Chapter 30: But She Is A Girl Like Me!
Lara spun around sharply toward the sound of the voice, her movements crisp, but her tense stance softened when her eyes landed on the frail woman stirring awake on the bed.
Only now did Lara notice that the woman’s face was ashen, her cheeks hollow from days of illness, but her eyes—though tired—were alert and watchful.
"Ma’am, let me help you," Lara said, stepping forward quickly when she saw the woman attempting to push herself up, her thin arms trembling with effort.
"No need. You are a man, after all," the woman muttered hoarsely, her voice tinged with suspicion as she struggled to steady herself against the bedframe.
Before Lara could respond, a sweet, sing-song voice piped up from the edge of the bed. "Mother, she’s a girl like me and Eva," Flora chirped, swinging her small legs as she sat perched on the edge, her feet not even grazing the floor.
Lara’s brow lifted slightly, a flicker of surprise flashing across her face. ’How did this little girl know I’m not a man?’
Delia squinted in confusion, her hand waving weakly toward Flora. "What nonsense are you saying, Flora? Don’t you see he is a soldier?" Her words were sharp but slightly slurred, the remnants of exhaustion still clinging to her tone. Her gaze shifted to Lara, her suspicion deepening. "Did my husband really send you?"
Caught off guard, Lara hesitated. Her lips parted to reply, but her glance darted to Flora and Eva, who were sitting cross-legged on the bed, busily peeling the thin, translucent skin of the small fruit. A flicker of guilt passed over her features—she had already lied once. If she piled more lies on top of it, they might unravel.
Then she remembered something.
She cleared her throat, forcing a calm tone. "Ma’am, you should eat first to regain your strength. We can talk afterward. I’ll inform Abel and Lina that you’ve woken up. And..." she added gently, "your clothes are damp. You need to change them, or you’ll catch a chill."
Lara’s fingers brushed the basket slung over her arm, but her heart sank when she realized there were no eggs left to offer. Instead, she pulled out a sweet potato. Without missing a beat, she peeled it expertly and handed it to Delia.