Winter Lord: Starting with Daily Intelligence

Chapter 27 Sif Awakens
Consciousness drifted between chaos and reality, as if it had sunk into the deep sea and was being slowly pulled back to the surface.

Sif slowly opened her eyes, and her blurry vision gradually became clear.

What came into view was an unfamiliar wooden ceiling, with a faint smell of smoke in the air.

Her body was wrapped in warm bedding, and her skin could clearly feel the comfortable temperature.

Her instinctive defensiveness made her quickly scan her surroundings.

This is a wooden cabin with simple yet clean walls and beams, a few simple wooden tables and chairs, and a fireplace with a warm fire burning.

Fortunately, there were no chains used for imprisonment, nor were there any obvious weapons.

Sif tried to turn over, but she felt that her body was completely unresponsive and so weak that even the slightest movement was extremely difficult.

Oh no! I can't move this body at all!

This made her heart sink.

Then the painful memories came flooding back.

The destruction of the Cold Moon tribe.

His siblings and parents all died tragically because of his betrayal.

Her last brother sacrificed himself to cover her escape, perishing alongside the enemy.

She closed her eyes, grief overwhelmed her, and it felt as if a huge rock was pressing on her chest, making it hard for her to breathe.

"At least I'm still alive, and I still have a chance for revenge!"

She gritted her teeth, trying to suppress the stinging in her eyes and calm herself down.

Just then, the wooden door creaked open.

Sif suddenly opened her eyes and looked warily toward the doorway.

She had expected to see unfamiliar soldiers, nobles, or the murderers who slaughtered her people.

However, a thin, middle-aged woman entered. She looked to be in her forties and had wrinkles on her face.

She was dressed in simple cotton clothes and carried a tray with a bowl of porridge and a cup of warm water. The rising steam carried a faint aroma of food.

Seeing that Sif had woken up, the woman's eyes flashed with joy: "Oh dear, you're finally awake. You're a lucky child."

The middle-aged woman gently lifted Sif's upper body and let her lean against the soft pillows.

He then picked up a glass of warm water and slowly brought it to her lips, saying gently, "Drink some water first to soothe your throat. You've been unconscious for several days."

After hesitating for a moment, Sif finally opened her mouth slightly, allowing the woman to bring the rim of the cup close to her lips.

The warm water slowly flowed into my mouth, and the burning sensation in my throat finally eased a little.

Sif couldn't help but swallow gently, and her consciousness gradually cleared as the water flowed.

"Slow down, don't rush." ​​The woman's voice was filled with heartache. "Poor child, he must have suffered a lot..."

Sif's eyelashes trembled slightly, a dark emotion flashing across her eyes, but she did not respond to the woman's words.

"If the lord hadn't sent someone to save you, you would probably have been carried off by wild beasts!" The woman patted her back as she began to mutter to herself.

Upon hearing this, Sif lowered her eyes slightly, her fingers subtly tightening.

My Lord?

Are they nobles from the South?!
A sense of unease rose within her, but she remained silent.

The woman, oblivious to her change in mood, continued her rambling: "Don't be afraid. Our lord, though young, is a remarkable man, and kind-hearted; he can't bear to see the pitiful."

You didn't know, did you? He even saves wounded slaves; we refugees have received a lot of care from him.

She spoke lightly, but Sif felt increasingly uneasy.

She was actually picked up by a nobleman from the southern barbarians!

From childhood to adulthood, she had heard countless rumors about the empire.

They were cunning invaders, each one cold-blooded and ruthless, fond of deceiving the weak with lies before mercilessly devouring everything. And now she had fallen into the hands of such people, making Sif increasingly uneasy.

First and foremost, you must never let the other party know your true identity.

Although her family has now been destroyed, her status as the former princess of the Cold Moon tribe still holds immense value.

For those in power, she is a very useful political bargaining chip.

They might even be sent to the imperial court and become the plaything of some nobleman.

Sif could not accept such a fate.

So, what should I do now?
Her fingers curled slightly, and her heart pounded with unease.

Should we just run away?

Sif quickly rejected the idea.

She is now completely unable to move her body, not to mention that she has no knowledge of the terrain here.

If she were to flee rashly, she would either die on the way or be caught and brought back, in which case her situation would only get worse.

Pretending to comply?

Perhaps this is an option.

You can pretend to obey first, secretly observe everything here, and then look for a suitable opportunity to escape.

But this means she must proceed with caution, ensuring that the other party knows her identity and that they do not suspect her intention to escape.

Of course, most importantly, she had to figure out what kind of person this "lord" really was.

If he really is a kind-hearted person, as that middle-aged woman said, then perhaps I can have some breathing room.

But if he is only outwardly kind but inwardly cold and ruthless, then she must prepare for the worst.

In any case, she couldn't just sit and wait to die.

As she was lost in thought, footsteps suddenly came from outside the door, accompanied by a guard's announcement: "The lord has arrived."

Sif's body tensed instinctively, her fingertips gripping the blankets tightly as she held her breath.

She was mentally prepared to face an imperial nobleman with a burly face, a lecherous grin, and an aura of strong spices.

They had even mentally rehearsed the upcoming scenario countless times.

If the other party humiliates her, she pretends to comply and waits for a chance to escape.

However, when the door was pushed open, reality was completely different from what she expected.

The person who walked in was a handsome young man with black hair.

He looked to be in his early twenties, with a tall and straight figure, dressed neatly and elegantly, neither excessively luxurious nor shabby, everything was just right.

He didn't have a strong, pungent smell of spices, nor did he wear exaggerated or ostentatious gold jewelry, nor did he exude a cruel or bloodthirsty aura; instead, he carried a refreshing and neat air.

His gaze was scrutinizing, but not in a condescending way; in fact, it even revealed a hint of gentleness.
Sif was stunned for a moment.

These are... nobles of the Iron-Blooded Empire?
This is completely inconsistent with the education she received from childhood!

In her mind, the nobles of the empire were either fat, greedy gluttons or ruthless butchers; they were bloodthirsty, arrogant, and regarded the northern barbarians as beasts.

But this young man in front of me doesn't seem like that kind of person at all.

But she quickly came to her senses, and alarm bells rang in her mind.

Don't be fooled by appearances!
This man is perhaps just better at disguising himself than other southern barbarians.

He has a clean appearance and elegant manners, but that doesn’t mean he’s without ambition or scheming.

Therefore, she must be even more careful!
Sif suppressed her doubts, lowered her eyelids, and observed the other person's every move discreetly.

(End of this chapter)