Nurturing the Hero to Avoid Death

Ch 19.2

I don’t even know where I should start explaining.

What just happened is too terrible. I don’t feel like recounting it in detail to someone I just met.

As I’m thinking of a way to naturally deflect her question, the lady staring at me flashes a troubled smile before shaking her head.

“It’s okay. You don’t have to force yourself to talk. Did you run through the cold rain to get here?You seem to be injured too… Can you wait for a while? I’ll call a doctor immediately. No, maybe it’ll be faster to bring you to them. Ah, but can you walk? If it’s hard on you, I can call a carriage─”

“N-no! It’s okay! I’m not injured to the point where I’ll need a… doctor.”

“Is that so? Are you sure?”

She keeps asking me this question, to which I respond by nodding continuously.

Though it doesn’t stop her from watching me, eyes full of worry. I can’t calm down, looking toward the ground to avoid her gaze.

Then, as I look down, I catch a glimpse of my appearance.

I finally understand why she’s so worried about me.

Even though I was frightened to death, I should’ve fixed my clothes as much as I could before entering the store.

My shirt is torn apart, exposing my torso, and my pants are half-open. How embarrassing.

Dark red imprints cover my wrists. Not only am I soaking wet and dirty, there are many scratches all over my body from shaking off the hotel staff.

What a terrible appearance.

Anyone can guess what happened just by looking at me.

What happened? Who did you run away from?

I immediately adjust the front of my wet shirt.

“If you need something, please tell me at once, okay?” says the landlady, gently patting my shoulder. She must think someone sexually assaulted me. While she isn’t wrong, the situation didn’t progress as far as she assumed.

I want to correct her, but just the thought of voicing it gives me the urge to run away. Instead, I keep silent and nod in reply.

“Alright then… You can use the second room from the back on the second floor. It should be empty today. Wait, let me bring you some clothes. It’s my husband’s, so it might be too big to you, but please bear with it.”

“I-it’s okay…”

The landlady leaves the kitchen, and makes a small run to the back of the building.

After a while, she returns with a towering pile of miscellaneous items. “Here it is! The room key, spare clothes, and bath towels. If you need anything else, just tell me.”

“T-thank you very much.”

I try to accept the things she hands to me but almost drop them due to my trembling arms. I feel so useless. I can’t even hold things properly.

“I-I’m sor…ry….”

Beside me, Alfred extends one hand and takes them all.

I thank him and he nods, eyebrows still furrowed.

He stays silent the whole time, seemingly in a bad mood. He must be annoyed at me for disturbing him at the busiest time of his shift.

“S-sorry, Alfred…”

“It’s fine,” he promptly replies, before sinking into silence once again.

Definitely in a bad mood.