Chapter 77: The Distressed Cat
Two days later. Cipher still hadn't returned.
You sat by the window in the guest room, holding the note she had left behind. The anxiety in your heart grew wildly like weeds, impossible to suppress. Cipher had always kept her word; since she promised a return date, she would never easily break it. Unless… something unexpected had happened.
You put down the note and started pacing back and forth in the room. Your fingers unconsciously touched the healed wound on your arm. Aglaea's medicine was indeed miraculous; it didn't even leave a scar. But the unease in your heart grew even stronger.
If Cipher didn't appear before today, you would immediately set off for Dolos. You practically counted every tick of the exquisite clock in Aglaea's home. Although Ohema didn't have a true night, the clock showed it was already evening. No, you couldn't wait any longer.
Just as you were about to get up and leave, there was a sudden urgent knocking at the door. "Thump, thump, thump—" The knocking was irregular, sometimes heavy, sometimes light, as if the person knocking was already exhausted.
Your heart skipped a beat. Was it Cipher? You practically flew out of the room. At the same time, Aglaea had already reached the door.
The moment she opened the door, her expression changed. Standing at the door was a small, thin figure, her hood pulled down deep, almost covering her entire face. She was a sight to behold, utterly miserable. She was covered in mud from head to toe, her once clean clothes were tattered and torn, almost unrecognizable in color. A foul stench assaulted your nose, the unique decaying smell of the sewers. Her face and arms were covered with fresh scrapes and bruises, with some spots even oozing blood. Her once lively cat ears drooped limply, devoid of their former spirit.
Aglaea was somewhat startled: "Cifera, what is this…"
Cipher's hoarse voice interrupted Aglaea: "I need clothes, anything will do, just something to cover my wounds…" She tried hard to stand straight but swayed as if she would fall at any second.
Aglaea, without a word, hurriedly turned to get clothes. Just then, a deeper wound on Cipher's arm suddenly burst open. Golden-yellow blood seeped out like a trickle, dripping onto the clean white stone steps in front of Aglaea's door. That streak of gold was particularly glaring on the white stone.
Aglaea happened to come out with a piece of clothing and saw this scene, momentarily stunned. She hadn't noticed it in her haste earlier, but now she realized that the blood flowing from her was also golden.
Cipher followed her gaze, saw the golden blood beads on her arm, and gave a self-deprecating smile: "Yes, I'm a Chrysos Heir too, didn't expect that, did you?" Her smile carried an indescribable bitterness. "Unfortunately, I'm a thief, a liar… I don't deserve to be some damn Chrysos Heir, and I don't want to be one either."
"Stop talking." Aglaea was uncharacteristically anxious. She quickly stepped forward and gently wrapped Cipher's trembling body with the clothes she held.
Just then, you rushed over in three strides, and immediately saw the tottering Cipher at the doorway. When you clearly saw Cipher's miserable and disheveled appearance, especially the dripping golden blood, an uncontrollable, violent rage surged to your head! Your golden pupils instantly became terrifying, as if two golden flames were burning fiercely within them.
"Cipher!" You darted forward and caught Cipher, who was barely standing. "What happened to you? Who hurt you like this?!"
When Cipher saw you, the nerves that had been taut for several days finally relaxed. On her mud-streaked little face, she managed to squeeze out a weak smile: "Little Wildcat…" As soon as she finished speaking, her vision went black, and she softly collapsed into your arms.
"Cipher!" You held her tightly, at a loss.
Aglaea immediately stepped forward and took Cipher from your embrace: "Quick, carry her back to the guest room! I'll take care of her!"
You followed Aglaea quickly into the guest room, your heart feeling like thousands of ants were crawling inside. Cipher was gently placed on the bed, and Aglaea quickly retrieved medical supplies. Her movements were professional and swift; she first examined Cipher's injuries, then began to clean the dirt and wounds.
You anxiously handed her water and retrieved medical tools beside her, feeling so powerless for the first time. Cipher, who usually protected you, now lay weakly on the bed, making your heart ache as if it were being twisted by a knife.
After a tense period of busy work, Aglaea finally straightened up and let out a soft sigh.
"How is she? Is she…" You asked eagerly.
"Mainly extreme fatigue, combined with a cold, and a fever caused by multiple external injuries." Aglaea wiped the sweat from her forehead. "Fortunately, there's no danger to her life; she just needs good rest to recover."
Upon hearing this, your heart, which had been lodged in your throat, finally settled back into place. But when your gaze returned to Cipher's bloodless little face, the suppressed anger and killing intent surged up again, intertwined. Who hurt her like this?
"You should go out first," Aglaea said softly. "I need to clean her body and put her in clean clothes."
You silently retreated outside the door but refused to move far away.
After a long while, Aglaea opened the door. Cipher had already changed into soft, clean, plain-colored clothes. Her face was still pale, but her breathing had become much more stable.
You stayed by Cipher's bedside, not leaving her side. However, Cipher's sleep was not peaceful. She occasionally uttered a few vague mumbles, as if trapped in a terrible nightmare.
"Little Wildcat, run… don't mind me…"
"Don't catch me! I didn't steal anything!"
"The dirty water is so cold…"
You tightly held her hand; that small hand was so cold it made your heart ache.
"It's okay, Cipher, I'm here," you whispered soothingly. "No one can hurt you anymore."
Perhaps it was your voice that had an effect; her brows gradually relaxed a bit, and her murmuring slowly subsided.
The next morning, Cipher woke up. She slowly opened her eyes and saw your bloodshot eyes, and her heart warmed. "Little Wildcat… did you not sleep all night?"
"You're awake? How do you feel? Is there anywhere you're still uncomfortable?"
"I… I'm much better." Cipher struggled to sit up, and you quickly stepped forward to help her.
"Cipher, tell me, what exactly happened? What did you encounter in Dolos?"
Cipher looked at your serious expression, was silent for a moment, and finally chose to reveal everything. She started from seeing the wanted poster, spoke of the middle-aged merchant who reported her, the city guards and greedy gamblers who frantically pursued her, and how she narrowly escaped death from the foul-smelling sewers…
Her tone was as calm as possible, as if she were telling someone else's story, but you could still feel her despair and helplessness from her expression at the time. At the end of her story, she forced a smile and patted the back of your hand: "But don't worry, I distributed all that money to those Little Wildcats in Dolos; they were so happy."
"It's just… going back to Dolos might be a bit troublesome for us in the future." Her eyes couldn't hide her disappointment, a complex emotion for her hometown. Although Dolos wasn't that great, it held her memories and the people she wanted to protect. Now, it was difficult to return.
You listened, silent for a long time. In your golden pupils, a chill that hadn't appeared for a long time was condensing. It was a similar look to when you dealt with your uncle's family, but this time it had become even more dangerous.
"Cipher." You said, word by word: "Those who bullied you, I will make them pay ten times, a hundred times the price. Dolos, we will definitely go back. We'll go back in broad daylight."