Leticia’s misunderstanding was deeper than Dietrian had realized. Her heart was so wounded that repeated gestures of kindness were not enough to win her trust.
Initially, he believed that time would heal everything. However, at some point, he began to doubt if time was really the answer. After all, saying that time heals means the wound continues until it is healed.
Living in fear of causing trouble, unable to express pain, shrinking back in fear, and living under the false belief that everyone hated her – time could never be the answer.
‘I can’t let her suffer or feel guilty for even a single minute.’
There was only one thing left to do.
He had to confess that he knew about her life, reveal everything he saw and experienced, and genuinely ask for forgiveness.
He feared her reaction, but his desire for her happiness overcame his fears.
So, he resolved to speak to her tonight, to look into her eyes and tell her everything.
He would explain that he couldn’t leave her alone that day because she looked so frail and vulnerable. He would say that he entered her room without permission and stood guard all night.
It didn’t matter if his actions made her hate him, but he hoped she wouldn’t think that others hated her.
She deserved to be loved, and soon everyone would come to cherish her. That’s what he intended to say.
“Your Majesty! Her Highness has been injured!”
The first thing he heard upon his return was the news of Leticia’s injury.
“She got hurt trying to help us. She even bled on the scarf you gave her!”
“What?”
He felt as if the blood drained from his body, his legs weakening involuntarily.
“Your Majesty! Don’t worry! Banessa is just talking nonsense!”
Just then, Yulken rushed over, his expression fierce as he grabbed Banessa by the collar.
“No, she did get hurt, but it’s not serious! She just got a small cut while showing the holy relic in her pocket! It’s not even something that needs stitches! You can ignore this guy’s overreaction!”
Yulken yelled at Banessa.
“You idiot! If you only tell half the story like that, how do you think His Majesty will react!”
“What did I do! I only said the truth!”
“When exactly did Her Highness bleed so much!”
“A few drops are a lot to me!”
“You lunatic! Have you actually gone mad because of the injury? Stop your nonsense and take off your pants!”
“You’re the one who should stop talking like a pervert!”
Dietrian clenched his teeth, barely managing to speak.
“Where is she?”
“She’s resting in the tent. Come this way, Your Majesty.”
Ignoring the fuming Banessa, Yulken quickly led Dietrian.
“Don’t worry. Her Highness is really fine.”
“…Understood.”
He nodded, though he felt he needed to see her with his own eyes to be truly reassured.
“A lot happened while you were gone, Your Majesty. This idiot, Banessa, has been hiding his leg injury.”
Yulken glanced scornfully at Banessa, who flinched and stepped back. Dietrian’s brow furrowed.
“He was hiding an injury?”
“Yes. It got so bad that divine power was needed for treatment. Her Highness was the first to notice. Thankfully, she asked for help from a saint’s wing, or else we might have had to amputate his leg.”
“What did she do?”
“She negotiated directly with a saint’s wing to treat his leg. It seemed to have ended well, fortunately.”
“…”
“During this process, everyone learned that Her Highness is the saint’s daughter. Opinions were divided at first, but now more people believe in her. Even this idiot has, surprisingly, decided to trust Her Highness.”
Yulken, chattering away, suddenly sensed something off and turned around.
Dietrian had stopped dead in his tracks, staring at him intently.
His eyes flickered sharply in the darkness, his jaw clenched tightly.
“Your Majesty?”
“She negotiated with a saint’s wing alone? Without any escort?”
“Yes. Her Highness insisted on doing so…”
Dietrian’s face twisted in turmoil. Yulken, realizing his slip, hurriedly added.
“So, Your Majesty, what I mean is, the situation was so urgent that there was no time to dissuade Her Highness.”
Dietrian briskly walked past Yulken, heading straight for the tent. His insides were boiling with frustration.
‘She met that dangerous individual alone? Without waiting for my return?’
He knew better than anyone that the saint’s wing was out for her harm.
‘Knowing this, she still met alone with the wing?’
He was dumbfounded by her recklessness.
What was she planning to do if something had gone wrong?
His anger surged like when he had barely saved her from walking into the sandstorm.
The fact that she had risked her safety to help others only intensified his agitation.
So, she was still the same.
Once again, she had no regard for her own well-being.
‘Why does she do this?’
He felt like he was going insane.
She was everything in his world.
Somehow, she had become the center of his universe.
The thought that the center of his world was so dismissive of her own safety was excruciating.
‘Was there really no incident during their private meeting?’
Even as he hurried to her, his mind was besieged by ominous thoughts.
What if the wing had harmed her? The memories of the gaping maw of the sandstorm and the ominously darkened well haunted him.
He could no longer trust Yulken’s assurances that her injury was minor.
‘Even if she was hurt, she wouldn’t reveal her wounds.’
If the wing had injured her, she surely would have hidden it.
She was someone who believed that showing her pain would burden others, just like when she refused treatment for her injuries from the sandstorm.
Why?
‘Because she believes everyone hates her!’
Dietrian clenched his fists tightly, frustrated by his own naivety.
‘I should have spoken up sooner.’
He should have assured her that nobody hates her.
That it’s impossible to hate her!
That everyone knows she is a benevolent victim!
He resented his own cowardice for delaying his confession, not wanting to be hated by her. Hurriedly, he pushed open the tent door.
He caught his breath at the sight.
Leticia lay curled up, her complexion deathly pale, like a sheet of paper. She looked so lifeless that his heart sank.
“She’s asleep.”
Enoch’s whisper drew Dietrian’s stiff gaze. The crimson lantern light flickered over her milky-white hair.
“She woke up briefly earlier, but fell back asleep.”
Enoch, murmuring, unfolded a cloth filled with black pebbles. He picked out a few particularly sharp ones and began to tie the cloth back up.
“These are heated stones. Her hands were very cold initially.”
Dietrian exhaled the breath he had been holding and asked,
“Is she alright now?”
“Much better. She must have been drained. She was very worried after hearing about the contaminated well.”
“Worried?”
“Worried that the wing who contaminated the well might have harmed you.”
“…Ha.”
A bitter laugh escaped him. Even amidst such a dire situation, her concern was for others.
He should have been pleased to hear she worried about him, but he couldn’t find the space in his heart to feel joy.
Dietrian bent down and cautiously sat beside her. Staring at her peacefully sleeping face, he gently took her hand.
Her slender fingers felt weakly intertwined in his, causing a twinge in his heart.
As Enoch mentioned, there was some warmth, but it was still insufficient. Her hand still felt cold and was alarmingly pale, as if she might vanish into thin air.
“…Leticia.”
As he called her name, the bracelet hidden beneath Leticia’s sleeve faintly glowed for a moment. Dietrian, examining her injuries, didn’t notice it.
Meanwhile, Banessa and Yulken continued their bickering outside the tent. Enoch, shaking his head in disbelief, asked,
“Why are you two arguing again?”
“I didn’t do anything wrong, but he keeps nagging at me.”
“Enoch, this guy is a total lunatic. He shouldn’t even call me ‘brother’ anymore.”
“Seriously…”
Shaking his head, Enoch paused. It was Dietrian’s gaze, filled with such tenderness while looking at Leticia, that caught his attention.
Dietrian seemed oblivious to the noise around him, utterly absorbed in her presence.
Their tableau resembled a beautiful scene from a fairy tale, making Enoch’s heart flutter.
Unconsciously, Enoch held his breath.
Under the flickering crimson light, the sounds of the outside world faded away.
Dietrian, with deep affection in his eyes, gently brushed Leticia’s hair behind her ear.
His fingers delicately traced her soft skin. He whispered again.
“Leticia.”
It wasn’t a call for a response. He simply longed to say her name.
Leticia.
My wife.
My most precious person…
Finally, unable to restrain himself, he gently pressed his lips to her fingers.
It was a kiss as gentle as a petal falling on water.
His lips softly touched each finger, finally resting on the wedding ring he had placed on her finger.
Touched by the warmth from the ring, his heart swelled with emotion.
At that moment, Enoch, watching with his mouth agape, widened his eyes slightly.
The sight of the wedding ring triggered a vivid memory for Enoch.
It was their wedding ceremony.
The image of Dietrian, standing beside Leticia as she entered, taking off his gloves. His adam’s apple bobbing nervously, and his hands noticeably trembling as he received the wedding ring.
Until now, Enoch had thought Dietrian’s reaction was just surprise at recognizing his savior.
‘Could it be, His Majesty was so flustered that day because…’
A sudden realization dawned upon Enoch, his eyes widening in shock.
‘Was His Majesty actually happy about marrying Her Highness?’
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