Slowly lifting her eyelids, she saw an unfamiliar ceiling. Retina turned her head to look at the person holding her hand.
‘Why are you sleeping in such an uncomfortable position?’
The bed is spacious, so why not sleep on it. Retina discovered the crown prince lying awkwardly at the edge of the bed.
Carefully, she pulled her hand away and gently stroked his hair. The once silky hair was now rough and naturally slipped through her fingers.
Then, the head that had been lying motionless slowly began to lift.
“…Retina?”
Even his hoarse voice exuded a profound charm as he called her name. Retina met the eyes of the crown prince, who was looking at her with a forlorn gaze.
“Your Highness, the Crown Prince?”
“Good morning.”
He smiled broadly, his dry face brightening up. The dark shadows under his eyes and his chapped lips made him look like someone who had been ill.
Why does such a handsome face look like that… Retina couldn’t take her eyes off the haggard appearance of the crown prince. Although his sickly appearance had its own frail charm, the crown prince was a man who looked much better healthy and dignified.
Retina braced herself on the bed and slowly tried to get up. Suffering from a fever had left her weaker than usual, making even raising her upper body a struggle.
“Careful…! You’re still not well, you shouldn’t get up so quickly and risk worsening your condition.”
Watching her every small movement, Herald sprang up onto the bed. Supporting Retina, who had half-raised her upper body, he carefully acted as if handling a fragile glass sculpture.
Sitting behind her to prevent her from leaning against the wall, he offered his chest as a support and embraced Retina gently.
Despite being held warmly in the crown prince’s arms, Retina’s confusion deepened.
‘Why is he acting like this all of a sudden?’
Retina tilted her head, puzzled by the crown prince’s sudden treatment of her as if she were a fragile patient. She remembered collapsing in front of the carriage and being caught by the crown prince, but everything after that was a blur.
Although Retina had grown up healthy without even catching a cold, it was no wonder she fell ill then. Exhausted and exposed to the cold wind, even her brother Haint would have caught a cold.
‘And this place…’
Retina blinked her eyes at the unfamiliar yet familiar scenery of the bedroom around her.
The unfamiliar ceiling Retina first saw upon waking up was the crown prince’s bedroom. Confused as to why she was in the crown prince’s bedroom and why the crown prince seemed to have been nursing her, Retina felt a wave of bewilderment.
“This place is…”
“This is my bedroom. The nearest place to the open space was the royal palace, so I brought you here when you collapsed. With me being here, I couldn’t send you to another palace, so I brought you to my bedroom.”
Although the crown prince spoke as if it were the most natural thing, Retina couldn’t help but feel flustered. There were so many empty rooms in the royal palace, yet it had to be the crown prince’s bedroom. It was as if he had openly declared that their relationship was not ordinary.
“You’ve thrown a bombshell at the social circle and speak of it so nonchalantly.”
“Let them chatter as they please.”
“Didn’t you say that the reputation among the nobility is important before your ascension?”
“You are more important to me.”
Herald, embracing Retina from behind, buried his face in her nape. Just having this conversation with Retina felt like a dream to him. If it were a dream, he never wanted to wake up.
“How many days have I been asleep?”
“Several days.”
Feeling the grip of his hands on her waist, Retina shifted slightly. No wonder her body felt so weak. She also understood the crown prince’s behavior, clinging to her like a child. Placing her hand on Herald’s forearm, Retina leaned completely against him. The steady rhythm of his heartbeat and breath behind her calmed her heart.
‘This is what it feels like not to wake up alone.’
She felt relieved that the first person she saw when she opened her eyes from the darkness was him. Someone who made her feel at ease. Someone like a roof that shelters from the rain.
It was surprisingly wonderful how he had become someone who made her feel so cozy.
“Your Highness, you seem to have lost some weight as well.”
“It must be your imagination.”
“Surely you didn’t neglect eating and sleeping because of me, troubling your attendants?”
“…No. I need to take care of my health to look after you, don’t I?”
After a brief pause, Herald fiddled with Retina’s hair. He was clearly flustered, but since his face was lowered and turned away from her, she couldn’t see it.
“Now that I think about it, you must be hungry. You haven’t eaten properly for days.”
Clearing his throat, he changed the subject.
“Well, having been bedridden, I don’t particularly feel hungry.”
“Still, you must eat. Even if we ignore other rumors, I don’t want to hear that the crown prince of the empire starved his beloved.”
He lightly massaged her ribs, which were now more prominent, as he spoke. Herald reached out and pulled the cord by the bed.
Hearing the bell, a servant appeared, and Herald ordered a simple breakfast that Retina could eat. Then he lifted her up effortlessly.
“Wait a minute! Where are you taking me?”
“Isn’t it obvious? The bathroom.”
“I can wash my face by myself! You could just ask a maid to bring some wash water.”
“Who do you think has been taking care of you all this time?”
At Herald’s casual remark, Retina froze. Who, who bathed me? Pushing against the crown prince’s shoulder to look at his face, Retina’s face turned bright red.
‘Who would have imagined the crown prince taking care of me!’
Even though we’ve seen everything there is to see. But still…!!
Retina buried her face in his chest, unable to bear the embarrassment. She couldn’t lift her head. Punching his chest in futile protest, she whined, but Herald didn’t budge.
“Alright, arms up.”
“I can undress myself.”
“Don’t be stubborn. Arms up.”
Sitting her on his lap, Herald spoke to Retina, who was only wearing a chemise. Retina tried to ignore the crown prince treating her like a five-year-old, but she couldn’t break his stubbornness.
Reluctantly, she released her arms from under her armpits and slowly raised them. Herald kissed her forehead lightly and lifted the chemise upwards. Then he also removed his own clothes and tossed them aside.
“You were drenched in sweat from the fever, so I’ve been doing this every day.”
“And yet, I don’t remember any of it… I must have slept really well.”
“Imagine how I felt watching over you.”
Kissing her below the neck, Herald carefully embraced Retina and stepped into the bathtub. The bathwater, warmed to the perfect temperature, slowly enveloped her skin from her toes upwards.
“Is it too hot?”
“It’s just right. Aren’t you feeling cold, Your Highness?”
The body heat against her back felt warmer than the bathwater. While it was perfect for her, who naturally had a lower body temperature, it might feel lukewarm or even a bit cold for him.
“I’m fine. I never liked bathing in very hot water anyway.”
Herald brushed off her concern while caressing her body. He scooped up the fragrant bathwater and poured it over her shoulders. His delicate touch, ensuring her hair didn’t get wet, was as skillful as he claimed from having attended to her baths.
Retina felt his hands softly gliding over her skin, almost tickling, and closed her eyes tightly. It was surprising how such rough hands, calloused from hard work, could be so gentle. As he massaged fragrant oil into her back, she had to bite her lip to stifle a moan.
“Close your eyes.”
Wiping the oil off his hands, he said. Following his instructions, Retina closed her eyes, and his large hand, rough against her smooth face, carefully wiped away any residue. He cleaned her thoroughly, even removing eye gunk, and then washed her face meticulously with his wet hands.
This feels like being a child left in the care of my parents, Retina thought as she splashed water on her face with the crown prince’s help.
‘I’m an adult who has gone through the coming-of-age ceremony, is this really appropriate?’
Just as she considered complaining about the crown prince’s blatant babying, his hand appeared in front of her nose. Cupping his hand, he said to her,
“Blow your nose.”
“No, thank you!”
Finally, unable to endure it any longer, Retina slapped his hand away.
