After That

When Melisa regained consciousness, she found that she had returned to the palace and was sleeping in her comfortable bed. Her clothes had been changed by someone. If it weren't for the bandage that was now wrapped around Melisa's head, she might have thought that the unsettling incident she experienced was just a nightmare.

When Melisa tried to get up, the girl immediately hissed because of the stinging pain in other parts of her body. Melisa lifted her clothes afterward, only to find that her body had several bruises of various sizes and colors.

When Melisa recalled what kind of danger had befallen her at that time, returning with only a small wound on her head and a few bruises was already a miracle. Melisa subconsciously saw Teresa sleeping in a sitting position next to her bed. If it weren't for Teresa, who used her body to protect Teresa from the impact at that time, Melisa would probably have been injured much more seriously than what she received now.

No, Melisa owed Teresa not only that moment. From the start, if Teresa had not continuously protected herself bravely, Melisa might have died long before their carriage even fell freely into the valley. What happened at that time was truly frightening. Even though Melisa was used to wielding swords and arrows, witnessing the bloodshed firsthand was enough to send horror throughout Melisa's body.

"Your Highness!"

Melisa jumped when she heard a loud noise. And it came from Teresa, who had previously closed her eyes quietly. As if dreaming something in her sleep, Teresa woke up with a jump and started screaming for Melisa.

Teresa's gaze was unfocused for a moment. Even if Melisa tried to hold her hand gently, Teresa just looked at the touch without saying anything as if she didn't believe the real Melisa was with her right now.

"Teresa, I'm fine. Thanks to you, I'm fine and with you right now."

Even though Melisa had never been to a war zone in person, she was happy to be a volunteer who would help people returning from the war front. Melisa knew that Teresa had not completely given up on her instinct to protect her. Melisa touched and talked to Teresa to make the woman realize that they were far from the danger that previously lurked at them.

"...Your Highness?"

After a while, the muscle contractions in Teresa's body relaxed while her eyes looked much more focused. Teresa breathed a sigh of relief when Melisa nodded to confirm Teresa's words. When Teresa looked around, she was finally sure that they were in a safer place.

Teresa sat back down after she had completely regained consciousness and managed to control herself. Teresa then looked at Melisa, who was in front of her, before she asked in a worried tone.

"How do you feel, Your Highness?"

Melisa touched Teresa's hand sadly. "I'm fine, Teresa. I managed to survive and only suffered minor injuries, thanks to you. For that, I am very grateful," she said seriously. Melisa was silent for a moment before her gaze lowered to look at the lower part of Teresa's body, which was previously covered by a thin blanket.

"Rather than me, how are you, Teresa?"

After Melisa took a good look at Teresa, the girl realized that not only her hands but Teresa's legs were also wrapped in thick bandages even though she could still stand on her own as before. Hands and feet are Teresa's main strength as a knight. If something happened to her, Melisa wasn't sure she could forgive herself for dragging Teresa through the dangers of living in a foreign kingdom.

"I'm fine, Your Highness. Even though this bandage looks scary, the doctor himself has told me that this wound won't have much of an impact on my life. The wound will also heal quickly, so you don't need to worry anymore."

Even though Teresa had said that Melisa felt like she couldn't just let the matter go. Her face looked gloomy as the girl thought back about the events that had just happened to them. For the first time, Melisa finally realized the true danger of her decision to become a bride in another kingdom.

"Your Highness, Crown Prince Alexius said that he would investigate this case thoroughly because a potential member of the Sigmund Royal family had become the target of the attack this time. I heard that people from Alison's family also stepped in to investigate this case thoroughly. You don't need to worry. With their help, the threat will disappear in no time."

"I see...."

Teresa immediately racked her brain to think of other ways to divert Melisa's attention when her first method failed with Melisa's short answer. The woman was silent for a long time before she spoke again about a topic that would attract Melisa's attention.

"Your Highness, I thought we might have been in greater danger if Lord Alister had not come personally to save us at that time. The search team deployed by the crown prince was not even able to find us. But Lord Alister managed to find us and called for help at the time."

"Alister did it?"

As Teresa expected, Melisa's attention was diverted when she started mentioning Alister's name. Melisa looked surprised when she heard Teresa's explanation. Because Melisa was unconscious from beginning to end, she didn't remember a bit about how she was found or who saved her at that time.

"Yes. At that time, it was raining heavily, Your Highness. When the other search teams withdrew because the surrounding area became dangerous when it rained, Lord Alister stubbornly continued the search alone. I heard that he even fell off a cliff because a sudden landslide occurred in the vicinity where he was looking for us. Lord Alister found us injured. But even with his injuries, at that time, he still forced himself to come back and call a rescue team to save us."

Alister's kindness and persistence at that time managed to touch Teresa's heart. Therefore, Teresa did not hesitate to tell Melisa what happened at that time. For Teresa, Melisa has the right to know who her savior is and what her current condition is. At least, as someone indebted to Alister, doing this was one of Teresa's ways of returning the favor.

"How bad is his wound... Teresa?"

On the other hand, even though Melisa tried to appear that she didn't care, a hint of worry still came from the questions asked by Melisa. Teresa fell silent again at that moment. Because Teresa had heard about Alister's situation from the doctor who was treating him, Teresa already knew the outline of their savior's current condition.

"Teresa?"

When Melisa started to press her, Teresa started to speak slowly so that Melisa wouldn't be too surprised when she heard the news she knew.

"From the last news I got, he is still unconscious, Your Highness. The wound on his right hand is also quite serious. And because of that, there is a big possibility that Lord Alister will not be able to hold a sword with his right hand again for the rest of his life ."

Melisa's hands were clenched tightly, but she still didn't say anything. It took a long time for Melisa to calm down her feelings before she spoke again to Teresa in a low tone.

"Teresa, once I feel better, I will visit him personally at his residence. As someone who has been personally saved by him, visiting him is the most basic kindness I can do for him."

Even though Melisa dresses her words in cold terms, the fact that Melisa is worried about Alister can be seen from the look in her eyes. Teresa pretended that she didn't see it all, then answered Melisa's request with her usual response.

"As you wish, Your Highness. I will immediately inform the crown prince that you hope to see Lord Alister once you feel better," she said obediently.