CH 9

Aiden woke up and hurriedly got up and looked around.

The woman had already disappeared.

'When did you fall asleep... … ?'

When the woman held the strange blanket, he fell asleep as if enchanted.

Just then, a warm touch touched me. The rag-like blanket was gone and a new blanket was placed instead.

[What is this ugly thing!]

The woman who shouted at the blanket was familiar.

'Was it Ryrene Ergen, the only princess of the Ergen duchy?'

Dark blue hair and blue eyes.

It was the symbol of Duke Ergen.

She was ill and rarely appeared in public.

It was the first time I came to the duke's house to actually see it.

'I thought he would be very calm because of the perception that he was not feeling well... … .'

It was incredibly strong.

Acting as if his wrist hurts, then putting his finger in his mouth in an instant is really... … .

A fever rose in Aiden's ears as he thought of it without thinking.

Unfamiliar fingers ran around my mouth. The sensation of brushing my tongue was vivid.

If I didn't open my mouth, I would've thought that I would insert my finger into it violently. A noble lady, too.

I was so flustered that I couldn't move.

It was an embarrassing situation that had never been experienced in war.

Thinking of a woman, the cold dungeon suddenly felt hot.

That's how much it came as a shock.

'… … Thanks to that, my mouth got better.'

I didn't mean to say that I couldn't eat because I was sick.

This was the Duke of Ergen, and as a prisoner himself, he was in no position to ask for a doctor.

But unexpectedly, the woman noticed first and called a doctor.

After treatment, the inside of the mouth healed rapidly.

I still have pain, but I have no major problems with eating anymore.

[Come back tomorrow. Even then, if you don't talk, you'll get scolded, so know that.]

From then on, the guard against women loosened up a bit. As the pain in the mouth subsided, the sensitivity also disappeared.

But for some reason, the woman did not appear here the next day. She's obviously said to be her own watcher.

Every time I heard footsteps, my head went up.

However, the fat male jailer left it like throwing bread, but the woman was nowhere to be seen.

Two days passed.

'What's going on?'

Aiden leaned against the cold iron door and raised his head.

I was frustrated.

Today, it felt like the small, dark cell was weighing down my heart.

Suddenly, I saw a light shining in front of me.

Light barely came in from a window the size of a palm, but thanks to the lighting, the inside of the cell was quite bright.

'The point at which that light was installed was when that woman came as a watcher.'

Aiden thought that the inside of the cell had changed strangely after the woman came.

I fell asleep thinking about the woman that day.

[Aiden!]

I remembered hearing a thin voice screaming. When she looked up, there was a woman who had not appeared for two days.

In an instant, my heart skipped a beat.

'me… … Are you happy now?'

Aiden did not know the cause of his fluctuating heart.

[Try eating this.]

In addition, the woman brought the proper food today. I couldn't think of anything about the savory smell that emanated from the brush.

'I thought it didn't matter what the food was.'

I was hungry, but the hunger was enough to keep me going.

In fact, even though I could only drink water because my mouth was sore, I desperately didn't want to eat anything.

However, when I faced the delicious bread, my stomach fluctuate so much that I couldn't think of anything else.

In the end, I couldn't come to my senses and ate it.

Thanks to that, my body was incomparably more energetic than yesterday.

Aiden, who was quietly looking around himself, had a question.

'Why are you being nice to me... … ?'

A woman came as a watcher, installed lights, called a doctor, and provided soft food, not dry bread.

However, when an important fact that had been ignored came to mind, Aiden let out a cold laugh.

[This brioche smells strange. Someone might have poisoned it, so try it first.]

[Don't get me wrong, Aiden! Is it because the food might have been poisoned?]

The reason the woman gave me food was because the food might have been poisoned.

Feeding them food that might have been poisoned, thinking they were doing good.

My head was cold.

Rather than the fact that the woman had tested him, the feeling of self-doubt he had expected from her at that moment was greater.

People from the Duke of Ergen are kind, I can't believe it.

Even so, Aiden, who was thinking of Lailene, was strangely bothered by something.

Today, Lailene came with her hair tied up high. It made the white nape of her neck catch a glimpse through her rustling hair.

There were red spots on the nape of her neck, which seemed to have been scattered over the skin.

Besides, the shape of the spot was similar to that of a star, and Aiden knew of similar symptoms.

It was a dangerous sign.

thump-

Aiden closed his eyes, feeling the sound of his heart beating anxiously.

Even though I knew that the woman was not on my side, the anxiety that one day I would collapse did not go away.

My heart thumped as I imagined that one day I would stop walking like the last time.

She may have gone mad from being locked up in a cell, but she really didn't want her to go wrong right now.

It was then that I suddenly remembered my first meeting with a woman.

The woman made an expression as if her own cheek was in pain and stroked my bruised cheek.

I wondered if this was my own illusion, but it wasn't.

Because I remember that moment so vividly.

Your eyes, your face, even your smell.

Maybe because of this intense first meeting, I have expectations for her.

Aiden leaned his face against the cold wall.

As I recalled my strange first meeting with a woman, I felt my body heat up again.

* * *

On her way back to her room, Rylaine ran into Helis in the central hall.

'It's unlucky.'

Rylenne remembered Helis, who was angry at the luncheon. I'm sure he's grinding it all right now.

I wanted to ignore it and go, but Helis spoke first.

“Sister, why are you on your way?”

“I was just going to the dungeon.”

Helis made an exaggeratedly surprised face.

“Ah, come to think of it, your sister decided to keep an eye on Aiden Bedsian.”

“Yeah, you look busy, so I relieve you of the work.”

"what… … !”

When Rylaine answered calmly, Helis could be seen immediately furious.

However, unlike before, Helis did not fall for the provocation. He must have made up his mind in the meantime.

“Whoa. I heard from my older brother that Aiden Bedsian is as ferocious as a wild beast, but he is worried that my sister will not be swayed by it.”

Today, it seems like a sick chick, not a wild beast... … ?

As Lailene was thinking of Aiden, who was gentle, she heard Helis' confident voice.

“I can handle even an Aiden Vedsian like that.”

"you?"

For a moment, Rylaine endured a snort. She's like that, and she'll deal with her raging temper.

“If you defeat a beast that doesn't listen, it's enough. Because pain works for both animals and humans.”

It was an embarrassing thing to hear. Rylenne's eyes became quite sharp.

“I was going to do that if I were to take over surveillance. Although my sister intercepted it.”

I read the sincerity from the regretful face.

It was hot inside. No matter how hostile the relationship with Duke Ergen may be, this has gone too far.

A cold voice escaped from Ryrene's mouth.

"I'm so glad I didn't entrust you with Aiden surveillance."

“What does that mean?”

“Violence can’t subdue anyone, so you don’t even know that at that age?”

Helis raised her eyes.

"I don't think the older sister who slapped the ladies-in-waiting on a fictitious day would say anything."

Lailene felt sorry for her.

There was a brief moment that Lailenne's behavior in the past was not good.

“… … That, too, I regret. I will never do that again.”

Helis' eyes flashed terribly.

“Don't be ridiculous. If you regret it then why... … !”

“Helis.”

Then a low voice called out to Helis.

"Are you disobeying your father's words to be polite to Rylenne?"

Looking back, Kaverion was standing there with a cold face.