For a moment, Azel struggled to understand her reaction, until realization dawned on him. Oh yes, they had met before, a fact that had slipped his mind entirely.
It hadn't been a pleasant encounter for her... for either of them, he knew. But it had indeed amused him to some extent.
He Suppressed a smile and looked down at her. "Hello, my lady," he greeted, his tone held a hint of familiarity. "It's a pleasure to meet you again, isn't it?"
Adelia's widened eyes studied him with a mix of surprise and exasperation evident in her expression.
Then she quickly pulled herself away from his grasp, her trembling body somehow managing to stay upright.
"Don't touch me." Her quivering voice carried a reproachful tone as she covered herself with her silk scarf, eyeing him warily. "And don't greet me so casually, I hardly know you."
Azel's expression wavered as he regarded her.
Adelia turned her attention to where Edward lay amidst the sprawl of bodies, she staggered over to him and knelt by his side, her hands shaking.
Azel closely trailed behind her, watching her reactions carefully.
"Edward…" her voice trembled as she called out quietly, fighting back a sob. She hesitated, her hand inching toward his neck to check his pulse with bated breath, only for Azel to intervene.
"He's still breathing," he reassured her, his brows furrowed.
Adelia cast him a skeptical glance. How could he possibly tell that from that distance?
She turned her attention back to her dying Knight and placed her index and middle finger on his pulse point and finally let out a shaky sigh of relief.
Her tense shoulders seemed to relax painfully, as if a heavy burden had been lifted.
"He's alive… oh, thank goodness he's alive," she gasped and wiped at her eyes. Then, with a determined gesture, she started to position his hand over her shoulder.
Azel watched her with disbelief. "What do you think you're doing?"
Adelia remained silent for a moment. "I'm... I want to get him out of the rain."
"In the state you're in?" He questioned. "What makes you think you'll be able to?"
"I'll... I'll manage."
"Highly unlikely."
Adelia shot him an furious look. "So what do you suggest I do then?!" She yelled, her voice quivering.
She was so frustrated, so tired, so scared, and the presence of the man in front of her only seemed to worsen her predicament.
Azel stood in silence, staring at her, before his expression softened.
"Allow me to take him, then," he offered.
Adelia tensed at his suggestion. "You... you're suspicious... I don't want you touching him."
Azel appeared taken aback. "How... charming," he remarked, annoyed despite himself but he tried not to show it. "You've really done a fine job of appreciating me, haven't you?"
Adelia bit her lip and swallowed guiltily, her gaze shifting to the long gash on his arm. "I'm... I'm sorry, truly." Her eyes were downcast. "But you must understand why... why I can't trust you."
Azel's lips twitched. "Your ability to jump to conclusions is something else." He muttered.
"What...?"
"It's nothing." He brushed it off, looking away.
Adelia stared up at him for a moment, wondering what conclusion he was talking about. This man wasn't making it any easier for her to come to terms with him.
Yet, he had saved her life and that of her Knight's. She was grateful to him, so grateful... but the weight of her numerous questions outweighed her gratitude.
There were so many questions, but now wasn't the time to ask.
She acknowledged that her earlier attitude had been far from appreciative; now she needed to demonstrate her gratitude to him without saying it.
She pursed her lips. "Could you..." Her voice quivered, and she took a deep, steadying breath. "Could you assist me in lifting him, then? I...I don't think I'll manage on my own."
Azel turned to face her, a small smile playing on his lips. "A surprisingly wise deduction," he remarked. "I'm curious to what part of your brain you found to arrive at that conclusion?"
Adelia's face flushed with a mix of embarrassment and anger, but she kept silent. She wouldn't speak, she couldn't.
The tension was palpable; he was upset, she knew.
So she composed herself and waited patiently for his response.
Azel smelled her anger, yet her lack of retaliation puzzled him. Why? He wondered.
Could she somehow sense that he was annoyed?
He was, but he was skilled at concealing his anger. If she could discern it just by looking at him, then he was clearly doing a terrible job of hiding it at the moment.
He let out a sigh.
"Leave him," he instructed her. "I'll be able to lift him on my own."
She nodded hesitantly, struggling to stand, her movements faltering. Azel rushed to steady her.
He frowned with concern. "Will you be able to walk on your own?"
Adelia managed a single nod. "I… I can… I can mana…" Her voice faltered, and her eyes rolled back in her head before she collapsed heavily against him.
"I suppose that answers the question," he mused, bending down to position his hand behind her knees before carefully lifting her into his arms.
He studied her pale, damp face for a moment before enfolding her into himself to shield her from the rain. They needed shelter and the only available place now was the inn, but he couldn't take her alone...
He'd have to carry the nearly dead Knight with him.
Azel clicked his tongue and sighed. "Fabian," he called quietly.
"Yes, Milord?" His aide responded as he appeared a few meters away. His expression remained flat as he scanned the surroundings. "I see you enjoyed your… walk."
He moved stealthily, tiptoeing over the sprawl of bodies and came to stand right beside him. "I'm aware you woke up in a foul mood earlier, Milord," Fabian continued, "but this isn't the appropriate way to vent your frustration."
Azel's eyebrows twitched at his aide's deduction. "Shut up and bring that Knight along, we're returning to the inn."
It was at this point that Fabian's gaze fell upon the woman his master held in his arms. "And who might this... charming lady be?"
"None of your concern."
Fabian let out a sigh. "Very well, then." He moved over to the large Knight. "You've been quite considerate to summon me outside during this downpour and then to silence me after I so generously responded to your call."
Azel merely shook his head. "Pick him up and let's go. He won't last much longer in this rain."
"Of course, of course," Fabian said as he bent down, suddenly stopping in his tracks.
"What's the matter?" Azel asked warily.
"You're wounded," he stated with furrowed brows. "That is a rare occurrence… what really happened here?"
Azel smirked. "I'll tell you everything if you promise not to complain about anything I do for a whole month."
Fabian turned away from him. "Keep your story to yourself," he concluded, lifting the knight onto his back. "I'm re—"
But before he could finish his sentence, Azel vanished.
Fabian let out an exasperated sigh. "How thoughtless," he muttered and followed suit.
*~*~*~*~*~*
Azel gently laid her on his bed and stepped back to watch her, arms folded. If he was being truly honest with himself, she was a rare beauty, even as she lay there, sickly pale and completely soaked through.
However, that didn't change the fact that he would have to continue to see her as a girl… if he brought himself to see her any other way, it would only make things complicated for him.
Fabian appeared after him with the wounded Knight on his back, gently laying him on the second bed face down.
They needed to find a way to treat him... fast. Azel could hear the Knight's heartbeat growing weaker and weaker by the minute.
"There must be a healer nearby, Fabian," he said suddenly. "Find them and bring them here as quickly as possible."
"Right away," his aide replied, immediately stepping out of the room.
Then his gaze shifted to the young lady on his bed. Both of them were drenched, but taking off his clothes would be a simple matter.
But then, what of hers? He couldn't possibly leave her in this state for too long; he would need to assist her in taking off her wet clothes… at least the outer garments.
It would be best for him to get this over with before Fabian returned.
Azel's lips curled slightly. "I wonder... what conclusion will you jump to this time?"
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