Lane would secretly slip Hunter Carter a few pancakes rolled with beef. Hunter Carter would devour them in no time, and every time he filled his stomach, he and Grace Lane would exchange a knowing smile. As he spent more time with Grace Lane, Hunter Carter gradually developed an idea. Seeing how well Grace Lane treated him, it was clear she had feelings for him. If he could win her heart further, perhaps he could escape Macy May's control with her help.

While scrubbing the deck, Hunter Carter was plotting his escape plan when Sarah Lane quietly approached him. He didn't notice, and a bucket of dirty water nearly spilled on her.

Hunter Carter looked up and met Sarah Lane's seductive gaze. He quickly lowered his head and moved the bucket aside to make way for her.

Sarah Lane said seductively, "It's been a few days, and not only have you not gotten thinner, but you've actually become even stronger!"

Ever since the last incident, Hunter Carter felt nothing but disgust for this woman. He ignored her, turned away, and continued scrubbing the deck.

Suddenly, Sarah Lane kicked over the bucket, splashing dirty water all over Hunter Carter's face. Hunter Carter silently wiped the water from his face, cursing inwardly, "Damn woman, if I ever get the chance, I'll make sure you pay!" The evil thought arose naturally, completely beyond his rational control.

Sarah Lane laughed and said, "I just like seeing you angry. Men are only cute when they have a bit of a temper."

Hunter Carter said in a low voice, "Did you want something from me?"

Sarah Lane shook her head and sighed regretfully, "This time, my mistress wants to see you. I'm afraid a punishment is inevitable."

Hunter Carter lowered his head and followed her to the bow of the ship, where he saw Macy May standing and gazing at the distant sea. No one else was around. He felt uneasy—what did Macy May want with him?