Chapter 52: Stubborn

The sudden appearance of the maids made Yilu, who had been able to chat with Lyr just moments ago, become reserved.

When Lyr took her to the dormitory, she didn’t dare say much along the way.

If it were just Lyr, she could have acted like before, even threatening him.

Now the maids were following behind them, and it felt strange to her.

Especially since one of them might have overheard her conversation with Lyr.

For a moment, she didn’t know whether to be embarrassed or awkward.

“You jerk, didn’t you promise me you wouldn’t tell anyone?”

Yilu puffed out her cheeks, wanting to vent her anger on Lyr.

She grabbed his clothes and secretly pinched him.

Lyr winced in pain.

‘How does her temper flare up so suddenly, without giving anyone a chance to react?’

“I didn’t know either,” Lyr retorted. “They came over on their own. I had nothing to do with it.”

Yilu glanced behind her with her peripheral vision. The maids, keeping a certain distance, were whispering to each other.

In the past, plenty of people had talked behind her back. But the two maids were giggling and casting subtle glances, and Yilu’s ears turned red involuntarily.

It was one thing for others to see her weak side, but there was something else in those looks—that was the real reason Yilu felt so uneasy now.

When the maids’ eyes met Yilu’s during their conversation, they didn’t look away. Instead, Yilu turned her head and buried it deeper.

“I really hate you.”

“Yeah, yeah, you hate me. You really hate me.”

Lyr had heard that phrase so many times it bored him.

How much of Yilu’s “hate” was genuine loathing? Lyr couldn’t tell.

When they reached the dormitory building, Lyr tried to crouch down so Yilu could get off.

Understanding his intention, the two maids hurried forward and stood nearby, waiting for his instructions.

Even with the bandages, the moment Yilu’s foot touched the ground, she couldn’t help but stand on tiptoe, her face struggling to hide the pain.

“You can leave me here,” Yilu said, looking at Lyr crossly. “I can go up by myself. Thanks.”

She thought everything would end there, but she still felt a sense of loss.

Hearing Yilu say thank you was rare. After all, not long ago she had been complaining nonstop.

Aside from that one thanks, she hadn’t expressed any gratitude at all.

Lyr studied her current state and asked, “You can barely walk. Are you sure you can manage alone?”

“Why not? I’ve always been like this.”

Back when she went out hunting magical beasts, she often got hurt—just never as badly as now.

No matter what, she always believed in handling things herself and never wanted help from others.

Lyr dropped his casual expression and said seriously, “Then take a few steps. Let me see.”

Feeling underestimated, Yilu stubbornly replied, “Fine, I’ll walk.”

But as soon as she turned and took a few steps, the wound on her foot throbbed more with each movement. Her body swayed, and she nearly fell.

Thankfully, she grabbed a nearby pillar and barely steadied herself.

The two maids behind her felt her pain just watching.

Even so, Yilu tried to keep her balance and push forward, aiming to reach her room.

Seeing this, Lyr couldn’t take it anymore. He shook his head, stepped forward, and grabbed her arm to stop her.

“I just realized something interesting. If the world were to be destroyed, one thing would probably survive intact.”

“Have you lost your mind? What nonsense are you talking about?”

The pain in her foot made Yilu snap back without hesitation. She had a feeling his words weren’t good.

“If that time really came, your mouth would definitely survive intact. No problem.”

Yilu squinted. ‘Why did I even wonder why it was my mouth?’

When she understood, her eyes flew open, and she made a move to hit him.

Lyr didn’t dodge. Instead, he grabbed her wrist. “You have two choices right now. One: I take you back to your house. You rest there for a while and then come back.”

“No. I’m not going back.”

Just thinking about her home filled Yilu with disgust.

She had fought with them the last time she went. How could she go back now?

Lyr sighed inwardly. ‘Honestly, I still remember where the Shiya family mansion is. Taking her back wouldn’t be a problem at all.’

Unfortunately, Yilu refused that option—which Lyr had expected.

“Then you’re picking the second one: come back with me, and I’ll get someone to treat your foot as quickly as possible.”

“What do you mean I’m picking the second one? No, I’m not going either.”

Yilu had always been a this-or-that person—there was never a third option.

But when someone else used that logic on her, she found it infuriating.

Yilu gritted her teeth and glared at Lyr. In her current state, she really couldn’t do much to him.

That feeling of powerlessness was something she always resisted. She fought against anything that made her helpless—and now it was happening in this form.

Lyr sighed and released her wrist. “Can you withstand the curse on your own? Or do you want to make yourself even more miserable?”

His serious expression even startled the maids nearby.

Since leaving for the frontier, Lyr seldom came home. He’d always been easygoing and had never lost his temper.

It was Tif who constantly took her anger out on him, and even then, Lyr never said much—he just took it in stride.

“By then, you’ll be in a state you wouldn’t want anyone to see.”

“…”

The logic was obvious. Yilu understood it, but her stubbornness always made her refuse to rely on others—even Lyr.

That was her pride, and she didn’t want to burden anyone.

Right now, listening to him seemed like the best option.

Seeing the two of them stuck in a stalemate, the maids hurried forward. “Miss Yilu, we’ll go prepare your things.”

They tried to support her, but Yilu immediately refused. “I can walk by myself.”

The maids smiled wryly. At least she didn’t forbid them from following, so they could only walk slowly beside her shaky figure, making sure she didn’t fall.

Yilu’s words were purely out of spite. She deliberately wouldn’t let them hold her—she wanted to walk and show the Lyr standing there.