"Yes, take off all your clothes." The moment she finished speaking, Francis' face turned crimson with embarrassment. Still, he obediently unbuttoned his clothes and soon enough, only his pants were left. He was too weak to stand up, so Owen stepped forward to help him.

"Aunt Harper, can I keep my pants?" Although Francis had been in the Imperial Palace for many years, he knew it might still be inappropriate to be naked in front of a woman. After all, he was not that close with Harper for this kind of interaction even if she was his uncle's wife.

"No problem." Harper then asked Owen to help Francis get into the barrel. At the same time, she was preparing her needles. She soaked them in a special liquid while she had an extremely serious look on her face. Her eyes were so focused on the needles.

"The medicated bath is a little painful. Please endure it," Harper cautioned.

"It doesn't matter. With what I've been through, pain is nothing to..." The moment Francis sank into the liquid, he took a deep breath and gasped

he pleasure of having sex with a woman at fourteen years old. So, it was very unusual for Francis to stay in the Imperial Palace until he reached twenty years of age.

The Imperial Palace was the filthiest place in the world. Could a person who had lived in such a terrible place not be tainted and corrupted even by a little bit?

"You're grown-up. Were you ever intimate with anyone?" Matthew asked. He didn't know what was wrong with him, but he couldn't help himself asking the question.

Francis was stunned with his question, and didn't know how to respond.

Then he shook his head and responded, "I'm in poor health and I lie in my bed all year round. It's not really an activity that I could easily participate in."

His words set Matthew's mind at ease. Matthew then looked at Harper, hoping to see her reaction. However, she didn't look at him because she was still busy with her needles.

Matthew hesitated for a moment and said slowly, "When you fully recover, I'll send someone to teach you all you need to know."