Chapter 75
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Calix opened his eyes, feeling remarkably refreshed. He stared blankly at the ceiling for a moment, unable to recall the recent events.
Instead, only the unfamiliar moans he’d heard the previous night echoed in his mind. The moaning, slightly lower than most female voices, didn’t seem low by nature, but rather sounded muffled, as if something was covering it.
Along with that, he remembered the sensation of skin sticking to his palms, and the sensation of running his fingers through soft, silky hair.
He could recall everything he touched, and yet, strangely, the face wouldn’t come to mind.
“…Hmm.”
Could it be that he was just confusing it with a dream? The strange, sensual feeling wouldn’t dissipate, like the lingering afterglow of a wet dream, leaving him feeling uneasy.
Just then, he sensed someone approaching, and soon they appeared.
“Your Highness?”
At Ilion’s voice, Calix simply flicked his gaze over to him.
“Your Highness!”
Realizing Calix had woken up, Ilion rushed over and immediately burst into tears.
“Do you have any idea how worried I was, thinking you might die?!”
Watching the large man cry so openly was honestly not a welcome sight, but Calix couldn’t help letting out a faint laugh.
“You can laugh at a time like this? Do you even realize how much danger you were in, Your Highness?!”
“How would I know?”
His voice came out rough and hoarse, revealing he hadn’t used it in some time. He instinctively wrapped a hand around his throat and cleared his voice.
“Ah, this isn’t the time. I’ll fetch the court physician right away.”
Ilion jumped up and hurried out, soon returning with the trembling court physician. From his demeanor, Calix could roughly guess how things had played out.
“Your Highness!”
Behind the physician, Daisy appeared, her face gaunt. Like Ilion, she dropped to her knees before Calix and burst into tears.
“There’s no doubt I was lacking in my service. Even if you cast me out, I will gladly accept it.”
“Your Highness, I…”
Even Ilion, standing beside her, knelt and begged. The awkwardly standing physician soon followed, kneeling and bowing his head.
Watching this sequence of events, Calix was so taken aback that he let out a dry laugh. Then, as he suddenly remembered he hadn’t found Luna, his expression instantly darkened.
The physician carefully approached to examine him. After a moment of hesitation, he broke into a bright smile and announced to Calix,
“Your Highness! Your physical condition has returned to normal!”
“What?”
Ilion, who had been watching the examination from a distance, rushed over, practically shoving his face into the physician’s.
“You’re not lying, are you?”
“How could I possibly lie about something like this?”
“You never know.”
“No, I assure you! Your pulse, body temperature, everything is back to normal. This is nothing short of a miracle!”
“…Your Highness, how did you do it? I was sure you were going to completely lose control.”
To Ilion’s question, Calix simply closed his mouth. How could he say he’d had an indecent dream and then woke up fine?
“I’m not an Esper, but I’ve studied the signs of an impending rampage. The most obvious symptom, the blood vessels in your eyes bursting, has cleared up perfectly, so you should be fine. However…”
The physician trailed off, glancing nervously at Calix. Sensing what he meant, Calix let out a faint chuckle.
“I’ll take care of the rest. You’re dismissed.”
“Th-thank you, Your Highness.”
The physician hurried out. Ilion and Daisy glared after him in annoyance.
“That’s enough. If he’s not afraid of a deranged Esper, that’s even more suspicious.”
“But not now, is it?”
“Seems even to a non-Espers’s eyes, I must still look unstable.”
“It was really a close call, Your Highness.”
“…Indeed. I never imagined I would fall so deep so suddenly.”
As he spoke, his mouth tasted bitter, and he smiled wryly. He now understood just how important that little fox had become to him.
But the thought that he would never see her again was still hard to believe, and as he let out a sigh and closed his eyes—
“Kkyang!”
A familiar cry rang out. Calix shot upright in surprise. For a moment he thought he was hallucinating, but then a familiar shape darted into the bedroom.
“Luna!”
The collar he’d put on her was still shining brightly, and her golden eyes—so much like the pendant—looked right at Calix.
“You troublemaker…”
He reached out, using his wind ability to pull the fox into his arms. Feeling her small, warm body in his embrace, all the resentment in his heart melted away like snow.
“No, it’s fine. As long as you’re safe, that’s enough.”
Hearing his heartfelt voice, Ilion and Daisy’s eyes reddened with emotion. They couldn’t help but feel sorry for the Crown Prince, whose only comfort, despite being heir to the throne, was a single fox.
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