Chapter 177

“Fortunately, the bleeding subsided a lot at dawn. I’m worried that he hasn’t fully regained his consciousness yet, but… He is holding out well. His condition is improving.”

“Why did you move him?”

“Members of the Knights go there frequently. From what I’ve seen and given Commander Ermedi’s personality, I don’t think it will end like this.”

His sincere concern for Eden was felt in the words he muttered in a low voice.

Luke looked at Ayla, who nodded as if she understood it even if he didn’t say anything, and carefully pushed the doorknob he was holding.

“He wasn’t conscious until morning, but how will he be now? If it makes you uncomfortable, I’ll leave you alone for a while.”

Luke’s caring voice for Ayla resonated inside the room.

“Thank you.”

Ayla briefly thanked him.

Trudge, trudge.

Luke let out a small sigh as he silently looked at Ayla, who struggled to take steps that did not falter.

“I will be outside. If anything happens, call me.”

The sound of Luke’s footsteps was getting farther away, but Ayla didn’t look at him once.

Arriving in front of the bed where Eden was lying, Ayla’s eyes began to flutter again, filled with tears.

Guilt. Helplessness.

Facing Eden’s face, there were only two emotions.

She felt the hot tears dripping down her cheeks.

She couldn’t stop crying once she started and saw Eden through her blurred vision.

His long eyelashes, sitting heavily between his scattered silver hair, were motionless.

She thought he would get up right away and speak with an indifferent tone, but she must have been greedy.

Shedding hot tears, Ayla’s lips started trembling little by little.

She felt like something heavy was pressing down on her throat, but she couldn’t help but endure it and cry. She seemed to be the cause of everything, so she felt guilty even for crying.

Luke was right.

Due to Kyle’s personality, there was no way he could leave Eden like this.

In the end, it was resentful and heartbreaking that it was him who put him in this state.

Eden’s face had no color, just like yesterday.

His white-washed appearance was so miserable that it wouldn’t be weird even if he died right now.

Having thought he had gotten better, seeing the look on his face made her think that she had deluded herself.

Or that it was her desperate wish.

She was afraid about whether she would be able to live safely if Eden’s life ended like this.

Ayla, who had already collapsed to her knees in front of the bed, stretched out her trembling fingers towards Eden.

Ayla’s hand, which had turned white, passed through his high nose bridge and bright red lips and headed towards his wound, which was still emitting a red glow.

“Sob. Please open your eyes. If you leave like this, how am I supposed to hold out…?”

Falling over Eden’s body, Ayla’s slender shoulders were swaying up and down.

In the quiet room, only Ayla’s small sobs echoed.

For how long was she like that?

Feeling his warmth with the tip of her fingertips and hearing the sound of his slow but regular heartbeat, her exasperated emotions were slowly subsiding.

Ayla, who had been fiddling with Eden’s rough hand, lowered her gaze.

“Don’t cry.”

Ayla’s eyes began to widen at the familiar voice that echoed in her ears.

Although it cracked awfully, it was a voice that was more welcome than ever.

Ayla slowly raised her gaze from the floor to the warmth she felt on her hand.

Eden’s silver eyes, which had been closed, filled with Ayla and gleamed.

***

Looking at Ayla’s back, Theon’s eyelashes fell heavily.

After holding his posture for a while, he sighed deeply and helplessly sat down on the sofa.

It was pathetic that he couldn’t say anything to Ayla, who spoke so confidently.

It was great that the only thing he said to his woman who was going to another man was, ‘Alright. You can go.’.

He should have told her not to go. He should have asked her for a good reason.

His damn pride ruined everything.

If he had asked her what she had to do with the foreigner getting injured, would he have been able to shake off the feeling of uneasiness a little?

Nervously sweeping up his bangs, which had fallen down, Theon frowned heavily.

“What a mess.”

As he was fiddling with the sofa where her warmth was still present, the corners of his lips faintly curled into a smirk.

He tried to forget, but the words Owen had said last night kept lingering in his ears.

To be honest, the fact that Theon couldn’t say anything to Ayla was ultimately due to his small distrust.

He tried to think that it wasn’t, but Owen’s thorny words were constantly tormenting him.

‘Don’t manipulate Ayla anymore.’

‘Don’t you have a fiancée anyway?’

‘His Majesty has asked me to push ahead with Your Highness’ royal marriage.’

He wanted to deny it, but none of it was wrong.