Chapter 90: The Best Morning of My Life
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 90: The Best Morning of My Life
Loik woke up in a haze.
It seemed he had been asleep for quite some time, as his heavy eyelids were difficult to pry open.
Has the overload subsided?
Keeping his eyes closed, he retraced the memories of the previous day.
He had been walking along the lakeshore with the Grand Duchess when they encountered the daughter of Count Arbor. Then, a sudden, sharp pain in his chest had been followed by a wave of dizziness.
It was the familiar precursor to an overload.
Why? I was holding Annette’s hand just moments before.
He couldn't understand the reason, but once the symptoms had manifested, questioning the cause was meaningless.
However, he couldn't bring himself to tell Annette the truth. How frightened would she be if he told her he was about to lose control?
— “I’m sorry, but I believe I must go on ahead. Will you be alright?”
In the end, he had left Annette behind and galloped back to the castle in a frantic rush.
Manacling himself with restraints always left a bitter taste in his mouth, but today, the clinking of the chains felt exceptionally miserable and pathetic.
Just a short while ago, he had been walking down the street with Annette. He had held her hand and strolled through the crowds like an ordinary man.
To think he was now back in this cold room, bound and waiting for the pain to arrive—like a beast that had briefly donned a human mask to mimic their ways, only to be locked back in its cage.
— “How strange. My magic isn't working.”
Even as he watched Enolius’s expression harden while attempting recovery magic, Loik felt, for some reason, as if he were simply paying a necessary price.
Hadn't Annette been comforting and nurturing him for the past few months? Perhaps this level of pain was only natural after enjoying such a long period of peace.
“But surely Her Highness the Grand Duchess…”
Whitley seemed desperate to call Annette for help, but that was out of the question. How could he guarantee what might happen if she touched him while he was in the throes of an overload?
He remembered sending everyone away and clutching his chest in agony before losing consciousness…
He hadn't expected to feel this fine so soon.
His breathing wasn't labored, and he didn't feel as though his body were being torn apart.
It seems it passed quite easily this time.
In fact, his body felt light.
As Loik slowly blinked his eyes open, a pale golden wave spread out before him.
Huh?
Soft blonde hair was tangled around his hand.
As he started to sit up, Loik froze. A small woman was lying there, using his arm as a pillow.
Annette was fast asleep, her face buried against his chest as she let out soft, rhythmic breaths.
Loik’s eyes widened instantly.
Annette was sleeping in his arms.
The shock sent his heart into a frantic thumping. Even in his panic, Loik held his breath, terrified that the sound of his heartbeat might wake her.
What is happening?
Once his racing heart settled slightly, he tried to make sense of the situation.
Was this a dream?
If it was, it was far too happy a scene. Moreover, it was a picture his meager imagination could never have painted. He had never dared to imagine anything like this.
They were lying together on the floor beside the bed. Perhaps due to their tossing and turning, the plush duvet they shared was draped only over their waists.
The Grand Duchess was tucked perfectly into the crook of Loik’s arm—the same arm that still wore a metal restraint. Her golden hair spilled over him like a tide, covering his entire forearm.
Annette must have helped me.
Whitley, unable to watch his master suffer, must have sought her out.
Clearly, just holding hands wasn't enough, so…
Loik guessed the general situation as he looked down at Annette, who was nestled in his embrace as if she were the one holding him.
He had wanted to hide this from her for as long as possible. But it seemed she had finally found out.
She knew that she was essentially his painkiller.
That she was his only savior.
How would she react when she woke up? Would she be offended that he had hidden it? Would she think he was being dark and secretive?
Or would she realize she held the upper hand and demand to renegotiate their contract? Would she think she had signed a deal that was far too disadvantageous?
No.
If it was the Annette Loik had come to know, she would surely have been heartbroken to see him in pain. She was a tender-hearted woman.
Will she pity me?
If she pitied him, he didn't mind. If it made her want to stay in Blenheim even a little longer, then all the better.
Loik looked down at her defenseless, pale face. Annette seemed to be in a very deep sleep.
Had it been that difficult for her?
Her lips were swollen and chafed, though they had been fine the evening before. He certainly wouldn't have looked normal while undergoing an overload.
She must have been scared…
Yet, it wasn't hard to imagine Annette boldly reaching out to him despite that. She was a woman of remarkable grit.
Moreover, seeing her in her nightgown, it was clear she had rushed here the moment she heard of his condition. Her white gown rose and fell slightly with every breath she took.
I told her she should always wear a robe.
Loik carefully pulled the duvet up to her shoulders, moving cautiously so the chains of his restraints wouldn't clink.
He didn't know when Annette would wake, but he had no intention of being the one to end a moment that might never come again in his lifetime.
He toyed with the strands of hair in his hand, savoring the warmth of her leaning against him.
I suffered like death itself yesterday, so I suppose I can accept this much as a gift.
In this moment, even being cursed didn't feel quite so terrible.
Loik breathed in Annette’s faint scent and allowed a relaxed smile to spread across his face.
It was the best morning of his life.
*
In the quiet parlor, the sound of a teacup being set down felt unusually loud.
A late lunch had been prepared, but both of us were merely sipping our tea.
Perhaps because I, usually so talkative, was staying silent, Loik watched me with a slightly anxious expression.
“Are you truly alright? If you feel even the slightest discomfort…”
“I told you, I’m perfectly fine.”
“I still think it would have been better to have your lips treated.”
As Loik’s gaze drifted to my split lip, my earlobes began to burn.
He seemed to think my lip had cracked because I had overexerted myself at the shopping district and then stayed up all night.
“It’s fine. Even Enol said it’s better to let it heal naturally.”
Last night, I had entered the room to calm Loik’s overload, and after he lost his mind for a while and… well, after that happened, Loik had fallen asleep while hugging me.
I had been exhausted myself, and the soft pressure against my body soon lulled me to sleep as well.
The three waiting outside had realized the overload had subsided, but they had apparently spent the night in the hallway just in case.
We didn't wake up until the sun was high in the sky the next day.
Enolius, who entered with dark circles under his eyes, was only released after Loik insisted he check me over multiple times to ensure nothing was wrong.
Grumbling that he was a mage, not a doctor, he had scolded Loik for making a fuss over a split lip, saying it was better to let it heal on its own before he finally vanished.
“But the wound looks like it will last quite a while…”
Loik’s tone turned dejected.
Honestly, whose fault do you think it is that my lower lip is split?
The moment I remembered the reason, my entire face flushed crimson.
Does he really not know? Or is he just pretending?
“Loik.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“Do you really not remember anything from last night?”
“Pardon?”
“Nothing at all?”
“Did I… perhaps commit some great rudeness yesterday?”
The color drained from Loik’s face.
“To be honest, when I am in that state… I am not in my right mind. Did I perhaps say something harsh to you?”
“N-No, it wasn't that.”
“Did I perhaps… threaten you?!”
“No! It wasn't anything like that.”
Shaking my head, I eventually buried my face in my hands. My skin felt like it was on fire.
I had imagined various scenarios for this morning, but I never expected him to remember absolutely nothing.
I mean, how can he forget that?
My heart is still thumping like crazy!
Fuming inwardly, I swallowed a quiet sigh.
Fine, perhaps it was for the best.
If you look at it that way, I’m the one who committed the crime first.
It might have been a bigger problem if Loik did remember.
And why on earth did I do that?!
I mentally tore at my hair again. No matter how much pain the Grand Duke seemed to be in, to do something so unscrupulous without mutual consent…
But then again, he was the one who started it afterward…!
Ugh, whatever.
He looks like he’s about to faint just from the thought of being rude; if he found out what actually happened between us, he’d probably never come near me again.
Regardless, the overload probably wouldn't have settled without that level of contact.
When we kissed, the mana flowed so smoothly, like a pulley drawing water from a well.
The real question was why the overload had happened in the first place. I had been draining Loik’s mana every day since I arrived.
Did that mean I could only delay the cycle, not prevent it? Or was the level of my contact too low?
Well, if that’s the case, he should have said something!
I bit my lip and shot a glare at Loik.