https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-72-A-Single-Heartfelt-Confession/12969581/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-74-The-Mystery-of-Origins-and-Promises/12969585/
Chapter 73: The Burn
Chapter 73: The Burn
"I've packed everything and stacked them in your room. You can move in tomorrow."
Although Lyon could tell Anna was changing the subject, she didn't expose him. She smiled gently and, after responding, helped Lyon into the house.
Strangely, instead of leading the injured Lyon to a chair, she took him to the small bed in the secondary bedroom, piling up pillows and blankets to create a comfortable pad perfect for lying prone.
"..."
I knew you'd see through me...
Lyon had wanted to maintain his elder brother's dignity and didn't want his sister to know about his buttocks being struck, but now that Anna had answered with her actions, he couldn't pretend anymore. He grimaced and obediently lay prone on the bed.
However, as Lyon moved, the rough fabric rubbed against his buttocks, causing a searing pain that made him flinch.
"Ouch..."
That lunatic might have a screw loose, but his strength was no joke, especially that slap. Even if it landed on the thickest part of his flesh, it still... Damn!
Resting on the bed, Lyon felt a chill as his pants were pulled down, exposing half of his buttocks to the cold air.
"Oh my! It's all swollen!"
After checking Lyon's swollen buttocks, Anna's initially amused expression turned into a slight look of concern.
"Lie down, I'll get the ointment..."
"Wait!"
Lyon hastily grabbed his pants that had been pulled down, enduring the pain as he got up. "I can do it myself..."
"Just lie down!"
Anna glared at Lyon, who was still trying to be tough. She rummaged through the already packed luggage while grumbling, "I'm your sister. What's there to be shy about? When you had a high fever and couldn't move, wasn't I the one taking care of you? Not just applying ointment, but also trimming your nails, feeding you, grooming your hair, turning you over, bathing you, and even when you needed the toilet in the middle of the night, it was me..."
"Stop! Stop!"
Seeing his sister in a rare talkative mood, reminiscing about a heartwarming but embarrassing past, Lyon immediately lay back down, even loosening his belt a little.
Noticing his surrender, Anna smiled but didn't say anything. She found the ointment, sat down beside the bed, and pulled Lyon's pants down further, fully exposing the injured area.
Huh?!
Seeing the palm print on Lyon's buttocks, the frail girl was surprised and blinked. She extended her right hand and measured the print from a slight distance.
The size of the print, swollen area... it seemed like a woman's hand! Liar! You said it was from combat training?!
Anna glared at Lyon, who was oblivious on the bed, and bit her lip in dissatisfaction. She squeezed some ointment into her palm and rubbed it, then forcefully pressed it into the center of the handprint!
What kind of combat training would leave a woman's palm print on someone's buttocks?!
"Ouch!"
The imagined gentle application of ointment suddenly turned into a powerful slap, catching Lyon off guard and causing him instant pain. Just as he was about to complain about his sister's heavy-handedness, he heard Anna's anxious voice:
"Oops! I might have used too much force. Are you okay, brother?"
"I'm... I'm fine..."
"Since you say you're fine..."
Looking at the palm print on Lyon's buttocks, the frail girl frowned and, without a sound, hummed at Lyon. She then raised her fair, slender hand and slapped the print again.
"Then keep going! Massaging it will help reduce the swelling faster!"
...
After a session of gentle and soothing "torture," the frail girl gently wiped the cold sweat from Lyon's forehead with her sleeve, her face filled with concern.
"Brother, you said it didn't hurt. Why are you sweating so much?"
"Maybe it's just hot..."
Lyon muttered a lie he didn't even believe himself. Looking at his sister's gentle and concerned face, he felt relieved, but also guilty for putting her through this. He licked his lips, his face glistening with sweat, wanting to say something but stopping himself.
Did I upset her?
Was it because I said I'd help her organize her things at home, but I came back late? Or was it because I got injured again soon after being discharged from the hospital? Or maybe...
"So it's just the heat. That's good~"
After glancing at Lyon's suspicious expression, Anna hummed to herself and sealed the small jar containing the ointment. She turned to tidy up the luggage that had been rummaged through.
Just as she was wrapping the jar in a towel and placing it among the neatly folded old clothes, a similarly wrapped object trembled slightly. It suddenly jumped out of the luggage, hit the floor, and landed with a clatter next to Lyon.
"Hmm?"
Feeling something bump against his hand, Lyon, who was lying on the bed, looked over and saw the old photo album their parents had left behind—the same one he had looked through with Anna before.
Although he wanted to finish looking at the photos he hadn't seen last time, he was also worried that Anna might become emotional and be reminded of sad memories. Shaking his head, Lyon suppressed his curiosity, picked up the album, and handed it back without even lifting his head.
"Anna, you dropped something."
"Oh? Okay!"
Seeing that Lyon hadn't opened the old photo album, the pale-faced girl breathed a sigh of relief. She steadied her trembling hands, took the album, and gripped the edges tightly, her knuckles turning white.
Despite her efforts, an old photo stubbornly slid out from the yellowed album's binding and fell in front of Lyon.
It was... a family photo of Anna with their parents?
Looking at the photo, Anna stood with her parents, each holding her hand, and they smiled happily at the camera. Lyon, lying by the bed, couldn't help but smile. Just as he was about to pick up the photo to return it, he noticed something strange and unconsciously exclaimed, "Huh?"
Above their parents' heads was a hanging "family photo" sign, indicating it was taken at a photo studio. But in the photo, there were only their parents and Anna; Lyon and his other two siblings were nowhere to be seen.
I burned that photo! I clearly remember burning it!
As Lyon stared at the photo in a daze, Anna's face turned pale. She bit her lip hard, then reached down and twisted her thigh, using the pain to regain her composure.
Once she had calmed down, a hint of redness returned to her face. She sat down next to Lyon, blocking his view of her expression. Leaning over, she picked up the photo and said with a hint of regret:
"Oh dear, it seems the glue on the back has dried out over time. After we finish moving tomorrow, I'll buy some glue and see if I can reattach it."
(End of Chapter)
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