The eccentric doctor never makes a misdiagnosis!

Flamel left the room with the medical staff, the crisp sound of her high heels echoing in the hallway outside.

Ms. Marian pushed open the door.

"Little Haida, you're finally awake."

Marian’s gait was as graceful and light as ever, but Heda could clearly see wrinkles creeping up the corners of her eyes.

She slowly sat down in the chair in front of the hospital bed and gently stroked Haida's face.

“Every time I come to see you, I can’t control myself. I often sit for a long time, and even though I know you can’t hear me, I still talk to you a lot… Finally, today you can respond to me.”

Looking at Marianne, whose expression was calm and even kind, Heda felt somewhat uncomfortable.

Although she had been primarily raised by Marian since childhood, this was the first time she had seen such signs of aging on this senior physician from the Medical Court. This feeling of kinship deeply moved her.

"Ms. Marian, what's the current situation with the Hunter's Order?" Lu

"The Order of the Hunters? I know you often mention it in your dreams. But..."

Marianne pursed her lips, seemingly hesitant, and after a moment of preparation, she spoke again.

"But that was an organization you created in your diary; it doesn't actually exist. Please forgive me for reading what you wrote during your illness, but those disorganized words were the only way I could understand you..."

"So... there has never been a secret cult in Norlington?"

Heda narrowed her eyes and began trying to find loopholes in Marian's language.

"Norlington has always been governed by the city hall and has never had a religious presence."

"My coma in the North District wasn't caused by being severely injured by the evil heir and the heretical priest?"

"Haida, a sudden blizzard struck that day, and since you weren't familiar with Block 09, you collapsed in the snow due to hypothermia after failing to get help. Although someone found you shortly afterward, you had already fallen into shock due to brain damage..."

How did I manage to break free of the restraints?

Haida pondered for a moment, then asked the mirror beside her.

"The caregiver didn't fasten it tightly; two of the buckles were loose. I could have broken free myself."

Sigrid's voice rang out slowly from one of the speakers in the room; clearly, the wall was a one-way mirror.

Several members of the medical team were listening to the conversation between the two.

Haida nodded, then began to examine her reflection in the one-way glass.

She was not wearing the standard nun's robes of the Hunters, but a white straitjacket covered with nylon buckles.

The power sword "Nirvana" has disappeared without a trace, and even the traces of training on his body have vanished. His once muscular arms have become thin and weak.

At this moment, Haida in the mirror looks like an ordinary girl suffering from mental illness, staring incredulously at the familiar yet strange reality.

-

Chapter Fifty-Six: The Dream of Truth [The Last Nun]

Haida squinted, raised her arm, and carefully examined her palm.

Those were a pair of hands so slender they could almost be described as delicate, with pale skin and almost bluish veins clearly visible, and calluses from training that seemed to have never existed.

This left Haida with a profound and distant sense of powerlessness, as if she had returned to her childhood, which she did not wish to recall...

Haida felt her mind was in complete chaos, her thoughts were sluggish and disorganized, and she could not distinguish between different things.

Memories. She saw a large number of memories that didn't belong to her. They were memories of her dark and cold time in a mental hospital.

The long, silent sitting on the hospital bed, the unrestrained and crazy graffiti on the walls, and the uncontrollable vomiting and convulsions when the medication refluxed into the throat... the protagonist of all these scenes is that familiar, thin figure, which is... himself.

“Now that I’m ‘awakened,’ can you take me away from here, Ms. Marian?”

“Of course, my child… let’s go home.”

Marianne placed her hand on Heida's back and gently embraced her. Her expression was kind and warm, like a mother comforting her bewildered and frightened child, even though she herself was exhausted.

"Ah."

Haida obediently agreed.

She did not accept her identity as a mental patient, nor did she experience a sense of self-dislocation due to unfamiliar memories... she was simply looking for an opportunity to break through the current situation.

For the Hunters, known for their mental fortitude, patience, waiting, and lying in wait are all commonplace.

Besides that, there is one more thing.

Heda completely disbelieved this worldview of mental illness; even when memories surfaced undeniably, she did not consider them real.

The hunters' obsession can sometimes lead them into a quagmire of despair, but at other times, it becomes their shield against madness.

That's why, although everyone knows the hunters and nuns at Funeral Home have somewhat erratic thought processes, no one has ever tried to correct them...

seven--

Signatures, stamps, and record sealing. Accompanied by Marian, Heda's discharge procedures were completed very smoothly.

After all, Shisham Mental Hospital was not an irregular medical institution, and all of Dr. Flamel's research on patients was within the scope of legal regulations... Now that the guardian had agreed, she naturally had no reason to object.

The sound of the carriage wheels rolling echoed.

Sihai Da looked out the window from the carriage and saw Flamel's tearful figure waving a handkerchief gradually disappearing into the distance.

Feeling the irregular jolting of the carriage, Haida inexplicably felt a little dizzy... she was carsick.

As a funeral maid who is skilled in riding and proficient in most vehicles, this feeling is too far removed from her, to the point that it seems inexplicably absurd.

"Are you feeling unwell, Haida? Just bear with it a little longer, we'll be home soon."

Marian skillfully massaged Haida's temples, relieving her discomfort.

"I am fine."

Haida bit her lip slightly, trying to calm her disordered breathing.

The body's influence on the mind is strong and subtle. Although she tried hard to resist this tendency, she was still gradually assimilated by the frail body of the young girl.

Overwhelmed by dizziness and exhaustion, Heda finally closed her eyes in a drowsy state and quietly fell asleep in Marian's arms.

-

The mansion of Mrs. Marian.

Her grey-chestnut eyes gradually opened and closed, and Haida woke up on the large bed. She held her forehead and let out a long breath, the drowsiness in her head had eased considerably.

At this moment, Heda was wrapped in warm fleece bedding. The straitjacket of the mental hospital had been changed into a thin and soft nightgown and undergarment, which must have been changed into by Ms. Marian while she was sleeping.

"He actually fell asleep?... How lazy of him."

Haida slowly got out of bed and began to look around the bedroom.

Physical strength, equipment, and secret techniques are no longer reliable for her; all she has left is her experience as a funeral maid.

The bedroom was decorated warmly and tastefully, suggesting that Ms. Marianne was in good financial condition. The bed was made of intricately carved wood and surrounded by a sheer curtain.

Next to the bedside table was a suitcase covered in graffiti, which probably contained his luggage that he had taken from the Shisham Mental Hospital.

Marianne heard Heda get out of bed and immediately went into the room.

In her hand she held a delicate porcelain tray with a sandwich and a glass of milk steaming with hot vapor.

The portion wasn't large, probably because they considered that patients recovering from illness might not have much of an appetite.

The design of the cup looks strangely familiar.

"Feeling better, little Haida? Have something to eat. I heard Dr. Flamel's therapeutic meals are quite good; I wonder if you still like my cooking..."

“I’m much better now, thank you, Ms. Marian.”

Haida nodded slightly and began to eat. She did need to replenish her energy to clear her mind, which had been sluggish due to hunger.

……

Marian watched Heda quietly and gently, like a kind elder, until Heda had finished all the food on the tray.

After finishing her meal, Haida's spirits recovered somewhat.

“Mrs. Marian, my memory is still a bit hazy. If possible, I would like you to tell me more about Norrington…”

"Okay. It's like telling you a bedtime story when you were little... Where should I begin? Do you remember Alvin?"

"Some impressions."

“He’s a city hall clerk, a nice guy, but he has that bossy attitude typical of civil servants. I remember in the world you described, he was the head of the ‘General Affairs Division,’ ha…that really suits him.”

Marianne slightly covered her lips, suppressing her smile.

"And who is Hei Rong?"

Haida also began to wonder about the identities of the people in her memories here.

“Black Banyan… Oh, you mean Mr. Johnson? He lives next door to us. Hmm… Mr. Johnson is a bit stern, probably because he's a war veteran? Sometimes he can seem a bit neurotic, and he gets nervous when he sees dense bushes.”

Marianne parted the bedroom blinds, and the cool, clear light of the early morning sun shone through the window.

Heda looked out the window in the direction Marian was pointing and indeed saw a huge, somber, ancient banyan tree.

An elderly man with white hair and beard was taking a nap in the shade under a banyan tree, while a young man in a crisp short shirt was chasing after butterflies that were dancing in the courtyard.

“That’s Mr. Johnson’s grandson. I even held him in my arms… He’s grown up so fast.”

Was the Black Banyan Supervisor, who turned into a boy because of "S-923. The Banyan of Death," simply split into two people? Haida pondered for a moment and continued with her questions.

"Then... what about Lady Silver Feather Hydra?"

"Hmm~ It's rare to have such a beautiful morning, let's not talk about the socialites at the city hall."

Marian raised an eyebrow slightly, seemingly not very fond of the Silver Feather Hydra, but still patiently explained her identity.

"And what about Mr. Sommer? What does he do?"

“He’s a mechanic in the East District, right on Keyleaf Street. Was it building 17 or 16? Hmm… he’s the one who repaired your pocket watch. Somur is very skilled, quite helpful, and very kind.”

As Marianne answered, the figures of those mentioned gradually emerged in Heda's memory, both strange and familiar. Their appearances differed slightly, but not by much.

These are memories that do not belong to Haida, and they are gradually influencing her self-perception.

She clenched her teeth so tightly that blood seeped from her inner lips... all to keep her mind clear.

The mental conflict brought intense pain. An unbearable tearing sensation came from Haida's brain, as if a barbed blade was ruthlessly slicing through her skull.

"What about Vivian?"

Heda suppressed the turmoil in her mind, determined not to let Marian suspect anything before she finished asking her questions.

“I knew you still remembered Vivian. After graduating, she worked as a reporter for a news agency, and she covered your story... though she seems to be working part-time at a detective agency recently.”

"I'll bring Vivian to see you when you're feeling better. She's been very worried about you, and she'll be so happy to know you've been discharged."

A reporter and a detective, that does fit the role of a Secret Service agent... Haida nodded.

Heda had already identified most of her acquaintances in Norrington. But there was one name she hadn't mentioned to Ms. Marian: Wu.

"Ms. Marian, do you know 'Ivenne'?"

“...Ivanie?”

Marian was visibly taken aback for a moment, then frowned and pondered deeply before giving her answer.

"How did you know that name? She wasn't mentioned in your writings… Evonne is the daughter of the City Hall's Chief Executive, and she's shown remarkable political acumen at a young age."

"But she rarely appears in public. I only knew about her because Alvin mentioned it casually."

Even in Ivenne, far away on the border, there are corresponding people?

It's certain that everyone you know here has their own identity and role. Trying to break the logical consistency of this world by focusing on interpersonal relationships is probably impossible.

But there was still one thing that puzzled Haida.

Why is everyone else referred to by their real names, while Dr. Fran is called "Flamel"? Does this have any special meaning?

Heda couldn't afford to miss any opportunity to break the deadlock. However, she couldn't verify Fran's identity at the moment, so she had to put it aside for now. She'd ask him again if she had the chance to meet him...

"Hai Da?"

Seeing the girl in front of her lost in thought, Marianne couldn't help but call out her name with concern.

"Ms. Marian, I'd like to go outside for some fresh air. Would you like to walk with me?"

"Of course, but you'd better walk slowly."

Marian naturally wouldn't refuse such a normal and reasonable request.