"I remember falling and losing consciousness."
He slid the blanket to the side and lowered his legs from the bed. He looked up and placed his right palm on his temple.
"But that’s about it."
The rough texture of the bandage on his head made him realize he had gotten a few injuries.
He stood up from the bed, glanced at the intricate designs on the painting, and opened the door.
There was no creaking. The door opened smoothly, as though the house was newly built.
"Maybe the dinner they’ve served for me will help me remember."
"I just hope it’s not cold."
He twisted the knob and closed the door before turning his body, only to be met by an unending staircase that led to the main area.
"It’s so far down. What if I fall?" He questioned himself, his vision still adapting after the accident.
After a few minutes of tiresome walking, he eventually reached the main area, but his knees had completely given out.
The sight of carefully served food placed on the tabletop at what looked like a dining area caught his attention. Beside the steamy-hot dishes was a woman dressed in an apron. Her pale skin slid across each plate she washed like it was butter.
’Is this that girl’s mom?’ Lucien thought, reluctantly approaching the food.
The woman turned around, and her eyes widened in shock at the sight of Lucien, her plate almost slipping from her hands.
"Oh my!" She regained her composure and dropped the plate on a neat stack just beside the sink.
"You scared me. How are you already able to walk?"
Lucien didn’t feel like answering. He was already fixated on the sustenance that was awaiting his arrival.
I need to eat that quickly.
His stare was obvious. The woman immediately understood his reason for coming back and chuckled slightly.
"You can eat it; I won’t bother you."
Lucien smiled. That was the first genuine smile he’d had in days, and honestly, he felt his happiness slowly fleeting each time he battled.
But to him, it was nothing. Just usual business, and he would eventually return to normal when he worked things out in this life.
He sat on a dining chair arranged for him, directly in front of the served dish. A metal fork, spoon and knife were neatly placed by his side; below them was a thin white cloth.
"They really must be rich, huh."
He took the first bite, and then he began thinking of the woman’s words.
"So, why were you afraid when you saw me?" Lucien asked, his mouth half-filled with food.
"Nothing, dear. It’s just that you fell straight from the sky at our front door. No ordinary soldier could survive that."
She paused, wiped off the moisture from a wet plate, and then placed it on the stack. It was the last thing in the sink.
"That magic you used. It was an Automatic Spell, right? Only the top-ranking soldiers are capable of that."
Lucien looked confused at first as he swallowed the food he was chewing. He exhaled, and then the realization came fairly quickly.
’I wish. It was probably Wrath that saved me so that he wouldn’t lose his precious vessel. The best thing to do now is to go on with the lie she’s already made for me."
"Ah, yes indeed. That’s how I was able to reduce the damage I had taken and recover quickly."
’I better not say much before she catches onto the lie.’
She looked even more surprised and leaned in, her eyes filled with awe.
"You need to get your rank re-evaluated," she responded, approaching Lucien. "When I was changing your clothes earlier, I saw the crest on your cloak. It’s meant for those at Rank C, but you’re much higher than that."
"And it’s from the 7th Division, which is the weakest of them all."
Lucien immediately dropped his spoon and began choking on his food. She immediately rushed to get a glass and poured water into it.
"Here, take it."
Lucien beat his chest and began drinking as fast as he could to push the lodged food particles down his throat. His eyes teared up, but the food eventually went down.
’Weakest? I almost died twice during my fight with Vaelion.’
He looked at the woman and returned the cup before taking a portion of the food with his spoon and eating it.
The woman took the cup and held it with her shaky hands and slowly walked away to refill it.
"How rude of me not to prepare water for you before you arrived," she stated, her remorse evident through her shaky voice.
Lucien looked at her.
"Hmm?"
"No need. It happens all the time."
The woman filled up the glass and kept it beside his dish. The girl from before came down the stairs, humming a tune that was synced to her every step.
"Oh, you’re here already?" She asked, approaching the dining area.
Lucien had the chance to steal a full glance at her without making himself look obsessed.
She was in her sleeping clothes—loose trousers with a casual long-sleeve shirt that matched. Her hair was a lot messier than it was before, most likely because she had gotten up from her bed.
"You must be really strong if you’ve recovered this quickly. Waking up back there was already a big surprise, and you can already walk?"
Lucien sighed again, muttering with a full mouth.
’Right when the food was getting good, and she shows up?’
’Besides, she’s a lot louder than her mother, so if I explain it, she might question me a lot, and since I have no idea what it is, I’ll inevitably expose myself.’
He stared at her mom, hoping she would understand the assignment and explain it to the girl. After a few seconds, her mom eventually sat her down a few seats across the dining table.
"I’ll make you some tea while I explain it," her mother proposed before briefly explaining it to her.
She didn’t look completely convinced, but the lie was believable enough for her not to question it, so she sat patiently, waiting for her cup of tea.
Lucien took the final bite and dropped the spoon on the plate before leaning back on his chair.
"Thanks for the food, lady."
He reached out for the glass of water and drank every drop like his life depended on it.
The girl looked back at him with a decisive and intimidating stare before saying,
"Now that you’re done eating, aren’t you the demon that’s been on a homicidal streak?"