Chapter 47：Finally, Gave Up

The pill had been swallowed by Prince Aerus, with the painstaking help of Lia. His body was still weak, drooping as if dying. Sweat stopped pouring, his body was very cold, frozen, and also bruised.

"Wake up," whispered Lia, the pain in her chest suddenly appeared again, after a while ago it started to disappear.

Hamdi was still standing beside them, watching sadly. His body towered, his head sticking out of hair, covering the shadows of the lights not far from him. "If Prince Aerus does not wake up as well, then there's probably nothing we can do anymore."

"Enough! Do not say that! He can wake up!" Lia protested. Her head was throbbing, her stomach was queasy. She wasn't in the mood to think about bad things, but Hamdi encouraged her to do so. She was fed up.

"Prince Aerus will wake up soon if he gets help right away. I've done first aid, but the progress is not very good. Now it's up to you.

"I am very worried about him because my life will end after this. All the people in Hexa will mourn and perhaps a change of ruler will complicate the political situation. A lot of starvation is possible, and also death is unavoidable."

"I said enough! I don't want to hear anything else." Trembling, Lia couldn't find herself braver than just looking at the toes of Hamdi's shoes, which were oddly colored and emitted various gleams.

"He could die, Lia. And only you can save him. You are his mate." Hamdi gave the pen back.

A few moments ago Hamdi had concluded. After the pills he brought from Hexa did not significantly improve Prince Aerus' condition, he said to Lia, "Hug Prince Aerus. Stick your skin. With your body temperature then Prince Aerus will get his power. That may sound silly to you, but not to us."

Lia didn't mind at all if she just needed to hug Prince Aerus for the night, or just need to hold his hand while waiting for him to come to his senses.

However, the demand to put all the skin on their bodies was not immediately approved by Lia. She needed to take off her clothes, and also take off all of Prince Aerus' clothes. Then they had to stick together until the prince's consciousness returned.

It was embarrassing, and also very perverted.

Lia cursed in her heart. Why was it that every time she met Prince Aerus, she had to come across such things? Couldn't normal things be enforced here?

"I can't, and I don't want to." Lia almost cracked. Unbeknownst to her, she had become a tougher person than before. Before she knew it, she had felt herself burning and a desire to protect herself. "Is this just a joke? Or maybe even a trap? Prince Aerus, stop pretending! You just want me to touch you first right?"

Lia bit her lip after that. She only realized how dirty her mouth was now.

Her strong and determined back was now paralyzed. Especially when her eyes found Prince Aerus' pitiful face. Her heartbeat also started to weaken, and more and more bruises were visible.

Hamdi had removed the royal clothes belonging to Prince Aerus. That way Lia could see how many new bruises have appeared. Prince Aerus seemed to be slowly decaying.

"Lia, I beg you." Hamdi's voice was very soft, gentle, and also vibrating. Like he was the dying person here.

Having no other choice, Lia gripped her fist tightly. It felt very shameful, especially since she was a girl who has conventional thoughts. Lia only wanted to do things like that after getting married, exposing her body parts after having a husband.

But for the sake of humanity, for other races living on other planets. Holding the ends of Cindy's pajamas, Lia whispered, "Sta – stay away. Don't look over here. But don't get off the plane because Prince Aerus' condition is still unstable."

Relief flashed on Hamdi's face. A soft tinge that could ease the tension in his shoulders. He immediately nodded, then said that he would sit in the front seat of the plane. "If you need anything just call me." And Hamdi left, then sank behind the driver's seat.

Remaining Lia in the plane's cabin, stricken by the burden of confusion. But there was also a feeling of anxiety that began to fill her throat. Her face was starting to look almost pathetic, with messy hair and almost covering a quarter of her thin features.

It was hard to let go of the pajamas that were attached to her body. Each button of the shirt seemed to become very hot coal, which would burn Lia if she touched it with her fingertips. Around her body, it might seem like sticky, mossy webs had appeared, which had been living on Lia's skin to stop her movement.

As if she would not be able to take off her clothes, Lia felt like she was about to end her decision. But once again Prince Aerus's body convulsed, floundering like a fish crashing onto land. There was thin blood that melted in his mouth, reminding Lia of Hamdi's words.

"…He could have vomited blood when he was in critical condition. And if that happened, it would be impossible to save him."

Maybe right now vomiting blood was not the right word, but still, a red and fishy liquid had leaked out of Prince Aerus' body.

Like intimidating Lia so she awakened her reflex that had been dead for years, with fast-moving hands she hastily stripped off her clothes, then switched to stripping Prince Aerus's clothes. The edges of her skin gently brushed against Prince Aerus's skin, stinging and shivering as the temperature changes in Prince Aerus' body still occurred.

"You have to wake up. Come on, wake up." The more tears rolled down Lia's cheeks, and the more bad things ran through her mind. She had never seen anyone dying, never seen anyone as weak as Prince Aerus. Lia should not have panicked so much, as if she had had a very bad trauma in the past.

But her impulse did, giving her an unfamiliar feeling laced with worry. Lia kept telling herself that she just didn't want to see someone die in front of her, and because of her.

"Have you calmed down? Hmm?" Lia whispered as the skin of her arm touched Prince Aerus' chest. Several long minutes had passed. The prince's frail breath had risen and became stronger, livelier, and more hopeful.

The bruises on his chest were starting to thin out, though not too much. Prince Aerus' body temperature also started to warm up and his lips started to look healthier.

Feeling that her efforts had paid off, Lia tightened her arms around Prince Aerus' body, forcing her arms into a full circle. Then Lia would lay Prince Aerus' head deeper into her arms, and Lia would touch his facial skin, giving a wash of energy and warmth.

You will never know how it feels when you have to hug someone you hate. And you won't know how it feels when you do it without wearing anything. A spark of hatred suddenly resurfaced in Lia's heart. She began to make scenarios of what Prince Aerus would do if she managed to be healthy and sober.

Was it possible that he would touch Lia forcefully again? After what Lia had done to him?

Eyes that lick with a spark of emotion. The depth of Lia's annoyance began to be immeasurable, after a while it became somewhat shallow due to empathy. A moment later she wanted to let go of Prince Aerus's body, push him and make him die on the spot from the exhaustion of energy.

But when she saw Prince Aerus's brow furrowed, Lia suddenly jumped with enthusiasm. She even developed a smile and gave a sparkling look to her eyes. "Are you awake? Are you waking up?" asked her giddily.

***