“Where is the Doctor? The Crown Princess has collapsed; why is everything in such chaos?”
The knights were unsure how to respond to Julion’s outcry.
This place is deep in the mountains, and it’s in the middle of the night.
There was no way they could bring a doctor as quickly as they could to the palace.
“Your Highness, please calm down. First, lying on the bed would be…”
Ares tried to calm Julion but ended up stepping back, receiving an intense glare.
As if holding fragile glass, Julion gently carried Rohiriel in his arms, no longer urging the knights. They headed towards Rohiriel’s room.
Although it was the room used by young Rohiriel, the furniture was spacious enough for an adult to lie down comfortably.
‘Did she overexert herself without realizing the state of her body?’
Seeing Rohiriel unconscious, Julion felt a heavy weight in his chest.
She said she was getting better, but it was all lies after all.
The progression of the illness could be delayed, but recovery was impossible.
Dr. Barmid diagnosed it that way, yet Julion was still secretly hoping.
Perhaps Rohiriel would somehow concoct a medicine for herself.
Maybe she’s really getting better.
But Rohiriel has been working so hard for everyone else, she hasn’t taken care of herself.
And that makes Julion angry.
“Hah…….”
Disheveled white hair could be seen on the bed. Without realizing it, Julion reached out and tousled her hair.
The silky strands slipped through his fingers. Like Rohiriel, who could disappear at any moment, the pleasant sensation vanished in an instant.
“Rohiriel, I can’t…”
He can’t let her go.
A one-year contract marriage?
Step down as crown princess?
“Never.”
Julion murmured quietly.
Somehow, some way, he will change Rohiriel’s mind and make her stay with him.
Just seeing her lying in pain like this made him feel like he was going crazy. He couldn’t even imagine what it would be like if she disappeared completely from his sight.
Julion held Rohiriel’s hand, which emerged from the blanket.
It was a cold hand, unlike the one he’d held when they’d walked the mountain path earlier.
✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧
There was a huge elephant on my back.
Or was it a rhinoceros?
As soon as I thought that, it swiftly changed, and this time, an adorable puppy appeared.
The puppy, with its tongue hanging out, ran towards me in the forest, then stopped at my feet and wagged its tail.
‘So cute.’
Naturally, as I reached out my hand, the puppy buried its face in my palm and licked all around with its tongue.
Trying to withdraw my hand from the damp sensation, the puppy barked loudly and unexpectedly bit my hand.
Startled, I tried to make a sound, but no words came out of my mouth.
What was even more surprising was that the bite didn’t hurt at all.
In awe, as I looked at the puppy closely, it somehow seemed familiar.
Its fur was black and shiny, covering its entire body. The golden eyes were like jewels in the middle.
‘Where have I seen this before…?’
Something vaguely came to mind, or maybe it didn’t.
Suddenly, everything started to blur at that moment.
The cute puppy, the surroundings, and even myself faded away.
“……riel. Ro…..el!”
In my faint consciousness, I heard a voice desperately calling my name.
It felt like I had to answer immediately.
‘My voice is choked.’
I struggled to speak.
Then, abruptly, the realization struck that this wasn’t reality.
“Cough, gasp…”
I took a deep breath.
My eyes fluttered open.
Instinctively looking around, Julion was staring at me, holding my hand.
As our eyes met, he slowly lowered his eyelids and exhaled deeply.
“…Thank goodness.”
A single phrase contained a multitude of emotions.
Filled with apologies and concern, I asked,
“How… long has it been?”
Julion’s eyelids lifted again, and his golden eyes sparkled with relief.
Eyes strikingly similar to the puppy in the dream.
‘Ah, that’s who it resembled.’
Perhaps because the last one I saw before collapsing was Julion, it appeared in my dream as well.
‘But why a puppy, of all things?’
It even bit my hand. There was no pain, but the surprise was vivid.
“Since you collapsed last night, it’s been about half a day.”
“Thank goodness.”
I had been worried, thinking days had passed.
Then it would be no different from just sleeping and waking up.
My body felt refreshed, as if the toxins had been flushed out, and I felt energized enough to run around.
“Still, please lie down and rest more.”
Julion stopped me with a serious expression as I attempted to get up.
I confidently reassured him that I was fine.
“No! I feel so energetic; I want to go for a walk and everything!”
“……?”
“I’m really almost completely healed. Remember the antidote we made not long ago for you and the knights who were poisoned?”
“Why are you suddenly bringing that up?”
“Because it’s related. I tried using a similar ingredient to the antidote, and the effect was surprisingly good, you know?”
I wondered if I raised my voice a bit too much.
Julion looked at me suspiciously, narrowing his eyes.
‘I need to explain before he misunderstands.’
Fortunately, since I used Aperium to create Julion’s antidote, it was easy to bring up.
I forced a smile and continued.
“Anyway, I’m really almost completely recovered, so you don’t need to worry.”
“…Then why did you vomit blood and collapse again this time?”
“Oh, well, that’s, in simple terms, something like a side effect….”
“A side effect?”
“Yeah, um… well… It’s the process of expelling toxins from the body! It’s supposed to detoxify gently in ideal conditions, but due to the significant accumulation of toxins in my body, it automatically flushes them out.”
…This is bad.
Julion’s expression was getting darker.
‘He doesn’t believe a word I’m saying!’
It was frustrating because even if I told the truth, he wouldn’t believe it.
Explaining everything about Aperium seemed embarrassing at this point, and it felt like the story would become too lengthy.
In the end, I gave up on further explanation and sighed.
“I want to go for a walk. My body feels stuffy.”
Sunlight streamed in through the curtains.
The sunset must be beautiful.
Julion, after contemplating my words, eventually nodded.
“Then, shall we go watch the festival in Hale Village?”
“The festival?”
“Yes. They say the night sky over Lake Hale is spectacular.”
The sky over Lake Hale. I had heard of it.
Of course, I’d never been there at night, so I’d never seen the night sky.
‘I was curious.’
But would there truly be time for that?
Searching for and researching my mother’s traces alone seemed time-consuming.
As if sensing my dilemma, Julion spoke again.
“A handful of rest is better than two forced advancements. If you don’t like resting in the room, let’s go to the lakeside for a walk, as you suggested.”
I guess it’s okay if it’s just for a short stroll.
I nodded hesitantly.
“Okay. I’ll get ready and come out, so please wait for a moment.”
“Of course.”
Julion gently smiled and left the room.
As I stretched and got out of bed, Zenid looked at me with a worried expression.
“Your Highness, are you really okay?”
“Of course. Rather, could you help me get ready quickly?”
As I sat at the dressing table and asked Zenid for help, she hesitantly began to comb through my hair slowly.
“Still, you’re going to watch the festival; I’ll put a little more effort into your appearance.”
“But there’s nothing here. Just make do with whatever you find.”
“Lady Shahadna’s belongings should still be around. I’m sure something will suit your highness perfectly.”
I was about to refuse, but the mention of my mother made me stay silent.
So, Zenid’s seemingly effortless yet meticulous preparation began.
✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧
Outside the bedroom, Julion pressed a hand to his chest.
A sinking feeling washed over him.
Looking at her smiling face, saying she was fine, Julion felt like he would give in to anything she wanted.
‘Just a walk.’
If she felt stifled and wanted to walk outside, he wanted to take her to a place where she could see beautiful things.
Rohiriel seemed to love the sky.
Today was a full moon day, so they would be able to see an even more mystical sky.
He’ll take her straight to the gazebo by the lake so she doesn’t get too tired. He will also need to minimize the distance and pack a shawl to keep her warm.
As Julion mentally checked what they needed, a thought flashed in his mind, and he called for Ares.
“You called for me, Your Highness.”
“Bring Rohiriel to the gazebo at Lake Hale. I have some preparations to make, so I’ll go first.”
“Yes? You mean me alone?”
“You’ll need to take a few other knights with you. Safety is a top priority.”
“Understood, don’t worry!”
Ares replied cheerfully, smiling broadly.
Julion confirmed Ares’ readiness and went to the gazebo first.
His destination was the luminescent flowers on the shores of Lake Hale.
It was said that the glow of these flowers was strongest in late summer on a full moon day.
Knowing Rohiriel’s love for plants, Julion planned to pick a few for her.
The lakeshore wasn’t far from the cottage.
Following a small path, he soon arrived at the lake, surrounded by a dazzling light.
The grass was full of flowers, shining in yellow and blue hues, illuminated brightly by the large moon.
“She’ll love this.”
Julion admired the flowers inwardly.
Commoners were laying out mats and selling bouquets made of luminescent flowers here and there.
“Hey there, brother, it looks like you’re looking for a gift. How about this one?”
Julion, who had never heard the word “brother” in his life, was puzzled, but the bouquets were beautiful.
They were beautifully arranged with a mix of different flowers and leaves.
“Give me one of these.”
In the end, Julion relented and bought one.
‘They should be here by now.’
Choosing the flowers took quite some time.
Julion quickened his pace and made his way to the gazebo, where they were to meet.
Sure enough, there were a few knights around the gazebo.
On the railing of the gazebo, which was designed to cling closely to the lake, stood a white figure who could be seen from a distance.
Julion quickened his pace.
“Rohiriel.”
Rohiriel, who had been standing on the raised platform, turned around upon hearing Julion’s voice.
“Julion, you’re here?”
Whoosh.
A gust of wind rushed through the trees.
The great moon tilted behind Rohiriel, and her white hair fluttered like a wave in the wind.
For a moment, his gaze was drawn to her hair, which seemed to reflect the moonlight and appear golden.
With a glowing blue flower in hand, Rohiriel beamed brightly, capturing Julion’s full attention with her radiant smile.
“Look at this, isn’t it possible beautiful? A child gave it to me as a gift earlier.”
Rohiriel seemed genuinely happy, her smile never fading from her face.
As the wind blew again, yellow flower petals fluttered around, and Rohiriel furrowed her brows slightly as if something had gotten into her eye.
Even the sight of it was so beautiful that Julion wanted to tell her,
You’re even more beautiful.
Oohhhh he’s completely smitten 🥰🥰