Emor Tripas blinked in surprise when he heard the Masked Commander's request. He briefly narrowed his eyes at his left shoulder where he was wounded. Then he looked back at her. "It's fine. Don't bother."

Little did he know his response only triggered the suspicion of the Masked Commander even more! Then she pointed her chin at his wound. "You're bleeding. Why won't I bother?" she retorted.

What was he trying to hide?

"Don't you hate me?" Emor Tripas asked as if he was trying to change the topic. However, the Commander saw through him this time.

"Yes, but you're the guest of our kingdom right now. Don't you think it's only right for me to put away every hostile feeling for now?"

If only that was her true mind! However, he knew that she was just making things up. People won't change that easy!

Emor Tripas wanted to argue but... he struggled to come up with a good excuse.

"There is also another option, Your Highness," Iria Alewine stated. At one point, it even seemed like she was mocking him. "I can just use some force."

Emor Tripas narrowed his eyes at the ground for a few seconds before he finally removed his shirt and revealed the usual messed up dressing of his wound. After two hours of riding, the bandage didn't cover any part of his wound anymore! It was the second time but this time, he felt like he was forced.

Iria Alewine could felt her jaw dropped to the floor. He actually complied?

He can choose not to listen to her or... did he think that she will really force him while he was the guest of her kingdom?! He won't be that dumb.

"What are you waiting for?" Emor Tripas urged her. "Didn't you say that you want to see my wound?"

Iria Alewine was snapped out of her stupor when she heard his voice. Now that he was willing to let her take a look, she decided to prove her suspicion... right or wrong. Then she leaned towards him.

The wound was right on his left shoulder. The skin in that area was a mixture of red, green and purple in colour. What's more, it seemed quite deep.

One glance and the Commander wasn't a fool to not know that this wasn't caused by some metal weapons such as swords or arrows. Not to mention that it won't be an injury caused by some accident.

Did someone hit him with... perhaps... an unpolished wood?

This wasn't the only question that crossed the Commander's mind. For a hit to be this serious and deep... it would only be possible if he didn't defend himself at all.

Was that even possible?

Who would just stand still when someone tried to hit them?!

"Are you thinking of how I got this wound?" Emor Tripas asked, reading her expression. "You are a Commander who survived many injuries. So, you will surely have some knowledge."

"You're right," Iria Alewine replied. "Some possibilities crossed my mind but... I don't think they are really possible."

"Sometimes... " Emor Tripas muttered and met Iria's gaze. "What we think is impossible actually happens to someone every day."

Was it his way of telling her that her suspicion was true?

She opened her mouth to say something but...

"I think we should call it a day," Emor Tripas suddenly said and wore his shirt. Then he quickly gets back on his feet. When he was about to walk towards his horse, one thing crossed his mind. He ended up glancing down at the Commander who was still sitting on the ground, confused.

"You asked to take a look at my wound and you should take responsibility for it. You see how messed up my dressing was. So, you should help me with that once we returned to the place," he said to her. His expression was quite determined and he had no plan to take 'no' as an answer. After all, she was the one who asked for it whatever her reason was.

*

When the Commander and the Crown Prince arrived at the palace, the King and all other officials still haven't returned. Besides, it was still early in the evening.

Meeting the urging gaze of Emor Tripas, she decided to just follow him and quickly end whatever awaited her. Besides, she was feeling quite tired, all thanks to the alcohol she had last night.

However, things didn't go as planned when she entered the Crown Prince's chamber as the latter had to clean up himself first if she were to tend to his wound. As such, she ended up waiting again but she was quite glad that he didn't take so long.

Emor Tripas came out with a bathrobe and dressed up immediately. However, he didn't wear a shirt as he will need to remove it again right away.

All the time, the Commander was standing near the window, appreciating the splendid view of the outdoors. She didn't look at the Crown Prince, not even once.

Theo entered with a small pot of warm water, some ointments and a bandage. He placed it on the table and left again right away.

"I think I'm ready."

Iria Alewine finally shifted her gaze to Emor Tripas when she heard him. Without saying anything, she walked towards the table where the warm water and other necessities were placed. Then Emor Tripas walked to her and took a seat on the chair near the table.

First, Iria picked up a clean cloth and gently pressed it against his wound. However, she deliberately pressed it harder at times, making him winced from time to time. One time, he even stared at her face for a while, trying to read what she was thinking. When it was too hard to do that, he sighed in defeat and shifted his gaze again.

Nevertheless, he didn't complain at all.

"If I can bear other's touch, will you still do it for me just because I ask you to?" he asked her, curious. However, he had somewhat predicted her response and he wasn't too wrong.

"If that's the case, you won't even need my help. There will be no reason for you to ask me." This was the Commander's reply.

She continued by applying the ointment to his wound. The infected area was quite large than it appeared and for a few seconds, she blankly stared at it without even moving her hands.

Did he really let someone do this to him? She couldn't understand at all.

She wasn't one to blame. She had never spent a day as him and she never once witnessed his life either.

"Didn't it hurt at all?" The words unconsciously escaped her lips when she was still staring at the wound. When she realized what she said, she tried to ignore it and quickly grabbed the bandage on the table. Then she heard his response.

"I'm used to it."