Chapter 2
Damn… it would be a problem if the rain keeps falling like this.
A week had passed, yet the rain still hadn’t stopped.
Standing by the window, Ritzhaian stared out at the gloomy weather before turning her gaze toward the bed beside her.
The man she had rescued a week ago was still lying there unconscious.
“Ugh…”
Ritzhaian found herself looking at the nameless stranger with sympathy.
That feeling had started the moment she heard the physician’s diagnosis.
According to the doctor she had hired at considerable expense, the man appeared to be suffering from such unbearable pain that he couldn’t even sleep properly.
In fact, the physician had said it might be a blessing that he was unconscious—at least then he wouldn’t have to feel it.
As for the cause of the illness, even the doctor didn’t know.
Judging by the severe wound on his head, it looked as though he had repeatedly slammed himself against a wall in an attempt to overcome the pain.
The physician could only shake his head helplessly.
Just how agonizing was this illness?
Even the pain-relieving herbs prescribed by the doctor had proven useless.
They had forced the medicine into his mouth while he was unconscious, yet nothing improved.
Under those circumstances, it was impossible not to feel sorry for him, even if he was a complete stranger.
Perhaps that sympathy was why she had come herself.
She could have asked a maid to do it, but instead she had carried a fresh pillow here personally.
“It won’t be easy, but could you lift your head just a little?”
She tried to replace the pillow without disturbing his injury.
Of course, that was impossible.
Carefully, she slid a hand behind his head and gently lifted it.
“What… are you doing?”
The next instant, a low voice growled a warning so cold it sounded murderous.
At the same time, the man’s hand shot out and seized her wrist.
“!”
The grip was unbelievably strong.
Ritzhaian staggered and was practically dragged onto the bed.
She was startled by his sudden movement.
Yet what shocked her more than the pain in her wrist was the fact that he had finally woken up.
“You’re awake? How do you feel? Are you alright?”
“Haa… huff…”
“Ah.”
Apparently, he still wasn’t fully conscious.
Even in his weakened state, he refused to let go of her arm.
At the same time, he looked as though he were suffering terribly.
That was when she realized something.
His immediate hostility the moment she touched him wasn’t intentional.
It was instinct.
What kind of life had he lived?
Even while unconscious, he reacted defensively to the slightest contact.
Even after she had spoken gently to reassure him.
Ritzhaian looked into the man’s half-open eyes.
They reminded her of a sky without sunlight.
Dust.
Ruins.
His eyes felt like all of those things.
A cool, strangely refreshing scent lingered around him, making his emptiness stand out even more.
…
He seemed unbearably hollow.
Yet his actions said otherwise.
“Ah…”
His grip tightened further.
The hand holding her wrist was so strong that blood was beginning to stop circulating.
Her arm started to go numb.
And it hurt.
Not because of his grip.
“Goodness… you’re burning up.”
It was because of his fever.
His body temperature was so unnaturally high that it felt as though he could scorch her skin.
Ritzhaian’s hand trembled involuntarily.
Yet the man still refused to release her.
Her wrist throbbed as though it had been burned.
But strangely, she wasn’t worried about herself.
The pain should have been unbearable.
Still, her attention remained fixed on him.
Not because she trusted him.
But because she felt she had to look after him first.
It felt like an obligation.
Not one anyone had given her.
Simply something she ought to do.
As though an invisible force were pushing her forward.
“Come on… try to wake up. I’m worried about you, alright?”
The fact that he wasn’t merely tossing around in his sleep gave her hope.
Maybe she could communicate with him.
Using her free hand, she carefully touched his shoulder.
Part of her wanted to shake him awake.
But she worried it might worsen whatever terrible headache he was suffering from.
“!”
The moment she touched him, she noticed something.
His body was far stronger than it appeared.
Which only made less sense.
How could a healthy-looking man be suffering this much?
What kind of illness was this?
“Ghh…!”
Yet that tiny touch seemed to trigger something within him.
The instant her hand landed on his shoulder, his half-open eyes snapped fully open.
A sound escaped him.
Not quite a cry of pain.
More like the roar of a wounded beast.
His dull eyes sharpened.
Then suddenly—
He yanked her arm.
“What are you—!”
She couldn’t resist.
Not against that strength.
In an instant, Ritzhaian found herself sprawled across the sweat-soaked bed.
The man had pushed himself halfway upright.
His body effectively trapped hers beneath him.
Yet even then, he never released her hand.
At first she had assumed it was simple survival instinct.
Now she realized she had been wrong.
And by the time she noticed—
His trembling eyes had already focused directly on her.
There was unmistakable intent in that gaze.
Target.
Focus.
Fixation.
Goosebumps erupted across her skin.
She tried to stop him.
But she couldn’t.
“Wait—mmph!”
Without warning, he captured her lips.
But calling it a kiss would have been impossible.
There was nothing romantic about it.
It wasn’t the touch of someone trying to know another person.
It was rough.
Desperate.
Almost as though he intended to devour everything she had.
As if demanding she reveal something she wasn’t even hiding.
His mouth invaded hers recklessly.
His teeth grazed her lower lip.
Thankfully, it wasn’t terribly painful.
But her delicate skin split nonetheless.
“Ah!”
The metallic taste of blood spread through her mouth.
The sharp sting finally snapped Ritzhaian back to reality.
And with that clarity came a flood of questions.
Why am I not resisting?
What is wrong with me?
Since when?
Why?
One thing was clear.
“No!”
Grabbing his wrist with both hands, she shouted desperately.
“Please stop! What are you doing?!”
Perhaps her voice reached him.
…
The man’s movements suddenly stopped.
The tense muscles in his neck and hands gradually relaxed.
Ritzhaian finally released the breath she’d been holding.
Thank goodness.
Maybe he heard me…
She had never even properly been courted by a man before.
What exactly had almost happened here?
Still shaken, she carefully tried speaking to him.
“Um…”
Thud.
“Huh?”
The man collapsed directly on top of her.
Just like that.
The agony that had tormented him moments earlier was completely gone.
For the first time, his face looked peaceful.
Comfortable.
“Sir?”
Ritzhaian froze in disbelief.
Meanwhile, somewhere within the Kingdom—
Inside an old, unremarkable mansion stood a surprisingly luxurious room.
The room was spotless.
A large, expensive-looking bed occupied the center.
Elegant furniture filled the space.
Every detail showed how much care had gone into maintaining it.
Yet the bedside table was cluttered with untouched medicine.
The carefully prepared meals had long since gone cold.
Several people stood inside the room, looking around in disbelief.
“No matter how thoroughly we search… the Boss isn’t here.”
Most of them wore neat black suits and ties.
Only one person stood out.
A woman with crimson hair.
Dressed in a white blouse and long skirt, she stared silently at the bed before suddenly pulling back the blankets.
As though hoping someone might be hiding beneath them.
“So Karta really left despite being in that condition.”
…
The bed retained no trace of warmth.
The woman clearly found the situation difficult to believe.
Yet she didn’t seem particularly shocked.
The others appeared much the same.
Rather than panicking, they simply wore grim expressions.
As though they had expected this all along.
Even so, the woman couldn’t hide her frustration.
Staring at the empty bed, she sighed several times before speaking.
“Has anyone heard anything about where he went?”
At her question, the men shifted uneasily.
…
The woman shot them an irritated glare.
Only then did the highest-ranking among them step forward.
“We’ve been hearing rumors everywhere that the Boss is dead.”
“What?”
“Who dares spread nonsense like that? Have they found a body?”
The woman’s voice immediately rose in anger.
Partly because the rumor wasn’t entirely impossible.
The owner of this room had suffered from a chronic illness for years.
No treatment had worked.
Given that reality, she could understand why he had finally left his sickbed.
“Fortunately, no one seems to know about his illness. It looks like our enemies are simply spreading rumors to test our reaction. They claim he disappeared for a year because he died.”
Understanding his actions didn’t mean accepting them.
She couldn’t accept them.
“It’s fortunate they don’t know the truth about his illness… but we still can’t leave him alone.”
He couldn’t die.
And he had to return.
Someone like you… how could we simply let you disappear?
“I suppose… I’ll have to meet Father personally.”
“You’re going yourself, Sharon?”
After those words, silence settled over the spacious room.
Only the sound of rain striking the windows remained.
Tap.
Tap.
Tap.
