Chapter 17. After the Treatment

The members of the Galut family, who had realized what was happening a moment too late, began to chase after him.

However, the distance between Ain and them continued to grow wider instead of shrinking.

Serenia, still being held by him, stared in surprise at his incredible speed.

Reading her gaze, Ain briefly replied,

“I’m pretty fast on my feet.”

“This… This doesn’t seem like just fast, though.”

“Well, let’s say I’m a bit faster than usual.”

He said this lightly and then jumped onto the nearest bridge with ease.

The Galut family members, frustrated by the widening gap, started throwing anything they could find in desperation.

Rocks lying by the riverbank, chunks of wood, empty cans—everything was thrown haphazardly.

Most of it didn’t even come close to Ain and fell to the ground.

However, one piece of metal was different.

It looked like part of a carriage, shaped like a “G,” flat with sharp ends.

It spun rapidly through the air, slicing the air and struck Ain squarely in the middle of his back.

“…!”

Ain’s expression didn’t change, but Serenia, feeling the impact through the vibrations from their contact, realized that he had been hit pretty hard.

He ignored her gaze as she looked up at him, crossing the Pfenn River and heading north, crossing the bridge that was said to be the most beautiful in the area.

The men chasing Ain stopped at the end of the bridge, cursing as they watched his figure disappear in the distance.

The Galut family couldn’t cross to the north side of the river.

While they ruled over Pledis District 1 like kings, they could never set foot in the aristocratic district of Ildivah.

That was a condition the Galut family’s boss had promised to the royal family and nobles long ago.

Thanks to that, Ain and Serenia were able to escape safely.

But in their rush to flee, they had completely forgotten about something.

The photographer, who had been hiding in the distant bushes, had still not managed to escape.

* * *

Ain didn’t slow down even after losing the Galut family members.

He ran as if flying, reaching the Barishart Estate before the sun even rose.

Contrary to his worries, there wasn’t a soul in sight in front of the estate—not even a reporter or an ant.

He gently set Serenia down on the ground and spoke.

“I’m really sorry about today. It was my mistake for not being prepared in advance.”

“Ugh… that… that’s…”

“I’ll make sure to reschedule or adjust any appointments we couldn’t attend to today.”

“…Ah. Yes.”

“For the time being, it would be best if you stayed inside the estate and refrained from going out.”

“Okay… yes. I’ll try.”

“Then I’ll contact you again once your safety has been confirmed.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Serenia grabbed him firmly before he could leave.

“Wait. Where are you going now?”

“…Yes?”

“You got hurt earlier!”

“Th-that…”

Seeing his hesitation, Serenia glared at him and sighed, pulling him toward the entrance.

“Come inside.”

“Yes?! Wait a second…”

“Quickly!”

Without waiting for him to protest, Serenia pulled him inside the gate.

By the time they had crossed the estate yard and reached the front door, Ain, now pale, tried to stop her.

“You can’t do this! If a man with no servants comes in and out of the estate so openly, it’ll cause bad rumors about you, Milady…”

Serenia gave him a completely exasperated look and replied,

“Is that really what you’re worried about, when you took me into a hotel in broad daylight?”

“Well, at that time, I was in disguise…”

“Ah, forget it!”

She cut off his explanation and immediately threw open the front door.

“Stop talking and come in.”

“Milady!”

“Seeing that you have time to worry about unnecessary things, I can tell you’re not seriously injured, but still, I have to tend to it.”

“But I’m really fine… there’s no need to worry…”

Serenia cut off Ain’s rambling and said,

“What do you mean ‘fine’? You were hit so hard it sounded like a punch!”

“I’m telling you, really, I’m fine, so please don’t worry…”

Serenia interrupted his incessant attempts to reassure her.

“No, what are you even talking about?”

“Yes?”

“Do you think I’m worried about you right now?”

“…?”

Seeing his confused expression, Serenia confidently said,

“I’m doing this because of the breach of contract damages. My six million krovats!”

Ain was stunned by her words.

Serenia, without hesitation, pushed him inside the house and closed the front door.

As soon as they entered, a very cold air enveloped them.

Perhaps because she had been away for a few days, it felt colder inside the house than it was outside.

Serenia hesitated for a moment.

‘Is it really okay to bring a patient here?’

She worried that he might catch a cold and worsen his condition.

However, she quickly shook her head.

‘It’s fine, I can just start the fire now.’

With a somewhat awkward expression, she left him standing at the entrance for a moment and headed to the kitchen, where she broke the last remaining chair at the dining table.

When she came back with an armful of firewood, Ain stared at her, dumbfounded.

Ignoring his dazed expression, she pulled him into the sitting room.

Though a little embarrassed, Serenia lit the fireplace in the almost empty sitting room.

A short time later, thanks to the chair’s noble sacrifice, warmth began to spread in the room.

Finally, she approached him, who was awkwardly standing in a corner of the sitting room, and pulled him toward the fire.

“Alright. Take it off.”

At those words, Ain panicked and instinctively covered his chest with both hands.

Serenia narrowed her eyes sharply.

“What’s that behavior?”

“Well, um…”

Seeing him hesitate, Serenia let out a short, exasperated laugh.

With an exaggerated eye roll, she said, “Last time, you stripped off without being told. So why the hesitation now?”

Ain, looking aggrieved, replied, “You told me to.”

…Oh, right. That’s true.

A bit flustered, Serenia cleared her throat and changed the subject.

“Anyway, I’m not interested in a body that’s a 89 out of 100, so don’t worry about it.”

“…But I’ve been working out really hard these past few days.”

“Working out won’t change your score in two days! …No, that’s not the point right now! Are you going to keep dodging like this?!”

Unable to hold back any longer, Serenia yelled at him. Ain, looking displeased, slowly took off his hat and coat.

He hesitated as he pulled off his thin silk shirt.

His body, covered with lean muscles, was slowly revealed, showing a well-maintained physique.

Just moments ago, his back had been as white as shining porcelain, but now a large, red bruise had formed right in the middle.

It looked like the skin had been scraped from strong friction, and blood was starting to seep out from the wound.

Serenia, startled by the severity of the injury, involuntarily reached out her hand.

As her hand neared the red, bruised area, Ain’s shoulder trembled noticeably.

Startled by his reaction, Serenia quickly withdrew her hand and asked, “I-I’m sorry. Does it hurt?”

“…No.”

“P-Please, just bear with it a little. I need to check if anything is broken…”

“Yes.”

“I’ll press it a bit. If it hurts too much, tell me. Alright?”

“…Yes.”

Though she was slightly concerned about his subdued tone, Serenia knew this wasn’t the time to worry about such things.

She focused intently as she carefully moved her hands.

Her fingers gently traced along his spine and ribs, feeling for any damage.

Ain clenched his teeth with a deep flush on his face, but he finally let out a muffled groan.

“Ugh…”

“Does this hurt?”

“No, that…”

“Ugh. This is your ribs, huh? Take a deep breath for me.”

“That…”

“Oh, wait. Is it hard? Could it be a real fracture? In that case, try moving a little side to side.”

Hearing her worried voice from behind, Ain closed his eyes tightly and opened his mouth.

“It’s not that…”

“It’s not?”

“…It’s ticklish.”

Realizing she had overreacted, Serenia pouted.

Then, with hands rougher than before, she pressed firmly on his back, continuing to stimulate the area.

After a while, she confirmed that there were no serious issues with his bones and let out a quiet sigh of relief.

Then, as if waiting for this moment, Ain grabbed his shirt and said,

“Can I put my clothes back on now?”

However, Serenia firmly shook her head.