“You’re really beautiful…”
“I thought I told you that’s not something I want to hear from you.”
Siegfried spoke as if he couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Abusion chuckled faintly at the corners of his mouth and rose from his seat.
“Then I’ll take my leave now. I should increase the security around the mansion.”
Abusion exited the drawing room. I stared blankly at Siegfried, then noticed a faint scratch on the nape of his neck peeking through his shirt collar.
“Your Highness, it doesn’t look like you got away unscathed.”
“…I’m fine.”
“Then what’s that on your neck?”
I leaned over the table. As I reached for his shirt to get a better look at the wound, Siegfried quickly leaned his upper body away.
“W-What are you doing?”
“You looked like you were hurt.”
“Don’t suddenly get so close.”
Honestly, Siegfried was way too prickly. He was definitely a hedgehog in his past life. Then don’t go around with wounds where I can see them—it only makes me worry.
“Your Highness, would you like to come to my room? I have a first aid kit.”
“A-Are you seriously asking me to commit the disgrace of entering a lady’s bedroom who isn’t even my wife?”
How did it come to that? I just wanted to treat his wound. And wife? How old is he to be so hung up on something like that?
“Why is that disgraceful? Ah, never mind. Forget I said anything if that’s how you feel, Your Highness.”
I shrugged. Siegfried glanced at my hand, which was awkwardly hovering mid-air.
“This scratch doesn’t even itch. Don’t make a fuss over nothing.”
Whether that scratch itched or not was something I could only confirm with my own eyes. I reached out again toward his neck.
This time, Siegfried grabbed my fingertips. Contrary to his cold appearance, his hand was surprisingly warm. Calloused and scarred—hands that didn’t suit someone his age. I suddenly felt a pang of sympathy.
I gently brushed my hand over his. Siegfried immediately slapped it away.
“You…! What do you think you’re doing?”
“Uh? Oh, I didn’t mean to. It just happened.”
I quickly pulled my hand back. It was such an unconscious gesture that I hadn’t realized it myself.
Siegfried turned bright red and shouted.
“T-Touching a strange man’s hand like that… Without permission…!”
Startled by his fierce gaze, I lowered my head. But when he kept talking, I raised it again. All this fuss over a light touch?
He looked genuinely shaken as he covered his mouth. I couldn’t help but be a bit dumbfounded.
“Your Highness, let’s be fair. You were the one who grabbed my hand first.”
“I-I only did that to stop you…!”
If I said any more, he looked like he might burst into tears and run off. I raised both hands in surrender.
“My bad, Your Highness. Next time I’ll ask before touching.”
“…That means you’re planning to touch me again.”
That’s not what I meant. Still, I now knew very well how cautious Siegfried was around me. I felt a little dejected.
“That’s not it. I just meant I want Your Highness to get the wound treated. Should I call a doctor for you?”
“I said I’m fine. I’m not going to die from this.”
“But what if it was poisoned…?”
“Then I’d already be long dead and buried. Would I still be sitting here talking with you?”
Tsk, trying to scare him didn’t work at all. I wondered if there was any way to treat that wound before it left a scar.
It was hard to hide how regretful I felt.
Siegfried glanced at me, then sighed in annoyance.
“How many times do I have to tell you I’m fine before you get it? Just leave it alone—it’ll heal on its own.”
“Then how about this? I’ll bring the first aid kit down to the drawing room. That way, you don’t have to come into my room, and I can still treat the wound.”
“You’re not even listening to me.”
“What do you think?”
“I refuse.”
“What do you think?”
“…You already heard my answer.”
“You want me to bring it right now?”
“Ugh, do whatever you want.”
After hearing the same thing over and over, Siegfried finally gave in. Good thing I kept asking. I smiled in satisfaction.
“Then please wait just a moment.”
“If you don’t, I feel like you’ll storm into my room.”
“Oh my.”
How did he know? We haven’t known each other long, but he already seems to get me. Maybe last night’s door knocking left an impression.
“I’ll be right back.”
Siegfried half-listened and rubbed his face with his hands.
I smiled again at him before heading to my room to grab the first aid kit.
When I returned to the drawing room, Siegfried was quietly staring at his hand. More precisely, the handkerchief I had tied around it.
“I’m back.”
At the sound of my voice, Siegfried hastily pulled down his sleeve. I sat next to him.
“I brought disinfectant and ointment. Since the wound is where your collar touches, I brought some bandages too. Oh, and of course, I washed my hands.”
“…You’re going to treat me?”
“Then who else would?”
It seemed he hadn’t thought that far. He stopped asking pointless questions and gave me a warning instead.
“Don’t touch anything weird again.”
“I didn’t touch anything weird earlier. It was just your hand.”
“That was weird enough.”
What part exactly? It was hard to understand Siegfried’s standards for what was ‘weird.’
Cradling the first aid kit, I looked up at him with sparkling eyes. He looked reluctant but began unbuttoning his shirt anyway.
His pale skin still had a reddish flush, like a heat rash. It looked like the poison hadn’t completely left his system.
With just a couple buttons undone, his long, slender neck was exposed. A horizontal scratch with dried blood scabs came into view.
As I studied the wound, Siegfried suddenly spoke. His eyes, glancing up at me, were filled with wariness.
“Don’t touch anything weird.”
“You already said that.”
What did he take me for? I grumbled under my breath as I wiped away the dried blood with disinfectant.
So much for being fine. Each time I applied ointment, Siegfried flinched and stiffened his shoulders. See? It was a good thing I insisted on treating it.
After cutting and applying the bandage, I stepped back. He’d been holding his breath the entire time and finally exhaled with difficulty as I moved away.
He was really tense. Does he actually hate me or something?
“All done. I hope you heal quickly.”
“…”
“Pardon? What’s that? ‘Thank you’? Oh, no need for that. It’s nothing, really.”
I waved my hand, jokingly. Siegfried looked at me like I was absurd, then finally parted his lips.
“…Fine, thank you.”
“…Oh? I didn’t expect you to actually say it.”
Getting a thank you from such a pretty face made me feel all warm inside. I couldn’t hide the smile creeping onto my lips.
Siegfried stared at me, then lightly touched the bandage on his neck. With a crooked smile, he said awkwardly,
“You smile like someone who forgot how to smile. But earlier, you smiled just fine—and prettily, too.”
“…Oh. Did I?”
He paused and touched his lips. Then he asked in surprise,
“I smiled?”
“Yes, like this.”
I mimicked his earlier awkward smile.
Our eyes met just as I was copying him.
“S-So it’s all done, right? You can leave now.”
Leave? For the record, this is my house. Caught off guard by the sudden eviction, I blankly stared with my mouth open, halfway through putting things back into the box.
Siegfried turned his head sharply and waved his hand. The edge of his ear, peeking through his short black hair, was red.
