“Redian?”
“Still the same.”
My heart seemed to thump. It was definitely Redian’s voice, but it was so unfamiliar, as if I was hearing it for the first time.
“Those eyes are still the same.”
“…”
“I dreamed of you every day.”
Especially that way of speaking. A gentle yet cold tone of voice struck the iron bars.
“I held onto the scars left all over my body and waited, hoping they wouldn’t heal.”
I wanted to wake him up from his hallucination by calling him ‘Redian.’
“Because those are your traces too.”
But my mouth didn’t move at all.
I tried to shake off Redian’s hand, which gripped my wrist tightly. “Let go of this.”
“Let go of this.”
“I don’t want to.”
But I couldn’t even move. It was a persistent and desperate touch as if I had been handcuffed.
“I told you, right?”
“…You.”
“It’s useless no matter where you hide or where you run.”
“Redian!”
In the end, I had to look at him as if something possessed him. Redian smiled languidly with his eyes bent.
“I’ll gather all scattered pieces of your skin, bones, and broken soul…”
Unlike his gentle smile, the words snapped and stuck in my ears.
“I’ll definitely find you.”
The suffocating silence subsided in the darkness, illuminated only by the moonlight.
“Then why did you leave me? Why did you leave me alone for this long? You know how long I’ve waited for you.
Wait. But whose tone of voice was this? Why is it so familiar?”
“Therefore… Urgh.”
At that time, Redian suddenly grabbed his neck, and blood poured out.
“Redian!”
“Ugh, I feel like my throat is burning.”
Redian collapsed to the floor and groaned as if he was about to break.
“P-please. Water, please!”
Water? While I was looking for water, Redian fainted.
“Redian, come to your senses!”
What on earth… Is he going crazy again?
There was no time to think. First, I continued to pour cold water into Redian’s mouth. A mixture of blood and water splattered on the floor.
How many minutes have passed like that?
“Haa…” Redian’s chest heaved as if he was exhaling his breath.
“Are you okay?”
“…”
“Redian, can you hear me?”
Only then did he slowly open his eyes.
“When…”
It was only after I confirmed that his blue eyes became clear that I was relaxed. Sigh, it surprised me. Cold sweat seemed to be leaking from the fingertips he held.
“When did you come?”
“What’s wrong with you?”
Redian seemed to have no recollection of what had just happened.
“Did the trainers harass you?”
“No.”
“Then, did you almost go rampage like you did at the last training session?”
“No.”
Redian wiped the corner of his mouth with an annoying expression… His eyes weren’t all surprised when he saw blood on the back of his hand. Like it didn’t happen just once or twice.
Did he have a fatal illness? I quickly retraced the original. Did he have a time limit or something like that? But no matter how much I thought about it, it wasn’t like that.
“Since when have you been like this?”
“It happens often. Every time I dream of that…”
His tone was cheeky compared to that of me, who was surprised.
“What dream?”
Redian shook his head. “I don’t remember.”
It didn’t seem like he was lying. From how he talked nonsense, it seemed like he was hallucinating or suffering from nightmares when he was under the influence of the sedative.
“I told you to be careful, but now you’re coughing up blood right in front of me?”
I’ve seen the female lead who was diagnosed as terminally ill, vomiting blood, but… What kind of guy has the power to break even a human’s bones?
I feel sorry for him.
Because his silver hair covered his eyes, his appearance was particularly neat. It was against the law to give this kind of appearance to a man who would later become a murderer.
“Why do your hands become like this again?”
“…”
I asked, pointing to Redian’s palm with the end of my gaze. However, Redian looked at my wrist, not his palm.
“Why is this like this?”
“Ah…”
A red mark remained on my wrist where he had grabbed me.
“Is this because of me?”
Right. You did this. I wanted to say that, but I couldn’t get the words out when I saw his expression.
Look at that. If anyone sees it, they will think I have hit him.
His emotionless face was distorted.
“Who did this?”
“Is that important now? You didn’t do it, so focus on what I say.”
I deliberately pulled down my sleeves, responding more firmly. “I just applied ointment to heal it, but in that short period of time, why did you get hurt again?”
“…”
There was a strange silence for an instant.
“It’s not a short period of time.”
“What?”
Redian opened his mouth again. “It must have been a short time for Princess but not for me.”
I was the one supposed to be angry, but his words made me lose my words. Come to think of it, how long has it been since I came to the underground castle?
“The damn wound kept healing so much that I had to tear it open again hundreds of times.”
Has it been a month? I was momentarily lost in thought and didn’t hear what Redian said. With various things happening, it must have lasted about a month. Look at this…
“You were waiting for me?”
“…”
“Right?”
Then Redian’s straight eyebrows twitched. The expression on his face was like saying, ‘That’s crazy nonsense again.’
“Why me?”
Then he answered.
“I’m waiting for Princess.”
You needlessly honest little one. You never say empty words.
“Ah, your gloves are finished. I came as soon as I received it to give it to you.”
“…”
I took out the gloves I had brought and handed them to Redian. “Soon, all training words will be replaced with new ones. I can’t bear to see you keep hurting your hands.”
After selecting Norma personnel, I would bring Bergman to re-fit their training uniforms.
“It will be much harder and heavier than the wooden sword you’re using now, so be sure to wear it while training.”
In addition, I also planned to reorganize the map line that would lead to this underground castle.
Is there anyone good with it? Since this is the underground castle job, finding someone smart and upright within the duchy would be good.
“What are you doing? Go to sleep.”
But Redian just stared at his gloves. I didn’t expect him to receive it with joy, but I never thought he wouldn’t like it.
“Injured…”
“Huh?”
“I have no strength in my hands.”
Ah, right. The long wound on his palm looked very painful. So is he asking me to help him wear it? I really didn’t know who was Norma who was the master.
“Consider it an honor. I don’t move my hand for free.”
“…”
I grumbled but grabbed his hand and put on gloves. Yes, yes, he’s going to be the crown prince, so I have to take care of him.
“…Ah.”
“Did it hurt?”
Redian groaned as if he had been brushed against the leather. I held Redian’s hand even more carefully and put on his gloves. Our fingers were intertwined, and the warmth of our skin overlapped. But Redian never avoided it. It seemed like he’s used to my touch now. Maze said that if you even touched his hand, your limbs would be torn apart…
But why is he so calm?
Once again, I felt like Redian in front of me was so obedient.
“Where did you get hurt like this?”
“I don’t know.”
“What do you mean you don’t know?”
I frowned. “If you know the reason, you should be able to solve it. Be honest with me. The trainers are harassing you, aren’t they?”
“No.”
Fortunately, I didn’t feel like he was lying.
“If anything makes you uncomfortable, tell me everything. I will do whatever you ask me to do.”
“…”
As I was talking, I suddenly felt this strange situation. Where exactly did this conversation between a villainess and the male lead, which could turn into a hostile relationship, take place? This was no different from the time when I served as the imperial doctor and only used grandiose language to address the prince.
“Why didn’t you use the ointment I gave you?”
“…That’s.”
Redian, who had his lips glued for a moment, turned his words around. “By the way, did you enjoy the banquet?”
“Banquet? Ah, it was the first time in a while that I had fun.” I replied with a smile, saying it was enjoyable.
“How did you know I was at the banquet?”
“You said you were busy.”
Um, did I also tell him that I would attend a banquet? Well, it could be like that.
“A lot more interesting things happened than I expected.”
Not only did I get to be escorted by the duke, but I also got to meet the emperor. Moreover, I was overturning my relationship with Ash in front of everyone.
“The banquet…” Suddenly, Redian opened his mouth. “Is it very different from here?”
Is it very different from here? That question reminded me of Ash’s welcoming party, with its magnificent chandeliers and red carpets.
“It’s different. Very comparable.”
On the other hand, it was very quiet here. Others might call it a monster castle, but it was the most comfortable place for me. I wonder if this is the right fit for me.
“You might like it better there.” Then Redian muttered in a low voice. “ You can even forget about this place…”
I looked up at Redian at the unexpected reply.
Today, Redian’s questions and the way he looked at me seemed strangely different from the usual.
“Why do you think I would like that place more?”
“That place is different from here.” Redian faced me.
“What’s the difference?”
“Sparkling, fancy, and dazzling.”
Was it because of the summer night wind that blew softly in the middle of the night? The gaze that reached me…
“Just like Princess.”
For some reason, it tickled me.
