“Are you all right?”
Sir Ken was also flustered by my sudden change. My physical condition showed no signs of improving, and as time passed, even just thinking about food made me nauseous enough to retch. Since my stomach was empty, nothing came out, leaving only a sour taste in my mouth—even that taste was so awful that I ended up holding back the nausea as much as possible.
“I’ll be fine.”
Even as I said this, I felt my already sensitive hearing sharpen insanely. Originally, I could selectively pick and choose what sounds to listen to depending on my level of concentration, but now every single sound felt equally loud.
‘Are these imprinting symptoms like what His Highness experienced? I was fine before, so why am I suddenly having these symptoms?’
The only thing that had changed was His Highness’s absence. However, it hadn’t even been a full day since we’d been apart, let alone a month, so I wondered how this could even be possible.
‘Didn’t the priest say it would be fine for about two years? Did everyone endure this uncomfortable state for that period, or am I experiencing this because it’s early in the imprinting process?’
As I pondered various thoughts, anxiety suddenly washed over me and my nerves sharpened. Though I had many thoughts, I’d always considered myself rather dull, so this was quite bewildering. The sound of others breathing, the faint scent of tea, the sunlight entering my eyes—everything felt excessive, yet my body was crying out that something was lacking.
‘Will all these abnormalities really be resolved when His Highness returns?’
Realizing that a chain of negative thoughts was continuing, I climbed straight onto the bed. I didn’t think sleep would come at all, but I just planned to close my eyes and clear away idle thoughts. The attendants were restless beside me, and since there was nothing I could do about it, I felt guilty—emotionally, this seemed like the better option.
“Hm?”
As I lay down unsteadily, the nausea suddenly decreased sharply. It was thanks to a faint but familiar sweet scent brushing past the tip of my nose. Following where that scent came from, I found myself settling into the spot where His Highness had been lying. As I curled up in that place, my hypersensitivity gradually faded.
‘It must be thanks to His Highness’s pheromones.’
I buried my face in the bedding without even thinking about maintaining dignity. Absurdly enough, I even felt resentful toward His Highness for leaving without leaving more pheromones behind. I found myself ridiculous for feeling such emotions, but still. After I’d been doing this for a while, Sir Ken suddenly spoke to me cautiously.
“I thought you might need this.”
In his hands was the nightwear His Highness had been wearing earlier. My head was telling me the proper thing to do was to politely decline, but…
“Thank you.”
My hands moved first. The pheromones were more vivid than from the bedding. My best effort was not burying my nose in the clothes like some pervert. As I hugged the clothes as if they were His Highness himself, my hypersensitivity faded and my eyes slowly closed. It was such a quick response that my earlier worry about what if I never fell asleep again felt laughable.
And so, only after the sun had risen to its zenith did I surrender my body to slumber.
* * *
I felt someone turning my body. When I burrowed into the soft touch, I heard a low laugh. Though I couldn’t bring myself to speak aloud, it was a sound I’d been desperately waiting for.
“Do you at least know who this is before burrowing in like this?”
I heard that question, but rather than opening my eyes, I just decided to sleep a bit more. I was so intoxicated by a sense of peace that felt like it had been ages that I couldn’t come to my senses.
‘It really hasn’t been that long. So why does it feel like I missed it so much?’
As I recalled such things with slow thoughts, my fatigue very gradually faded. When I finally managed to lift my eyelids with difficulty, the face of the person holding me came into view.
“Hello?”
It was an affectionate greeting like one would give a child. Only then did I realize I was snugly embraced by His Highness with my head buried in his chest.
“I, I apologize.”
Realizing I’d been clinging tightly to someone who hadn’t even changed clothes yet, my face flushed with embarrassment. I tried to pull away hastily, but His Highness held my body tight and wouldn’t let go.
“You even made a nest without any greed.”
“A nest?”
When I moved my eyes to where His Highness’s gaze was moving, I could see the bed sheet and His Highness’s nightwear rolled up in a circle. Since there was no way others would have done such a presumptuous thing, it must have been something I’d done.
“That, that’s not— No. It’s not. I apologize for committing such a shameless act.”
I swallowed my words, thinking it would be pathetic and unimportant to explain that I hadn’t buried my face in the clothes.
“So you hugged my nightwear and committed some shameless act? I’d like to hear the details.”
The question of whether clinging to the nightwear without the owner’s permission wasn’t already shameless enough didn’t come out.
“I didn’t do anything worse. If you find it hard to believe, you may ask Sir Ken.”
“I already heard and know. But since you’re so embarrassed, I wondered if perhaps you committed even worse acts in your mind.”
“I fell asleep right away.”
Though somehow I ended up making excuses in the end, fortunately His Highness seemed amused rather than displeased.
“It’s a natural thing, so you don’t need to be so shy.”
“Really?”
“Yes. When hyungjilin miss their mates, making a nest is their instinct. If I’d known this would happen, I would have left more pheromones behind—my thinking was too short.”
His Highness spoke as if he’d read even my inner thought that he’d been unkind. I felt pathetic for having blamed others, but more than that, I was happy that next time he left, he’d leave more pheromones behind.
“So you should also lend me items covered in your pheromones when I need to go out.”
“I will do so.”
After experiencing such severe anxiety, I wished His Highness would never have to go through this. I was even more worried because it didn’t seem like his symptoms improved just from being close to me.
“I heard you couldn’t even eat.”
“Yes. I apologize for causing you worry.”
“Just knowing that your meals affect my worries is commendable.”
If I hadn’t become Aila and seen His Highness’s true feelings, I would never have had such thoughts. I’d thought it would never happen even if I died and came back to life, but now that I actually had died and come back to life, it was a bit amusing that so many unimaginable things had happened.
“I’d like to have a meal together, but there’s a guest today.”
“Will you be all right?”
In fact, the meal situation was harder for His Highness than for me. I’d eaten well until just yesterday, so I could endure not eating for about a day, but His Highness hadn’t been eating properly for several days.
“It’s not very pleasing, but it can’t be helped. You should change clothes too.”
“What? Me too?”
Since he said there was a guest, I naturally thought I’d be excluded, but apparently not. It didn’t seem like he’d ask me to perform guard knight duties at this point, so I was curious about who this guest could be for him to ask me to come along.
“It’s just a light meal, so you don’t need to be so nervous. You don’t need to dress up too prettily either.”
“Understood.”
In fact, I didn’t even need to choose clothes. The attendants immediately brought clothes, as if they’d already received orders. His Highness must have designated appropriate clothes, but judging from his expression, he didn’t seem very pleased with how I looked wearing them.
“Well, I can’t blame your looks. I had them prepare the drawing room, so let’s go there.”
Since he said there was a guest, I’d thought he might use the banquet hall, but it didn’t seem to be a very official occasion. I decided to relax somewhat. I’d thought in the worst case I might face the Empress, but anything seemed better than that.
“Let’s go.”
His Highness now familiarly extended his hand, and I grasped it without hesitation. As we walked down the corridor, I brought up a question I’d been continuously curious about.
“May I ask who the guest is?”
“You’ll know when we get there.”
At that answer, like he’d prepared a gift for a special day, I quietly closed my mouth. Since I’d find out soon anyway, I didn’t want to whine. However, the moment the drawing room door opened, I regretted not asking one more time.
“We greet His Highness at the time when the sun colors the sky.”
“We greet you.”
Kaeun hyung-nim and Darian hyung-nim were standing at the door with resolute faces. If only one of them had been there, or even if just the two of them had been there, I wouldn’t have been this shaken.
“We greet His Highness, the Eternal Sun.”
Jane noona was also in the drawing room. Which meant everyone from the Sayus Family except Father was present in this place.
Hyungjilin (형질인) – Term for those with imprinting traits/characteristics
