"It doesn't matter," Serena said, her voice cool.
Despite her blank expression, her movements were incredibly efficient. She slipped her fingers inside his open shirt, reaching around to his back.
The man, who had been wearing a lazy, relaxed smile, froze for a moment and instinctively tried to pull away.
Serena lifted her gaze, her dark, clear eyes staring at him quietly. Nicholas's movement faltered.
Finally, he let out a helpless sigh and allowed Serena to carefully pull the shirt away from his back.
When the shirt was tossed to the floor, a shocking, bloody wound on his back was revealed.
The gash was at least six inches long. It was a vicious wound, as if a piece of his flesh had been torn away. The blood had started to coagulate, but the edges of the wound were peeled back, deep enough to see the muscle beneath, the skin around it charred black.
It was a burn and tear left by a high-velocity bullet grazing him. It happened when he had pulled her into his arms to shield her, taking a graze from the long-range sniper's shot.
And yet, from the moment he was injured until now, Nicholas had acted as if nothing was wrong, completely nonchalant, without a single hint of pain.
A wound that severe. He really knew how to endure pain.
Serena pulled a small porcelain bottle from her canvas bag and grabbed the nearby first-aid kit.
Nicholas watched her, sighing helplessly. “Serena, I thought I did a pretty good job of hiding it. How did you still find out?"
“I'm a doctor,” Serena said, taking disinfectant from the kit. “I studied medicine. I'm especially sensitive to smells. Even with all the blood in the air, I could smell the scent coming from you."
Her eyes were cold, her tone a command. "Lie down. On your stomach."
Nicholas obediently lay down on the sofa.
Serena began to clean the wound.
Her face was cold, her eyes were cold, but her movements were
gentle. "Why did you hide this? Anet
bulletgraze that deep
the fascia.
Any deeper and it could have permanently disabled you. Why didn't you say a word? Why pretend in front of me that nothing happened?"
The bite of the antiseptic sent a white-hot jolt through his nerves. Nicholas's entire frame buckled slightly, the cords of his muscles rippling under the strain.
The girl's tone grew even colder. "Feeling it now, are you? Where was this reaction earlier?"
Though she was scolding him, her movements became even more gentle, a change she herself didn't even notice.
Nicholas turned his head slightly. From this angle, he could just barely see the girl's stunningly beautiful face, set in a tense expression.
"I just thought... it wasn't that
serious-Hiss!" Before he could finish, the girl pressed the cotton swab against the edge of his
wound not too hard but
กวน 19
not lightly
either. He couldn't help but suck in a sharp breath of air.
“Not serious?” Serena sneered, her touch lightening once more.
"No, that's not..." Realizing she was genuinely angry, Nicholas remained obediently on his stomach, his voice hoarse with pain. just didn't want to tell you and make you worry. You would have blamed yourself."
Serena's hand, tending to the wound, paused for a moment. Her long lashes fluttered down as she resumed her work.
After cleaning the wound, Serena slowly applied the ointment from the porcelain bottle.
Her fingertips inevitably touched his skin. The cool, soft contact made Nicholas's body tense even further. Her fingers were cool, but his body was scorching hot.