Chapter 15….
Cold (1)
From the surroundings, gasps could be heard. I realized I was being held by Calix only after our eyes met. It felt as if cold water had been poured over my head—I came to my senses instantly.
“J-just a moment, Your Majesty! This—!”
“Stay still.”
Calix moved steadily while holding me. I struggled, crossing my legs and flailing.
“Your Majesty! I’m really fine! I’m fine, so—”
Suddenly, Calix stopped and looked down at me.
“Didn’t you say to create a harmonious atmosphere?”
“Pardon?”
“Then stay still.”
Calix muttered briefly and resumed walking. This wasn’t the kind of “atmosphere” I meant! I barely suppressed the urge to shout and struggled again. Calix’s face creased deeply.
“Stop being a nuisance and listen. Unless you want your head cracked open.”
“……”
His voice had dropped lower, clearly conveying that if I didn’t stay still this time, he would actually break my skull. Turning my head, I saw Rubelin far behind, running after us with her short legs while screaming at a volume that felt like it could tear eardrums.
“Mama, put her down! Let go of our mama!”
“Quiet.”
“Give me my mama!”
Calix ignored her and strode forward with his long legs. I gradually stopped resisting and let my strength drain away. Ah, I don’t even know anymore. My body felt heavy, and my head was pounding from the fever. If he was going to carry me anyway, it was more comfortable for me. The sound of Rubelin chasing behind made my head ring painfully, and in a state of resignation, I let my body go limp. Just as I slowly closed my eyes, Calix stopped walking.
“Hey.”
Soon after his voice called out to me, my consciousness began to fade.
“If the fever had risen any further, it would have been dangerous.”
The physician, wearing a robe, bowed and reported the condition. Calix glanced at him once, then again looked down expressionlessly at Lucina lying on the bed. The physician, beneath his lowered robe hood, glanced sideways at Calix’s profile.
‘They said she’s the princess’s favored educator, but to call me over just because an educator collapsed? And in a bedroom no one has ever been allowed into before.’
The physician inwardly found the situation unusual and examined Lucina lying on the bed.
‘Could it be…’
The physician widened his eyes and looked at Calix.
“If she rests well like this, there should be no major cause for concern.”
Calix let out a short laugh.
“Ha, who said I was worried?”
The physician lowered his gaze. It seemed his earlier assumption had been wrong.
“…My apologies. I misspoke.”
The physician smoothly corrected himself. He was curious about the woman as well, but he knew it wasn’t something he should pry into. Having served in the imperial palace for 30 years, he wanted to avoid the catastrophe of losing his head just before retirement.
“I shall take my leave, Your Majesty.”
The physician turned toward the door. The moment he opened it, a commotion burst in. Rubelin was plastered against the door, while attendants behind her tried to restrain her.
“Mama! Mama! I’m here!”
“Princess! You must step back! If His Majesty becomes angry—!”
“Move!”
“Ugh!”
Crash—! Ken, wearing a robe, had been trying to restrain Rubelin from behind but was kicked away by her and thrown back.
“Mama!”
Bang. As Rubelin tried to force the door open fully, it shook violently like paper. Mevern, wearing a robe along with gloves and a hood for physical protection, rushed to the door and hugged Rubelin from behind. He looked at the physician.
“Now’s our chance! Please get out quickly! Hurry!”
The physician seized the opportunity and quickly slipped out. Standing safely in the hallway, he dusted off his robe and politely greeted Rubelin.
“Then I wish you well until we meet again.”
Without hesitation, the physician turned away, his robe fluttering as he disappeared down the corridor. Mevern, watching him enviously, shouted loudly enough to be heard inside the bedroom by Calix.
“Your Majesty, please help! At this rate, Mevern, the empire’s finest educator, will die…!”
Mevern’s loud voice made Lucina groan and frown in her sleep. Sensing she might wake at any moment, Calix turned toward the door with a cold gaze.
“Quiet.”
He snapped his fingers with a sharp snap sound, and the door slammed shut forcefully. Calix approached the bed and snapped his fingers once more, causing a transparent membrane like a glossy soap bubble to envelop Lucina’s entire body. Seeing her expression gradually stabilize, he looked satisfied.
‘Finally quiet.’
Breathing softly. A faint rise and fall of her chest. As he silently watched her sleep, Calix suddenly realized something.
‘What am I doing?’
He had simply gone to check whether Lucina had caught a cold due to a delayed report. But seeing her coughing weakly had irritated him, and before he knew it, he had placed her on the bed and even called a physician. He himself couldn’t understand why the situation had turned into him tending to Lucina. He stepped closer to the bed again. Lucina lay with her thin eyelids closed, surviving on a faint breath. What the physician had described as “serious” for a normal human would likely mean death. So that meant she had almost died. Yes, that must be it. If this woman died, Rubelin would make a fuss, so he had no choice. Concluding this, Calix turned away.
“Such a waste of time.”
As he muttered and stepped away, a faint force tugged at the hem of his clothing. Calix froze as if nailed to the ground. Looking down, he saw Lucina’s pale hand clutching his garment.
“……”
Calix tried to pull his clothing free in the opposite direction. But she did not let go, clinging like melted cheese. He pulled harder once more, but her grip didn’t loosen. Calix released the hem and looked down at her hand with a tilted gaze.
‘Should I just brush it off?’
As he raised his hand to push her away, he hesitated. Compared to his own, her hand was far too small. A fragile human strength that could be brushed aside with a light touch would crumble like sand under his power. Tch. Calix clicked his tongue and lowered his raised hand.
“Hey.”
Lucina gave only faint, shallow breaths in response. Calix placed a hand beside her face and leaned down.
“Hey. Let go of this.”
“……”
“Wake up and release this han—”
“Ugh…”
Lucina frowned deeply and wrapped her remaining hand around Calix’s neck. Calix’s face was helplessly pressed into her shoulder.
“……”
For a while, Calix blinked as he processed the situation. Her uniquely warm scent tickled his senses, and her shallow breathing brushed against his neck. It took him several seconds to regain his composure.
“Damn it.”
It was the first time. Being rendered powerless and pulled into someone’s embrace by a human’s touch. The tips of Calix’s ears turned slightly red. As he tried to pull away, a faint force tugged his neck again.
“No… don’t leave me… I don’t want to be alone when I’m sick…”
Her weak, pitiful voice echoed near his ear, and Calix stopped moving. Slowly lifting his head, his hair fell over her rounded forehead.
At that moment—
Bang—!
“Mamaaa…!”
“Princess, please stop…!”
Rubelin finally burst the door open and rushed in. She froze like a stone upon seeing the scene on the bed.
“Y-Your Majesty?”
Not only Rubelin, but Ken and Mevern at the doorway also froze. Their eyes bulged as if they might pop out. After a moment of suffocating silence, Calix gestured toward Lucina with a troubled expression.
“Good timing. Come here and remove this hand—”
“Ugh…”
Rubelin’s eyes drooped as she began to sniffle.
“Mama…!”
She dashed like a bullet and threw herself between Lucina and Calix. Calix snapped his fingers, and a transparent barrier surrounded Lucina and the bed. Thud! Rubelin landed precisely between Lucina’s arms. She turned sharply and glared at Calix.
“What are you doing to Mama!”
“I haven’t done anything.”
“Liar!”
Calix felt slightly wronged. It was Lucina who had grabbed his clothes and hugged him.
“I really didn’t do any—”
He paused mid-sentence.
‘Why am I even explaining this in the first place?’
While Calix was caught in that fundamental question, Lucina groaned and shifted in her sleep. Rubelin withdrew her sharp gaze and looked at Lucina. Confirming her pale complexion, Rubelin buried her face against Lucina’s chest.
“Mama…”
After some time—
“Mama, are you… going to die?”
Sniffle. Rubelin asked weakly, wiping her nose.
“…She’s not going to die.”
“She’s alive?”
“She’s alive.”
Rubelin, teary-eyed, turned to look at Calix. She looked like she might burst into tears at any moment.
“Really?”
“Yes.”
“Thank goodness…”
Relieved, Rubelin buried her face in Lucina’s chest again. After a few sniffles, she began breathing softly. Calix stared at Lucina’s hand still clutching his clothes.
“So, can you let go of this—”
“Zzz…”
“…?”
Calix tilted his head slowly in disbelief. Had he heard that correctly? Could a child fall asleep this quickly? In the end, Calix sat leaning against the bed, looking at the two sleeping women. What exactly was he doing? He rubbed his eyebrow with his fingertip.
At that moment, the bedroom door suddenly burst open and Yukar entered in a rush.
“Your Majesty! I heard that the princess came here and hurried—!”
Yukar, just stepping into the room, froze like a statue at the unfamiliar scene. Blinking, he lowered his gaze and noticed the white hand clutching Calix’s clothing.
“……”
The corners of Yukar’s mouth twitched, and eventually he turned away and covered his mouth.
“Pfft.”
He truly did not want to laugh. He really didn’t. But he trembled trying to suppress his laughter, then turned back.
“Your Majesty, you look somewhat cute for the first ti—”
Yukar stopped mid-sentence upon meeting the murderous crimson eyes directed at him. Calix wore a cold smile.
“You seem to find this situation very amusing.”
Yukar felt a chill run down his spine and immediately bowed his head, his face pale.
“My apologies, Your Majesty. For a brief moment, I must have gone blind to think the tyrannical ruler who makes overtime feel like breathing looked cute.”
Calix, after staring at Yukar’s green head with discomfort, turned his head away.
“Get out.”
However, Yukar did not move.
