Chapter 103: Scars Beneath the Scarf
Even with this strange sense of familiarity, Abyss couldn’t directly question Cassandra. They had just met. Even if he asked, he wouldn’t get a satisfactory answer.
Haina, still a child, didn’t drink alcohol. The tavern’s beer, sour and bitter, made her grimace. Leona, seeing her discomfort, finished the rest of her drink. Cassandra, however, seemed to be a seasoned drinker, her movements graceful and composed, despite the scarf covering her face.
Flora and Rebecca ate sparingly, their undead bodies not requiring sustenance. Abyss ate his fill, while Leona, not only finishing her own portion, also devoured the leftovers from Flora and Rebecca’s plates.
The former princess had no qualms about eating others’ leftovers. If the Western Empire’s royal family knew about this, they would surely be scandalized.
Fortunately, her eating habits weren’t unsightly. She simply enjoyed eating, and even without gourmet food, she was content as long as she could eat her fill.
After their meal, Haina prepared to return to the inn with her mother, but Flora stopped them.
“Haina, as I mentioned before, why don’t you and your mother stay at the guesthouse with us for a few days? Although there aren’t any servants, it would be more convenient for us to look after each other.”
Haina looked at her mother. Cassandra shook her head. “If Miss Flora is so kind as to invite my daughter to stay with you, I thank you. But I’m an old woman. I can take care of myself. I managed to cross the border alone, after all. I’ll stay at the inn. As long as Haina visits me occasionally, I’ll be fine. It’s not time for celebrations yet.”
“But Mother, it would be easier for me to take care of you if you stayed with us,” Haina said, her voice pleading.
“I know that guesthouse is reserved for distinguished guests. You, as a member of the princess’s Royal Guard, have a right to stay there, but I’m just an ordinary old woman,” Cassandra said, shaking her head. “You should focus on improving your skills and making friends. I can afford to stay at the inn. The owner and the staff are kind and willing to assist me. It’s the best arrangement.”
Haina, still worried about her mother, persisted, but Cassandra’s resolve was firm. She reassured Haina that the inn’s staff were trustworthy, finally convincing her daughter.
“If that’s your decision, then we’ll respect it,” Flora said to Cassandra apologetically. “If we were elsewhere, we could have arranged for you to stay at a more comfortable inn, but Shodo Town is a bit… limited.”
“I didn’t come here for luxury. I came for Princess Givia. The inn Haina found for me is more than adequate,” Cassandra said. “Thank you for your concern.”
“Mother, since you don’t want to stay at the guesthouse, I’ll accompany you back to the inn and chat for a while before joining them,” Haina said. Cassandra smiled at her daughter, nodding her approval.
Abyss and his companions headed towards the guesthouse, while Haina accompanied her mother back to the inn.
As Flora had mentioned, Shodo Town wasn’t a prosperous town. In peacetime, it was a quiet, unremarkable place. With few visitors, there weren’t many inns, and certainly no luxurious accommodations for the wealthy.
The inn Haina had chosen was the best in town. It was clean, and the owner and staff were friendly, willing to assist Cassandra—out of respect for Haina, a member of the princess’s Royal Guard.
Back in Cassandra’s room, Haina sat beside her mother on the bed, holding her left hand.
“Mother, do you need help changing your clothes?” Haina asked.
“Yes, please, my dear,” Cassandra said. With only one arm, changing clothes was a challenge. She had only brought essential food and water for her journey, no spare clothes. Haina had bought her a new outfit earlier that day, but she hadn’t had a chance to change yet.
As Haina retrieved the new clothes, Cassandra unwrapped the scarf from her face.
If a stranger had seen her now, they would have recoiled in horror. The right side of her face was covered in thick, burn scars, her eye socket empty, her eyebrow and hair gone, her mouth twisted and disfigured. The scars extended down her neck and across her body. Her missing right arm had been amputated to save her life.
But the left side of her face was strikingly beautiful, her eyebrow arched elegantly, her blue eye bright and clear, her beauty undiminished by age. In her youth, she must have been a stunning woman. And Haina, her daughter, had inherited her features. Although still young and innocent, her beauty was already evident, promising to blossom into a captivating woman in a few years.
Haina, holding the new clothes, turned around, seeing her mother’s scars, but her expression remained calm. She was accustomed to her mother’s appearance.
“Let me help you,” she said gently, helping her change, using a simple spell to keep her warm—the air in Oakning was still chilly.
Cassandra, enjoying her daughter’s care, put on the new clothes, then wrapped the scarf around her face again, not wanting to frighten the innkeeper or the staff.
“That scarf doesn’t look breathable. I’ll buy you a silk scarf from the Eastern Empire next time,” Haina said, her voice filled with concern for her mother, who was always hiding her scars.
“Your thoughtfulness is enough, my dear,” Cassandra said, retrieving a paper bag from her belongings. “Haina, I need you to deliver this to Princess Givia. She must see it personally. Only I know about this information. Keep it secret. Deliver it first thing tomorrow morning.”
“What is it about?” Haina asked, weighing the bag in her hand. It felt light.
“It’s about Prince Kevin. The princess will understand when she reads it,” Cassandra said, her voice serious. “After delivering this, you must obey the princess’s commands without question.”
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