The Enigmatic Return (Neera and Jean)

Ding dong!

The crisp sound of the doorbell echoed within Jean's mansion.

Jean had just come out of the study and was going to go downstairs for dinner.

When he heard the doorbell, he ordered Chaucer, his butler, to open the door.

A while later, Chaucer brought Neera, the three children, and the three puppies inside.

The children greeted Jean enthusiastically. "Good evening, Mr. Handsome! Have you had dinner yet?"

Jean was surprised to see them. He replied, "Good evening. I haven't."

He looked at the time on his wristwatch and said to Neera, "It's not the scheduled time for the consultation session though?"

Last night, they had agreed that Neera would come over at nine o'clock every night.

Neera pouted. I didn't want to come here so early anyway!

Penny explained, "Mr. Handsome, we're here to see if you're feeling any better. Mommy also wants to give you the recipe for her medicinal soup. You should get your cook to make this soup every day. You'll recover even more quickly that way!"

"That's right! Mommy doesn't share her recipes with other people. We worked hard to convince her!" Sammy said smugly.

Jean's heart softened when he heard that.

Even though he had only known the children for a few days, he could not seem to put his guard up against them.

Perhaps it was because they looked too innocent, and their concern for him was genuine.

If this went on, he could not keep up his cold personality!

"Thank you for your concern," Jean gently patted their heads and looked at Neera. "Sorry to trouble you, Dr. Garcia."

"It's no trouble at all," Neera said nonchalantly. "It's what I owe you. By the way, do you have a pen and paper? I'll write the recipe down for you."

Jean nodded and told Ian to retrieve the stationery from the study.

Ian quickly returned with what Neera wanted.

Neera sat down next to the coffee table and started to write.

The triplets took the chance to look around their father's mansion.

The layout was roughly the same as theirs, but the furnishings were more tasteful.

Other than period furniture, the house was decorated with sculptures and various works of art. Harvey even noticed a genuine Hieronymus Bosch painting!

Daddy... is wealthier than we all imagined!

While the triplets were secretly admiring Jean's wealth, Neera finished writing on two pieces of paper.

She handed them to Ian and explained, "The first one is the recipe for the medicinal soup. Boil the ingredients for two hours before dinner every day. It's pretty simple. The other one is the ingredients for a medicinal bath. He should soak in it every day."

"Huh..." Ian was slightly confused. "Dr. Garcia, your treatment methods are... pretty primitive."

Jean frowned. "I understand the soup, but baths?"

He did not want his body to smell of herbs.

Neera said coldly, "Extraordinary circumstances require extraordinary measures. You've been relying on scientific methods, but his condition hasn't improved at all. That's why I'm suggesting an alternative method. Of course, you have the right to refuse treatment."

Ian exclaimed, "Don't, Dr. Garcia! I didn't mean to doubt your abilities. To be frank, in the search for a cure in the past few years, we've also contacted several doctors specializing in folk medicine. None of them worked, and that's why we didn't put any hope in that. We believe you're different from them."

"Thanks for the compliment," Neera said coldly.

In any case, it was good that Jean agreed to it. Eventually, he would know if her methods were effective!

Neera did not intend to linger at Jean's mansion for too long. She prepared to leave with the triplets.

The triplets were reluctant to leave.

"Are we going already?"

"But we just got here!"

"Can we... stay for a little longer? We promise we'll be good children!"

"..." Neera did not think it was appropriate. She wanted to tell them to stop.

Unexpectedly, Jean spoke first. "You can stay if you want. I don't really care. You can let the puppies roam around in the yard."

The triplets cheered when they heard that. "Three cheers for Mr. Handsome!"

Ian was surprised to hear Jean's answer.

He knew that Jean was not fond of children or animals. Usually, he would only let the people he trusted into the house, and pets were practically an impossibility.

This time, not only had he let the three children do what they wanted, but he also said that he didn't care!

He was even wondering if someone had swapped bodies with his employer!

Compared to Ian's straightforward shock, Neera did not know how to react to that.

She thought that her children liked that man a little too much!

That had never happened before.

She could not help but take a closer look at Jean.

I admit that he's handsome and wealthy, but other than that, he doesn't seem approachable at all.

In fact, his frigid demeanor turns people away!

Jean noticed that Neera was staring at him. He turned his head toward her and asked, "Yes?"

His voice sounded like it was coated with a layer of frost.

Neera felt a chill course down her spine. She pouted and said, "Nothing! You should have your dinner. I'll come back later. Mr. Assistant, you should get the medicinal ingredients. I need them tonight."

"Yes, Dr. Garcia," Ian said.

Neera quickly left the house.

The triplets were worried as they watched their mother leave.

"It looks like Mommy and Daddy aren't willing to be closer to each other. The dinner yesterday didn't work at all. Should we think of some other way to bring them closer?" Penny said.

Sammy nodded. "It usually works on television though! What should we do?"

Harvey thought for a while and whispered to the others, "Mommy is coming back for a consultation session, right? When she helps Daddy take a bath later, we'll hack into the mansion's security system and cut the electricity! Mommy is afraid of the dark. Who knows what might happen if they're together in the bathroom?"

Sammy thought for a while and said, "Yeah, I think that works."

Penny agreed too. "I think it'll work too."

The triplets proceeded to work out the details of their plan.

Neera did not know what was going on.

At nine o'clock sharp, she was back at Jean's mansion.

"Take off your shirt," she said.