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He helped her into the bathtub, then knelt by the tub and slowly began gently wetting her back with a sponge. She sat calmly, braiding her wet hair.

"What's he doing? He didn't have to...Could he be worried about me?" she thought

. "You know..." he lowered his voice. "I was worried about you..." he began hesitantly.

"No need, my back hurts, but at least you know I was fighting and not just slacking off..." She wanted to explain, but he interrupted.

"When you went with them and I was waiting, I wanted to follow you, follow you... and... then when Taranis carried you on his back, you clung to him so tightly that you couldn't tear yourself away from him." "What am I talking about! What is she doing to me, why do I become so weak around her, what kind of feeling is this, I don't know it, I don't want to know this feeling! Stupid goat, what is she doing to me, why isn't she afraid of me like the others?

" "You're so silly! Ow... I was tired and his back was so warm that I fell asleep, I don't even know when... and then I woke up in your arms.

" "And why did you go with them and not me?" he muttered before coming to his senses.

"Because... They were so nice... Oh, I don't know... what, wasn't I allowed to go with them to your sister's?

" "That's not the point, I'm your guardian and I was supposed to go with you and that's it, and you're evading me like that, and on top of that, Plus you disappear... What will I tell your mother if something happens to you?

"I'm not trained, I've never told anyone where I'm going, and besides, I found a swing and when I get better, I'll go there again...

" "And where is your swing?

" "It's a secret...

" "I don't like you! You insufferable brat! It's better if someone else takes care of you today, or even better, always!" With these words, he hurried out of her room.

"What are you talking about! I didn't tell you to take care of me! I can handle it myself..."

After a few minutes, two modestly but nicely dressed girls, about 17 or 18, entered the room. They introduced themselves warmly, approached me, bowed once more, and sat down by the bathtub.

"Mr. Ligolas asked us to take care of you.

" "Oh yes...

" "You don't like Mr. Ligolas?" asked Saya, dressed in a blue dress, with an apron around her waist and her hair in two braids that fell to her shoulders.

"I like him... but he's so...

" "Scary?" Lana added, her dark eyes filled with terror at the mere thought of him, and she nervously smoothed her gray dress.

"Maybe... I don't know, he's so strange, withdrawn... not like Bran and Taranis, with them I can both laugh and complain. But you probably prefer Ligolas, right?

" "No! He's so awful... everything irritates him... he's so cold, so if something happens to someone, he won't even notice... I once fell down the stairs with a basket of laundry, and when he saw me on the floor, he cursed me profusely, and then he walked away, not even helping me up or picking up the laundry.

" "Hmm... I noticed he's cold... But now I have to get out of here... my back hurts less."

The girls helped her put on a nightgown and get into bed, then Lana went to the kitchen to get breakfast for Lilia, and Saya rubbed some ointment on the girl and helped her sit comfortably on the bed.

"The lady slept for so long...

" "Oh yes, I still remember my awakening...

" Ligolas often sat next to the lady, it scared me when he looked at the lady so much... but I felt most sorry for the lady's family; everyone was so worried that the lady would never open her eyes again... me too...

"I'm here now... Mr. Ligolas went for a walk on horseback, told me to tell the lady that he was angry with the lady..." She approached and placed the tray on the side table.

"What a man!" If I could only move, I would kick him in the butt! She thought. "When he comes back, please tell him that I don't like him, and that... that... he doesn't have to look after me anymore, oh! Tell him so!

" "But, miss!" He probably doesn't like you, and if I say so, I don't know what will happen, I won't tell him, please forgive me.

"You're right, it's stupid of me... What time is it?" she asked, changing the subject.

"It's almost two..." Saia replied slowly.

"Let the young lady rest now, tomorrow will definitely be better... we'll come help the young lady dress tomorrow, but we have to go now, we have to wash our clothes by the stream tomorrow...

" "I understand, thank you again... sleep well..."

The girls fluffed her pillows further and bowed low as they left.

"What a day... and I thought that if I were in the world of magic, there wouldn't be any problems, but here... but nothing has changed, only the surroundings."

She couldn't sleep, she lay like a mummy, everything ached, and the pillows were digging into her body. She was daydreaming, she heard footsteps, and then someone entered the next room. Who? It must have been him...

There was a noise coming from his room; it seemed like he was getting angry and throwing things. Then suddenly it went quiet; she heard him leave and slowly approaching her door.

"Oh no! I have to pretend to be asleep... oh no, not now that every movement hurts..." she thought and snuggled into the duvet.

The door to the room opened a crack, and Ligolas stood there, closing it slowly so as not to wake the sleeping woman. He stood by her bed and stared at the girl's curled-up form. Then he sat down beside her and gently pulled the duvet away from her face.

"Oh no, I don't want him to see me like this, or maybe turn around? But how, now? Oh no..."

His warm hand stroked her cheek, wandering through her long hair...

"What am I supposed to do? Why is he doing this? Doesn't he know I enjoy it...? Or maybe wake up like this? Oh God, I can't stand it!"

She didn't wait long, stretched lazily, hesitantly opened her crystal-blue eyes, and looked at him.

"Ligolas...?" She jumped up and sat up slowly on the bed.

He didn't say anything, just stared at her.

"Oh my God, he's only in his shorts! He's so muscular...! No! I can't think like that!" she thought and closed her eyes.

"Lili...

" "What are you doing... I'm sleepy, please go away!" She was starting to get scared, clumsily pulling up the covers and moving away from him a little.

"I'm sorry, but I had to see you." He lay down across the bed, and she immediately tucked her legs under him.

"I was furious with you! But then I realized I couldn't stay angry with you... I know I had no right, I know you'll never be mine, but I think I love you, girl...

" "Go, please... I'm afraid of you..." What am I supposed to do? she thought.

He looked at her coldly, then sat up and pulled her firmly to him.

"Ouch! Ligolas, what are you doing, leave me alone!" she screamed as he began to kiss her neck gently but firmly. "Stop, I don't want to!" she cried as his strong hands pressed her body to the bed.

"I beg you, stop! You're hurting me! Ligolas, my back! Ouch!"

But he didn't stop. He pulled her nightgown off her shoulders, gently caressed and kissed her neck, then her breasts. His hot hand roamed her thigh under the covers.

"I confessed my love to you, and you...!" he hissed through clenched teeth, still kissing her.

"Stop! If you really love me, then stop!" Tears streamed down her cheeks in humiliation.

His grip on her wrists loosened slightly, but a moment later they tightened again.

"I love you madly!" he shouted, leaning over her again.

"But I can't love someone who hurts me!!!" And when his hand slid between her legs and touched her most sensitive spot, she moaned. In an instant, his fingers tore into her flesh, she screamed in terror, and then the girl woke up dazed on the floor, covered in sweat, unsure where she was. When she finally came to, she realized it had been just a dream and that she must have fallen out of bed. She slowly lay back down on the bed, lying as if stung by a wasp. She couldn't believe her dream could be so believable. She was so tired and frightened, for a great fire smoldering within her body that she couldn't extinguish. She hugged her pillow for a long time like a small child before she managed to fall asleep.

The next morning, she woke up curled up in her pillow. She looked around the room uncertainly. It was seven o'clock. She wanted to get up, but the pain in her back made her lie down again. She didn't want to sleep anymore, she couldn't. She decided to get dressed and sit in the armchair placed in front of the open balcony window.

She slowly rose and went to the wardrobe. She put on a simple, white silk dress; it was a bit loose, so it didn't bother her anywhere.

For two weeks, she stayed home, rarely going outside, constantly learning magic tricks with Kiara and her friend. Taranis and Bran visited her almost every day, whenever they had a free moment.

Saya cut Lilianna's hair a little below her backside, as it was becoming cumbersome, and Lana braided it here and there. After a week, Lilianna finally decided to go for a walk. When she returned from the forest with the dwarf Gimli, she said goodbye to him and, running through a wide corridor filled with herbs she had gathered in the forest, saw Ligolas. He looked her over and asked in a gloomy voice,

"How's your back? You shouldn't be going out yet." He looked at her indifferently.

"It doesn't hurt anymore..." She smiled a little maliciously and then stopped in front of him. "Oh no, my dear, if you want to be indifferent to me, I'll do the opposite."

"Where are you going now?" he asked, not looking at her but somewhere above her.

"I have to go to Mrs. Kiara's right away, but I still have some time, so I'm going to my room to spread the herbs on the wardrobe to dry."

Ligolas was watching discreetly; her hair was tied in a ponytail. A small necklace hung from her swan-white neck, the amulet in the form of a root entwined with a white crystal. Her silk dress fell beautifully to her bare feet.

"Are you going somewhere?" she asked after a moment.

"Um... I have to go to the city, but I still have time..."

They slowly parted ways, and after returning from her room, she went to the guest room. There, Lana had already prepared breakfast. She apologized for not helping her get dressed, but for oversleeping.

After breakfast, she helped clear the dirty dishes from the table and wash the dishes. When everything was done, she told Saji to let her know if anyone was looking for her that she had gone for a walk.

She slowly made her way to her little forest, passed the garden, then crossed the wooden bridge. It took her a while to reach her destination because her back still ached a bit.

The place where the swing was located was simply magically beautiful; the ground was covered with bark, only here and there were mounds of purple and white violets. She sat comfortably on the board and began to swing quite hard. She closed her eyes; she didn't know why, but the very fact of being in such a beautiful place caused her to lose herself for a moment.

It was six o'clock in the castle, and Saya and her friend were sweeping the courtyard when Ligolas unexpectedly ran up to them.

"Where is Miss Lilianna?

" "Good evening..." Miss Lili asked me to tell you not to get upset; the young lady had gone for a walk.

"To the swing?" he asked, taking her arm.

"I think so..." she replied calmly.

"Where is she... in the forest? What forest?"

"Hmm... the nearest swing in the forest is... probably in the valley."

With these words, he ran to the nearby castle stables and rode out at a trot on his black steed, toward the forest.