Suddenly, she heard footsteps outside the room. She quickly rushed to the bed, but the hard wooden frame barely covered by a thin mattress caused her knees to slam painfully against it.
"Ouch…" she whispered softly, rubbing her knees and hoping bruises would not form.
She pulled the blanket over her face and pretended to be asleep, though her eyes remained slightly open. Through the small gap, she saw a man with a strange hairstyle enter the room alongside a physician carrying a medical box.
The man instructed the physician to check her pulse. He gently lowered the blanket from her face to her shoulders and carefully lifted her left hand. The physician took out a small cushion from the box and placed it beneath her wrist to make it easier to examine her pulse.
After checking her condition, the physician spoke quietly to the man before examining the wounds on her head and back. He replaced the bandages carefully and warned him, "Be cautious with her injuries. Do not let them become infected, or they may leave scars. It would not be good for an unmarried girl."
Once finished, the man escorted the physician outside and handed him several banknotes as payment.
When he returned to her bedside, he said calmly, "I know you're awake. Open your eyes."
Peppy immediately sat up and shouted, "Who are you?! Where am I? What is this place? And… who am I? Stay away from me! Don't come near me!"
Without warning, the man suddenly embraced her as though she were his wife. Startled, Peppy shoved him away and bit his hand in panic. She quickly darted to the other side of the room, grabbing an object nearby and holding it out like a weapon to protect herself from him.