chapter 66
The devil’s bracelet still bothered me, but since there was nothing I could do about it right away, I decided to focus on recovery.
Fortunately, my body quickly regained stability.
So much so that I could feel it myself.
But strangely enough, the overprotectiveness directed at me only grew worse.
“Siena, have your meals in your room for a while. I’ll come to you, so don’t bother going down to the dining hall.”
“Miss! I’ll do it, I’ll do it! It’s dangerous, please just stay still!”
“Sisi, you’ve lost so much muscle. Want me to carry you?”
“Siena, I’ll feed you myself! Just sit tight!”
Noah, Lina, Helares… even Ban!
I knew they were worried I might cough up blood and collapse again like before, but wasn’t this going too far?
“Please, just stop it already!”
And so I ran away.
While Noah was busy with documents, Lina with cleaning, and Ban taking a nap.
I didn’t miss that moment when all their eyes were elsewhere—and I fled.
To that sacred tree where I had once awakened Helares.
Hiding behind the tree, I peeked around, then slid down with a sigh.
“They don’t know moderation. Anyone would think I’m a baby.”
Their overprotectiveness… well…
Since it was all out of concern for me, I could bear with the frustration.
Once I was declared fully recovered, things would settle down again.
The problem was, they didn’t even bother to hide this behavior in front of others.
Especially in front of Oel, it was even worse.
‘Do you all really have to swarm around me every time I take medicine? Even though it’s the medicine I provided?’
‘Of course. What if it’s been swapped again like that day?’
‘But I’m the one handing it over directly.’
‘Even in a fleeting moment, someone could’ve switched it out, Master.’
Helares and Noah grew unbearably tense every time I had to take my medicine.
Not only did they always make Oel test it first, but if I so much as coughed, they would burst into Oel’s room like they were breaking down the door.
Whether it was daytime, nighttime, or dawn, they didn’t care.
‘The young lady is truly loved…’
That was Oel’s roundabout way of saying I was being smothered.
Of course, the fools Noah and Helares just scoffed as if it were only natural.
But thanks to all this, every time I faced Oel, I felt so embarrassed I could hardly lift my head.
“Haa… how long is this going to last?”
Honestly, it was worse than when I’d been given a terminal diagnosis.
“This is all Helares’s fault.”
Because of his excessive protectiveness, Noah must have been influenced too, and fussed over me more than usual.
‘Back when I was declared terminal, they forbade even walks. Now I can’t even go to the dining hall. What is this?’
At least Noah’s protectiveness was something I could tolerate.
At the very least, he still let me walk on my own feet.
‘But Helares…’
Whenever I moved, seeing his fidgeting hands and restless expression gave me strange feelings.
As if… I had truly become his most precious person.
“Ugh, whatever. Honestly, he’s worse than my brother. It’s a problem.”
“What’s worse?”
A gentle voice suddenly dropped down from above my head.
I sighed, lifting my gaze to Helares.
“I knew it.”
“Knew what?”
“That you’d find me.”
No matter where I was, Helares always tracked me down. Like he had some personal Siena-sensor.
See? Even now. I ran off secretly, but he still found me.
His eyes curved into a soft smile.
“So you knew… Does that mean, even while pretending to dislike it, you wanted me to come?”
“No! It’s just that you follow me everywhere except the bathroom!”
“Well, you are the shy type.”
“Excuse me? Who do you think I’m talking to right now?”
He wasn’t even listening, just caught up in his own delusion.
“Still, it was dangerous. Coming all the way here alone. You should’ve at least brought Lina.”
“…Have you considered that I ran away because of your overprotectiveness?”
“Ran away? This?”
His gaze seemed to ask if this trivial thing could even be called “running away.” I shut my mouth.
‘Forget it. Not worth arguing.’
I propped my chin on my hand and turned away.
My silent protest—“stop following me”—was lost on him.
I sensed him settle down right next to me.
I slid my hips sideways to make space, but then felt weight on my shoulder.
He had leaned his head against me.
“What are you doing?”
“Crying because my cold-hearted master won’t look at me once.”
“You’re not crying.”
I tried to shove his head off and brush my shoulder, but he just clung again each time.
‘Like a dog… no, like a puppy.’
It sounded weird, but his clinginess really did feel puppy-like.
So I reached out and petted his head. The soft texture was strangely addictive.
Before I knew it, I had sunk into it, stroking him without even noticing the look on his face.
When my hand brushed down to the nape of his neck, his body jolted.
Blinking, I finally looked at him properly.
‘His eyes…’
They were flushed red. Startled, I gently touched his arm.
“Heren?”
He flinched like a man waking from a dream, then turned his head, covering his mouth.
Not only his eyes, but his cheeks and neck were brightly flushed.
The visual shock left me stammering.
“W-what’s wrong with you?”
“If you touch me like that… it’s a problem.”
His voice was low and muffled against my palm.
“N-no, I just… your hair was soft, that’s all…”
Trailing off, I stared at him in disbelief.
So… he was embarrassed?
The great Helares? From nothing more than having his hair stroked?
Realizing this, I felt my own face heat up uncontrollably.
I never expected him to react like that just from a little touch.
‘It’s completely different from the dream…!’
And to think I planned to tease him about it—was I insane?
“S-sorry…!”
Panicking, unable to handle it, I chose to run away.
Leaving Helares behind, I fled back to the mansion. Looking into the mirror, I squeezed my eyes shut.
“I’m crazy…”
My face was just as red as his.
After cooling my face with cold water, I stared at my reflection with a sigh.
“Do I need to avoid him for a while…?”
I didn’t think I’d be able to look him in the eye.
Wiping the dripping water, I opened the door—only to freeze at the figure standing outside.
“Who are you trying to avoid?”
Who else? Of course, him!
I shrieked as Helares appeared like a ghost and tried to slam the door shut.
But he had already wedged his foot in the gap.
Thud. The door wouldn’t close.
“Let go!”
“If I let go, are you planning to live your whole life shut in there?”
“If you’d just leave, then I’d—!”
He pulled the door, and I was dragged helplessly forward.
“Then you’d just run away again.”
I stumbled back as he stepped toward me, only to hit the wall.
His hand pressed the wall beside me, blocking off escape.
His eyes slanted like a sly fox as they met mine.
‘Damn it.’
With Helares completely blocking the exit, there was no way out.
Giving up on escape, I sighed.
“…Is this really something worth chasing me down over?”
“Of course. Today was historic—you reached out to me first.”
“First…?”
The word echoed in my ears.
‘Was it? Now that I think about it… maybe.’
Sure, I’d touched him before, but only out of necessity.
So yes, if we were counting meaningfully, it really was the first time.
“You made my heart race and then ran away. That’s a crime.”
“…I’m seriously starting to worry about your mental health.”
I glared at him, annoyed.
“And by the way, you’re always touching me, yet the one time I do it, you act like this? It’s ridiculous!”
“So that was the problem. You should’ve said something.”
Murmuring an apology, he suddenly grabbed my hand.
Before I could react, he guided it to his cheek.
His eyes curved sweetly as he smiled.
It should’ve been a beautiful smile, but for some reason it looked dangerous.
“Touch me as much as you want.”
I knew it.
“Well, since you want it, I’ll oblige.”
His eyes widened as if he hadn’t expected me to play along. I pretended to stroke him—then pinched his cheek hard.
“Ugh.”
“Is teasing me that fun? Huh?”
“Teasing? If you really wanted, I’d even strip—ah! Sisi, that actually hurts.”
I pinched harder, making him wince.
