The face of the maid who had fed me the Sorem pollen came to mind vaguely at first, but gradually became clearer as I regained consciousness.
Pale complexion, freckled face, innocent and young eyes, but eyes that were slowly forgetting even the feeling of guilt...
It wasn't easy not to know. We had been seeing each other every day in the palace for almost half a year.
As the time spent in the palace grew longer, the maids that the chief chamberlain had initially randomly assigned to me gradually changed to women chosen by Laskan.
Most of the women were either family-less or healthy, debt-free, and well-educated, with no reason to be exploited.
However, the maid who prepares the bath water has been a fixture in the Princess's palace ever since the first time the chief chamberlain gave her to me, never once having been pushed out.
Because I was stubborn and said I didn't want to change.
As I moved my body around, Laskan adjusted the cushions so that I could lean on them more comfortably.
He put the glass to my lips and took a sip of the water. As my dry tongue became wet, instead of the sound of air escaping, a slight trembling occurred in my throat.
Laskan placed his hand on the back of my neck so he could feel the vibrations, and moved his lips distinctly so that I could recognize them.
'That maid, how is it...'
“She died.”
I bit my lip. It felt strange.
'Were she tortured?'
After a few attempts, Laskan was able to understand what I was saying. He seemed to hesitate for a moment, wondering if it was okay to tell me this.
If I had a voice, I would have told him that I was not a child and that I did not need him to protect me. Of course, nothing would be effective if I just lay there like this.
Laskan opened his mouth, unable to resist my persistent gaze.
“She committed suicide while being interrogated. It seems she always carried poison with her to end her own life.”
I bit my lip hard.
It was hard for me to keep my composure when I heard that the person I had seen every day had killed herself. Even if that person was the one who had poisoned me.
Was my expression strange? Laskan said soothingly, stroking my hair.
“Your Highness, there is nothing more for you to worry about. Please concentrate on your recovery.”
He slowly kissed my forehead. Only then did I realize that my temperature was high enough to feel the coolness of Laskan's body temperature.
“Rest a little longer,” he whispered, covering my eyes with his hands. I closed my eyes tightly again.
After that, I kept waking up and sleeping for a very long time. Often, when I was conscious for a long time, I could see that all the maids who served me had changed.
There wasn't a single familiar face. Not even Lisa.
And as if I couldn't believe it, they said that Laskan personally supervised every single soup I ate while I was sick, from the ingredients to the entire cooking process.
Not only that, but from fetching water to wash my body, to making the bedding, to opening the windows and ventilating the room twice a day, morning and evening, there was no chore in the Princess's palace that did not pass through his hands.
No loyal servant could do for me what he did for me.
Thanks to his efforts, my body improved and took on gentle curves.
When I came to my senses, I was more surprised that Laskan had been held here for almost twenty days than that I had been unconscious that long. I wonder if the northern front was okay.
He told me that I had nothing to worry about, that he had competent retainers and the northern nobles taking his place on the front lines, and that nothing had changed.
No matter what, the absence of the Commander-in-Chief will be greatly felt...
As I chewed my lip nervously, he rubbed the bridge of my nose and told me to get better soon if I was that worried.
That was right. I had to get up so he could go back to the battlefield. There was only one competition left.
Everyone needs to recover so that I can return to normal.
I obediently ate the soup he gave me, drank the water, and took the medicine.
As I sat there, wrapped in a warm blanket, he came over to me a little later and covered my forehead with his large hand as if to take my temperature.
“Your fever has gone down a lot.”
I blinked playfully under his palm, wanting to tickle him. So that he would smile a little.
It had been so long since I had seen Laskan smile. I confidently pulled my hand down, thinking he would at least smile. But he didn't smile at all.
He gently supported my upper body and laid me back down on the bed.
“Go to sleep. I’ll be by your side.”
He sat down on the edge of the bed and patted the back of my hand. I didn't like the look of pain on his face, but I liked that he cared about me. Would I be so bad if I liked this?
I slowly fell asleep while feeling his body temperature.
When I woke up again, Laskan, who was always by my side, was nowhere to be seen. I looked for him out of habit, and then remembered that it was the middle of the night.
Well, what time is it? There's no way he's still here.
I lay there blinking my eyes and then carefully got up from my bed. My legs were weak because I had been lying in bed for so long.
As I pulled back the curtains covering the bed, a sudden flash of light came in. I squinted my eyes and felt dizzy for a moment.
As I was staggering to grab something, I felt a force supporting me, along with the urgent scraping sound of the chair and floor.
"Your Highness?"
It was Laskan. I could tell it was him right away, even though my vision was half distorted due to dizziness. The first thing I noticed was the fresh scent that always came out.
I leaned quietly in his firm embrace while my vision cleared.
“Not yet, not yet.”
“...Can you hear my voice?”
“A little.”
“You shouldn’t suddenly push yourself like this.”
I had no strength left in my body after just a few steps. It was understandable why he was so upset.
However, if you think about it, based on the body after drinking the poison, it was in very good condition among the others.
“I want to sit down for a bit. Not on the bed.”
When I persisted, he let out a faint sigh and led me to a couch with a backrest.
He quickly covered my body with a thick blanket. Comfortable shoes were put on my feet, and a steaming cup of warm tea was placed in my hand.
As I sipped my tea and looked around, I realized that the reception room of the Princess's palace had been half converted into his office.
“...How long have you been here?”
He rested his chin with his hand as if he had difficulty answering. However, under my persistent gaze, he opened his mouth as if giving up.
“Since Your Highness first regained consciousness.”
He hesitated briefly, as if choosing his words.
“I haven’t left this room.”
I let out a laugh in shock. It had been ten days since I first regained consciousness, and be hadn't left this room since then.
It was a very strange feeling. As much as I liked the fact that Laskan was worried about me, I didn't want him to make this kind of sacrifice.
The round table in the reception room was too small for him, and the piles of papers on top of it were even more daunting.
I was about to ask where he had slept when I suddenly remembered the blanket wrapped around me and the long couch I had never seen before. It must have been here for nothing...
I looked around and blurted out.
“I’m still single...”
According to etiquette, it was nearly impossible for a man to spend the night in the bedroom of an unmarried Princess.
At those words, Laskan's expression became complicated, as if he was reminded of something tired. Of course, even his face was nice.
“Even without that, His Majesty sends his attendants every thirty minutes.”
“...”
“There is no one else they can trust but me, so they are barely tolerating it...”
At those words, I forgot the situation and smiled faintly.
Laskan knelt down and habitually placed his hand on my forehead as if to take my temperature.
Maybe he wanted to cover my eyes, because I saw his ears turn red right before he did.
He was truly a good man through and through. That conviction gave me the courage to confess what I had been hesitating to do. It was also a time when I could no longer delay confessing.
It would be better if he didn't get angry after hearing what I said, but even if he did, he wouldn't be able to make any excuses after seeing his dedication.
I bit my lips hard and then opened my mouth firmly.
“...I have something to say.”
“I'm listening.”
He answered softly. It took even more courage to say it out loud, even though he had made up his mind so firmly.
I took a deep breath and pulled Laskan's hand away from my face.
“Please listen without misunderstanding.”
"Yes."
“Actually, I knew that maid was doing something to me.”
How should I describe Laskan's face when he heard those words?
Even if I had stabbed him with a knife while he was defenseless, he wouldn't have made that kind of expression. It was like he would collapse at any moment... That kind of weak expression.
He jumped up, so I pulled his hand with all my might to make eye contact again. It was barely enough to hold on, but he couldn't overcome me this time either, and slowly knelt down.
“I told you to listen without misunderstanding.”
“...You knew that, but why on earth did you do it to me...”
I hesitated because I didn't know where to start explaining.
To be precise, from the moment I knew that what she was feeding me was sorem pollen? Or from the moment I saw the maid flinch while putting something in my bath water?
Pale complexion, freckled face, innocent and young eyes, but eyes that were slowly forgetting even the feeling of guilt...
It wasn't easy not to know. We had been seeing each other every day in the palace for almost half a year.
As the time spent in the palace grew longer, the maids that the chief chamberlain had initially randomly assigned to me gradually changed to women chosen by Laskan.
Most of the women were either family-less or healthy, debt-free, and well-educated, with no reason to be exploited.
However, the maid who prepares the bath water has been a fixture in the Princess's palace ever since the first time the chief chamberlain gave her to me, never once having been pushed out.
Because I was stubborn and said I didn't want to change.
As I moved my body around, Laskan adjusted the cushions so that I could lean on them more comfortably.
He put the glass to my lips and took a sip of the water. As my dry tongue became wet, instead of the sound of air escaping, a slight trembling occurred in my throat.
Laskan placed his hand on the back of my neck so he could feel the vibrations, and moved his lips distinctly so that I could recognize them.
'That maid, how is it...'
“She died.”
I bit my lip. It felt strange.
'Were she tortured?'
After a few attempts, Laskan was able to understand what I was saying. He seemed to hesitate for a moment, wondering if it was okay to tell me this.
If I had a voice, I would have told him that I was not a child and that I did not need him to protect me. Of course, nothing would be effective if I just lay there like this.
Laskan opened his mouth, unable to resist my persistent gaze.
“She committed suicide while being interrogated. It seems she always carried poison with her to end her own life.”
I bit my lip hard.
It was hard for me to keep my composure when I heard that the person I had seen every day had killed herself. Even if that person was the one who had poisoned me.
Was my expression strange? Laskan said soothingly, stroking my hair.
“Your Highness, there is nothing more for you to worry about. Please concentrate on your recovery.”
He slowly kissed my forehead. Only then did I realize that my temperature was high enough to feel the coolness of Laskan's body temperature.
“Rest a little longer,” he whispered, covering my eyes with his hands. I closed my eyes tightly again.
***
After that, I kept waking up and sleeping for a very long time. Often, when I was conscious for a long time, I could see that all the maids who served me had changed.
There wasn't a single familiar face. Not even Lisa.
And as if I couldn't believe it, they said that Laskan personally supervised every single soup I ate while I was sick, from the ingredients to the entire cooking process.
Not only that, but from fetching water to wash my body, to making the bedding, to opening the windows and ventilating the room twice a day, morning and evening, there was no chore in the Princess's palace that did not pass through his hands.
No loyal servant could do for me what he did for me.
Thanks to his efforts, my body improved and took on gentle curves.
When I came to my senses, I was more surprised that Laskan had been held here for almost twenty days than that I had been unconscious that long. I wonder if the northern front was okay.
He told me that I had nothing to worry about, that he had competent retainers and the northern nobles taking his place on the front lines, and that nothing had changed.
No matter what, the absence of the Commander-in-Chief will be greatly felt...
As I chewed my lip nervously, he rubbed the bridge of my nose and told me to get better soon if I was that worried.
That was right. I had to get up so he could go back to the battlefield. There was only one competition left.
Everyone needs to recover so that I can return to normal.
I obediently ate the soup he gave me, drank the water, and took the medicine.
As I sat there, wrapped in a warm blanket, he came over to me a little later and covered my forehead with his large hand as if to take my temperature.
“Your fever has gone down a lot.”
I blinked playfully under his palm, wanting to tickle him. So that he would smile a little.
It had been so long since I had seen Laskan smile. I confidently pulled my hand down, thinking he would at least smile. But he didn't smile at all.
He gently supported my upper body and laid me back down on the bed.
“Go to sleep. I’ll be by your side.”
He sat down on the edge of the bed and patted the back of my hand. I didn't like the look of pain on his face, but I liked that he cared about me. Would I be so bad if I liked this?
I slowly fell asleep while feeling his body temperature.
***
When I woke up again, Laskan, who was always by my side, was nowhere to be seen. I looked for him out of habit, and then remembered that it was the middle of the night.
Well, what time is it? There's no way he's still here.
I lay there blinking my eyes and then carefully got up from my bed. My legs were weak because I had been lying in bed for so long.
As I pulled back the curtains covering the bed, a sudden flash of light came in. I squinted my eyes and felt dizzy for a moment.
As I was staggering to grab something, I felt a force supporting me, along with the urgent scraping sound of the chair and floor.
"Your Highness?"
It was Laskan. I could tell it was him right away, even though my vision was half distorted due to dizziness. The first thing I noticed was the fresh scent that always came out.
I leaned quietly in his firm embrace while my vision cleared.
“Not yet, not yet.”
“...Can you hear my voice?”
“A little.”
“You shouldn’t suddenly push yourself like this.”
I had no strength left in my body after just a few steps. It was understandable why he was so upset.
However, if you think about it, based on the body after drinking the poison, it was in very good condition among the others.
“I want to sit down for a bit. Not on the bed.”
When I persisted, he let out a faint sigh and led me to a couch with a backrest.
He quickly covered my body with a thick blanket. Comfortable shoes were put on my feet, and a steaming cup of warm tea was placed in my hand.
As I sipped my tea and looked around, I realized that the reception room of the Princess's palace had been half converted into his office.
“...How long have you been here?”
He rested his chin with his hand as if he had difficulty answering. However, under my persistent gaze, he opened his mouth as if giving up.
“Since Your Highness first regained consciousness.”
He hesitated briefly, as if choosing his words.
“I haven’t left this room.”
I let out a laugh in shock. It had been ten days since I first regained consciousness, and be hadn't left this room since then.
It was a very strange feeling. As much as I liked the fact that Laskan was worried about me, I didn't want him to make this kind of sacrifice.
The round table in the reception room was too small for him, and the piles of papers on top of it were even more daunting.
I was about to ask where he had slept when I suddenly remembered the blanket wrapped around me and the long couch I had never seen before. It must have been here for nothing...
I looked around and blurted out.
“I’m still single...”
According to etiquette, it was nearly impossible for a man to spend the night in the bedroom of an unmarried Princess.
At those words, Laskan's expression became complicated, as if he was reminded of something tired. Of course, even his face was nice.
“Even without that, His Majesty sends his attendants every thirty minutes.”
“...”
“There is no one else they can trust but me, so they are barely tolerating it...”
At those words, I forgot the situation and smiled faintly.
Laskan knelt down and habitually placed his hand on my forehead as if to take my temperature.
Maybe he wanted to cover my eyes, because I saw his ears turn red right before he did.
He was truly a good man through and through. That conviction gave me the courage to confess what I had been hesitating to do. It was also a time when I could no longer delay confessing.
It would be better if he didn't get angry after hearing what I said, but even if he did, he wouldn't be able to make any excuses after seeing his dedication.
I bit my lips hard and then opened my mouth firmly.
“...I have something to say.”
“I'm listening.”
He answered softly. It took even more courage to say it out loud, even though he had made up his mind so firmly.
I took a deep breath and pulled Laskan's hand away from my face.
“Please listen without misunderstanding.”
"Yes."
“Actually, I knew that maid was doing something to me.”
How should I describe Laskan's face when he heard those words?
Even if I had stabbed him with a knife while he was defenseless, he wouldn't have made that kind of expression. It was like he would collapse at any moment... That kind of weak expression.
He jumped up, so I pulled his hand with all my might to make eye contact again. It was barely enough to hold on, but he couldn't overcome me this time either, and slowly knelt down.
“I told you to listen without misunderstanding.”
“...You knew that, but why on earth did you do it to me...”
I hesitated because I didn't know where to start explaining.
To be precise, from the moment I knew that what she was feeding me was sorem pollen? Or from the moment I saw the maid flinch while putting something in my bath water?
Support Novellate!
Comments
Post a Comment