With the greenish light seeping into the darkness, warmth flowed into my chest, spreading throughout my body. My ears could now catch sound, and the stiff fingers of mine could move freely. Slowly, my consciousness returned.
As I opened my eyes, the first thing I saw was the high, white ceiling of the room. A crystal chandelier hung elegantly in the center of the space. I found myself lying on a large canopy bed, with luxurious curtains draped around it. I turned my gaze around the room. I was not alone—there were two others. A woman, dressed as a servant, was preparing something in the corner of the room, while a man sat beside my bed, reading a book.
I then sat up and rubbed my eyes to clear my vision. Only then could I clearly see their faces. The man noticed me, his eyes lifting from the pages of his book.
"You're awake? How are you feeling?" he asked warmly, as warm as the gaze and embrace he had once given me. It was the effect of a genuine smile that soothed the heart and drove away unease.
I nodded slowly at the Elvian with the ponytail. "I'm better, but my body still hurts a bit."
Looking at my wounds, I realized that almost all of my external injuries had healed. Only the internal ones remained, especially the ones in my abdomen. That was where I had been kicked and beaten most cruelly. Thinking back on that time made me feel nauseous and horrified. Truly, I wanted to forget about it all, as though it had never happened.
"Here, drink this!" Suddenly, the woman in the corner offered me a glass of dark liquid with a pungent odor. As I hesitated, she seemed to anticipate my confusion and answered before I could ask, "It's a medicinal concoction to heal internal wounds."
I grimaced. There were pieces of grass and plant stems floating inside. The liquid had a strange smell, like rotting vegetables mixed with the stench of fish. I instinctively shrank back when the scent reached my nostrils. My gaze turned toward the Elvian with the ponytail, and he gave a small nod and a faint smile, almost as if trying to reassure me. I shouldn't trust someone I barely knew, but who else could I trust, if not the one who had saved me from that dark room?
Slowly but surely, I brought the glass to my lips. Once it touched my tongue, I drank it down quickly to avoid the odd taste lingering in my mouth. I almost vomited it back up, but the servant woman stopped me just in time.
"Don't spit it out!" she called out. I had no choice but to swallow the bile rising in my throat.
"Ugh... that tastes really strange. What's it made of?" I asked, still holding the empty glass in my hand with a disgusted expression.
"It's made from purple twigs and green vine fish. Very effective in healing internal wounds if taken daily."
"So I have to drink this every day?" I asked, looking at the glass as though it were a cursed object.
The woman nodded.
"You need to drink it to heal completely," said the Elvian with the ponytail, his voice gentle.
His gaze shifted to my hand, and he gently took hold of my fingers. They felt like flesh recently cut, and I recoiled in fear. It wasn't just me—he looked just as unsettled. His eyes were soft, filled with sympathy.
He then tilted his head up, and our gazes met. "You will be safe here. No one will harm you again. So don't be afraid! You will be cared for until you are completely healed."
"Thank you... umm..."
"Ah, forgive me for not introducing myself earlier. My name is Keylan-Zell, the third prince of the Elvian Western Kingdom. I'm also the highest commander of the Elvian Knights. And you, what is your name, Miss?" he asked, speaking with great politeness.
I was startled when I heard he was a prince. I decided to focus on his position for the moment. "My name is Anggi Widya Damayanti, as you probably know, I am Haier-Elvian." We shook hands as a form of introduction.
"Then, what brought you to this city? Surely you know this is Elvian territory, yes? The Haier-Elvian is a rare lineage, but not one accepted in Elvian lands."
"It's a long story," I answered briefly.
"Do tell! We have plenty of time for that."
======================
"So that's how it happened," murmured the Elvian with the ponytail—prince, Keylan. "You were accidentally carried here by a merchant's cargo. Well, a few days ago, this city had a transaction with Sigrotia Iuna Utara. But to end up in a barrel full of pickles... is that what caused your body to smell sour when I found you in that closet? How amusing!"
The man could not contain his laughter and chuckled repeatedly. He kept mentioning 'pickles' and 'barrel,' looking at me. For some reason, I felt a little annoyed. His figure reminded me of a friend who would laugh first whenever I had bad luck. Perhaps that was why I unconsciously punched his shoulder with what little strength I had left.
The atmosphere immediately fell silent. Keylan's laughter seemed to vanish into the air. Shock appeared on both his face and the servant's. It took me five seconds to realize that I had just punched a prince.
"Eh, um... I'm so sorry!" I immediately bowed my head. If my body could move freely, I would have knelt at his feet. "I truly apologize! You remind me of a friend who always mocks me. So, without thinking, I—"
Keylan stood up from his chair and placed his index finger on my lips, making my mouth close and fall into a deep silence. "It's alright. Don't worry, I'm not angry! And by the way, stop being so formal. For now, just forget my status as a prince. Understood?"
Even though my heart was a man's, his charming smile made me feel nervous. This man had a powerful weapon to melt the hearts of women. From the glint in his eyes, I was increasingly certain that he might be a bit of a playboy. With his finger still on my lips, I nodded slightly.
His smile widened at my response. He then turned to the servant. "Airi, could you help Anggi clean herself up? Also, give her some proper clothes. I need to prepare before we go out!"
"Wait! 'We'... do you mean you and I?"
Keylan nodded. "This is your first time in Elvian city, right? I'll show you around the city."
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