The sunlight crept across the bed, and the glare made Sophie Wexler want to raise a hand to shield her eyes.
But... why couldn't she lift her hand?
The moment Sophie Wexler's consciousness returned, she felt like something wasn't quite right.
Slowly, she opened her eyes. The next second, she saw a man's chiseled features. He was sitting ramrod straight by the bed, his gaze fixed on her.
Sophie Wexler's brain short-circuited for a moment. '??'
A second later, as if she'd finally processed the situation, she asked matter-of-factly, "Why are you holding my hand?"
The man scoffed, raising an eyebrow as he glanced at their joined hands. "Me? Holding your hand?"
Sophie Wexler followed his gaze and saw that she was the one gripping his hand, her fingers clasped so tightly it was as if she were afraid he would leave.
Sophie Wexler: "..."
Feeling her face burn, she instantly let go of his hand, turned her head away, and gave a couple of awkward coughs. As if to change the subject, she asked, "Um, why are you in my room?"
Cillian Forrest watched her eyes dart around, finding it vaguely amusing. "You fainted that day. I brought you back."
"Oh, right," Sophie Wexler suddenly remembered. Yes, Cillian Forrest's Spiritual Sea had been in turmoil, and she had been soothing it. She'd planned to leave after he woke up, and then...
And then... things went blank.
Seeing she remembered, Cillian Forrest explained, "Your spiritual power was severely depleted that day, so you passed out."
His Spiritual Sea was a serious problem, not something an ordinary person could soothe. With Sophie Wexler's abilities, it was like a drop in the ocean. Who knew how much spiritual power she'd used just to calm it down a little.
That was why she had collapsed from exhaustion.
"That day?" Sophie Wexler looked up in confusion. "Didn't that just happen a little while ago?"
"I should probably remind you that it's been three days since you passed out," Cillian Forrest said unhurriedly.
"Three days!"
"You're saying I was out for three days!"
Sophie Wexler watched Cillian Forrest give a slow nod.
'This is terrifying. Soothing him is just terrifying.'
'I'd better use a relief agent next time. At this rate, if soothing one flare-up knocks me out for three days, I won't stand a chance when his Disorder Period fully erupts. This body of mine can't handle it.'
"Well, since you're awake, drink the nutrient liquid yourself." With that, Cillian Forrest stood up and walked out of the room.
Sophie Wexler stared blankly at the nutrient liquid on the table, her clear eyes blinking slowly.
'Wait, did I forget something?'
'I was out for three days, so I definitely needed energy. That means Cillian Forrest must have fed me.'
'In that case, he must have left the room at some point. So how was I still holding his hand?!'
.
Cillian Forrest had no idea what Sophie Wexler was thinking. In truth, he had noticed something strange the moment she started holding his hand.
She was unconsciously absorbing his spiritual power.
It was as if her own spiritual power was depleted, so she was instinctively drawing it from someone else to recover.
This was an ability he had never seen in anyone else.
Furthermore, whenever he tried to leave, the unconscious woman on the bed would furrow her brow and curl her fingers slightly, as if searching for something.
After all, she had passed out trying to save him. In the end, he simply let her hold on.
However... Cillian Forrest pressed his thin lips together. He seemed to have recovered a fragment of his memory. Did that mean his amnesia could be cured?
Cillian Forrest raised a hand to touch the Slave Collar on his neck, his eyes darkening.
When Sophie Wexler came out, she didn't notice his action at all. She clapped him on the shoulder. "Cillian Forrest, let's go. I'm taking you out."
Cillian Forrest looked up at her.
"What? Didn't you want to go out before?" Sophie Wexler asked when she saw his confused expression.
Only after speaking did she realize her mistake.
For a while after he was first rescued and woken up, he had wanted to go out, but the original owner had harshly refused.
The original owner thought he wanted to run away, so she forbade him from leaving and even threatened to use the Slave Collar to attack his Spiritual Sea if he dared to try.
Sophie Wexler looked at Cillian Forrest's expression and cursed herself inwardly. 'Why don't I think before I speak?'
'I really know how to touch a raw nerve.'
"Anyway, let's go, let's go! Out we go." Disregarding Cillian Forrest's reaction, she grabbed him and headed for the door.
She even made sure to wear a mask before leaving. After all, the original owner was currently being canceled by the entire internet. If she were recognized, she'd probably be pelted to death with rotten vegetables.
Sitting in the flying vehicle, Sophie Wexler felt a sense of unreality.
Just a short time ago, she had been living on Aethel, and now here she was, in The Galaxy, sitting in a flying vehicle.
'This thing really looks like the flying saucers from old TV shows. Now that I'm actually in one, I have to experience it properly.' Sophie Wexler activated the autopilot, her eyes sparkling as she looked all around.
Cillian Forrest sat beside her. Seeing the look of novel fascination on her face as she examined the cockpit, his gaze deepened.
'How could someone who has lived in The Galaxy her whole life be so fascinated by a flying vehicle?'
Sophie Wexler was completely unaware of Cillian Forrest's thoughts. She rode the flying vehicle all the way to a supermarket.
Seeing Cillian Forrest look at her in confusion, Sophie Wexler smiled and said, "What, surprised to be at a supermarket?"
"Alright, let's go." With a grand wave of her hand, Sophie Wexler led him inside. Since she was unfamiliar with the layout, she had to wander through a maze of aisles before finding what she was looking for.
Perhaps because of the price, this section had far fewer people than the others.
"Here, take a look. What do you want to eat?" Sophie Wexler said to Cillian Forrest, tilting her chin toward the vegetable section.
"Buying vegetables?"
"What else? The nutrient liquid in The Galaxy might keep you full and have nutrients, but it tastes awful," Sophie Wexler couldn't help but complain.
When she had seen the nutrient liquid by her bed earlier, her head had throbbed.
'I only put up with it before because I had no money. Now that I'm rich, who would still drink nutrient liquid?'
"Never mind, you probably don't get it. I'll just pick things out myself."
With that, she began picking through the produce, entering a frantic shopping mode.
She would grab an item and toss it to Cillian Forrest behind her. It was only when she turned around again that she realized he was standing there expressionlessly, his hands full.
Sophie Wexler: "Oh, sorry, sorry! I got carried away and forgot."
She quickly took the items from him. 'I'm really pushing my luck, making someone with a negative opinion of me trail after me carrying things. If he thinks I only brought him out to use him as free labor, I'll be tanking my own progress.'
After getting what she needed, Sophie Wexler went to the household goods section and bought a pile of daily necessities. To make up for her bold behavior just now, she thoughtfully bought a set of everything for Cillian Forrest as well.
"Hi, I'd like to check out," Sophie Wexler said to the cashier, placing her items on the counter one by one.
The household items were one thing, but the cashier had clearly never seen someone buy so many fresh fruits and vegetables at once. Their eyes went wide, and it took them a moment to recover. In a wavering voice, they said, "Hello, your total is fifty-five thousand, eight hundred Star Coins. You can pay here."
Sophie Wexler: "!!!"