Chapter 10: He's Back

When Ruxley and Sherise arrived at Donghae Bluesky Hospital, it was already past 10 p.m. At that moment, Sherise's mother, Dona, had just finished receiving treatment and was resting in her hospital bed. Earlier, Redlyn had ordered his men to assault Dona in an attempt to force Sherise to submit. By the time Dona was rescued, she had suffered severe injuries. "Mom, I'm so sorry. This is all my fault. You wouldn't have been hurt if it weren't for me!" Seeing her mother covered in wounds, Sherise was overwhelmed with guilt. She rushed into Dona's arms, sobbing uncontrollably. "Sherise, it's alright. As long as you're safe, that's all that matters." Dona held Sherise tightly, tears streaming down her face as well. Throughout the ordeal, Dona had been just as worried about her daughter. She knew Redlyn was after Sherise and feared she might do something reckless to save her. But now, with Sherise safe, everything felt like it was going to be okay. Ruxley watched the emotional reunion between mother and daughter. Quietly, he closed the door and stepped out of the room, giving them space. As soon as he exited the ward, Theoleon hurried over to him, a sense of urgency in his voice. "Lord, the young miss has woken up!" "Carmelia is awake?" Ruxley's eyes lit up with excitement at the news, and he quickly made his way to Carmelia's room. Inside Carmelia's ward, a kind nurse sat by the bedside, gently feeding her a bowl of millet porridge. Thanks to the doctor's care, Carmelia's complexion had improved significantly. When she saw Ruxley enter the room, her eyes sparkled with joy. She eagerly tried to get out of bed and practically leaped into Ruxley's arms. "Brother, brother!" Ruxley quickly crouched down to catch her, his voice filled with emotion. "Carmelia, I'm sorry. I came back too late!" "Brother, I missed you so much. I promise I'll be good from now on. Just please, don't leave me alone again..." Carmelia clung to Ruxley's neck, her words filled with longing as she sobbed. Ruxley's eyes reddened, and he replied in a trembling voice, "Don't worry, Carmelia. I will never leave you again. Never." After comforting her softly, Ruxley turned to the nurse with a gentle smile. "Thank you for taking care of her. I'll take over now." The nurse blushed slightly at Ruxley's charming smile. She quickly handed him the bowl and left the ward, not wanting to disturb them any longer. Ruxley cradled Carmelia in his arms, scooping up a spoonful of porridge and blowing on it gently. "Carmelia, you must be hungry. Here, let me feed you." Nestled contentedly in Ruxley's arms, Carmelia took a bite and smiled with satisfaction. "Brother, it's so delicious!" Ruxley wiped the porridge from her mouth, smiling warmly. "If you like it, then eat as much as you want!" After a few bites, Carmelia paused and looked up at Ruxley. "Brother, I've already eaten a lot. Let's save the rest for later! That way, if I get hungry tomorrow, I won't have to worry about having nothing to eat." Ruxley's heart trembled at her words. He couldn't imagine the suffering Carmelia had endured to make her think this way. Nearby, Theoleon turned his head away, tilting it toward the ceiling to keep his tears from falling. Looking into Carmelia's bright eyes, Ruxley fought back the lump in his throat and said softly, "It's okay, Carmelia. You can eat as much as you want. With me here, you'll never have to go hungry again." "Really?" Carmelia's eyes widened with surprise and delight. Since being captured by human traffickers, she hadn't had a proper meal. "Of course it's true!" Ruxley gently patted her head, his voice filled with tenderness. "Whatever you want to eat, just tell me, and I'll get it for you right away." Carmelia's eyes sparkled as she clung to Ruxley's arm, her voice filled with anticipation. "Brother, could you get me a cake? It doesn't have to be big, just a small one. When I used to pick up trash with Grandma Lisa, I once found a piece of cake that another kid had thrown away. It was so delicious!" As she spoke, Carmelia licked her lips, a look of bliss on her little face. "Of course, I'll get you one right away. As many as you want!" Ruxley's heart ached. He quickly lifted his head, blinking back tears, and turned to Theoleon. "Go to the bakery immediately and get a cake. The best one!" "Yes! I'll go right now!" Theoleon wiped the tears from his face and rushed out of the ward, heading to the nearest bakery as fast as he could. Ruxley took a deep breath and smiled down at Carmelia. "Come on, let's finish your meal. The better you eat, the faster you'll get well!" "Okay!" Carmelia happily lay in Ruxley's arms, eating while chattering away about all sorts of things, as if trying to make up for all the words she hadn't said in the past three years. Suddenly, she seemed to remember something important. Sitting up in Ruxley's arms, her face filled with panic, she exclaimed, "Oh no, Brother! Did you see Etan and the others? They were captured by those bad men too. Brother, you have to save them!" Ruxley quickly reassured her, "Don't worry, I've already rescued them. They're safe now. Once you're better, I'll take you to see them, okay?" Hearing that Etan and the others were safe, Carmelia finally relaxed. She patted her chest like a little adult and said, "That's good! I was so afraid those bad men had taken Etan and the others away again." Despite everything she had been through, Carmelia's heart remained pure and kind. Theoleon was fast. In less than ten minutes, he returned with a large birthday cake, about ten inches wide. After sharing the cake with Carmelia, Ruxley, at her request, lay down beside her and began telling her a story. Halfway through the story, Carmelia, still recovering, drifted off into a peaceful sleep. Ruxley carefully tucked her in, kissed her gently on the forehead, and quietly left the ward. He walked alone to the end of the hospital corridor, lit a cigarette, and gazed out the window, his heart heavy with emotion. As the cigarette in Ruxley's hand burned down, a concerned voice suddenly spoke up behind him. "Smoking is bad for your health. You should try to cut down."