Chapter 115

“But she actually fainted. Even slammed her head, and there was blood everywhere.”

“…Where is she now, the girl who fainted?”

Lexius’s voice shook as he asked, pushing aside any questions about why she had collapsed, worried only about Ariel’s condition.

Almost as if he’d been expecting it, Racine stood up and moved aside. At the end of the mattress, hidden from the lamp’s glow, Lexius could make out a small figure lying under a blanket. His heart sank when he saw the frail figure, motionless. Her head, without even a pillow, was wrapped with torn strips of the shirt, and the black hair poking out was soaked with blood. With the disciplinary rules, they couldn’t even call a doctor, so this was the best Racine could do.

Lexius pressed a hand to his forehead, looking completely stunned.

“This isn’t what I wanted…”

A hint of regret slipped out in Lexius’s voice.

Watching him, Racine ran a weary hand over his face and muttered.

“Let me sleep. Take her and go, quickly.”

︵‿୨ ₊‧꒰ა ཐི༏ཋྀ ໒꒱ ˚₊ ୧‿︵

Ariel opened her eyes just a sliver, still half-asleep and dazed. She’d woken up for a moment to someone muttering curses, passed out again, and now… she had no idea how much time had passed. She didn’t even know exactly what had happened. The only thing she was sure of was that whatever was wrapped around her felt unbelievably soft and comfortable. She could even smell a faint, soothing scent, like lavender. The air was pleasantly humid, making her feel at ease.

She twitched her fingers, blinked a few times, and parted her lips.

“Ah, ah…”

Her voice was a little hoarse, but it sounded normal enough. That alone was enough to make her feel a great sense of relief.

She heard a soft laugh from someone nearby.

Still resting her head on the pillow, Ariel turned her head ever so slightly. There was a small table beside the bed. On it, a white vase released gentle steam, its appearance reminiscent of a modern humidifier. She stared at it in wonder, eyes wide and curious, as if she had discovered something magical. Through the hazy, mist-like steam, she could make out someone’s shape: red hair, broad shoulders, dressed in a white school uniform.

“…Senior?”

“You’re awake?”

Lexius’s voice was gentle from the other side of the vapor. His face was soft and blurred by the steam.

“Ah… yes.”

“Are you hurting anywhere?”

“I think I’m alright.”

Ariel slowly pushed herself up to sit. She remembered passing out, but her body felt surprisingly light.

Now that she was sitting up, she could clearly see Lexius, who had been hidden by the steam before. He was peeling a peach with a small knife. With practiced hands, he stripped away the thin skin, leaving the soft, white fruit exposed. He then arranged the neatly cut pieces on a white plate and offered them to her.

“Do you want some?”

Lexius asked, a faint smile on his lips. The expression was so out of character that it almost felt surreal.

With a ferocious, arrogant face, like someone who would be better at stabbing people than slicing fruit, he was carefully cutting up a little peach. The contrast was almost comical.

Ariel wondered if her eyes were playing tricks on her.

“Senior?”

“Mm.”

“Senior Lex?”

“Mm.”

“Lexius?”

“Mm.”

“Your Highness the Grand Prince.”

“Yes, Lady Ariel.”

Even though she called out to him again and again in disbelief, he answered patiently every time without the slightest irritation. Then, he offered her the fruit he’d cut himself once more.

“Want some peach?”

“Th-thank you.”

Still in a daze, Ariel picked up a slice and took a bite. The sweet, fragrant flesh was soft as she chewed. Even though she had just woken up, it tasted so good that it made her realize how hungry she was.

Once she finished chewing the slice, he asked again.

“Want another?”

“I’m fine.”

Lexius placed the plate on the table beside her, almost like he was her personal butler.

Ariel stared at him with incredulous eyes.

‘Is this really Lexius?’

Unless he had eaten something strange and gone crazy, there was no way he would act like this. He was always the arrogant one, barking out orders, not someone who would ever take care of others.

‘Did his favorability increase while I was asleep?’

Wondering about his favorability, Ariel instinctively reached for her skirt pocket. However, all she felt was the thin fabric of her clothes, no pockets at all.

That was when she finally looked down and realized she was dressed in an ivory pajama dress.

“Your uniform and belongings were taken by your maid.”

Noticing her confusion, he quietly explained.

As soon as she realized he was watching, her hand stopped by itself. Worried she might look suspicious, Ariel shot him a cautious glance.

Lexius’s eyes dropped quietly to the floor, almost as if he was telling her there was no need to tiptoe around him.

“You probably have a lot of questions.”

He gave her an opening to ask. Ariel paused for a second, then immediately spoke.

“Where am I?”

“The dormitory infirmary.”

“What happened?”

“You collapsed from a strong reaction to the barrier in the annex, so I brought you here.”

“The barrier…”

“I’m sorry.”

His voice was so heavy it almost seemed to cut through the air.

Lexius apologized. He actually apologized.

He was the man who shoved her into a fight with a knight on the training grounds. The one who tossed her a dagger and told her to fight among the imperial family. He might treat her wounds if she got hurt, but he was never the type to actually apologize for his own actions.

“I shouldn’t have sent you off without checking things properly first.”

He spoke as if he truly regretted it. It seemed as though he was honestly blaming himself for what he had done.

Ariel kept blinking in disbelief, almost wondering if the person in front of her was really Lexius, or just someone pretending to be him.

“…Senior, did something happen?”

“Yeah. Something serious.”

As expected, something had happened. Ariel pressed on, curious about what could change someone as arrogant as him.

“So what happened?”

Faced with her immediate and direct questioning, he hesitated for a moment, then spoke quietly.

“Ariel… you were bleeding so much, it looked like you were going to die.”