Chapter 055
In the distance, the sight of Dahlia running toward the training ground was truly angelic.
Among everyone who was brightening up, there was one person who was not.
“You took off the bandage? The doctor said you shouldn’t use your right arm yet!”
“…I haven’t used it yet.”
The man who had just been exuding a fierce aura toward the knights had disappeared, leaving only a figure subtly hiding his right arm behind his back, glancing cautiously.
“The doctor told you to be careful and take it easy until you’re completely healed. What are you doing sparring?”
Dahlia, having arrived in front of Evan, glanced down at the bandage that had fallen to the floor and then looked directly into Evan’s eyes, scolding him.
Evan, avoiding Dahlia’s gaze, slowly opened his mouth while staring into empty space.
“I haven’t even started sparring yet.”
At his excuse, Dahlia frowned and put on a feigned angry expression.
Seeing Dahlia’s stern face right in front of him, Evan promptly closed his lips tightly.
The knights, who had been watching the two from the beginning, were all busy stifling their silent cheers.
To think that a man who had seemed like a beast could be turned into a docile lamb with just a glance.
No matter how many times they looked, it was a scene they could not get used to at all.
“Let’s go inside quickly. Now that the bandage is off, I’ll do a cold compress and wrap it again.”
Dahlia, wrapping her arms around Evan’s left arm to prevent him from going anywhere, began to pull him into the castle.
The knights, watching Evan being led away helplessly by Dahlia, finally exhaled the breath they had been holding after the two disappeared from sight.
A soft murmur echoed over the training ground, where silence had settled.
“I’m starting to find the madam scarier than the duke.”
Witnessing someone who could instantly quell Evan’s fierce spirit right before their eyes, they couldn’t help but feel a sense of awe.
At the knight’s words, the knights around him nodded in agreement.
In this way, Dahlia was unknowingly establishing herself as the real power within the order.
☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓 ☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓
Lately, I felt like I had discovered a new taste.
“Do we really have to do it this way?”
Evan’s voice, mixed with dissatisfaction, echoed throughout the dining hall.
I raised an eyebrow and retorted, bringing the fork closer to him.
“Yes. So open your mouth quickly.”
As I brought the piece of meat closer to his mouth, Evan’s expression hardened even more.
I had to stifle a laugh while watching the man glare at the meat with a murderous look, as if he were about to kill someone.
“Come on. We promised to do this.”
As I urged him with a deliberately stern expression, Evan’s mouth finally began to open slowly.
Seizing the opportunity, I quickly placed the meat into his mouth.
I took my time admiring Evan’s face as he chewed the meat as if it were leather, taking his time with each bite.
After passing his fierce, menacing expression, I shifted my gaze to his earlobe, which was a vivid red.
‘This is why I want to feed him more.’
Still wearing a stern expression, I brought more meat to his mouth and smiled subtly.
The day after he injured his arm, I was so surprised to find Evan training in the training ground as if nothing had happened.
He had clearly promised not to use his right arm until he was fully healed, yet I caught him using it several times afterward.
Seeing Evan treat his injury so lightly, I decided that I needed to stick close to him to ensure he wouldn’t use his right arm.
Even during meals, I would cut up food that required both hands, making it easier for him to eat while I was right beside him.
“Isn’t it about time to stop treating me like a child?”
Then Evan would furrow his brow and express his dissatisfaction, just as he did now.
“You agreed to let me help you until you’re fully healed. Not using your arm will help you recover faster.”
At my words, which I delivered with a shrug, Evan’s lips moved as if he were about to say something, but then he fell silent.
It seemed he had caught on onto the underlying meaning of my words.
I had no choice but to do this; otherwise, he would keep trying to use his injured arm.
I hoped as much as possible that he would recover quickly and be able to remove the bandage.
‘Or maybe not. I might feel a bit regretful…’
The thought of not seeing this face anymore stirred a sense of longing in my heart.
As Evan said, I didn’t necessarily have to feed him.
But the reasons for making all sorts of excuses to do so were clear.
I wanted to keep seeing him fumble awkwardly, unsure of what to do.
It was evident that I had developed a strange taste.
☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓 ☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓
Perhaps he really disliked being fed by me, for after that day, Evan did not use his right arm at all.
As a result, after a week, he was finally able to remove the bandage completely.
Once his arm was fully healed, Evan became busy again, tackling all the tasks he had put off.
I, too, was busy remaking the potions to take to Delling Street, leaving us with little time to see each other.
‘It feels empty…’
Having been so close for a while, I suddenly felt a void beside me, along with a sense of emptiness.
“…Madam Customer!”
“Whoa, you startled me.”
“What were you thinking so deeply about just now?”
Lost in thought about Evan, I snapped back to reality at Joy’s call.
“Ahem, I wasn’t thinking about anything in particular.”
It felt a bit embarrassing to admit to Joy that I had been thinking about Evan, so I awkwardly mumbled my response.
“Hmm… I see.”
Joy then continued with a strangely amused voice, his lips curling into a smirk.
“I thought you might be feeling down since you and your husband had been so close for a few days and then suddenly separated.”
“…That’s not it!”
I quickly denied it, but Joy just laughed slyly as if he knew everything, completely ignoring my words.
“Anyway, how’s your health lately? Wasn’t it tough making potions earlier?”
Joy, having composed himself, asked me the same question she had before.
“Yes, I’m fine. Instead of selling something like a love potion, you should make and sell this. You’d have been rich by now.”
Joy often asked about my health whenever she felt like it.
‘Do I really look that weak?’
When I was at the capital, I often suffered from headaches, so his concern had some validity.
‘But I haven’t collapsed from headaches recently; in fact, I feel more energetic than ever.’
It might just be my imagination, but I felt my mind was much clearer than before.
“Hmph! Even if you sold that potion for a hundred days, you wouldn’t earn a single penny! Who would buy a useless vitamin?”
At that moment, Joy, who was beside me, scoffed.
“Useless? You’re being too modest… “
If it were the usual Joy, he would have held his head high and boasted, but his sudden display of humility felt very strange.
“No, it’s not humility; it’s just that I only…! Ugh, never mind.”
At my words, Joy seemed to want to say something but ended up just patting his chest a couple of times and then fell silent.
“Let’s not worry about it anymore. Let’s not think about it…”
Then he began to mutter something incomprehensible to himself.
Having seen Joy’s odd behavior more than once, I quickly lost interest and resumed my walk toward the castle.
“Huh? What are those little kids doing over there?”
As we approached the castle, Joy tilted her head, looking at something.
Turning to see what he was looking at, I spotted a familiar back.
“And so, the princess and the prince lived happily ever after…”
“Hehe, this is fun.”
Three children huddled together in a corner of the seldom-visited courtyard.
“Hey, little ones! What are you doing hiding over there?”
Joy crept up behind the kids and shouted in a playful voice.
“Whoa! It’s Uncle Magician!”
Startled by the shadow looming over them, the kids quickly recognized Joy and jumped up with delighted faces, clinging to Joy’s legs and causing a commotion.
midori
thanks! oh my God, she’s feeding him and enjoying his blush! so cute!