Aiden, even more confused by Eleonora’s response, hesitated for a moment, but he knew that answering was crucial.

Despite how strange the situation was, he understood that any wrong move could lead to a direct conflict.

“Yes, we’re allies… of Camila.”

Eleonora’s smile widened. She observed the group of humans, noting the tension in their postures.

Although they were trying to appear calm, their fear was betraying them.

Eleonora, despite having been locked away for so long, knew what her power meant.

Envy.

Whether from family or strangers, that seed would sooner or later sprout and grow as her candidate’s status improved through her strength.

That’s why Eleonora always looked at any human who wasn’t her candidate with skepticism, because eventually, they could harm her. But for now…

‘I’ll wait,’ Eleonora thought as she felt her candidate’s consciousness resting.

For some reason, no matter how much strength a human gained from their bond with her, if their loved ones suffered, the contract was always at risk.

It had barely been ten minutes since the contract, and she was already facing a problem. But instead of being annoyed, she found it amusing.

So, even though she could feel the distrust and fear in the air, she decided to take another approach. If these humans, who seemed ready to point their weapons at her, were truly Camila’s friends, there might be room for dialogue.

“Interesting…” Eleonora murmured, still with that mischievous expression. “If you’re her allies, then why did your healer go to save the other girl… instead of helping your supposed ally?” Eleonora spoke those last words with a hint of mockery, pointing to herself using Camila’s body.

Aiden frowned at the accusation but quickly tried to explain himself.

He knew that any misunderstanding at this moment could end badly.

“Thorne has potions in his bag. We were planning to treat Camila with them while Selena healed Marta.”

Eleonora narrowed her eyes, clearly skeptical.

“Potions? What is that?”

She had never heard of such a thing in her time.

Her distrust was evident in the way she eyed Thorne, who was carrying the potions.

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Aiden realized that Eleonora truly didn’t know what that type of healing was, which left him confused.

How could she not know what a potion was?!

Those things were the most basic form of alchemy, a minimum requirement for any exploration group!

‘Are they from another time…?’ Aiden thought, but now wasn’t the time for that.

Marta was injured, and they didn’t know when the wolves or another creature might decide to attack.

Aiden tried to calm her down, though he felt like they were walking on a tightrope.

“They’re… magical brews that can speed up healing. We weren’t going to leave her without treatment.”

Eleonora studied them for a moment, her critical gaze making them feel vulnerable.

Then, as if she had come to a conclusion, she asked:

“But are you friends… or family?”

The group exchanged nervous glances.

The question caught them off guard, as if they were facing an unexpected interrogation.

But after a brief silence, Aiden, with a hint of uncertainty, answered:

“We’re her friends.”

Eleonora let out an apparent sigh of relief, though the smile on her face remained.

“Ah, I see now…” she murmured, as if something had become clear to her. “So, if you’re her friends, I can’t just let that girl, who’s on the brink of death, die, can I?”

And with that statement, without waiting for a response, Eleonora turned and began walking toward Marta, who lay on the ground, gravely injured, with Selena still kneeling beside her as she recited her healing spell.

The group watched, stunned and tense, not daring to intervene but clearly prepared to act if Eleonora did something strange.

When she reached Marta, Eleonora looked at Selena and, without hesitation, said:

“Move.”

Selena looked at her in disbelief and shook her head, her voice trembling slightly.

“I’m still treating her.”

Eleonora smiled confidently, ignoring the growing hostility in the group.

She crouched beside Marta, carefully examining the wounds on her body.

She could feel the boys behind her shifting uneasily, ready to attack if she did anything suspicious. But she didn’t care about that.

Slowly, Eleonora brought her right hand to her mouth and, with a decisive gesture, bit her thumb hard enough to draw blood.

A thin trickle of blood ran down her finger as she brought it to Marta’s lips, who was breathing heavily, barely conscious.

“What are you doing?” Selena exclaimed, but it was already too late.

Eleonora had already placed her bloody finger in Marta’s mouth, causing the girl to instinctively start swallowing the blood.

Selena froze, unable to stop her, and screamed for Aiden.

“Aiden!”

Aiden, on high alert, took a step forward, warning her in a tense voice.

“Stop right now.”

But instead of getting upset, Eleonora simply looked up at him, keeping her calm the whole time.

“Why are you all so loud?” Eleonora asked in a soft, almost maternal voice. “Can’t you see clearly?”

With her free hand, Eleonora pulled down the fabric covering Camila’s neck, revealing a wound that had been visible on her skin earlier.

To everyone’s surprise, the injured area began to emit a faint steam, and the wound slowly started to close before their eyes.

Aiden, Thorne, and the others watched in disbelief as Camila’s body healed. And not only that. Marta, who had been on the verge of death moments before, started breathing more strongly.

Although she was still coughing, her wounds began to emit the same steam as Camila’s body, and little by little, her skin showed signs of healing.

The clothes she was wearing also began to steam, as if Eleonora’s power was flowing directly into her.

The group was speechless, paralyzed by the confusion and astonishment they felt.

What kind of magic was this?!

Meanwhile, Eleonora remained impassive, observing the effect of her blood on Marta’s body.

‘Wow… I’m really weak. Despite all the blood she drank, she still hasn’t gotten up…’ Eleonora thought as her gaze shifted to her summoned being, whom she viewed as a small child, unsure of what the hell to do in this situation.

‘Should I kill her?’