As an assassin, Solution possessed several thief based classes. It was why she was able to use the ‘Heal’ scroll that she would normally be barred from.

“First, put her into a coma just in case, then…”

Solution used a skill to combine a powerful poison that induced sleep and a muscle relaxing poison. She then moved to cover the girl’s body.

♦ ♦ ♦

Mid Fire Month (8th Month, Day 26, 19:37

Sebas returned with the meal just as Solution stepped out of the room. She held a steaming bucket of water in both hands, with several towels in each bucket.

The water in both buckets was dark and the towels were dirty as well, showing just what sort of unsanitary conditions the girl lived in.

“You’ve worked hard. The recovery… it seems that it was completed without a hitch.”

“Yes, there were no problems, only that there was no suitable clothing for her so I changed her into whatever we had on hand. Was that acceptable?”

“Of course, it does not matter.”

“Is that so… The effects of the sleeping poison should have worn off by now. … If there is nothing else then I will take my leave.”

“Good work, Solution.”

Solution bowed and walked past Sebas.

Sebas saw her off, and then knocked on the door. Although there was no reply, he felt movement from within and quietly opened the door.

Inside, a girl was sitting up on the bed. She wore a vacant expression, as if she had woken only recently.

She was truly unrecognizable.

The dirty and withered blonde hair now shined with a beautiful luster. In that short amount of time, her sunken, scrawny face had been vitalized and regained its original appearance. Her once shriveled, cracked lips now shone with a pink glint.

To describe her appearance as a whole, rather than calling her beautiful, it was more fitting to call her as a girl who possessed an adorable charm.

It was also easy to get a general idea of her age. Although she looked like she should be in her late teens, her hellish daily life gave her face a dignity that extended past her years.

Solution had put her into a white negligee. However, it was of a simple design, lacking the usual laces and frills that were the norm.

“You should have recovered completely, but how is your condition?”

There was no reply. Her vacant eyes did not show any signs of looking in his direction.

However, as if he did not take that to heart, Sebas waited for her to speak. No, he did not expect much from the beginning. He had realized that her vacant expression was that of a person whose heart was no longer here.

“Are you hungry? I’ve brought you a meal.”

He had purchased it from a restaurant, bowl and all.

The wooden bowl held a stew that was made from slightly seasoned meat broth. The oil added to the stew to accentuate its scent released a smell that stimulated the appetite.

Her face moved slightly, responding to the smell.

“Please help yourself.”

Sebas thought that she had not yet completely walled herself off in her own world. He held out the bowl along with the wooden spoon in front of her.

Even when the girl did not move, Sebas did not try to force her.

After a certain amount of time had passed, enough to make others feel anxious, the girl slowly moved her arm. Her movement was nervous, one that feared pain. Even if her injuries had been healed completely, the memory of the pain remained untouched.

She held the wooden spoon and lifted a small amount of the stew. She then brought it to her mouth and swallowed.

The stew was watery and thin. Sebas had intentionally ordered it to be prepared that way, thinly slicing fourteen types of ingredients and cooking them for a long time so that there would not be a need to chew.

Her throat moved and the stew traveled down into her stomach.

The girl’s eyes moved ever so slightly. That tiniest of movements was the transformation from an elaborate doll to a human being. Her other hand moved, trembling as it accepted the bowl from Sebas.

While carrying the bowl, Sebas moved it to the place where she seemed to want it placed.

The girl stuck the wooden spoon into the stew, hugging the bowl closer to her with her other arm, and ate with an overflowing vigor.

She ate so fast that if the stew had not been cooled to be just right, she would definitely have screamed out in pain from the burns. The girl did not even seem to mind that the chest area of her negligee was being dirtied by the stew trailing out of her mouth. It would have been more fitting to say that she was drinking it, rather than eating it.

After finishing the stew blindingly quickly, the girl drew the empty bowl close and breathed out a sigh.

Having returned to being human, her eyes shut heavily.

The feeling of being full, the clean and soft clothes, the softness that had returned to her body, all of these synergized together to relax her mind and began allowing her body to accept the feeling of drowsiness.

But as her eyelids began to form a line, in the next moment, the girl opened her eyes wide and cowered in fear.

Perhaps she was scared to close her eyes, or maybe she feared that her current situation would vanish like an illusion. Or perhaps she had another reason, Sebas, who was watching her by her side, could not tell. Perhaps she herself did not know the reason.

That was why Sebas spoke to her in a gentle voice in an attempt to calm her.

“Your body is seeking rest. Do not push yourself and sleep. I guarantee that you are in no danger here. You will still be in this bed when you open your eyes.”

For the first time, the girl’s eyes moved and stared directly at Sebas.

There was barely any light in her blue eyes; no strength could be felt from them. Only that they were no longer the eyes of the dead, but the living.

Her mouth parted slightly and— closed. She opened her mouth once more and— again, closed.

That was repeated several times over. Sebas watched gently and did not try to pressure her. He merely stared in silence.

“Th…”

At last, the lips parted and a tiny voice leaked through. The words that followed came quickly.