...
From this angle,
amidst the interplay of light and shadow,
half of her junior Lynch's smiling face was hidden in the darkness beneath his hood, making him look like a demon wearing human skin.
Catherine's body instantly went rigid. Grief, indignation, and humiliation welled up inside her, turning her face bright red. She wanted nothing more than to stand firm and say, "Just kill me."
But the words died on her lips as she remembered her mission and saw the wounded soldiers groaning in agony on the ground.
All her defiance, all her dignity—it was all so fragile in the face of her responsibilities and the lives at stake.
In the end, a thousand unspoken words were reduced to a single one—
"Fine."
"I agree to compensate you."
Her face was pale. "But first," she said, clenching her jaw, "you have to let me and the field Priest treat the wounded."
