Chapter 26

Irene jumped up and looked around in a panic, as if afraid an assassin had entered. Her unfamiliar surroundings momentarily threw her off balance, but she quickly regained her bearings when her eye identified the tapestry that had caught her eye the moment she entered this room. Steadying her breath, she lightly sighed, “Oh.”

“Did you have a nightmare? I didn’t think it was possible with how soundly asleep you were,” Jean remarked, as she walked over after opening the curtains.

Sweeping back the hair that had spilled over her face, Irene turned away with a slight flinch of the shoulders. Her senses had never been dulled like this before, and she was rather embarrassed to have been caught off guard. “Not a nightmare…” Irene coughed a few times, surprised by the croaky voice that came from her. The hoarseness that indicated she’d just awoken from a deep sleep wasn’t what bothered her. Rather, she could hardly believe she’d rested at all. ‘When did I fall asleep?’ No matter how she tried to remember, she had no memory of falling asleep. It was the first time she’d slept so well in an unfamiliar space.

“Did you sleep well last night?” Jean asked, as she handed Irene a glass of water and checked the young woman’s complexion.

Having taken a sip of water, Irene raised the glass back to her lips a second time and tried to hide her embarrassment. ‘How can I possibly say that it wasn’t just comfortable, but that I slept so soundly that I can’t even remember when I fell asleep?’ Irene thought. When she lowered her glass, Irene fiddled with the hem of the blanket and nodded in response to Jean’s question. The soft texture of the blanket oddly brought her a sense of peace.

“And did His Highness treat you well?” When Irene nodded a second time, Jean smiled gently and added, “His Majesty was raised in an imperial family that’s more harmonious than other royal families, so he’s a kind and friendly person by nature. I guess I was worried for no reason.” Knowing that the crown prince had grown increasingly restrained in expressing his affections as he grew older, the head maid made a secret appeal on his behalf. However, Jean’s meaning flew straight over Irene’s head.

“I see…” Irene nodded. If she was being honest, she was still so confused she couldn’t tell whether what Jean said was good or bad. “What time is it now?”

“It’ll be noon soon. You must have been very tired.”

Irene’s eyes trembled in confusion, and she pulled on the robe that was about to slip off her shoulder to tighten it. In a small, dismayed voice, she muttered to herself, “That… I don’t… It’s not like a sleeping candle was burned.” If sleeping incense or candle had been lit, the training she’d had since childhood would’ve kicked in and Irene would’ve awoken after detecting the unique smell. Instead, she’d experienced the deepest sleep of her life. Had she ever slept in until noon before? No, this was definitely a first. As a knight, Irene’s senses were always trained to detect the slightest sound. ‘How could I sleep so deeply in an unfamiliar environment after everything that happened last night?’ It frankly terrified her.

“Your meal has been prepared,” Jean said, as she flitted about tidying up the room.

Hearing Jean’s voice, Irene immediately snapped out of her thoughts. “No. Marie, my servant will be concerned,” she said. “I wish to return to my quarters. Oh… Or did His Highness request that I remain here?”

“He didn’t say that, but His Highness wanted to have a meal with you.”

“Oh…” Recently, Irene found meals to be the most difficult part of her day. No matter what she ate, her throat felt like it was closing up on itself and she lost her appetite.