He struggled against the pain in his body to stand up.

But his body was too weak from not having eaten for several days, and the moment he tried to rise, he fell back into his original position.

Hannah just watched from the side, without the slightest intention to lend a hand.

Her smile was bright, cunning yet mischievous.

"You still haven’t said whether you were beaten or not."

She seemed particularly interested in this detail.

Sheffield Benedict finally gave up, leaning against the cold wall and raising his hand to cover his eyes, as if to shield his current disheveled state.

His voice was hoarse, lacking its usual clarity, "Yes, I was beaten. Are you satisfied now?"

He was mocking himself, feeling embarrassed.

Hannah asked him, "Do you need me to avenge you?"

Sheffield Benedict lowered his hand and turned to look at her, remaining silent.

"Don’t understand?" she waved a feather in front of him lightly, changing her approach, "Who beat you?"

Sheffield Benedict still did not speak, just gazed steadily at the person in front of him.

Hannah grew impatient, stood up, "Never mind, we’ll just go out and beat them up later."

For her, beating one or ten made no difference.

Hannah in her younger days was reckless and carefree.

All things that Sheffield Benedict wanted to have but had to suppress.

That day, just as Hannah said.

She avenged him.

She didn’t spare a single one of the Atesians who were responsible for guarding and interrogating him.

Even when one person faced a group, she still suppressed them without giving them a chance to fight back.

Suddenly, Sheffield Benedict understood why Hannah could defeat Wayne Lane and take the position of commander.

Afterward, he thanked Hannah.

A sincere thank you.

But Hannah didn’t care, simply saying, "Next time you get beaten up, remember to call me to watch. I like seeing you get beaten."

Her smile was full of joy, indecipherable as either truth or sarcasm.

She drenched any gratitude he had just begun to feel.

Sheffield Benedict still remembered that Hannah said she didn’t like his insincere appearance.

"Looking kind and gentle, but just like a disguised vampire, whose nature cannot be changed."

That was Hannah’s assessment of him.

At that time, he was internally shocked upon hearing this, but he just smiled faintly, pretending not to care.

Now, he felt somewhat reflective.

Vampire.

Only Hannah would describe him that way.

But she was right.

His true nature was that of a "petty man" driven only by selfish gain.

Calculating others, and even himself.

The only thing he didn’t calculate on, was his own heart.

Perhaps he had already begun to fall for her when she defied orders to save him.

The sunshine on that day, the green feathers, and the girl’s smile.

Everything was like a beautiful dream.

Yet it was he who had shattered that dream himself.

*

On the seventh day entering the Blackwood Forest.

Hannah found an "enigmatic character" beside the white fog.

The "enigmatic character" was clothed in a black robe, with an unclear face and a long sword placed beside him, leaning against a tree as if unconscious.

It was still noon.

They had stopped to discuss entering the white fog.

Arnold Simmons went ahead to scout the path, accompanied by Dabai.

All that remained were Hannah, Gregory Lawrence, and Golden Lotus.

Perhaps because it was the first time they had encountered a living person other than Hannah and Arnold Simmons in the Blackwood Forest, Gregory Lawrence seemed somewhat excited, "Should we wake him up?"

Hannah stood at a slight distance, poking the "enigmatic character’s" black robe with a stick.

No response.