With Lily unconscious, Mikha let out a deep sigh, stood up, and carefully placed her on the clean side of the bed, covering her with the sheet. He mentally noted that he should bring her a change of clothes.
"What a hassle..." he muttered, noticing his robe, now stained with blood. While running and keeping an eye on Lily, he'd been too distracted to even consider his own appearance.
'No wonder the innkeeper looked at me like I was crazy,' Mikha thought, chuckling internally.
He walked to the door and checked on Lily one last time, confirming she was still unconscious. Then he headed to the innkeeper, asked for two sets of clean clothes, and returned to the room to take a bath.
A short while later, Mikha dried his face with a rough towel. He was a handsome young man, dressed like a farmer, with suspenders and clothes torn in a few places. Yet, even with the humble attire, there was an undeniable air of nobility about him.
Looking out the window, he noticed the sky was beginning to darken. Seeing how peacefully Lily was sleeping, Mikha decided to delay their journey until the next day.
',This rest will be good for a heart that has been through so much stress.'
Besides the fact that he couldn't bear the thought of sleeping on a blood-soaked bedspread, it was entirely inappropriate to sleep beside Lily. Resolving this, he lay down on the room's sofa to sleep.
…
As always, the rooster began its morning ritual.
The irritating noise made Mikha furrow his brows as he slowly opened his eyes. A yawn escaped him as he glanced to the side. On the bed, Lily seemed to be waking up as well.
With a soft sigh, he got up and walked toward her.
Lily's first sight upon waking was Mikha's expressionless face. Instinctively, she went on guard, only to become painfully aware of the dried blood covering her body and the bed. Beneath the sheets, she was... NAKED?!
Horrified, she froze.
What had this man done to her? And who was he, anyway?
Her wide-eyed, rabbit-like stare as she clutched the sheets nearly made Mikha burst into laughter, but he held back.
"Don't worry," he said flatly, "I'm not interested in a child's body."
He walked to the bedside table and picked up a bundle of clothes.
"Here, put this on."
Before Lily could ask any questions, Mikha left the room.
Her mind was racing. So many thoughts, so many possibilities — it was overwhelming.
Clutching her stomach, she tried to catch her breath, but as the adrenaline faded, an intense pain hit her.
While writhing, an image flashed in her mind.
A man with black stains on his face, ripping out her heart.
She had no context for it, no memory of when it happened, but the chills running down her spine and the sweat on her back told her it was real.
Panicking, she pulled back the sheet. Strangely, there was no scar, no wound, no physical trace of the trauma she'd just relived.
Why was she in so much pain?
Tears began to fall, unnoticed.
"Hic... hic…" Lily buried her face in her knees.
Why had no one explained anything to her
Her head was swimming with questions, yet none had answers.
Knock, knock.
"Have you finished getting dressed?"
Hearing his voice, Lily wiped her tears and took a deep breath. Maybe he could answer her questions. She dressed and called out a quiet "yes" to the door.
Mikha stepped inside. Lily, now dressed in a simple, gray patched dress, looked about 15 or 16 years old. Her attire bore signs of multiple repairs, clashing with her bright, fair skin.
Mikha, meanwhile, marveled at the power of the pocket watch. The device appeared ordinary, yet it had restored Lily's broken body. Considering how mutilated she had been, it felt surreal to see her so... intact.
Lily, weak and weary, broke the silence. "Why bother staring at a body you've already used? Hurting me wasn't enough?" Her voice cracked as she spoke, and she nearly collapsed from the mix of pain and sorrow.
Instinctively, Mikha wanted to help, but as he registered her words, he froze.
'She thinks I violated her?'
Mikha's face darkened. Even he had his principles.
Carefully, he stepped back from her and bowed in apology.
"I'm sorry if I gave you that impression. First, my name is Mikha. I brought you here to protect and care for you after you nearly died in the demon's self-destruction. The blood you saw on the bed was yours, from your injuries. As for your current state…" He hesitated, then continued, "I thought dressing you myself would be inappropriate."
Mikha wove a mix of truths and lies into his explanation, crafting a story that sounded convincing. His intentions were far from pure, but he had no issue following a chivalrous code when it served him.
Hearing so much at once, Lily sat down, dazed, trying to process it all. Her hand brushed something hard and sticky — the blood-soaked sheet. Startled, she jumped to her feet.
"Can we leave this room, please?" she asked, hesitant and slightly desperate.
Mikha found her reactions amusing. It seemed this journey wouldn't be boring after all.
"Besides, why am I still in so much pain?" Lily asked with a bitter expression. She had no visible wounds, so why was there a throbbing ache that seemed to be cutting through her body?
Mikha was taken aback. But soon, he attributed it to a side effect of the pocket watch. After all, no magical artifact could be omnipotent. This adverse reaction was already like a breath of fresh air.
"Don't worry, it's just a side effect of the method I used to heal you. Besides, we were about to leave anyway."
"Where to?"
"You'll find out."
…
The walk to the outskirts of the city, where Mikha's wyvern awaited, was strangely quiet. After teasing Lily for a while, Mikha shut himself off from questions.
Meanwhile, the somber, cloudy atmosphere of the city drew Lily's attention. It reminded her of her hometown.
Back when it still existed, before the war destroyed it.
She reasoned that the city's gloomy mood likely stemmed from the demon army's looming advance on the Empire's borders. Before long, every city in the small nation of Ellia would fall.
Snapping out of her thoughts, she realized Mikha had already completed the departure formalities. He grabbed her arm. "We're almost there."
"Hm." Lily nodded, feeling calmer after some time to think.
In the stable for large creatures, she saw Mikha's mount for the first time. The wyvern, white as light itself, stood around 7 meters tall even while resting. Its back was fitted with a saddle large enough for three riders.
"Whoa!" she exclaimed, wide-eyed with amazement.
Mikha smirked dismissively and motioned to the wyvern. The creature shifted, lowering a rope ladder from its saddle.
"Climb up."
They both boarded. As the wyvern took off, Lily clung desperately to Mikha's back, trembling with fear.
"You don't need to worry; I won't let you fall," he said, offering superficial comfort.
Lily stayed quiet, focusing instead on the questions that had been plaguing her. Finally, she spoke up: "Do you know where my parents are? Can you take me to them?"
Mikha frowned. Hadn't he already answered that?
No. Thinking back, everything about her was strange. When Lily woke up, it seemed like their first meeting. She showed no hostility — almost like she and the girl who had threatened to kill him were two entirely different people.
What was going on?
Was it all an act? Or did she genuinely not remember?
After some thought, Mikha attributed it to trauma from recent events. He considered giving her a probable answer but, for some reason, hesitated.
"…I don't know where they are."
Hearing this, Lily started piecing things together. He had said the demon who kidnapped her had self-destructed, gravely injuring her. But what about her parents?
Were they… still lying in that cave?
And how was she even alive?