The Villain Alpha's Cursed Mate-Chapter 271 - 271: The Woods
"Sorry to bother you at this time of the day," Leonardo began, suddenly realizing he hadn't rehearsed exactly what to say. "My friend and I were journeying through the woods when she sprained her ankle. I was told to bring her here?"
The young woman blinked slowly, her expression unreadable as she processed his words. "They… told you to bring her here?" she repeated, her tone soft yet probing.
"Yes," he replied quickly. "The herbs outside made it pretty clear we were in the right place. Unless… we missed a turn somewhere?"
That earned a small laugh from her, soft and melodic. "No, you're exactly where you're meant to be. You can bring her in– I'll have a proper look at it."
She stepped aside gracefully, holding the door open. The faint scent of lavender and burning sage wafted out. Inside, the flickering light of candles revealed shelves lined with glass jars and bundles of dried plants hanging from the ceiling.
"Please," she said, gesturing for them to enter, "come in."
The door shut softly behind them, sealing out the outside world.
The home was cozy– lit by soft, hovering orbs of light instead of candles. Dried flowers and potion ingredients hung neatly from the rafters, while shelves brimmed with glass jars filled with colorful powders, salves and glowing liquid. A faint warmth emanated from the stone floor, likely from a subtle enchantment.
This wasn't giving the vibes of evil witches. But then again, it's not like such things were written across one's forehead. They still needed to stay alert and find clues that would hint that they were in the right place.
"Lay her here," the young lady said, gesturing toward a small bed tucked neatly into the corner of the room.
Leonardo helped Cora get down from his back, careful not to jar her injured leg. She sat with a small wince, the soft linen sheet cool against her palms. The room felt calm- almost too calm– with a faint hum in the air that made her skin prickle.
The young woman knelt gracefully before Cora, brushing a few stray strands of hair behind her ear as she examined her injury. The cruel swelling was worse than Cora had realized; an ugly blush of red and purple spreading around her ankle.
She hissed softly through her teeth as the woman's fingers pressed gently against the tender flesh. Despite her pain she was in, she couldn't help but notice how practiced her movements were. It was almost soothing to look at.
"Just hold on," the woman said with a reassuring smile. "I'll mix up something to help reduce the swelling."
She rose to her feet and crossed to the rafters, where bundles of herbs and dried plants hung in orderly rows. With deft fingers, she began selecting ingredients… leaves and roots that gave off a very faint, golden glow. The air was soon filled with the earthy scent of crushed petals and warm resin as she prepared the balm.
Cora grabbed the sleeve of Leonardo's shirt and tugged him down till he was crouching beside her bed.
"What do you think?" she whispered, her eyes darting briefly toward the healer's back.
"We can worry about that later," he replied in a low tone that only she could hear. "Let's get your ankle treated first. Good thing I didn't let you walk– it could've been much worse."
There was a quiet edge of concern in his tone, the kind that slipped out before he could hide it. Cora caught it, and despite the situation, she felt a small, unexpected warmth stir in her chest.
"You two don't seem to be from here…"
The healer's voice interrupted their moment. She hadn't turned around. Her hands were still working as she crushed the herbs in a small stone bowl. Her tone was mild, sounding more curious than accusatory, but there was a suddenness to the way it came out as if she'd been holding the question back.
"Are you?"
Cora and Leonardo exchanged quick glances, silently agreeing to keep their story simple and believable.
"We're from a distant kingdom," Cora replied, forcing a small smile. "We've only been in Mariana for about a month but we can't return due to the dark waters. We're still learning our way around when… well this happened." She gestured vaguely toward her ankle.
"You're really lucky then," the young woman said, her tone light but edged with something that made Cora glanced up. "I heard the woods are dangerous at night. You both might want to stay at the inn nearby after we're done here. I wouldn't advise travelling any further."
"Wild animals don't exactly scare me," Cora scoffed faintly, trying to sound casual. "They are not so dangerous for me to not take a walk in the woods at night, right?"
The lady blinked and turned to look at her, then she smiled faintly. "You're quite funny, but no, I'm not talking about wild animals. You see the woods are…. known to be used by those who practice dark arts at night. Since passerbys are rarely seen in that part of the forest, they use it often. So no one is allowed to be out after dark cause there have been many disturbing cases. You're lucky you made it out of there unharmed."
"Is the king not aware?"
The lady's expression turned somber. "You mean the High Magus? He's supposed to know. We've sent many s but the Magus has been silent. But anyway, I just thought of letting you two know since you're new to this part of Mariana."
She resumed her grinding.
Cora and Leonardo exchanged another look, unsure of what to make of this. There was outwardly nothing suspicious about this modest home. It looked too ordinary for the kind of people they were secretly hunting. At this point, they weren't even certain if they'd found the right one anymore.
"You two have been here for a month…" the lady said as she approached with the balm. "Are you two… a couple?"
The question caught them off guard.
"No!" they blurted out in unison.
The lady froze, a bit startled by their synchronized outburst, before an embarrassed flush crept up her neck, "Oh! I didn't mean to offend, you two just seem close so I thought—"
"It's… it's fine," Cora replied, trying to sound more composed. "We're just friends. Let's not jinx it."
The young woman smiled again, her expression softening. "Oh, I see. That's also nice." She hesitated for a moment, then added lightly. "You can uhm... call me Mira, by the way."
Cora returned her smile. "Do you also stay alone, Mira?"
Chapter 271 - 271: The Woods
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