Chapter 27. A Face Full of Wounds  

How much time had passed?

“Aelfrieda?”

“…..!”

Hearing the voice in front of her, Ael startled and opened her eyes. There stood Kyle, his expression hard and stern. To be precise, he was crouched on one knee, looking directly at her face.

Before Ael could say anything, he spoke again.

“Who did this to you?”

For a moment, Ael couldn’t understand what he was saying.

All she could grasp was how terrifying Kyle’s expression was, and how his voice was so cold it sent shivers down her spine.

As Ael stared at him blankly, Kyle’s face briefly showed a hint of regret, as if he realized he had made a mistake. Then, he quickly composed himself.

In an instant, he returned to the slightly smiling, approachable demeanor she had seen before.

Seeing the familiar expression, Ael exhaled deeply. Only then did she realize she had been holding her breath, so startled by Callon’s presence that she hadn’t even been breathing.

Callon, noticing her reaction, cleared his throat awkwardly and spoke.

“My apologies. It looked like someone hit your face…”

“My face? Ah…”

Ael noticed her hat lying on the chair next to her.

She must have fallen so deeply asleep that she didn’t notice it slipping off. Hastily, she put the hat back on, lowering her head as she glanced around.

Perhaps because she had chosen a corner seat when she first entered, there were only one or two people seated far away in the waiting room. Thankfully, no one else seemed to have noticed her.

“Let’s head upstairs for now.”

At Callon’s suggestion, Ael nodded and quickly stood up.

* * *

It had been a busy morning. Several meetings had been scheduled since early hours, and on top of that, there was the sudden issue of an accident in the warehouse the previous day. There was simply no time to spare.

Callon, as someone who held the position of an executive from the Empire’s headquarters, often took the time to personally oversee the guild’s operations when his schedule allowed. That morning, he had attended three consecutive meetings.

It wasn’t until after lunchtime, when Ino had cried out, “We’re working to live, let’s at least eat lunch first!” that the meetings finally ended, and they stepped out.

Exhausted, everyone grabbed the bread and tea prepared in the hallway outside the meeting room and headed back to their respective offices.

Callon, along with Nisha and Ino, entered the branch manager’s office.

“There’s so much to do.”

Nisha sighed, looking at the piles of documents that had come in from various locations.

With a piece of bread in her mouth, she flipped through the papers one by one. Then, she noticed several notes placed beside the desk.

“What’s this…? Oh? Aelfrieda?”

The moment Nisha muttered the name, Callon, who had been quietly eating, shot up from his seat.

He rushed over to Nisha and snatched the note from her hand. After glancing at it briefly, he set his bread aside and straightened his slightly disheveled clothes. Without a word, he immediately headed downstairs.

The note stated that a woman named Aelfrieda had inquired about whether the position for teaching ancient languages was still available and was waiting in the first-floor waiting room.

Callon checked the time written on the note.

9:30 AM. It was now 1 PM.

If Ael was still waiting, she had been there for over three hours.

‘Could she have left?’

After all, lunchtime was nearly over.

But Callon’s steps didn’t falter as he descended the stairs.

‘She’s probably still waiting.’

No one had told him this, yet Callon was certain.

He had told her to come to him if she ever needed help, but she hadn’t sought him out until now.

For her to come here after so much time had passed, it must mean something significant had happened.

When Callon reached the first floor, he asked the staff at the entrance.

“Is Miss Aelfrieda still here, waiting?”

“Oh, that young lady? She went into the waiting room… but I’m not sure if she’s still there.”

The staff member answered cautiously, eyeing Callon, who had come down instead of Nisha. Before the staff could finish speaking, Callon headed toward the waiting room.

The waiting room was quiet. Most people had gone out for lunch.

Thanks to that, Callon quickly spotted Ael.

She was seated in the inner part of the waiting room, on a chair bathed in sunlight.

Her head was slightly tilted to the side, as if she had fallen asleep. Beside her lay her hat, carelessly discarded.

‘Good grief.’

Even from a distance, it was clear. She had fallen asleep here while waiting for a response.

Callon approached quietly, picked up the fallen hat, and placed it beside her. Even then, Ael didn’t stir.

‘Sorry, but I need to wake you.’

Thinking this, he crouched slightly in front of her and looked at her face. But then, Callon froze.

Her slightly lowered face was marred with discoloration. At first, he thought it was dirt, but upon closer inspection, he realized they were bruises.

And it wasn’t just bruises. There were also scratches that looked like they had been caused by something sharp. Callon’s gaze sharpened.

Under the sunlight, her soft, golden hair shimmered like ripe wheat. Her long lashes, the same color as her hair, trembled slightly with her breathing.

Callon didn’t miss the moisture clinging to those lashes. Nor the labored sound of her breathing.

It was the kind of breathing unique to someone who was unwell.

The moment Callon assessed her condition, he clenched his teeth. What on earth had happened to her?

“Aelfrieda?”

Normally, he would have observed her a bit longer, but this time, he called out to her immediately.

Her lashes quivered at his voice, and she slowly opened her eyes. Her eyes, the same color as her hair, blinked sluggishly, struggling to focus.

Seeing her unfocused gaze, Callon felt an unfamiliar mix of frustration, pity, and impatience.

Overwhelmed by emotions he rarely experienced, Callon blurted out the words he had been thinking.

“Who did this to you?”

* * *

Callon immediately brought Ael to the branch manager’s office.

Nisha, who had been waiting, approached cheerfully but froze upon seeing the grim look on Callon’s face, sensing that something was wrong.

“There’s a female doctor in the branch, isn’t there…?”

Forgetting Ael was present, Callon spoke informally to Nisha but quickly corrected himself.

Before Nisha could respond, Ino exclaimed, “I’ll go get her!” and dashed out.

“Um, it’s fine. These are old wounds…”

“Who would believe that you’re fine in this state?”

Callon signaled to Nisha, who nodded and guided Ael to the sofa.

Seeing Ael up close, Nisha’s eyes wavered.

The bruises and scars visible under Ael’s hat were clearly old. And that was the problem.

If they looked this bad after time had passed, they must have been severe when they were fresh. Yet, there were no signs of proper treatment anywhere.

“Miss Aelfrieda, I’m going to take a quick look.”

“Huh?”

Without waiting for a response, Nisha rolled up Ael’s sleeve.

The loose fabric slid up easily, revealing thin arms covered in scars and burn marks.

Ael hastily pulled her sleeve back down, but it was too late. Both Nisha and Callon had already seen everything.

Unable to lift her head, Ael trembled with shame and frustration.

She had expected it would be hard to hide, but she hadn’t thought everything would be exposed so quickly.

“I’m here!”

At that moment, Ino returned with the branch doctor. Nisha gave Callon and Ino a look.

Leave us.

Though she didn’t say a word, her expression made it clear.

* * *

Much later, the doctor exited the room. Callon immediately approached with questions.

“What’s Miss Aelfrieda’s condition?”

“It’s serious.”

“The injuries are severe, then…”

“Of course, the wounds are concerning, but there’s a more urgent issue.”

“A more urgent issue?”

“Well…”

The doctor hesitated to share the patient’s condition with someone else. After all, Miss Aelfrieda had been so ashamed of her injuries that she couldn’t even lift her head during the examination.

Seeing someone so deeply embarrassed by their own pain had left the doctor feeling even more sympathetic.

Most people openly show their injuries, seeking help from those around them.

But those who receive no support from others are different.

They try to hide their wounds.

People in such situations are always on guard, knowing that their wounds could easily become vulnerabilities that others might exploit.

So, the doctor immediately understood upon seeing Ael’s condition.

This young lady’s environment was close to the worst possible, and she had been exposed to it for so long that instead of trying to change her circumstances, she had become accustomed to it and resigned herself to it.