Chapter 5
Wh—why is he crying?
‘Did I do something wrong?’
I stared down at him with a flustered expression.
It had been a while since we’d last seen each other, sure—but he was crying far too pitifully for this to count as a happy reunion. For a moment, I even felt guilty, wondering if I’d somehow hurt him.
Just as my head filled with a million question marks, the Fourth Prince tightened the fingers laced with mine and spoke in a tear-choked voice.
“I was lonely.”
“…….”
“Why—why did you only come now?”
His voice was so full of longing it went beyond mere happiness, sounding more like someone desperately clinging to a lover who was leaving. Rather than reproach, his words carried a quiet plea not to go.
‘Anyone watching would think I’m the bad one here.’
But that was Mikael’s problem.
From my perspective, watching him cry like this was deeply awkward. Thank goodness we were alone—if someone else had seen this, I could already imagine the rumors.
‘…Hmmm.’
Worse, I didn’t even know why he was crying, so I had no idea how to comfort him. And it wasn’t like I had a particularly gentle personality to begin with. If anything, it was a miracle if I didn’t make him cry harder.
‘What a headache.’
I hesitated, my hand hovering as I looked down at the boy crying beneath me. Then, suddenly, an old memory surfaced.
You’re really cold, you know that? If you can’t comfort them, at least don’t make them cry even more.
Back when I worked as a mercenary, one of my companions—who hunted monsters with me—had been the complete opposite of me: overly emotional.
He’d constantly tell me to put some “soul” into my words. Even when I thought I was comforting someone in my own way, he always said it wasn’t enough.
You seriously need to work on your social skills. No wonder you don’t have any friends.
……
Who comforts someone by throwing insults at them? That’s why that big brute over there is bawling his eyes out. When someone’s crying, you’re supposed to empathize and—
‘—hug them.’
To think I’d end up using that advice here.
If that guy were here now, he’d definitely be nagging me not to make things worse.
After replaying the memory, I resigned myself and decided to try the method my friend had taught me.
‘His back was whipped, so patting there might hurt.’
I bent my knees and met his eyes. The Fourth Prince looked up at me, tears welling again, the ones he hadn’t wiped away spilling down his cheeks.
I gently brushed away the tears as softly as I could.
‘It’s okay for people to cry.’
Given everything he’d endured, maybe the emotions he’d bottled up for years had finally burst the moment he saw me.
I hadn’t been possessed for long, after all—there was plenty of time I didn’t know about.
‘The “why did you only come now” part bothers me, though.’
Still, calming my crying husband came first.
“!”
Grabbing the front of his clothes, I pulled him into a hug.
His large body slid easily into my arms—too easily, in fact, which startled me instead.
…Ack.
‘I grabbed him by the collar without realizing.’
Feeling a bit guilty, I awkwardly patted his shoulder. I had grabbed him pretty suddenly, but at least I hadn’t used much force.
Unfortunately, that wasn’t the end of my troubles.
“Mm.”
…Now what?
‘What did he say to do after hugging them again?’
As I continued patting him, my eyes darted around uselessly.
I’d hugged him like my friend suggested, but the next step was the problem. Was I supposed to say something comforting? Nothing came to mind.
At a loss for words, I just kept patting his shoulder and head.
Perhaps because he hadn’t expected to be hugged, the Fourth Prince froze the moment I pulled him in. I could feel how stiff his body was.
Not long after, his sobbing stopped entirely.
‘Did he stop crying?’
There was no sound, but just in case, I didn’t stop patting him.
He wasn’t crying harder, at least. Maybe this was good enough. I didn’t know what others would think, but by my standards, this counted as half a success.
After patting him a few more times—
“W-Wife.”
“Yes?”
“Uh…”
His voice was much clearer than before—so he really had stopped crying. He shifted slightly in my arms.
“Y-You can let go now.”
“Are you okay?”
“Yes—yes. I’m fine now.”
He answered quickly, wriggling more insistently, clearly wanting to escape my arms but unsure how.
‘Guess hugging him out of nowhere made him uncomfortable.’
Only then did I realize it, and I let him go.
Freed, the Fourth Prince suddenly bowed his head deeply. Embarrassed about crying in front of me, he pressed his lips with the back of his hand.
His fingers were still tightly interlaced.
“…I showed you something unsightly.”
“It’s fine.”
I understood well enough.
When I shrugged, he rolled his eyes briefly before glancing at me and slowly lifting his head.
For the first time, I got a proper look at his face—and froze.
His beauty hit me square in the face.
I’d felt it earlier when I saw the Emperor, but—
‘He’s seriously handsome.’
After countless possessions, I’d seen plenty of “handsome protagonists,” but the Fourth Prince stood out even among them. I’d thought my standards had risen.
Apparently not.
His hair was a bit damaged, but with proper care, it would improve easily. His pale skin and clear blue eyes were strikingly pure and transparent.
If the Emperor gave off a mature, dangerous allure, this boy was the textbook definition of a beautiful man.
So this is why people talk about genetics.
‘What a blessed face.’
To think this man was my husband—it almost felt like compensation for everything I’d been through.
Yeah. At the very least, I had to protect that face.
“Is there something on my face…?”
“No. You’re just handsome.”
Weak, powerless, sick—but at least I had this husband. Even while crying, he didn’t have a runny nose. Looks like even side characters get a small buff.
As I stared at him with mild envy, I noticed his pale cheeks gradually turning red.
‘Does he have a fever?’
Startled, I reached out immediately. Knowing he was sick made me worry over even the smallest change.
The moment my hand touched his forehead, his eyes widened.
His face turned even redder, and soft breaths slipped past his slightly parted lips.
“Your Highness.”
“…Yes, Wife.”
Pulling my warm hand away, I grabbed his shoulders.
And before my husband had a chance to protest, I pushed him back onto the bed.
“W-W-Wife?!”
Caught off guard, the Fourth Prince let out a hiccup.
Getting startled this easily—maybe his heart was weak too, thanks to his illness.
This wouldn’t do.
Looking down at my fragile husband, I spoke firmly.
“Lie down and stay quiet.”
“B-But I haven’t prepared myself mentally yet—”
“Prepared for what?”
I pinned him down decisively, only releasing my grip once his resistance faded.
Including our intertwined hands.
“You have a fever. I’ll call the imperial physician.”
“…What?”
The Fourth Prince echoed blankly.
Huh? That reaction was odd. I tilted my head.
“What is it?”
“N-Nothing.”
His eyes drooped, looking oddly disappointed.
But there was no time to ask why.
I stood up immediately to fetch the imperial physician.
Just as I was leaving the room, a small sniffle came from the bed.
‘Oh no.’
He must be in a lot of pain.
***
I opened the door and ordered the first maid I saw to bring the imperial physician at once.
Though she looked displeased, she complied.
“Hmm.”
After examining the Fourth Prince, the physician put away his stethoscope and scribbled something in his notebook.
“Is His Highness alright?”
“Yes. It seems the medicine is taking effect, causing a temporary fever. It should subside by tonight, so there’s no need to worry.”
At his words, I finally relaxed.
The Fourth Prince looked oddly disappointed, which puzzled me briefly—but the important thing was that he was fine.
While I was at it, I should look for a way to treat his illness too.
It might just be a momentary sympathy—but if he recovered, I’d be able to leave with a clearer conscience later.
‘I can’t stay here forever.’
Saving the Fourth Prince was my immediate goal, but it wasn’t my life’s mission.
My only true mission was the one God gave me.
This time, I really needed to find the demon.
From experience, the Emperor—the novel’s main antagonist—was likely not the demon God spoke of.
I’d met countless lunatics, but none of them had been “demons.”
It might be someone completely unexpected.
So I’d have to search myself.
“It’s a relief that it’s nothing serious, Your Highness.”
I smiled gently, meeting the Fourth Prince’s eyes.
For now, I had to protect him—just in case something unpredictable happened.
At that moment, his cheeks flushed red again.
Seeing his face turn bright crimson, I let out a concerned sigh.
‘We need to bring that fever down quickly.’
His skin was so pale that even the slightest change stood out far too much.
