A short while later, several maids arrived.
They carried everything needed for her bath—basins of warm water, scented oils, soaps, shampoos, and bottles filled with liquids she couldn’t even begin to identify.
Veyra stared at the collection.
‘How many things do they need for a bath?’
The maids led her into the bathing chamber.
It was enormous.
The outer section was arranged for changing clothes, with neatly folded towels for the body and hair and several bathrobes hanging nearby.
Veyra’s eyes lingered on the robes.
They were clearly not ordinary.
The fabric was soft and heavy, decorated with delicate embroidery threaded with gold and silver.
‘Those are definitely his.’
She quickly looked away.
The inner section was even more impressive.
The bathing area was spacious and elegant, with smooth stone surfaces and clean, almost modern lines.
A large bath occupied the center, already filled with steaming water.
Small magical lights glowed softly along the walls, illuminating the room without the need for candles.
It was nothing like the primitive world she’d expected.
The maids began preparing everything around the bath before turning toward her.
One of them stepped closer, clearly intending to help her change.
Veyra immediately raised a hand.
“No, I’m fine.”
The maid paused.
“I can do it myself.
I’ll leave my clothes in the changing area.
Just take them and bring them back before I’m finished.”
The maids exchanged a brief glance.
Then they bowed.
“As you wish.”
One by one, they left the bathing chamber.
The door closed behind them.
Veyra waited.
A second.
Two.
Then she let out a deep sigh and leaned back against the wall.
“That was close.”
Once she was certain the room was empty, Veyra slowly began removing her clothes.
She moved carefully, folding them instead of leaving them carelessly aside.
She carried them to the changing area and hesitated before placing them down.
She didn’t want anyone touching them.
Especially not taking them away.
Her eyes drifted toward the bathrobes hanging nearby.
They looked beautiful, but completely unfamiliar.
She didn’t know what people here normally wore.
‘What if they’re shorter?’
Her fingers tightened around the fabric.
‘What if the back is exposed?’
She stared at the robes for another moment.
‘No.’
She couldn’t risk it.
She had no idea what their clothes looked like, and she couldn’t let anyone see what was underneath hers.
She lowered her gaze.
Then she turned.
Something caught her eye in the polished surface nearby.
Her reflection.
More specifically—
Her back.
She froze.
Her breath caught in her throat.
There it was.
A single word.
Leech.
Her breathing became uneven.
Her fingers trembled.
For a few seconds, she couldn’t look away.
Then his voice came back.
<Know your place.>
<You’re a leech.>
Her brother.
A shiver ran through her.
Veyra quickly turned away from the reflection, gripping the edge of the counter as she tried to steady herself.
Her breathing was still uneven.
“…Yes.”
The word escaped her in a faint mutter.
“That’s what they told me I was…”
Her fingers curled tightly against the counter.
“…a leech.”
She swallowed.
Then she forced herself to look toward the bath.
The steam slowly blurred the reflection behind her.
Veyra took a slow breath.
Then another.
‘Forget it.’
She couldn’t think about it now.
She just needed to get through the bath without anyone seeing.
Veyra finally stepped into the bath.
The warm water eased some of the tension from her body as she lowered herself into it.
She reached for the shampoo and began working it through her hair.
Then her fingers stopped.
Something caught between her strands.
She pulled her hand away and looked down.
A dark, dried residue clung to her fingers.
She frowned.
‘What is that?’
She rinsed her hand and ran her fingers through her hair again.
There was more.
Veyra’s expression slowly changed.
She carefully searched through her hair, finding several small traces of dried blood caught near the back of her head.
She stared at them.
Blood?
Her hand instinctively moved toward the back of her head.
There was no pain.
No fresh wound.
Just the remnants of something that had already happened.
Her brows drew together.
‘How?’
She thought back.
She remembered being at home.
She remembered—
Nothing after that.
Her fingers tightened slightly.
‘I was sleeping.
‘
She was sure of it.
She had been in her own bed.
So how had blood gotten into her hair?
Veyra stared at the water for several seconds.
For the first time since arriving in Aelthara, something didn’t simply feel strange.
Something was missing.
A piece of what had happened to her before she appeared in Eryndor’s chamber.
________________________
Back in Eryndor’s chambers—
Eryndor’s gaze settled on the bed.
For the first time in days, the sight of it felt almost heavenly.
The soft mattress.
The clean sheets.
The pillows waiting for him.
He stood there for a moment, simply admiring it.
‘Finally.’
‘Sleep.’
After a week and a half of barely resting, the thought of finally getting proper sleep felt almost too good.
The mattress sank softly beneath him.
His eyes closed.
‘Finally…’
Then—
A shadow appeared beside the room’s entrance.
Eryndor opened one eye.
One of his Shadow Guards stood there.
The elf’s usually unreadable expression was nowhere to be seen.
A bead of cold sweat ran down his temple.
He hesitated.
Eryndor stared at him from the bed, completely unimpressed.
“What?”
The Shadow Guard swallowed.
“H-Her clothes.”
Eryndor’s brow furrowed slightly.
“What about them?”
“We examined them, as you ordered.”
The elf hesitated again.
“We examined the stitching first.
There was nothing unusual about it.”
Eryndor’s gaze sharpened.
“But?”
The Shadow Guard took a breath.
“The fabric itself.”
He paused.
“We tested a small piece.”
Eryndor pushed himself up slightly.
“And?”
The elf’s expression tightened.
“It resisted force.”
Silence.
Eryndor’s eyes narrowed.
“How much?”
“More than ordinary armor should, considering its weight.”
That caught his full attention.
He sat up.
“Explain.”
“We took an extremely small sample from an inconspicuous part of the fabric.
A skilled hand removed it without leaving a noticeable mark.”
The Shadow Guard continued carefully.
“We tested the piece several times.”
“And?”
“It behaves like a shield.”
Eryndor stared at him.
“A shield?”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
The elf nodded.
“The fabric itself provides protection.
Yet it weighs no more than ordinary cloth.”
Eryndor’s expression hardened.
A piece of clothing that could protect its wearer like armor— without being armor.
His gaze drifted toward the door.
He remembered her strange insistence on keeping the same clothes.
The way she had refused to let the maids take them.
‘So that’s why.’
His eyes narrowed further.
This makes things more dangerous.
She appears to be an ordinary human, yet she possesses exceptional combat skills—and even her clothes are a shield.
that was quite a lot of information about Veyra in one chapter.
♡ I hope you enjoyed reading!
☆⌒(≧▽° ) But now I’m curious…
What do you think happened to Veyra before she appeared in Eryndor’s chambers?