This was the second time I lived this life. I was the last descendant of the serpent-kin. I treated men’s fertility issues and other similar problems.

In the previous timeline, my adoptive parents chased me out of the house as a way to appease their true daughter, Cynthia, that they had reunited with.

Lester Ward offered me his company’s shares and a luxury mansion to persuade me to marry his grandson. His only condition was for me to cure his barren grandson, Matthew Ward.

In the end, I did so, and Matthew married me.

However, on our wedding night, he forced me to reveal my serpent-kin guise and show him my tail. Then, he extracted my scales and sold me to a red-light district abroad. Only then was I made aware that he had been having a secret affair with Cynthia this whole time.

“You’re just a greedy beastfolk who wants the matriarch position of the Ward family! Cynthia is my true love. I was cured when I slept with her. You waited in my room all this time just to pretend to treat me! Cynthia thought that we were really together and ran off. In the end, she was killed by some fiends! Aren’t you a serpent-kin? Your kind is loose and immoral. Well, you will die here in this den of iniquity!”

I closed my eyes and waited for death. However, when I opened my eyes again, I found myself back in time at the moment Lester came asking for my help.

I waved him off. “Your grandson’s condition is a curse, not a medical affliction. No one can treat him.”

Lilith's POV

I was not lying.

An ancestor of the Ward family had conducted himself poorly. As a result, he was cursed to never have children. It was only through the intervention of someone powerful that the effects of the curse were alleviated enough for him to have a few generations of descendants.

Matthew Ward’s infertility was an effect of that curse.

However, Matthew’s grandfather, Lester Ward, did not believe that.

“I’ve asked around. You’re Statute Hospital’s most renowned expert in andrology. You specialize in using snake toxins as treatments. You cured the head of the Locke family of his long-term infertility. How could you not cure my grandson?”

Lester was very worked up. It was likely that I was his last hope.

In the previous timeline, I had married Matthew, and Lester used to be very nice to me. But when Matthew extracted my scales and sold me off abroad, Lester had simply avoided my pleading gaze with a sigh.

“Matt is the head of the Ward family now. I don’t have the authority to go against his decision. After all, we are humans, and you are beastfolk. I hope that you reincarnate as a human in your next life, Lilith!”

So I was beastfolk, was I?

After I had cured Matthew, they had praised me and called me a blessing. They had even been moments away from worshipping me as a deity.

I scoffed to myself and replied lightly, “Matthew’s member is one of death. No matter how skilled I am, I cannot bring it back to life.”

“Nonsense! You’re a quack! What do you know about treating illnesses?”

Matthew sauntered into the room while pulling Cynthia Harman along by the hand. He brought her before Lester.

“Grandpa, Cynthia is the true expert here. Only she can cure my condition!”

Lester looked between Cynthia and me somewhat doubtfully.

Cynthia put on a small smile. “Mr. Ward, I graduated from Hymnward Medical School. The famous Professor Duncan was my mentor. I’ve handled countless cases with him. I’m confident that I can cure Matt.”

This made Lester’s eyes light up. “Really? Well then, I’ll have to trouble you with his case!”

I snickered.

Indeed, Cynthia had returned from her studies overseas. However, she had barely graduated from some nameless nursing school. That stuff about being a graduate of Hymnward and a student of Professor Duncan was a lie fabricated by my adoptive parents to raise her standing.

Well, I wanted to see how she would treat Matthew.

Lester took back the company shares and property deed he had brought as engagement offers as if nothing had happened and left.

Before leaving, Matthew whispered viciously into my ear, “Don’t you dare come between me and Cynthia again. If you do, I’ll destroy you!”

It seemed that he had gone back in time as well.

I watched him stomp off. The dark miasma surrounding his waist became even thicker and darker. Within twenty-four hours, the curse on Matthew would coalesce, and he would be beyond help for good.

This time, he was destined to be barren.

When the Ward men left, my adoptive parents quickly rushed over.

“Did the Ward family come to propose a marriage? If you marry up, our family is going to be rich!”

My adoptive mother, Harriet, was beaming.

My adoptive father, Bart, was clearly excited.

“Surely the engagement gifts offered would be worth a lot. I spent twenty hard years raising you. If they offer too little, I won’t agree to this marriage. The gifts must be worth at least five hundred million dollars. No, a billion dollars!”

Cynthia chuckled at this. She said meanly, “Don’t get so excited yet, Mom, Dad. Lil’s already botched the engagement with the Ward family.”

“What?”

Bart coughed. He was glaring at me so hard that his face was turning red.

“You useless nothing! This is the Ward family we’re talking about! Do you know how hard it is for anyone to get close to them?”

Harriet slapped me. She looked furious.

“Why did I ever adopt such a stupid person? Get out of here! If you don’t make the Ward family change their mind about you, don’t you dare come home!”

My face stung so badly that it felt like it was going numb. I closed my eyes and turned to head to my room. There, I collected my bone needles and amulets and prepared to leave.

“Hold on, leave those things behind!”

I frowned. “These are mine!”

Cynthia tugged Harriet’s arm, her expression wronged. “Mom, I won’t be able to cure Matthew without that set of needles and those amulets! If he can’t have children, I won’t become Mrs. Ward! Tell Lil not to be so selfish!”

Harriet’s expression immediately turned stern. “You little wretch, how dare you act out? You can’t ruin Cynthia’s chances of marriage just because your engagement fell through! Give those back!”

I shook my head. “It’s pointless. She won’t be able to use these. Furthermore, she won’t be able to cure Matthew.”

Cynthia instantly started crying. “Why can’t I cure him? You’re only jealous! You don’t want me to cure him! I understand you hate me, but Mom and Dad raised you for twenty years. How can you ruin our family’s future?”

Bart immediately panicked. He viciously kicked me away.

“How could you be so selfish? It’s just a set of useless needles! Give it to Cynthia if she wants it! If she cures Matthew, the Ward family will owe her a debt. Our whole family will have a bright future!”

I clutched my painful tummy. I shook my head stubbornly, still holding onto my things. “I won’t give them to her!”

“Foolish girl!” Bart waved, summoning several bodyguards. “Take those things from her and teach her a lesson!”

The bodyguards rushed at me. They attacked me in a flurry of kicks and punches. Despite the pain, I held onto my bag of things tightly. It was only when one of the bodyguards landed a kick to my head that he was able to snatch it away.

Cynthia looked triumphant as she looked at the gleaming bone needles. “Thanks, Lil. I’ll use them well.”

The needles were made from the bones of seven serpent-kin, and they were a treasure passed down through generations of serpent-kin. I could not lose them!

My head was bleeding, but my expression was cold and set. “You’d better give them back. They’re not items you can use.”

Cynthia chuckled. “Don’t think so highly of yourself. I’ve been going with you to work at the hospital for the past few months. I’ve learned all your treatment methods! It’s pointless to be resentful. Matt likes me. I won’t let you come between us!”

A vicious look flashed in Cynthia’s eyes.

She shot a pointed look at the bodyguards, and they dragged me into the basement. I was on the brink of death. In my dazed confusion, I suddenly smelled the acrid scent of smoke.

Something was burning!

Cynthia wanted to burn me alive!

I covered my mouth and nose and tried to escape, but the door was locked tight and would not budge. I laughed bitterly to myself. I never imagined that this second chance would end with me dying faster than in the previous timeline.

But Cynthia would never get what she wanted. She and Matthew would both die horribly! I leaned against the wall and closed my eyes. Suddenly, I heard a loud cry from beyond the door.

“Get out of the way!”

There was a crash as the door of the basement room exploded open.

A man deftly rolled in and swept me into his arms before running out.

“You’re…”

He looked down at me, his eyes shining bright like stars.

“My name is Owen Ward. I’m Matthew’s little brother.”

I suddenly recalled him. He was Matthew’s father’s illegitimate son. He was the only second son in the history of the Ward family.

On the day his mother’s pregnancy was confirmed, the entire Ward family celebrated, thinking that the curse had been broken. However, that same day, Matthew’s father died of sickness in a very sudden manner.

A life had been taken away for one that had been given. It was hard to deny that it was fate at work.

When Owen was born, he was found to be infertile as well.

With that, he was no longer the family’s last hope. Instead, he was the monster who had caused his own father’s death.

At this very moment, however, he was looking at me with eyes full of hope. “Dr. Harman, can you cure me? I swear that I will repay your kindness.”

If Owen could procreate, then he would no longer be the illegitimate son that everyone despised. Instead, he would take Matthew’s spot as the Ward family’s only heir.

I smiled. “I will cure your illness.”

I brought Owen to the hospital. Just as I was talking to my supervisor about Owen’s condition, I saw Matthew and Cynthia.

Cynthia’s expression immediately shifted when she spotted me. “What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be…?”

“Should be where?”

Cynthia paused at that before regaining her smile. She held Matthew’s hand and said, “Matt, it looks like Lil regrets rejecting you earlier. Look, she came back here to treat you. Perhaps I should let her do it since she’s a real, acknowledged expert.”

Matthew scoffed. “She’s no expert. I looked into it. Lilith hasn’t even attended university! She’s a scammer!”

A furor immediately went up among the people milling around.

“That can’t be! Lilith Harman is Statute Hospital’s star expert. How could it be possible that she hasn’t attended university?”

“Goodness, I purposely came to this hospital to see her! I waited three days for an appointment but never got one!”

“If Mr. Ward said it, there’s no way it’s not true! I bet Lilith Harman’s sleeping with someone in the hospital. The only way she’s gotten this far in life is because of a man!”

My supervisor, Dr. Reynolds, instantly panicked. “How could you people accuse someone without proof like this? Ms. Harman is a special expert we hired under unique circumstances. She doesn’t need an academic record!”

“Who would believe that? Maybe you’re her sugar daddy?”

“There’s definitely something going on between you two!”

“Y-You!” Dr. Reynolds sputtered furiously.

I could not be bothered to treat this gossip seriously. I did not want to ruin Dr. Reynolds’ reputation, either.

Thus, I looked at Cynthia and said, “There’s no point in talking about any of this. Do you dare to compete with me? We will each treat a patient. Whoever cures her patient wins. If I win, you will publicly apologize and admit to defaming me.”

Cynthia laughed. “Such a contest is beneath me!”

I replied blandly, “What’s wrong? Are you afraid?”

“How dare you!”

She glared at me angrily. She reached a hand into a bag and must have found my set of bone needles. It gave her confidence.

“Alright, I’ll compete against you! If you lose, then you’ll have to crawl around like a dog and call yourself a cheap mutt!”

“Sure.” I accepted the challenge without a second thought.

Matthew pulled Cynthia into his embrace. He said to me tauntingly, “This isn’t fun enough. I bet fifty million dollars that Cynthia will win! Do you dare make the same bet, scammer?”

My kind had a rule against gambling and bets.

I was about to reject the bet when someone behind me said, “I’ll bet one-hundred million dollars that Lilith will win!”

I looked back to see Owen walking over. He stood beside me staunchly.

Matthew’s eyes narrowed. “What are you doing here? Is this your new friend, Lilith? Do you need a man so badly?”

“Be mindful of your words. He is my patient,” I said. “You’re both from the same family and have the same cause for your condition. This makes the competition perfectly fair.”

Matthew said sarcastically, “This man is an illegitimate son. He’s not worthy of being referred to as my family! Don’t think I don’t know what you’re planning. I’m warning you now, the Ward family is mine!”

“You said one hundred million dollars, right? Well, I’m evening my bet!”

The surrounding crowd got excited, and many quickly joined in on betting.

Meanwhile, I pushed Owen into a surgery room.

“Let’s go. We’re starting now.”