Otscharsan's gaze appears curious as he speaks next. "I have just one more question." My gaze remains on him, waiting for him to continue. "Do you have any idea who might have attacked you?" he asks. "You haven't been here long, so I can't imagine you've made enemies in such a short time."
My expression turns fearful and troubled. I actually want to discuss this with Gasard, even though I'm not entirely sure. But he has a point. Who else would have an interest in getting rid of me? I've been here too short a time. Besides, Kyle's behavior when the prisoners attacked me was unmistakable.
"I have a suspicion," I answer after a brief hesitation. But what more could possibly happen to me? The two warriors are guarding my door, and Otscharsan will surely protect me. It's better for everything to end now.
"A few days ago, I noticed something." I pause briefly, trying to suppress the pain, though it's difficult. The blond man next to me still looks curious but goes to get me a glass of water. He takes a glass from the cupboard as I continue. "I saw Tosa with one of the guards." At the sound of her name, Otscharsan pauses, which surprises me at first, but I go on. "He gave her a green pendant, and a day after the poison attack, the pendant was colorless. Plus, her behavior was odd when I noticed it. It seemed like she had something to hide."
"You think Tosa had something to do with it?" Otscharsan turns to me, looking confused and incredulous. His reaction unsettles and confuses me, which is evident in my tone. "Only the poison attack," I answer him. His expression turns to anger, and his hand holding the glass trembles with rage. "That guard must have also informed the prisoners about my bracelet." Under Otscharsan's gaze, my voice grows small and less accusatory.
What has gotten into him all of a sudden?
"That's nonsense!" Otscharsan snaps at me so angrily that he scares me. He holds the glass too tightly, and it shatters into a thousand pieces under his grip. "Tosa would never do such a thing! You probably just didn't pay attention, you foolish girl, and showed the bracelet to someone."
His reaction confuses me. What is wrong with him? Until now, he had been so kind and genuinely concerned. Now he looks like he wants to strangle me. Something else worries me. From his fist, clenched in anger, a small red rivulet runs along his fingers. Reddish drops fall onto the shards scattered on the floor.
"Only two people know about it, and they would never..." He doesn't let me finish.
"And how can you be so sure?" he snaps at me. "Down there, no one would hesitate to sell someone out. Why are you so sure it wasn't one of them?"
Anger rises within me. "I'm just as sure as you are that Tosa had nothing to do with it!" I retort. My face contorts with pain, my hands fly to my throat. Damn! I should postpone arguing to a day when my throat doesn't burn like fire with every word.
"You have so many solid pieces of evidence for that!" Otscharsan snorts. He still looks angry but has calmed down significantly. His gaze shifts to his hand, from which he pulls out some larger shards. "Tosa is a sweet girl; no one will believe such accusations without proper evidence."
"That's why I wanted to talk to Gasard about it as soon as possible."
"You will not!" Otscharsan's look makes me flinch, first from shock, then from pain. My hand automatically goes to my aching ribs. When I look at him again, his expression is full of panic. What is wrong now? Why is he acting like this? But after a while, he calms down again.
"Sorry," he says remorsefully. He looks down, troubled. After a moment, he looks back at me, almost pleading. "Please don't tell anyone about your suspicion." He comes to my bed and sinks into the chair with a sigh. "Tosa is my half-sister, so I just can't believe such words." As he says this, his gaze is on his bleeding palm. He opens a compartment with bandaging materials using the control panel and starts tending to his hand.
I watch him curiously. The fact that Tosa is his sister confuses me, but now I understand him. Still, I'm so sure she's involved. "I want to talk to her first."
I nod in resignation. He's right. After all, Otscharsan is even friends with Torsos, so I really need better evidence than my observation. But I don't get to say okay.
"What's going on?" a female voice reaches my ears as soon as the door opens. "Why am I being denied access everywhere?" She walks ahead of her companion and stops him by standing in front of him. She looks at him angrily. "I wanted to train the recruits today and found out I don't have authorization for the area."
"You wanted to train the recruits?" Gasard raises an eyebrow and looks at her incredulously, to which her angry look turns into a light threat, seemingly guessing what he wants to say. She nods. "What you mean is tormenting." Unimpressed by her, he simply pushes her aside and steps in.
I've already noticed that the two don't have a very warm relationship. The question of why still lingers in my mind. While I watch them in confusion, Otscharsan just grins at her. Gasard stops at my bed. A smile spreads across his face as he looks at me. "Are you feeling better?"
I nod, but Otscharsan answers for me. He briefly updates the redhead. "Poor Janine." Kaia also comes to my bed, looking concerned. When she reaches me, she pats my head gently. "If that stupid Gasard hadn't restricted my access so much, I would visit you more often." At her last sentence, she gives Gasard a hostile glance. For people of the same race, they really don't seem to like each other.
"It's for protection!" Gasard explains. Kaia's gaze is filled with anger, while I perk up. "Protection for the crew from you."
"Just thinking about the chaos Kaia caused the last time Torsos was away for so long," Otscharsan interjects, earning a furious look from the small redhead. In the end, she just pouts and looks at the ground.
"And as for Janine," Gasard says, looking sternly at Kaia, whose gaze now briefly flickers to him with a spark of hope. "You can't see her without accompaniment. She's injured and needs rest. Something you're not capable of!"
"I'm calm!" Kaia exclaims energetically.
"I can hear that!" Gasard snorts.
"That stupid Gasard!" Kaia mutters quietly. She makes another chair appear on the other side of my bed and sits down on it stubbornly. "He'll get what's coming to him!"
A remark that makes Gasard briefly raise his eyebrows before shaking his head. I, on the other hand, have to giggle slightly, even though it ends with my throat and ribs hurting. Gasard turns to me. "I'm here because I want to ask you something." He doesn't need to continue; I already know what he wants to know. My gaze shifts to Otscharsan. "Do you know who attacked you?"
The blond man's look pleads silently. I have a feeling I will regret it, but I grant his wish. I give him the chance to talk to his sister. Even though I don't believe she's innocent in all this, his words have sown a slight doubt in me. Besides, it's doubtful that my suspicion will be pursued anyway. So my answer is a shake of the head, which seems like a disappointment to Kaia and Gasard, but a relief to Otscharsan.
"Don't worry, Janine, we'll find out who attacked you," Gasard says. "Until then, the two warriors will protect you. And when you're better, there will surely be a room available for you."