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Chapter 5
Treat his wounds, feed him, and once he recovered, send him back where he belonged.
It had all seemed so simple and straightforward.
But somehow, everything had suddenly become incredibly complicated.
Anette lifted the man’s arms one at a time and guided them into the sleeves of his shirt. Since he couldn’t move them himself, she had to lean in so close that it was almost like embracing him.
And why did this shirt have so many buttons?
She couldn’t avoid his gaze while fastening every single one.
“There! All done!”
Anette smiled brightly.
“What about the pants?”
“Ah!!”
He had to be enjoying this.
Otherwise, how could he so casually ask a woman he’d only just met to dress him?
And pants, of all things!!
Absolutely not.
Anette replied firmly,
“My friend will come tomorrow and help you put them on. You’ll be staying in bed anyway, so you’ll just have to manage without them today.”
Afraid he might make another unreasonable request, Anette hurried toward the door.
Before she could leave, he called out behind her.
“Your name?”
She stopped and turned around.
“Anette. My name is Anette.”
“Is your first name and your last name both Anette?”
She laughed.
“Haha! You’re funny. Well then, good night.”
As she walked away, she could almost picture him smiling behind her.
After Anette left, Elliots quietly stared at the bedroom door.
Anette… So she’s the one who saved me.
She had eyes as blue as precious gemstones.
Though she wore plain, colorless clothes, she was a beautiful woman.
Her thick blonde hair was tied tightly beneath a scarf.
When she came close, there was a gentle fragrance about her unlike anything he had ever smelled from the noblewomen of high society.
As he thought about her, sleep gradually overtook him.
The pillow and blanket carried her scent.
A warm sense of comfort washed over him.
For now, Elliots decided to get some rest.
He would wake up tomorrow and figure out the situation.
The cheerful chirping of birds tickled his ears, waking him.
It was early morning.
The air felt not only comfortable but refreshingly crisp.
He tried to sit up, but a sharp pain shot through his side.
He barely managed to suppress a groan and lay back down.
He still wasn’t in any condition to move easily.
After taking a deep breath, he pressed one hand against his wound and slowly forced himself upright.
Still… this is better than yesterday.
He listened carefully.
The house was silent.
Elliots quietly cracked open the bedroom door and looked into the living room.
At the far end, a small blonde woman was asleep on the sofa.
Her name was Anette.
Bending over with difficulty, he gently pulled the blanket that had slipped aside back over her curled-up body.
He stood there watching her for a moment before quietly making his way into the bathroom.
Apparently, Anette had already cleaned him, but his body still smelled unpleasant.
Suppressing a groan, he removed the bandages.
A line of stitches stretched clearly across the area between his navel and his side.
Fortunately, the wound was closer to his side.
If one of his own soldiers had stabbed an enemy like this, he would have scolded them.
“Were you trying to kill him or not?”
That bastard Benderf… I’ll make him pay.
“…Hng.”
Elliots braced himself against the wall.
The wound burned fiercely the moment water touched it.
Steadying his breathing, he continued showering while thinking.
Now that he was awake, he couldn’t simply return to his unit.
This place couldn’t be very far from the base.
He had escaped while suffering from a stab wound.
There was no way he had managed to travel very far.
By now, his entire unit should already have begun searching the surrounding area.
It was unthinkable that no one would search when the Commander of the Border Army had disappeared.
Besides, he still had no idea who was trying to kill him.
If he rushed back in this condition, there was no telling what might happen.
Anette said I’d been unconscious for two days.
His whole body still burned with pain, but he forced himself to stay calm.
First, I need to understand what’s going on.
The sound of running water echoed through the house.
Hmm? Who’s showering this early?
Anette slowly opened her eyes.
The clock pointed to six o’clock.
She quickly got up and looked toward her bedroom—the room the stranger had taken over.
The bed was empty.
Just then, the bathroom door opened.
She turned her head.
A tall man stood in the doorway, wearing the white shirt and plaid trousers Karl had brought over.
His black hair was still damp.
“Good morning.”
He greeted her politely with a smile.
Karl was already considered tall, yet somehow his clothes looked small on this black-haired man.
For a moment, Anette felt as though her heart had stopped.
He was overwhelmingly handsome.
“G-Good morning.”
‘Good morning’? Really? You idiot…
Anette scolded herself inwardly.
“I found these clothes on the desk. Is it all right if I wear them?”
“Ah… yes, of course. But… more importantly, how are you moving around by yourself?”
Drying his hair with a towel, the man sat down in a chair.
The moment he lowered himself, his brows briefly knitted together in pain.
“It’s difficult to move on my own. Next time, would you mind helping me bathe?”
Anette’s face instantly turned bright red.
This man… honestly!
Beads of cold sweat formed on his smiling face as he watched her blush.
He asked her for a glass of water.
Determined not to let herself be led around by anything he said, Anette quietly poured him a cup.
Then she realized she didn’t even know his name.
“Um… what’s your name?”
“I can’t tell you.”
“It’s classified.”
“Oh… I see. Then I guess I’ll just call you ‘Hey, you.'”
Elliots barely held back his laughter.
She had accepted his answer so earnestly that he found himself studying her serious expression with amusement.
He didn’t dislike this peaceful, unfamiliar time spent with such an innocent country girl.
Slowly sipping his water, Elliots looked her over before speaking.
“Tell me everything that happened over the last two days.”
“I’ll tell you once you’re lying back in bed.”
“I think I can listen just fine while sitting here.”
“You still look like you’re in a lot of pain, so stop being stubborn.”
When Elliots reluctantly stood up, Anette quickly hurried over to support him.
After helping him sit on the bed, she wiped the sweat from his face and began explaining.
“This is a small village called Ivlen in the Kingdom of Solenea.”
Ivlen lay almost directly on the border with the Blight Empire.
Besides Anette herself, only one other man, one other woman, and a nun knew he was here.
Only four people in total knew of his existence.
When Anette whispered, almost as though sharing a precious secret, that she hadn’t told anyone else, Elliots nearly had the urge to pat her on the head.
“I am a soldier of the Blight Empire’s Border Guard.”
He spoke quietly after listening to her explanation.
“You’ve probably already guessed as much, but I was caught up in an unexpected incident. I need a little time to understand what’s happened.”
Anette silently listened.
“So let me stay here for a few more days.”
“And during that time, I’d like no one to know that I’m here.”
His tone was serious.
His firm gaze made it clear he wasn’t inviting objections.
Almost mesmerized by those determined eyes, Anette nodded.
After finishing, Elliots turned toward the window, lost in thought.
Anette quietly watched his profile.
Just yesterday evening, he had still been unconscious.
Now he sat against the bed looking neat and composed.
His body was still burning with fever, and cold sweat still dampened his skin.
Even so, he seemed like an entirely different person from the man who had been lying unconscious only yesterday.
Is this what it means to have a soldier’s spirit?
