The boy looked at me with helpful eyes. I was still on my high alert as I don't know how this child came to the forest.
And his clothes and outlook appearance seem to be that of a runaway slave. I couldn't think of anything else but to know how this boy got here inside the Shield Forest.
Amidst my thoughts, the boy spoke in a husky voice.
"Who are you? Are you one of them?" The boy's eyes were full of resentment and fear.
I raised both my hands in surrender to let the boy feel that I don't have any evil intentions, and besides, I'm also a child.
The boy began to squirm and cry for help escaped the chapped lips of the boy.
"Ugh... it hurts!" The boy said in a grievance.
I squat down and look at where the boy's arms that he wraps around his abdomen.
I saw a red liquid dripping down the dirty clothes and absorbed by the ground. I quickly take his hands away to see if what I saw was real or not.
Alas... I was right!
The situation was urgent, and the wound needs to be taken care of.
"What are you doing...?!" The boy slaps my hand with a little bit of force.
I reprimand his thoughts that were written all over his face.
"Look, kid! I don't have anything against you, but if you want to survive here you should let me help you!"
The boy looked at me full of doubt.
"But the way you dress and the smooth fabric your wearing… You're definitely one of them!"
I belatedly look at what I'm wearing, it was a pair of black pants that go below my knee, paired with a black long sleeve shirt and the cloak that Mr. Shiek gave, and my drawstring bag in my back and a dangling short sword around my waist.
'I do look like a noble with what I'm wearing, I mean I am a noble haha."
I scratch my face using my forefinger. I can't hide my lineage just by wearing simple clothes.
'The simple clothes of a noble's house can be considered a luxury for common people. And my appearance gives it away… I look like a sheltered young Lady of a Count's house.'
"Well, I can't say that you shouldn't doubt me because if I was in your situation I would also be questioning someone's actions..." my words were cut off when a spiteful remarks came from the boy.
"What? Do you think I will believe you? You're also a kid like me, you can be part of that group. What else can a kid be doing in the middle of a forest alone?"
"Well, you're right... What am I doing in this forest full of monsters? Do you think I want this? Ha… I don't even have a choice... that's why I'm here."
"What?"
"Nothing…"
"…"
"Just believe in me, okay? We're the only ones here, and that I'm sure. So, rest assured for a while and let me treat you, or you'll die of blood loss."
"..."
"Okay... you can doubt me all you want but that is after I treat your wounds. I'm not even going to treat you with medicine, I'll just wrap your wound with a clean cloth first just to stop the bleeding."
"Can I really trust you?"
After the boy said that, I can see his stiff body loosen up so, I immediately give my answer to him.
"Yup! You can trust me. If you think that I will do something to you then, you can just slap my hand and pushed me, that would be good enough, right?"
He nodded and he hesitantly moves his folded arms around his abdomen.
I tear down the sleeve of my shirt, it was the only cloth that I could use.
'The cloak was given to me so; I can't tear it down that easily. It was the only a few gifts that I have.'
I moved swiftly, I told him to endure if he felt pain as we don't have any anesthetic that we could use, and I don't know if this world has it. We don't have enough resources in this wood.
The kid gritted his teeth and winced when I clumsily touch his open wound.
"I'm sorry! It was so long ago since I did a bandage for someone."
"What? You did this before?" the boy asked
'Yeah... when I was still in my old world and was always there for my best friend.' I thought to myself and just smile at the boy. I don't need to answer his question.
And the boy, sensing that I will not talk about what he asked, he added a different one and ask.
"What's your name?"
"Oh! right, I haven't introduced myself... I'm Eve, you can call me that."
I said not looking at him and addressing his wound, and I inwardly thought that I don't need to tell him my whole name, we will not see each other after all.
"Eve... Okay, I'll call you Eve, and you can call me Gab." The words left from the chapped lips of the boy with red hair.
I reach the water bottle in my bag and gave it to him.
"Drink..."
Gab only looked at me, bewildered.
"It's not poison, okay?!"
I take the bottle and drink the water from it, to let him see that it wasn't drugged.
"See? Now, Drink! You look parched."
He slowly drinks the water from it then I smiled.
"Wait… why did you smile? Don't tell me this is really poisoned?!" The boy screamed at the top of his lungs. I was finished dressing his wound so, I was only looking at him now.
"You really doubt people huh…"
"Then, why are you smiling?"
"Oh! I just think that it was an indirect kiss." I shamelessly tease the young boy, and his reaction was priceless.
"Yo-you… what are you saying?" He covered his red face with his arms, but his red ears give it away. I can't hide my thoughts anymore and I laugh with all my might.
"What?!" asked Gab.
"I'm just teasing you relax… you're so tense you know?" I stood up and dusted my clothes and told him that I need to go on my way now.
"Where are you going?"
"Hmm? Just going to go hunt."
"Hunting? What for? What are you hunting?"
"Why do you have so many questions?!" I retorted, annoyed with the bombarding interrogation.
"…"
He fell silent when I raised both my eyebrows and my chin up.
"Anyways, now that I patched you up, I'm going now. Be careful on your way… okay?
"Bye!"
I bid my goodbyes and walk away when I was abruptly stopped by something. I look back and saw the boy clinging in my clothes.
"What?" I questioned him.
"Let me go with you…"
"What?!"