As if he had been waiting, the man asked Sharletti for her name.

Startled, Sharletti’s lips twitched.

‘My name is…’

Ignoring the tingling sensation in her nose, Sharletti smiled.

However, the gradually increasing pain in her chest distorted her smile.

‘My name is ‘Sha,’ Len.’

Sharletti desperately erased the memories surfacing in her mind from five years ago.

Her name was ‘Sha,’ not Sharletti.

“…Sha. I see.”

Satisfaction spread across the man’s indifferent face upon finally learning Sharletti’s name.

They were just exchanging pseudonyms, yet he seemed genuinely happy.

Watching him, Sharletti’s feelings turned increasingly cold.

‘…My name is Sharletti, Len.’

The unspoken name stung in her throat like a thorn.

To hide her twisted emotions, Sharletti pulled her hood over her face to hide.

‘I’ll go wash up now.’

Sharletti quickly left her seat.

After grabbing clothes to change into, she headed straight to the bathroom.

Click.

“…”

Sharletti immediately rubbed her eyes with her arms.

‘I should wash up and sleep quickly.’

She suppressed her desire to soak in warm water after yesterday.

Consoling herself, Sharletti carefully used the limited water to wash meticulously.

‘Ugh… I must have overdone it today.’

Her muscles were cramped.

Sharletti diligently massaged her legs.

It was her first experience treating so many patients in one day.

‘At least I gathered enough herbs for tomorrow. It won’t be short.’

She reminisced proudly about the meat given by the soldiers.

While washing her face, Sharletti looked at her reflection in the mirror.

“…”

Light brown, tangled curly hair peeking out from under the hood. Crimson eyes that didn’t match her hair color.

Pale skin hidden under a robe. A gaunt face.

Her appearance was embarrassing to show to others.

Sharletti stroked her cheek unnecessarily.

‘I wish I looked a bit stronger like him.’

She thought of the man who was the complete opposite of her in every way – dark features, extroverted, and large in stature.

‘Ah, he’s Len now.’

The thought that she had named him too hastily and without much thought crossed her mind, but ultimately, he seemed to like it.

Much more than she had expected.

‘I wonder what his real name was?’

She wondered what meaning and resonance the real Len’s name held.

‘Will he tell me his real name if he regains his memory?’

Sharletti pondered wistfully.

It was selfish thinking. Even if Len told her his real name, she couldn’t reveal her own.

‘Sharletti is dead.’

To be precise, Sharletti Krianet died five years ago.

As long as the person pretending to be her existed somewhere in the world, Sharletti could never reveal her real name.

Sharletti felt a tightness in her chest and rubbed the area.

‘It’s okay. I’ll live as Sha from now on. It’s my real name now.’

Sharletti firmly pulled herself together.

After vigorously drying her damp hair with a towel and pulling the hood over her head, she said:

“Ah, you’re out.”

As soon as Sharletti emerged from the bathroom, Len approached as if he had been waiting.

He held a thick, water-soaked towel in his hand.

He pointed to the sofa.

“Sit there for a moment.”

“……?”

Wondering if he wanted to talk, Sharletti weakly shook her head.

She felt heavy after the shower.

‘I just want to lie down in bed.’

She was confident she would fall asleep within three seconds of covering herself with a blanket and closing her eyes.

“It’ll only take a moment.”

But Len was adamant.

With him standing firmly in front of her, there was no other choice.

Sighi
The plush sofa enveloped Sharletti’s body, making her feel comfortable.

The problem was that she felt like she could fall asleep at any moment.

Unnoticed by Sharletti, Len had knelt on one knee in front of the sofa.

Carefully, he supported her feet with a towel.

“……!”

Startled, Sharletti jerked her legs away and immediately hit his hand.

As Sharletti curled up defensively, Len withdrew his hand obediently.

“I’ve been thinking.”

“…….”

“Even though I’m a patient, my hands and feet are fine. And my recovery is going well.”

Len continued to speak to Sharletti in a calm voice.

“But since I have no memory, I don’t know what I can do. What if I have to just wait in the house like this indefinitely?”

Len’s gaze was indifferent, yet there was a longing in it as he laid bare his feelings of helplessness.

“I may not be able to repay what I’ve received, but at least I want to be helpful without causing any trouble. I can’t go out with you right now, but I can help prepare for tomorrow.”

“……?”

Confused, Sharletti blinked slowly.

Len, now lifting a corner of his mouth, supported her feet on his knee.

As he slowly wrapped them with the towel, Sharletti belatedly tried to pull her feet away.

“Sha.”

His deep, resonating voice seemed to hold Sharletti in place, preventing her from moving.

“I know your legs are uncomfortable.”

Sharletti gasped, wondering if her burn scars had been exposed.

“It must be because of the rough mountain trails and the distance to the village.”