“Her condition has stabilized,” Natasha said. “It’s a good thing you found her before it was too late. If you were any later, she would’ve bled out on the spot. But, I can’t do anything about her missing eyeball—I can’t regenerate that. I managed to stitch together the torn flesh, though. Her recovery is progressing, but as for when she’ll wake up? I can’t give you any guarantees. All we can do now is wait.”
I looked down at Angelica, lying so still on the bed. At least, for now, she wasn’t thrashing around like before, but that didn’t make it any easier to see her like this. A thick bandage covered the eye that had exploded earlier, and a bunch of magical implements wound around her body like a lifeline. There was an unnerving concentration of mana hovering around her head. I figured that was what triggered her head to almost blow up. I had no idea how she managed to stop herself from completely exploding it, but I could only guess it was her sheer willpower.
She’s always had that strength. That fire in her. Even now, it refused to go out.
“I heard something…” Natasha’s voice cut through my thoughts. “Your Master is going to war. Is that true?”
“Where did you hear that?” I asked, turning my gaze to her.
“I heard it from the workers here. Is it true?” she pressed.
“Yeah,” I said. “Do you despise him for it?”
“Is he going after those responsible for this?” she asked. “The ones behind the chaos earlier, the stampede, and that suicide bombing that killed so many of the Leonamon workers?”
“That’s right,” I confirmed.
“Then, I don’t,” she replied, crossing her arms. “What your Master is doing—it’s what anyone in his position should do. I can’t fault him for it. Those bastards deserve what’s coming to them. They made their bed, now they’ve got to lie in it.”
A short laugh escaped me. “Well, you’re sounding a lot more understanding than you used to. I remember you complaining about everything here, especially about the company.”
“Besides your Master, I actually like the people here. And here, I can use my skills in medicine,” she said. “I can actually help people with my own hands. Even if the owner’s a jerk, I don’t mind the work itself.”
“A jerk, huh?” I chuckled softly, glancing over at Angelica again. “Yeah, Master’s not exactly likable at first. But I grew to love him. Your words… they remind me of what I used to say before I fell for him.”
“D-Don’t be ridiculous,” Natasha stammered, her cheeks flushing slightly, a little flustered. “I don’t plan on falling in love with him.”
“That’s what I told myself too, back then…” I muttered, memories crashing back like a wave. I could still see it clearly—when I was a magic knight, trapped in the corrupt politics of that world, and he appeared. He pulled me out of that sinking mess, saved me from becoming just another rotten piece of it. I’ll always be grateful he came into my life.
“Anyway, I need you to stay with her for now. Keep an eye on her,” I told Natasha, letting out a tired sigh. “I’m going to get some sleep.”
“Sleep? With your Master out there fighting? Aren’t you even a little worried?” She stared at me, her eyes searching, like she was trying to dig through my expression for any hint of doubt or fear. I knew what she was thinking—if I wasn’t worried about Master being at war, maybe I didn’t care about him anymore, or maybe my feelings had faded because of all the other women around him.
But she couldn’t be more wrong. I love Master—every part of him. And the reason I wasn’t worried was simple…
“There’s nothing to be worried about,” I said softly, but my words carried an unshakable conviction. “Master is strong.”
I knew in my gut that he could obliterate his enemies with just a flick of his wrist if he wanted to. That’s how deeply I believed in his strength.
***
Natasha’s POV
After Miss Gabrielle left the room, I turned my attention to the woman lying on the bed. Her injuries were brutal—so bad that if Miss Gabrielle had been even a bit slower in getting her here, it would’ve been too late to save her. That’s how dire her condition was.
I went over her again, doing a thorough check-up to make sure there were no new anomalies—monitoring her breathing patterns and ensuring everything was stable. But as I was checking, I noticed her eye… the only one she had left, fluttering open, struggling against the pain.
“Ugh!” she suddenly lurched forward, a guttural sound ripping from her throat, as if she was going to vomit everything inside her.
“You can’t just spring up like that, ma’am! Get back down, please!” I reached out to push her back against the bed, my voice firm with worry.
“No… I don’t have time to be lying here… I need… to stop them…!” she gasped between desperate, shaky breaths, like every word was tearing out of her lungs.
“Them? What are you talking about? You’re still hurt! Don’t touch those!” I said, panicking as she began tugging at the tubes and wires connecting her to the magical implements.
“I need to stop them…! It’s today! It’s today! I can’t stay here!” she insisted, her voice raw, each word like a desperate plea as she struggled against me.
“No, ma’am, please. You’re in no shape to move! As a doctor, I can’t let you—”
“This whole kingdom is in danger! If I don’t warn the magic knights, it might be too late! I have to… get out of…” Her voice faded, her body going slack as the fight drained out of her, her single eye slipping shut like a light snuffed out. She collapsed back onto the bed, all the energy that had possessed her just moments before vanishing, leaving her limp again.
Seeing no other choice, I decided to call Miss Gabrielle back. I quickly stepped out of the room, locking the door behind me to keep the woman inside, and then ran down the hallway after Miss Gabrielle. Thankfully, she was still on her way to the elevator.
“Miss Gabrielle!” I called out.
“Huh? What’s going on?” she turned around, her brow furrowing with concern.
“She’s…” I panted, catching my breath. “She woke up,” I managed to say.
