Chapter 67

Chapter 67: Chapter 67

Freya led her through the entrance and into the building. Ingrid’s attention was immediately drawn to the spacious lobby, where polished floors reflected the lights and several large screens displayed information about ongoing operations. People in different uniforms moved briskly through the area, some carrying equipment while others discussed reports or spoke into communication devices. There were even a few people sitting at a row of terminals, their fingers flying over keyboards as information appeared across their screens.

Ingrid wanted to stop and look at everything, but Freya kept guiding her through the lobby and toward a quieter corridor.

"Where are we going?" Ingrid asked.

"To my room. You need to wash, and I have some spare clothes you can wear afterward, though they’re really old. You can wear them until we’re able to get you new clothes." Freya glanced at her. "Don’t worry, I won’t make you pay rent for using my bathroom."

"I wasn’t planning to."

"Good, because I’m expensive, especially my stuff."

Ingrid gave her a tired look, and Freya laughed again. They eventually arrived at a door near the end of the corridor. Freya opened it and ushered Ingrid inside, revealing a comfortable room with a bed, a wardrobe, a desk, and a small bathroom attached to the side. The room wasn’t overly decorated, but it was clean and well organized, with a few personal items arranged on the desk and a jacket hanging neatly over the back of a chair.

Ingrid looked around in surprise. "This is your room?" To be honest, she was expecting more. Especially with how loud Freya was. If it was in the world she came from, someone like Freya would have posters of popstars in her room or even have crazy hobbies. She’d be amongst the popular girls too. Weird, but definitely popular.

"Yes. I know, it’s not a palace, but it does the job." Freya opened the wardrobe and pulled out a long, plain gown. "Here, you can wear this after your bath. It’s a little loose, but at least it’ll be clean. The bathroom is right there, and there should be everything you need inside."

She handed Ingrid the gown before pointing toward the bathroom door.

"I’ll wait outside, so take your time."

Ingrid nodded gratefully. "Thank you, Freya. I really appreciate this."

Freya’s expression softened for a brief moment. "Don’t mention it. Go on, pretty lady. Get yourself cleaned up."

Ingrid chuckled as Freya made her way out of the room. Without wasting more time, Ingrid entered the bathroom and closed the door behind her.

The moment she looked around, she almost cried. There was a proper shower, a clean sink, a mirror, and neatly arranged toiletries beside the basin. A fresh towel hung from a rack, and several bottles of soap and shampoo stood in a little holder near the shower. Ingrid picked up one of the bottles and stared at it as though she had discovered a rare treasure.

It was scented soap. Actual scented soap!

She twisted the cap open and cautiously smelled it, only to discover that it had a lovely fragrance that reminded her of fresh flowers and clean laundry. Back in the village , she had only taken her bath not more than once and that was after she had woken up from her coma, and she only used water but there was actually scented soap. She certainly hadn’t expected to find a bottle of scented soap waiting for her in someone’s bathroom.

"Oh, my gosh," she whispered. "I could actually cry."

She placed the bottle down carefully, then turned toward the shower. When she twisted the handle, water immediately poured from the showerhead, and she nearly jumped at the sensation when warm water touched her fingers. It wasn’t lukewarm water that turned cold after a few seconds, either; it was properly warm, and she could adjust the temperature with a simple turn of the handle.

Ingrid stood there for a moment, staring at the shower, her lips slowly widening into a smile. "Fuck yeah!" She cheered, taking off her clothes as fast as she could and then she stepped under the shower. The moment she did so, Ingrid let out a heavy breath, her taut muscles relaxing.

Ingrid could finally stand under a shower and wash off all the grime and sweat from her skin and hair. She reached for the shampoo and worked it into her hair, enjoying the fragrance as the foam spread across her scalp.

After rinsing it thoroughly, she picked up the scented soap and began washing herself. Ingrid nearly groaned with happiness when the soap touched her body. The soap smelled wonderful, and the warm water made the ache in her muscles feel a little less unbearable.

Soon, the water running down her body turned pink, then dark red as it carried away the dried blood clinging to her skin and clothes. Ingrid glanced down at the bloody water swirling toward the drain, but she barely reacted. She had seen enough blood over the past few days that the sight no longer shocked her, and she was far more interested in getting herself clean than worrying about the color of the water.

By the time she finally turned off the shower, she felt as though she had shed an entire layer of misery along with the dirt. After drying herself with the towel, she put on the gown Freya had given her.

It was a long, plain dress with a simple design, and although it wasn’t particularly fashionable, it was soft and clean. She gathered her damp hair over one shoulder, took a final look in the mirror, and decided that she looked considerably more human than she had an hour ago.

When she opened the bathroom door, Freya was leaning against the wall outside. The hunter looked up at the sound and immediately brightened. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

"There she is! My goodness, pretty lady, you smell so much better now!"

Ingrid’s face warmed. "You really don’t have to keep mentioning how bad I smelled."

"But it’s such a wonderful transformation!" Freya pushed herself away from the wall and walked around Ingrid as though inspecting a newly completed work of art. "Look at you! Clean hair, clean clothes, and no more smell of death following you around. If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were a completely different person."

"Freya!"

"All right, all right. I’ll stop." She grinned, then glanced toward the corridor. "Come on. Let’s get your wounds checked, too. You’ve been ignoring your own injuries while worrying about your companion, and I’m not going to let you get away with that."

Ingrid’s smile faded slightly as she remembered Lysander. "How is he? Has he woken up yet?"