TC. Tilia came to her senses as the clicking of the tongue became louder.
Forcing her heavy eyelids to open, she saw a beautifully carved ceiling.
- Tch, tch... modern youth...
She turned her head towards the unfamiliar scolding voice and saw the frowning, wrinkled face of a woman there. The face belonged to an elderly priestess, whose hair was streaked with gray. She must have usually had a meek expression on her face.
The woman looked at Tilia disapprovingly, but when their eyes met, she quickly changed her expression, as if she had not scolded her.
- The treatment is completed. No bones are broken, no muscles are strained, so you should regain your strength quickly. I guess I'll get ready.
The haste with which the priestess gathered her things to leave, as if unwilling to interfere, proved that the disdainful tone Tilia heard was not an illusion.
Sacred servant. The sound of tongues clicking. Recovery...
While Tilia, whose head was still in a fog, tried to understand the situation, she heard another female voice - this time higher pitched.
- The water in the bath is ready. Can I help you?
She turned her eyes towards the soft voice and saw a maid dressed in an impeccable outfit. When their eyes met, the maid smiled tenderly and spoke in a sweet voice.
“Young Master Ilex has instructed me to escort you to the set table as soon as you are ready.” Are you still feeling unwell?
Ilex. Hearing this hint, Tilia finally groaned and covered her eyes with both hands.
Now she remembered what happened last night.
Damn holy water. Fucking Ilex Davenport. And... damn me for the choice I made.
While Tilia cursed everything, the maid waited patiently, ready to help her whenever she ordered.
- No need for a bath. I'll just take a quick shower. I don't need help.
Once again belatedly aware of the maid's presence, Tilia sighed and rose from the bed. The middle-aged maid with brown hair bowed her head in gratitude and quietly left.
But something was wrong with her body.
She expected all her joints to ache. She expected her entire body to be covered in bruises, much worse than before.
But her body, dressed in pajamas, felt surprisingly light. Even below, where she expected to find at least some traces, it was clean.
Sitting on the edge of the bed, Tilia narrowed her eyes slightly at the priestess standing respectfully next to the bed. Treatment.
Then her gaze moved to the maid standing next to the priestess. Cleaning.
Ha. Tilia stood up with a wry smile, easily guessing why her body felt so 'normal'.
The priestess must have been healing her damaged body, and the maid must have been cleaning her soiled body.
Now her body was flawless, without a single scratch, but inside she felt dirty, as if she had been doused with slop.
This was always the case after receiving healing from the priest. Her body, from which traces of the past had been forcibly erased, always evoked such feelings.
With an impassive face, she crossed the spacious room and entered the bathroom, closing the door behind her.
The bathroom where she and Ilex had passionately intertwined their bodies the night before was also immaculate.
“Money really works wonders,” Tilia thought as she turned on the tap and let the warm water wash over her, closing her eyes.
The elderly priestess, clearly of high rank, was extremely polite, not at all like the junior priests who visited their home. Although it was clear that she looked down on Tilia, the fear of causing trouble made her act submissively.
The maid was the same. Dressed in formal, immaculate clothing, the middle-aged woman obeyed Tilia with a meek demeanor, in contrast to the arrogant servants in the Ambrose household.
“With one gesture they bend everything under themselves. There is no need for useless worries."
Seeing her body as if nothing had happened, Tilia raised the corner of her mouth.
“And any trace, whatever it may be, can be completely erased.”
***
- Comb your hair...
- No. Where are my clothes?
- She's here.
- I don't need help... It doesn't matter, just do it.
Tilia, who had originally intended to reject everyone who approached her, sighed softly and extended her hand when she saw that the maids looked worried due to her repeated refusals.
Accustomed to dressing herself, she found their help inconvenient, but did not show it. After all, they were just doing their job.
While waiting for the laces on her dress to be tied and hoping they would finish quickly, she heard giggling from below.
Looking down, she saw a young maid with a particularly youthful face who was trying to hold back her laughter as she exchanged glances with her colleague.
- Tina.
The middle-aged woman standing next to Tilia called out the young maid's name as if scolding her.
But her tone was not harsh, as if she understood that the maid's rudeness was inevitable.
At these words, Tilia turned her calm gaze to the brown-haired maid who had been the first to speak to her when she woke up.
There was also a soft smile on her face - a smile with a strange meaning, unlike the typical polite smile.
Tilia, who had been silently watching her, chuckled.
Quite right, loyalty was reserved for those in power, not for a woman like her in a shabby dress.
Even though Tilia was internally mocking them, she spoke quietly, showing the same polite smile that the maid had given her a few minutes ago.
- My name is Tilia Ambrose.
The maids looked up, startled by her sudden introduction.
- I study at the same academy as Ilex. We are in the same graduating class.
- Oh, I see. You act like a student from the Royal Academy...
- Yes, I am a student at the Academy.
Tilia added softly, turning to the maid, who quickly made a seemingly prepared compliment.
- I am not a mistress or a prostitute, as you might think.
Tilia smiled brightly and took the lace from the young maid, tying it more skillfully than she had.
- I think I'm ready now. I'm sorry.
- Miss, everything is wrong...!
Hearing the maid's excited voice behind her, Tilia did not look back. With an impatient hand, she forced the door open.
There, leaning against the door frame, stood a man.
She didn't know how long he stood there. His blue-gray eyes, devoid of emotion, met hers. His clear features seemed icy, almost so cold that they seemed carved out of ice.
As if her memories of him losing his mind and attacking her last night were a lie.
- Have breakfast.
The moment their eyes met, Ilex Davenport's words seemed absurd to the point of impossibility.
- Breakfast is served in the dining room. Come with me.
Tilia looked at him silently before speaking.
- Is this part of the routine?
- What?
“Is serving breakfast after a night together part of the routine for the women you bring to this annex?”
Ilex did not seem to understand her words and was silent for some time.
It was only when Tilia decided to push him away and leave that he smiled slyly.
- Yes, it's part of the routine.
Ilex responded in a rough voice, almost spitting out the words.
- So eat. Come with me.
- No, thank you.
But Tilia had no intention of following his demands outside the bedroom. She fulfilled her duty to the one who saved her last night.
- I pass. I'm not so stupid that I can't feed myself.
With these words, Tilia tried to walk past him.
But Ilex Davenport moved first. Straightening up from his bent position, he easily blocked her path, giving her an intimidating look.
- Eat.
- Don't annoy me.
-You need to take birth control. Eat first.
Just as Tilia was about to lose her temper, she froze, looking at him at the unexpected word.
-...Give it to me.
After a moment's hesitation, she extended her hand.
- I'll take it now, so just give it.
- First, eat, then take. It will ruin your stomach.
- Last time I took it without food. What's the difference now?
- This is different. Do you think it's the same as then?
Hearing her words, Ilex laughed cynically, as if looking at a naive child.
- Think about it, Tilia.
He leaned down, brushing his lips against her ear.
“Do you think the number of times I came inside you last night was normal?” A?
-……
- That's enough to get you pregnant, right now. I ordered the strongest dose to rule out this possibility. If you take it on an empty stomach, skipping dinner and breakfast, what do you think will happen?
His cold blue-gray eyes scanned her face, testing her reaction.
“Not only will it ruin your stomach, but it could also destroy your precious brain.”
Noticing that she was biting her lip, Ilex straightened up and pointed towards the stairs.
- Come down. Unless you want to become an idiot.
Having said this, he turned away, knowing that she had no choice but to follow him.
Watching his broad back walk away without looking back, Tilia finally sighed in disappointment.
Soon the sound of her heavy footsteps was heard, like an inarticulate complaint.