The Reason

"..... the council is deciding..."

"... circumstances being unique..."

Demetra could hear someone talking next to her. Their voices were low and her consciousness kept clearing and blanking out intermittently not letting her hear them in whole.

After battling with her mind for some time Demetra lost her consciousness again.

........

The sunlight peeked in through the slightly open windows as the curtains moved gently with the wind.

Demetra tried to blink off the drowsiness from her eyes and looked around noting she was in the infirmary. Somehow, other than feeling lethargic she felt no pain.

It seems she wasn't the only one who can heal.

Demetra was honestly quite impressed. Her mana flow was recovering at a normal rate but her physical injuries have healed completely.

She slowly lifted her right hand and looked at the scarless beautiful skin. Her skin, muscles and blood vessels had grown back completely and there was no sign of any scars much less any burns.

When Aurora opened the door to the infirmary, she noticed Demetra was awake and staring at her hand as she folded her fingers into a fist and opened them, folded and opened, folded...

"Ahem"

Demetra blinked twice in surprise before looking towards the door.

"Oh," she noticed Aurora looking at her with a smile and lowered her hand before propping herself up on the bed.

"How are you feeling?" Aurora asked as she walked towards Demetra.

"I just feel a little tired but overall I'm feeling fine" Demetra nodded at her as Aurora helped adjust the pillows behind her back.

Just then they heard the sound of footsteps rushing towards the infirmary. Lindo burst in the door and looked at the already woken up Demetra in surprise.

But before he could step in he was bounced out of the room by Aurora's barrier.

The surroundings became peacefully quiet for a while.

"Owowowow..."

Until it was broken by Lindo's painful groans as he tried to sit up from where he lay sprawled on the floor of the corridor. He was rubbing the back of his head which had hit on the wall before bouncing down and getting hit on the floor. His fluffy light brown hair was sticking out in all directions making it look fluffier.

Demetra had to admit he then resembled a pomeranian a lot.

As the pain alighted Lindo immediately jumped up.

"You are up! Thank god!"

Demetra watched him in amusement as he rushed towards her but was stopped by Aurora's barrier again. However, this time he did not crash into it head first but still plastered his hands and face against it as he peered at Demetra with sparkling eyes.

"Honestly, I'm not worried since it was Lord Grimoire who took care of your wounds. I just want to know how you made it possible for Nightmary and Lady Lapiz to bloom in sunlight?!"

Night Mary and Lady Lapiz must be the two roses, Demetra thought to herself.

Lindo who was jabbering excitedly suddenly paused. He blinked twice and stared at Demetra with wide eyes.

Aurora, seeing that he's no longer acting like a wrecking ball lifted off her barrier.

"Ahhhhhh!" Lindo suddenly screamed startling both the girls.

He looked at Aurora and pointed his finger at Demetra stuttering, "She!....she...she"

Demetra frowned at him in bewilderment before she realised something.

She hadn't been wearing her mask since she woke up.

Demetra did not realise it as she always took it off whenever she got back to her personal space.

"So that's why that guy treats you badly. You look just like Saharilla!" Lindo blurted out before Aurora could stop him.

"Saharilla?" Demetra frowned.

Aurora gave Lindo a death glare.

Lindo scoffed at her glare and turned to Demetra. He walked towards her and seated himself on the bed with a plop.

"She's the last generation's black knight and your brother's mate." Lindo dredged up with a cold look.

"Lindo!" Aurora yelled at him with a look of incredulity.

"What? How long were you people planning on hiding it from her? Who's side are you on? That bastard's side or hers? She deserves to know everything." Lindo sneered as he crossed his legs and folded his arms across his chest.

Aurora was speechless. "I was more worried that Demetra will get hurt!"

"Does she look hurt to you?" Lindo raised an eyebrow at Aurora while pointing a finger at Demetra.

Aurora followed his finger and took a look at Demetra who was completely calm unlike what she expected. She could only open her mouth and close it back flabbergasted.

"Besides, no matter if she gets hurt or not, we do not have the right to decide whether we can hide the matter or reveal it."

Demetra took a look at the pitiful Aurora and sighed.

"Honestly, it wasn't unexpected. So do not worry."

Looking at Demetra casually brushing off the matter Aurora was bewildered. "You don't feel bad about it? Even I feel horrible..."

"I would only feel bad if the person who disliked me mattered to me," Demetra stated calmly.

Aurora just kept quiet after hearing those words.

"I indeed like that mindset" Lindo nodded.

Demetra looked at the nodding Lindo and thought that one cannot judge a book by its cover.

"But you know what? Everyone seems to forget one thing, but you..." Lindo pointed towards Demetra. "You are the leader here. The Brown Knight is nothing when your ranks are concerned. So you don't have to go along with everything he does. Even the Elder's Council deemed him as the one at fault and he's going to serve imprisonment for a month."

Demetra blinked slowly taking his words in. She honestly rejoiced at the thought of not seeing Peyton's face for a while. Still it doesn't change the fact that she could not beat him easily. At the end she was the one who ended up being injured on top of exhausting her mana.

"But... You know... It is only possible if I'm strong. Right now my ability may be strong but their power cannot be harnessed so it is not different from me being useless."

Demetra muttered, "Nobody in their right mind wishes to be abused."

"Yes... you are just biding your time..." The low voice of a woman gently whispered in Demetra's mind.