#61
‘Every morning?’
‘You’re saying it was Sercil who took care of me every time I lost consciousness?’
“Ah?”
My throat unknowingly went dry.
The past few days when I could barely manage my body.
I hadn’t even had the luxury to care about who was nursing me.
But you’re saying it was all Sercil?
I was genuinely surprised and blankly watched him hurriedly rush toward the bed.
His footsteps truly contained urgency.
It wasn’t just a courteous visit, but filled with worry, tension, and relief.
Approaching so quickly, his gaze toward me was wavering.
The time I was unconscious was only a few days, but it meant Sercil had taken care of me all by himself during that time.
That fact made something in a corner of my heart tingle.
Someone who had been watching over me without being told to do so.
I hadn’t known he would take such a devoted attitude.
Yes, even though it was an awkward state, my body had certainly been touched by another’s hands.
The carefully cleaned undersides of my nails, the trimmed ends of my hair, the neatly arranged bedding.
Everything had been tended to while I was unconscious.
No matter how indifferent he acted on the surface, Sercil’s care was imprinted on my body.
While I was momentarily pondering how to react to this unexpected fact, Sercil moved naturally.
Without showing any embarrassment or hesitation, as if it were natural, he carefully settled down beside me on the right side.
“Are you alright? You’re not dizzy or anything, are you? What about food? No, you probably haven’t eaten yet. Are you hungry? Should I bring you some water?”
Questions pouring out all at once.
Every single word was filled with worry, and there wasn’t even the slightest waver in his gaze toward me.
“……There’s a question mark serial killer here.”
I blurted out without thinking.
I did it because I didn’t know what else to do.
I was a little afraid of getting used to his attentiveness.
“A serial killer! How can you say such harsh words!”
Sercil pouted his lips.
At that reaction, laughter leaked out of me without thinking.
When I burst into laughter at Sercil’s sullen expression, Sercil paused for a moment.
A brief silence flowed in that instant.
A short stillness swept through the air flowing between us, and it was Sercil who broke that brief moment first.
Then he naturally turned his gaze away from me and continued speaking.
“Yesterday, you know. I went to visit His Highness Theodore’s room, and wouldn’t you know it, he was changing clothes right then? I was so scared I’d get in trouble, you don’t know how much I trembled.”
There was indignation in his voice.
It was a tone that seemed to vividly describe how shocking that scene was and how flustered he had been.
“……Huh.”
I couldn’t close my mouth and looked at him with an absurd expression.
A scene that was funny just thinking about it.
But in reality, it might have been quite a dangerous moment.
“Actually, I keep coming here because I’m worried he might say later, ‘You saw my naked body then, didn’t you?’ and punish me.”
A confession mixed with playfulness.
However, the will of ‘I’ll still stay by your side’ was conveyed within those words.
“What? Ahaha.”
Really. How cute.
I momentarily forgot to act suspicious and burst into laughter.
As laughter leaked out, the air in the room seemed to become slightly warmer.
An afternoon with sunlight streaming long through the curtains, laughter from a body not yet fully recovered from illness, but there was some leisure contained within it.
Perhaps it felt like the only moment that could be called ‘daily life’ had arrived amid all the tension and pain until now.
To that extent, this brief conversation exchanged with Sercil was both familiar and cozy.
Then, looking at Sercil who lowered the corners of his mouth slightly while looking at me, I naturally drew a subtle smile and spoke.
He was visible.
A face that seemed sulky yet subtly embarrassed.
His words were always straightforward and playful, but he had that characteristic expression of avoiding eye contact when actually meeting gazes.
Looking at that, I unconsciously drew a pleasant curve on my face.
Lightly, like a breath.
“Sercil. There’s no way our Crown Prince hyung would punish you over something like that.”
That was half joke, half sincere.
Probably no one anywhere in the empire would believe that Theodore-hyung would punish Sercil over the matter of changing one set of clothes.
Besides, hyung wasn’t someone who would bother getting emotional over such trivial matters.
But Sercil was still serious.
“How would you know that? Hmph. More importantly, how are you really feeling?”
The words flowed out sulkily, but the end of his voice was quite careful.
He looked ready to cast diagnostic magic with his fingertips at any moment.
Looking at him like that, I tilted my head slightly again.
“Hmm.”
It was strange.
He had definitely become more comfortable than before the ball.
The person who used to flinch and apologize whenever he touched me even slightly, was now natural enough to adjust my blanket and place his hand on my forehead.
This change was both welcome and somewhat unfamiliar.
It strangely felt like he was more comfortable than before the ball.
Come to think of it, it was also proof that he hadn’t left my side during those few days when I had collapsed.
A change made possible by spending that long time together.
But strangely, that fact wasn’t unpleasant. Rather…… it was nice.
Was it an illusion?
I questioned myself suspiciously, but soon shook my head.
It probably wasn’t an illusion.
Sercil was originally this kind of person.
Someone whose actions came before words when worrying about people.
And someone who always treated others with sincerity.
But since Sercil had acted this way from the beginning, I didn’t catch on right away.
His kindness was always naturally not excessive, making people confused.
While being considerate, he subtly maintained that line, and while not revealing all his emotions, he didn’t hide his affection.
So I was rather confused.
Was this his original personality, or……
I drew a mysterious smile and looked at Sercil languidly before answering slowly.
There are moments when words aren’t needed.
Those kinds of moments when you can just quietly look at someone without saying anything and still convey your feelings.
This time of looking at Sercil was exactly like that.
Afraid my consciousness might blur again, I didn’t close my eyes and slowly opened my mouth.
“I’m a little dizzy, but that’s probably from just waking up.”
It wasn’t a lie.
The dizziness and heavy feeling that had been spreading little by little was still at a bearable level.
If I spoke about it to this extent, he probably wouldn’t worry.
“Really? Is there anywhere uncomfortable, or any pain, or nausea!”
The question mark bombardment started again.
It was Sercil’s characteristic worry dialogue.
Even faster than before, he packed three questions into one sentence.
“I’m all fine. My vision isn’t blurry either, no numbness in my hands and feet, and I think I’m a little hungry?”
While carefully watching his expression, I answered each one.
Every time Sercil furrowed his small, white forehead, I somehow felt like my insides were frowning too.
I answered every single one of Sercil’s questions. Though it was quite strange to see him scrunching up his small face with worry about my health.
Even when his face was always smiling, his heart was often calm.
But not now.
The sweat beads forming slightly on his forehead, his trembling fingertips, and his eyes narrowed with worry.
Everything was moving for me alone.
However, I couldn’t deny the sweet feeling.
That was rather more dangerous.
Somewhere in my heart kept warning that I shouldn’t become addicted to this sweetness, but…… for this moment at least, I wanted to just briefly fall into it.
I couldn’t stop admiring him. Separate from my affection for the Archduke, it was the attachment of someone who had first encountered this world as a work called a novel.
To me, Sercil was like the essence of the ‘story.’
The most human and most fantastical being in all of this novel.
There’s no reader who could bear not to admire him.
Especially if he was looking at me too.
Perhaps he would always be that kind of existence……
I hope the ending of this story I’m holding doesn’t hurt him.
Because stories that destroy him should stop now.
As the beautiful and brilliant protagonist who exists opposite to me.
That was an unchanging truth.
Sercil would always shine at the center of everyone like a burning lamp.
And I would be sufficient as a shadow-like existence protecting that light.
“Should I bring you a meal? The timing is a bit awkward though.”
Still so kind.
Without anyone telling him to, he was taking care of my daily life.
I shrugged my shoulders and replied lightly.
“I’ll eat later.”
At my tone trailing off at the end, Sercil nodded and stood up while organizing the blanket.
Then he carefully pressed the back of his hand to my forehead.
It was a brief, careful touch.
Ah.
In that moment, his hand brushed my forehead.
Warmth that was neither cold nor hot.
But as if leaving something behind, my breath seemed to stop for a moment.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
