Reborn as the General's Useless Daughter-Chapter 31: Return to Normal life?

"Such a good view would be wasted without wine," she said leisurely. "Shall we drink?"

Prince Kael lifted the wine cup and handed it to her.

She accepted it, her gaze lingering on his face for a moment. She did not know whether he had prepared all this because he guessed her mood tonight—but if he had, then this man truly had a heart that was far more delicate than she had imagined.

Tonight, she had severed all ties with her past.

Tonight, she had nowhere to return.

And tonight... she desperately wanted to lose herself just a little.

They drank beneath the Apple blossoms, the moonlight reflecting in their cups. Neither spoke of the past. Neither mentioned the wounds hidden in their hearts.

They only talked of trivial things—teasing, laughter, idle chatter about the world.

The wine slowly warmed her bones. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

Before she realized it, Zora’s vision blurred slightly, and her strength faded. She rested her forehead lightly against the cool surface of the stone table, her breathing growing soft and slow.

The edges of her cheeks were stained with faint crimson from drunkenness.

Prince Kael watched her quietly.

Under the moonlight, her sleeping face looked gentle and fragile, completely different from the cold, fearless woman he had always known.

"When you feel lonely in the future," Prince Kael said softly, his voice low and gentle like drifting cloud-mist, "at least I will be there to accompany you."

Those words were quiet, yet they carried a warmth that could easily blur a woman’s defenses.

Zora had already been helped back to her room, wrapped snugly in soft quilts. Her breathing was steady and light, her long lashes resting peacefully against her pale cheeks.

Seeing her finally asleep, Prince Kael did not linger. He silently turned and left the Courtyard under the moonlight.

Outside the room, Alder hesitated for a moment before asking carefully, "His Highness, shall I arrange for a few maids to take care of Miss Zora?"

Prince Kael paused, then waved his hand lightly. "With her temperament, if someone follows her around all day, she will only find it troublesome."

Alder thought about it carefully... and realized that it made perfect sense. That girl had always been independent, decisive, and proud. Being watched constantly would not soothe her—it would only irritate her.

*

The next day;

Origin Medical Hall.

The moment Zora appeared, the apprentice doctors Silver and Storm both rushed over with worried expressions, their concern written clearly on their faces.

"Miss Zora... are you really alright?" Silver asked cautiously after hesitating for a long while.

Storm could not help adding immediately, her voice full of nervous comfort,

"Miss Zora, you really must not take it too hard. Although Prince Kael has leg problems... people say his character is actually not bad."

Ever since dawn, news had spread wildly through the streets and alleys of the Imperial City—

Zora, the so-called useless daughter of the General’s House, was the same person as the miracle doctor of the Origin Medical Hall. And on top of that, she had been granted a marriage to the disabled Prince Kael Moonstone.

When this news first reached their ears, neither Silver nor Storm believed it.

Only after hearing the same story repeated by countless patients, officials’ families, and even noble ladies did they finally accept the truth.

What shocked them even more was that right after her identity was exposed, Zora had been forced into a marriage.

From a discarded fiancée of the Crown Prince... to the wife of a disabled prince.

In the eyes of the world, it was nothing but a cruel joke upon a cruel joke.

Seeing the anxiety on their faces, Zora only smiled faintly, her expression calm and unbothered. "You don’t need to worry so much. I don’t think there is anything wrong with this."

Silver and Storm were completely stunned.

They stared at her in disbelief, unable to tell for a moment whether they had misheard.

Only after seeing the steady smile upon Zora’s lips did they finally realize—she truly meant it.

"Miss Zora..." Storm hesitated, still unable to understand. "Aren’t you... Sad at all?"

Zora tilted her head slightly and smiled. "What is there to be sad about? Prince Kael is far better than Philip. If I’m choosing a man, shouldn’t I at least choose a better one?"

After a short pause, Storm could only nod awkwardly. "That does sound reasonable."

Zora did not waste any time on the matter. Seeing that patients were already lining up, she went directly into treatment. After finishing with the ten patients for the day, she began preparing for other arrangements.

Looking at her calm back, Storm muttered softly, "She looks fine... but somehow that doesn’t seem like the main point at all..."

—

As dusk fell, red clouds spread across the horizon like spitting fire. The bustling streets of the Imperial City were dyed with warm scarlet light.

Apollo Apothecary

Eric Welsh looked up the moment Zora stepped inside.

There was a complicated expression on his face—part surprise, part worry, part silence that carried unspoken emotions.

"Miss Zora," he sighed lightly, "what brings you here today?"

"Brother Eric... are you angry with me?"

Zora stepped closer with a gentle, slightly teasing smile. Her expression was calm, yet there was a hint of cautious apology hidden beneath her playful tone.

From the very beginning, Eric Welsh was the first person to truly treat her sincerely after she arrived in the Imperial City. He had helped her, trusted her, and protected her when she was still unknown and penniless. She valued that bond very much. Even if the world misunderstood her, she did not want to lose this friendship.

Eric Welsh turned his face slightly away, his voice stiff as he replied, "How would I dare be angry with you, Lady Zora?"

The words sounded restrained, but the faint dissatisfaction within them was impossible to hide.

"Brother Eric," Zora called softly, her tone becoming earnest. "You’ve always known my situation. Back then, the General’s House sealed me like a disgrace. If I had revealed my real identity openly, it would have brought endless trouble. I had no choice but to hide who I was."

She looked at him steadily, her gaze sincere. "Besides... I never once intended to deceive you. You were like a sibling to me that my own half-brother never was."

Eric Welsh fell silent.

When he heard today that Zora was actually the abandoned daughter of the General’s House, his first emotion was shock. The second was confusion. And the third... was an uncomfortable trace of hurt. It felt as though a close friend had unknowingly hidden something too big.

Seeing that he still did not speak, Zora turned slightly with a faint sigh.

"If Brother Eric truly doesn’t want to see me anymore," she said quietly, "then I will take my leave."

Her steps were slow and steady as she turned away, but inwardly she began counting softly.

"Three..."

"Two..."

"One..."

"Wait!"

Eric Welsh finally spoke. He let out a helpless sigh, his shoulders relaxing as the restraint in his chest dissolved. "Forget it. I know you were forced into that situation."

When the anger had first surged, it was real. But after calming down and thinking it through carefully, he realized that Zora had never once placed him in danger, nor had she used him for personal gain. Everything she did was simply to protect herself.

Compared to anger, what he felt now was far more sympathy than resentment.

Zora’s eyes brightened instantly, and she smiled with unmistakable relief. "I knew Brother Eric was the most reasonable person in the world!"

Eric Welsh glanced at her helplessly. "I heard you’re going to marry Prince Kael in a month. Is that true?"

"It is."

Eric Welsh frowned slightly. "Why did His Majesty arrange this so suddenly?"

Zora’s lips curled faintly. "Because the emperor doesn’t like me."