Free Web NovelChapter 37: Ch 37: Naida
At night, Raidan had a terrible fever.
The young apothecary wiped his temple with a wet cloth again, while simultaneously feeding him her already brewed medicines.
While doing so, she noticed the way his face twitched and shook, as if he was going through a nightmare. freewebnσvel.cѳm
And this was causing his body to become unbearably hot.
"What kind of memories could be haunting you?" she whispered, her breath visible against the warm lamp light.
Just then, another figure entered the room.
He was an old man with grey-streaked hair, and eyes full of knowledge and experience.
"Naida, this boy seems to be some kind of fugitive. You have made a mistake by bringing him in. What if we get dragged into danger for no reason?"
Naida smiled warmly. "I am an Apothecary, Grandfather. It is my duty to help the people in need. Father told me to always be kind, and the heavens will return the favor. Maybe I am simply waiting for that eternal reward."
The old man shook his head. "You are just like your father. Kind. And that is what drove my son to his death. When he attended to a follower of the Sun God’s Shrine, the people from the Faceless God’s Shrine came and killed him."
At that point, the old man started crying.
"Kindness is a sin these days, Naida. In this City of Gods, everyone is after blood and reputation. No one has time to care for the ordinary people."
Naida fell silent, silently watching Raidan’s face.
"Is kindness really a sin?" she could not help but doubt herself.
---
Night passed, and morning arrived.
When Raidan opened his eyes, he felt a throbbing headache around his temples. He tried to scratch it away, but then a wet patch of cloth stuck between his fingers.
He took it off and saw a four-leaf clover on the handkerchief.
It smelled faintly of jasmine and musk.
Raidan gently placed it on the bedside table and looked around in confusion.
The room was small and very shabby.
The bed creaked under him, speaking of years of poverty.
But still, the atmosphere was very pleasing to his senses. It was as if he had unknowingly stepped into the domain of simplicity and kindness.
"Where am I?" he muttered, instinctively checking his body.
Then his movements froze.
The knife wounds were gone.
Every cut, every scar, every trace of the injuries that should have left him half-dead had vanished as though they had never existed.
"What could have caused such a miracle? An S-rank healing potion, maybe?"
Confusion clouded his mind.
He placed a hand against the bed and tried to push himself up.
Creak...
The door slowly swung open.
Then, a young woman stepped inside.
The moment he saw her, his heart seemed to stop.
She was breathtaking.
Short brown hair softly framed her gorgeously gentle face, while a pair of vibrant green eyes shimmered with a beauty capable of stealing anyone’s heart at first glance. Her long eyelashes fluttered slightly when she noticed him awake.
Then there were her lips.
Naturally pink, soft, and delicately pursed, they only added to her almost unreal charm.
She wore nothing extravagant, only a simple white tunic. Yet somehow, that simplicity made her even more captivating. There was no makeup, no jewelry, no deliberate attempt to show off her beauty.
She simply stood there.
Natural. Graceful. Effortlessly mesmerizing.
Like a portrait of absolute perfection brought to life.
"Will you marry me?" the words left his mouth before he could understand them.
Hearing his proposal, she covered her mouth in shock.
"Wha... what are you saying?" she asked, becoming flustered.
"I just treated you, and you want to marry... I mean, you sure are good-looking and strong. But... but..."
She could not complete her sentence as the topic came up too quickly.
And to be honest, her flustered face was the most amazing thing of all.
Raidan’s heart started beating faster. He had never felt like this. Not during the time he had spent with Emma, and not with that red-haired woman related to his Faceless mask.
All of his pain and sorrow disappeared in an instant.
It was as if simply staying with her was the greatest blessing of all.
"Are you some kind of goddess?"
Raidan knew the words were very cheesy and cringe, and yet he uttered them anyway.
And why should he not? Since Emma had divorced him, he could look for another partner. As for that woman named Eris, there was simply no verbal communication after that encounter.
Naida frantically waved her hands, saying: "No, no, no. I am not a goddess. I am just a simple apothecary..."
Raidan walked toward her, saying honestly, "Oh, so that’s why you are very beautiful."
Naida felt her cheeks burn like a furnace. She quickly took a step back, her hands fiddling with the hem of her white tunic.
"Please, sir! You must still be confused from the fever. You were gravely injured when I found you. Your mind might still be playing tricks on you."
Raidan paused. The warm, intoxicating fog in his head began to recede, instantly replaced by the harsh reality of his situation. The dark interrogation cellar, the searing pain of the hot iron, and Sir William’s sadistic smile flashed through his mind.
"Right. The injuries. I apologize for my sudden outburst. I am just a little overwhelmed."
He looked around the small, shabby room once more before locking eyes with her.
"How exactly did I get here? And how much time has passed since you found me?"
Naida relaxed slightly, though the blush still remained plastered on her gentle face.
"I found you collapsed in the alleyway right outside my front door. At the time, you were completely covered in blood, and someone had cruelly rubbed salt into your wounds. I managed to drag you inside with great difficulty. You have been unconscious for an entire night, battling a terrible fever. It is mid-morning now."
