Theodore’s demeanor had taken a dramatic shift from his earlier arrogance.
“Doctor! Where’s the doctor? Get me some bandages!” He cried for help, terrified.
Alistair, Brooke, and the others exchanged perplexed glances at Theodore’s frantic behavior. This wasn’t what they had expected at all. What happened to the occult expert’s dignified image?
“He’s mad! Mr. Welch Senior is insane! He bit my ear off and ate my flesh! Why on earth isn’t he tied up?” Theodore shouted as he received medical treatment.
“Sir Crane, I mentioned earlier that my dad tends to become aggressive due to his strange illness,” Alistair explained.
“Aggressive? This goes beyond aggression. It’s outright cannibaliona.!
Theodore’s composure was falling apart.
“Sir Crane, you’ve been injured. How about taking a breather?” Ezra cleared his throat, looking uncomfortable.
He had brought Theodore here to win the Welch family’s favor and strengthen their relations, not to create an embarrassing spectacle.
“Oh, what rotten luck,” Theodore grumbled as he sat down to be treated. “Sir Crane, it seems that your talisman didn’t do the trick,” Dustin quipped with a smirk.
“What do you know? It was just a fluke. I’ll give it another go tomorrow; I’ll definitely succeed!” Theodore declared confidently.
“Seriously? Another shot and you might just end up having more than your face disfigured,” Dustin remarked nonchalantly.
“Who do you think you are? How dare you look down on me?” Theodore jumped up, his blood boiling. But his sudden move aggravated his injury, making him wince in pain.
The whole scene struck everyone as comical. So much for the occult expert; he looked anything but impressive now.
“Ease up on the wisecracks, Dustin. Even if Sir Crane had a little hiccup, it’s not your place to decide,” Ezra said sternly.
“So, do you still want to heal him or not? If not, I’m going to give it a shot,” Dustin responded coolly. “You? Do you have what it takes?” Ezra sneered.
“You don’t know what you’re dealing with!” Theodore snorted.
“You think you can solve something I couldn’t handle with my talisman? Dream on.”
“Only one way to find out. Let’s see if I’ve got what it takes,” Dustin said confidently.
“Fine! Since you’re so eager to step up, I’ll give you a shot to prove yourself,” Theodore retorted with a chilly smile. He thought, “Hmph! His embarrassing failure can cover up for my previous hiccup.”
“Dustin… Are you sure?” Alistair asked cautiously. He pondered whether Dustin could succeed when Theodore had previously failed in curing his father’s strange illness.
“Mr. Welch, given the current situation, it couldn’t get any worse, could it?” Dustin answered without giving Alistair a clear answer.
“That’s true. Please proceed then,” Alistair agreed, nodding.
After all, there wasn’t much choice. The Welch family had to try anything at this point. Dustin approached the sickbed and started his examination of Welch Senior’s condition.
Then, he explained, “Regular witchcraft would only make someone weak and unconscious. Instances like Mr. Welch Senior’s sudden hysteria are quite uncommon.”
With a steady tone, he elaborated, “The only plausible explanation is the presence of an unusual object nearby controlling his body.”
“Hah! Are you trying to impress the crowd?” Ezra jeered. “Yeah! Do you take them as fools?” Theodore added dismissively.
“Found it!” Dustin suddenly exclaimed, his eyes lighting up as he reached beneath the mattress.
