Chapter 51
“…I’m sorry if I overstepped, my lady. I have a dog at home, so I might have gotten carried away,” Janie said, bowing her head apologetically upon seeing Raylenne’s stern expression.
“…It’s fine. You can leave now,” Raylenne replied, waving her hand distractedly. Janie scurried out of the room.
Even after Janie left, Raylenne sat with her chin propped on the table, lost in thought.
“Death…”
She understood that the extreme conclusion stemmed from her own metaphor of Aiden as a stray dog. But Aiden wouldn’t die. This situation was just one of the trials the male lead had to go through.
Yet the gnawing discomfort, as if Janie had hit a nerve, persisted. Was it because she felt guilty about her actions?
“Maybe I was too harsh…”
Objectively speaking, she hadn’t been that harsh earlier. She had merely warned Aiden to keep his distance and clarified their positions. But recalling his hurt expression made her feel as if she had been unreasonably cruel.
Raylenne let out a long sigh. Asking Janie for advice had only made her feel more unsettled. If Aiden had been an actual stray dog, she would have taken care of him regardless of whether he had an owner. But Aiden was a person. If his feelings for her grew deeper, who knew what the consequences might be?
What scared her the most was the prospect of Aiden finding his true owner and leaving her. She imagined him saying, “Thank you for everything, Raylenne. I’ve found my true love now,” and leaving without a second thought.
If someone asked if there was a chance Aiden would choose her, the answer would be no. The relationship between their families would make their union impossible, just like Romeo and Juliet.
There was no happy ending for them. Maybe if she fell deeply in love with Aiden, they could run away together, but that was unlikely.
Raylenne flopped on the bed.
* * *
Raylenne didn’t even take the time to change her clothes. She simply threw a robe over her nightdress and hurried out of her room.
“Aiden isn’t waking up?”
“Yes… he’s breathing, but he just won’t open his eyes.”
“Does he have a fever? Is he running a high temperature?”
“I didn’t check that closely… but his face looked red.”
As Raylenne quickly descended the stairs, she continued questioning Haele.
“Did you call for a physician?”
“I thought it was more important to inform you first, so I haven’t called one yet…”
“Then go get a physician right now.”
Haele hesitated, delaying his response. One of Raylenne’s eyebrows arched in frustration.
“Why are you hesitating?”
“I’m worried they might refuse if I say it’s for Aiden…”
Raylenne’s eyes blazed with anger. Even though she knew it wasn’t Haele’s fault, the fact that they had to worry about such things in an emergency infuriated her. But getting angry wouldn’t help the situation.
Swallowing her rising fury, she forced herself to speak calmly.
“Tell them a prisoner is on the verge of death. They can’t ignore that. If they still hesitate, tell them it’s my order.”
“And…”
“I’ll take responsibility for it.”
Haele, staring at Raylenne’s resolute expression, finally nodded.
“Understood.”
He then left to fetch the physician. Raylenne quickly ran down to the underground prison.
“Haah, haah.”
Raylenne, who wasn’t used to such physical exertion, found herself gasping for breath from running so fast. But she couldn’t afford to stop. She slowed her pace slightly as she approached Aiden’s cell.
Her anxiety caused her hands to fumble with the key, missing the keyhole several times. Raylenne took a deep breath, trying to calm her trembling hands.
Finally, the lock clicked open. She rushed inside to find Aiden lying on a blanket.
She turned on the light in the cell. The illumination made Aiden’s condition more visible. Just as Haele had said, his face was flushed with fever.
“Aiden…?”
She gently called his name, hoping he would wake up. But his tightly shut eyes didn’t budge.
Raylenne moved closer, kneeling beside him, and softly placed her hand on his forehead. The skin under her palm felt burning hot.
