Chapter 37
Halbern’s heart sank.
A young lady has gone out, collapsed, and never returned, accompanied by an entourage of crown prince who never seemed to return.
“I’ve called the temple, the pagoda, and the medical association.”
“The priest is here!”
“The healer is here!”
“The doctors from the medical association are here!”
Priests from the temple, healers from the mastop, and doctors from the medical association.
All of these specialists in their respective fields examined Arellin’s condition and came to the same conclusion.
“There is nothing wrong with her life force, brother, she’s just sleeping.”
“There’s no distortion, and her magical responses are normal.”
“Neither do my examinations, sir. She’s just asleep.”
Mehen, who had been terrified of anything going wrong, was able to relax after hearing the results.
“She’s just asleep, sir….”
All three had their own strengths and weaknesses, but they were all unrivaled experts in their respective organs, so the results were reliable.
“And do you know when she’ll wake up?”
“We have a good…”
The three of them shook their heads in confusion.
The healer in the tower looked troubled.
“Lady Arellin is so fragile, it’s hard for us to guess.”
“Hah…”
A glare of disdain was directed at him, as if to say how could he be at the top without knowing that, but the healer merely winced and said nothing.
“Very well, you may leave.”
***
Arellin, who the three experts agreed was ‘just asleep’, was not easily roused.
The doctors and the three other doctors scrambled to check on her, double-check for any problems they might have missed, and try different things, but she just wouldn’t wake up.
“Why can’t she wake up?”
“Aren’t we going to get ourselves killed?”
“Don’t be weak, brother, and cast another vitality spell.”
“I need a priest or a blessing.”
“I offer prayers and blessings morning and night.”
“I’ll give her some medicine if she wakes up…”
Arellin’s care was supposed to be the responsibility of Yuni, but for some reason Mehen, who had dropped out of work, had taken it upon himself.
What makes the three of them shudder is that…
Crown Prince Pession’s presence.
“Why is the crown prince here?”
He huffed.
Healer Mariel was so surprised that she hiccupped.
“You should address the Crown Prince with respect, brother.”
“Whatever!”
Even for a high-ranking wizard, the imperial family was a difficult one to deal with, even if they were confined to the tower and rarely seen in public.
“From the rumors I’ve heard, His Highness and the Young Lady are on very good terms.”
“They must be, or else he wouldn’t stay by his sick friend’s side for days.”
The three men’s expressions darkened even more.
“I’m going to cast that vitality spell one more time.”
“I’ll come with you, brother. I need to say one more blessing, too.”
“Shall I go and do one more medical examination as well?”
The three of them could only hope that Arellin would wake up soon.
***
Pession never left Arellin’s side as he slept.
“Your Majesty, it is time for you to return.”
It was already the fourth day that Arellin hadn’t woken up.
The young crown prince’s outing had been unexpectedly prolonged, and the palace had hurriedly sent a courtier to fetch him.
“I won’t go.”
They failed again and again.
“Your Majesty.”
“When Arellin wakes up, I will see her.”
Pession’s will was stubborn.
“You have enough time to visit the palace and then return…
“What if Arellin gets sick or wakes up in the meantime?”
“…”
“So don’t go.”
The Crown Prince of Peshion insisted, much to the chamberlains’ dismay.
Such behavior was so unprecedented, even for a prickly Shirua, that an extraordinary council was held within the palace.
In the end, they were unable to break his will.
“Let him do as he wishes.”
With Empress Ageni’s permission, the strange life in Halbern began.
Pession was reluctant to leave Arellin’s side.
“Your Highness, don’t you think you should at least wash up and eat?”
Chamberlain Graham stepped forward, but Pession remained at Arellin’s side without answering, until Mehen finally grew impatient.
“You may go. Young Lady, I’ll keep an eye on her.”
“But…”
Pession looked reluctant, unable to leave Arellin’s side.
“Don’t you think she’d appreciate it if we greeted her when she woke up looking as fresh as possible?”
“…!”
For the first time, Pession responded.
“If we greet her in a dishevelled state, she might be distressed.”
Pession frowned at Mehen’s words, then stepped back.
“I’ll be right back.”
“Your Highness…”
Graham looked at Pession, who was listening to Mehen but not to him, and felt a pang of scepticism, as if he were watching a son-in-law listening to his mother-in-law…
‘At any rate, it served its purpose.’
Graham was a positive man.
***
A night when no one could sleep.
There was a bustle outside the room.
Pession had been given a separate guest room, but he still stayed by Arellin’s side and fell asleep.
“Arellin.”
Pession looked over at Arellin as she slept.
Arellin still hadn’t opened her eyes.
Looking at her like this, he sometimes got scared that she wasn’t breathing, so he put his finger in front of her nose.
He was relieved to find shallow but steady breaths.
‘How strange.’
A friend he didn’t even know existed a few months ago has such a powerful presence.
Does it make sense?
‘It’s weird.’
From the day they ran into each other in the backyard of the sponsor to now, all he wants to do is see her and be with her.
He wondered if Shirua was right about him going crazy.
“Arellin, wake up.”
A weak, unanswered voice rings out. Pession turned to look at the damnably lovely girl, her eyes still closed.
“Wake up.”
It’s a life where nothing is lacking, nothing is lacking.
Rather, it is a life of holding on to so much that it overflows.
Such is the life of a crown prince.
He remembered what Arellin had said to him the other day.
She was right. He was welcome and loved everywhere he went.
Everyone wanted him and worshipped him.
Rejection? Ostracism? Ignoring? Alienation?
None of those words existed for the crown prince.
They were also words that would never come close to Pession, who, even at such a young age, had proven himself to be overflowing with talent and genius.
Perhaps he is.
Maybe he was too conceited to think she would like him.
Because no one has ever resisted or rejected his advances.
“Arellin…”
You were the first.
All of this.
A life where he had nothing to fear, nothing to be afraid of, nothing to lack… until he met a girl named Arellin.
It wasn’t until he met her that he thought about lack, and felt his heart grow impatient with a certain thirst.
Even his fears were only what she gave him.
‘What if I never see you again?’
What if you don’t like me?
What if you never wake up, what will I do?
It’s scary.
At the same time, He look at himself and feels.
It’s amazing.
From morning to evening, eating, training, studying and even falling asleep. No, maybe even in his dreams.
He thinks about her, he wonders about her, he wants to be with her, he can’t think of anything but her.
It’s strange and surprising to be so focused on one thing, but he can’t imagine life without her anymore.
He doesn’t know what to call this strange feeling.
He’s too young and too new to the world to know if this feeling is called ignorance.
He couldn’t understand why he liked Arellin so much, even to himself.
“And yet I like her.”
It wasn’t enough to say he liked it, he could say it again and again.
“Arellin…”
Looking at Arellin, still asleep as if dead, Pession learnt lethargy.
Everything had been so easy, and for the first time, he felt his limits.
“Arellin…”
Arellin slipping from his fingertips, Arellin gone, Arellin lost.
Stupid me.
“It won’t happen next time.”
In the deepening dawn, in the pale moonlight, Pession swore.
“Next time, I’ll protect you.”
Whatever it was.
