Niel sat at the kitchen table, contentedly munching on sliced lamb.
This meat tastes pretty good, he thought, taking another eager bite. The rich spices were surprisingly satisfying, cutting through the hunger that had been gnawing at him.
He chewed for another moment, but his pace gradually slowed.
Then he stopped altogether.
His brows drew together as he swallowed.
There's just one problem.
His expression fell.
"It's cold."
Shaking his head, Niel took another large bite, chewing loudly as if he could somehow distract himself from the thought.
It can't be helped. It's my own fault. I shouldn't have gotten so worked up and passed out.
He suddenly stopped again.
"Worked up..."
The fragmented memories of the previous night came rushing back.
Niel stared blankly at the half-eaten piece of lamb in his hand. His appetite had vanished as a question surfaced in his mind.
Why did I get so worked up over an injury being left unwrapped?
Before he could think any further, Adam's voice broke through his thoughts.
"Not in good enough condition?" Adam repeated, his brow furrowing after hearing Niel's earlier answer. "What do you mean by that? You speak as if someone has brutally beaten you."
Niel looked at him, genuinely puzzled.
"But... someone did."
Adam leaned forward slightly, his eyes narrowing as he waited for an explanation.
"Your daughter, Sky, did," Niel said, nervously scratching through his silver hair.
Adam's eyes widened slightly.
He let out a heavy sigh.
He hadn't told Sky to break the boy. He had told her to train him.
"I see," Adam muttered, his jaw tightening. He looked back at Niel. "For now, focus on recovering."
He spoke curtly before turning away and walking off.
Niel watched him leave.
Then he noticed something.
Adam was limping.
Before Niel could call out and ask about it, Adam stopped at the kitchen doorway.
"And another thing."
He glanced back over his shoulder, his stern gaze settling on Niel.
"When you're done recovering, don't worry about Sky training you. You'll be training with me from now on."
Three days later, Niel sat on the edge of his bed, slowly peeling the strips of cloth away from his torso.
With careful movements, he removed every last wrap.
"Yahoo! I'm way better!"
He jumped completely off the bed and stretched in every direction, testing his muscles and joints.
A massive grin spread across his face.
"It's perfect," he said happily.
Niel left his bedroom and wandered into the kitchen, where he found Neela busy preparing food.
"Lady Neela," he called cheerfully from behind her.
Neela turned around, her brow furrowing.
"What's wrong, Niel?"
Her words trailed off as she saw him.
He was standing directly in front of her, completely shirtless.
His torso was entirely bare, no longer covered by the tight wraps she had helped him put on only days earlier.
Neela slowly looked him over.
She noticed his flat stomach and skinny arms.
Then she completely misunderstood the situation.
"Oh, you poor boy."
She gave him a supportive thumbs-up and a reassuring smile.
"You don't have a single muscle on that body of yours. But don't feel too bad about it! After you're done with your training, you'll finally have the proper body of a man."
Every word struck Niel like an invisible arrow.
He stared at her, utterly dumbfounded.
"I'm... all better now," he explained.
His voice had become noticeably softer and higher pitched.
Neela's face immediately turned crimson.
"Oh my god, Niel! I'm so sorry!" she gasped, covering her face. "I thought you were trying to show off your body. I'm just so used to most men around here doing that... I completely forgot you aren't like most men."
Niel gave her a stiff thumb-up.
"No worries, it's okay," he said.
His trembling voice betrayed him.
He clenched his fist against his chest and lowered his head in defeat.
"The pain... the absolute pain..." he muttered in an exaggerated, melodramatic whisper.
The kitchen door suddenly swung open.
Adam stepped inside and stopped.
"What is going on here?"
Neela turned toward him, her expression brightening.
"Oh, Adam, look! Niel has made a full, quick recovery. Isn't it just wonderful?"
"I see."
Adam calmly shifted his attention to Niel, examining the boy's completely healed torso before looking back at his wife.
His expression remained tight and sceptical.
Adam took a step forward.
A vicious spike of pain suddenly shot through his lower body.
He caught himself, letting out a quiet groan as he tried to hide the flare-up from his wife.
Unfortunately for him, Neela noticed immediately.
She rushed to his side and threw an arm around him, helping him straighten himself.
"Adam! Are you okay? Is it your leg again?"
She quickly began guiding his heavy frame toward their bedroom.
As they walked away, Adam glanced back.
Niel was watching him.
The silver-haired youth's expression had changed. He wasn't joking anymore.
He was observing Adam with genuine concern.
A memory surfaced.
The previous night, after Niel had passed out, Neela had told Adam that the boy had offered to teach her the art of medicine.
She had also admitted that if Niel's strange methods actually worked on himself, she was willing to swallow her pride and ask him to use those medical skills to treat Adam's permanent injury.
Niel quietly followed them.
When he reached their bedroom, he stopped just outside the doorway and pressed himself against the wall beside the doorframe, doing his best to listen to their conversation.
"Niel."
Neela's voice suddenly called his name from inside.
Niel flinched.
He quickly composed himself, took a breath, and stepped through the doorway.
Neela turned to face him.
Her eyes glistened with unshed tears.
"Please help us, Niel," she begged, her tough warrior exterior completely gone. "We need your help. I don't know what is wrong with him anymore. My Adam... he can't sleep. He has these terrible sores developing all over his legs and feet."
She looked directly at him.
"Please, help him. Or teach me how to help him."