By the time morning arrived, the darkness that had filled the room throughout the night had gradually retreated. Warm rays of sunlight streamed through the window, illuminating the wooden floor and casting long shadows across the room. Outside, the district was slowly beginning to awaken as the first signs of activity drifted in from the streets below.
I remained seated on a chair beside the bed while Charlie stood nearby with his arms folded across his chest. Neither of us had gotten much rest. After everything that had happened the previous night, we had decided to take turns keeping watch and wait for the woman to regain consciousness.
For a long time, nothing changed.
The woman remained motionless beneath the blanket, her breathing slow and steady as she lay peacefully on the bed. If not for the events of the previous night, it would have been difficult to imagine that she had been desperately fleeing for her life only a few hours ago.
Then, just as I began wondering how much longer it would take for her to wake up, a subtle movement caught my attention.
Her eyebrows twitched slightly.
A soft groan escaped her lips as though she were waking from an unpleasant dream. Moments later, her fingers shifted against the blanket and her breathing became slightly uneven.
I straightened in my chair.
The woman's eyelids fluttered briefly before slowly opening. At first, her gaze appeared unfocused as she stared blankly at the unfamiliar ceiling above her. Confusion filled her expression while she tried to gather her bearings and understand where she was.
Then she noticed us.
The moment her gaze shifted away from the ceiling and landed on Charlie and me, the confusion on her face vanished. In its place, fear appeared almost instantly.
Her eyes widened.
Without even thinking, she abruptly pushed herself upright and scrambled backward across the bed.
"Wh-Who are you?!"
The fear in her voice was impossible to miss. Having awakened in an unfamiliar room surrounded by strangers, her reaction was hardly surprising.
Charlie reacted immediately.
"Shh."
Before her voice could rise any further and draw unnecessary attention from outside the room, he stepped forward and gently but firmly covered her mouth with one hand.
The woman's eyes widened even further.
A muffled sound escaped her throat as she immediately began struggling.
Fear filled her expression as she desperately tried to pry Charlie's hand away and escape. Her hands pushed against his arm while her body twisted in an attempt to create some distance between them.
Unfortunately for her, the effort was futile.
She had only recently awakened and had already exhausted most of her energy last night.
As a newly awakened Low-Level Controller, she simply couldn't compete with someone like Charlie, who had already reached the peak of the same realm. The difference in strength between them was overwhelming.
No matter how hard she struggled, she couldn't move his hand even slightly.
Seeing the fear and panic continuing to grow in her eyes, I finally spoke.
"You don't need to be afraid."
My voice remained calm and steady, deliberately lacking any hint of hostility.
The woman paused.
Although Charlie's hand still covered her mouth, her frantic struggling noticeably slowed as her attention shifted toward me.
"We were the ones who saved you from the people trying to abduct you last night."
For several moments, she simply stared at me.
Her eyes remained filled with caution, but the panic that had dominated them moments earlier began to lessen slightly. It was obvious that she was trying to process my words while recalling everything that had happened before she lost consciousness.
Perhaps she remembered being chased through the street.
Or perhaps she simply realized that if Charlie and I truly intended to harm her, there would have been no reason to wait until she woke up.
Whatever conclusion she reached, the result was the same.
The desperate resistance gradually left her body. Her hands slowly loosened their grip on Charlie's arm, and the force behind her struggles weakened until she eventually became still, though the wariness in her eyes remained.
Noticing that she had finally calmed down, Charlie slowly withdrew his hand and took a step back.
The moment she was free, she immediately drew several deep breaths. Her chest rose and fell rapidly as she greedily inhaled air, as though she had been holding her breath the entire time. Although Charlie had only covered her mouth for a few moments, the fear and panic clouding her mind had clearly amplified her reaction.
Without saying anything, Charlie picked up a nearby pitcher and poured a glass of water before extending it toward her.
The woman hesitated. Her gaze shifted from the glass to Charlie, then briefly toward me.
For a moment, she seemed uncertain whether she should accept it.
Eventually, thirst won over caution.
Slowly reaching out, she accepted the glass with both hands.
The moment the cool water touched her lips, she began drinking. What started as small sips quickly turned into large gulps, and within moments, most of the water had disappeared. Only after finishing nearly the entire glass did she lower it back onto her lap.
For the first time since waking up, some of the tension in her expression eased slightly.
Unfortunately, that was where the improvement ended.
When she looked toward Charlie and me again, the fear had not disappeared.
Her body remained visibly tense, as though she were prepared to flee at the slightest sign of danger. Her fingers unconsciously tightened around the empty glass while her eyes darted between us with obvious caution and uncertainty.
It was clear that she still didn't trust us.
Now that she had calmed down somewhat, I decided to ask the question that had been bothering me since the previous night.
"Why were those people trying to abduct you?"
The woman didn't answer immediately. Instead, she remained seated on the bed, holding the glass with both hands while staring at me in silence. Although the panic she had shown earlier had subsided, the fear hadn't completely disappeared. Suspicion, uncertainty, and caution still lingered in her eyes, and every part of her posture remained tense, as though she expected danger to appear at any moment.
For several moments, the room remained quiet.
Seeing that she wasn't planning to answer, I spoke again in a calm voice.
"You don't need to be afraid. You're safe here."
Her gaze flickered slightly at my words. For a brief moment, it seemed as though she wanted to say something. However, whatever thoughts were running through her mind ultimately remained unspoken.
The room gradually fell silent once again.
Neither Charlie nor I spoke as we waited for a response. Unfortunately, none came.
A few moments later, Charlie stepped slightly closer and lowered his voice.
"Young Master, I don't think she's ready to talk yet."
I remained silent for a moment as my gaze settled on the woman.
Judging by her condition, Charlie was probably right.
Whatever had happened after Charlie and I left the horse carriage had clearly left a deep impression on her. Although she had calmed down compared to when she first woke up, the fear and wariness in her eyes remained obvious. At the moment, she seemed more concerned about protecting herself than answering questions.
Trying to force answers out of her now would accomplish nothing.
Eventually, I nodded.
"Fine."
Pushing myself out of the chair, I turned toward the woman.
"You can rest for now."
The woman didn't respond. Whether she was unwilling to speak or simply didn't know what to say, I couldn't tell.
Seeing no reason to remain any longer, I headed toward the door. Charlie followed behind me, and a few moments later, the two of us left the room, leaving her alone with her thoughts and the quiet atmosphere of the inn.