Reborn as the General's Useless Daughter-Chapter 35: I don’t need a reason to help you

Looking at the young man before her, she couldn’t help but feel a trace of admiration. He was still so young, yet faced with a body that might one day be completely paralyzed.

And yet, he neither complained nor fell into despair. Instead, he continued to smile and joke as if nothing had happened.

This kind of mental resilience was something many people could never achieve in a lifetime.

From this point alone, she could already see how firm Prince Kael’s will truly was.

"Do you really know what illness I have?" Prince Kael suddenly asked, his voice low and calm.

It wasn’t disbelief—it was simply curiosity. Over the years, he had visited countless famous doctors. None of them could diagnose the real cause of his condition.

Zora raised an eyebrow. "What reason would I have to lie to you?"

In truth, as early as the moment when he had stepped forward to protect her in front of Icarus, she had already made her decision.

She would save him.

Not only because he had protected her... but also because she saw in him a familiar loneliness—one that resembled her own.

"Miss Zora..." Alder couldn’t help asking anxiously, "What exactly is the Lord’s illness? Could it be poisoning?"

For years, he had suspected poisoning. If that were truly the case, he would hunt down the person responsible no matter the cost.

"You have investigated it for so long," Zora said calmly. "You should already know that no evidence can be found."

Alder nodded heavily. It was because of this utter lack of clues that he felt such deep resentment.

"This is not poison," Zora continued evenly. "This illness is not caused by human hands."

"That was also the Divine Doctor Raphael’s conclusion," Prince Kael said with a faint smile. Even when speaking of his own condition, he remained as relaxed as ever. "But even he couldn’t determine the real reason."

"It’s a problem with your physique," Zora explained. "Fortunately, Doctor Raphael has been suppressing the spread of paralysis for you all these years. Otherwise, your condition would be far more difficult to reverse."

"A problem with my physique?" Prince Kael’s brows furrowed slightly. He had imagined countless possibilities—but never this one.

"Physique of Protos—have you ever heard of it?" Zora asked quietly.

Prince Kael slowly shook his head. "Among all known special physiques, I have never heard of such a thing."

Zora did not find this surprising at all. "Physique of Protos is extremely rare. It is normal that you have never heard of it."

She looked at him steadily and continued, her voice calm but firm:

"You used to cultivate far faster than ordinary practitioners. Your talent once surpassed nearly everyone of your generation."

"And later..." her gaze sharpened slightly, "your legs began to go numb—starting from the toes, spreading upward little by little. At the same time, your cultivation speed also began to decline."

As each sentence fell, Prince Kael’s expression changed again and again. Shock, disbelief, and a faint tremor of buried emotion surged through his eyes.

These things...

He had never told anyone.

Not even the imperial physicians.

Not even the Alder.

Yet she had seen through everything with a single diagnosis.

For the first time, Prince Kael truly felt what it meant to be completely seen.

Alderstood frozen at the side, utterly stunned.

Too accurate.

Too terrifying.

The title of "Divine Doctor" was not an exaggeration—it was the truth. 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

"Can my physique... still be changed?"

Prince Kael asked slowly.

Though his tone remained calm, the faint trembling deep within his eyes betrayed what he tried so hard to conceal—hope.

Zora saw it clearly.

She smiled softly. "As long as I’m here—of course it can be changed."

In that instant, the deep oceans of Prince Kael’s eyes suddenly erupted with blazing light.

Three years.

For three long years, he had lived between despair and resignation.

And now...

For the first time, he truly saw a path forward.

Looking at the gentle smile on her lips, the cold, silent place within his heart seemed to crack open—as if warmth was finally seeping in.

"But," Zora continued, her gaze turning serious, "this process is extremely dangerous. Changing the Physique of Protos is not something easily accomplished."

"If you cannot endure it," she said slowly, "you will die."

If he failed, there would be no second chance.

For ordinary people, merely hearing these words would cause their legs to weaken in fear.

Yet Prince Kael did not change his expression in the slightest.

His posture remained straight.

His gaze remained firm.

Even in the face of death, there was not the slightest trace of hesitation in his eyes.

"The lady does not need to worry," he said quietly. "Hardship cannot defeat your husband."

His voice was low and steady. Though his lips still carried a faint smile, the determination within his eyes was unmistakable.

Zora looked straight into his gaze for a long moment.

"Since you’ve made your decision," she said finally, "then I will help you."

"Changing my physique like this..." Prince Kael paused slightly. "Will it affect you?"

Zora merely smiled faintly. "It’s just a little more trouble."

Her words were light—but Prince Kael knew very well she was not telling the whole truth.

A transformation process so dangerous that failure meant death—how could such a thing be completed without immense cost to the one performing it?

She was risking herself.

Without another word, Zora took out her silver needle pouch from the Storage pouch.

First, his legs would have to be treated. Only after that could the true process of physique transformation begin.

"This is a very long road," she said solemnly. "To change from Physique of Protos to the Body of Destiny, you must be fully prepared."

Just as she raised her hand to insert the first needle—

Suddenly, Prince Kael reached out and gently caught her wrist.

Her eyes lifted slightly in surprise, meeting his gaze.

He looked at her intently, as though trying to carve her face into his very soul.

His voice was low and slightly hoarse as he asked: "Why are you helping me while taking a risk?"

They had known each other for only a short time. She did not even fully understand who he truly was.

Yet she was willing to bet her own strength—and possibly her life—to save him.

Why?

Facing those eyes as deep and vast as the sea, Zora slowly curved her red lips into a gentle smile.

"When you helped me before," she asked softly, "did you need a reason?"

The smile on Prince Kael’s face stiffened slightly.

"That is not the same," he said, his voice unconsciously rising a little. "At that time, I only helped you with something small. Anyone could have done that. But what you are doing for me now... is far more than that."

"You are not afraid," he continued slowly, "that I might not even be worth saving?"

Zora tilted her head slightly and looked at him quietly. "Is that important?"

Prince Kael was stunned.

Clearly, he had not expected such an answer.

How could it not be important?

To risk one’s own life for another—how could such a decision be made so lightly?

"When you ask that," Zora said softly, her smile growing gentler, "I already know that you did not help me back then with any calculation in your heart."

"And even if you had," she added calmly, "I wouldn’t care."