Chapter 13: Kind and Cruel
No way. I didn’t realize it was this bad. What have I done? Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
“What’s going on?”
Sigren, who had been drinking water, quickly set the glass down and looked at me in surprise. I rushed over to his bed and grabbed his collar tightly.
“What—what?!” Sigren tried to pull away, but I held on.
“I’m sorry! I just need to remove your clothes for a moment!”
“What?! What are you talking about?”
Before Sigren could fully understand the situation, I pushed him back onto the bed. Since he was embarrassed, he fell back easily. I climbed gently on top of him to avoid putting pressure on his injured abdomen. I carefully pulled up his shirt and apologized again.
“Please, excuse me!”
“Don’t do it if you know it’s bad manners,” Sigren protested.
If Sigren were more determined and energized, I would never win this struggle. Fortunately, he was only blushing and resisting slightly.
“Wait a moment.”
“This isn’t just a matter of ‘a moment.’ HEY! Don’t put your hand on my stomach!” Sigren’s face turned even redder as I moved my hands. His reaction made me feel like a villain hurting an innocent child.
Sorry, but I don’t have any ill intentions.
“You, really!”
Despite his resistance, he held his clothes in his hands. I knew I shouldn’t have done this, but I had no other way to check his condition. I placed my fingers gently above his wound, avoiding his injured abdomen. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com. The skin wasn’t as smooth as it should have been; it felt lumpy and scarred. As I realized what this meant, my face turned pale as I lifted Sigren’s shirt further.
“…..!”
At the shocking sight that opened right in front of me, my body became stiff at the moment. I didn’t mean to freeze up, but the fact that I had was painfully clear.
Then Sigren shouted loudly. “I told you to stop!”
I felt a strong force pushing my shoulders. My body helplessly fell off the bed.
“Ah!”
Sigren, now looking perplexed, alternated between looking at his hands and at me sitting on the floor. “What .. you’re like a feather. Why are you being pushed so easily –”
At that moment, tears began to fall from my eyes. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
Seeing this, Sigren quickly got off the bed and sat next to me. “Hey… did you get hurt from falling?”
I shook my head silently. The floor was carpeted, so I wasn’t hurt. But Sigren gently stroked my head, trying to comfort me.
“No, don’t cry. Talk to me. Where does it hurt? Your shoulders? Your legs? No, this isn’t right. I’ll call the physician.” Sigren stood up to summon the physician, but before he could leave, I grabbed his shirt. His gaze was uncomfortable as he looked down at me, and he became more restless as I cried.
I spoke softly to reassure him, “I’m not injured…”
I couldn’t finish my sentence. Then, I thought about the wounds on Sigren’s body. Scars and deep bruises marred his chest, arms, and sides. These weren’t just ordinary injuries; they were evidence of deliberate burns and repeated violence. The wounds showed malice inflicted over many years.
“Sigren.”
“Uh?”
“Who did this to you?”
Sigren’s face hardened at my question. “Did you hear something from the physician? Did you undress me just to check?”
I nodded slightly. “Uh-huh.”
Sigren roughly ruffled his hair. “What? You’re crying because of this? I told you to stay out while I changed my bandage. Now you’re crying on your own?”
I reached out and hugged him. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
“…..”
Sigren’s body stiffened at my sudden embrace. His black hair brushed against my cheek, and he smelled of disinfectant. I felt even more sorry for him. It was my fault he had suffered so much for so long. It was all because of a simple sentence about his unfortunate childhood. I had never imagined it would be so vivid. The gap between mere words and the reality in front of me was immense. I was terrified seeing the results of that sentence, much like when I saw Fiona’s situation firsthand.
I whispered in his ear, “Why did this happen?”
Sigren replied bluntly, “It’s no big deal. Many mercenaries are tough, and I’m the youngest and weakest, so I’m the target.”
Sigren pulled away from me. I relaxed my arms and met his gaze.
“Sigren, don’t say it’s no big deal.”
“Are you pitying me?”
I slowly shook my head. This wasn’t pity; it was guilt. It’s true I had experienced the battlefield’s cruelty firsthand. Yet, his world seemed so distant from my own. Seeing his wounds hit me hard. I trembled at the cruelty of the world I had created, a world beyond my imagination.
Sigren was still young and had endured so much, while I had experienced love and protection in my past life. It was my fault he had suffered from long-term violence in such an environment. He had these injuries, and I was complaining about how hard it was to get along with him. I felt ashamed of myself. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com. Even if Sigren hated me in the future, I needed to do my best to be supportive. It would be the best apology I could give for all his unhealable scars.
“Sigren, I’m sorry.”
Sigren laughed at my sudden change in attitude. “You’re apologizing for undressing me?”
“It’s not like that.”
The tears I thought had stopped began to fall again. Sigren wiped them away with his sleeve, clicking his tongue lightly. “Don’t cry. It’s not even your fault. Why are you crying?”
His touch as he wiped away my tears was very gentle. As expected, he was a kind kid.
“Sigren.”
“What now?”
I gently held Sigren’s face with my hands. His blue-grey eyes widened in surprise.
I whispered, almost like a spell, “I won’t hurt you.”
“…..”
Sigren’s wounded heart might not heal until the heroine appears, but until then, I would protect him. I didn’t want him to be wary of me anymore. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
With that small wish in mind, I smiled shyly. “So let’s be friends.”
Sigren’s eyes widened as he finally came to his senses. He then murmured, avoiding my gaze, “You’re crying and now you’re laughing… you’re just doing whatever you want.”
His face didn’t show hatred towards what I said, so I decided to hold on to that hope.
Yes, we should be good friends. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
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