Through the buried delicate neck, a soft pulse slid down to Caleb’s cheek.
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‘She’s alive.’
Caleb’s anxiety was relieved at that point, and reason seemed to return.
However, the relief was short.
Elena’s pulse, which had been fluctuating, had become substantially slower.
Elena’s pulse wasn’t the only odd thing about her.
The sound of her breathing, touching Caleb’s ears, was also rough, and her body temperature was abnormally hot.
“Elena?”
There was no answer-back, although she called his name just a while ago.
Caleb lifted his head and looked at her condition.
However, because of the darkness surrounding them, the only thing he could see was Elena’s face.
“Agh, eugh……”
Elena grimaced as if she was in pain at the time, and despite being unconscious, she wrapped her hand about her side body.
Only then did Caleb realize that Elena’s side body was strange, despite the faint vision.
With an ominous hunch, Caleb urgently sought a lantern, but there was no such thing.
Because he had left his horse and lantern in the middle of the mountain to climb it faster than the others.
He drew his blade from his waist and surrounded it with Auror as soon as he was in a hurry so he could stare at Elena’s side.
The cluster of white lights wasn’t bright enough to light up the surrounding, but it was bright enough to highlight the wound.
Caleb could see the flesh that had been turned black and enlarged like lumps through Elena’s torn clothing.
Black and blue blood sprouted around the wound as if she’d been poisoned.
Caleb was well aware of the symptom.
‘It’s an infection caused by Rykel’s poison.’
Caleb grabbed Elena in his arms and hugged her tightly.
Just as Caleb arose holding Elena in his arms, he heard the sound of lanterns grimacing and footsteps from not far away.
“Commander! Are you all right?”
Gerlin was the one who called him.
He accelerated his horse to keep up with Caleb, but he was unable to keep up with him, so he was left behind and followed by other knights.
When Gerlin and the others who came close to Caleb finally witnessed the horrors around them, they were speechless.
Above all, Gerlin was taken aback by Caleb’s expression.
“Hurry down with the bodies of the injured and the dead.”
The tone of the voice was the same as it always was. But that was never his expression.
Somehow desperate and filled with fear.
It’s the first time Gerlin has seen him like this……
“I’ll go down first.”
Caleb passed Gerlin, and he couldn’t hold on to him.
He simply turned around, staring at Elena’s swaying hair in Caleb’s arms.
* * * * *
Caleb raced his horse without stopping to Lord’s castle in search of a therapist.
Despite the untimely disruption, the Lord was not offended and personally summoned a therapist in the late evening.
“She’s suffering from Rykel’s poison.”
Elena’s symptoms were immediately discovered by the old therapist.
Usually, ordinary people don’t even know Rykel’s existence, but seeing that the therapist found out the symptoms at once, Caleb expected the therapist to be able to treat Elena.
Until the following word was spoken.
“I’m sorry to tell you this, but I’m afraid I won’t be able to help her.”
“How come?”
“Rykel’s poison is extremely potent. Even an antidote is useless if there is a lot of poison in the body. So, first, we must utilize the expulsor to detoxify the poison, then employ an antidote or pour holy water.”
Caleb nodded. Because what the therapist said was something Caleb already knew well.
“However, the lord’s horse was bitten by a snake a few days ago, and we had to detoxify it with the expulsor. The expulsor, however, broke when the horse bolted. I’ve asked the blacksmith for a new one, but it will take a few days to complete.”
“How about detoxifying it with holy water only?”
“It’s only possible with high-quality holy water. The only ones here, however, are the low-grade holy waters. Since this is a rural area, there is only one temple that could be reached after riding a horse for about three days.”
“I have high-quality holy water…… ah, I’ve used it all.”
Caleb, who was inadvertently rummaging his inner pocket, remembered that the therapist had used up all of his holy water treating his arm a few days ago.
“W-wait, was the holy water that you gave me a few days ago a high-quality holy water?”
The therapist also asked, as if he was aware of it, and Caleb nodded silently.
‘High-quality holy water!?’
When the therapist discovered the unexpected fact, all he wanted to do was go back in time.
The high-quality holy water is so effective that just a few drops can heal deep wounds.
Furthermore, high-quality holy water has the ability to heal any disease and purify any poisons.
But to pour out and waste such a valuable and costly item!
‘Rather, why didn’t this duke tell me about it?’
No, in this case, the therapist himself was foolish enough to think that the holy water, carried by a person who is a duke, was a low or intermediate holy water.
“Does it mean there’s no way to help her?”
Caleb, licking his trembling lips in disbelief, asked of the therapist. The therapist only came to his senses after that, barely answering the treatment way.
“Oh, it’s not that there’s no way to cure it, but the risk is high… Because there is no expulsor, we must expel the poison through the mouth. People who take out poison are at risk of infection in this situation. But I’m afraid I won’t be able to do it.”
“Is it because you’re in danger of losing your life?”
“Normally, I would have done it myself. But…”
The therapist continued, carefully looking into Caleb’s eyes.
“A few days ago, I chewed wrong while eating, and I got a wound in my mouth. So if I remove the poison now, I’ll be infected as well.”
“Then shouldn’t we request another therapist?”
“Apart from myself, no other therapists live in the castle. This lady will die if you wait until the therapists in the village are summoned.”
Caleb’s fist was clenched.
“Another way……”
“……”
“Isn’t there anything at all?”
“Do you have any idea why I told you this, Duke?”
“Do I have to do it?”
“If it’s too difficult, you can take the help of the servants or other knights.”
The old man murmured, casting a glance in the direction of the door.
“They are not therapists, so I don’t know how many people will take risks for this lady. In any case, it is preferable to make a quick decision.”
Caleb lowered his gaze to Elena.
Her respiration was certainly more rapid than when he originally discovered her, and her complexion was pale.
It was obvious that any more delay would be too late.
Caleb, on the other hand, isn’t a therapist, and he wasn’t sure if Elena would be alright with it.
Is it because therapists and normal people are different? No.
Caleb wouldn’t have hesitated as much if it had been an arm or limb, but the cut was on Elena’s side torso, near the bottom of her chest.
“If you’re troubled by this woman’s honour, use this to rip her clothing off a little. All you have to do is look at the wounds. Then you can use this holy water to cleanse your mouth and eradicate the toxin.”
The therapist offered a dagger and a tiny bottle of holy water, but Caleb was not willing to accept it.
Even if the clothes were cut a little, it did not mean that her skin would not be seen. And nothing has changed about the fact that he had to put his mouth on her skin.
“If you remove the poison and call me, I can cure her after that. But if the poison is not removed, this lady will die.”
Caleb was pressed to decide by the therapist, who spoke calmly.
Caleb closed and then reopened his eyes.
Caleb inquired as the therapist handed him a dagger and a little vial of holy water.
“Can you leave for a while?”
“Yes, of course. When you’re finished, please call me.”
The therapist spoke forth without hesitation.
Caleb sat on his knees next to Elena’s bed after the therapist had gone outside.
“Elena.”
Elena barely raised her eyelashes in response to Caleb’s call.
Elena’s light grey eyes, which had a hazy focus, seemed to be searching for the source of the sound.
“I have to remove the poison, Elena.”
Caleb stated the matter carefully.
Caleb reasoned that he should at least inform her before starting to remove the poison.
“And I guess I’ll have to do something disrespectful to you.”
Caleb thought to himself as he spoke.
This was, after all, simply a treatment.
Elena’s life is in jeopardy.
Despite his unsaid ideas strongly anchored at the end of his thoughts, his hands could not move readily.
A tiny voice sounded through his ears as he lowered his head and tightened his fist.
“It’s… it’s all right, Lord.”
Elena opened her mouth with a fatigued expression on her face at this point.
“If it’s you, Lord.”
“……”
“It’s fine.”
So please save me.
His ear was pierced by a barely audible rustling sound.
Caleb’s black eyes trembled violently.
He felt as if he had been drenched in frigid water.
Caleb became awakened in an instant.
He was standing in front of a patient who was in desperate need of help.
However, what made you hesitate in the first place?
Caleb was disgusted with himself to the point of nausea.
But now is not the time to point the blame only at himself.
After saving Elena, it was not too late to reevaluate everything.
Caleb’s top priority right now was to save Elena.
After holding the holy water given by the therapist, he tore more of Elena’s clothes with a dagger.
The cloth that had already opened widened as the sword’s blade passed past, revealing Elena’s skin.
Caleb only put down the dagger after cutting off the clothes until the poison-infected region was entirely exposed.
And he lowered his face gradually.
* * * * *
I was heated all over and felt suffocated.
I purposefully extended my lips wide to take in air, but only a few breaths entered my mouth and passed through my bronchial tubes.
The view was illuminated by bright lights, yet nothing was plainly apparent.
Everything around me was blurry.
Even yet, I could sense the clutter all around me.
I could hear horses and the sound of someone speaking something at the same time.
Should I define it as a feeling of being conscious and unconscious at the same time?
Even so, there were words that could be clearly heard here and there.
Demonic beast.
Poison.
Life.
Danger.
As a result, even when my thoughts were foggy, I was able to grasp my predicament roughly.
Is it poison that stabbed me in the side earlier?
Is this the reason it hurts so much?
My entire body felt like it was on fire, but curiously, my pulse shifted slowly.
It’s gotten to the point where it’s not unusual for me to be out of breath right away.
‘I thought I survived…… but it wasn’t the case.’
My consciousness was on the verge of being pushed away.
To be honest, it was becoming increasingly difficult to think about anything.
“Elena.”
Regardless, the reason for maintaining consciousness thus far is……
“I have to remove the poison, Elena.”
……because of Caleb’s voice speaking to me.
“And I guess I’ll have to do something disrespectful to you.”
In his shaky voice, I sensed fear and hesitation at the same moment.
Is he acting this way because he’s afraid I’ll die?
What am I to him, for him to be this worried and afraid?
I know Caleb is originally this kind of person, but I just wanted to give meaning.
Of course, it’s just my delusion.
Maybe that’s why these ideas occurred to me out of nowhere.
Will he remember me if I die like this?
Wouldn’t he forgive me if he knew I approached him because the crown prince had asked me later?
So, while loving Vivian, wouldn’t he occasionally think about me and say, “Oh, there was such a woman?”
‘I must be really insane.’
I laughed at the thought that had become blurred.
In this case, how could I think about that?
“It’s… it’s all right, Lord.”
I managed to open my mouth by summoning all of my remaining strength.
“If it’s you, Lord.”
“……”
“It’s okay.”
Yes, this is most likely the best.
I have no choice but to live and not make him feel guilty.
I felt a cool metal body touching my side.
I could hear the sound of a creaking and tearing of the fabric, and then I felt something cold, but soft, touching my skin.
The body’s blood recirculated and flowed out.
“Ha… eugh…”
I just managed to hold back the scream that was about to erupt.
It was excruciatingly painful, but I didn’t want to worry Caleb.
I tried furiously to keep my mouth shut, but I couldn’t stop myself as the sound of pain spilt out.
I’ve been like that for how long? After a while, I completely lost consciousness.
Because it’s you.
The bright sun shone down as if it were piercing my eyelids.
With a grimace on my face, I opened my eyes.
I heard a familiar voice even before I turned around.
“Are you awake?”
I came to my senses as soon as I noticed the stunning face that emanated a keen aura beneath the silver hair gleaming in the sunlight.
“Lord Egon? What brings you here……”
“I’ve been on your side the whole time.”
By my side?
I tilted my head at the words I couldn’t understand.
Caleb is now dressed casually in a black shirt and pants, which I noticed a little late.
When he was training, I noticed him wearing simply a light shirt, but only.
When he returned to the office, he always wore a cravat with a nicely tucked-in vest.
Caleb even donned his uniform jacket on several occasions.
When I met him outdoors, it was the same. He’d always look presentable, with a cloak-shaped cape and gloves on, and his hair neatly pulled back.
‘Of course, he was that type of person.’
Right now, it’s a simple outfit and his messy hair……
He was now dressed more casually, with his brows hidden by his messy hair.
That didn’t mean his handsome appearance had vanished, but he felt somehow unfamiliar.
“How are you feeling? Are you alright?”
“Yes, I’m fine.”
“That’s reassuring.”
Why is he questioning me like this?
It was a time when I tilted my head as I looked at Caleb who was relieved.
The past situations came to mind belatedly.
That a large demonic beast chased me, stabbed me in the side while running away, and suffered from death.
I stuttered and smoothed my side.
With my fingertips, I felt a bandage.
I pressed it firmly without recognizing it because the texture was unfamiliar to me.
Then I felt a searing pain in my side.
“Eugh.”
It’s excruciatingly painful.
Nonetheless, the bandage seemed strange to me, so I continued to touch my side.
A huge, calloused hand gripped my hand at that very time.
“If you continue to touch it, it can get worse.”
“Ah, is that so……”
Caleb’s words to me were common sense.
But I was embarrassed by the fact that I was holding his hand, so I pretended to be unaware of that fact.
Like a fool.
So as soon as Caleb let go of my hand, I felt awkward and swept down my arm.
Something unusual occurred to me as I was sweeping my hands as if it were a habit.
Come to think of it, was the outfit I wore this thin and soft?
I believe I dressed warmly in preparation for camping.
I noticed white silk sleeves and fluttering lace as I mistakenly lowered my sight.
I’m not sure about anything else, but one thing seemed definite.
That this isn’t the same clothes I wore the day before.
Why am I wearing this? This is the first time I’ve seen this outfit.
My eyelids fluttered as I considered the question that had suddenly entered my head.
“Umm, excuse me, Lord Egon. I’d like to ask you a question.”
Have you changed my clothes?
The words filled up to the end of my throat, but it was difficult to ask that.
Caleb spoke up, while I silently held the blanket.
“If you’re wondering why your clothes have changed, it’s because the maid has done so. Before she married, I heard it was the lord’s daughter’s outfit.”
“Oh… I see.”
Was he reading my mind? Is it possible that I made it too obvious?
‘As expected, the latter……?’
My face was flushed with embarrassment.
Caleb, fortunately, didn’t seem to mind what I imagined.
‘From now on, I have to keep a straight face.’
It was a time when I was firmly determined inside.
Caleb abruptly rose from his chair and knelt before me.
“L-lord Egon?”
What? What’s wrong with him?
“I’d like to apologize to you.”
“Yes? What are you talking about?”
For a brief moment, I remembered what had happened.
Caleb, on the other hand, had nothing specific for which he could apologize to me.
“Last night, when your consciousness was unclear, I touched your body and put my mouth on it.”
I was a bit embarrassed.
Obviously, looking back on what happened yesterday, Caleb’s words were not wrong.
Caleb removed the poison from my side body.
‘No, but that sounds weird……’
But when I was wondering if there’s another way to say to substitute that, there’s none.
Since it was exactly what Caleb stated, he touched my body and put his mouth on……
It was when I had to carefully select words in my mind because I didn’t know what to say.
“I dare to ask you. If you allow me, I want to take responsibility for you.”
Through the buried delicate neck, a soft pulse slid down to Caleb’s cheek.
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‘She’s alive.’
Caleb’s anxiety was relieved at that point, and reason seemed to return.
However, the relief was short.
Elena’s pulse, which had been fluctuating, had become substantially slower.
Elena’s pulse wasn’t the only odd thing about her.
The sound of her breathing, touching Caleb’s ears, was also rough, and her body temperature was abnormally hot.
“Elena?”
There was no answer-back, although she called his name just a while ago.
Caleb lifted his head and looked at her condition.
However, because of the darkness surrounding them, the only thing he could see was Elena’s face.
“Agh, eugh……”
Elena grimaced as if she was in pain at the time, and despite being unconscious, she wrapped her hand about her side body.
Only then did Caleb realize that Elena’s side body was strange, despite the faint vision.
With an ominous hunch, Caleb urgently sought a lantern, but there was no such thing.
Because he had left his horse and lantern in the middle of the mountain to climb it faster than the others.
He drew his blade from his waist and surrounded it with Auror as soon as he was in a hurry so he could stare at Elena’s side.
The cluster of white lights wasn’t bright enough to light up the surrounding, but it was bright enough to highlight the wound.
Caleb could see the flesh that had been turned black and enlarged like lumps through Elena’s torn clothing.
Black and blue blood sprouted around the wound as if she’d been poisoned.
Caleb was well aware of the symptom.
‘It’s an infection caused by Rykel’s poison.’
Caleb grabbed Elena in his arms and hugged her tightly.
Just as Caleb arose holding Elena in his arms, he heard the sound of lanterns grimacing and footsteps from not far away.
“Commander! Are you all right?”
Gerlin was the one who called him.
He accelerated his horse to keep up with Caleb, but he was unable to keep up with him, so he was left behind and followed by other knights.
When Gerlin and the others who came close to Caleb finally witnessed the horrors around them, they were speechless.
Above all, Gerlin was taken aback by Caleb’s expression.
“Hurry down with the bodies of the injured and the dead.”
The tone of the voice was the same as it always was. But that was never his expression.
Somehow desperate and filled with fear.
It’s the first time Gerlin has seen him like this……
“I’ll go down first.”
Caleb passed Gerlin, and he couldn’t hold on to him.
He simply turned around, staring at Elena’s swaying hair in Caleb’s arms.
* * * * *
Caleb raced his horse without stopping to Lord’s castle in search of a therapist.
Despite the untimely disruption, the Lord was not offended and personally summoned a therapist in the late evening.
“She’s suffering from Rykel’s poison.”
Elena’s symptoms were immediately discovered by the old therapist.
Usually, ordinary people don’t even know Rykel’s existence, but seeing that the therapist found out the symptoms at once, Caleb expected the therapist to be able to treat Elena.
Until the following word was spoken.
“I’m sorry to tell you this, but I’m afraid I won’t be able to help her.”
“How come?”
“Rykel’s poison is extremely potent. Even an antidote is useless if there is a lot of poison in the body. So, first, we must utilize the expulsor to detoxify the poison, then employ an antidote or pour holy water.”
Caleb nodded. Because what the therapist said was something Caleb already knew well.
“However, the lord’s horse was bitten by a snake a few days ago, and we had to detoxify it with the expulsor. The expulsor, however, broke when the horse bolted. I’ve asked the blacksmith for a new one, but it will take a few days to complete.”
“How about detoxifying it with holy water only?”
“It’s only possible with high-quality holy water. The only ones here, however, are the low-grade holy waters. Since this is a rural area, there is only one temple that could be reached after riding a horse for about three days.”
“I have high-quality holy water…… ah, I’ve used it all.”
Caleb, who was inadvertently rummaging his inner pocket, remembered that the therapist had used up all of his holy water treating his arm a few days ago.
“W-wait, was the holy water that you gave me a few days ago a high-quality holy water?”
The therapist also asked, as if he was aware of it, and Caleb nodded silently.
‘High-quality holy water!?’
When the therapist discovered the unexpected fact, all he wanted to do was go back in time.
The high-quality holy water is so effective that just a few drops can heal deep wounds.
Furthermore, high-quality holy water has the ability to heal any disease and purify any poisons.
But to pour out and waste such a valuable and costly item!
‘Rather, why didn’t this duke tell me about it?’
No, in this case, the therapist himself was foolish enough to think that the holy water, carried by a person who is a duke, was a low or intermediate holy water.
“Does it mean there’s no way to help her?”
Caleb, licking his trembling lips in disbelief, asked of the therapist. The therapist only came to his senses after that, barely answering the treatment way.
“Oh, it’s not that there’s no way to cure it, but the risk is high… Because there is no expulsor, we must expel the poison through the mouth. People who take out poison are at risk of infection in this situation. But I’m afraid I won’t be able to do it.”
“Is it because you’re in danger of losing your life?”
“Normally, I would have done it myself. But…”
The therapist continued, carefully looking into Caleb’s eyes.
“A few days ago, I chewed wrong while eating, and I got a wound in my mouth. So if I remove the poison now, I’ll be infected as well.”
“Then shouldn’t we request another therapist?”
“Apart from myself, no other therapists live in the castle. This lady will die if you wait until the therapists in the village are summoned.”
Caleb’s fist was clenched.
“Another way……”
“……”
“Isn’t there anything at all?”
“Do you have any idea why I told you this, Duke?”
“Do I have to do it?”
“If it’s too difficult, you can take the help of the servants or other knights.”
The old man murmured, casting a glance in the direction of the door.
“They are not therapists, so I don’t know how many people will take risks for this lady. In any case, it is preferable to make a quick decision.”
Caleb lowered his gaze to Elena.
Her respiration was certainly more rapid than when he originally discovered her, and her complexion was pale.
It was obvious that any more delay would be too late.
Caleb, on the other hand, isn’t a therapist, and he wasn’t sure if Elena would be alright with it.
Is it because therapists and normal people are different? No.
Caleb wouldn’t have hesitated as much if it had been an arm or limb, but the cut was on Elena’s side torso, near the bottom of her chest.
“If you’re troubled by this woman’s honour, use this to rip her clothing off a little. All you have to do is look at the wounds. Then you can use this holy water to cleanse your mouth and eradicate the toxin.”
The therapist offered a dagger and a tiny bottle of holy water, but Caleb was not willing to accept it.
Even if the clothes were cut a little, it did not mean that her skin would not be seen. And nothing has changed about the fact that he had to put his mouth on her skin.
“If you remove the poison and call me, I can cure her after that. But if the poison is not removed, this lady will die.”
Caleb was pressed to decide by the therapist, who spoke calmly.
Caleb closed and then reopened his eyes.
Caleb inquired as the therapist handed him a dagger and a little vial of holy water.
“Can you leave for a while?”
“Yes, of course. When you’re finished, please call me.”
The therapist spoke forth without hesitation.
Caleb sat on his knees next to Elena’s bed after the therapist had gone outside.
“Elena.”
Elena barely raised her eyelashes in response to Caleb’s call.
Elena’s light grey eyes, which had a hazy focus, seemed to be searching for the source of the sound.
“I have to remove the poison, Elena.”
Caleb stated the matter carefully.
Caleb reasoned that he should at least inform her before starting to remove the poison.
“And I guess I’ll have to do something disrespectful to you.”
Caleb thought to himself as he spoke.
This was, after all, simply a treatment.
Elena’s life is in jeopardy.
Despite his unsaid ideas strongly anchored at the end of his thoughts, his hands could not move readily.
A tiny voice sounded through his ears as he lowered his head and tightened his fist.
“It’s… it’s all right, Lord.”
Elena opened her mouth with a fatigued expression on her face at this point.
“If it’s you, Lord.”
“……”
“It’s fine.”
So please save me.
His ear was pierced by a barely audible rustling sound.
Caleb’s black eyes trembled violently.
He felt as if he had been drenched in frigid water.
Caleb became awakened in an instant.
He was standing in front of a patient who was in desperate need of help.
However, what made you hesitate in the first place?
Caleb was disgusted with himself to the point of nausea.
But now is not the time to point the blame only at himself.
After saving Elena, it was not too late to reevaluate everything.
Caleb’s top priority right now was to save Elena.
After holding the holy water given by the therapist, he tore more of Elena’s clothes with a dagger.
The cloth that had already opened widened as the sword’s blade passed past, revealing Elena’s skin.
Caleb only put down the dagger after cutting off the clothes until the poison-infected region was entirely exposed.
And he lowered his face gradually.
* * * * *
I was heated all over and felt suffocated.
I purposefully extended my lips wide to take in air, but only a few breaths entered my mouth and passed through my bronchial tubes.
The view was illuminated by bright lights, yet nothing was plainly apparent.
Everything around me was blurry.
Even yet, I could sense the clutter all around me.
I could hear horses and the sound of someone speaking something at the same time.
Should I define it as a feeling of being conscious and unconscious at the same time?
Even so, there were words that could be clearly heard here and there.
Demonic beast.
Poison.
Life.
Danger.
As a result, even when my thoughts were foggy, I was able to grasp my predicament roughly.
Is it poison that stabbed me in the side earlier?
Is this the reason it hurts so much?
My entire body felt like it was on fire, but curiously, my pulse shifted slowly.
It’s gotten to the point where it’s not unusual for me to be out of breath right away.
‘I thought I survived…… but it wasn’t the case.’
My consciousness was on the verge of being pushed away.
To be honest, it was becoming increasingly difficult to think about anything.
“Elena.”
Regardless, the reason for maintaining consciousness thus far is……
“I have to remove the poison, Elena.”
……because of Caleb’s voice speaking to me.
“And I guess I’ll have to do something disrespectful to you.”
In his shaky voice, I sensed fear and hesitation at the same moment.
Is he acting this way because he’s afraid I’ll die?
What am I to him, for him to be this worried and afraid?
I know Caleb is originally this kind of person, but I just wanted to give meaning.
Of course, it’s just my delusion.
Maybe that’s why these ideas occurred to me out of nowhere.
Will he remember me if I die like this?
Wouldn’t he forgive me if he knew I approached him because the crown prince had asked me later?
So, while loving Vivian, wouldn’t he occasionally think about me and say, “Oh, there was such a woman?”
‘I must be really insane.’
I laughed at the thought that had become blurred.
In this case, how could I think about that?
“It’s… it’s all right, Lord.”
I managed to open my mouth by summoning all of my remaining strength.
“If it’s you, Lord.”
“……”
“It’s okay.”
Yes, this is most likely the best.
I have no choice but to live and not make him feel guilty.
I felt a cool metal body touching my side.
I could hear the sound of a creaking and tearing of the fabric, and then I felt something cold, but soft, touching my skin.
The body’s blood recirculated and flowed out.
“Ha… eugh…”
I just managed to hold back the scream that was about to erupt.
It was excruciatingly painful, but I didn’t want to worry Caleb.
I tried furiously to keep my mouth shut, but I couldn’t stop myself as the sound of pain spilt out.
I’ve been like that for how long? After a while, I completely lost consciousness.
Because it’s you.
The bright sun shone down as if it were piercing my eyelids.
With a grimace on my face, I opened my eyes.
I heard a familiar voice even before I turned around.
“Are you awake?”
I came to my senses as soon as I noticed the stunning face that emanated a keen aura beneath the silver hair gleaming in the sunlight.
“Lord Egon? What brings you here……”
“I’ve been on your side the whole time.”
By my side?
I tilted my head at the words I couldn’t understand.
Caleb is now dressed casually in a black shirt and pants, which I noticed a little late.
When he was training, I noticed him wearing simply a light shirt, but only.
When he returned to the office, he always wore a cravat with a nicely tucked-in vest.
Caleb even donned his uniform jacket on several occasions.
When I met him outdoors, it was the same. He’d always look presentable, with a cloak-shaped cape and gloves on, and his hair neatly pulled back.
‘Of course, he was that type of person.’
Right now, it’s a simple outfit and his messy hair……
He was now dressed more casually, with his brows hidden by his messy hair.
That didn’t mean his handsome appearance had vanished, but he felt somehow unfamiliar.
“How are you feeling? Are you alright?”
“Yes, I’m fine.”
“That’s reassuring.”
Why is he questioning me like this?
It was a time when I tilted my head as I looked at Caleb who was relieved.
The past situations came to mind belatedly.
That a large demonic beast chased me, stabbed me in the side while running away, and suffered from death.
I stuttered and smoothed my side.
With my fingertips, I felt a bandage.
I pressed it firmly without recognizing it because the texture was unfamiliar to me.
Then I felt a searing pain in my side.
“Eugh.”
It’s excruciatingly painful.
Nonetheless, the bandage seemed strange to me, so I continued to touch my side.
A huge, calloused hand gripped my hand at that very time.
“If you continue to touch it, it can get worse.”
“Ah, is that so……”
Caleb’s words to me were common sense.
But I was embarrassed by the fact that I was holding his hand, so I pretended to be unaware of that fact.
Like a fool.
So as soon as Caleb let go of my hand, I felt awkward and swept down my arm.
Something unusual occurred to me as I was sweeping my hands as if it were a habit.
Come to think of it, was the outfit I wore this thin and soft?
I believe I dressed warmly in preparation for camping.
I noticed white silk sleeves and fluttering lace as I mistakenly lowered my sight.
I’m not sure about anything else, but one thing seemed definite.
That this isn’t the same clothes I wore the day before.
Why am I wearing this? This is the first time I’ve seen this outfit.
My eyelids fluttered as I considered the question that had suddenly entered my head.
“Umm, excuse me, Lord Egon. I’d like to ask you a question.”
Have you changed my clothes?
The words filled up to the end of my throat, but it was difficult to ask that.
Caleb spoke up, while I silently held the blanket.
“If you’re wondering why your clothes have changed, it’s because the maid has done so. Before she married, I heard it was the lord’s daughter’s outfit.”
“Oh… I see.”
Was he reading my mind? Is it possible that I made it too obvious?
‘As expected, the latter……?’
My face was flushed with embarrassment.
Caleb, fortunately, didn’t seem to mind what I imagined.
‘From now on, I have to keep a straight face.’
It was a time when I was firmly determined inside.
Caleb abruptly rose from his chair and knelt before me.
“L-lord Egon?”
What? What’s wrong with him?
“I’d like to apologize to you.”
“Yes? What are you talking about?”
For a brief moment, I remembered what had happened.
Caleb, on the other hand, had nothing specific for which he could apologize to me.
“Last night, when your consciousness was unclear, I touched your body and put my mouth on it.”
I was a bit embarrassed.
Obviously, looking back on what happened yesterday, Caleb’s words were not wrong.
Caleb removed the poison from my side body.
‘No, but that sounds weird……’
But when I was wondering if there’s another way to say to substitute that, there’s none.
Since it was exactly what Caleb stated, he touched my body and put his mouth on……
It was when I had to carefully select words in my mind because I didn’t know what to say.
“I dare to ask you. If you allow me, I want to take responsibility for you.”
