A

eyes to a wh

ngering in the air told me immediately that I was in a clinic. I pushe

gainst my back befor

need the bathroom?"

mile that somehow made my chest ache more. Her hand moved

red a

ror, my eyes bu

u

s cr

couldn't remember the last time som

than M

s. She quickly pulled out a handkerc

rd about what happened to you. You fought h

d whatever little

rs came

is rejection, the humiliation of having my blood drained to nourish his

ll, patiently comforting me until my so

ce with her handkerchief a

y name i

ed my head, almo

ack. One of our patrol guards found you unconscious not far from t

y went

Fang

ful enough to rival

er enemies, constantly clashing despite th

no

lplessly insid

around the white shee

h

not just as an ordinary member, but as its former Lu

awled down

looded my mind. If they learned my identity, I had no

n a barga

wor

st so fiercely that I considered ripping t

ed under my breath, my b

to l

ne found ou

somehow re

something sharp twist pa

e bed, only for dizziness to slam into me almost instantly. My

died me before I could fall

standing yet," s

lost too

o," I whispe

owned. "G

re but

ple didn't k

tteo couldn

," I said weakly,

or a moment, as though she could sen

expressio

carefully. "But you're in no condition to trave

oat ti

n you recover a little more, we'll arrange for someone to escort you

nearly

a

Red Moo

h me so suddenly th

scaped me louder

inked in

fingers twisting tightly into the

led. "I-I don't want to ca

Darlah simpl

nderstanding, as though she sensed

he said gently. "Nobody is going to

y loosened the tigh

her. Instead, she glanced toward

dded gently, "you ne

at her in

ere covered in mud and blood when they brought you in. I managed to wipe most of it away

y, my fingers brush

ug

must look

ontinued warmly. "You should take a proper bath and c

e when I noticed the faint h

admitted softly, "but I didn't want

caught me

I could only

afraid she would see the emoti

.." I whisp

nt, as though she understood fa

thank me for basi

set of clean clothes and directing me t

d me, I stared at my reflectio

ed ter

at heavily beneath my eyes. Dried mud clung stubbornly to par

I simply stood

ly began wa

I had been through. I scrubbed carefully at the dried mud stuck to my arms an

heeks took the l

, the water beneath me

ose cream sweater and soft dark trousers that were sli

't in the r

y damp hair with my fingers. Without realizing it, I pushed the slee

suddenl

d, you'

opped mid

oked

y, staring at me so intensely th

n slowly drai

gh she had jus

d halfway thr

ng wrong?" I a

't answer i

were fi

not my

a

sweater sleeve had rolled back looked like black ink spilled acr

g the tray trem

ter rattled aga

she whispe

look fille

oc

bel

dangerously

, I pulled my

on made my puls

ked again, more ca

till look

ced the tray down carefully on the bedside tabl

topped to steady herself. "Whe

ed in c

t i

sharpened

That

n at my wrist beneat

member. It wasn't large or particularly noti

," I answered carefull

s left my mouth, Da

widened

hispered almo

siness

ting like this o

ed closer to me, her

had turned oddly frag

ty-th

our pa

on hit lik

I answered quietly. "

t complete

me, almost as though pieces of a puzzle we

ry unexp

rd my face with

ed autom

reality. She immediately withdrew her

d softly. "I didn't

s fright

ly fri