The Substitute Healer (BL)-Chapter 53: “Cut it out and focus,”

"H-how could you do this, my lord?" Gaspar’s voice cracked as he knelt, cradling Soren’s unconscious body.

The young man was barely clinging to life with his abdomen carved open by three deep, jagged slashes. With that, blood was continuously spilling from his wounds, soaking Gaspar’s hands and the snow beneath them.

Each shallow breath Soren took was ragged and weak, and Gaspar could even feel the chill of death creeping closer with every heartbeat.

It had all happened so fast.

The Frostfang Wargs had attacked without warning, and while Gaspar was distracted fending off one of the beasts, he had seen it all happen as clear as day.

Arctelle deliberately shoved Soren into the path of the monster.

"N-no, I don’t know what you’re talking about, my lord! How could you blame me for this?" Arctelle stammered with trembling voice.

His wide eyes were even begging Gaspar to believe him but he knew better and he could see the flicker of satisfaction hiding beneath the mask of Arctelle’s panic.

"Damn it! Don’t lie! I saw everything!" Gaspar’s shout cut through the cold air making Arctelle flinch and sweat as he saw Gaspar glanced down at Soren’s mangled body.

The wounds were severe to the point that his bones were visible beneath.

Knowing the urgency of the situation, Gaspar knew that every second wasted could be fatal.

"Now, tend to him immediately, my lord! Before it’s too late! He’s still breathing so he can still be saved!" Gaspar pleaded, his voice taut with a bit of fear, calm and urgency.

Then, turning sharply to the nearby knights, who had frozen like statues, he commanded, "Send someone to the frontline and report to His Grace and His Highness! Move!"

A few of them snapped out of their posts, rushing off to obey.

"I-I don’t know what to do... I’m shaking... I don’t know. I’m also scared!" Arctelle’s voice wavered as the perfect image of panic.

But inside, his mind was merciless as his gaze lingered on Soren’s pale, bloodied body, the one person he despised more than anyone else.

’Hah... heal him over my dead body. Not a chance.’

A twisted satisfaction crept into his chest as he forced a shiver of fake fear through his body, perfectly playing the helpless, terrified onlooker and even spilling fake tears.

But before all of that happened...

let us go back to how and why things ended up this way.

"Melissa, no!"

Hector’s shout rang across the frozen battlefield just as a Frostfang Warg leapt from the side.

Its jaws clamped down on Melissa’s arm and yanked her off her feet. She then screamed as the beast dragged her across the snow, making her armor scraped loudly while her blood smeared across the white ground in long, sliding streaks.

"Melissa!" Hector rushed forward with fear breaking through his usually calm voice.

But another beast blocked his path.

He had no choice so he lifted his sword again and barely managed to stop the snapping fangs in front of him. He fought wildly, rushed and uneven while his eyes are constantly turning toward Melissa.

"Ugh..!"

The Frostfang shook her once, then again, before throwing her aside like she weighed nothing. She crashed into the snow making the air knocked from her lungs as the cold ground swallowed her.

This time, the beast was on her at once.

A heavy paw slammed down on her chest, pinning her in place. It was big so the weight crushed her breath as its warm, foul saliva dripped from its open mouth onto her armor.

Fear gripped her like a vise, cold and unrelenting, and the thought of death clawed at her mind.

Every muscle tensed as she imagined the beast sinking its fangs into her neck any time now, tearing her life away in an instant.

Thinking about that possibility, her vision blurred and the world around her was spinning and melting into a haze of white snow and red blood. Her hands shook violently as she tried to lift her sword, but her arms felt numb, and no matter how hard she tried, her strength had completely left her.

Then, the biting cold seeped into her bones once more, a relentless chill that made her shiver uncontrollably.

For a fleeting, almost unbearable moment, it felt as if she were standing on the edge of the world, staring into the void.

And in that final heartbeat, as if the world had slowed just for her, she let her gaze drift toward Hector. Her eyes, wet with tears, searched for him desperately while memorizing his form one last time.

’Damn... I didn’t even confess yet. I haven’t told him how I feel, and that I’ve liked him for so long...’ Her thoughts tumbled out in a rush of regret.

Then, she closed her eyes tightly while allowing the tears to spill freely, freezing almost instantly in the cold air like a stark contrast against the warmth of the blood that still clung to her skin.

Before despair could fully claim her, she felt a sudden, sharp pressure as liquid surged into her armor to her body that the sensation startled her, and through the haze of panic, a deep, furious groan from the beast reached her ears.

Her heart leapt then relief, and hope collided when she realized who it was.

"Y-Your Highness?"

It was Cael.

"Could you stop daydreaming and get up? Save your sentiments for later," he snapped with tone both exasperated and commanding, pulling her from the brink of hopelessness and forcing her to focus on survival rather than her own trembling heart.

"Melissa!" Hector ran toward her.

Having fought off the remaining beasts, his chest still heaving from the battle. His face was etched with worry, and somehow, even though there’s a pain in her body, Melissa felt a strange warmth that’s spreading through her chest.

For a moment, the aches and wounds seemed to fade, dulled by the comfort of his presence. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

While Cael stood nearby along with his sword that’s still raised high, gleaming even in the cold, gray light.

With a swift, precise motion, he swung it through the air, cutting through the blood that had splattered across the battlefield.

After cleaning up the immediate mess, he looked around carefully, staying alert for any hidden beasts or threats. Then he noticed Alaric walking toward him, sword in hand that’s dripping with beast blood.

Before Melissa realized it, a crazy, uncontainable smile had spread across her face but when she looked around, reality came crashing back especially when she caught the prince’s sharp glare at their overly affectionate display.

"T-thank you for your grace, Your Highness... I don’t even know how to repay you..." she stammered with trembling voice.

"Cut it out and focus," the prince snapped while completely ignoring her.

"Y-yes, Your Highness," she replied quickly, bowing her head and now looked at Hector.

Hector stepped closer with breaking voice as he spoke. "Melissa... God, are you okay? Do you have any idea how worried I’ve been?"

Her heart thumped violently, caught between the lingering fear from the battle and the overwhelming relief at his concern.

"Everything’s been taken care of here, I guess?" Cael’s voice broke the silence as he met Alaric’s footsteps. Then they both stopped, eyes scanning the aftermath of the battle.

The ground was littered with nearly a hundred fallen beasts with their heads severed, limbs torn, and bodies gaping with wounds.

Blood also soaked into the snow, painting the once white landscape in red.

All around, the groans of wounded knights echoed as they carefully checked each fallen creature to make sure none had survived.

Fortunately, Alaric and Cael had brought only elite, experienced knights.

Aside from Melissa, none of their group had sustained serious injuries. But Melissa took her wound hard, as if being hurt had stolen a piece of her pride as the only woman among the knights. She had been forced to be rescued by the prince himself, and Hector kept reminding her not to overthink it.

"It just happened," he told her repeatedly. "No one wanted to be in that situation, and no one expected it."

All Melissa could do was try to be grateful.

She was alive, at least.

That was all that mattered.

Nothing else.

Just as the group began to calm down after the battle, two knights from Davenmore arrived with a report. Even the other knights who had been listening widened their eyes, knowing exactly who they were talking about.

Melissa, who had grown fond of Soren, felt her chest tighten and a cold shock run through her as she heard what had happened.

"Where is he?" Cael asked with calm voice but the faint throbbing in his chest was betraying the concern he tried to hide behind his stoic mask.

While Alaric who are listening quietly, thought bitterly to himself with a wrinkled forehead, ’He hurt himself again... How can he be so damn clumsy?’

Melissa, ignoring the ache of her own wounds, stepped forward with slightly trembling voice. "E-excuse me, Your Grace... Your Highness... may I come with you?"

Her gaze flicked between Alaric and Cael, determined despite the fear in her eyes while being assisted by Hector.

She couldn’t stay behind while Soren, someone whom she treated as a friend or closely as a brother was in danger.

Even if it meant ignoring her own pain, she had to be there.

Soren, meanwhile, lay under the shade of the large oak tree with its wide branches casting long shadows over the grassy ground.

"My child... we meet again..." a gentle, almost heavenly voice spoke yet carrying a weight that made Soren still pause in surprise.