Episode 10
“Why are you like this?”
“…No.”
When I asked why he was looking at me with a very unpleasant face, his expression worsened. Seeing a faint trickle of blood as I looked at his body, I only thought that I needed to quickly make a mark and treat it.
“Come here.”
“Let’s do it on the bed.”
“Do we have to?”
“Well, isn’t the height difference inconvenient on the floor?”
I nodded in agreement with him and was about to follow him to the bed, but for some reason, I unconsciously looked towards the door, sensing danger. If I shouted, Yvonne, along with the guards, would come to rescue me. Moreover, he still had handcuffs on.
Just because Yurián’s bite mark on my neck felt itchy, I covered it with my hand and then uncovered it.
“What is that made of?”
“I carved it from plaster.”
“…I see.”
He seemed satisfied with the answer, but he also grew colder. It was clear that he either disliked the feel of gypsum on his body or had become more sensitive due to pain.
When Yurián sat on the seemingly soft bed, a sound of springs bouncing was heard. As he sat down, I approached and pushed the fake teeth against his shoulder.
“Endure the pain.”
“…Yes.”
Ignoring his weak response, I pressed his shoulder tightly with the teeth in my hand.
“Suck…”
He laughed, and it was understandable. The gypsum broke as soon as it pressed against his shoulder.
It was definitely sturdy when I made it! How did it break like this? Is the shoulder made of stone or something?
“Too bad.”
“It’s unbelievable.”
As I looked helplessly at the shattered gypsum sculpture in my hand and tried to pick it up again, it broke into even smaller pieces as I moved my hand.
Plaster is so fragile.
Unable to let go of my disappointment, I looked at the powder in my hand.
“Now, what will you do?”
“…I’ll call the guards upstairs.”
“Yes?”
“I’ll ask the guards to leave a bite mark at your request.”
“Do we really have to do that?”
“Yes.”
With a deep sigh, he grabbed my wrist. As he looked at me pitifully, this time, he seemed to resemble a rain-soaked cat, evoking a sense of pity.
It was clear that the illusion Heldebrandt had shown was extraordinary. He didn’t explain what it was, but judging by how desperate he was.
Compared to what he had been through, my concerns about the dogs I had raised might seem insignificant.
“Please, just give me a wound.”
“You already have plenty of wounds. If you bleed more here, you might faint.”
“Do you care about my well-being?”
Because I could die in Yurián’s hands. If we escape together, all I have to do is swear to him. The oath of the Espers. It loses its power the moment it is broken.
“I don’t want anyone to die in front of me.”
“I’m not ‘anyone’; I’m Leonhardt.”
It seemed that my words didn’t resonate with Yurián easily; otherwise, his mask would not have cracked so easily. Otherwise, this cold expression wouldn’t appear so effortlessly.
“Please, leave it to me.”
“I refuse.”
With a firm rejection, he withdrew his cold gaze and spoke with a disappointed expression.
“Then, can you at least call me by my name instead of ‘Your Grace?”
“….”
“If you trust me, Your Highness, won’t you even allow me to use your name? If Your Majesty uses my abilities again…”
“Fine. Can I call you Yurián?”
Seeing his previously shaky demeanor when he first arrived made it difficult to be harsh. It felt like looking at my dogs who had tragically died, or rather, murdered by Heldebrandt.
Perhaps it was because of the restraints or the pain. His fake smile wasn’t real.
“All right. Can I call you Yvonne?”
“No.”
It was clear that the restraints were affecting his emotions. His face, which had smiled just three seconds ago, turned as cold as it was when we first met. It seemed like it wasn’t just about controlling his strength; it might be preventing him from controlling his emotions.
Oh, maybe the aftermath of hypnosis isn’t making him feel well.
I wanted to refuse, but judging by his reaction, if I were to refuse again, it might be my neck that twists, not the emperor’s. So, I smiled and said,
“All right.”
“Then please treat me quickly.”
For some reason, even after going through that incident, he seemed to be showing excessive intimacy, perhaps still trying to seduce me.
“And please feed me today.”
“You can handle that on your own.”
“My arm hurts too much to lift.”
He’s smiling while in pain? Ignoring the emerging questions, I nodded appropriately. We still needed to build trust.
Yurián would only make a proper oath to me if trust was established. I had no intention of foolishly doing something like pulling him out of here without a proper oath. While the original Yvonne delayed it due to love, I prioritized survival over love.
“Okay. Wait a moment.”
Since he didn’t bring the meal, I had to inform Yvonne. I tried to move it myself, but this time it couldn’t be helped.
“Please treat me first.”
While I intended to bring the meal while he was being treated, he pulled the sleeve of my wrist again.
Would trust be built if I did as he wanted? If so, then except for really strange things, it would be better to comply.
“Fine.”
Looking at him smiling slyly, I turned my gaze away to the first aid kit. I brought it over and spread it on the bed. Cotton, tweezers, and disinfectant and ointment were laid out, and I felt relieved.
“Yvonne.”
“I haven’t finished treating yet.”
“… I’m sorry for asking last time.”
I couldn’t tell if he was sincere, so I looked at him. He lowered his gaze and then met my eyes.
“I wasn’t in my right mind then.”
His expression and gestures seemed sincere, but from my perspective, even that felt like an act, like a play. So, I gave a vague response and tried to focus on the treatment.
I tore the cotton with tweezers. Then, I poured disinfectant and brushed it on his neck. It seemed like I could get drunk just from the sharp and rich alcohol scent. I brushed with cotton, but due to the restraint, I couldn’t clean it properly. But if I untie it, I might end up dead.
“Ugh…”
Whether the cotton was ticklish or not, he shivered slightly. His perfect biceps and pectoral muscles were distracting, but I continued the treatment expressionlessly. The wound seemed to have healed considerably, and no more blood oozed from it. Seeing a slight moisture, leaving it like this would likely allow the scab to form without infection.
Besides, Espers don’t easily die from minor injuries.
“Yvonne…”
“Quiet.”
“…Yes.”
His constant attempts to disturb my focus annoyed me, and words slipped out of my mouth, just like I used to talk to my dogs. I looked to see if there was any sign of displeasure, but he seemed completely indifferent.
After wiping his neck completely, I moved down to his collarbone. The veins were very clear, and although I knew his shoulders were square, his collarbone was also remarkably symmetrical. The long and distinct scar just above his heart looked dangerous. Just a few centimeters below that, and it would be the heart.
“Yvonne.”
Not responding to calling me while focusing.
“Your Highness.”
Upon changing the address, I responded.
“Yes.”
“But, wouldn’t everything end well if Your Highness awakened? There wouldn’t be a need for me to escape.”
“It would be nice if awakening were easy. Well, for you, it was easy.”
“Yurián.”
I said mockingly, and he frowned slightly, seeming a bit displeased. However, persistently insisting on the name without further objection made it clear that he was reminded of the need to seduce me into escaping.
With such good acting skills, it’s no wonder the original Yvonne fell for it.
“Yes, it was easy for Yurián.”
I followed suit as he corrected, and he looked at me with a kind expression. It seemed like complying with his wishes made him more amicable.
“How about helping me awaken each time you come?”
“To do that, you’d have to release the restraints.”
“There are ways to help even without releasing them.”
Can I trust that?
Whenever Emperor Heldebrandt induced my awakening, I always passed out. Even when I was sober, he was a dangerous man, so would he just leave me alone after fainting?
And to say he could help without releasing the restraints. Trusting that statement would be as absurd as a cat trusting a fish.
But trust had to be built.
“I’ll think about it.”
Taking some time to think wasn’t a bad idea. After all, everything had to be finished within a month.
“I’m done.”
“You missed a spot here.”
“Ah, I see.”
Yurián seemed to be quite meticulous. Following his instructions, he looked satisfied, and for some reason, the red glow of the restraint around his neck seemed less intimidating.
“Please do my back too.”
“Yes, yes.”
After he made a cheerful request, I had to wipe his entire back with an alcohol swab and then apply ointment. After squeezing the ointment onto the gauze, he puckered his lips and opened his mouth.
“It won’t spread well like that.”
“Are you a doctor?”
“No.”
“Then be quiet.”
“Isn’t Yvonne also not a doctor?”
He responded with a somewhat rough but confident tone, as if there was something he wanted. After pausing, as if waiting for me to ask what it was, he opened his mouth first.
“Please apply it with your hands.”
I knew this was his true intention, but it was too obvious, and I was at a loss for words.
“Quietly, stop talking nonsense. Constantly saying strange things like that won’t build trust.”
“… I just want to touch Yvonne.”
Although it was a shameless statement, saying such disgusting words with that face felt like cheating. It shook me for a moment, appearing pitiful, but in a life-and-death situation, sympathy was forbidden.
“Then, will you hold hands with me when the treatment is over?”
“… Okay.”
I thought holding hands might be better than touching him naked. Perhaps due to his large body, it took quite a while to apply the ointment to his back using the gauze.
After being held captive for a few hours, I could finally leave the room after providing him with a meal.
* * *
After Princess Yvonne left, Yurián, left alone, completely erased his smile and reached under the bed.
In his large palm was a key. It was the key he had stolen when he questioned Princess Yvonne last time—the key that could unlock the restraint.
“Hurry back, Yvonne.”
Staring at the key in his hand as if enchanted, he clenched his fist and smiled.
Yurián believed that having this key would make Yvonne trust him soon. With the key already in his possession, he could prove that he hadn’t done anything harmful to her.
Thinking this way, I found myself smiling without realizing it.
For some reason, just Yvonne leaving made this underground structure feel incredibly cold. It had been warm like spring just moments ago.
“I’ll wait.”
He said reassuringly, as if comforting himself.
