Franz stood in front of the mirror and slightly turned his head. He could see a long piece of white, clean cloth hanging from his temples to the part hanging loosely around his chin. He moved his lip on the injured side slightly, and his entire cheek felt tingly. It seemed like it would be difficult for him to even eat for a while.
Is he glad he doesn’t have to say much? It would have been quite a big deal if his life hadn't been as abnormal as it is now. Not having many people to visit, he spent most of the day alone in Astel Palace and did not talk to anyone. He never thought the day would come when he would feel fortunate to have such a life. Franz smiled bitterly.
The Duke of Vergy, who came running after hearing the news, almost fainted when he saw Franz's face covered in blood. At that time, the healers had already treated the wound to some extent, leaving only traces of blood that could not be cleaned, but the Duke's anger was sky-high.
The Duke was even more upset when he learned that Judith had been hurt so badly while trying to protect him. Not only was it the fact that the Queen had whipped the young Princess so harshly, but the fact that Franz, who normally did not go near the Queen, ran into her palace and carried Judith out was a surprise to him. It was hard to believe even after hearing it.
The Duke, who had been going on a rampage, announced the Queen's atrocities at the meeting and gnashed his teeth to discuss future dispositions, but Franz stopped him. The Duke got angry, his face wide open, as if he couldn't understand.
"You are the Prince of a country! No matter how powerful the Queen is, how can she do such a shameless thing! This time I won't let her go!"
"If you do that, the Princess will suffer even more, uncle."
The Duke was speechless when Franz asked him not to do this not because he was afraid of the Queen, but for the sake of the Princess.
In the end, the Duke, who gave in to earnest persuasion, took a step back by saying that he would not openly point out the Queen's mistakes at the meeting, but he would not ignore them. Franz also shut his mouth, pretending that he couldn't stop his uncle that far.
Even if the rumor spreads, it would be difficult to cause a big reaction as the majority of nobles follow the Queen's forces. However, if it became known that the Queen had beaten the Princess so viciously, a certain amount of controversy would arise, and it would be a significant loss of respect among the nobles who maintained neutrality.
Franz, who was tracing the cloth on his cheek with his fingertips, turned and entered the bedroom. The small Astel Palace did not have multiple bedrooms. Moreover, since no one was visiting, the only place decorated to resemble a bedroom was the place where Judith was sleeping.
The bedroom, where the sun had set and the blue darkness had begun, felt somehow unfamiliar.
Is it because someone other than himself is lying in bed, or is it because of the bitter smell that fills the room?
Franz glanced at Mary Anne, who was curled up on the sofa far away, asleep, and pulled the chair next to the nightstand and sat down next to Judith's bedside.
Cold sweat was seeping down Judith's forehead as she slept. Her face looked haggard with her eyes quietly closed, perhaps because of the darkness that was wearing away her edges, or because of the medication and pain.
The moment Franz unconsciously reached out to her forehead and carefully brushed away a few strands of disheveled hair, Judith's eyelids slowly opened with a trembling sound.
Judith was momentarily appalled when she saw the silhouette of a man in the darkness surrounding her like a veil. The terrible things that Krald had done before her death came back to her like lightning. Franz cautiously grabbed her shoulder as she flinched and tried to run away without even opening her eyes properly.
“Don’t be surprised.”
Judith slowly came to her senses at the sound of a low, comforting voice. Only then did Judith realize that she was still lying in Franz's bed, and her eyes shook quietly.
“Sir, where is Marianne...”
“She fell asleep while nursing you.”
“...I will take her back.”
“Just sleep here tonight. It will be difficult to move.”
Couldn’t I say something kinder?
Cold sweat was seeping down Judith's forehead as she slept. Her face looked haggard with her eyes quietly closed, perhaps because of the darkness that was wearing away her edges, or because of the medication and pain.
The moment Franz unconsciously reached out to her forehead and carefully brushed away a few strands of disheveled hair, Judith's eyelids slowly opened with a trembling sound.
Judith was momentarily appalled when she saw the silhouette of a man in the darkness surrounding her like a veil. The terrible things that Krald had done before her death came back to her like lightning. Franz cautiously grabbed her shoulder as she flinched and tried to run away without even opening her eyes properly.
“Don’t be surprised.”
Judith slowly came to her senses at the sound of a low, comforting voice. Only then did Judith realize that she was still lying in Franz's bed, and her eyes shook quietly.
“Sir, where is Marianne...”
“She fell asleep while nursing you.”
“...I will take her back.”
“Just sleep here tonight. It will be difficult to move.”
Couldn’t I say something kinder?
Franz felt a faint sense of self-reproach at his tone, which, contrary to his thoughts, sounded blunt. He wanted to comfort the wounded Judith more kindly, but he ended up being clumsy.
Judith kept her mouth shut and stared intently at Franz's face covered in darkness. The desire to see his face a little closer and the desire to ignore him for some reason clashed with each other, and she suddenly felt ashamed.
“The injured area...”
Franz's attitude when speaking was cautious. Judith, who slightly turned over her body, frowned at the wet feel of her back but nodded.
“It’s okay, Your Highness. I heard you were hurt. I am...”
“I’m fine. I need to change your medicine.”
"Ah... But since Mary Anne is sleeping...”
“I can do it.”
Judith just blinked in silence. Even though he spoke first, Franz, who had been rubbing his chin with his fingertips a few times as if embarrassed, slowly stood up.
“There is something the courtiers left behind, so I will bring it back.”
The neat sound of shoe feet hitting the floor gradually fades away from her ears. Judith lay still and looked up at the ceiling, the colors of which were indistinguishable unlike during the day.
Come to think of it, it was the first time in her two lives that she had looked at the ceiling of Astel Palace for this long. It occurred to her that the feeling of silence she felt every time she came here was most likely coming from the color of the ceiling.
Franz, carrying a small silver bowl and a candlestick, returned when Judith had counted about ten embossed patterns on the pillars supporting the ceiling. The bowl was full of medicine that gave off a bad smell.
Carefully placing the candlestick down on the nightstand, Franz removed the thin sheet that covered Judith's upper body.
In the flickering light, he could vaguely see that even the sleeves of her chemise were speckled with the water from the medicinal herbs placed on her back. A perplexed expression momentarily passed across Franz's face as he grabbed Judith's shoulder to help her up. He felt that if she stood up like that, it would put a lot of strain on her injured back.
“Give me your arm.”
Franz, who hesitated while holding her skinny shoulder, spoke. At that moment, the small flame that seemed to be dying out at the end of the candle trembled and flared up. For a moment, his face seemed so close that Judith lowered her gaze, biting her lip. Then she slowly raised her arm and hugged Franz's shoulder.
When Franz raised Judith, a small breath escaped from between his lips like a whistle. The herbs that had stuck to her back slid off. Judith glanced down at the bed and turned her head apologetically.
“Your bed is a mess because of me.”
“Even if you put a cloth down, the grass seeps in, so there’s nothing you can do. I just need to change the bed, so don’t worry about it.”
Franz answered as if nothing had happened, and with a clean cloth, little by little, he removed the bunch of dried herbs from Judith's back. His heart sank eerily as he came across the red, swollen skin that looked as if a snake had crawled over it. He felt fortunate that Judith could not see this right away.
“It might sting a little, but...”
Judith, bending her upper body, pursed her lips and endured the pain. When the cold medicine touched the wound, goosebumps appeared all over her body.
However, she felt Franz's light, weightless fingertips occasionally touching her more clearly than the feeling of crushed herbs covering her skin. It was as if the heat of a candle had suddenly spread to her cheeks, and her suddenly flushed face did not cool down at all.
She doesn't know this feeling. Judith closed her eyes, feeling somewhat embarrassed. Even when she didn't know about the unquenchable anger and desire for revenge, she had never felt this way because of Franz.
Did you want to know?
Judith kept her mouth shut and stared intently at Franz's face covered in darkness. The desire to see his face a little closer and the desire to ignore him for some reason clashed with each other, and she suddenly felt ashamed.
“The injured area...”
Franz's attitude when speaking was cautious. Judith, who slightly turned over her body, frowned at the wet feel of her back but nodded.
“It’s okay, Your Highness. I heard you were hurt. I am...”
“I’m fine. I need to change your medicine.”
"Ah... But since Mary Anne is sleeping...”
“I can do it.”
Judith just blinked in silence. Even though he spoke first, Franz, who had been rubbing his chin with his fingertips a few times as if embarrassed, slowly stood up.
“There is something the courtiers left behind, so I will bring it back.”
The neat sound of shoe feet hitting the floor gradually fades away from her ears. Judith lay still and looked up at the ceiling, the colors of which were indistinguishable unlike during the day.
Come to think of it, it was the first time in her two lives that she had looked at the ceiling of Astel Palace for this long. It occurred to her that the feeling of silence she felt every time she came here was most likely coming from the color of the ceiling.
Franz, carrying a small silver bowl and a candlestick, returned when Judith had counted about ten embossed patterns on the pillars supporting the ceiling. The bowl was full of medicine that gave off a bad smell.
Carefully placing the candlestick down on the nightstand, Franz removed the thin sheet that covered Judith's upper body.
In the flickering light, he could vaguely see that even the sleeves of her chemise were speckled with the water from the medicinal herbs placed on her back. A perplexed expression momentarily passed across Franz's face as he grabbed Judith's shoulder to help her up. He felt that if she stood up like that, it would put a lot of strain on her injured back.
“Give me your arm.”
Franz, who hesitated while holding her skinny shoulder, spoke. At that moment, the small flame that seemed to be dying out at the end of the candle trembled and flared up. For a moment, his face seemed so close that Judith lowered her gaze, biting her lip. Then she slowly raised her arm and hugged Franz's shoulder.
When Franz raised Judith, a small breath escaped from between his lips like a whistle. The herbs that had stuck to her back slid off. Judith glanced down at the bed and turned her head apologetically.
“Your bed is a mess because of me.”
“Even if you put a cloth down, the grass seeps in, so there’s nothing you can do. I just need to change the bed, so don’t worry about it.”
Franz answered as if nothing had happened, and with a clean cloth, little by little, he removed the bunch of dried herbs from Judith's back. His heart sank eerily as he came across the red, swollen skin that looked as if a snake had crawled over it. He felt fortunate that Judith could not see this right away.
“It might sting a little, but...”
Judith, bending her upper body, pursed her lips and endured the pain. When the cold medicine touched the wound, goosebumps appeared all over her body.
However, she felt Franz's light, weightless fingertips occasionally touching her more clearly than the feeling of crushed herbs covering her skin. It was as if the heat of a candle had suddenly spread to her cheeks, and her suddenly flushed face did not cool down at all.
She doesn't know this feeling. Judith closed her eyes, feeling somewhat embarrassed. Even when she didn't know about the unquenchable anger and desire for revenge, she had never felt this way because of Franz.
Did you want to know?
Even that was faint now. It felt like a very slight breeze was blowing in her chest. A young leaf that fell in the wind stagnates deeply and falls into the still water. It causes quiet ripples.
“Your hair.”
Judith, who had been lost in her thoughts, suddenly came to her senses when she heard Franz's voice.
“Sir, what did you say?”
“...I thought it would be easier to sleep if I tied your hair back.”
"Ah...”
Because of the medicine he had applied to her back, all of Judith's long hair fell in front of her shoulders. Fortunately, when she first treated it, there was no time to worry about things like hair, so dried herbs were stuck here and there. Judith smiled as if nothing had happened as she removed the medicine stuck to the end of her hair.
“It was a mess anyway. Even like this..."
Franz did not listen to Judith's words until the end but instead pulled off a piece of ribbon that was fastening the collar of his shirt. There was no way that there would be lace to tie one's hair at Astel Palace, where only Franz stayed, so he tried to use it as a temporary measure.
White, straight fingers gently grasped Judith's hair. It was a clumsy move, but Judith patiently remained silent. It was when she felt that his lips were almost close to touching her forehead that she noticed that the heat in her cheeks, which she thought had barely subsided, had subtly risen again.
She could feel his cool, clean body scent through the strong smell of medicine that stung her nose. Judith looked at him as if stealing his face without realizing it. Franz's lips were slightly parted like a child's, perhaps because he was concentrating while doing an unfamiliar task.
The sight suddenly became so cute and funny that Judith couldn't help but burst into laughter.
“Why are you smiling?”
“...Just... Because you tie my hair so hard.”
“It didn’t go as well as I thought... But this will be enough to sleep tonight.”
As his body, which had been getting closer, moved away, the body odor that seemed to envelop her entire body also moved away. Although it was disappointing, Judith did not show it and touched the strand of hair that Franz had tied up. His skills were clumsy, but she didn't hate it.
“Try to sleep.”
Franz, who had laid Judith down as carefully as he had lifted her up, said as he pulled the sheet up.
“Can you stay next to me?”
"What?"
“Just until I fall asleep. I can't help it if you're tired, but...”
She has never been treated like this. Not just to Franz, but to anyone else. It was the first time she knew she could say such a thing, but Judith did not regret what she said. Franz, who was looking down at the small hand carefully stretched out from the sheet, nodded his head wordlessly.
Judith closed her eyes with a smile as if relieved by the warmth surrounding her fingertips. Afterward, Franz also fell asleep while sitting in his chair. Like small birds sheltering from the rain by leaning against each other under a tree branch, the fingertips that held each other all night did not let go.
“Your hair.”
Judith, who had been lost in her thoughts, suddenly came to her senses when she heard Franz's voice.
“Sir, what did you say?”
“...I thought it would be easier to sleep if I tied your hair back.”
"Ah...”
Because of the medicine he had applied to her back, all of Judith's long hair fell in front of her shoulders. Fortunately, when she first treated it, there was no time to worry about things like hair, so dried herbs were stuck here and there. Judith smiled as if nothing had happened as she removed the medicine stuck to the end of her hair.
“It was a mess anyway. Even like this..."
Franz did not listen to Judith's words until the end but instead pulled off a piece of ribbon that was fastening the collar of his shirt. There was no way that there would be lace to tie one's hair at Astel Palace, where only Franz stayed, so he tried to use it as a temporary measure.
White, straight fingers gently grasped Judith's hair. It was a clumsy move, but Judith patiently remained silent. It was when she felt that his lips were almost close to touching her forehead that she noticed that the heat in her cheeks, which she thought had barely subsided, had subtly risen again.
She could feel his cool, clean body scent through the strong smell of medicine that stung her nose. Judith looked at him as if stealing his face without realizing it. Franz's lips were slightly parted like a child's, perhaps because he was concentrating while doing an unfamiliar task.
The sight suddenly became so cute and funny that Judith couldn't help but burst into laughter.
“Why are you smiling?”
“...Just... Because you tie my hair so hard.”
“It didn’t go as well as I thought... But this will be enough to sleep tonight.”
As his body, which had been getting closer, moved away, the body odor that seemed to envelop her entire body also moved away. Although it was disappointing, Judith did not show it and touched the strand of hair that Franz had tied up. His skills were clumsy, but she didn't hate it.
“Try to sleep.”
Franz, who had laid Judith down as carefully as he had lifted her up, said as he pulled the sheet up.
“Can you stay next to me?”
"What?"
“Just until I fall asleep. I can't help it if you're tired, but...”
She has never been treated like this. Not just to Franz, but to anyone else. It was the first time she knew she could say such a thing, but Judith did not regret what she said. Franz, who was looking down at the small hand carefully stretched out from the sheet, nodded his head wordlessly.
Judith closed her eyes with a smile as if relieved by the warmth surrounding her fingertips. Afterward, Franz also fell asleep while sitting in his chair. Like small birds sheltering from the rain by leaning against each other under a tree branch, the fingertips that held each other all night did not let go.
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