episode_0008

When I opened my eyes again, it was morning. The golden sunlight streaming through the window made me furrow my brows involuntarily. But something felt off. The warm and smooth sensation that spread across my arms and chest… What on earth was this? Someone was embracing me. And I, in turn, was holding onto someone. At the tip of my nose, a faint scent of wildflowers lingered. Carefully raising my hand, a few strands of long blonde hair came along with it, glistening brilliantly in the sunlight. A strange sense of excitement washed over me. With a trembling heart, I lowered my gaze, only to find Elaine nestled in my arms. Even if we combined all the time we’ve spent together, it wouldn’t amount to more than an hour. Yet here we were, lying side by side on the bed like a married couple, facing each other. We were even tightly wrapped around each other.

“……”

Thankfully, we were both fully clothed. Elaine was also wearing a nightgown made of a dress material. She peacefully breathed out rhythmic, gentle breaths, deeply asleep. Anyway, since nothing untoward had happened, I should be relieved. Nevertheless, my mouth felt parched, and I involuntarily swallowed dry saliva. In case of any unforeseen mishaps, I hastily rummaged through my memory. After making a hasty contract with the spirit of the wind, I had excessively drained my vitality in order to return quickly and nearly died in the process. Fortunately, Elaine arrived at the moment of my impending death. At first, she didn’t know what to do, but ultimately, she awakened her divine power and dramatically saved me from dying. It was truly a close call. If not for her awakening, I probably would have lost my life last night. I bowed my head, but it was to look at Elaine. Right now, she was sound asleep, her cheek pressed against my chest. The soft rustling of her breath somehow reassured my mind. As I had felt just a while ago, she was indeed remarkably beautiful, just like a heroine in a novel. Being this close to her, my heart pounded as if it were not my own. Suddenly, I snapped back to reality. This wasn’t the time for such thoughts.

Somehow, I don’t know how I ended up lying on this bed, but that wasn’t important. It was crucial to leave this place as quickly as possible. As someone who would need her help in the future, there would be nothing good about causing unnecessary misunderstandings. So, for now, quietly slipping away from the bed without waking her was the first thing to do. However, it seemed quite difficult to remove my left arm, which was draped over her body.

***

Elaine’s furrowed brow relaxed slightly. It was due to the lively chirping of birds singing the freshness of the morning. She had already woken from sleep, yet she hadn’t opened her eyes. The overwhelming fatigue was far more intense than being sick. Every part of her body felt heavy and lethargic. Moreover, something embracing her was so warm and cozy that if possible, she wanted to stay still like this until the sun reached its zenith. “But, what am I snuggled up to right now? Am I dreaming?” For a moment, such a thought crossed her mind, but the scent of the forest wafting in front of her was so pleasant that she once again fell into a snug slumber. It was an incredibly blissful feeling. The soft bed supporting her body and the sweet drowsiness that didn’t even allow trivial daydreams gave her a sensation as exhilarating as flying through the sky with closed eyes. Then, belatedly, her rationality kicked in, causing a commotion in her mind. “Where am I?” The question was accompanied by an immediate answer, making it no longer a question. The revived memory was unbelievable. It was shocking enough to send shivers down her entire body. It felt as if a fierce whirlwind, accompanied by thunder, snow, and hail, was raging inside her head. There was no mistake. This was undoubtedly the royal palace. And not just any palace, but the prince’s palace. Probably the prince’s bedroom. !!! In that case, what she was currently holding onto… Could it be…? Suddenly, a sinister thought struck her, and her eyes flew open. “Wh-what is this?! Why am I in this place, in this position, embracing the p-prince!!!” Elaine realized for the first time today that she could stumble over her words even in her thoughts. Truly, it was an unbelievable sight. Both the prince and herself were embracing each other with both arms.

Hot breaths were touching each other’s skin.

The distance was too close.

Thump thump! Thump thump! Thump thump!

The heart, which had long since crossed its limits, was celebrating in madness.

In those eyes that seemed unable to grow any larger,

trembling pupils were in the midst of preparing for a farewell, whispering, “Well then, goodbye.”

The body, heated like a burning ember,

even felt ticklish as if massaging the entire body with cotton candy.

It was shocking to that extent.

Being fully conscious was strange.

And as much as she was shocked, she was equally ashamed.

The intimate proximity with the prince was confusing her senses.

She was so bewildered that even her breath stopped.

She wanted to scream right away.

But Elaine was not a fool.

There would be nothing worse than waking the prince up right here and now.

There was absolutely no room for doubt.

If by some chance he were to wake up now,

trapped in a silence so suffocating it felt like choking,

it would be as desolate as a wanderer lost in the middle of a desert.

Even without looking, it was obvious.

It was undoubtedly a disaster.

How on earth did it come to this?

Elaine’s memory went back to last night.

It was the moment she held the prince’s hand.

A brilliant light burst from her own hand.

As if holding the sun in both hands, it was so dazzling that it seemed blinding.

That was it.

Right after that, she lost consciousness, with no memory left.

Then there was only one answer.

In a faint state of consciousness, she had climbed onto the bed herself.

…Good heavens.

No matter how absent-minded she was, she had climbed onto the bed where the man was sleeping.

It was so embarrassing and humiliating that tears welled up. Her strength drained from her body, and her arms and legs trembled.

Then, belatedly,

she remembered the prince from last night.

Last night.

The prince was undoubtedly dying.

To remember such an important fact only now.

Elaine quickly raised her head.

And the moment she caught sight of the prince’s face,

the chaos that had been raging in her mind subsided at once.

How could this happen…!

The prince’s once parched face was now as clean as white jade.

Even the groans mixed in with his breathing no longer reached her ears.

The prince was as healthy as he had been a few days ago.

‘Truly… you’ve really recovered…!’

There was no doubt.

The intense light that had emanated from his own hands last night.

It had saved the prince.

Just as he had said.

He truly possessed the ability to heal himself.

Of course, it still didn’t feel real.

To think that he had such an incredible ability.

No matter how much he thought about it, it was unbelievable.

Even so.

One thing at this moment that could not be denied.

A tremendous sense of relief surged within her heart. Enough to make her blush and smile brightly.

Then it happened.

The prince’s closed eyes trembled slightly.

It seemed like he had probably woken up from sleep.

Elaine tightly shut her eyes.

She must not get caught waking up.

If she did.

Given her inability to lie.

In the end, she would have to admit that she had climbed onto the prince’s bed with her own two feet.

So let’s stay like this.

Quietly pretending not to know anything.

And silently. As if deeply asleep.

Soon after, beneath his side, the prince’s left arm began to move cautiously.

Swoosh—swish—

With extremely limited movements to avoid waking her up, he was slowly slipping away bit by bit.

Thank goodness.

If the prince quietly slipped away like this.

Perhaps this embarrassing situation.

Would forever become something that never happened between the two of them.

However, within such actions.

There was an undeniable significant issue.

Of all things, the prince’s arm was touching her side.

Swoosh—swish—

An unbearable itch made the muscles throughout her body contract moment by moment.

It would have been better to just pull away abruptly.

Slowly and gently.

Paused in movement, then repeated continuously.

It was incredibly difficult to suppress the laughter that kept wanting to burst out.

Controlling the body’s reflexive twitching was also no easy task.

Elaine clenched her teeth.

Her grip tightened on both hands.

This is not my body. Absolutely not my body. Constantly brainwashing herself.

Vowing and vowing again.

She absolutely wouldn’t get caught. Absolutely.

Forcing herself to endure the itching felt like her head was spinning.

However, under no circumstances should you open your eyes or even smile. She relentlessly whipped herself mentally.

Finally, the prince’s arm was completely disentangled.

Unknowingly holding back a sigh, she managed to stifle it and let out a gasp! But she pretended to be half-asleep, managing to barely avoid the crisis.

The prince cautiously got out of bed.

Creak—

It wasn’t until a long time after he had left that Elaine cautiously got up from her spot.

And then, she realized.

Her dress, which her sister had helped her put on.

It was off.

Her already heated face blushed even more intensely.

She was only wearing a thin nightgown made of incredibly soft material.

Her figure was fully exposed.

Wearing just this with the prince in the same bed…

And tightly embraced at that…

Eventually, her cheeks turned as red as her ears, neck, and fingertips, and she sighed once again.

Surely, the prince didn’t take it off…?

That couldn’t be.

He was a patient wandering through delirium, wasn’t he?

But since she hadn’t seen it with her own eyes, she couldn’t easily conclude anything.

In the end, tears welled up again in Elaine’s eyes.

It wasn’t important at all.

She could only console herself that it was all in the past.

Anyway.

What really mattered was putting the dress back on.

But a dress was not something a woman could put on alone.

So, it seemed even more maddening.

She felt like she would die of anxiety before the prince returned, but she couldn’t do anything without being able to wear the dress.

Then, when the bedroom door opened, she truly thought she would collapse.

“His Highness has sent for you.”

Fortunately, it wasn’t the prince.

The women carrying a much more splendid dress than what her sister had given her, along with shoes and a jewelry box, were attendants sent by the emperor.

***

Bellcreed Suphelator Caldevrion, the Emperor of the Mersen Empire.

He was now facing his son outside the prince’s chamber.

“Are you awake?”

“…”

She couldn’t fathom how surprised she must have been last night.

The prince, who had left his chamber, was shocked to an extent incomparable to when he saw himself. Even the royal physician and high-ranking officials had asserted that the prince would never make it through the night. He had clearly stated this with a bewildered expression, carefully watching his own condition. Indeed, the prince’s state was deteriorating rapidly, right up until the arrival of the daughter of Viscount Bart. It had been unmistakably so… After leaving the two alone in the chamber for a short while, a brilliant light suddenly streamed through the crack of the door. It was an unprecedented phenomenon. The astonished emperor immediately entered the room and looked intently at the woman who had collapsed on the floor and the now recovered face of the prince under the flickering candlelight. At first, he doubted his eyes. It was an utterly unbelievable sight, to the point where he began to doubt if he was hallucinating after desperately wishing for his son not to die. He approached closely, repeatedly gazing into his son’s face without knowing how many times. It was an unbelievable event no matter how much he thought about it. Not only the sudden turn from near death, but even more so, the fact that he had come back to life just before dying. Even for someone who had experienced all sorts of trials and tribulations while guarding the throne for many years, it was something he simply could not comprehend. Wrestling with unresolved questions, he instructed the royal physician to examine his son and the lady. He ordered the maids to change their clothes and lift them onto the bed. Seeing the two lying on the same bed, it made his eyes moist as if he were looking at his own youthful days. After that, he stood quietly outside the chamber, pondering repeatedly, until he spent the entire night. By the time dawn broke, he had abandoned his suspicions. What’s the use of scrutinizing every detail at this point? Regardless. The most important thing was the fact that his dying son had come back to life. And once his son woke up, naturally, he would be able to find out what had happened. And now, the emperor was gazing at his son with a cool gaze, albeit quite belatedly.

Now, even at this late hour, he was determined to fulfill his duty as a father.

The emperor spoke with a solemn expression.

“You have defied my orders and once again left the palace.”

His voice carried a forceful tone, almost as if interrogating a criminal.

“….”

“I had warned you of the consequences. Do you remember?”

“….”

On the face of the silent prince,

an unusual sense of bewilderment was distinctly present.