Forgotten Fields - Chapter 47



Edrick shouted at them.

"Her Highness is wounded! You need to get the healing spell right away!"

Hearing this, Lord Hardt ordered the knight who followed him to bring the wizard.

After a while, a young wizard from the imperial family came running at him.

While he checked the condition of the Princess, Edrick and his knights set about clearing the stone.

When she lifted the rock that was pressing down on her knees, he revealed her completely crushed knees and calves beneath the torn skirt.

Edrick swallowed his groan as he saw several pieces of bone sticking out of her skin. In this state, even if he cast a healing spell, she would never be able to use her leg.

"If you let the wound heal like this, the shape of her leg will be completely distorted. First, you have to move her to the camp and put her bones together."

The wizard, who had been examining the condition of the Princess with a serious face, said in a heavy voice.

Edrick looked at him with a dark expression.

"Will she be able to hold out until then?"

"I've cast a healing spell, so she'll be fine for now."

The wizard replied with a sigh, rubbing the nape of his neck.

"Still, I think it's best to put a splint on her leg to prevent the wound from opening up further. Is there a suitable tool?"

"Is this enough?"

Lord Hardt untied his sword from his waistband and held it out.

The wizard took the sheath and shook it lightly, as if to gauge its weight, then nodded slowly.

"Then I'll tie her legs, so please hold her underneath."

Edrick immediately followed the wizard's instructions and carefully supported her swollen calf.

At that moment, a painful scream erupted from the woman's limp mouth.

Edrick was startled and lost his hand. Her legs with protruding bones fell to the ground, spurting dark red blood. While he was bewildered by the horrific scene, Barcas, who had been observing the situation from a distance, wrapped his arms around the Princess's upper body and held her tightly.

"Hurry up and stop bleeding!"

Edrick came to his senses and hurriedly grabbed her by the leg.

Meanwhile, the wizard tore his cloak and pressed against a long wound that stretched from her thigh to her knee. The Princess buried her face in Lord Sheerkan's chest, let out a beastly moan, and scratched the nape of his neck with her dark red nails.

"That's it! Now, please tie up the splint!"

Following the wizard's urgent cry, the knights bent down and fastened her legs to the long sheath.

When first aid was finally given, Lord Sheerkhan took her in his arms.

Edrick hurriedly reached for him.

"I'll move her. The leader... hurt."

Just as he was about to reach it, the man's arm pulled the woman's body closer toward him. The defensive gesture paused Edrick.

Barkcs narrowed his brows as if he was annoyed, and he made a chin gesture.

"That's it, so take the lead. There is no time to lose."

"Yes... I'm sorry."

Edrick mumbled an apology and hurried to light the road with a torch. He wouldn't be able to take her up a steep slope in such a state, so he had to go around the rock wall to get to the camp.

He walked along the dark forest path, glancing back at Barcas.

The lights of the knights were shining on one side of the man's face. Edrick stared at his cold, even boredom, and immediately straightened his head. Now was not the time to wonder what he was thinking.

Edrick drove away all the thoughts in his head and quickened his steps through the dense forest.

***

My legs felt like they were burning.

I groaned with a simmering pain in my skin, and I managed to lift my heavy eyelids, which were hard to open as if they had been glued.

In the fading vision, I could see the ceiling with dim lights. After a moment of confusion, I twisted my body and let out a shrill scream.

"Please hold her immobilized!"

Led by an unfamiliar voice, I lowered my gaze and saw a fleshy, good-looking middle-aged man leaning deeply over my leg.

He pressed one hand down on my thigh and ran a small forceps-like instrument into my bloodied knee.

I looked at the scene with horror and then twisted to escape from the man. Then someone standing by my bedside slammed her shoulder down on my shoulder.

"Your Highness! Calm down!"

I gasped wildly, looking up at the dark shadow above me.

Her face was dark and tired, and her face was somewhat familiar. It took a few seconds for me to realize that she was one of Senevere's maids. But I didn't feel any relief.

I, who alternated between the maid's stiff face and the man on my knees with dilated pupils, reached out and clawed at the woman's face.

The maid who was pressing against my body with her sturdy arms screamed and hurriedly removed her hands. I was about to crawl on the bed and run away, but a strong hand jumped out of nowhere and fixed my wrist to the bed.

I writhed violently like a beast caught in a trap.

"Let this go! Let it go!"

"Calm down! I'm treating my wounds right now. You shouldn't move like that!"

The man cried out desperately, pressing his armor-clad chest down against my torso.

I began to struggle even harder. The intense pain seemed to tear my whole body apart. However, the fear of running away overwhelmed all my senses.

"I don't like it! Don't touch me!"

"Bring me sleeping pills right now!"

The man shouted loudly.

I looked up at his rough, darkly shadowed face, with terrified eyes. My guard, who always acted like a fool, was suppressing me with a harshly stiff face.

A familiar feeling of fear and helplessness tightened in my throat.

I reached out to claw at his face.

"Go away! Leave me alone!"

I screamed through my harsh sobs, and a short curse came out of the man's mouth.

I twisted myself even more desperately. The man grabbed my wrist in one hand and pressed the cold vial to my mouth.

"Eat. When you wake up, everything will be over."

I kept my mouth shut.

However, he did not give up easily. The man pressed the mouth of the vial against my lower lip and pleaded.

"It's not poison! It is a medicine that helps you not feel pain during treatment. So please..."

Despite the knight's desperate plea, I gritted my teeth and endured.

No one could believe it.

Everyone must be trying to do something terrible to take advantage of my helplessness.

I struck the vial with my elbow and pulled myself to my feet. As I struggled with my bloodied legs to escape the beasts that were holding him, I saw a slender shadow burst into the barracks.

Seeing his face, I stiffened.

The man who brought the smell of heavy rain grabbed my torso with his snarling-like arms.

There was no way to escape. Barcas sat behind me, clasped my torso tightly with one arm, and nodded to the knight.

"Bring me some medicine."

The knight immediately obeyed the order.

Barcas was handed a new vial, used his molars to pull out the cork, and pressed the mouth of the bottle into my mouth.

I stared at it with trembling eyes, then shifted my gaze to his expressionless face.

Barcas urged in a low tone.

"Drink."


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