Chương 13: 013 - From the ashes

Cynthia was talking about the covered part of his face, and it was normal, as with the position of the wound, pulling it when moving the jaw was guaranteed.

"Not really."

If not for her reminder, he almost forgot that he still had something to heal from, with other things at the forefront of his mind.

Actually, after such a long time in the coma, he was only hiding the cicatricial tissues. So the drugs he had been given at the hospital had only been to make sure no trouble happened. And the bandage was to make sure that the last phase of the treatment was not interfered with.

Despite his refusal, he was sure that the best treatment had been applied on him when he couldn't protest after losing consciousness.

Cynthia seemed to forget that the wounds she had seen on his face had had enough time to heal. Or maybe it had looked nasty enough to seem impossible to heal from.

"They must have given you painkillers then."

He gave a non-committal smile and changed the subject:

"You still have not told me about yourself."

"And you have not said if you will stay."

"Alright, I don't think I will be leaving. Now, it's your turn."

"So cold." Cynthia threw a flirtatious glance before continuing:

"You already know my name, so I will just add that I'm 28 years old and I have a managerial position in a company that transforms and sells farm products. My family situation is not bad, and I like enjoying life, even if the last part made me have an unfortunate encounter a few months ago. Thankfully, I met you. My sign is-"

"Stop. Is this a blind date, or are you just used to spitting all the facts about yourself after many dates of the kind?"

Daemon was speechless, and he was forced to interrupt her. Though he found the situation kind of funny despite the neutral expression he was keeping. That side of the one who took care of him at the hospital was interesting. It pulled him out of his gloom, even if just for a split moment.

Actually, if he had not been told so, he would not have believed it, as she seemed too snobbish to take care of someone.

Cynthia pouted:

"Weren't you the one who asked me to talk about myself? And since you know about blind dates, have you tried? I thought you were not the kind to be interested in them."

He was finding her too talkative, so he but in before she could keep on going:

"Now I know manager Cynthia Harsh. Let's finish our meal."

He resumed his actions of eating, but she wasn't letting him dodge the question:

"And about the blind dates?"

"You are the first one to give me a taste of them."

The answer, though dismissive, made Cynthia's smile widen, and for a moment her mind stopped keeping her realistic side straight.

'I don't think he will look bad even with the scars.'

She felt a bit of heat on her face and stopped talking to focus on the food. She was starting to have less dislike for her father's arrangement.

Silence reigned at the table next, as only the sound made by their utensils hitting the plates would let a blind person understand that more than one person was eating at the table.

And only the occasional glances exchanged would let a deaf person understand that the two people focused on eating were not strangers.

The gazes came more from Cynthia. No matter how she disparaged Daemon, he did put his life on the line to save her from danger, and he did protect her despite the wounds he had been sporting at the time. He also seemed mysterious, as even her father would like to see her end up with him, something he would not be doing without some benefits he was aiming for. After all, even being a soldier at most gave him a slightly more honorable status than most commoners, so her curiosity about his background kept coming to the forefront of her mind.

If not for the side of his face, she would have actually found it in herself to accept the arrangement without thinking.

The atmosphere between them was taking a different hue, and the rest of the restaurant seemed to have vanished, at least from the perspective of Cynthia who was starting to feel attracted to her savior.

As for Daemon, the hero who had saved the beauty, he was just eating a meal.

Though he had just left a life behind, and he would be trying to live a different one, he was still a bit aimless, and he didn't have the energy to find himself a companion of the opposite sex.

In the differently perceived atmosphere, Daemon and Cynthia finished their meal and stood up after the dessert.

Cynthia had been sitting with her back to the entrance, so Daemon had to pass by her side on the way out. When he arrived beside her, she closed the distance between them, and held his arm naturally.

He was surprised, but didn't reject her. It was not like he was oblivious to her small gestures, but he would just go with the flow for now. He only looked at her with curiosity, and mused about the reason for her boldness in his mind.

"Don't you have a boyfriend?"

He finally gave in to his curiosity when they entered the elevator. He didn't know what to say, and she didn't seem ready to let him go.

Cynthia looked at him with a smile waiting to tease him for any discomfort:

"No. Why?"

The tone she used rubbed him the wrong way, so he decided to stopped being passive:

"Instead, why not?" He faced her, and raised her chin: "You are obviously very beautiful."

The depth of Daemon's dark eyes, despite his neutral expression, left Cynthia at a loss for words. She could only listen to the sound of her own heartbeat in the silent but tense elevator. It was like he was looking for something in her eyes and beyond, giving her the impression of time dilating, and the distance between their faces shortening.