“Injured…” she murmured.
Then she frowned.
“I think… I remember a little, but not clearly.”
Flora looked at her. Eileen’s eyes stared at the ceiling, empty, as if trying to recall last night’s events. Then her brow furrowed, then relaxed from pain, looking even more lost.
“Last night… I remember hearing sounds outside…”
She spoke very slowly, pausing after every few words, as if confirming what she said.
“So I went out to look… and then… then there were so many people…”
She stopped. Unable to frown, she clenched her hands.
“A… and then…”
She couldn’t continue. Flora looked at her, her heart twisting painfully.
“Can’t remember clearly?” Flora asked softly.
Eileen nodded slightly, then shook her head.
“I remember a little, but it’s vague,” she said. “I remember falling and hitting my head on something. It hurt so much… then I… I lay on the ground, unable to move…”
As she spoke, her voice grew softer.
“Then… then someone seemed to come… someone crouched down… someone called my name…”
“Was that you?”
Flora looked at her and was silent for a second.
“It was me.”
Eileen looked at her for several seconds. Then her eyes moved, as if something flickered within them.
“Thank you,” she said, her voice very soft.
Flora’s throat tightened. She didn’t know what to say, so she just shook her head.
Eileen turned back to look at the ceiling.
“I think… I’ve forgotten a lot of last night,” she said, a hint of confusion in her voice. “My memories don’t connect. One fragment after another, some here, but many missing… I don’t know which came first, which came after…”
Flora listened without speaking. She recalled how Eileen had pointed the direction last night. At that time, Eileen was still conscious, could still speak and point. But those memories were probably shattered now, impossible to piece together.
Perhaps it was her subconscious protecting her, preventing her from remembering these things.
“This can happen when you’re injured,” Flora said. “It’s okay. If you don’t remember, then don’t. It’s probably for the best.”
Eileen hummed in acknowledgment. Then she suddenly remembered something and turned her head back to Flora.
“Have you been here the whole time?”
Flora nodded.
“Stayed up the whole night.”
Eileen was taken aback. Then her eyes reddened slightly. Very faintly, barely noticeable. But she blinked, blinking the redness away.
“Thank you,” she said again.
This time her voice trembled a little.
It was very soft, but it made one’s heart ache.
Flora looked at her, feeling as if something had gently pricked her heart.
She wanted to say you’re welcome, wanted to say it was her duty. There was so much she wanted to say.
But she didn’t say anything. Perhaps because she didn’t want to, or perhaps because she couldn’t.
She just reached out and gently brushed a strand of messy hair from Eileen’s forehead.
Eileen didn’t flinch, just looked at her.
Those eyes were exactly as she remembered. When she had been sick before, she had looked at her the same way, eyes bright, with a hint of reliance and trust.
It was still the same now. But she didn’t know who stood before her.
Or rather, in her eyes, the person before her was just a very familiar stranger, a noble lady.
Flora withdrew her hand.
“Want some water? Are you hungry?” she asked, keeping her voice as steady as possible.
Eileen thought for a moment, then nodded.
Flora stood up, walked to the table, and poured water. The kettle was still there. In the room, only the cup she had used yesterday remained, with half a cup of cold water.
She carried the cup back, sat down on the bed, helped Eileen sit up slightly, and brought the cup to her lips.
The water from the kettle had also cooled a bit, but it was still drinkable.
Eileen took small sips. After a few sips, she shook her head, indicating she was done.
Just then, the door was pushed open.
Flora set the cup down, helped her lie back, and then turned around.
Ilya stood at the door. Behind her were Kaan and Cole.
The three of them entered. Ilya walked in front, her expression as usual—calm and indifferent. She glanced at Eileen, then at Flora, said nothing, and walked to stand by the window.
Kaan and Cole quickly walked to the bedside.
“Eileen!” Kaan called out, his voice urgent and delighted. “You’re awake!”
Cole stood beside her, his eyes also reddening.
Eileen looked at them and blinked.
“Kaan… Cole…” she called softly. “You’re here too.”
“We came last night!” Kaan said, unable to suppress his excitement. “Miss Flora called us! We stayed up with you all night!”
Eileen was taken aback and looked at Flora.
Flora stood by the bed, silent.
“Then Lady came back,” Kaan continued. “She said we couldn’t help here and told us to go back and sleep. But we thought it wasn’t right to go, so we slept in the living room.”
As he spoke, he scratched his head, a little embarrassed.
Cole nodded beside him.
“When we woke up in the morning, Lady told us you were still asleep and asked us not to go in,” he said. “So we waited outside.”
Eileen listened, her eyes moving around them.
Finally, they fell on Ilya. Ilya stood by the window, backlit, her expression unreadable.
“Thank you, Lady,” Eileen said softly.
“Mm.”
Ilya turned her head, glanced at her, then returned to her usual calm.
Then Eileen turned to Flora.
“And thank you too, Miss Flora.”
Flora stood nearby, watching this scene. She suddenly realized something.
Eileen smiled, gentle and happy.
Last night, Ilya had gone to deal with the bodies. Flora didn’t know when she had returned. When she came back, Flora must have already been asleep, which was why she didn’t know.
She looked at Ilya. Ilya was still the same, standing by the window, looking outside.
But Flora noticed that her clothes had changed.
It wasn’t the soaking wet clothes from last night; she had changed into a different set. The wet ones were probably already taken to be washed.
When had she gone back to change?
No idea.
“Mother,” she called.
Ilya turned to look at her.
“Last night… when did you get back?”
“I didn’t check the exact time,” Ilya said. “Anyway, when I came back, you were lying by the bedside, already asleep.”
Flora was taken aback.
“Then how did you—”
“After I sent Kaan and the others out, I stayed here for a while,” Ilya said. “I took the opportunity to go back and change clothes, and brought an umbrella while I was at it.”
As she spoke, she paused in the middle.
“When I came back, you were still asleep.”