She Quit Her Family and Found Herself novel Chapter 230

Staring at the painfully thin, malnourished girl, Hulda was flooded with complex emotions.

The child was astonishingly filthy—far dirtier than any of the rough-and-tumble local boys. Her hair was chopped short, clearly hacked unevenly with dull scissors at home, sticking out in messy clumps. There wasn't a single clean spot on her entire body. Even now, Hulda couldn't make out her actual facial features.

Most importantly, she was incredibly aggressive. When scared or threatened, her first instinct wasn't to run; it was to attack.

Even when faced with someone much bigger and stronger, she wouldn't hesitate to throw a punch.

And the name didn't help either.

Kit...

Even the most uneducated families wouldn't normally give a little girl such a rough name.

Combined with her demeanor, it was no wonder Hulda had automatically assumed she was a boy.

To her shock, she was entirely wrong.

"Come here, sweetie. Don't be scared, let me wash you," her voice softened significantly.

She turned on the showerhead, gently letting the warm water run over Kit's body.

"Hot..." The girl’s body went rigid the moment the water hit her, her eyes darting around in absolute confusion.

Hulda immediately pulled the showerhead away. "Did it burn you?"

She tested the water on her own arm. The temperature was perfect—warm, but totally safe for a child.

Ever since Miles was born, she had used this exact temperature for his baths. Over the years, it had become muscle memory. One touch was all she needed to know it was safe.

Yet Kit just stared at the running water in bewildered panic. Slowly, cautiously, she reached out a tiny hand to touch the stream.

Her eyes filled with tentative wonder, followed by sheer amazement.

Suddenly, it clicked. "Kit, have you never taken a warm shower before?"

As the thick layers of dirt finally washed away, the child's true skin was revealed.

Seeing it, she let out a sharp gasp.

Not only was the girl practically skin and bones, but her little body was covered in bruises of all sizes.

Because the bruises had been hidden under the thick mud, Hulda hadn't noticed them. While scrubbing the dirt away, she had inevitably pressed down on the injuries.

Yet, from start to finish, the girl hadn't made a single sound. She hadn't even flinched.

She had just stood there, obediently letting herself be washed.

Hulda gently traced the edge of one of the dark marks. "Where did you get these?"

Kit's lips pressed into a tight line. Once again, she refused to speak.

Hulda didn't push. Instead, she asked softly, "Does it hurt?"