[IYFILWATIP] Chapter 41

Kirona pointed to the unconscious Jade and put on a pitiful expression. Surprisingly, the old woman, who appeared rather stern, nodded without hesitation.

"Of course. How could this old woman refuse such a request from an esteemed guest? Please, bring him inside." 

The old woman bowed deeply and, despite appearing to have difficulty moving, helped Kirona carry Jade into the house. Kirona felt awkward in the face of such excessive courtesy. 

Before leaving the palace, Kirona had treated everyone except the emperor with disdain. She had never needed to ask for anything, let alone request something politely. 

But people adapt. After a year of hiding her royal status and being treated like a burden or a madwoman in the East, Kirona had become someone who felt uncomfortable when treated with respect. 

The old woman glanced at Jade and clicked her tongue. She then busied herself fetching water and pulling out cloth from the cupboard to use as bandages. 

"Lay him down by the hearth. He shouldn’t be exposed to cold air while the poison is being treated. Fortunately, he’s young and strong, and you brought him here quickly, so his life shouldn’t be in danger." 

"Thank you. I’ll make sure to repay you." 

"Repay me? There’s no need for that. How could I ask for anything from such an esteemed guest? I’ll just fetch some herbs from the storeroom. You can sit here by the fire and warm yourself." 

"Do you know how to treat wounds?" 

"This old woman may look like this, but I’m a mage. I know a bit about herbs, and I used to work as a healer in my younger days." 

Kirona dragged Jade closer to the fire. Every time his wounds scraped against the floor, he let out ragged breaths, clearly in pain, but Kirona had no other choice. It was impossible for her to carry him gently by herself. 

It wasn’t exactly the right time to be thinking about it, but dragging such a heavy man here had left Kirona exhausted. She collapsed by the fire and quickly gulped down the water the old woman had left behind. As her thirst subsided, she finally took in her surroundings. 

The place was a dilapidated hut. In fact, calling it a hut might be generous. It was more like a crude shelter, hastily built with loosely arranged logs. Some might scoff at its appearance, but Kirona had learned that in the East, the exterior of a house wasn’t everything. In a place where monsters could destroy a home at any moment, a simple, easy-to-rebuild structure was ideal. A house that required minimal effort to build but still provided all the necessities. Bundles of herbs hung from the pillars, drying. 

The smell of a seasoned veteran was unmistakable. After all, just surviving in Nabimi Forest at her age was proof enough that this old woman was no ordinary person. 

The old woman soon returned, and Kirona quickly took the canteen and herb bundles from her. 

"He looks like a mercenary. What happened to him?" 

"It seems a basilisk laid a space trap, blocking the way out of the forest. We were caught in the poison rain." 

Kirona answered without thinking, but then her brow furrowed. She suddenly realised she was just now informing the old woman of something important. A basilisk was an extremely dangerous monster. While the forest was known for harboring all sorts of creatures, an event of this magnitude only occurred once every few years. 

When news of a basilisk waking up spread, the inhabitants of Nabimi Forest—unless they were fugitives or criminals—typically evacuated the forest along with the hunting party. 

Yet, despite hearing the word "basilisk," the old woman didn’t seem particularly disturbed. 

"Did you already know the basilisk had awakened?" 

"How could I not? All the smaller monsters have disappeared recently. I suspected as much." 

"Weren’t you rescued by the hunting party? Why didn’t you evacuate with them…?" 

Kirona considered that the old woman might be a fugitive, but she seemed too old for that. It was unlikely she would still be on the run unless she was a particularly notorious criminal. 

"I never evacuate. Not because I’m a criminal, but because my life is already spent. Why put young people in danger just to save myself? If I were that concerned, I wouldn’t have come to the forest in the first place." 

"But it’s dangerous. It seems like you live alone…" 

"No one comes to this forest without knowing the dangers. Isn’t that true for you as well?" 

Kirona found herself at a loss for words. The old woman just smiled and began applying herbs to Jade’s wounds. As soon as his bare skin was exposed, Kirona covered her mouth in shock. The injured area was much larger than it appeared with his clothes on. He was in worse condition than she had thought. 

Even considering the fact that Jade Eclipse was a kidnapper, Kirona couldn’t help but feel guilty, seeing how much he had suffered to protect her.