BLRP 17

Startled by her sudden movement, Theodore frowned.

Thump! Thump!

“I’m just putting these here.”

Fiorentia calmly placed two pillows between them.

“So don’t worry about crossing over. Just sleep.”

Theodore stared at her for a moment in disbelief, then let out a quiet laugh.

Isn’t it usually the other way around?

Shouldn’t she be worried about me crossing over?

But since he needed to retrieve the key to his restraints from her, he decided it was better not to create unnecessary tension. He kept his mouth shut.

Then Fiorentia got up again.

She busily moved around the room, extinguishing every light one by one. Only after the room was completely dark did she return to the bed.

Theodore turned his head toward her side.

Though darkness swallowed the room in an instant, she still hadn’t removed her mask.

Impressive.

Watching her, Theodore concluded that Fiorentia was far from an ordinary level of stubborn.

* * *

Fiorentia had worried that Theodore might try to remove her mask while she slept.

But her concern proved unnecessary.

Instead of attempting anything, Theodore fell asleep sooner than she expected—and soon began to suffer from a fever.

“So now I have to nurse someone. What a life.”

She muttered in disbelief, yet her hands were remarkably careful as she tended to him.

She placed a damp cloth on his forehead and applied ointment to his wounded body.

“You must have been exhausted.”

To say his recent circumstances had been bad would be an understatement.

He had infiltrated the Marcellar ducal house, been betrayed and left behind, then discovered.

And as if that weren’t enough, the madwoman who owned the estate had branded his heart with a cursed seal instead of using him as a bargaining chip.

Was that all?

She had pushed him to the brink with experiments separating soul and body.

And Fiorentia herself had poured the energy of a poisonous mushroom into him to draw out the dragon’s curse.

On top of that, he was forced to wear restraints that drained his strength.

As she listed it all in her head, Fiorentia blinked in slight shock.

“You’re honestly incredible.”

If it had been anyone else, they would have lost their mind—or worse, already died.

“But your fever’s really high.”

She looked down at him with worry.

No matter how many times she replaced the wet cloth, it dried almost instantly against his burning skin.

“I should call a doctor, but…”

That was impossible.

If she summoned the family physician, Desdemona would surely be informed.

She could already imagine her reaction if she said she wanted to save Theodore.

Desdemona would either take him away again—or mock her for caring so much about a mere doll and tell her to dispose of him in exchange for something else.

I can’t let Theodore die.

He had to live.

Only if he survived could she someday escape this dreadful Marcellar household as well.

She squeezed the cloth tightly, determination strengthening her grip.

Clenching her teeth, she wiped his sweat-soaked forehead again and tried speaking to him.

“Theodore, wake up.”

But no matter how many times she called, he couldn’t answer. His eyelids didn’t even twitch.

A faint groan escaped between his lips along with hot breaths.

A vertical crease marked his brow, as if he were trapped in a nightmare.

“What are you even dreaming about?”

She brushed aside the damp black hair clinging to his skin.

“Who betrayed you?”

The original story had never revealed that detail, so she didn’t know either.

There was nothing she could tell him.

“….”

She waited, but of course, no answer came.

With a soft sigh, she murmured bitterly,

“For now, just rest. Theodore, you only need to trust me.”

She gently held his burning hand, hoping her cooler body temperature might soothe him even a little.

“I’m not lying. I really will get you out of here. Until then, I’ll protect you.”

It probably wouldn’t brainwash him—but perhaps, unconsciously, it might increase his favor toward her?

With that small, selfish thought, Fiorentia continued speaking kindly, hoping he would recover soon.

“Get better quickly and escape from here. And when you see me later… remember this and spare my life, okay?”

Right?

After stroking his face for a moment, she removed the cloth again.

The water in the basin had already grown lukewarm.

She lifted it with both hands to replace it.

At that moment, Theodore’s unmoving fist tightened slightly.

* * *

Theodore opened his eyes two days later.

Is it sunny today?

The brightness filtering through his eyelids was dazzling enough to make him think so.

Wanting to feel that warmth, he unconsciously reached out.

“You finally woke up.”

Fiorentia’s voice cleared his hazy mind. Only then did he realize it wasn’t sunlight he had seen.

The light he had longed to touch was actually her golden hair.

No wonder it was so blinding.

He swallowed a faint laugh.

Even after realizing his mistake, his fingers still itched to touch it.

Fiorentia was still sitting beside the bed—mask firmly in place.

She had been watching him closely. When she saw his blue eyes move, she finally let out a sigh of relief.

Then she scolded him lightly.

“You slept like the dead for two whole days.”

His throat felt parched.

Only then did he notice how heavy his body was.

He didn’t need to ask what had happened—he could easily guess he’d been gravely ill.

Still, he tried to prop himself up on his elbow.

Fiorentia quickly reached out.

For a moment, he thought she meant to support him—but instead, she pressed him back down by the shoulder.

“You sweated too much. You’ll feel dizzy. Just lie down.”

His body, barely lifted a fist’s height, fell back into the blankets.

To be pushed down so easily by arms that didn’t look strong at all…

Theodore let out a hollow laugh at himself.

“Did you… take care of me?”

“Yes. I couldn’t call a doctor, so I handled it alone. It wasn’t easy.”

She didn’t hesitate to claim credit.

He chuckled softly.

Then his dry lips cracked slightly, and his face tightened.

“…Ah.”

He touched his sore lips with his large hand, then looked back at her.

“Put it on my tab. I’ll repay you someday.”

He expected her to say something like ‘Forget it’ or ‘With what?’

Instead, her masked head nodded obediently.

“Alright.”

She even added more.

“You don’t know this, but I like fairness.”

He nodded along, thinking, Let’s hear what she’s getting at.

“So don’t forget a single thing I’ve done for you. Remember it well. And when the time comes, pay me back.”

“…Fairly?”

His voice was still hoarse.

She nodded.

“Yes. Fairly.”

Though he knew it couldn’t be true, for a moment he felt as though she was smiling beneath the mask.

A storm raged in Theodore’s blue eyes.

But his face remained perfectly calm.

When he stared at her silently for too long, Fiorentia called him carefully.

“Teo?”

He had noticed she was casually using a nickname he hadn’t given permission for—but he didn’t point it out.

Something more important occupied his mind.

His blue eyes traced the outline of her mask.

As far as he could tell, Fiorentia’s position within this family was quite limited. He didn’t expect much—but…

Still, maybe I should try.

After all, she herself had said these favors were debts.

If she expected repayment someday, then borrowing a little more now wouldn’t be unreasonable.

Having made up his mind, Theodore spoke in a low, steady voice.

“Since you’re already keeping track of my debt… there’s one more favor I’d like to ask.”