Chapter 126: Princess
It was Ray. He knelt beside her, gently reaching for her foot and taking off her shoe, but she promptly withdrew her leg from his grasp.
"I am fine," she insisted, rising to her feet, only to lose her balance. Before she could fall, his arms steadied her.
"Woah!" She breathed, exhaling sharply as she regained her footing before swiftly stepping out of his hold.
"Thanks, but I can manage from here," she muttered and began limping away, only to be caught off guard when he suddenly scooped her up. Without a word, he carried her back to the rock and set her down.
"I said I am fine!" She protested, attempting to stand again, but he cut her off.
"I am sorry, but until you are assigned a new knight, I have no choice but to care for you or I will be punished. Don’t make this harder than it already is." His voice was cold, devoid of any warmth, earning a scoff from her.
She should have known. Why had she even bothered to care? Despite her resistance, he knelt again and lifted her foot, inspecting it closely.
The sight of how red and swollen it had become made him frown. As soon as his fingers brushed against it, she flinched, prompting him to withdraw his hand.
"Be careful, will you?" She snapped, hissing in pain.
"My apologies," he said, though his tone carried the stiffness of duty rather than sincerity.
"What do you intend to do about it?" She asked.