TCORIYH - Chapter 95

Judith was startled and looked at Franz with round eyes like a rabbit. She didn't know whether to be relieved that she had avoided a close second, to be surprised by his strength that was stronger than she thought, or to blush at the sight of her being held in his arms. It seemed like all three things were rushing in at once and it was hard to come to her senses.

“Are you okay?”

Franz asked. Judith unconsciously nodded and then added belatedly:

“It’s okay, my Lord. It must be heavy... Please stop getting off.”

“I told you to be careful.”

He said. A lowered voice mixed with a sigh penetrated Judith's ears again. Judith hesitated and whispered.

“I could barely see in front of me... I didn’t know there was something like that under my feet.”

“I didn’t see it either. If I had known, I would have told you.”

If she were not careful, Judith could have hit her head on the wall or the corner of a solid partition standing on one side. He didn't know it himself, but he didn't think he could bear to see cuts and bruises on Judith's body like that.

Although he was not conscious of it, Franz was paying too much attention to details about Judith. It was clear that he wouldn't be able to bear it if she got even the slightest bit hurt.

After his eyes got used to the darkness, he could vaguely see the scenery inside the room. Franz walked to the bed with great strides, holding Judith in his arms. The sheets were clean, and the surrounding furniture was neatly organized. There was no doubt that maids came and went from time to time cleaning.

As her body lay down on the soft sheets, Judith blushed slightly and raised her upper body at an angle. After putting her down, Franz sat down on the edge of the bed. He said.

“Shall we turn on the light?”

“Where will the candlestick be? I have to turn on the light so I can bring milk...”

Judith stretched out her legs as if she was about to get off the bed at any moment. But Franz stopped it.

“I’ll find it, so stay here.”

“Are you sure you don’t mind?”

“At most, it would be like tripping over pottery. Is there anything that could be dangerous?”

His voice was mischievous as if he was a little relieved. Judith brought her knees together with an embarrassed expression.

After Franz went into the dark interior to look for a candle, Judith, who was carelessly fiddling with the pillowcase, inadvertently held her breath when she suddenly heard a strange sound.

'Who is there?'

At that moment, the wall behind the headboard of the bed vibrated and a faint thumping sound was heard. Startled, Judith raised her head, touched the wall, and then leaned a little closer to the headboard. A mumbling sound was heard as if submerged in water.

She pressed her ears close to hear what was being said, but all she could tell was that it was a woman's voice. A high-pitched laugh was heard and then it stopped. Then Franz came back.

“Judith.”

When he returned, he was empty-handed. He seemed to have failed to find the candlestick. Franz looked puzzled when he saw Judith leaning against the wall.

“What are you doing?”

“Your Highness, I think there’s a room next door... Someone came in.”

Franz, frowning slightly, came next to Judith. The two sat side by side and put their ears to the wall. The sound of something moving and rustling continued for a while. Then it soon changed to a different sound.

The two people pulled away from the wall without even thinking about who was first. It was a hurried movement as if the wall had suddenly become hot. But those efforts were useless, and the sounds coming from beyond the wall became louder and clearer. Now it didn't really matter who was in the next room. Rather, what was happening there was a more serious problem.

"That...”

Franz was the one who tried to say something, but his lips were soon pursed. Judith also remained silent. It felt like his head was going to explode. It was strange that his heart wasn't jumping out of his mouth.

Just wake up. He could just get up and leave the room, but strangely he didn't feel like moving. The sheets crumpled with a dry sound. The moment the bed moved gently, Judith realized that her knees were touching Franz's knees.

The contact, which was no more than a span, was too vivid. It was a sensation that was difficult to ignore as if all the nerves of his body were concentrated there. He knew that his fingers were wrapped around the back of his hand, but for some reason, he couldn't raise his head. He couldn't even tell if he was breathing.

"I am...”

Franz's voice was much lower than before and slightly cracked at the end. His lips and tongue seemed dry and his voice could not come out properly. Meanwhile, the sounds coming through the walls became more vivid. He couldn't tell if it was really loud or an illusion, but either way, it didn't matter.

Judith's face was dark and hard to see as she turned her head at an angle. He suddenly felt sad about that. Franz tried to get closer to her. But he couldn't get any closer without being hugged. Franz, who tried to reach for her, winced when she took a deep breath. It was because of the question that popped into his mind. Is this okay?

There have been countless nights since he returned if he wanted to hug Judith. It wasn't the time to get married, but since they both became adults while they were apart, it wasn't strange if they slept together. On the contrary, some people who hoped that a royal grandson would be born among them as soon as possible may have been hoping for it very much.

However, Franz never once made up his mind to visit Judith's bedroom. Sometimes Rogero joked and asked, ‘Do you want to fall asleep looking at my face until I come back?’, but he just laughed and said it was nonsense. He sometimes thought of Judith's face at the end of his tangled thoughts, but it always ended there.

It's not that there is no desire. Aside from her energetic age, Judith was already a lovely person to him. He felt more pitiful before, but that wasn't necessarily the case now.

Nevertheless, the reason Franz could not readily entertain the idea of ​​spending the night with Judith was because of the anxiety and hatred that always lurked in his heart. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't shake it off, it was a feeling that wouldn't go away no matter what he did. This was because he knew that the deep hatred he had had with Judith many nights before meeting her still remained in a dark place.

With something like that in mind, he didn't want to lay his hands on Judith. He was afraid that the negative aspects of him would leave an indelible mark on her.

"Your Highness."

Judith's fingers gently grasped Franz's wrist. The gaze that had been slanted was suddenly staring straight at him.

It was always Judith who was most astute in recognizing his anxiety and fears. Whenever Franz was engrossed in such feelings, Judith could see visions of thick thorny vines wrapping around his body. He was there stabbed and pierced and she had to get him out before he bled out. She didn't want him to get hurt.

“Don’t be afraid.”

Judith's words sounded very ambiguous to Franz. Of course, she couldn't know what Franz was afraid of or everything. It was just something she said, like a habit or a spell, to protect him from dangerous thorns. However, Judith's words were the spark that ignited a fire in Franz's heart.

Instead of making a futile effort to close the distance where they could no longer get closer, Franz hugged Judith's shoulder. His lips and shoulders smelled of peppermint along with the sweet scent of plum liquor. The moment Judith's ears turned red again, Franz fell onto the bed, holding her. His long legs were slightly tangled, the hem of her dress was lifted, and her exposed ankles suddenly felt cool.

“...Your Highness."

Judith's voice was pitifully small. Franz didn't answer, but hugged her once, as if he would crush her body. As his bodies were pressed against hers, they could feel each other's hearts beating. It was running so fast that he was worried what would happen if he stopped suddenly.

Franz's face was now as close as possible, and its features could now be clearly distinguished even in the darkness. White moonlight poured in through the window where Judith was lying with her back to him. His face, with soft shadows along its features, was so beautiful that anyone who looked at it could not help but sigh. He was a man so handsome that it made you sigh and cry because you wanted it and wanted to get it somehow.

A few strands of bangs were scattered over his high forehead, as white as a lustrous pearl. The moment Judith unconsciously stretched out her hand toward that place, Franz lowered her head and kissed her. His lips, which seemed to be gently brushing against each other, did not part, making her breathing difficult. Just as Judith, unable to bear it any longer, was about to part her lips, the tip of his tongue penetrated along with her thin breath.

Now Judith could hear nothing. It was the same for Franz. The uneven breathing became somewhat hasty and then became disheveled again. His shoulders, which were tense and stiff, slowly became slumped after his lips parted.

Franz gently touched the side of Judith's slightly opened lips with his fingertips. In that quiet moment, Judith discovered a fire in his eyes that she had never seen before. The fire seemed to be burning Franz himself. He felt dizzy, burning, and painfully thirsty.

“...If you’re scared.”

“...”

“I won’t. If you say even one word that you don’t want to, I won’t touch a single hair of your head.”

The answer did not come easily. Instead, Judith placed her fingers near his eyes. She wondered if the fire that was burning him could also burn her.

What were you like before you died? 

The first night she spent with him was a mess. She cried bitterly out of fear, and he apologized with a mixed expression. After that, he never slept in the same bed with Judith again.

Franz said something similar back then. But at that time, she was afraid of rejection. She lied and said she wanted to, but Franz probably didn't believe it.

“...I’m not scared.”

She knew the identity of the fire-like hot sensation touching her body from earlier. When Franz didn't answer, Judith swallowed dry saliva and cupped his cheek with her palm. And whispered once more.

“If it’s okay with you, it’s okay with me too.”

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