Chapter 56
Aiden let out a small sigh.
“Why did you do such a thing?”
Such a thing? He was talking to someone who had rushed out in her nightclothes because she was worried!
“I don’t like you suffering because of me, Raylenne.”
His self-deprecating lament calmed the heart that had been pounding in Raylenne’s chest. This guy… he really knew how to toy with her emotions.
Aiden reached out his arm. His fingers slowly approached and touched Raylenne’s cheek. As his gray eyes darkened, Raylenne realized that he genuinely cared about her.
“Your body is cold.”
Warmth spread from Aiden’s fingertips on her cheek. Without realizing it, Raylenne closed her eyes.
“Raylenne.”
“…”
“So, does this mean I can come closer now?”
Raylenne opened her eyes. Aiden’s normally expressionless face looked somehow tense. Seeing this, Raylenne lightly laughed.
“This much is fine.”
Aiden’s eyes widened slightly. Raylenne added just in case.
“Nothing more than this.”
Raylenne remembered the passionate kiss Aiden wouldn’t recall. Even though he had been unconscious and it was likely his first time, the kiss was remarkably skilled and overwhelming.
‘If he tried for real…’
…she might just fall for him completely.
Raylenne hurriedly dismissed such thoughts.
“Answer me.”
As if to wake up the dazed Aiden, Raylenne spoke. Aiden slowly nodded.
“I understand.”
Raylenne smiled faintly at his response and turned away. If she stayed here any longer like this, she might really catch a cold.
“I’ll be going now.”
* * *
Left alone, Aiden stood vacantly in front of the iron door where Raylenne had disappeared, opening and closing his eyes.
[So, does this mean I can come closer now?]
[This much is fine.]
The unexpected permission echoed in his head. His previously stiff lips gradually relaxed, forming a soft curve. Feeling strange for being happy about such a small thing, Aiden covered his mouth with his hand.
Unable to bear the ticklish feeling spreading from deep within, Aiden closed his eyes.
He knew his face must look foolish right now. Or maybe he had really become a fool.
When it came to Raylenne, he couldn’t think rationally. His brain, usually sharp, turned mushy, and his body heated up like a broken thermometer.
Yet, he didn’t think it was wrong, which might be the most serious problem of all.
Aiden couldn’t stop himself from collapsing as his legs gave out.
At that moment, the repaired chains hit something.
It was a small glass bottle. Knocked over by the chains, the bottle rolled and stopped with a clear sound against the wall.
Aiden reached out and picked up the glass bottle. Inside were two misshapen pills.
‘What is this…?’
It seemed like something Raylenne had left behind…
Suddenly, a foreign memory flashed in his mind.
Someone had sat beside him, opened his mouth, and put something inside.
He couldn’t see because his eyes were closed, but he vaguely remembered the feeling of something bitter entering his mouth, guided by someone else.
However, when he couldn’t swallow it, slender fingers had retrieved the object from his mouth.
‘Raylenne…?’
He remembered the touch of those slender fingers. They had swept through his mouth before.
The intense, storm-like moment was unforgettable, so Aiden knew exactly how those fingers felt.
Thinking he was quite the pervert for this, Aiden looked at the medicine inside the bottle.
‘So, she tried to feed me this?’
Since he had a fever, she must have tried to give him antipyretics.
But since he couldn’t swallow them, the pills had partially melted in his mouth and lost their effectiveness, so she had taken them out.
This raised another question.
If he had failed to take these two pills, did that mean he hadn’t taken any medicine at all?
He was sure he had swallowed something…
Frowning, Aiden tried to grasp the fragment of memory, but he dropped the glass bottle in his hand.
Crash!
A sharp breaking sound echoed in the cell, but Aiden paid no attention.
He vividly recalled the feel of warm lips against his own.
Soft lips that seemed like they would burst with the slightest bite, the subtle sweet fragrance, the warm breath exchanged between them.
Aiden couldn’t stand upright any longer.
Collapsed on the ground, Aiden spent a long time trying to calm the uncontrollable heat inside him.
* * *
Meanwhile, back in her room, Raylenne snuggled under her blanket, savoring the warmth. The thick blanket gradually drove away the chill from her body. Just then, there was a knock at the door.
Knock, knock—!
“Lady Raylenne, it’s Janie.”
Raylenne had expected Janie to come in, as she had seen her upon entering the room.
“Come in.”
Janie entered, carrying a white cup with a handle. Steam rose from the cup. She placed the cup on the bedside table next to Raylenne’s bed. A sweet aroma wafted from the cup.
“It’s cocoa. I thought you might be cold since you went out in your nightclothes yesterday.”
“Thank you.”
Impressed by Janie’s thoughtfulness, Raylenne took a sip of the cocoa. The sweet, warm cocoa naturally made her think of Aiden.
“I should bring Aiden some cocoa next time.”
Every day, Raylenne had brought Aiden sausages or smoked meat. Without these provisions, Aiden wouldn’t have recovered so quickly. Though he wasn’t eating dried-out bread anymore, his diet still wasn’t balanced.
Even though she had been providing him with additional food, it wasn’t enough, yet Aiden had been steadily regaining his health. She found it quite remarkable.
“What were you doing out all night to just come back now?” Janie asked.
Raylenne set down her cocoa cup.
“I went to the underground prison.”
“The underground prison?”
“Aiden had lost consciousness and couldn’t open his eyes, so I had to check on him.”
“Really? How is he now?”
“He’s better.”
Janie sighed in relief but then looked sad.
“I’m glad he’s better, but it’s heartbreaking. Such a noble person, locked up in a cell… I don’t think I could endure that.”
Realizing what she had said, Janie quickly added, as if biting into a sour apple.
“I’m sorry, my lady! I didn’t mean to…!”
To speak pityingly of Aiden in the Ergen Duke’s house was not just outrageous; it was almost innovative in its boldness.
Raylenne, however, was not angry with Janie.
‘I thought the same way, after all.’
But she needed to give a warning.
“Janie.”
At the low call, Janie’s face turned pale.
“Yes…?”
“This is the Ergen Duke’s house. Always be mindful of where you are and choose your words carefully.”
This was advice for Janie’s own good. If she had said that in front of the Duke of Ergen, she might have been punished.
Janie was cheerful and honest, traits that Raylenne liked, but her excessive honesty sometimes worried Raylenne.
“I understand!”
Janie straightened her back and answered loudly.
Seeing this, Raylenne took another sip of her cocoa, feeling reassured. The warm cocoa flowing down her throat made her feel warm inside.
After setting down her cup, Raylenne looked at Janie, who was awkwardly fidgeting.
“Janie, I have a question for you.”
“Yes? What is it?”
Janie raised her eyes from her hands to look at Raylenne.
“What do people outside say about Aiden?”
By “outside,” Raylenne meant outside the Duke’s estate. Within the estate, no one spoke freely about the Bedeusian family.
She had heard that someone had been punished in the past for speaking favorably of the Bedeusian family within the Ergen estate. It seemed implausible, but knowing the cruel and petty nature of the Duke of Ergen, it wasn’t impossible.
To understand the objective perspective on Aiden, she needed to hear what was said outside the estate.
“About Lord Aiden…?”
“Yes. Seeing how you pity Aiden, I’m curious about what others say about him being a prisoner.”
Janie seemed hesitant.
Having been scolded for speaking honestly earlier, she was probably wondering if it was safe to be honest now. It was clear her mind was working hard.
“Go ahead and tell me. I won’t scold you this time, since I asked first.”
With this reassurance, Janie cautiously spoke.
“…Honestly, everyone feels sorry for him. He has suffered so much and was eventually abandoned by his family. Even if his younger brother, Damian, is set to become an Awakener…”
What Janie said was not far from what Raylenne had expected. Any normal person would see Aiden in that light.
Feeling conflicted, Raylenne decided to steer the conversation towards something more positive.
“How did people view Aiden before all this? Before he was taken prisoner?”
Janie’s eyes shifted to the ceiling as she thought.
“Hmm… Lord Aiden Bedeusian was…”
