Epilogue 1
Epilogue 1
Being together was enough.
Ixor sat Daon in a marble bathtub filled with warm water. He rubbed a pleasantly scented soap between his palms to make bubbles and gently applied it to her, but she scrunched her face and showed displeasure.
Ixor burst into laughter.
“Stings your eyes, huh? Keep them tightly closed.”
“Haa…”
He washed her thoroughly, even behind her ears, until a squeaky-clean sound was heard. Daon slightly parted her lips and seemed to enjoy it.
The injury she had gotten from jumping off the cliff was on the left side of her head, where a thick black scab had formed. He gently placed his palm over her eyebrows and poured lukewarm water over her hair as he carefully washed it.
“Now lean your head back. Good. You can just rest it on my palm. Should I stretch your legs a little?”
Perhaps from being confined in a narrow cage for so long, she couldn’t easily extend her limbs. Her ankles, once tied with ropes, were chafed and red.
After moving her into a clean, warm bath, Daon amused herself by squeezing the old sachet so worn that its inner lining was more visible than the outer.
Ixor gently held her hand and helped squeeze the sachet together. As he pressed it against her chest, clear water flowed down her body.
***
Back in the bedroom, he carefully applied cream to her flushed cheeks. When he rubbed honey on her chapped lips, Daon quickly licked it off and reached out her hand, asking for the honey jar. Ixor playfully pretended not to notice.
She stared at him sulkily and stretched out both hands again, something she would never have done before.
He scooped a bit of honey and dabbed it on her tongue.
“You’re kind of cute, you know.”
Daon smacked her lips happily. He licked the honey from his own thumb and fed her another bit.
“I always thought you’d snap one day, watching how much you held in.”
He chuckled bitterly and put the honey jar away. If she ate too many sweets now, she might not want dinner later.
While he was massaging her stiff body lying face-down on the bed, the elderly woman who worked as a doctor entered.
After carefully examining Daon, the old woman’s expression darkened.
“She’s been through quite a shock from falling off that cliff. And she was left unattended for too long…”
“Are her bones or organs damaged?”
Shaking her head, the old woman answered quietly.
“Thankfully, nothing like that. If she eats well and gets steady rest, both her body and mind should recover. However…”
“However?”
“She’s had a hard life since childhood. She never had a strong body to begin with, and yet she kept overworking herself. This time, the damage was worse…”
The old woman hesitated, glancing cautiously at him before continuing.
“She may not live a long life.”
Ixor brushed Daon’s hair over her shoulder. He kissed her back gently, where her spine showed through her emaciated frame.
The old woman scolded bluntly.
“Your Majesty, please refrain from any animalistic behavior.”
“How is that animalistic?”
“No physical intimacy for a while.”
“I do have some self-control, you know?”
“I know.”
She said with a wrinkled smile. Then, with a sorrowful look, she glanced between Ixor and Daon before speaking again.
“And about children… If the two of you love each other, that’s fine, but I’m afraid having children may no longer be possible.”
“Thank you for your honesty.”
“I’m sorry.”
The old woman bowed deeply and mumbled in a subdued voice.
***
Princess Anna, who died after drinking poisoned honey water, was dressed beautifully and sent back to the Kingdom of Boline in a stone coffin along with her portrait.
No additional threats were issued, just a single warning: Those who meddle in the affairs of another nation may meet a short fate.
A week later, the King of Boline publicly refused an alliance with King Dirk.
The King of Boline offered to return Anna’s body, but her brother, King Derk, declined. He claimed that after living with pirates, she was no longer a princess but no better than a whore. Such a woman, he said, could not be buried in the royal tomb.
What happened to Anna’s body afterward remained unclear. The King of Boline did not bother to reveal how he disposed of the troublesome corpse.
Winter passed, and summer arrived.
Lush greenery signaled the ripening of a new season. Emotions that had withered and dried became full and relaxed like the changing weather.
Regret and sorrow hadn’t entirely disappeared, for the past could not simply be erased or burned away. But trees still grew in spite of storms. Greener and stronger.
He always kept her close. Or rather, he followed her, doing his work nearby. He didn’t bind or restrain her, simply let her roam free.
Before the heatwave began, she finally let go of her old sachet—and instead, held Ixor’s hand.
He made a swing for her, the one he’d promised to make for their future child. He tied strong golden threads to a thick tree in the garden, carving and sanding the wooden seat himself.
Except for the times he injured his thumb with the hammer, it was quite enjoyable.
“Hold on tight!”
“Kyaa!”
As he pushed the swing high, Daon shrieked with delight. Her fluttering skirt shimmered in the sun.
Ixor stood in front of her, pushing the swing, laughing heartily. Her lovely face, pushed far away and then flying back into his arms, was enchanting.
When she looked dizzy, he slowed the swing, and she immediately reached her arms out toward him. Ixor spread his arms wide and embraced her tightly.
“My lady,” he whispered in her ear. “This winter, let’s make a snowman. A really big one. Do you remember? We once made a snowman together.”
Daon gazed at him with warm, trusting eyes. The two played on the swing for a while, laughing, until a court official came tearfully following them, arms full of documents. So they got to work.
They laid out a wide mat next to the swing and set out drinks and fruit. Sitting back-to-back, each focused on their tasks.
She read—her current fascination being a book with a sheepskin cover and colorful illustrations.
As usual, Ixor was buried under a mountain of paperwork. He had to solidify internal affairs and manage national expansion. He decided to prioritize laying down a firm foundation rather than meddling in everything.
A nation free of distrust and corruption. A nation built on principles. It was his goal to establish a solid and powerful base for national prosperity and strength during his reign.
In the drowsy afternoon, golden sunlight streamed through the leaves like glitter. Now and then, a warm breeze carried the scent of blooming roses.
While reviewing official documents, he picked up a nicely shaped leaf and handed it to her over his shoulder.
Daon accepted it, sniffed it lightly, and held it up to the light, examining the veins. She seemed pleased.
Ixor smirked mischievously. As he kept handing her new leaves, Daon eventually became annoyed. He chuckled and stretched out, relaxing his whole body.
Pressing down on her with his weight from behind, Daon turned to look back, her chest pressed to her knees. It must have been heavy and uncomfortable.
He pretended not to notice and settled into position. Holding an official document high above his head, he hummed a tune as he read it. Daon attempted a counterattack.
“Ugh!”
She began pushing back, strengthening her waist and slowly straightening her upper body.
He pretended to be exaggeratedly flustered and let himself be pushed back, making her burst into laughter.
“Young lady, do you like that leaf?”
He asked, nodding toward the leaf in her hand. Daon twirled the leaf’s stem awkwardly. Since she wasn’t doing it well, he took it and spun it for her.
Fascinated by how it spun round and round, she leaned in closer.
“Hoo.”
She blew a long breath onto the leaf. A fragrant rose scent enveloped them like silk. At the same time, the thin heart-shaped leaf glittered silver between them and spun rapidly like a top.
Daon blinked slowly a few times, tilting her head. Her gaze stayed fixed on the leaf for quite a while. Thinking they might have played too much, he placed the leaf in her hand and went back to reading the document.
Before becoming king, he’d done a lot of physical work, but after ascending the throne, it felt like he worked with his backside—just sitting, reviewing documents over and over, listening to endless reports.
Furrowing his brows, he marked the incomplete parts and wrote alternatives for a while before stopping.
Scratch.
The pen scraped as ink smudged slightly at the tip. Daon hadn’t moved at all for some time.
He turned his head, she was staring at the leaf. He turned fully around and asked gently,
“What’s wrong?”
Her eyes met his with a tremble as she raised her hand quietly in response. Her fingertips lightly touched his forehead, glided down the bridge of his nose, and slowly moved to his eyes.
Her touch traced his cheek as if brushing away tears, just like he did the day they reunited.
No way?
Daon gently took his hand and placed it wide across her chest.
“I never let you go either.”
Ixor froze, tense and unmoving. His heart pounded so fiercely it felt like it would explode. In a whisper, she continued,
“The heart-shaped leaf you sent… I pressed it inside my favorite book.”
Ixor’s pupils widened in shock and wonder. He shoved the documents aside and turned completely toward her, gripping her forearms and pulling her roughly into him.
She was smiling at him in the light of summer, in the faint rose fragrance. A smile slightly sad, but familiar.
“Ha.”
His throat was tight; he couldn’t speak. Trembling, he rested his twisted expression against her small shoulder.
He consciously tried to breathe deeply, but the pain in his chest made it nearly impossible. His upper body shook from the strain.
Daon wrapped her arms around him, pulling him close—closer. Again and again. As if trying to melt his pain, she firmly held his head and back to her.
He too gripped her small back tightly, like a hook, face buried in her neck. She softly called his name.
“Ixor.”
Her voice.
“Ixor.”
The very voice he had craved madly ever since he first fell for her. In her warmth, his pain began to melt. Loneliness and the long-standing emptiness faded away. In their place, sweet and warm water began to fill him.
He lifted his head and pressed his forehead to hers.
Their noses brushed.
Their hot lips met.
They exchanged breath, sharing each other’s souls. Their breaths tangled and finally became whole.
His fated woman.
With his lips still touching hers, Ixor whispered hoarsely,
“Did your memory come back?”
“Yes.”
“All of it?”
“Yes.”
“Even the apology?”
“Apology?”
Daon tilted her head at the sudden and unexpected topic. Ixor’s eyes sparkled mischievously as he boldly demanded,
“You promised to eat an apple before I went to battle.”
“Ah…”
Apparently remembering, she pressed her lips together and turned her head away.
“Hey, I never promised.”
“What’s this now? Diced apples won’t cut it. I’ll need it juiced. Freshly washed and served.”
He made a blatantly suggestive comment with a sensual smile. Realizing she was losing the upper hand, Daon quietly stood up and tried to walk away. Ixor casually followed her, joking like a carefree rogue.
“Young lady, do you like apple juice?”
Daon, her face flushed red, walked quickly. He strolled behind her at a leisurely pace before suddenly darting forward, scooping her up behind her knees.
With a scream, Daon wrapped her arms around his neck. Like a wild stallion, Ixor charged toward the palace.
“W-wait! Now?!”
She protested in panic, pushing against his shoulders. Unbothered, Ixor shouted toward the attendants.
“Juice a whole box of apples!”
“A whole… box?”
Flustered, the attendant asked back. Realizing she wouldn’t be able to drink that much, he quickly changed the order.
“One cup of apple juice. Every evening.”
“Not every day.”
Daon firmly refused. Ixor was quick to counter, smirking.
“Not every day? Then, sometimes?”
“Uh… no. Apples have changed the way they taste to me…”
“Fine! Then peach juice it is.”
Finally, she burst into laughter. He dismissed the confused attendant and climbed the wide white steps into the palace.
Step.
Standing at the top of the stairs, just before opening the door, he suddenly stopped.
Remembering something, he grabbed her waist and lifted her high over his head. Then, leaning his upper body back, he slowly lowered her in a dance hold.
Just like he had done alone on the empty dance floor of Orlank.
Ixor closed his eyes and rested his face on her warm chest. Her cozy warmth and soft scent wrapped around him like clean sheets. A deep sense of relief swelled in his chest.
“Ah…”
Yes, this feeling.
Finally, the long tension released, and he let out a deep breath. She had come back. The season of loss, where reality felt like fantasy and fantasy like reality, had finally ended.
She had always been by his side.
And would be, forever. Always.
-
Hello, I am Alaa. A Korean translator and a reader. Please enjoy your time while reading my stories and express your support (◍•ᴗ•◍)❤.
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