“Kyle, check the sword.”

Aiden, who jumped over the fence and entered the arena, spoke to Kyle, who followed him into the fence.

Immediately, Kyle approached and took the sword from the apprentice knight.

Kyle looked at the sword in the sunlight and tore it apart. Soon, debris that he couldn’t see from a distance was stuck to it.

With a narrow-eyed look at the apprentice knight, Kyle replied,

“It’s not a sword, it’s iron. It just looked like that because they applied a coating on the surface.”

Aiden hugged Asralda and said loudly,

“Today’s match is over. And you.”

The apprentice knight, who had been standing with a relaxed expression throughout the match, seemed visibly bored as ever. He flinched at Aiden’s voice. Gamon, who had been watching the situation outside the fence, also swallowed hard.

Although he always had a calm expression, it was different from before. At least he had never shown hostility to the knights.

Aiden’s pupils were cold.

“Go back and wait for my instructions.”

***

Aiden quickly headed to the infirmary with Asralda.

“Why did the Commander come himself…?”

The doctor suddenly discovered Aiden, who came in holding a small apprentice knight, and was greatly surprised. Moreover, the person he brought in was a prisoner of Lucias, who was causing all sorts of issues within the knights these days.

“Check her condition quickly.”

Urgently laying Asralda on the bed, Aiden said anxiously.

“Oh, yes!”

The hesitant doctor quickly approached the bed. Then he removed her helmet. He was even trying to take off her armor when Aiden, who had been watching from the side, grabbed the doctor’s hand.

He asked sharply,

“What are you doing?”

The doctor stumbled over his words with a bewildered look on his face.

“Yes? You told me to check his condition…”

‘Are you trying to undress him.’

At that thought, the grip of Aiden’s hand, whether it was on her wrist tightened. Soon, he spoke in a low voice.

“For now, wait outside. Tell me where the medical supplies are.”
“…Yes?”

Then, as if pushing the doctor away, bang! Aiden sealed the door to the infirmary.

Aiden took out all the medical supplies from the infirmary cabinet and brought them to the bed.

Then he began to remove Asralda’s armor. As he undressed her, Asralda grimaced in pain several times.

After removing all her armor, Aiden’s large hand, which was reaching towards her worn-out top, trembled slightly.

Carefully removing the top, it revealed a tightly bandaged chest. Apart from that, there were dark red bruises scattered all over her white body.

Aiden’s face contorted upon seeing this sight. He had been the one who pushed her into the arena, but he didn’t want her to end up like this, beaten and battered.

He reached out and carefully lifted her upper body. At that moment, Asralda’s head lifelessly leaned onto his shoulder.

Because of that, Aiden froze for a moment. He forced himself to regain his composure. Then he gently pressed on her spine.

Fortunately, it seemed that no bones were broken.

However, there was blood spreading around her waist where the armor had been cut by a sword.

He laid Asralda back down and quickly started emergency treatment.

He applied ointment made of flowers, leaves, and oil to the wounded areas. Every time Aiden’s fingertips touched the wounds, Asralda let out a soft moan.

Even though he had mentally prepared himself, once the match started, it was difficult for him to watch properly.

Aiden’s face twisted uncontrollably as he looked down at Asralda lying in a mess.

Moreover, she was much thinner and paler than when he last saw her before her regression.

If she had just dropped the sword midway, it wouldn’t have come to this extent. He even resented Asralda for enduring so much.

After finishing the emergency treatment, Aiden dressed Asralda and gently laid her head on the pillow.

Moaning in pain, Asralda twisted her body as if she was having a torturous dream.

Anxiously watching this sight, Aiden cautiously held her small hand in his.

The feeling of being caught in her grasp was unfamiliar. He hardly had any memories of holding her hand like this. No, it was vague. Recently, he had only managed to hold her hand a few times when she was sleeping alone in her room.

And among them, now was the most fragile. It felt like it would break if he put even a little strength into it.

Aiden slowly pulled Asralda’s hand closer and pressed his lips against it.

“Asralda, please… just sleep by my side.”

His black pupils, which captured her sleeping face, were desperate.

“You don’t need to do anything.”

***

The doctor was waiting in front of the medical office and tensed up as he saw the door open.

When he rushed in with his eyes red with congestion, Aiden, who came out of the medical office, looked neat and cold as usual.

However, his collar was stained with blood as if to tell him where he had been.

Aiden glanced briefly at the doctor and said as he passed by him.

“Follow me to my office.”

The doctor looked puzzled as he watched Aiden walk away.

‘Did he say to follow him?’

And in that short time, he anxiously looked back to see if he had done something wrong. But nothing came to mind.

Aiden, who had been walking ahead, turned around and spoke sternly to the doctor.

“Didn’t you hear me say follow me?”
“Oh, yes! I’ll, I’ll go!”

The doctor, who was still unable to shake off his anxiety, followed Aiden’s backside in a hurry.

Aiden, who almost forcibly brought the doctor to his office, sat on the desk. Then he sat quietly for a long time and stared at the doctor’s face.

The doctor unknowingly swallowed his saliva. It was to the point where his throat tingled with the sharp tongue of a snake that scanned his face.

Aiden parted his lips.

“There’s something you need to do from now on.”
“Yes? What…?”
“When that trainee knight in the infirmary wakes up, she will ask you a few questions.”
“…Yes?”

The trainee knight? Is he talking about the prisoner of Lucias that he brought himself?

“You just have to answer his questions as I tell you to.”
“What kind of questions…?”
“It doesn’t matter what she asks you. What you need to remember is that if you reveal this story to anyone, your safety will be compromised.”
“Yes? She…?”

For a moment, the doctor doubted his ears. He wondered if he had misheard something.

‘He said ‘she’…?’

It didn’t take long for the doctor to understand his situation. He quickly realized that he should keep this information to himself, whether it’s an enemy prisoner or someone else.

“Do you understand what I’m saying?”

All he understood was that he had to keep this fact to himself. Whether it was an enemy prisoner or someone else, he had to keep his mouth shut to protect his credibility.

The doctor nodded quickly.

“Yes, yes! I understand.”

***

A new uniform brushed past her a few times through her blurry vision.

Unconsciously, she felt several affectionate and cautious touches.

She tried hard to see who was in front of her, but her eyes wouldn’t open.

Asralda fell asleep in a daze, and when she woke up, it was late evening.

As soon as she opened her eyes, she saw the white infirmary ceiling and the doctor who had been cleaning the messy infirmary until late at night.

“You finally woke up.”

The doctor, who was cleaning up the blood-stained sheets and ointment scattered all over the bed, raised his head and spoke.

Asralda had been staring at him in a daze, and suddenly regained her senses. She stepped back toward the head of the bed without realizing it and quickly checked her physical condition.

‘No way…’

Sure enough, the armor was neatly placed under the bed, and there was a sense of something tightly wrapped around her waist. Her heart sank for a moment, and she heard the doctor’s voice.

“It’s okay, I’ve seen everything.”
“…You’ve seen everything?”

He spoke to Asralda, who was so shocked that she couldn’t say anything.

“You’re lucky. You almost got caught by the commander and the lieutenant.”

His nonchalant attitude was disconcerting. Asralda stammered as she asked,

“…The lieutenant?”
“The temporary lieutenant who just arrived. The commander and the lieutenant brought you here.”
“Both of them brought me here?”

Finally, Asralda remembered the two faces that were in front of her just before she fainted. She clearly remembered Aiden and Kyle.

The doctor said,

“The commander carried you and brought you here. He went out to take care of some business and left immediately. The lieutenant stayed behind to check on your condition before leaving.”

“Then you treated me…”
“Of course I did.”

Asralda froze at his confirmation. The doctor spoke nonchalantly as if it was nothing.

“Well, I don’t know what kind of act you’re putting on, but don’t reveal this to anyone else.”
“!”

She couldn’t fully understand what he was saying right after waking up. She knew she was a woman, but he was just going to cover it up? If it was true, it was a very kind gesture, but it was hard for her to understand this unexpected kindness. There were many things that she didn’t understand.

Asralda looked at him suspiciously and asked:

“Why are you covering this up?”

The doctor’s hand, which was wiping the floor, stopped for a moment. He put his face down on the floor and thought for a moment. In fact, he had been sweating profusely from his back since earlier.

“Just make up your own reason. Don’t let anyone catch on.”

Soon enough, a voice came from behind him again.

“Do you…. have any other reasons?”