On the cliff, behind a large rock.
Joyce leaned against the stone, trying to sleep but not daring to fully fall asleep. If she slept too deeply, she would lose consciousness, and any accidental exposure of her body or head could mean instant death. She only dared to close her eyes and rest.
From time to time, she called out to Clint to remind him not to fall asleep.
"Hey," Joyce called out. When Clint didn't answer, she raised her voice and called again, "Hey!"
"I have a name," Clint finally responded. "I'm not asleep. Call me by my name, call me Clint."
He wished she would call him like she used to.
Joyce ignored him. "If you're not asleep, why didn't you respond? Sniping is about endurance; hang in there. If you want to die, wait until this is over and undo the curse for me before you do."
Clint remained silent.
She truly didn't give him any kindness.
"You're a sharpshooter. Do you understand long-distance sniping as well?" Clint tried to engage her in conversation. He was genuinely tired; after all, he had been shot, losing blood and energy.
"I didn't before, but I learned a lot from my mother later on," Joyce answered softly. She could tell from his voice that the bleeding had stopped.
"Being born into a military family makes you different. Joyce, you're unlike any woman I've ever known," Clint said softly, his voice carried by the wind.
"Heh. What do you know? Although I was born into a military family, I got lost as a child and grew up in an orphanage. For over twenty years, I never experienced familial love. I did everything alone. Even though I had a talent for shooting, the training process was grueling. No matter how sad or repressed I felt inside, I had no one to release my stress or confide in," Joyce laughed self-deprecatingly. "Do you know that I've only been recognized by the Heath family for less than a year? Do you think I'm some high-and-mighty princess who grew up pampered and privileged like you?"
Clint turned his gaze towards Joyce. He could feel her breathing quicken.
He knew some of her past, but hearing it from her own mouth made the weight of it real. She had endured so much pain; her heart must be heavy.
"Do you know why I saved you? When I saw you floating on the sea back then, I remembered when I fell off a cliff into the ocean-vast and endless, with no end in sight, deep and unknown, not knowing life or death or future. That feeling of helplessness and confusion-I experienced it. I was rescued and survived. That's why I saved you. Had I known you were deliberately floating there to lure me in, I wouldn't have softened."
Joyce spoke to herself.
Clint stayed silent; so that's how it was.
"You claimed to have forgotten everything and were alone with no support, which reminded me of myself-not knowing my origins, having no family or support. That's why I took you in. You took advantage of my soft heart and played me like a puppet." She laughed bitterly.
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