What was I thinking? Tears pricked the edge of Indu’s eyes. Of course, he would be disgusted.

The meager hope that Axer would be fine with her scar vanished like a wilting flower. The more she thought about it, the more her heart hurt. He had stared at her for minutes, and it warmed heart. Very few people gave her that feeling, and she honestly believed he was interested in her. But she was wrong. He was only intrigued by her. He probably thought, “How can such an ugly woman have the confidence to talk to people without being ashamed.” The simple thought of Axer thinking like that made Indu sick in the stomach, and she choked back a sob.

Before rounding the approaching corner, Indu wiped her eyes thoroughly. I can’t let Father unnecessarily worry about me.

“Father.” She turned the corner and called out.

“Indu? Where is the lord?” Her father turned from the blue-eyed man chatting with him and asked with a confused glance.

“He…he told me to go on ahead.” She immediately looked down, afraid her father would catch her lie. He paused for a moment before answering.

“I see. Well, I hope our accommodations are to your liking, Sir Ainsleys. If you have concerns, please don’t hesitate to send a message.”

Her father then tapped Indu’s shoulders.

“It seems my daughter is a bit tired because of today, so I will be taking my leave in advance.”

Indu gained a little courage a looked up, only to see the blue-eyed man’s chilling stare.

“I bid you farewell, Town Chief.” The man turned and signaled to a large group of men sitting atop their horses, and after he boarded his horse, they set off. The streets had been cleared beforehand to allow the knights an easy passage to their inns.

“Let’s go?”

“Yes, father.” Indu boarded a brown, single-windowed carriage that pulled up behind her father, who followed her right after. The cowhide seats gave enough comfort for the tension to leave her body. She sat hunched in her seat, hands in her lap, boring holes into the carriage’s bottom.

Her father suddenly sighed and pulled the green-translucent curtains over the windows. He leaned back, one leg over the other, arms crossed across his chest.

“Now, tell me the truth.” His eyes narrowed with a dangerous gleam. “Did the Count do anything to you?”

“N-No, of course not.”

“Then why were you crying?”

“I’m not crying!” Indu hurriedly turned away to wipe her eyes when her father sighed again. He pulled a handkerchief from his brown, mystical-pattern embroidered waistcoat’s chest pocket.

“Your makeup is smudged. Take this and clean it.”

Indu hesitantly accepted the flower-pattern embroidered cloth and dabbed her eyes. The cloth’s beautiful aesthetic was now ruined by her tears. She had worn makeup to ensure her face was unpleasant to look at. Although she was ugly, with enough makeup, her face wouldn’t be revolting.

“Is it something I can’t know about?” He asked.

How can I tell him I thought Axer was my friend, only to have him act like everyone I’ve ever met. How can I tell him how much that broke my heart?

Indu remained silent. It embarrassed her to admit something like that, and she also believed her father wouldn’t understand. Although she loved him very much, at the end of the day, he was still a man and couldn’t completely understand a woman's feelings.

Mother would have helped me a lot if she were still here.

Immediately, Indu’s mood worsened as her memories of her mother resurfaced. She violently shook her head, suppressing the painful memories once more.

“Alright, I won’t press you to answer that question. But what I must hear an answer for is how you know the Count.” He said in a frighteningly calm tone.

He won’t take no for an answer. Indu shivered and looked at her father with the cutest eyes she could muster, but unfortunately, he was having none of it.

“I’m not letting you off the hook for this one.”

“Ok…” Indu meekly replied and spilled everything, from meeting the troll to Axer carrying her back to the town. The entire time her head remained down as if speaking to the floor.

“You….you…you…!” Her father’s voice contained a terrible tremble, and she hesitantly looked up.

His face paled considerably, and his whole shook. His wide eyes stared at Indu as if witnessing a ghost. Indu could almost hear his heartbeat through his clothes. But more so than that, Indu felt the palpable wrath building within him. But all of a sudden, everything calmed. His heartbeat returned to normal, color returned to his face, and his body ceased to tremble.

“You’re grounded for a week. Don’t even think about stepping out of the house.”

“But, father-!”

“I will tell the library that certain circumstances prevent you from doing your job. They have no choice but to accept my explanation lest they wish to be removed.” Her father snarled.

For the rest of the carriage ride, he remained silent. No matter how much Indu begged, he didn’t entertain her pleading. Eventually, she stopped, but her anger and sadness festered within her like a tumor.

Indu dove onto her bed when they arrived home, hugging her orange blanket close. She burst into tears, sobs wracking her body. She didn’t know why she was crying. Was it because of Axer’s disgust? Her father’s punishment? Her reckless mountain endeavor nearly killing her? Not knowing the answer but still soaking in the sadness deep within, Indu shed tears until her tear ducts were dry.

Why does he ban me from work? He’s never done this before. She hugged the blanket closer. She hadn’t even changed yet, so the beautiful dress was beginning to get soiled. Reluctantly changing and throwing on a white nightgown, Indu collapsed back on the bed. It only then did she ruminate on her actions.

…well, I never left the town without guards before, so I guess it isn’t unfair to be punished…

Although Indu understood it rationally, she still hated her punishment. Being cooped up at home like a dog in a pen hurt her emotionally. She wanted to roam the town and explore its exterior, but she wanted to do her job the most.

Ever since she turned 18, Indu had worked as a librarian at Ambrose Town’s sole library. It had a fee to enter, so not everyone could access its knowledge, but many people still visited it. She was never idle, always doing something or the other – sorting books, managing files, purchasing more books, helping customers, and much more – and it gave her purpose.

As the daughter of the Town Chief, the people who knew Indu assumed her to be a girl with a gold spoon (which wasn’t entirely inaccurate, her dad certainly spoiled her and Aniya, but it was more like a silver spoon than a gold one) and not have many skills. She wanted, no, needed, to prove them wrong, to show them that she was as useful as anyone else. Hence why her librarian job was so important and why she descended into a fit of tears when her father banned her from it for a week.

Will he change his mind a few hours later…? With that final thought, Indu fell asleep, her mind and body exhausted from the busy day.

…

The dying rays of day poked through her window. The dusk sky had only begun emerging. Indu hugged her pillow closer to herself, wanting to sleep some more. Faint, indiscernible voices came from below, followed by muffled footsteps.

“Mhmm…” Indu groggily awoke from her bed. Why’re father and Aniya moving so hurriedly.

Her mind half-asleep, Indu yawned as she tottered out of her room. She rubbed her eyes as she stretched with a loud groan. Cracks resounded from multiple parts of her body, and Indu sighed. Still not fully awake, Indu made her way down the stairs.

I hope father has calmed down. Maybe he’ll retract his decision.

“Father, what are you and Aniya doing….” Indu froze on the middle step. Her eyes widened as her sleepiness disappeared.

“Indu…” Her father had a stunned expression. His mouth twisted in something between anger and trying to contain his laugh.

Three men sat on the sofas across from her father, holding glasses of sweet, fragrant wine. One man had blue eyes and blond hair – the man she had seen speaking with her father before boarding the carriage. Another man had a beefy figure with thick, meaty arms, a bushy beard, and short, brown hair. Leaning against the sofa was a war hammer, presumably his. Both wore armor that fit their forms. But it was the man in the middle who caught her attention.

“Axer….” Indu’s mouth widened as she couldn’t believe her eyes. There he sat, legs crossed over the other, his long, black hair tied in a high ponytail, wearing a gray shirt and black pants. He wore no armor, but his bulging muscles conveyed the raw power they held.

“Hello, Indu…” A blush crept up to his face, and he sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. His eyes never stayed on her; at first, Indu thought her scar was visible. However, her hair blocked her left eye’s vision, so that wasn’t the case. But then, she looked down.

Her nightgown, tilted to the left, completely exposed her left shoulder's smooth, honey-colored skin. Indu hadn’t expected visitors, show she picked a nightgown that stopped slightly above her knees. But what a horrible mistake she had committed. Her bare legs were exposed for all to see.

“I-I-I…” Indu went red from the tip of her head to the base of her neck. “I’m sorry!”

She bolted to her room, bursting in and slamming the door shut. She slid against the door frame until she sat on the floor. Clutching her head in her hands, Indu wanted to faint right away.

Just kill me already.

Of course there would be people; why would Aniya and her father walk like that? In her half-asleep state, Indu hadn’t even realized the fact. And of all people that came, it had to be Axer. Not only had he seen her ugly scar – even being disgusted with it – he had seen her in her most vulnerable state. And it was his second time as well (even if it wasn’t as bad as in the mountains – at least she had something on this time).

But why is he even here? Axer’s darkened, disgusted face appeared in her mind once more. Sharp pain swept over her heart as she imagined his revolted thoughts. How could she see his face again when all she could think about was his disgust? She couldn’t bear to see that expression again.

I still have to greet the guests. I can’t sully father’s reputation as the Town Chief.

With that mindset, Indu got ready in a flash. She wore a dark green dress that stretched to her ankles and wrists, covering everything thoroughly (she didn’t want them, especially Axer, to think she was an indecent woman). Wiping away the tears she had unknowingly shed, Indu wore makeup and made her way back down. This time, she walked gracefully, as her mother had taught her, and put a countenance fitting of her status as the daughter of the Town Chief.

“I apologize, gentlemen, for showing you my unsightly appearance. I ask for your forgiveness.” Indu curtsied gracefully.

“It's quite alright, miss. Everyone makes mistakes now and then.” The beefy knight coughed, blushingly slightly.

“Indu, we are discussing rather sensitive information, so you must remain in your room for a little while.” Her father stated matter of factly.

“No, it's alright if she stays. She’s your daughter, after all. And…” Axer smiled with a light blush. “Never mind, Indu can stay, is all I wanted to say.”

Indu brushed the strange pause he made away from her mind, assuming it was a simple mistake in speech. She took a seat beside her father and smiled at the men.

I am simply a tree you knights needn’t bother with. Using that mentality, Indu’s nervousness lessened, albeit slightly.

“Now that everyone’s here, I can get on with the main point.” Axer placed his glass of wine on the mahogany table between them. His eyes took a grim light, his smile fading into an ominous frown.

“We’ve detected traces of The Disciples in the Virgamau Mountain Range.”

“The Disciples!” Her father leaped to his feet as his countenance paled. He slammed his drink down as his head snapped to look at Indu. A scorching wave of anger and fear hit her all at once, but Indu barely felt it, as she herself had gone so pale her skin seemed like snow.

Who were The Disciples? Monsters couldn’t even begin to describe the horror they brought upon this world. They reaped life as if stalks of grain, eradicating entire towns in their bloody frenzy. They cruelly cut apart and destroyed humans without remorse – Indu didn’t even know if they were human. Nothing was known about them – not their leader, members, strength, or motive. The only thing known about them was their policy of leaving no one alive in their attacks – not a single soul survived ever since they emerged over ten years ago.

Then…when I was in the mountains…The Disciples were there…if I had made one wrong move…I could have been slaughtered…my bones turned to dust…my flesh divided into chunks…my whole being desecrated…

Indu trembled horribly. Nauseating fear overcame her, and she felt dizzy. Leaning back against the sofa, Indu took deep breaths to calm herself down. Axer took notice of her fear and spoke, but it only worsened her fear.

“That’s right. If I hadn’t found you, even if you didn’t run into that troll, The Disciples would have found and killed you, Indu.” His voice and face darkened, and he clenched his fist. The two knights looked at him in surprise, and Indu surmised they didn’t know he had met her in the mountains. However, before they could question their lord, the door burst open.

“Sire! I-I have terrible news!” A man with terribly dark bags beneath his eyes nearly tripped as he entered the room, panting. Despite his ragged breath and nearly falling, he had a look of rage and terror as he screamed.

“Braedon Town was massacred!”