"Are you comparing me to a foal now?"
In the end, I decided to get angry and shot at him in a sharp voice, and Barcas let out a faint sigh.
"Stop eating it, or even eat it."
This time, he brought a bowl of apricots. I glared at the bowl like an enemy and turned my head.
Barcas, who was staring at the scene, pulled a chair to sit down next to the bed. Then, as if it were a matter of course, he picks up the small fruit and begins to peel off the soft skin with a knife.
I, who was looking at him with astonishing eyes as he calmly did things that only maids could do, raised my voice.
"Stop. Who saw you and served my meal? It's your job to leave a handy woman like me...!"
I, who was smiling, frowned arrogantly at the soft flesh that suddenly entered my mouth.
The man, who effectively blocked my mouth, wiped his juice-soaked fingers with a towel and spat them out.
"If Your Highness doesn't skip meals, I can focus on my work."
I opened my eyes fiercely with a piece of apricot in my mouth.
I wanted to make a point to him whether I skipped a meal or not, but to do that, I had to swallow what was in my mouth first.
I crushed the tender flesh with my teeth. The sweet juice and the fresh aroma spread throughout my mouth. It wasn't as unpleasant as I expected.
"Would you like a little more?"
The man, who had been watching me eat closely, picked up another piece of fruit.
After hesitating for a moment, I nodded.
Barcas immediately began to peel off the apricot skin. The way he carefully trimmed the flesh with a small knife was like a craftsman handling handicrafts. The Irritated feeling at the unfamiliar sight quickly subsided.
I glanced at him again, as if looking at an unknown creature.
Feeling guilty for forcibly giving me medicine, Barcas began to take care of my meals with his own hands. At first, it was just to make sure that I wasn't skipping meals, but at some point, I started putting food directly into my mouth. It seemed that I recognized the seriousness of the amount I actually ate.
"Come on, eat."
He brought the neatly peeled apricot slice to the corner of my mouth and said.
I opened my mouth as if I couldn't win. In addition to the sweet flesh, hard fingers touched the tip of the tongue.
Blushing and trying to pull my head back, Barcas wrapped his arms around my neck and gently covered my mouth with his other hand. It seemed that he thought I was going to spit it out.
I frowned in disbelief.
Does this man think I'm a child who is a bitter eater?
"Eat only this much. I will not force you anymore."
Barcas said softly. I, who was staring at him with narrow eyes, moved my chin mechanically.
Only after swallowing what had become mushy did his hand fall off.
"Why don't you go for a walk for a while today?"
Barcas, who had also cleaned up the fruit bowl, suddenly recommended.
I, who was wiping my mouth with lukewarm water, looked back at him with surprised eyes.
After losing consciousness and waking up, I had to stay in bed the whole time, so I was dumbfounded for a moment. As if reading my reaction, Barcas calmly added.
"The healer said that fresh air and sunlight help with recovery."
Then he took my coat and put it around my shoulder.
I frowned.
"I haven't said I'm going yet."
"Don't you want to leave?"
I shook my head.
I, who was staring at him with a grim face, immediately sighed and lowered my legs under the bed. But before my feet could touch the floor, my body floated into the air.
I looked up at him with an embarrassed expression as he hugged me as he left the room, as if it were a matter of course, and then relaxed my shoulders. I no longer had the energy to get nervous.
"Aren't you cold?"
Barcas quickly exited the building and put a hood on my head, and asked.
I shook my head. The garden was filled with the cold air of mid-autumn, but the sun was still warm.
I stepped on the rustling blades of grass and walked along the narrow promenade. Several black throatchbacks that were pecking at flower seeds in the flower bed flew up with a gurgling sound.
I, who was watching the scene from a distance, turned my gaze to his face. The pale sunlight was dyeing his pale blonde hair silver. Suddenly, I remembered the first time Barcas set foot in my villa.
At that time, I could not imagine that this man would take care of me in this way.
But in retrospect, Barcas has always been generous to the weak.
He carefully cared for the dying bird and reaped the fool that was drying up while refusing human touch.
But that's not all. He claimed to be the protector of Gareth and Ayla, who lost their mother at a young age, and he could not turn away from the hostile woman's ruined appearance, so he took me as his wife.
If he hadn't been abused by the priests, he might have become a man who had withdrawn quite a bit.
Just as I was thinking about it in a daze, he stopped in his tracks.
I soon understood why. Autumn roses were blooming on one side of the dry flowerbed. I looked up at him in surprise.
"Do you like flowers too?"
"Neither good nor bad."
Barcas retorted dryly.
Then why?
I was about to ask that, but I kept my mouth shut. I must have realized later that he had stopped to show it to me.
I drove my saliva down my tight throat. It didn't matter whether it was pity or responsibility. It didn't matter now.
I spat out impulsively.
"Break me that."
He immediately reached for the rose stem. I saw a sharp thorn dig into his finger. But Barcas didn't blink an eye.
Barcas, who had plucked the rose with an expressionless face, scraped off the thorn with his fingertips. When the stem was finally clean, he held it out to me. A strange feeling overwhelmed me at the sight.
He was silently patient with Gareth, who treated him carelessly. He was loyal to the Emperor and a flawless fiancé to Ayla.
And now, he was doing it without saying a word, even as my own husband.
Does this man intend to live only according to the responsibilities given to him in that way?
For the first time, questions arose about my life.
"You... Are you going to do everything I ask you to do?"
"If it's something I can do."
Barcas, who looked puzzled, retorted casually.
I looked up at him, speechless, and then looked down at the faint rose.
It was an object that meant nothing to him. I carefully accepted the worthless flower cluster, which was only handed over at demand.
At that moment, I was able to clearly identify the emotions I felt.
It was resignation.
I will never receive this old love back from him in my lifetime.
It will not happen that this man will suffer from the madness that has engulfed me. But he would do everything he could as a husband.
Maybe that's enough.
"If you don't like it. I'll break it for something else."
Barcas, who was looking at my face, suggested. It seemed to recognize the shadow on my face.
I shook my head.
"This is enough."
Carefully hugging the large yellow rose, he continued walking again.
I saw light clouds coming from the other side of the bright sky. As the sunlight gradually faded, he turned to his true nature.
At that moment, I heard a rumbling voice behind me.
"Your Excellency, Grand Duke!"
I turned my head and saw Darren hurriedly crossing the garden, my face stiffening. Just by seeing his serious face, I could guess that ominous news was about to come.
As I expected, the man who came running to us said in a somber tone.
"I think we should go back to Raedgo Castle right away."
A hint of sadness flashed through the man's eyes. The man, who had been holding his breath for a while, continued to speak heavily.
"Your Excellency. No, a telegram has arrived saying that your father is critically ill."
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