Chapter 88
“…But can you really not see anything?”
As I leaned back in the bathtub, I waved my hand in front of Evan’s face and spoke.
No matter how much training he had undergone, his gestures were precise, and the way his hands brushed against my face didn’t seem much different from that of a sighted person.
At my question, Evan let out a short sigh, as if he were incredulous.
“I can’t see. What do you take me for?”
“Well, I thought you were quite a conservative person.”
I deliberately reached out and gently stroked the area around his eyes, covered by cloth.
“Seeing you make unnecessary jokes, it seems you’ve regained some energy.”
At that moment, Evan, who had been calmly accepting my touch, suddenly stood up.
He added that I seemed finished washing, so we should leave.
Although he returned to his stiff tone, I couldn’t help but smile internally, knowing when he acted like that.
‘It’s easy to read him when he acts like this.’
Noticing his ears, which were still partially covered, turning red, I pouted slightly.
“Please help me get up.”
“Seriously, enough with the jokes now…”
“I really can’t get up by myself because of my leg.”
One of my injured legs was hanging outside the bathtub, so I needed someone else’s support to stand.
Only then did Evan hesitate and approach me again, asking,
“How should I help you?”
“I think you can lift me by wrapping your arms around my shoulders.”
“…Understood.”
Finally, Evan reached out and wrapped his arms around me to lift me up.
With a splash, I completely emerged from the water and found myself naked in Evan’s arms.
Earlier, being in the water had lessened my embarrassment, but now, in such a bare state, being held by him suddenly made every action feel awkward.
“Ahem, thank you.”
“Tell me when you’ve put on your robe. I’ll carry you to the bed.”
“I’m all dressed now.”
At my words, Evan silently nodded and effortlessly lifted me up.
As we stepped out of the bathroom, it seemed Nora had taken all the maids with her, as no one was in sight.
Evan walked swiftly to the bed and carefully set me down.
“Evan, can I take off the blindfold?”
“Do as you wish.”
Seeing Evan still wrapped in cloth, I brought my hand to his face.
As my hand touched his skin, he slightly tilted his head forward to make it easier for me to remove the cloth.
Soon, as the fabric slipped away, our eyes met—his lovely gray eyes shining through.
I realized it had been quite a while since we had been this close, and I instinctively held my breath.
How long had we been silently gazing at each other?
“Please extend your hand.”
Evan, who had moved away first, returned from the corner with medicine and bandages.
Noticing that I flinched at the touch of another’s hand, he seemed intent on treating me himself.
Following his instructions, I extended my hand, and he applied the medicine onto my palm.
“Ouch.”
As the medicine touched my wound, a sharp sensation rushed in, causing me to furrow my brow.
“It might sting a bit when applied, but it’s a pain-relieving medication, so you’ll feel better soon.”
Evan quickly treated my hand with a precise touch.
Once I was comfortably lying down, he immediately laid me on the bed and covered me with the blanket up to my neck, saying, “You must be tired, so don’t worry and rest well.”
I wondered why his words were so reassuring.
As soon as I heard him speak, sleep began to wash over me like a wave.
“Can you stay by my side until I fall asleep?”
I forced my heavy eyelids open and looked at Evan beside me.
Perhaps my desperate attempt to stay awake was amusing, as Evan let out a light chuckle and replied, “I understand, so relax your eyes.”
“Don’t go… really…”
With Evan looking down at me, I finally succumbed to sleep, fainting into unconsciousness.
☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓 ☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓
I woke up feeling completely refreshed.
“Huh?”
As I gently opened my eyes, I found myself staring into gray eyes that were looking down at me from right in front.
“Oh, it’s Aires.”
For a moment, I almost mistook him for Evan.
Aires was quietly observing my face, his round eyes widened even more.
“But how did you get here? Did Joy bring you?”
As I brushed aside the soft hair of the child, I sat up and looked around.
I wondered if Joy was in the room, but there was only Aires.
Just then, I heard a voice.
“Oh my, madam! You’re finally awake!”
Lucy and Vera, who had entered the room, gasped and covered their mouths in surprise upon seeing me sitting up.
My head tilted slightly in response to such an intense reaction.
I thought it was a bit excessive to show such a reaction just after waking up from sleep.
Noticing my expression, Lucy quickly added, “Madam, you’ve woken up after three days.”
“What? Three days?”
I was taken aback and questioned her in surprise.
I felt like I had slept for a long time, but three days was still hard to believe.
“Oh my, it’s true. The doctor said that sometimes after a great shock, a person might not wake up for a long time to recover, so I was so worried! But I’m really glad you woke up after three days.”
Her words left me stunned as I brushed my hair back.
‘Well, it was quite a shock.’
Considering I had almost died and woke up after three days, I thought it was somewhat fortunate.
“Well then, let’s quickly prepare some washing water… Oh? Aires! When did you come out of the room again? I told you not to enter Madam’s room recklessly.”
As Lucy continued chatting, she noticed Aires beside me, and her eyes widened as she approached.
“I’m sorry, Madam. We were taking turns looking after the child, and he must have slipped out while we weren’t paying attention.”
“Where is Joy that the maids are taking care of the child?”
Hearing her words, I tilted my head in confusion.
Currently, the child was being cared for by Joy, so I wondered why the maids were looking after them.
“Oh, well. I don’t know all the details, but three days ago, Captain Roman said that the child the advisor was taking care of should be looked after by us for the time being.”
Three days ago meant that he had entrusted the child right after I fell asleep.
“Then do you know where Joy is now?”
“No, I don’t know that much.”
“Then could you call Roman for me? I can’t go myself with my legs like this.”
“Of course! I’ll be right back.”
At my request, the two quickly left the room.
Left alone with the child, I looked down at the little one nestled against my side and spoke.
“Have you been getting along well with the maids?”
Knowing that the child tended to avoid contact with others, I suddenly became curious about how they had been doing over the past three days.
The child seemed to ponder my question for a moment before shaking his head and burying his face back into my pillow.
Seeing such an adorable reaction made me smile without realizing it.
‘Come to think of it, this child’s mother still hasn’t woken up.’
While I was smiling at the child’s cute behavior, the situation of the child’s mother suddenly came to mind, and I couldn’t help but wipe the smile off my face.
“If I think about it, I owe your mother my life.”
The child’s mother had engraved a formula on my wrist to block the curse of dark magic just before she collapsed.
Thanks to that, I was still alive.
“There are so many things I want to ask her when she wakes up…”
I had many questions, from what her true identity was to how to break the curse.
