The Colonel's Daughter

Chapter 7 : Family

She finally regained consciousness, but suddenly jolted as she didn't know where she was. She was lying in a large bed, in an unfamiliar room; she scrutinized every detail of the room but found no clue as to whose it was.

Intense pain from the bite bandage made itself felt.

"Ouch!" she exclaimed.

The door opened, to her great relief, it was Bary.

"You're awake!"

"Yes, Bary, where are we?"

"Miss, welcome to our home. Haha," Bary replied jokingly.

"At your home?"

"Yes, normally we can't bring anyone here, but I lied to them, saying you were my girlfriend."

"But who lives here?"

"My entire family! You'll meet them, but you'll have to play along. They don't know what Marco and I did, I'd appreciate it if you didn't mention it."

"But why are we here? I want to go home!"

"We'll go as soon as you're better, but rest for now. I've prepared a bath for you, and we'll all be waiting for you downstairs for dinner."

"Dinner?"

"Yes, we always have dinner together as a family, hurry up!"

"Okay."

As Iriana tried to get up, the pain from her bite made it difficult for her to stand. Bary noticed she was struggling.

"Iriana... Wait! Let me see your bandage. I was supposed to change it today, but with all this commotion, I didn't get the chance."

"No, I'm fine."

"Don't be stubborn. Listen, take your bath, and then we'll change the bandage. And you need to continue taking your medication. Come, I'll help you."

Bary took Iriana to the bathroom, and while the young girl showered, Bary prepared the medications and everything needed for the bandage.

After the essential oil shower Bary prepared for her, Iriana felt lighter and more relaxed. The only discomfort was the pain in her thigh. She changed, and Bary redid the bandage, giving her a painkiller and an antibiotic to control infections.

"And there you go!"

"Thank you, Bary," Iriana said, smiling at him.

"You're welcome."

"By the way, I wanted to ask you something... When I ran away, I didn't recognize the landscape... I doubt we're in my town. Where are we?"

"You're right; we're not in town, we're in the outskirts. It was too dangerous to keep you in the same town."

"But you let me go knowing full well I wouldn't find my way, why?"

"Well, I deliberately let you go because I knew that somehow, I would find you," Bary replied, looking her in the eyes, his lips smiling.

"Okay, but do you promise to take me home afterward?"

"I swear! But I want to ask you something."

"What?"

"Before we were attacked, it seemed like something was happening between us... And it was the same just now, in front of the car."

"Uh... No, I don't think so, shall we go?"

Understanding that the young girl was avoiding the subject, Bary wanted to insist on knowing more, but considering the girl's fatigue, he relented.

"Let's go then."