CH. 19

"Errrr…"

The pain, sooo much pain.

Slightly disorientated, I took stock of my situation.

Namely, that the familiar setting I found myself in was home in my own bed.

Secondly, that my whole body ached, with each minute movement I made only exasperating the pain I found myself enduring. I'd felt pain similar to this before, resulting from the rare occasions I'd attended school and been forced to partake in physical education, unable to escape to the library or some other shelter.

Except this was on a whole other level, not localized to just my calves from too much running, as an example.

"Owowow."

Wincing, I tried to stretch my limbs out. Which only resulted in them feeling as if I were attempting to tear the muscle from the bone.

"Phew, at least I'm alive… What a relief. That was way too close."

Smiling to myself, I wrapped the blankets tighter around me and allowed the comfort afforded by the bed to swallow me up. There was no other place I would rather be at than right here, I decided.

It had been close to the end for me. Having escaped certain death by the skin of my teeth, surely being greedy and selfishly enjoying the peaceful comfort of my room wasn't asking for too much.

"Still I do wonder…"

How did Arabella, Stoldt and the others fair?

Although, it wasn't as if I should have been too concerned about Stoldt. The guy was an incredible warrior, an absolute beast. With his military background and Adventurer background, there was no doubt in my mind he would have succeeded without so much as a wearing a scratch.

The other guards should have been fine. I mean, having been trained under Stoldt, it wasn't as if they were lightweights when it came to combat either. Besides, the enemy had been thoroughly worn out from fighting the Duke's force.

And Arabella?

I didn't really care about her to be honest. I felt sympathy towards the predation she'd endured and the suffering of it all, sure.

I hoped she had pulled through alright.

But she meant nothing to me as it was. Just some noble's daughter that had been caught in a nasty spider's web of a trap.

There was absolutely no curiosity or interest from me whatsoever to want to involve myself with her any more than I already was. If I never saw her again, that would suit me just fine.

Knock knock.

A rap of knuckles on the bedroom door drew my attention. Followed thereafter by its gentle opening, revealing who stood behind.

"Ah! You're finally awake, I'm so very glad. You still appear exhausted but, how are you feeling?"

Mera walked over to me and took a gentle hold of my hand. Her face was drawn taught, with heavy bags under her eyes and paled skin.

It was obvious that she hadn't been sleeping and looked very fatigued from lack thereof. But her presence was a comfort.

Hang on? A comfort?

I shook myself free from that feeling.

"Yeah, you could say that… I still feel pretty tired."

Gurrgglle.

"Uhh…"

I side-eyed Mera sheepishly. My stomach had chosen that moment to rumble unexpectedly. Now that I thought about it, I definitely was hungry. No, starved, more like.

"I'm not surprised." Mera petted my head.

As much as it annoyed me having my head petted, finding the energy to push her hand away was beyond my means at this point.

"You have been asleep for three days now. It's not surprising that you would need to eat."

"Three days?!"

Seriously that long? It only felt like a nap that had lasted only a few hours.

"Mhmm. We were all so very worried about you. When I had heard you'd collapsed I thought the worst had happened again… Seeing you well again, really, well the relief lifts a heavy burden from my heart."

Mera wiped away a solitary tear that trickled down her cheek from her brimming eyes.

"Well, as you can see, I'm alright… I think… No I am. Just still a little bit tired and with a minor headache. But all in all, there's nothing else that seems like it's out of place."

I physically checked my body by running my hands all over myself and confirming that statement.

Nope, not a thing. Definitely just the fatigue and the headache.

"It seems that every time you leave the house you get yourself into some kind of trouble. Maybe we shouldn't let you leave without your father or myself to keep you company. All this stress is giving me a headache."

Mera sighed and put a hand to her forehead.

"You really shouldn't worry so much. It's all just a coincidence. Also, maybe just a small amount of bad luck. But everything's okay! Alright?"

Sure, it probably appeared that way to her. But the number of times I had left the house and returned unscathed in the months I had now been here, far outweighed the handful of dicey situations I had found myself in.

There was absolutely, zero, nudda, no way that I would allow myself to be subject to a second stage of lock down. If I was to be a shut-in, it would be on my terms, on my own volition, and not because it was forced upon me!

"A mother is allowed to worry about her son. That's even more relevant when he keeps getting into trouble!"

"It's not like it happens on purpose… It just happens."

"Not only that, but on this occasion, you brought your sister into the situation. What if something had happened to her? As the older brother, you have a responsibility to care for and protect her. Not be the cause of any risk or gods forbid, harm, to befall her!"

"I told her to go home but she wouldn't listen to me until after we saw what was happening. That wasn't my fault!"

Oh no.

This conversation was going south real fast and heading in a direction I that would spell nothing good for me. I had to try and nip this in the bud while I still had the chance.

"She's four-years-old! Not to mention she's with her brother who she idolizes! You seriously think that she would just up and abandon you just because you told her too?"

"Well… I mean, if she had done what I told her to do in the beginning, then she would never have been so much as a whisker as being close to any danger…"

"So, you're telling me that none of this is your own fault, you're completely blameless, and that it's Lilly's own fault for coming with you to begin with?"

Mera's face darkened at the challenge thrown to me. She was really starting to build herself up and into a roll.

The previous concern she'd held for me was now diminishing by the second and she was entering stern parent mode. Seriously dangerous to navigate through to be sure and seas that I was more than familiar with.

"…"

I opened my mouth before abruptly shutting it. The gathering storm in her eyes telling me I was in treacherous waters and that nothing short of the correct answer she wanted to hear, would help me weather it.

Her stern look with raised eyebrows and pointed finger raised burned into me the longer I sat there silently running through all contingency plans I held in reserve to deflect such an argument.

This was similar to the lectures I'd endured from the parents of my previous life. If anything, I would consider myself a champion at deflecting and defusing these situations so as to avoid any further recommence that was brewing.

I was a professional, if I did say so myself.

There was only one way to close the curtain, saving me from the brunt of a significant and impending lecture. If I didn't act quickly, then I would not be able to protect myself from whatever punishment, rules or other evil plans she divvied up.

"I'm sorry! Going forward, I'll do better so as not to anger you."

Mera glowered towards me a moment longer before leaning back and sighing.

"I'm not angry… Just disappointed."

Ooft.

The old parental disappointment trick, that was the oldest one in the book.

Instead of going for the lecture and finger wagging, go for the emotional attack instead. Generally, a very effective method in having the child yield in surrender under normal circumstances it would be sufficient in winning the argument.

How many times had I heard the same thing before? Never mind, I had lost count.

"I made a mistake and it won't happen again. I didn't mean to put Lilly or myself in danger. Please forgive me."

Being honest, I did feel a little bit bad for having brought Lilly to the skirmish. However, it had worked out in my own favor in the end, seeing as I was still alive after all!

But now was the time to hang my head and beg for forgiveness. Not that I felt completely bad about what had transpired, it was just easier to accept the finger pointing and seek atonement for my actions at a later date.

"It's fine… For now. Although, your father may have some choice words to say to you later."

Mera relented and left me with the further threat of Kerian having a second bite at the apple, so to speak. No doubt that was waiting in store for me as well.

"Grrnnn."

I could only groan at the thought of that.

"By the way…"

"Hmm? What is it?"

Mera quizzically looked at me as I began to inquire of a thought which had suddenly entered my mind, having been completely forgotten until now.

"What happened to the girl that was there? Arabella, I think her name was?"