Chapter 9
It was impossible to put him on a horse and take him to the village right away. Fortunately, there was no further danger.
However, since he had lost a lot of blood and could lose consciousness at any moment — and they didn’t know when the next threat might appear — Valery had to check Malon’s wounds quickly and leave.
But Malon’s condition was far worse than expected.
“Your Highness… I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you. Cough! Please… go now. I just… need to rest a little…”
Malon struggled to speak before coughing up blood. His voice faded, and his eyes slowly closed. His breathing became shallower and shallower… and eventually stopped altogether.
Valery held Malon in his arms, overcome with shock.
“Malon, stay with me!”
“……”
Malon’s body was steadily growing cold and stiff.
Valery snapped back to his senses. His own body was getting colder, too.
“I’ll come back for you. I promise I’ll take you back.”
A fierce snowstorm began to blow once more.
He propped Malon up under the largest nearby tree and covered him with his own coat.
Then Valery walked, almost mindlessly.
Just as his consciousness began to fade, he saw a small house standing alone some distance from the village.
It was a modest house with no garden, sitting alone by the roadside. At first glance, it looked abandoned — but there was moisture on the windows. A sign someone was inside.
Valery dragged his bleeding, exhausted body to the front door. Leaning against it, he exhaled heavily…
And collapsed.
***
“…Wake up. If you don’t want to die.”
A delicate voice stirred him. Had he not heard it, he didn’t know what might’ve happened.
Through his blurry vision, he saw the silhouette of a woman. She was supporting his much larger frame with her small body.
Barely hanging onto consciousness, Valery followed her as best he could, trying not to burden her too much.
She led him into what appeared to be an old food storage shed. A strong fire must’ve been lit inside, because the warmth reached even the doorway.
After helping him lean against the wall, the woman disappeared.
He could hear clattering noises from inside, but he wasn’t even sure if they were real. Everything was hazy.
Valery pressed against his wound, feeling the blood continuing to seep out.
“If you do that, the wound will only open more.”
The voice came from above. She dropped a water container carelessly to the side.
“I’ll crush some herbs for you. Once I leave, clean the blood and apply it to your wounds. It’ll stop the bleeding, disinfect it, and lessen the pain. But you can’t stay here long. This isn’t a hospital.”
Her tone was cold as ice, jolting him awake.
“I… I’ll repay you. Somehow.”
“There’s no need. If you need more, I’ll leave it inside that door over there. Use it. A blizzard’s coming, and wild animals might appear, so you should leave at dawn.”
Her tone was firm and cynical, but she had definitely saved him. He didn’t even know her name.
“Here. Apply it.”
Valery took the small bowl she handed him and bowed his head.
A strong herbal scent hit his nose. He nodded. After she disappeared again, he haphazardly grabbed the crushed herbs and smeared them onto his wound.
His clothes were soaked with blood, and his body was numb from the cold. He couldn’t move properly. Half the herbs spilled, and the rest got smeared onto his clothes.
As the herbs absorbed into his skin, the pain gradually dulled. Feeling a bit more at ease, Valery drifted back into unconsciousness.
But soon, sensing someone’s presence, he instinctively reached out — and grabbed the slender arm of the woman who had saved him.
“…I thought you were dead.”
The moment Valery saw her face, he lost his words. He thought the red he saw earlier was his own blood, but it was her eyes.
Deep pigeon-blood red eyes stared right at him. Her pale eyelashes blinked slowly, each movement etched into his mind. Just that one gaze made Valery’s heart skip a beat.
Her gently sloped nose softened her otherwise sharp features.
Valery snapped out of it.
“I apologize if I startled you. The pain had eased after applying the herbs, and I must have dozed off.”
“So it seems. I’ll leave more water here. Use it if you need to. I’m going after I finish boiling the tea.”
Pain flared again in his side. He pressed down hard, feeling something unpleasant leaking.
“You didn’t treat that area?”
Valery looked down at his side, then gave a sheepish smile.
“I was in such a daze applying the herbs, I forgot about the wound there.”
She crouched down in front of him.
“Let me see it.”
Valery hesitated, startled.
“…It might be unpleasant.”
“Just show me. I need to see it.”
“It’ll look awful…”
He hesitated for a long time before finally revealing the wound.
“You really walked all the way here like this?”
“There was no one else nearby. Only… here.”
“This place isn’t fit for people to live. Take off your shirt and wait.”
If Malon had held on just a little longer, he might have received treatment too. That thought suddenly tightened Valery’s chest.
“Lift your shirt up a bit more.”
***
“Ugh…”
Just as she warned, the medicine brought immense pain.
It felt like his knife wound was being carved open all over again.
Valery grimaced, letting out a low groan.
“It’s… not too bad. I can handle it.”
His pride stung, so he added the words. He saw her let out a faint chuckle.
“You know how to wrap a bandage?”
“…Yes.”
But his hands wouldn’t move properly. He felt utterly useless.
“…Give it here.”
“I’m sorry… again.”
“Just take off your shirt. I need to wrap it.”
Valery hesitated. He’d never undressed in front of a woman before — not even while injured. It felt improper.
But her insistence made him reluctantly remove his shirt.
“Can you lift your arm?”
“…Yes.”
He obediently followed. As she moved closer, he caught a whiff of her scent.
Valery held his breath, enduring with sheer willpower.
“It’ll be over soon.”
She not only helped bandage him, but even gave him food. He could feel his body recovering from the brink of death.
“May I… ask your name? I’d like to at least know the name of the person who helped me. You can call me Valery. I promise to repay you.”
“There’s no need to know my name. I just helped you. When morning comes, leave this place. And once you’re out… forget it ever existed. Just don’t die.”
Her reply was sharp and dismissive.
He had planned to leave at dawn to retrieve Malon anyway — but her words left a bitter aftertaste.
Was he still not thinking clearly?
“Don’t come looking for me to thank me. Forget this place like you were never here. But if you must remember something, just remember this — I saved your life. That’s it. Forget everything else. Got it?”
“……”
“I’ll leave another pouch of herbs here. Take it with the blanket if you need. It’ll serve well as a temporary coat.”
With that, she vanished from sight.
After resting a little longer, Valery took the herbs and blanket and stepped outside.
He immediately headed back to where Malon lay sleeping.
