Chapter 54
Arden grasped tightly, not wanting to let go of the warmth lingering on his fingertips.
It felt as though her fragrance was carried in by the wind.
He stood there for a long time, unable to move from his spot.
As he bent down to pick up the disheveled bouquet,
Plop—.
The remaining petals fell to the ground.
Only the bare flower stems were left in his hand, as if to tell him that there was no hope left for him.
“Hah…”
An overwhelming anxiety surged through him, making him feel like he was going to lose his mind.
The sight of her turning her back on him still felt unfamiliar.
The expression on Leticia’s face, with her glaring eyes, filled with contempt, vividly came to mind.
The memory of her pale, slender wrist, which had turned red from his tight grip, left a lasting impression.
He felt a strange sense of relief, thinking that, at the very least, she wouldn’t forget him because of that.
‘If even you leave me, I’ll be…’
He had never once considered that she wouldn’t be by his side.
She had always been there, and her place was beside him.
It seemed so natural that he thought others had accepted it as well.
It hadn’t been long since he realized that wasn’t the case.
He still couldn’t understand why people questioned her worth while simultaneously wanting her to bear an heir.
Arden had a collateral relative marked as a potential successor.
The child was born to a woman who had been his father’s mistress, living far from the capital.
Since he had been secretly supporting the child, they had a good relationship.
The child was intelligent, quick to learn, and, unlike others consumed by thoughts of revenge, wise.
The child was brave, resourceful, and often shared insightful perspectives when discussing incidents that had occurred in the borderlands.
Not wanting to lose Leticia, Arden had marked that child as his heir.
Though the child had expressed no desire to come to the capital, Arden had not forced them to.
It wasn’t that Arden flatly refused to produce an heir.
He had simply kept quiet, fearing that uncertain rumors would bring harm to the child.
Was it really that important to consider someone who might not even exist, or might never exist, more important than those still living?
Look at his own mother, who had died trying to give birth to yet another child.
How many people had been plunged into misery because of that?
Even after experiencing the pain of the past, people were once again attempting to repeat that suffering.
Arden closed his eyes, weighed down by the memories of the past.
A voice he had long forgotten echoed in his mind.
“No one will remain by your side.
Look at what happened to the ones you loved.
You should have never loved me, brother.”
Even as he gasped for breath in pain, his brother spat out cruel words.
It was only after spilling those words that King Reverter II’s life came to an end.
Until his death, his brother had been the only family and loved one Arden had.
But that love had taken everything away, and so Arden no longer believed in love.
He had never felt what it was like to be loved, so he didn’t know how to give it, either.
Not realizing that his ways were wrong, he had carried on.
There were no people around to give him candid advice, and there was no one left for him to love.
Arden didn’t want a child.
The reason was simple. It was to protect Leticia from any danger that a child might bring.
What he wanted from her was simply to help him sleep and to let her pass each day safely, without getting sick.
Even as he gradually became immersed in her bright laughter, he thought it could never be possible.
He believed that someone like him, who had been hurt, couldn’t possibly love someone again.
No, he had vowed never to love anyone again.
If that love caused the person to die, he wouldn’t be able to endure it any longer.
Holding something that could barely be called a bouquet, he headed to Leticia’s room.
As he reached her door, Arden looked down at the bouquet in his hand.
“You’ve survived somehow.”
Amid the withered flower stems, there was a small flower with petals still intact.
He plucked it out and hung it on the doorknob.
Then he turned around and walked back to his own room.
The next day.
Leticia sent word that she wanted her meal brought to her room.
She asked for something soft and easy to digest, as her stomach wasn’t feeling well, causing the maid to rush about.
The maid, carrying a tray with warm soup, placed it on the table along with a small flower in a glass bottle.
“What’s that?”
“It was hanging on the doorknob. I thought it could live if we gave it water, so I put it in here. I thought it would look pretty next to your meal. Shall I remove it?”
“…Just leave it.”
The flower looked familiar, but she brushed it off, thinking it was just one of the flowers from the garden.
Just as she was about to take a spoonful of soup from the silver tray and bring it to her mouth, nausea surged up.
Leticia let out a short “Ugh,” and covered her mouth.
“Your Majesty?”
Ravalans, startled, opened her eyes wide and looked at her.
Leticia, trying to maintain a calm expression, put the spoon down and spoke.
“I ate too quickly, and it got caught in my throat. It’s nothing, so don’t worry.”
“…Understood. Shall I bring you something else if this doesn’t suit your appetite?”
Leticia halfheartedly lifted her spoon, barely tasting the soup, holding her breath as she swallowed.
After gulping it down, she tilted her head and put the spoon down.
“Maybe it’s because I wasn’t feeling well yesterday, but it’s just not going down. I’ll eat it later, so please take it away for now.”
“Understood. I’ll summon the doctor.”
“There’s no need for that.”
“But I heard you weren’t feeling well yesterday and didn’t call for the doctor either.”
Leticia’s brows furrowed at Ravalans’ words.
‘Seems like word has already spread.’
She glanced at Luena, who quickly averted her eyes in discomfort.
“S-sorry. I was just so worried that I mentioned it without thinking…”
“I see. But as you can see, it’s just a lack of appetite, not a physical problem. However, since you are all so worried about me, I suppose I should see the doctor.”
“Then shall I bring the doctor?!”
Luena’s face brightened. It seemed she didn’t like seeing her unwell. Arden might have been paying more attention to her lately, which could have caused some inconvenience.
‘It seems she had quite a hard time being summoned.’
He must have said something to Luena. Perhaps he instructed her to inform him immediately if anything happened or to call the doctor right away if she was unwell.
In any case, he would need to meet with Verotin to ask about it. Whose side he would be on remained to be seen.
Ravalans immediately removed the food. The smell lingered, and she still felt unwell. Leticia got up from her seat and opened the window wide.
As she inhaled, the fresh air made her feel much better.
“Hah… This shouldn’t be happening.”
Why was she suddenly experiencing nausea, something she hadn’t had before? It made it even more difficult to deceive.
She gripped the window frame tightly and tried to breathe in the fresh air. The familiar scent of the grass mixed with the fragrance of the flowers. As her golden eyes diligently searched for the source of the scent, Arden, who was looking at the flowers in the garden, came into view.
His sunlit figure looked like a painting. The golden hair swaying in the wind, his long legs, and well-defined arm muscles were all pleasing to the eye. After staring at the flowers for a while, he bent down and abruptly plucked a flower.
He seemed displeased as he threw the plucked flower onto the ground and mercilessly snapped the next one. After staring at the flowers again, he repeated the same action.
There were already many discarded flowers on the ground where he had passed.
“……”
Only then did she snap back to reality.
‘What is he doing?’
Why was he plucking innocent flowers like that? He continued to repeat the action. Leticia couldn’t understand and turned away, heading toward the table.
She felt that watching him would make her lose her own sanity.
Knock, knock, knock.
“Your Majesty. It’s Luena. I’ve brought the doctor.”
“Come in.”
Leticia adjusted her posture and looked at the doctor entering the room. He appeared to be of a similar age to Verotin and looked quite presentable. He had brown hair, a bushy beard, and a neat suit.
“Nice to meet you. I am Haraes Verom, introduced by Verotin.”
As he removed his hat and greeted her politely, Leticia nodded.
“Since you were introduced by Verotin, I can trust you.”
“Of course. Verotin urged me to be very careful because Your Majesty’s condition is delicate. He advised me to be cautious with any medications other than the usual ones.”
“I see. Recently, I’ve been feeling tightness in my chest and have been experiencing nausea.”
“In that case, I will prepare a remedy that aids digestion.”
Leticia glanced briefly at Luena and Ravalans.
“Please step outside for a moment.”
“What? But…”
Ravalans was about to question it with a puzzled look. Quick-witted Luena pulled at her sleeve to dissuade her, and Ravalans looked at Luena as if to ask why.
“I’d like to have some warm tea, so Ravalans, please bring the tea, and Luena, please wait outside for a moment.”
“Yes, understood. If you need anything, please call for me.”
Luena quickly took Ravalans’s hand and led her away. Once the door closed, Leticia turned to Haraes and asked.
“Do you know where Verotin is?”
“I don’t know. I only heard that he was supposed to act as a doctor for a while.”
“If you find out where he is and let me know, I’ll make sure you’re not left disappointed.”
“…Really?”
Leticia blinked slowly, and Haraes adjusted his posture and lowered his voice.
“He was said to be going abroad for studies, but it seems he recently returned to Brivant.”
“So, Verotin is in Brivant now?”
“Yes. I heard he returned there not long ago.”
Her vision began to blur. She had specifically told him to go to another country, so why had he come back? It surely wasn’t for a good reason.
Leticia’s anxiety grew stronger.
