WRECK THE PLOT!

A glimpse of the past

''I don't support your actions, Master.''

In the same room where the battle between Raven and Damon had taken place, Damon could be seen seated on the old couch, shirtless as the kneeling courtesan attended the bruises. With worried eyes darting to every purplish bruise over his old scars, her slim hands squeezed the towel in the basin of medicinal water. She gently wiped the muscular chest as though the owner was someone precious.

Biting her lips, she stopped herself from saying more, knowing that she would be overstepping her boundaries. At the same time, she couldn't understand how a child as young as that was capable of inflicting this much bruises on her master.

''Seems you have more to learn about me, Lyra.'' Not flinching from stabbing pain on his bruises, Damon said to her, his eyes still glancing at the spot where the pair of hooded figures had previous stood.

''Do I seem like someone who would give out the brothel so easily?'' His eyebrow went up as his serious eyes met with the trembling ones of the courtesan's.

''....No...'' Looking down, she held the squeezed the towel in her hand. Indeed, her master was not one to easily give out the brothel. She, personally knew how this place meant to him...meant to her and the other courtesans.

It was their home...their place of comfort despite the obscene atmosphere around them. There was no way her master would give away such place and them to another.

''Then...'' The courtesan lifted her gaze about to ask her master how they could get their brothel when the ownership was not in their hands anymore.

''It is nothing for you to worry about, Lyra.'' Damon said in a clipped tone, addressing the courtesan with her name once more. His voice was firm as though he wanted to end the discussion about what had just happened between them.

''Yes...'' Understanding the tone of his voice, Lyra gave up on speaking more. She knew her master hated others for worrying about him, but she just couldn't help herself.

After all, he was the man she loved since childhood.

Besides, just from his expression alone, Lyra could tell that he was angry. Angry that he lost their precious brothel and most of all, angry at himself for being weak.

Lyra knew just how much her master hated being weak. His past played a major factor in his resentment.

Mindlessly tracing the old scars on his chest, her eyes watered in tears just thinking about the stories behind these scars. Following this, her fingers were suddenly ceased by another, and she rose her gaze, meeting the irked ones of her master.

Perhaps at the sight of her teary gaze, his gaze softened and his lips released a sigh. ''Don't worry, Lyra. I will protect you...all of you from harm's way, alright?'' Saying this, his hand cupped her cheek, and his finger wiped away her tears.

The touch was so gentle....a very gentle yet familiar touch of her master.

''Hmm....'' In response, Lyra leaned against his large palm, closing her eyes for a moment and enjoy such rare moments of her master's care.

Her master was someone who cared for her, the same way as he cared for other courtesans.

But...

She had always wished that he would treat her a little differently from her fellow courtesans.

Just a little.

****

Meanwhile, Raven and Kieran could be seen back in the Grand duchy. The little lady jumped down from his back, stumbling a bit at the moment. It seemed the fight with her new subordinate did more damage than she thought.