CH 143

“…Ah.”

Her throat stung and her voice didn’t come out well. Something stuck to her eyelids, so her eyes couldn’t open well.

Her lips were dry and clapped, and someone wiped the top of her lips with a wet cloth. That was far from enough. She’s thirsty.

Dana opened her lips a little more and stuck out her tongue. Then she heard a sigh.

“I think it’s better to get up and drink.”

Something soft covered her lips after the slightly grumpy voice was heard. The moist and soft texture came through her lips, and cool water poured.

Dana drank the water, and at the same time wrapped her arm around his neck and hung. The hands around her back were thick and cozy. It was a reliable hand.

Somehow Leon took Dana off first and laid her on the bed.

Dana rubbed her eyes with her hands and only then, opened her eyes.

“…Leon?”

Dana’s question was obvious. If it was him, she had to go straight to the next step from this kiss. It was a question of why not. Then Leon had a difficult face.

As Dana tilted her head, Leon smiled vaguely and stroked the messy hair on her forehead.

“… For a while, they told me I had to be patient.”

Dana didn’t understand the meaning and stared at him.

“Leon, what’s wrong with you?”

And rather worried about him.

Leon smiled, covering his face with his hands as if he was amazed. He sat cross-legged in a small chair next to Dana’s bed and stood by her all the time.

“You really didn’t know? Well, I didn’t know either.”

“What are you talking about?”

“It’s…”

Knock, knock, knock.

Lily and Wendy came in with a cheerful knock. They saw Dana who woke up and ran right away to greet her.

“Oh my god! You woke up!”

“How are you feeling? Any inconvenience?”

“I’ve prepared a meal for you. It’s not good for you to starve for a long time. It’s better to eat it right here, right?”

“Huh? Lily, hold on. After washing up…”

Lily raised Dana and supported her pillow behind her back.

“I’ll help you eat first and wash up.”

“It’s okay. I’ll take my time to wash up by myself.

“Never! Never!”

At Wendy’s sharp rejection, she went out and looked with her eyes wide open. Whether she felt too determined, Wendy blushed and apologized urgently.

“Oh, just in case it’s dangerous… I’m sorry.”

“Yeah, take a bath with their help.”

Leon somehow took Wendy’s side to cover up the situation. Lily lifted the low table and put it on the bed. At the top, there were several steaming soups and fruit sculptures.

“…Here, eat with your spoon. Do you want me to feed you?”

When Lily held a spoon and tried to sit next to her, Dana snatched it away.

“No! It’s okay!”

Dana quickly rolled her eyes around, eating the soup. Of course, Lily and Wendy originally took good care of her because that was their job.

But it felt a little different from usual. Leon was a bit different.

“I think it’s a little poor, and you don’t mind if she eats this much?”

Leon, who was watching Dana eat, talked to Lily. It was strange for Leon to talk to Dana’s maid.

“Oh, she has an empty stomach, so I prepared something light. Please tell me if there’s any food you want to eat.”

“Food… that I want to eat?”

Dana blinked with her spoon in her mouth. After emptying thoroughly, she said, rinsing her mouth with water.

“A neat cup of white wine, please.”

“You can’t do that.”

“Oh… Anything else?”

“Champagne?”

“Why is it all alcohol? You don’t usually enjoy drinking.”

When Leon rejected all of them, Dana’s lips popped out, and muttered in a sullen voice.

Lily moved away from Dana’s table with an awkward face, avoiding her seat for now.

“Because I’ve had a headache from going through this and that. I want to have a clean drink to celebrate it’s over, too.”

Leon sat on the table, gently wiping the soup on Dana’s lips with his thumb.

“… I understand your heart, but it is difficult. I’m patient too, so be patient.”

“So, what are you holding back? Since earlier?”

Leon put his thumb right into his lips. After licking it with his tongue, his gaze looked over Dana’s lips as if it were regrettable.

Dana blushed at the strange gaze. But it was only that far, Leon lowered his gaze as it was and fixed his eyes on Dana’s hip.

Following Leon’s gaze, Dana flinched and raised her head as thoughts passed through her mind.

“Me, me, maybe…”

“Hmm?”

Dana hesitated to mumble and bit her lower lip hard. Rolling blue eyes seemed to calculate something. She pondered something, tilted her head, and frowned.

“I… Do you say I have a baby?”

“Yes.”

“…Ah.”

“Congratulations.”

Leon lightly pulled her hair and kissed her on the top of her head.

Dana looked puzzled. She put her hand on her lower abdomen, stroked it awkwardly, and looked at her belly and Leon alternately as if she couldn’t believe it.

“It’s something to celebrate, right?”

“Do you hate babies?”

“…No, babies are cute and lovely. It’s just sudden…”

“The doctor said that the tension was relieved and the body was in shock, but the baby was safe and your body was fine. What do you think? What makes you uncomfortable?”

Leon was originally kind to Dana, but Dana smiled slightly at him, who became more attentive.

“May I take a walk?”

“It’s a little chilly.”

“Wait a minute.”

As if it was just a formality to ask for his permission, Dana already stood up with her legs down from the bed.

Then Leon looked carefully at Dana as if he were looking at a newborn baby.

“Let’s wear this and go.”

He brought a thick sweater over one chair and wrapped it over Dana’s shoulder.

“Well, thank you.”

She thought it was too thick to wear in this season, but she decided to wear it silently thanks to his consideration.

The two held hands and took a slow walk in the garden. Amid the leisurely act, Dana carefully spoke,

“How long has it been since I collapsed?”

“Two days.”

“Of course… He is.”

“He was executed yesterday.”

Dana closed her mouth and nodded slightly. She stepped on the dry leaves under her feet and they rustled. Revenge succeeded, but it was not senseless enough to express joy in the death of a person.

She was immersed in different thoughts, and there was a sound of someone running from afar.

Leon covered Dana with his arms and protected her, and looked at who was running.

It was Katie, the maid of the Outer West Palace, who ran with a skirt. She was Sophia’s exclusive maid, and she looked somehow desperate.

“Your Grace…”

He could tell what she was trying to say from her expression calling him.

“What happened to Mother?”