Seeing no protest from her, he placed his hand on her back, prompting her to flinch and ask, "What are you doing?" Then sat up with her hands hugging herself.
"What do you think? Should I apply the ointment telepathically? I need to remove your clothes," he replied, grinning widely, clearly enjoying her reaction. Who knew teasing her could be this entertaining? It wouldn't be so bad to have fun while carrying out his plan, it would only make things more intriguing.
"Why would I let you touch my body? I am an unmarried woman," she retorted, glaring at him. Both brothers were the same, lacking restraint and disregarding others. Truly exasperating beings. Who did she offend in her past life to encounter them?
"Then apply it yourself," he said with a shrug, extending the ointment toward her. And she didn't hesitate to snatch it from his hand.
"You can leave now," she said, clutching the bottle tightly and lowering her head, waiting for him to depart. When she didn't sense any movement after a while, she looked up.
"What are…" she began, but he interrupted, "I anticipated your refusal, so I prepared a backup." Turning to the window, he commanded, "Enter." A presence materialized in her room. Though the lighting was dim, Lilith could discern it was a woman, likely around her age, but not dressed as a maid. This was her first seeing a woman not dressed as a maid apart from Rose and Margaret.
"I will take my leave now," Elijah announced, disappearing through the window the young woman had entered.
After his departure, the newcomer approached Lilith, sat on the bed, and extended her hand toward her, prompting Lilith to raise an eyebrow in question.
"The ointment," the woman requested coldly, making Lilith uncomfortable. The tone made it clear she disliked Lilith, which was puzzling since this was their first meeting.
"Oh, here," Lilith said, handing over the bottle. The woman took it without a word.
To avoid further discomfort, Lilith gently removed her shirt and lay face down on the bed, exposing her injured back.
"I can't promise it won't hurt, so brace yourself," the woman warned before placing her hand on Lilith's back. Lilith nodded, biting her lip in anticipation of the pain. She despised treating her wounds. Her stubborn nature often led to fights with neighboring kids, resulting in injuries. Her mother would either force her to apply medicine or starve her for the rest of the day.
"Sss!" She hissed as the woman applied the ointment roughly.
"Could you be a bit gentler?" She asked with a smile.
"No," the woman replied bluntly, catching Lilith off guard. It was the most direct response she had ever received, and discovering someone as straightforward as herself was amusing.
"You are…very direct," she joked, attempting to lighten the mood, but it only seemed to worsen the atmosphere.
"And you are very immature," the woman replied, prompting Lilith to scoff and sit up. The woman paused, withdrawing her hand.
"Why do I feel like you hate me when you don't even know me?" Lilith asked, now facing the woman.
The woman closed the ointment bottle, took a deep breath, and said, "You have become quite popular since you arrived, and that's what makes you so detestable. Attracting so much attention within days of arriving, I respect that. But don't you think you are being an inconvenience to others?" Her tone was sharp and decisive, as if she had been waiting to say this. Lilith had never felt so affected by words until now. It was like another version of herself scolding her but in a harsher way.
"Wow. You must hold a big grudge. But don't you think it's unfair to judge me when I was brought here against my will? I don't want to be here, and you think my attempts to escape are bothering you and the others? Are you here against your will?" Lilith retorted, unwilling to back down.
The woman scoffed, which annoyed Lilith. What was amusing about what she said?
"My mother sold me to this pack house at the age of four in exchange for two bowls of rice. Just because life is unfair to you doesn't mean others have it easy. Wake up; this world doesn't revolve around you," the woman responded, leaving Lilith speechless. For once, she truly felt immature and foolish for complaining about her predicament. Realizing the woman hadn't even enjoyed her childhood made Lilith feel ungrateful. At least she had some freedom, and wasn't a slave of others.
"I am sorry," she said, lowering her head in apology.
The woman sighed, placed the ointment on the bed, and stood up to leave.
"But I really don't want to be a breeder for a man who doesn't love me. That's the only thing I can't accept. Yes, I am selfish, but I refuse to let anyone dictate my destiny," Lilith declared before the woman could disappear, causing her to halt.
"Then be intentional about what you want. Don't drag others into your problems. Getting Elijah involved is useless. Do you actually think he wants to help you? You will only end up being tossed around by both brothers," the woman advised. Somehow, Lilith sensed that Elijah might not be much help.
"Then help me escape," she said, prompting the woman to turn and face her.
"And why would I do that?" The woman inquired, wondering if Lilith was brave or just foolish.
"Because you have feelings for Elijah and don't want me near him," Lilith revealed.
A sudden gust of wind blew in, causing everything to fall silent. For a moment, Lilith hoped she was right and that it wasn't just an assumption. Something told her there was more between the woman and Elijah. Her hatred couldn't just stem from Lilith's attempts to escape. She was very bad at observing people but could never mistake affection towards another. She didn't spend years reading romance novels to end up clueless. Finally, one useless skill of hers was paying off.