After sending everyone away, I placed a cold wet towel on Lenox’s forehead. Even though I had dipped it in ice-cold water and wrung it out, it quickly became lukewarm.
‘It would be stranger if he didn’t have a fever.’
He’d already been pushing himself hard for several days, and on top of that, he’d cried his heart out. It was obvious what would happen. Kids get fevers first when they’re sick, and the fact that I hadn’t even thought of that bruised my pride.
“Honestly, neither this kid nor that one ever says when they’re sick.”
Feeling somewhat annoyed, I lightly pinched his nose, and Lenox groaned and scrunched up his face.
“Hyungnim, please don’t throw me away……”
“Oh my.”
I gently shook his nose, holding it lightly between my thumb and index finger.
“Why would I throw you away? If I was going to abandon you, I would have done it long ago. I left you behind, and yet you came looking for me as soon as you turned ten. Hm?”
“Nnngh.”
“I’m not going to abandon you, so just sleep comfortably, you disobedient little thing.”
For about an hour after that, he kept groaning and muttering something like sleep talk, but after taking the medicine the mage made, he fell asleep looking much more comfortable.
They said they’d also brewed in sleep-inducing herbs, so he wouldn’t wake until tomorrow morning. Yet strangely, my feet wouldn’t move. Even knowing that I had more than a few things to check, and that things to resolve were piled up like a mountain, I couldn’t leave.
In the end, I couldn’t go to my office, nor could I return to my bedroom to rest. I simply pulled up a chair, sat by his bedside, and flipped through the documents I’d received earlier.
The pages that had been fluttering along for a while stopped turning at some point. The content just wouldn’t stick in my head.
“I……”
I looked at Lenox’s flushed face. His swollen eyelids and nose had calmed down considerably.
“……feel responsible for you.”
It won’t be an easy life.
I know this kid’s past and future. It was a rough life, like walking on a bed of thorns. A fate created for the extremely entertainment-driven reason that success shines brighter when there’s misfortune.
‘Originally, he would have been fine at least until he turned fifteen.’
<Pavane for a Dead Princess> was the story of Lenox after he turned fifteen.
Early that winter, Lenox, who learned healing arts through magical awakening, declares he’ll become an imperial mage and pledges loyalty to the Crown Prince. His only desire and wish at the time was to live with a foothold in the imperial palace, even if it meant doing that.
However, that wish wasn’t granted. Because Achille from the original work, who didn’t want to give the Crown Prince more power, tried to kill Lenox using poison.
In fact, Achille’s scheme nearly succeeded. Lenox collapsed coughing up blood and his breathing even stopped once. A funeral was being prepared for him, as he could have died at any moment.
However, just before being laid in the coffin, Lenox miraculously survived. Because he drew out all his power to contract with an evil entity and preserve his life.
In that process, Lenox changed.
His once dazzling healing power, his desire to save people, his nature of disliking loneliness and following people well, that characteristic gentle smile—everything.
A story like a melody dedicated to the boy who nearly died then, as that Lenox travels while taking revenge one by one on those who ruined his life.
That story ultimately makes you successful, but it can’t give you a warm bed and sweet snacks. It makes you strong but doesn’t make you smile.
Because the one who encouraged those trials for the reason of relieving a sick sister’s boredom was none other than me.
“At least…… I think I should be allowed to fill in the scenes not written in the story as I please.”
This very moment we’re silent in is a huge blank space between the story I know. In these margins where there’s no fate forcing us, I wanted there to be as few things as possible to make you sad. If there was anything I could do for that, I couldn’t not do it.
Regardless of those cold reasons—because you’re the protagonist, because it would be troublesome if you killed me…….
‘Do you need a reason to like someone?’
Because of your face smiling brightly, saying you could like me even without any reason. Because I can’t help but know how precious that kind of love is.
Just as much as you who came all the way here stubbornly because you hate loneliness, in truth, I also…….
“……This is maddening.”
I wanted to quickly finish what I had to do and return to the original world.
It would be very cowardly and selfish, but it couldn’t be helped. Because I’ve always been plagued by the impulse to run away when I see something too good.
In the deep darkness and quiet silence, the wheels of a new fate were creaking as they turned.
***
“……You can’t possibly have reviewed all of that in just one day, Your Imperial Majesty?”
Sitting in a chair, I did my work, watched over Lenox, did my work again, and whenever I couldn’t overcome fatigue, I dozed off here and there.
Meanwhile, time flowed diligently, and morning arrived before I knew it. Billy, who came with washing water as soon as the sun rose, showed a surprised expression when he saw me.
“Yes.”
I answered calmly as I closed the last page of the last document.
“I need to review at least this much in advance to check the scout team’s report without difficulty.”
“But you even brought in a magic beast researcher……”
“……Who do you think gives orders to that researcher?”
I don’t have to do everything myself. The Grand Duchy of Betius was slowly getting organized. It also meant we were gathering experts helpful in each field. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t be more capable than them utilizing their specialties.
But I was the overall person in charge here. Even if I didn’t do it directly, I had to keep it in mind. I had to understand how the situation was unfolding and give instructions to prevent the whole thing from going wrong.
“You’re so diligent.”
“Please don’t be moved. It’d be better if you thought of me as crazy.”
Please. My precious Chaos Meter. Please.
Billy was a cheerful and quick errand boy, but he wasn’t one who listened well. In the end, I lost 5 percent of my ‘Chaos Meter’ on the spot and had a magnificent nosebleed to commemorate the morning.
As if oblivious to my irritation at dirtying a handkerchief to stop the nosebleed, Billy said with a smile.
“By the way, this time it’s reversed.”
“……Reversed?”
He placed a new towel and ice water on the shelf beside me, saying he’d brought it just in case, and answered.
“During the few days Your Imperial Majesty was unconscious, the young master was sitting in that spot.”
“What were you doing instead of stopping him?”
“Of course we tried to stop him. We did our best.”
Well, if they couldn’t break the stubbornness I couldn’t break either, could they? I didn’t even expect it.
“Still, this time he made such a fuss saying he had to protect Hyungnim.”
“Protect what……”
What does that little thing think he has so much strength that he’ll protect a grown adult?
‘Even when I came to rescue him, he didn’t even run away. As if he’d be so happy if he got hurt doing that.’
Foolish kid. Stupid kid. Disobedient, stubborn, hates beans, cries easily…… A kid who just rattles open the latches on people’s hearts as he pleases.
Even after Billy withdrew, telling me to rest until the afternoon, I stayed by Lenox’s side. I woke the drowsy kid to give him new medicine, and even though I knew the slight fever would go down and he’d get completely better if I just waited a bit, I stayed.
If only I hadn’t heard that he’d stayed by my side for those three whole days.
“Well, yeah. What can I do?”
It’s not like I’ll die from sitting and reviewing some documents.
In the end, I even received the scout team’s report here. It was meticulously written about the wyvern’s habits and characteristics, as well as other cases where there were variables.
My eyelids grew heavier as I read each line seriously. Even knowing it was important content, this weak and oblivious body of mine couldn’t help but complain of fatigue.
Just one more page.
Just one more.
Really, just one more line, even one more character…….
The moment my hand, slowly turning pages, dropped into empty air.
“……”
Sparkle.
Bright, clear, round blue eyes opened.
