Chapter 102
“Wipe the blood.”
“Yes.”
The handkerchief was warm, as if soaked in hot water. As she wiped away the traces of the nosebleed, a faint scent of him lingered. She inhaled carefully, but since it had been used to clean blood, the metallic smell of it was much stronger.
His gaze, fixed quietly on her, held a jumble of emotions. Lynette lowered her head deeply, unable to acknowledge them.
“…”
A suffocating silence settled between them. Euphen, who had been staring at her for a long time, finally let out a rough sigh and dragged a hand down his face.
“…Rest now.”
“Your Highness should rest as well.”
With a bitter smile, he slowly rose to his feet.
“I’ll make sure your room is properly guarded from now on, so don’t worry.”
“There’s no need to go that far…”
“Call for the maids, change your clothes, and take a hot bath.”
As he spoke, he shut the still-wide-open window himself and fastened the latch.
Lynette clutched the handkerchief tightly. No matter how firmly she held on, she could feel the warmth seeping away.
After summoning Mari and Lara to her room himself, Euphen finally left, almost as if handing her over to them.
“Miss Lynette! What on earth happened!?”
“Are you all right?”
Because of the commotion, her scream and the knights rushing in, it seemed Mari and Lara had already been preparing. They were neatly dressed in their maid uniforms as usual. They appeared to have guessed something serious had happened, but seeing Lynette’s condition left looks of horror frozen on their faces.
“It looks worse than it is.”
She forced a small smile to reassure them, but the moment she spoke, her cheek throbbed in pain. Lynette winced without realizing it.
Through the crack of the door, she caught sight of Euphen checking inside once more. Their eyes met for an instant. His blue eyes were dark and heavy.
Then he quietly closed the door and left.
***
“Ugh…”
Lynette groaned faintly, her face twisting in pain. The medicine was supposed to ease her muscle aches, yet when she woke up, her entire body hurt. It felt as if she had been beaten all over.
On top of that, the tension from the night before had left her with a fever. Her mind was hazy, making it hard to do anything.
Mari and Lara, who noticed her condition early in the morning, immediately called for the physician, and the same one from the previous night returned to give her more medicine. Whatever was in it, it must have had a sedative effect. The bitterness was so strong it made her stomach churn, and soon her consciousness grew even heavier.
She couldn’t tell if she was asleep or awake. Drifting in and out, she lost count of how many times she dozed off and woke again, until she finally noticed someone sitting by her bed. Forcing her heavy eyelids open just enough to see who it was, a weak, groaning whisper slipped from her lips.
“Your Highness…”
“You’re awake?”
At the sound of his deep voice, her heart eased. Relief that nothing had happened during the night washed over her, and her whole body relaxed.
She blinked slowly. He simply sat there, watching her quietly. He knew full well that watching over her was the only thing he could do.
“Sleep a little more.”
“Haah…”
A heated breath escaped her lips. She felt the dryness of her mouth.
It had been so long since she was this unwell. She wasn’t exceptionally strong, but she wasn’t weak either. In a poor household, those born frail usually didn’t live long, and since coming to the Imperial Castle she had eaten well and lived in comfort, with no chance to fall sick.
Her head swam. She slowly moved her hand, which felt as heavy as if weights were tied to it.
“Hold my hand.”
It wasn’t something she would normally ask. Both of them knew very well what kind of consequences this simple act could bring.
That was why Lynette had never sought unnecessary contact with Euphen. She had been content with holding hands once a day under the excuse of guiding. But now, she no longer has the strength to think so rationally.
He pressed his lips together, then let out a bitter laugh and shook his head.
“No, Lynette.”
She had heard that refusal hundreds of times before, but perhaps because she was sick, it suddenly hurt even more. Unable to control her emotions, she couldn’t hold back the wave of sorrow that surged up inside her.
“Ugh…”
She tried to grit her teeth and endure it, but the tears overflowed anyway. Her eyes burned, filling with tears until they brimmed. Every time she tried to swallow back the sobs, a choking sound slipped out instead.
“Lynette.”
Watching her lie there, silently letting tears fall, Euphen’s expression twisted as if he himself might cry.
“Don’t cry. Please.”
“Hhngh…”
The more she tried to suppress it, the more wretched she felt. She could feel her pillow growing damp beneath her.
It was as if everything she had held down until now had burst all at once. Like trying to hold back a broken dam with her bare hands.
Euphen clenched his teeth. Instead of taking her hand, he balled his own into a fist so tightly his knuckles turned white.
“Lynette, please…”
At his desperate voice, Lynette stammered through her sobs.
“Just until I fall asleep… Please hold my hand.”
“…”
He seemed to realize that if he refused, she would only cry harder. Unable to say the words, Euphen simply looked at her in silence.
“Close your eyes, Lynette.”
The moment she obediently closed her eyes, he carefully took her hand.
The familiar sting of pain was strangely comforting. Though she tried to resist sleep, perhaps because of the medicine, Lynette soon drifted off into a deep slumber.
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