Chapter 184: The Wound and the Cure
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 184: The Wound and the Cure
Just as Lucion was standing up, his body toppled backward, pinning me down.
At the same moment, a burst of light erupted from my hand, striking the first falling backdrop.
The set piece shattered with a deafening roar, and the backdrops behind it began to collapse toward us like a row of dominoes.
Boom!
I squeezed my eyes shut, then opened them a moment later, coughing.
The air was thick with swirling dust.
By some miracle, neither of us had been crushed. The falling backdrops had struck the wall at an angle, creating a small triangular pocket of space beneath them.
However, we were now trapped by the wreckage.
"Prince, are you alright?"
"…I—I’m so sorry!"
Lucion, who had been pinning me down with his back, scrambled to sit up in a panic.
Only then did Cecilia’s piercing screams and the shouts of Norton and the others reach my ears.
"Can you hear me? If you can hear me, please answer!"
"Good heavens! Wasn't the Prince with her?"
"Are you alright? Move the boards, quickly!"
I heard the sound of people straining, but the backdrops only groaned and slid slightly, threatening to collapse further.
I heard Norton let out a frantic curse.
"Call a mage! Now!"
"Oh, no! Your Highness!"
Cecilia’s sobbing snapped me back to my senses, and I shouted at the top of my lungs.
"I’m fine!"
Cecilia rushed to a tiny gap between the collapsed boards and cried out urgently, "Are you really okay? Are you hurt anywhere?"
"The Prince and I are both safe."
Norton’s voice rose, trembling. "Your Highness, a mage will be here shortly. Please, just hold on a little longer!"
It seemed they were afraid to touch the wreckage recklessly, fearing that any movement might cause the rest of the backdrops to cave in.
Right, caution was best.
I watched the backdrops leaning precariously against the wall and told Norton to take his time, trying to soothe his nerves. Then, I moved back.
The floor was a mess, littered with shards of the backdrop I had shattered.
I should stay low to the ground until they get us out.
I used my foot to clear a space among the debris to sit.
"Prince, you should sit down too—!"
But the moment I turned to Lucion, I froze.
Crimson blood was streaming down his fair, handsome forehead.
"Prince! You’re bleeding!"
At my startled cry, Lucion tilted his head awkwardly. "I'm fine..."
"Fine? How is this fine!"
Thick droplets of blood were already dripping past his jaw.
I hurriedly pulled him down to sit on the floor. One shoulder of his cream-colored shirt was already soaked a deep red.
I brushed back his blood-slicked bangs to reveal a deep gash on his forehead. A fragment from the shattered backdrop must have flown off and struck him.
The cut ended just above his eyebrow; another inch, and it could have hit his eye.
I quickly pulled out a handkerchief and pressed it against the wound to stop the bleeding. Fortunately, the dress Ramondria had made for me had a pocket at the waist, and I had tucked a handkerchief inside.
As I pressed down, shifting the cloth as it quickly became saturated with blood, Lucion watched me with a dazed expression.
I hope he didn't hit his head too hard.
In my attempt to save him, I had pulled him toward me, effectively using him as a shield. And now, I had turned the Prince’s forehead into this mess.
Even as I thought this, blood continued to well up from the wound.
"…There’s so much blood."
My voice trembled despite myself.
I mean, you can't see how bad it looks right now, but I’m breaking out in a cold sweat back here!
"More importantly, I haven't even thanked you yet," Lucion said, his face pale. "I owe you my life, Your Highness."
"It wasn't that much…"
"If you hadn't pulled me, I would have died right there."
Since he wasn't entirely wrong, I remained silent. If the backdrop had hit Lucion while he was standing upright, it wouldn't have ended with just a major injury.
Lucion’s lips parted slightly as he asked tentatively, "That light from before… was it…?"
Of course. There’s no way he didn't see it.
I bit the inside of my cheek. I had only thought about the danger, and my holy power had acted on its own again. I thought I had finally gained some control over it.
Just as I was about to stammer out an excuse, he spoke again.
"…Perhaps I saw wrong?"
Lucion lowered his gaze slightly. Somehow, it sounded like he was telling me he wouldn't ask further if I didn't want him to.
"I think so," I replied slowly.
He nodded and didn't ask another thing.
Honestly, I was appalled at myself. Isn't holy power supposed to be a healing force? What kind of person uses holy power to cause someone to get hurt?
Wait, I’ve been applying pressure for a while now…
The bleeding wouldn't stop. Lucion’s face, despite his claims of being fine, was growing paler by the second.
What if he goes into shock?
As I bit my lip in anxiety, an absurd thought crossed my mind.
Can't I just heal this myself?
I had recently received theoretical training on healing from Miel. I hadn't been able to practice because no one was injured, but still.
I stole a glance at Lucion.
He kept his mouth shut even after seeing my light.
I had a strange hunch that even if he saw my holy power right in front of his eyes, he wouldn't go around blabbing about it.
As I wavered, Lucion’s eyes began to flutter shut.
"Prince? Stay with me! You mustn't close your eyes!"
At my shout, Lucion blinked slowly. His handsome lips were already turning blue.
Without another thought, I placed my palm against his forehead.
"…Your Highness?"
"Stay still."
Recalling what Miel had taught me, I focused energy into my palm.
It’s not like holy power has side effects, anyway.
Even if I failed, nothing terrible would happen.
Soon, a familiar energy began to swirl around my hand. The light flowing from my fingertips seeped directly into Lucion’s forehead.
As if my worries had been for nothing, color returned to Lucion’s face in an instant.
When I pulled my hand away a moment later, the wound on his forehead had vanished without a trace.
Lucion’s mouth fell open as he fumbled to touch his forehead. His green eyes shook with bewilderment.
Holy crap!
To be honest, I couldn't believe what I’d just done either. Healing someone with holy power—and so easily, at that.
"Your Highness, could you actually be a Saint—!"
I quickly snapped my own mouth shut and hissed, "You saw wrong!"
This is a secret. A real, real secret!
I glared at Lucion, emphasizing my point with my eyes. "…Do you understand?"
Lucion looked at me with a complicated expression before nodding.
Only then did I sit back with a sigh of relief. At least I didn't have to worry about the Prince living the rest of his life with a scar on his forehead because of me.
I clasped my hands together; they were trembling now that the tension had broken. My fingertips felt stiff from the dried blood.
Outside, people were still busy securing the backdrops to prevent further sliding.
Perhaps due to the shock, Lucion remained silent for a long time.
He’s being very quiet.
He had always seemed a bit flighty and restless, which made me uneasy, but seeing him lost in calm thought wasn't as awkward as I expected.
Maybe this is the real Lucion.
I was busy making various conjectures to myself when he suddenly spoke.
"It’s been a while."
Lucion looked at me. "Since we’ve been alone like this, Your Highness."
"You’ve been avoiding me the whole time, haven't you?"
Faced with such a blunt statement, I didn't bother to deny it. It was true that I had been avoiding him.
"Do I make you uncomfortable?"
"Well, I think that’s a question you should answer, Prince."
Lucion looked back at me, wondering what I meant.
"I find people who aren't honest uncomfortable," I said, keeping my gaze fixed elsewhere. "For example, a gentleman who follows a woman he doesn't even like just because his sister asked him to."
"That’s…!"
Was he shocked that I had figured it out?
Lucion’s eyelids flickered, and he muttered in a low, suppressed voice, "That is half right and half wrong."
"Are you trying to say the Princess didn't make such a request?"
"No, that’s not the part that’s wrong."
Lucion lowered his eyes. "…It’s just that I failed to hide my feelings properly."
I quickly fixed my gaze straight ahead.
What?
Did I hear that right?
Lucion… did he just confess to me?
I’m a married woman! Is he crazy?
I hesitated, then turned back to him to give him a piece of my mind.
"Please don't hate me."
The sheer defeat in his tone made the words die in my throat. Lucion’s shoulders were slumped, making him look like a stray cat with nowhere to go.
"I… I don't hate you, Prince."
An awkward bit of comfort slipped out of my mouth. It was the truth. Lucion could be embarrassing at times, but he wasn't a bad person.
"You don't have to like me," Lucion whispered. "Just… please don't hate me."
I can't do anything for you, but if I end up being hated as well… there will be no way to turn back.
His last words were barely a faint murmur.
"Prince, I…"
Just as I was wetting my lips, unsure of how to respond, the noise outside intensified.
"Move!"
A flash of light streaked through the gaps in the backdrops.
Simultaneously, the set pieces covering us split in half with a sharp crack.
Through the gap in the fallen wreckage, Loik’s face appeared.
Overjoyed, I scrambled to my feet.
Loik leaped inside and pulled me into a fierce embrace. His strong arms were shaking uncontrollably.