Chapter 18. After the Treatment

“Why?”

Ain asked, looking almost on the verge of tears. Serenia responded, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

“You need to apply medicine and do a compress.”

“Eh? For such a minor injury…?”

Serenia’s eyes widened in disbelief.

“Minor? A wound from a thorn could lead to sepsis if you’re not careful! You’ve been beaten so hard that blood’s coming out of your back, and you’re calling it ‘nothing’?”

Ain pressed his lips tightly together, feeling embarrassed.

“You can’t neglect your body like that! Especially since you rely on it to make a living!”

After scolding him, Serenia hesitated, then added in a quieter, more embarrassed tone,

“I know you said it’s a holiday today, but starting tomorrow, you’ll have to go back to the shop, right?”

“…The shop?”

“Cough. Well, if you can’t move properly after having customers, that would be a problem.”

“…Eh?”

Ain realized with horror that she had misunderstood terribly.

“That’s not what I meant! I don’t do those kinds of things!”

He quickly shook his hands in denial, his face pale.

Trying to reassure him, Serenia smiled kindly, with an almost compassionate expression.

“It’s okay. You don’t have to explain.”

“Eh?”

“Well, honestly, at first, just thinking about it made me sick, but now, I’m just okay with it.”

“Eh?!”

“Well, some people live like that, and some people live like this, right? I understand.”

Ain, unable to stop himself, grabbed the back of his neck in frustration.

“Ah, and don’t worry. I’m not going to report you for illegal prostitution.”

Illegal prostitution!

Ain’s eyes widened in disbelief at the misunderstanding. Serenia, completely oblivious to his shock, thought he was just surprised by her unexpected kindness and shrugged her shoulders, adding,

“If you end up in prison, I’ll be in trouble too.”

“So, that’s not what I meant…”

“Look, it’s fine. I’m not in a position to judge someone for doing things like that, getting paid for it!”

“…”

The atmosphere suddenly grew tense.

Feeling like a bucket of cold water had been poured over him, Ain could hardly bear the silence, and Serenia awkwardly changed the subject.

“Ahem. Anyway! If my involvement in your work causes trouble, I’ll be in serious debt, so no more talking. Just lie down!”

“But that’s not…! Seriously, ha…”

Without being able to give a proper explanation, Ain could only mutter the same thing over and over. Serenia looked at him with a somewhat sad expression.

She looked at him with those eyes, and while Ain felt even more wronged, all he could do was obediently lie down on the sofa.

Meanwhile, Serenia, having mixed the gold ointment he had given her, applied it carefully to his back, then hurriedly prepared an ice pack.

She rummaged through the house, found a leather pouch for the compress, and went outside to fill it with snow.

Once the cold compress was ready, Serenia gently placed it on the injured area, and slowly, warmth began to spread over the area.

Ain’s handsome brow furrowed slightly as the cold and heavy compress pressed down on the wound.

It was likely a sharp, tingling sensation would run through his spine.

But even in that situation, he stubbornly kept silent.

Seeing him hold back any sound of discomfort, Serenia clicked her tongue softly.

‘It’s not a crime to be in pain. Why is he holding it in so much?’

Feeling a little sorry for him, she looked him over carefully, who was still lying on the old sofa.

Perhaps because the sofa was small, he looked rather uncomfortable, awkwardly lying there.

His long legs barely fit on the sofa, and one of his shoulders was hanging out of the cushion.

Seeing him like that, Serenia hesitated before asking carefully,

“Would you prefer to go to the bed?”

Ain understood immediately.

He knew she didn’t mean it in that way.

But the situation was so awkward.

They were the only two in the house, and he was only half-dressed.

So, it was inevitable that such thoughts would cross his mind.

His face slowly, but surely, turned red.

Seeing his neck turn bright red, Serenia finally realized that her words might have been misunderstood.

Flustered, she raised her voice.

“W-What are you thinking?”

“It’s not like that…”

“Even if that’s the kind of work you do, do you think I’m just thinking about that?!”

Ain was so frustrated, he almost wanted to confess everything right then and there, even abandoning waiting until the play was over.

He struggled with whether to speak or not, his lips just trembling without words.

Serenia, looking at him with near disdain, scolded him again.

“What do you take me for? Do you think I’m some shameless person who would do something like that to someone who’s hurt?”

“I didn’t mean it like that…”

“Honestly. Unbelievable.”

Serenia, her face flushed with embarrassment, kept fanning herself as she muttered.

Ain recalled the old saying: ‘It’s easier to give up.’

“…Yes. I’m sorry. I was wrong.”

“Hmph. Well, as long as you understand.”

“Yes.”

“Now, get up.”

“Yes. …Yes?”

“Why? Can’t you get up? Do you want me to carry you?”

At her words, Ain gave her a rare serious look and answered.

“No, I’ll be fine. I’ll walk myself.”

However, there was something Ain overlooked.

The fact that there wouldn’t be an extra bed in the Barishart Estate, let alone a proper sofa.

“…”

Ain, with the ice pack still on his back, lay down on Serenia’s bed, assuming an immobile position.

He looked completely drained, as if his soul had left his body.

Regardless of his state, Serenia quietly continued with what she needed to do.

She moved the fireplace closer to him to make sure he wouldn’t get cold, and when the ice pack began to warm up, she replaced the ice with fresh snow.

She then emptied the basin filled with melted water and repeatedly checked the injury, examining it with a sharp gaze to assess any changes.

Her movements were so smooth and proficient, it was almost as if she had been trained to be a nurse, and Ain, unable to resist his curiosity, asked lightly,

“Did you receive any training in this kind of care?”

Serenia, as she placed a fresh ice pack on his back, responded,

“Not exactly.”

“Then…?”

At his question, Serenia shrugged nonchalantly.

“Usually, after five years of caregiving, you just get good at it on your own.”

Ain immediately realized he had brought up a sensitive topic.

He had forgotten that Serenia’s father, Carlos Barishart, had been bedridden for eight years.

Ain shut his eyes tightly and muttered in a low voice,

“…I’m sorry.”

“Hm? Oh, it’s not something you need to apologize for.”

Serenia brushed it off casually and continued,

“Anyway, it’s a bit unexpected.”

“…Unexpected?”

“I thought you were going to ask something else.”

“Eh? Like what…?”

“For example, how did you subdue those thugs by the river?”

“Ah.”

“Let me answer that for you before you ask—yes, I was trained for that.”

Carlos Barishart had raised his only daughter, Serenia, to be strong in many ways.

He had taught her that a person must be able to take responsibility for themselves.

As a result, Serenia had done most of the household chores herself from a very young age.

She cleaned, did laundry, cooked, and even grew vegetables and grains in the backyard garden of the estate.

But that wasn’t all. Carlos had also taught Serenia various martial arts and swordsmanship, insisting that she needed to be able to defend herself.

Thanks to this early training, Serenia had been able to survive even after the family’s fortune crumbled.

‘…If someone heard this, they’d think my father had some kind of foresight.’

She chuckled quietly and shook her head.

Foresight? That wasn’t possible.

If he had any foresight, he wouldn’t have collapsed in that way eight years ago.

One morning, her father had been found on his blood-soaked bed, lying unconscious in a pool of crimson.

‘If he knew it would happen and didn’t tell me, that would be truly cruel.’

Serenia tried to forget the vivid image in her mind, forcing herself to change the subject.

“So, next time, don’t push yourself like that. I can take care of myself, so don’t worry about it.”

Ain remained silent for a moment.

Serenia, with a slight frown, checked on him and asked grumpily,

“Are you seriously sleeping now?”

Hearing the reproach in her tone, Ain finally spoke, opening his mouth after keeping it shut for so long.

“That wouldn’t be appropriate.”

“Eh?”

Serenia raised an eyebrow and repeated the question. Ain, still lying on his stomach, propped his chin up and smiled at her.

“It’s not proper for a gentleman to leave a lady in distress and do nothing.”

“…Ah.”

“Well, you’ve really got your eye on that six million krovats, huh? Can’t let my guard down around you.”

Seeing him joke around like that, Serenia chuckled softly.

“Seems like you’re doing okay after all.”

“What do you mean? I’ve told you, I’m really fine! This injury is nothing. So stop worrying…”

As he was naturally rambling, Serenia interjected,

“Ah. Speaking of which.”

“Get up? …What?”

“Where exactly did you receive your training?”