“Sigh. If it were up to me and Abigail, you would stay here to heal naturally, which would be very good for your body. But you need to fulfill your part of the deal.”

“Can’t it be another day?” he asked, his voice low, almost a whisper.

“No. You promised to accompany us to the auction, and you will fulfill that promise.”

“But I don’t even matter… They only want you and Abigail,” Edgar replied, frowning, even more frustrated.

“And that’s exactly why you’re going to accompany us. It will be our excuse to refuse certain proposals.”

Edgar blinked, confused, but remained silent.

“You’ll understand later. This is your second time appearing in public. As you gain more experience, you’ll understand better how society works.”

Edgar didn’t answer, biting his lip to contain another complaint.

“Abigail will be here soon; she must be back from her trip. She will heal you. And Hendrina...”

“Yes, Lady Inessa,” Hendrina replied, who had been standing near the door, silent the entire time.

“Tell the others not to worry and to return to their training. Tomorrow Edgar will give an explanation for yesterday’s actions and apologize to everyone. You may go.”

“Yes, Lady Inessa.” Hendrina bowed slightly and left immediately, closing the door behind her.

Inessa turned her attention to Edgar, who seemed to be struggling with his own irritation and physical discomfort.

“Do you need anything? Water or food? Would you like to change positions?”

“I want anesthetics,” he said, groaning in pain as he tried to move his head to the side.

“That can’t be. The punishment lasts until Abigail arrives. Anything else?”

“Hmph… I want sweets,” he murmured hopefully, casting a sidelong glance at her.

“That can’t be either. We’re going to have dinner in Avaris before the auction.”

“I don’t want anything, then. Go away,” he replied, annoyed and frustrated, turning his face to the side with effort.

Inessa watched him for a moment longer, her eyes assessing him coldly, before turning and walking to the door. With a calm gesture, she closed it behind her, leaving Edgar alone in the darkness of the room.

A few minutes after Inessa left the room, Mahara entered, wearing her maid's clothes again. Her impeccable uniform contrasted drastically with her awkward expression, marked by an invisible weight that seemed to crush her soul.

It was as if she carried the burden of the entire world on her shoulders. Her hesitant, almost dragging steps echoed in the heavy atmosphere, while her eyes remained fixed on the floor, unable to face the scene unfolding in front of her.

Edgar, motionless, remained lying down, staring at the ceiling, seemingly oblivious to her presence. The silence between them was almost palpable, until, with an effort, Edgar broke it, his voice low but full of meaning.

“You could have been gentler, don’t you think?” he said, turning his head just enough to glance at her.

His voice was devoid of spite or malice; there was a sincere, almost introspective tone, as if he were reflecting on himself. Mahara paused for a moment, as if those words had penetrated straight to the core of her guilt. She raised her eyes slowly, and her voice, trembling, finally broke the silence:

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“Are you… okay?” she asked, the hesitation clear in her speech. Her hand rose slowly, as if to touch him, but, in mid-motion, she stopped, unable to complete the gesture.

“That question seems a bit redundant to me,” Edgar replied with a tired sigh, accompanied by a short but weak smile. “But I deserved it. I acted like a selfish idiot, letting myself be carried away by my immature impulses and hasty conclusions.”

Mahara tried to protest, but the words wouldn’t come. They were lost before they even reached her lips.

“Don’t worry,” Edgar said, trying to lighten the mood. “It’s nothing serious. I’ve been through worse. Like when Nala first trained me… Hah! That woman has no mercy at all.”

He let out a muffled laugh, but it seemed to carry more weight than relief, as if he were trying to force some lightness where none existed. Mahara remained silent, her eyes avoiding his.

“And you?” Edgar asked, breaking the silence again, turning his head with effort to face her. “How are you?”

Mahara hesitated for a moment. “Honestly, I don’t know…” She lowered her eyes, her hands shaking slightly as she continued. “My wounds… are gone. I can’t feel anything physically anymore. But every time I close my eyes… the scene comes back. Always.”

Edgar frowned, but didn’t interrupt.

“Great Lady Nala told me this was normal,” Mahara continued, her voice taking on a quiet firmness. “She said time will make it pass, and I believe her. But...”

“But?” Edgar prompted.

“But I don’t want to forget,” Mahara said, her voice full of determination. Her fists clenched tightly. “I don’t want this pain to go away. I want to remember it every day of my life.”

Edgar felt the intensity in her words, like a direct hit. He opened his mouth, but was cut off by Mahara, whose words now flowed with a palpable, almost uncontrolled force.

“I want to remember how weak and useless I felt. How I watched Anya and Sonia being brutally beaten, nearly devoured, while I… I couldn’t move. I was paralyzed.” Her voice shook, but it didn’t waver. “I want to remember the relief I felt when Windor intervened, and how that relief turned to despair.”

“Mahara, you shouldn’t punish yourself like this…” Edgar murmured, his gaze worried.

“Of course I should!” She cut in sharply. “You don’t understand, Young Lord. The serpent that was toying with us, almost killing us, fled in terror when Windor appeared…” Her eyes burned, now red with anger and stress, each word filled with silent fury. “She fled in fear… Hahaha.”

“She knew… she knew how powerful that attack was, and that she had no chance. She felt the same fear I felt. Imagine what I was feeling when I saw that… I felt like a worm, Young Lord. A worm that everyone feels disgusted by and doesn’t even want to bother crushing, because they feel disgusted…”

She took a deep breath, struggling to control her emotions.

“The worst was when I was there, in the middle of the toxic smoke, looking at the lava pit. It was there that I felt… I understood what Great Lady Nala had always warned me about. That was when I felt what it’s like to be faced with absolute strength. It’s not something that can be described. It’s something that makes you realize how small and miserable you really are.” She spoke with a tone of contempt, as if she were accusing herself.

“Today, when I woke up in my bed after being healed by Lady Abigail, I felt like the most useless person in the world…” She lowered her head, regret and pain permeating her words.

“As I lay there, I reflected on that moment… Hahaha.” Her voice was calm but bitter as she tilted her head slightly. “The enemy who nearly killed us fled in terror when Windor appeared. But do you know what’s truly frightening?”

She looked into Edgar’s eyes intently, her eyes bloodshot red. “It’s realizing that even with ten, a hundred, or a thousand times the power of that attack, it would never be enough to even scratch Great Lady Nala’s aura that enveloped us at that moment. That… that is absolute strength.”

“Mahara…” Edgar began, but the words died in her throat.

Mahara lowered her head, her voice thick with conflicting emotions. “I feel jealous, Young Lord. And at the same time, I feel afraid.”

“Afraid of what?”

“Afraid of going through something like that again, and not having the same protection. What could I do, being so weak?” Her eyes were filled with regret and confession. “It was then that I thought... What if I had that strength? I would never have to fear anything or anyone.” Her voice was lower, but the determination in each word was undeniable.

Edgar watched her in silence, his eyes analyzing every nuance of her expression, before gently patting the bed beside her. “Lie here, Mahara.”

She hesitated, but with some effort, she lay down next to him.

“When I received Anya’s message,” he began, his voice low, almost a whisper, “I tried to leave immediately, mount Typhoon and go after you. But I was stopped. I was only able to go after I called Nala and she opened a portal.”

“When did that happen?” Mahara asked.

“Just before Crotalus trapped you in his trap.” He turned his head to face her. “The first thing I saw was you. Fighting bravely, distracting the serpent with your shield.”

Mahara blinked in confusion.

“From the message, I thought you were in mortal danger. But what I saw… it didn’t make sense. You were holding out. Fighting well.” He paused before continuing.

“Of course, Crotalus proved its superiority in the end. But that doesn’t take away from your merit. Nala expected more, because she knew what you were capable of. But I didn’t! When you were subdued, I didn’t think it was the end. I thought, ‘They will become stronger.’ And I’m sure you have.”