Chapter 67
It seemed like it hurt, but even so, he didn’t try to pull away. He could have easily gotten free with just a little effort.
What exactly is he thinking?
It felt like he had feelings for me…
Even though I’m slow to catch on in matters of romance, there was no way I could miss someone being that forward.
And the moment I saw his face flush at my touch, I was certain.
Heraes was interested in me.
Whether it was affection or just curiosity, he was clearly paying attention.
The problem was what it actually meant.
Was it truly sincere, or just a deliberate act to make me lift the restriction?
He teased me whenever I was around and acted slyly, making it impossible to tell.
There was another issue. Heraes and I didn’t have an ordinary relationship.
It was a contract-based relationship. On top of that, Heraes had a restriction, and he wanted me to lift it.
And knowing Heraes’ personality, he wouldn’t quietly wait for me to do it.
The Heraes I knew wouldn’t hesitate to use any means necessary.
Is that really his intention?
If it was, that was infuriating.
Before I realized it, I had tensed my hand, and Heraes let out a groan.
“Ouch, Sisi, that hurts.”
“I wanted it to hurt.”
Well, whatever his intentions, it didn’t matter as long as I didn’t go along with it.
When I pulled my hand away, his cheeks were slightly red.
Seeing that, the memory of just a moment ago made me flustered, so I awkwardly changed the subject.
“When will this heal?”
He had been like that since I woke up, and even now, it didn’t seem any different.
Normally, it would have healed with treatment.
When I asked, looking at his lips crusted with blood, Heraes gave me a peculiar look.
“Curious?”
“Of course I am, that’s why I’m asking.”
“I was going to ask gently in case it embarrassed you, but now that you’re curious, I can’t help it.”
He said that and leaned close, whispering softly in my ear as if sharing a secret.
“This happened because of you.”
“What? What nonsense are you talking about? When did I—”
“The day you collapsed, you lost consciousness, so I had no choice but to feed you with my mouth. But I guess you didn’t like the medicine, because you bit down right away.”
He chuckled lowly, saying the nickname “mad dog” suited me well.
I froze in that position.
He wasn’t exaggerating about biting my lips in half?
No, more than that…
My first kiss ended so… emptily…
I muttered in a trembling voice, and Heraes, who had been laughing quietly, paused.
Twenty years I’ve carefully protected…
“Sisi, it’s fine. I didn’t do anything. I just gave you the medicine.”
“Of course you should!”
“So let’s just pretend it didn’t happen and do it properly this time.”
The shock hit me like a second blow to the back of the head, and my legs wobbled.
That’s your big consolation?
And then he subtly moved closer, suspiciously so. I pushed his face away.
“Wait! That’s something you do with a lover!”
“Then we should definitely do it.”
Heraes grinned mischievously, pressing a kiss to my palm.
Startled by the smack, I shook my hand free.
It felt like my heart had moved into my hand—my blood was pounding wildly.
“We share a bond deeper than something as trivial as lovers.”
I had heard this line before.
Maybe because I had, instead of getting angry, I just sighed.
“It must be because it’s a lifelong contract…”
“More precisely, it’s a bond sworn for eternity.”
“….”
“Sisi, others may leave you or suddenly die, but not me. No matter what happens, I’ll be by your side. That’s why it’s a much deeper bond.”
Heraes’ words were sophistry.
Yet strangely, I couldn’t speak.
“So, Siena. I’m yours.”
“I-I…”
I didn’t know what to say, so I just sank to the floor.
As I disappeared from sight, Heraes looked panicked.
“Sisi?”
In that instant, I rolled and bolted outside, shouting:
I’m mine!
From behind, I could hear Heraes laughing at something amusing.
“Milady!”
Rina, who spotted me at the end of the hallway, ran over in a single step.
“Milady, there you are!”
Her shoulders bouncing as she panted, Rina shouted with a flushed face.
“Lord Oel is looking for you. The test results are out! He said to bring you right away!”
“Then we have to go immediately!”
I ran quickly to Oel’s room.
Was it because I was happy about the long-awaited results, or to avoid Heraes?
I didn’t even know myself.
When I arrived at Oel’s room, Noah and Ban were already there, waiting for me.
Since when did they get so close…
Ban, who had been eating cake, waved his fork at me.
“Siena!”
“You’re here?”
Noah wiped the cream from Ban’s mouth and called me over.
Not surprising, he seemed to take care of Ban instinctively.
Even though he looked like a doll, inside was a demon.
“Where have you been? You weren’t in the bedroom.”
“Huh? I was. I was in the bedroom.”
I shrugged casually.
“I checked the bathroom too, but you weren’t there.”
I hadn’t realized he had looked so thoroughly.
“Well…”
Fumbling, I couldn’t answer properly, and Noah’s eyebrows twitched.
Then, I felt weight on my shoulder.
“I was with him.”
“Heraes, with you?”
“We had a serious conversation in a quiet place. It got interrupted, but we’ll continue later. Right?”
Heraes’ low chuckle made me clench my mouth shut.
He was like a double-edged sword, a poisoned chalice.
Is he helping me, or torturing me?
If I pushed him away, Noah would probably hassle me next.
I didn’t know. For now, I just had to survive.
I nodded quickly.
“Yes, that’s right. I was with Heraes.”
Noah still looked suspicious, but seeing Heraes, the master of overprotection, say nothing, he backed off a step.
“Since the princess is here, shall we go over the results?”
Oel shuffled some papers and handed the test sheet to us on the sofa.
“Here, this shows the princess’ condition.”
“Hm…”
Even though he said that, I didn’t understand much.
“See the reddish color of this paper?”
“Yes.”
“For patients with the Breath of Death, this paper looks dark red or black.”
“So that means…”
Unable to speak, I just blinked, and Noah asked in my place. Oel nodded.
“It means you’re normal.”
Oel’s voice echoed in the quiet room.
Everyone held their breath, staring at him.
“Congratulations, princess. You’re fully cured.”
At that moment, the air around me seemed to release in a sigh of relief.
“Siena…!”
Noah hugged me tightly.
“…You’ve endured so well. Really, you’ve suffered… Now, don’t be sick anymore, live healthily like everyone else.”
His voice trembled, overwhelmed, as he kept praising me and stroking me.
Unlike Noah, I remained calm.
It wasn’t that I wasn’t happy—I just couldn’t quite grasp it.
After twenty years of suffering from illness… I was finally free?
I pulled away from Noah and hurriedly asked Oel:
“Really? I’m fully cured? Then now I can…”
My throat tightened. I couldn’t speak, just moved my lips, and Oel smiled, understanding everything.
“You won’t have to worry about dying from illness. You can run around like anyone else, and you have magical talent, right? You can use it freely now.”
As he listed examples, a warm, swelling emotion grew inside me.
I buried my face in my hands, bowing slightly.
I’m fully healed. I won’t ever be sick again…
I won’t have to live in constant fear of death.
I can travel anywhere I want.
“Yes… the sea…”
I slowly rose.
“Let’s go see the sea.”
Looking at Heraes, I couldn’t hide my joy, smiling with all the emotions welling up inside.
“You promised. We have to go to the sea.”
“Yes, let’s go.”
Heraes slowly reached out his hand.
“I’m glad. There won’t be tears from pain anymore.”
His long fingers gently brushed my eyes.
“I’ll allow tears of happiness, though.”
“…I’m not crying.”
Just a little overwhelmed, that’s all.
I had always imagined this moment.
If I were cured, what would I do? Scream? Cry? Laugh?
Now I knew.
I smiled brightly.
Happier than anyone.
