Chapter 4: Leaving the forest

I decided to fake amnesia. This allowed me an excuse for my apparent ignorance of this world. It would also make it hard for the four men to find out my real identity.

The blue-eyed man only paused for a second before asking.

"How did you get into the cave."

I blinked at him and then shook my head.

"What cave?" I questioned.

His facial expression didn't change but I could he the tension in his shoulders relax a bit. He turned toward the other two who were looking at me with mixed expressions of suspicion and pity.

" It seems like she must have experienced some kind of head injury and has lost her memory." an unfamiliar voice spoke up.

The final member of their little group emerged. He was smaller than the others and while the others were all widely handsome, he was more beautiful than anything. Like Cael his hair was golden but his eyes were like glass.

Those same eyes focused on me and as the boy approached my side, he began to examine me. When I resisted he simply smiled warmly at me and assured me that he was simply checking my condition.

When he was done he turned toward the others,

" Her wound is healing nicely and so are many fo her injuries. It looks like her legs suffered the most damage and unless treated properly she may be crippled...."

" Aside from that, it's pretty apparent that she lost her memory. It's possible that given time her memory might come back but there is also an even greater possibility that it never will..."

F*ck! My legs!!!

I inwardly wept for my bad luck. (╥﹏╥)

"So what should we do?" asked the red-haired man.

"We can't keep her here. We don't know anything about her." said the blue-eyed man.

" But neither does she." the other pointed out.

Cael seemed to have been contemplating something as he stared very hard at the ground while the others talked.

"I say, we keep her!" he proclaimed.

Everyone looked at him and he stared back with a determined expression. The blue-eyed man opened his mouth as if to protest, but his companion clamped a hand around his mouth and nodded to Cael.

" She has to rest for a couple of days and regain her strength. And she'll be on crutches for at least a month after that."

Everyone nodded, except for the blue-eyed man who still looked unconvinced. Then the three of them left the tent and she was alone with the elegant young boy.

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For the next three days, the young boy, who she now knew as Luo Fang, nursed her back to health. Occasionally Cael or Adan (the red-haired man) would come to keep me company. Ying Chen was the only one who seemed to be avoiding me, however, once I woke up in the middle of the night to see him sleeping beside me. He had a soft cloth in his hand and it looked like he had been taking care of me while the others slept.

My heart softened, and I couldn't help but let out a soft laugh as I realized that this stunning man was actually a Tsundere. XD

Luo Fang had created a pair of crutches that I had started to wobble around on. It seemed like we were camped out in the middle of a forest. The tent was rather large and the entire camp was very well organized. Including the one I was staying, which also seemed to double as a supply room, there was another rent where I presumed the others slept. Every day, the guys would go hunting and bring back food and Cael (the resident cook) would then prepare it.

Occasionally, Lou Fang would take me to explore the surrounding forest. He would point out various plants and animals and explain to me their qulities. I suppose this is his way of stimulating my brain to try and recollect some of my forgotten memories.

I quite enjoyed our time together, because he knew a lot about what he was talking about and was also eager to tell others about it, and I was extremely fascinated by how this worlds environment differed from my own. I listened attentively and asked probing questions, which seemed to make Lou Fang extremely happy.

Cael had tacken it upon himself to teach me all about the world after I confided in him that I didn't remember anything about the empire.

He taught me that we were in the Sation Empire. Which was surrounded by a vast ocean to the south and boarded by the Alzec and Bartion Empires. A couple years ago, the Sation and Alzec empire had been at war however a peace treaty had been brought up after the Alezec empire had agreed to the marriage of their own princess and Stations own crown prince.

After that, there was relative peace. Though there was still a sense of animosity between the two empires.

Cael was very knowledgeable about the history of the empire and all of its political and economical workings. He was also a very good teacher and I learned a lot, despite my disinterest in some of the topics we covered.

I had never been very smart. I got by with average grades, but I never was interested in academic studies.

I was an art major for god sakes. (╥﹏╥)

On my first day in the forest, I found a nearby lake that I could bath in. Each of my companions was too well-mannered to say anything, but I knew that I desperately needed a bath. --__--

Gazing into the water's reflection, I saw my face for the first time in this new life

In my past life, I was fairly attractive. Of course, it was only until I entered university that I gained a bit of confidence. When I was in middle school, I had cut my hair and had started experimenting with fashion and makeup etc. Looking back it was really just an awkward semi-emo phase that most kids go through.

The children my age would often tease me for my looks and sexuality, which naturally made me very insecure. It was an awful feeling of wanting to crawl out of your own skin. Wanting so desperately to change...

Now she wasn't sure what to feel as she stared at the beautiful stranger reflected in the water.

My hair was long and dark, falling below my waist even (totally fulfilling my rapunzel fantasy)

My skin was also pale and unblemished. Like seriously, it looked photoshopped.

My features were defined but also soft, which gave off a more gentle look. My lips were plump and red, which contrasted to my fair skin.

I used to have hazel eyes...now they were dark orbs framed by long lashes.

Tentatively, I looked down at my left palm. There used to be a birthmark under my thumb. It just a small thing, but I had always found it cute. Now the skin was smooth and unmarked.

I felt a sharp pang of loss then.

I imagined my life before. The life I had lost. And before I knew it hot tears were streaming down my face.

I didn't try to hold them back. I just let myself cry.

After a while, no more tears would come and I dried my eyes before going back to the camp.

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I was enjoying a pleasant breakfast while basking in the sun when I heard unfamiliar sounds coming toward us. Panicked, I grabbed my crutches and wobbled the tent.

A little out of breath, I wheezed "someones coming-"

The 4 men looked at me and then Cael bolted up.

"Really?" he asked excitedly. I nodded, comforted by his lack of worry.

The sounds were getting louder and louder and each other men started packing up their belongings. I hadn't packed anything so I just watched with curious eyes.

Once everything was packed, we exited the tent and I almost tripped over my crutches I was so shocked. In front of us was a luxurious carriage. And surrounding the carriage was an envoy of armed men.

I unconsciously hid behind Ying Chan. He looked down at me and then straightened as if to block me from the view of the soldiers. Who had started taking down our camp as we climbed into the elaborately decorated carriage.

I nervously sat on the cushion seat and noticing my discomfort. Cael smiled warmly at me,

" Don't worry, we're gonna go home now. And you'll be safe"

I smiled to hide my annoyance. Every time any of them talked to me, they spoke softly as if I was a so delicate that one wrong word would make me collapse!!

I know I looked like a weak young girl. But inside I was still a 22-year-old woman!!! I was a senior to these boys, who couldn't be much more than teenagers themselves!

But I was just now realizing that even though I had spent a significant of time with each of these men, I still had no idea who they were. And judging from the armed envoy and fancy form of transport I guessed that their identity wasn't insignificant.

Well, It seems as if I gained four rich big brothers. heheheheheheheh