Chapter 13 : between duty and fear

Ryo shifted uncomfortably beside Elowen, the silence in the corridor pressing him. Through the glass, Lady Rose lay motionless, her chest rising and falling in a steady rhythm. Her face looked peaceful, but her skin was pale.

Elowen’s eyes were locked on her, cold but undeniably determined.

“She always carries everything alone,” he murmured, his voice low, almost a whisper meant only for himself. “Even when it breaks her body… even when it could kill her.”

Ryo hesitated, the weight of guilt gnawing at him. “If I wasn’t here, maybe she wouldn’t—”

“Don’t finish that sentence.” Elowen’s tone was sharp, like a blade cutting through the air. His gaze finally left the glass and pinned Ryo in place. “My sister made her choice long before she met you—that she would take care of all the infected people in the kingdom. You’re not the first one she’s brought home… She decided her life would be dedicated to protecting others, whether they wanted her protection or not.” he took a deep breath “And yet, every time they die… it breaks her heart.”

Ryo flinched, the words hitting deeper than he expected.

The Beast stirred in his chest, chuckling darkly.

Humans always care even when they shouldn't

Ryo clenched his fists, trying to shut it out.

Just then, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed down the hall. Amos appeared, his axe strapped across his back, face grim. He paused briefly to glance at Rose before leaning toward Elowen.

“There’s talk spreading in the city,” he said in a hushed voice. “About the attack. Some say it wasn’t the hounds. They’re whispering it was him.” His eyes flicked to Ryo.

Ryo stiffened.

Elowen’s jaw tightened, but his tone remained controlled. “Let them whisper. Truth has a way of surfacing.”

“Not always,” Amos replied, his voice heavy. “You’ve seen the Council. Once they make up their mind, they don’t care about truth. If they decide this boy is dangerous…” His gaze hardened on Ryo. “…then no one in this city will be safe—not even him.”

The words hung heavy in the sterile air of the hospital corridor.

Ryo’s throat went dry. He had been thinking of leaving before, but now… it felt less like a choice and more like an inevitability.

The Beast purred, pleased. See? You don’t belong here. They will turn on you. But me? I’ll never abandon you.

Elowen glanced at Ryo, his expression unreadable. “Don’t make me regret standing up for you.”

Before Ryo could answer, Rose stirred faintly on the hospital bed, her fingers twitching. Ryo noticed that and pointed at her,
The three men froze, all thoughts of suspicion and blame replaced by the fragile hope that she was waking.

---
"Lady Rose!" Andrea shouted before leaping toward her mistress. "I really thought we had lost you."
"You know it takes more than that to take me down, my dear."
"You're flirty again, you're definitely alright”

Amos, Elowen, and Ryo let out a sigh as they ate the meal Andrea had brought.

"Why are you still here by the way” shouted Elowen while looking at Amos who Was devouring a piece of meat greedily.

“I have a few things to take care of before reporting back to the superiors,” he said with his mouth full.

“Don’t talk with your mouth full,” Elowen muttered, annoyed by his lack of manners.

“Since when do you talk back to me?” the strong man asked after swallowing his soup “Did you forget I used to change your diapers, and that you spent all your time following me around?”

“silence” Elowen growled.
Ryo chuckles.
---
Meanwhile, far from the hospital, near the entrance of the city, the boy with black hair and red eyes leaned against a broken lamppost at the edge of the city. Roseille knelt beside him, her fingers tracing faint glyphs into the dirt.

“She’s alive,” she murmured, relief softening her features. “But weak...

Her companion’s crimson gaze turned toward the glow of the city lights. A slow, cold smile curved beneath his scarf.

“Good. Let her recover. I don't like when it's easy ”

---
Elowen had stepped out to speak with the doctors, while Lady Rose sat quietly by the window, her gaze lost in the world beyond the window.

“ I'm glad you're okay, I couldn’t bear to lose anyone else… and yet, I keep losing them.”

Lady Rose’s fingers traced idle patterns along the windowsill, her gaze fixed on the horizon beyond the glass. The city stretched out beneath the soft haze of late afternoon, its streets bustling with life.

Ryo stood quietly behind her, hands tucked into his pockets, unsure if he should speak or simply let her be. The silence between them was heavy.

“You know,” she finally murmured, her voice barely above a whisper, “it doesn’t get easier. Every time someone dies… due to an infection, it feels like a piece of me dies with them.”

Ryo swallowed, the Beast inside him shifting uneasily, almost as it was sensing her pain. “You’ve carried so much,” he said carefully. “Maybe… maybe...

What am I doing, I've never been good at comforting people.

He shifted uncomfortably, his gaze fixed on the floor instead of Lady Rose.

“I understand” she murmured. Her voice was calm, almost tired.
“Did my brother tell you why I help the infected?”

“No. He just said you always do. I guess it’s in your nature.”

“Did he talk to you about our aunt? The one I desperately hoped to impress?”

“Yes…” he said, his voice tinged with sadness.

“She became infected…”

Ryo’s eyes widened in surprise.

“And yes, it was a shock for everyone. The Beast inside her drove her mad… and then she died. I stayed by her side from beginning to end. It was agonizing…”

Her words hit him like a slap. “Her last words… they were shocking. She didn’t see me as a Sunwhisper but rather as a child born into the wrong family. She wanted to discourage me, to make me run. She wanted me to escape my destiny.”

“I don’t know what came over me, but I ran. Maybe I had too much grief in my heart—the death of my parents, and now this. My friends found me filthy and in tears. Coming back home, I realized I had fled, leaving my last family behind. I promised myself I would live my life to the fullest from now on.”
The corner of her mouth lifted, a faint, sad smile.

For a brief moment, silence became a comfort. Elowen then knocked on the door before stepping inside.
He had heard everything said the beast.

Ryo just looked at the siblings, they were smiling at each other as if nothing ever happened.