ITPMHFN 67

Chapter 67

“Your Highness…?”

It was Denok.

I froze in surprise, my body stiff, and slowly rolled my eyes toward him.

Soft, steady breathing. Closed eyelids.

He was sound asleep.

Well, I suppose that made sense.

Lately, he had been skipping meals and burying himself entirely in his research.

As I watched him, that thought came naturally.

As expected, his skin had grown rough, and dark shadows lay under his eyes.

He must have been through a lot…

But pity aside, there was a problem.

Because of his weight, I was being slowly pushed to the side.

I tried to brace my waist and resist, but before I knew it—ah—my shoulder hit the wall of the carriage.

In the end, I found myself cornered against one side of the carriage, unable to move.

And yet, I couldn’t just wake him up…

How could I push away someone who fell asleep out of exhaustion…?

My conscience pricked at me, so I hesitated, unable to touch him.

Then, all of a sudden—

Perhaps because his position was uncomfortable—Denok frowned slightly and stretched out his arm.

To where? To my waist.

“Kyaa!”

Before I could even process it, he pulled me sharply into his arms.

No space left between us.

He held me tightly, like a doll in his embrace, and leaned in even closer.

His head, which had been resting on my shoulder, now burrowed against my chest. Warm breath tickled my skin.

“Ugh…”

The shock made my vision blur for a moment.

Should I still not wake him up, even like this?

I agonized over it for a while before whispering cautiously,

“Your Highness…”

But he didn’t react at all.

He hadn’t even stirred at my earlier scream, so he must have been in a very deep sleep.

I even tried pushing him away, but his solid body didn’t budge an inch.

What do I do…? We’ve still got quite a ways to go before arriving.

After a few futile pushes, I finally gave up and squeezed my eyes shut.

There was no helping it. Just for a little while… I’d let him use me as a pillow.

Still, just in case his magic flared up even in sleep, I quietly raised my own powers.

The faint fragrance tickling his nose was fresh and soothing—like burying one’s face in a bouquet of flowers.

Denok’s expression relaxed.

Absentmindedly, he tightened his arms around the soft, flower-like source of that scent.

For a moment, the “bouquet” trembled slightly, but that was silly. Flowers didn’t move.

Feels nice.

Warm, comforting—wait. Warm?

Even half-asleep, Denok’s mind turned quickly.

Since when did flowers… have body heat?

His eyes flew open.

And the sight before him made his breath stop.

Flushed skin. Soft curves, faintly trembling…

Denok jerked away in an instant.

At the same moment, a small, trembling voice reached him.

“Y-you’re awake…?”

It was Edith—half collapsed against the wall of the carriage.

Her hair was a mess, her cheeks crimson, and her blue eyes couldn’t bring themselves to meet his.

He understood what had happened instantly.

“My apologies. I must have fallen asleep.”

Denok exhaled a quiet sigh and dipped his head.

“N-no, it’s fine. You must have been exhausted.”

Even as she spoke, beads of sweat dotted her forehead.

The warmth he had felt earlier had been her heat. Her ears were red, her breathing uneven, chest rising and falling rapidly.

She looked almost like…

“Ah, ngh! D-Denok!”

…Please, no.

Denok clenched his teeth, the muscle in his jaw twitching.

It felt like all the blood in his body had rushed to one place. A dizzy heat flooded his mind.

A low, rough breath escaped him—

And at that very moment, the carriage jolted to a stop.

Edith turned to the window in relief. Outside was a familiar scene.

The sunset had already vanished, and under the dim sky, Luciano’s mansion shimmered in shades of violet and blue.

“Oh, we’ve arrived. You should go rest, Your Highness.”

“…You go first.”

“Pardon?”

Denok spoke with effort, his lips barely moving.

When she blinked in confusion, he repeated,

“Go on ahead. I’ll gather my things and come after.”

“If that’s the case, I can help—”

“No.”

Denok’s firm shake of the head left no room for argument.

“It’ll be faster if I do it alone.”

The decisive rejection froze Edith’s expression for a second.

But she quickly smiled faintly and stood up.

“Alright then. I’ll see you later.”

The door shut. Silence fell.

Only the faint crunch of footsteps on gravel faded into the distance.

Denok stayed motionless in the stillness.

After a while, he pressed his heated forehead against the wall of the carriage.

Thud. The heavy sound made the whole carriage shake.

“…Idiot.”

But the heat wouldn’t fade.

Just like the lingering image of her burned into his mind.

Footsteps echoed down a quiet hallway.

Edith had sent away even Melissa, who’d insisted on helping, and walked alone toward her room.

Once she reached it safely, she let out a long breath and slumped against the closed door.

Her dress spread around her as she buried her face in her knees.

Her hands covered her face, but her ears were red—so red they almost blended into her hair.

“Haah…”

Her heart pounded violently, but the sigh that slipped out was weary.

This is just human instinct, she told herself firmly.

When his strong hands had wrapped around her waist earlier, she’d been reminded of that day—when they had pretended to be lovers, so convincingly that it had felt real.

A man with such a composed face had clung to her like a child, refusing to let go.

Anyone in that situation would have felt something.

So this is just… a physical reaction, nothing more.

Her heart wasn’t weakening. Absolutely not.

Edith squeezed her eyes shut and hammered the thought into her mind like a nail.

Meanwhile, while the two were lost in their own tangled thoughts—

A secret “meeting” was taking place in the annex.

A shadowed figure moved stealthily, blending with the pillars and walls, not a sound escaping.

Like a professional assassin—swift, silent, precise.

The dark silhouette reached the end of the corridor, pushed open a door, and slipped inside.

As the door shut, a low voice murmured in the darkness.

“Did anyone see you on the way here?”

“No one.”

“Phew, good.”

Melissa finally lit the lamp and threw back her hood. Deep-blue hair spilled out, glimmering in the light.

“Did you really need to wear that robe?”

Gerald gave her outfit a skeptical look.

It somehow made her more conspicuous.

Melissa flinched, her face going red as she snapped,

“You’re the one who said we had to meet in secret!”

“I did. But I didn’t say to wear a robe.”

At his calm reply, Melissa puffed out her chest in frustration and sighed.

But then his expression turned serious again.

“So, how’s the plan coming along?”