Chapter 15 - Sister Irene's Curiosity
When Roy woke up again, it was already nighttime.
He found himself lying on a soft bed.
The first thing he saw upon opening his eyes was the white canopy above him.
The room had a distinct medieval style, and from the faint scent in the air, he could tell it was a woman's quarters.
Roy tried to rub the back of his head, which still felt a little heavy, but as he stretched out his hand, he noticed his right arm was wrapped in white gauze.
Spots of red were faintly visible through the fabric—blood seeping from the wound beneath, accompanied by a faint stinging pain.
Taking a deep breath, Roy half-sat up in the bed, his gaze sweeping across the room.
He noticed Sister Irene, who had seemingly fallen asleep, resting her cheek against her hands while sitting by his bed.
Before Roy could say a word, his movement stirred Sister Irene from her slumber.
She rubbed her eyes groggily, but when she saw Roy awake and sitting up, her drowsy expression immediately brightened.
A joyful smile spread across her face.
"Mr. Roy! You're awake!" she exclaimed.
"How are you feeling? Is everything alright?"
Roy smiled reassuringly at her concern. "I'm fine, Sister Irene. I don't feel any discomfort."
"But… what's the situation now?"
Hearing his this, Sister Irene became serious, and she began to explain.
After the intense confrontation with Valak, Roy had collapsed.
Sister Irene had managed to drag him back to the monastery from the chamber by herself.
During this, she also discovered Father Burke, gravely injured and unconscious, inside the monastery's.
He had a dagger embedded deep in his abdomen, and blood was pooling beneath him.
With no other choice, Sister Irene had shouldered the responsibility of caring for them both.
She brought Roy to a nun's room and bandaged his wounds using her limited first-aid training from the Vatican.
However, Father Burke's condition was more critical.
Although she was able to temporarily staunch the bleeding, she couldn't do much else.
She had placed him in the adjacent room to rest, hoping that once Frenchie arrived at the monastery the next day, they could transport him to the nearby village for proper medical care.
Exhausted from everything, Sister Irene had unknowingly fallen asleep by Roy's bedside.
Listening to her account, Roy's expression softened with gratitude.
He reached out and gently ruffled Sister Irene's hair. "Thank you for taking care of us, Sister Irene."
Caught off guard by the affectionate gesture, Sister Irene froze, her face flushed.
She quickly lowered her head, mumbling shyly, "It's nothing. I only did what I should."
"In fact, we owe you our thanks, Mr. Roy. Without you, Father Burke and I… we might not have made it."
Her voice wavered as she recalled the terrifying events.
If not for Roy's intervention, she was certain that Valak would have escaped the seal and unleashed carnage upon the surrounding villages.
The thought alone made her shiver. But fortunately, Roy had been there.
As Sister Irene's thoughts lingered on Roy's care and bravery, her cheeks grew even rosier.
Roy shifted the topic. "How is Father Burke doing now?"
"I've managed to stop the bleeding," she replied. "If Mr. Frenchie can get us to the village tomorrow, a doctor should be able to treat him properly."
"That's a relief," Roy said with a nod.
Suddenly, Sister Irene hesitated before speaking again. "By the way, Mr. Roy… your original clothes were too damaged to wear."
"I had to… change you into a robe I found here. I hope you don't mind," she said, her voice tinged with embarrassment.
Roy blinked, then quickly looked down.
He realized his torn clothes had indeed been replaced with a loose robe.
Most unsettling of all, there was… nothing underneath.
"You mean you saw…" Roy trailed off, his expression incredulous.
Sister Irene's face turned crimson. "I'm sorry, Mr. Roy! I had no choice!"
She stammered. "I didn't mean to… but… it was necessary."
Memories of the incident seemed to overwhelm her.
Her breath quickened as she recalled how curiosity had led her to observe more than she should have.
"I'll leave now since you're awake," she added hastily, standing up and turning toward the door.
But before she could take a step, Roy's warm hand clasped hers, sending a jolt through her body.
She froze, her voice trembling. "M-Mr. Roy, is there something else you need?"
Without a word, Roy pulled her gently but firmly into an embrace.
Startled, Sister Irene found herself looking into his face, mere inches away.
Her lips parted to speak, but Roy silenced her with a finger pressed lightly against them.
"In that case, Sister Irene," His voice filled with warmth.
"Would it be too much to ask for a little interest in return?"