While looking into those bright eyes, Felix, who intended to brush things off, finally admitted it. "Yes, it''s me." Xena waved her hand dismissively, silently telling him to leave.


    Felix couldn''t figure out what was going on in Xena''s mind. He didn''t know if Willow''s letter affected her.


    For some reason, Felix felt a sense of relief. He had done what he could-the rest didn''t matter.


    By the time he returned to Gray City, night had fallen. N greeted him, "Wee back Come eat."


    The timing was perfect, and Felix didn''t question it since he was hungry. "Thank you."


    After finishing his meal, Felix stopped N from doing the dishes. "You gave up everything to be with me. Is it truly out of love?"


    N thought for a moment. "Not entirely. At the very least, I do care about you."


    N was being genuine, that was if she ignored Felix''s abilities and his overly protective mother.


    However, Felix shook his head. "You don''t even dare to show me your face. You should leave. There''s no way this will work."


    He pushed for N to leave. To be honest, Felix was exhausted after dealing with Xena and Yvonne. He felt more at ease with his fellow apprentices.


    As Felix stood to leave, N removed the covering from her face. "I didn''t let you see my face because Icked the courage. But you''re right. I''vee this far. Why should I care?"


    Felix froze. He assumed the face behind the veil had to be stunningly beautiful, but the reality


    was different.


    N''s cheeks were covered in scars, spreading from beneath her eyes to the corners of her


    mouth.


    "Do you see me now?" N lowered her gaze sadly. For a woman, exposing such a disfigured face to someone she loved required a lot of courage.


    "You''re beautiful, just marred by these marks. Did something cause this?" Felix asked.


    N found no trace of disgust from Felix, and her trembling stopped. "Yes. A woman poisoned me. Only she has the antidote."


    Poison? Felix shook his head. "That''s impossible. I''ve examined you multiple times. Even if the Shadow Mask can conceal a martial artist''s traits, it cannot hide toxins or disease, right?"


    N smiled bitterly.


    "You''re right. The Shadow Mask can''t do that. But it is poison. The woman I mentioned belongs to a family of master healers. Their medical skills far surpass what you know. The poison she used isn''t something you can detect, let alone cure." Upon thinking of how young yet terrifying Cynthia was, Felix knew N wasn''t lying, especially since this involved her body.


    "There must be a way to fix this, right?" Felix sat down again. He felt a growing respect for N. To reveal such a face to him required an incredible amount of courage.