As the maid knocked on the door, the princess granted entry with a "Come in." Holding a tray, the maid proceeded inside, stating, "These are the belongings of the duchess. The attire of the duchess was damaged, so it was beyond retrieval, I apologize." Placing the tray on the tea table, the maid departed at the princess's gesture after politely bowing. "All your accessories and other belongings are here. I will leave now. Ring this bell if anything is needed; the maids are right outside the door," she added. Roseanne rose from her seat, saying, "Rest well, Duchess," before exiting.
"Von?" She called in a low voice, but there was no reply. Anxiously, she called Von's name again. A groaning sound came from the left side of the bed. Turning her neck to look, she saw Von, laid on the bed with scratches all over her body, some cuts deep enough to show bloodstains. "Von!" Concerned, she tried to reach her, wishing to treat her as soon as possible, but she too was badly injured. Moving felt painful; she struggled to even lift her arm. "Von, hey." No matter how much she called, Von couldn't reply; only groaning sounds were heard. With a struggle, Von lifted her eyelids, opening her eyes to see Arya's worried face. A "Kyuu" sound was heard from Von's tone, indicating how badly she was hurt, increasing Arya's worries even more. However, seeing her able to open her eyes brought Arya a sense of relief. "Forgive me, I am unable to help you. Rest, buddy."
After hours had passed, the door abruptly opened, and a tall figure rushed inside. The loud noise of the door forced Arya to wake up. Covered in bandages and wearing a silk dress akin to sleepwear, she lay in bed, enduring the pain. Seeing Arya in this state, Ivan's body trembled in fear that something might have happened to her and he was not there to protect her. She was just invited to a tea session, but instead of enjoying the company of the ladies, Arya lay in bed, bandaged and cut. Ivan's eyes betrayed emotions of worry and unease; he was afraid to even touch her, fearing he might hurt her further.
"The wounded areas have been cleaned with warm water. Ointment has been applied to her wounds, and she's been given some painkillers. Time to time, the maids are changing her bandages, and the doctor said within four days she will be back to full health. Do not worry; what she needs now is plenty of rest. I suggest letting her stay here for another three hours. After the rest of the treatment is done, you can take her home," the stern voice of the princess came from behind as she made her way inside. "Really, what has happened to you? I wrote a letter to inform you about her situation, and you break into the palace. There's protocol to keep, you know?" Roseanne kept nagging, to which Ivan showed no heed.
Arya looked at Ivan, confused by the melancholy he was showing. Ivan bent down and lifted her in a bridal style, then started walking towards the exit. "Are you out of your mind? Where do you think you're taking her? Her wounds will open if..." Cutting the princess off, Ivan spoke, "I'm taking my wife back home. Thank you for the generosity you have shown; the Dragun will not forget this debt." With that, he starts walking with Arya in his arms. "Hey, what are you—" As Arya spoke, Ivan eyed her not to utter a word further. Immediately, Arya shut her mouth, while Von lay in her arms. Roseanne was speechless. "Haa, a debt, huh?"
At the duke mansion :
The infirmary was chilled with tension. Only the sound of the doctor moving the medical kits was heard. Arya glanced at Ivan. 'He is... furious. Ahh, at times he can be so scary.' His furrowed brow formed deep creases, piercing through the air like daggers. Yet, amidst the anger, there was a flicker of worry, a subtle tremor in his gaze betraying a fear lurking beneath the surface. His lips were tightly pressed together, exuding an aura of controlled rage. His jaw clenched and twitched as his brows knit together in a menacing scowl. This combination of anger and worry painted a picture of raw, unbridled fury tempered by an underlying sense of apprehension, sending shivers down the spine of anyone who dared to meet his gaze.
Everyone in the infirmary felt engulfed by his aura, drowning in the absence of sound. As if Ivan wasn't enough, Fahim, the doctor, was also casting manic, glaring looks at Arya. When their gazes met, Arya hurriedly averted her eyes. 'Ahh, this is torture, I tell you.'
"Madam," Fahim says, smiling as usual, though anger is clearly emanating from him, giving him a menacing appearance. "Will you stay in bed? Resting, letting others take care of you, hmm?" Shivers run down her spine. 'Scary, scary, scary,' Arya thinks, rapidly nodding her head. "Good," he says, still exuding his dark aura despite his smile.
"Miya," at Ivan's call, Miya stepped forward. "Take good care of her. If she does not behave, feel free to use a bit of force." Looking at Arya, he spoke. Hearing him, she glanced at him, shocked at what he just said. "Yes, master," Miya's words surprised her even more. 'These people', Arya's fingers grip on the bedsheet, 'haa, who am I to complain? I bought this on myself.'
After the treatment was completed, they moved her back to her room. "Now remember, do not make unnecessary movements, am I clear?" Ivan nagged me for the last time before leaving. "Mhhmm," Arya simply replied. "Miya, bring me some water," Arya requested, and Miya handed her a glass of water. "Where are my things?" Arya inquired. "They are left in your desk drawer, my lady. Should I bring them?" Miya asked. "That would be helpful," Arya replied, and Miya went to fetch the items from the drawer.
It was already nighttime when Miya brought supper to Arya's room. Ivan sat near the bedside, his gaze glued on her as Arya took small bites of the food. "Why did you do that?" Ivan whispered deeply, halting the spoon before it reached her lips. "What do you mean?" Arya replied. "The princess says she found you unconscious in the inner corner of her garden, but the guards speak otherwise. They evacuated everyone inside the garden and brought them to a safe area. And a maid saw you running towards the plaza," he said with a serious look, "what were you thinking? What could you possibly achieve by doing something so foolish? You can't even use mana; it's not like a staged fight where you swing your sword to win. You could have been seriously hurt. Knights' bodies were found dead on the ground in the plaza. What if..." his voice faltered as he looked at her, unable to utter the word 'death,' even thinking about it filled him with dread. "There were numerous monsters; it's not a lady's duty to defend. What were the Knights for then?" He was furious, his anger fueled by concern for her well-being.
Arya listened to his every word silently, happy to be scolded. A small smile carved her lips as she kept her face down, gazing at the bowl of soup. It was the first time someone had been angry for her, and she couldn't describe the feeling of being cared for; it was like a cup overflowing with the sweet nectar of love and care. When Ivan's eyes landed on her smile, he was flustered, his ears turning a faint shade of red. Amused by her reaction, he wanted to say more, but seeing her like that, he couldn't utter a word. The surroundings suddenly softened, as if a spring breeze was flowing, carrying the scent of flowers. Miya entered the room, catching sight of Ivan's flustered state and Arya's sweet smile. She covered her lips with her hand and whispered, "Oh my!" before tiptoeing out of the room, leaving them in their own world.
After days of rest, Arya was bored to death; however, the people of the Duke's mansion insisted on her resting more. The duchess would visit her every day, bringing dessert and flowers along. Arya felt warmth in the duchess's presence. "Mother, I wish to go out. Staying in bed is making me feel paralyzed. Can I?" With a pitiful gaze, she looked at the duchess. Being a fool for her daughter, the duchess hugged Arya tightly, "how are you so cute!" Meeting her gaze, the duchess continued, "alright, but you have to keep the maid and the escort beside you all the time, hmm? Promise me?" Hearing the duchess's words, Arya's eyes lit up. Being able to go out brought her a sense of relief, knowing that she could resume completing the tasks at hand. Hugging back, she said smilingly, "Thank you, mother! You are the greatest!"
"Hohoho, that I am!" Saying both, they broke out in laughter.
______•°•°•°•______