[IYFILWATIP] Chapter 44

"I knew I was right. Where there’s sickness, there must be a cure nearby." 

Jade reached out his wet hand and pulled off his clinging shirt, tossing it aside. Honestly, if the girl hadn’t been there, he would have stripped down completely and soaked himself in the water. But the relief from the pain in his back was enough that he didn’t bother kicking her out. 

So when he suddenly turned around in shock, it wasn’t because the girl was staring at his body. 

It was because, without any warning, she had stripped off all her clothes and jumped into the lake with him. 

* * * 

"You’re a good mercenary. It might be for money, but you’ve been very loyal. Thanks to you, I didn’t get hurt at all." 

What exactly is she? The girl had stripped down completely and was casually praising him as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Jade’s mind was spinning. Should he cover himself? Or should he just avert his eyes? 

"Can’t you put your clothes on while we talk? Are we close enough to bathe together?" 

"If you’re uncomfortable, you can leave. Why should I? Do you think you’re the only one who deserves to enjoy this lake?" 

"......" 

"I was tied up and dragged around by you all day, so I’m sore. I made you get in the lake first to make sure it was safe." 

The girl glared at him as if he were the one at fault. Her sharp attitude made Jade realise that she was of much higher status than he had initially thought. 

She was treating him like a mere tool for her bath. Just as one would have a servant taste food to check for poison, she had made him enter the water first to ensure it was safe for her to bathe in. 

It was only then that Jade understood. This girl had never been taught to feel any shame about her body. No one would have dared to teach her. Those at the top didn’t need such things. It was an attitude that only a high noble who had been served their entire life could possess. 

In the end, Jade averted his gaze and kept his mouth shut. His anxiety grew. He had really taken on the wrong job. Even if he managed to get her out of the forest safely, he was likely to lose his head. He tried to step out of the water, but the still-healing wounds hindered his movements. 

He groaned in pain. 

And the girl didn’t let him escape the situation. She came up to him as he was trying to leave and, in the end, grabbed his arm, pulling him back into the lake. 

"Miss!" 

Jade shouted. Embarrassment is a feeling that, when not felt by one side, doubles for the other. His face burned, and he couldn’t even muster the words to tell her to leave. 

"Hold on. Let’s talk." 

"Why do we have to talk while we’re naked?" 

"How do I know you won’t pull a weapon on me if we talk with our clothes on? Isn’t this better for you? You can see I don’t have any weapons right now." 

She made a good point. 

In the end, Jade lowered his head and quietly turned around, allowing her to count the scars on the muscles of his back. 

"You have a lot of scars on your back. How long have you been doing this?" 

"Five years." 

"How old are you?" 

"Seventeen." 

"We’re the same age. Who are you taking me to, and why? And how much are you getting paid?" 

Jade suddenly realised that he was answering her questions as if he were some kind of subordinate. He was still the kidnapper here. How could an abductee be so confident? 

"Why do you want to know?" 

"Because I’m offering you more. You said you have a debt of 200 million Elysia. I’ll pay it off, so switch employers to me." 

"When you make outrageous claims, you should have something to back them up. Why would I betray my guild and work for you? Who in the world would pay off 200 million Elysia for you…" 

"I told you I’ll pay it off once we’re out of here!" 

The girl, losing her temper, snapped back at him when she found herself at a loss for words. Jade sighed. His wounds hadn’t fully healed yet, so he couldn’t move freely without help, and the girl seemed determined not to let him go until she finished this conversation. 

"Fine, let’s talk. Suppose I do agree to work for you. I need to know what kind of job it is." 

"……I can’t tell you that yet." 

"No 

mercenary takes on a vague job without knowing the details." 

"It’s classified. I can’t say." 

"You said you were looking for something. What is it?" 

The girl hesitated, biting her lip. Jade sneered. 

"This conversation is over. You want to hire me without even telling me what you’re looking for? And you’re going to pay off my debt? That’s ridiculous." 

"……Nadalin’s Flower." 

But the next words out of her mouth left Jade utterly shocked. He had heard rumours that people called her crazy, wondering what on earth she was up to. But she was even crazier than he thought. Sure, the East had all sorts of oddities, but searching for a legendary flower in the real world?