A chill ran down my spine, head to toe.
Frozen by the unfamiliar and overwhelming sensations, I had no idea how to respond.
“……”
The only thing I could manage was to breathe unevenly, like a prey animal caught in the claws of a predator.
Xian’s golden eyes seemed to scan me thoroughly, dissecting every trembling movement. I tried to summon my voice in the tense atmosphere, to say something.
But before I could—
“Eek!”
Xian scooped me up as if I were a doll and buried me in the bed.
“Xian, wait! This isn’t—something’s not right—”
“The Empress’s Palace is on lockdown until you recover.”
What? Right now? Here?
My mouth hung open in shock. Before I could even react, Sian had already summoned Lauren, commanding him to bathe me in warm water and change my clothes.
Completely drained from my earlier ordeal, I had no strength to resist. Before I knew it, I was bathed, dressed in fresh nightwear, and tucked into bed.
“Xian, wait. We need to talk. Lockdown? That’s—cough, cough!”
“If you say one more word, I’ll confine you to this room.”
What?!
I stared at him with wide eyes, coughing mid-protest.
What’s gotten into him? Lockdown? Confinement? That’s not even your personality!
“Close your eyes and rest.”
Afraid he might follow through with his threat, I clamped my mouth shut but sent him a fierce glare.
Xian, however, simply lay down beside me, his intense gaze fixed on me as if he were about to devour me whole.
“Stop making faces. Your complexion is a mess.”
Excuse me? Did he just insult my face?
Outrage simmered, but I had to admit my body was exhausted. The warm bath and the soft bed were lulling me into drowsiness.
“Xian… you should sleep… too…”
I tried to fight it. I was supposed to help him sleep, not the other way around. I’d even prepared a new ASMR playlist.
“Stubborn… I’ll… once I wake up…”
But no matter how much my mind resisted, my eyelids betrayed me.
Now that I thought about it, this was the first time I fell asleep before him.
My fading consciousness caught onto his low voice, which seemed to murmur something faintly.
…Since when did his voice sound so sweet?
That was my last thought before slipping into a deep sleep.
*****
What is even happening right now?
I had slept too late and too deeply. It wasn’t until late in the afternoon that I finally woke up, groggy and disoriented.
When I opened my eyes, however, the scene before me was more shocking than anything I could’ve imagined.
“Her Majesty is awake!”
“Your Grace! How are you feeling?!”
A swarm of royal physicians, led by the imperial head doctor Merten, filled the room. White coats surrounded me on all sides, and I could only gape at the sight.
“Wh-what’s going on? What are all these medical devices?”
“The Emperor has confined us to the Empress’s Palace until Your Grace is fully healed.”
“WHAT?!”
“We heard you coughed up blood last night. His Majesty warned us that if it happens again, we’d better be prepared to do the same ourselves…”
The doctors answered, their foreheads damp with nervous sweat.
“Your Grace, rest assured that all your medical records will remain confidential, accessible only to His Majesty. Now, please tell us—where do you feel discomfort?”
“Nowhere! I’m not sick!”
Clutching the blanket tightly, I tried to assert myself, but the physicians exchanged knowing looks as if they had expected my response.
“Early symptoms are often unnoticed by the patient. Trust us—we’ll make sure you’re fully healthy!”
Their determined eyes gleamed with an almost alarming sense of purpose.
“We’ll begin the examination now, Your Grace.”
No! That’s not what I meant!
But no amount of protest could deter them.
And so, just like that, I became a sudden terminal patient confined to the palace. For two whole weeks, I wasn’t allowed to step outside.
*****
“I feel like I’m going to grow roots into this bed,” I muttered, sounding like a girl waiting for the last leaf to fall.
Lindo, who had brought another tonic for me to drink, shrugged.
“Look at it this way—it’s an opportunity to build up your strength.”
“Building up strength by not even being able to walk on my own two feet?”
Whatever Sian had done, even walking for more than three minutes sent everyone into a frenzy.
The guards insisted I ride in a carriage; if I refused, a dozen knights lined up, volunteering to carry me on their backs.
“At least you’re allowed to stroll in the garden,” Lindo pointed out. “And think about it: you’ve got the best medical team in Bermut, and you’re drinking rare tonics even emperors struggle to get their hands on.”
Lindo’s eyes gleamed as he spoke of the precious ingredients, claiming they were so expensive that not even the wealthiest merchants or most powerful rulers could afford them. Yet Xian had somehow procured them in bulk, all for me.
“Sure, I can’t leave the palace, but I’m being spoiled with gourmet meals, miraculous tonics, and anything I want brought right to me.”
It was true. The sight of me coughing up blood must have been a tremendous shock for Xian. Anything he thought might upset me had been removed from the palace, replaced with luxuries beyond imagination.
Expensive jewels, elegant dresses, rare flowers, and nourishing delicacies were all brought in.
“But it’s pointless when I’m not even sick. The antidote didn’t even show up as toxic in any tests!”
The poison in the universal antidote was undetectable to all but the most brilliant pharmaceutical experts—like Lindo.
“That’s right. The coughing blood was just a temporary side effect, and your body is perfectly healthy now,” Lindo said, gathering his tools after making me drink the tonic.
“Honestly, Her Grace is in better health than anyone else right now. But no matter how many times we explain this, His Majesty won’t listen.”
Xian’s restrictions went far beyond keeping me from leaving the palace.
I wasn’t allowed to lift anything heavier than a fork, eat anything too spicy, or even skip my afternoon nap.
“Do you think seeing the blood was just that traumatic for him? The way he’s treating me like a critically ill patient, it seems so.”
“I suppose it’s possible,” Lindo mused. “After all, His Majesty spent years on the battlefield. Perhaps he’s more sensitive to the sight of blood than most.”
“Hmm, I guess that makes sense.”
Since visitors were forbidden, Lindo had become my sole conversation partner. We spent time discussing the antidote and my plans moving forward.
“Well, if nothing else, let’s use this time to ensure your body is in peak condition for the antidote. We can’t afford to give His Majesty any more reasons to worry.”
At the fifth medical checkup of the day, Lindo winked and said, “Enjoy!” before quickly making his escape.
“That brat! Easy for him to say!”
Of course, he was enjoying this—he got to keep all the expensive ingredients Xian brought in while I remained cooped up.
I tried to grab Lindo by the collar, but the maids, panicked by the commotion, intervened and dragged me back.
“Your Grace! We heard you ran just now!”
“Did you hurt your feet? Are there blisters?!”
“Are you out of breath? Is your heart racing? Are you sweating?!”
“No, I ran for three seconds!”
Yet here I was, surrounded by medical staff treating my perfectly healthy self like a fragile doll.
*****
“Xian.”
“What?”
I turned over with a pout, facing away from him.
“Why can’t I even let you listen to sounds anymore?”
“Because you stay up all night when you’re supposed to be helping me sleep.”
Xian’s matter-of-fact tone, as he fluffed my pillow, left me speechless. I sat up, indignant.
“The coughing blood thing was just a fluke, okay? You know that! The doctors all said I’m perfectly healthy now.”
Xian’s expression didn’t waver.
“If coughing blood is what happens when you’re ‘just a little off,’ I’d hate to see what happens when you’re actually sick.”
“…..”
I wanted to protest, to explain that I didn’t need to be treated like a delicate glass figurine.
“Don’t get worked up. Your temperature will rise.”
His firm hand brushed my cheek, forehead, and neck in turn.
“Ugh.”
Startled by the sudden contact, I flinched, my words caught in my throat.
“You’re already flushed,” he murmured, a faint smirk tugging at his lips.
That’s because you’re touching me, you idiot.
His slow, deliberate touch traced over my skin, lingering just long enough to send shivers down my spine.
“I don’t know why no one can figure out what’s wrong with you,” he said, his golden eyes dark and piercing as they bore into me.
“I’m not sick!” I wanted to yell, but the words stuck in my throat as his next words came softly, weighted with an edge of vulnerability.
“If I see you cough blood again… I don’t know what I’ll do.”
The warmth of his fingers brushed against my lips, feather-light but grounding, leaving me utterly speechless.
“Hic.”
The unexpected sensation made me retreat, ducking under the covers with a squeak.
“Until I figure out what’s wrong and eliminate all risks, you’re banned from putting me to sleep.”
I heard his voice rumble softly through the blanket.
“And obviously, you’re still not allowed to leave the Empress’s Palace.”
Curled under the covers, I pulled a long face.
He’s banned me from everything except eating and sleeping!
“I feel like I’m going to go crazy! Why can’t I at least help you sleep? You get headaches when you don’t rest properly!”
“I sleep just fine.”
“Liar.”
Peeking out from under the covers, I glared at him. Xian, propped on one elbow, was watching me intently.
“You’re right. I can’t sleep without you.”
“See? Then just let me—ahhh!”
Caught up in my triumphant chatter, I squealed when Sian suddenly moved closer.
“W-w-what are you doing—?!”
“Sleep,” he commanded, his deep voice reverberating above my head.
Frozen stiff, I swallowed dryly as my mind raced.
How am I supposed to sleep like this?!
A strong, beautifully sculpted arm had snaked over the blanket, wrapping securely around my waist.
