After Haltbin left, Elise silently stared at the pile of resignation letters on her office desk.
It was the result of Karan working tirelessly on state affairs while using separate bedrooms from Elise.
From the perspective of the staff, it must have been maddening to have such a meticulous and excellent king scrutinize even the tiniest details and speak up about them.
On top of that, if he found even the slightest fault, he would unleash harsh criticism without mincing words.
Elise understood their hardships.
She quietly reflected on the past week.
Since declaring separate bedrooms and issuing a no-approach order to Karan, he hadn’t come near Elise at all.
‘I didn’t say we shouldn’t see each other at all.’
He avoided her so well that Elise thought he had gone on a distant trip, as she couldn’t even catch a glimpse of him.
Honestly, she missed seeing the face she used to see every day.
Just as she was about to try talking to Karan again, the group resignation incident occurred.
Before leaving, Haltbin had pleaded, almost kneeling.
“Please don’t fight, Your Majesties! For the sake of the country’s peace.”
Looking back, the separate bedroom declaration was excessive.
“I should talk to him again.”
It was also time to make progress on the coffee business.
The situation was pushing the two of them to reconcile.
Elise stamped all the resignation letters with rejection. It was because of the postscript attached to the resignation letters:
[Postscript: If we return to the original work arrangement, we will withdraw our resignation requests.]
Haltbin’s resignation letter was the last. Elise put down the rejection stamp and stood up.
Just then, the door burst open and Regina rushed in with a pale face.
“His Majesty has been injured!”
Is this what it feels like when the sky falls and the ground collapses?
Elise blinked slowly.
“What did you say?”
“His Majesty has, haa, huff, been injured, phew. Lord Leber is, urgently, hoo, coming.”
While Regina caught her breath, clutching her knees, Elise sprang to her feet. For a moment, feeling dizzy, Elise grasped the chair.
“Your Majesty!”
Regina hurriedly ran over. Elise pushed away Regina, who tried to support her.
“Where is His Majesty?”
“He was just moved to his bedroom.”
“Is he… is he badly hurt?”
“I’m not sure. I rushed here as soon as I heard the news. Shall I escort you to His Majesty’s bedroom right away?”
Elise nodded with difficulty. Regina led the way as quickly as possible, blocking attendants who tried to speak to Elise.
Usually, Elise would have greeted the courtiers she met in the hallway warmly, but now her eyes saw nothing, her ears heard nothing.
In front of Karan’s room door, Haltbin, who was talking with the palace doctor, spotted Elise.
“You’ve arrived, Your Majesty.”
“How is His Majesty’s condition?”
Elise merely nodded at Haltbin and addressed the doctor.
The doctor’s eyes widened at her grave expression.
“He’s fine.”
“I asked about his condition. Tell me specifically. How and where is he injured?”
It was too minor an injury to have occurred during training.
Among the patients the doctor saw, there were countless warriors who were seriously injured during training.
So there was nothing worth reporting. Haltbin helped the doctor who was struggling to find words.
“Why don’t you go in and see for yourself?”
Is his condition so serious that it can’t be conveyed in words? Elise’s heart plummeted with a thud.
Elise’s already poor complexion now turned from white to transparent.
Haltbin realized his mistake.
“His Majesty’s condition is fi—”
It was too late to try and smooth things over. Elise pushed past the doorkeepers and flung open the door to Karan’s bedroom.
Karan was in the middle of changing his shirt. Seeing Elise suddenly rushing in, his eyes widened.
“Karan! Is it alright for you to stand?”
Her face was a mess.
His demeanor instantly turned fierce. Karan glared at Haltbin, as if looking for someone who had harmed Elise.
Of course, there was no such person. If anyone, it was Karan himself, so Haltbin quietly closed the door and went out into the hallway.
‘Please make up,’ he prayed inwardly.
Meanwhile, Karan finished buttoning up his shirt.
“Sit down, Karan. No, lie down.”
Elise grabbed Karan’s hand and pulled him towards the bed.
Karan almost burst into tears at the touch of her warmth and skin that he hadn’t felt for so long.
From emotion, from joy.
He wanted to hold her in his arms and whisper how terribly he had missed her, but first he needed to know why Elise had come to his bedroom.
If he embraced her recklessly, and if her anger hadn’t fully subsided, the separate bedroom period might be extended for the offense of inappropriate skinship.
“Elise, did you come because you have something to say? Why the bed?”
Although Karan usually moved according to Elise’s wishes, this time he stood firmly as if his feet were glued to the floor, not budging an inch.
Elise tugged at his arm, grunting, but it was impossible from the start to move his large frame with her strength.
“I heard you were injured. Where and how badly are you hurt?”
“I’m not injured. I’m perfectly fine.”
“What are you saying? Even the doctor came and went.”
Elise gave up trying to make Karan lie on the bed and released his hand. Karan’s gaze followed Elise’s hand as it fell away. It was a regretful look.
Stepping back, Elise scrutinized Karan carefully. Her gaze was so intense it could burn, making Karan uncomfortable.
Just seeing her was incredibly good, but with such a fervent gaze on top of that?
‘This is torture.’
Karan clicked his tongue and tried to turn away. But Elise wouldn’t let him.
Fearlessly, she grabbed Karan’s hand.
“I heard you were hurt.”
Her voice had lowered considerably.
Seeing Karan standing perfectly fine, Elise was able to calm her excitement and view the situation objectively.
“It’s less that I was hurt and more that I made a mistake.”
“So where and how badly are you injured?”
Karan sighed at Elise’s insistence on seeing for herself.
Then he unbuttoned the buttons he had just fastened. Although it wasn’t the first time she’d seen him undress, Elise’s mouth went dry for no reason, and she turned her head away with a fake cough.
There was a soft sound of Karan removing his shirt.
“Look, Elise.”
Elise raised her head. Karan was standing with his back turned.
His back, naturally broad and further developed by exercise, was so wide that calling it a vast sea wouldn’t be an exaggeration.
The densely packed muscles moved flexibly and organically like those of a carnivore every time he moved, looking almost like waves.
Elise often thought his back, which had a strange beauty to it, was like a work of art.
But now there was a flaw in that artwork. A large bruise had formed near his shoulder blade.
Elise reached out her hand. As her fingertips touched his smooth skin, Karan’s shoulder jerked noticeably.
“Who did this to you?”
Her voice trembled faintly.
“If I know who it was, should I punish them?”
Elise swallowed hard.
No, what she swallowed wasn’t saliva, but anger.
“I’m not in the mood for jokes, Karan. Tell me who it was. This isn’t about punishment based on the situation, but about holding someone accountable.”
Elise was serious. And she finally understood why Karan had always been angry even at her small scratches.
So this is how infuriating it is. To see someone come back injured from somewhere I don’t know about.
“It was during training.”
Karan quickly turned around and put on his shirt before Elise could get angrier. He knew seeing the wound would upset her more.
“During training, you say? I’ve never heard of a warrior who could injure you during training. Who is it? Shouldn’t such a person be immediately promoted?”
If it were the usual Karan, he would have to do as Elise said.
But today, Karan was in a daze from not sleeping properly for a week.
The grueling training had also continued for days.
It was the only way he could get even 30 minutes of sleep.
Today, as usual, he had gone down to the training grounds, knocked down a dozen warriors, and was facing Bernard last.
He had thrown Bernard and thought it was all over, his concentration slipping for a moment, but Bernard seized that opportunity. He charged like a bull, thrusting a blunt-ended spear.
“…During training, it was Sir Bernard.”
A thin sound escaped Elise’s lips as she heard the whole conversation and understood the situation.
Recapping his words once more was an effort to think rationally.
Fortunately, that effort paid off.
“It was an accident.”
But Elise’s upset feelings weren’t resolved.
“Did you apply medicine?”
“I was going to apply it in the evening.”
Elise sighed deeply.
“Where’s the medicine bottle?”
“Elise, I’m fine. Really.”
Ignoring Karan’s words, Elise searched for the green medicine bottle.
Then she issued a stern command.
“Stop talking back and take off your clothes and lie down.”
Would he be crazy to get excited by that cool voice?
Karan frowned with one eye.
And that evening, after a passionate reconciliation with Elise, Karan thought,
‘I should give Bernard a reward.’
Thanks to him, Karan and Elise’s marital fight had come to an end, at least for now.
