Shuher unconsciously looked at Ibnel upon feeling the warmth touching his shoulder. The scent emanating from her was refreshing and not at all unpleasant, unlike the strong perfume usually worn by noble ladies.

Ibnel, who had been looking at him without thinking, belatedly realized they were too close.

“Ah, am I too close?”

As Ibnel tried to move away slightly, he pulled on her wrist that he was holding, preventing her from moving.

“It’s fine. This is more comfortable.”

Shuher said that, then after making sure the wound was visible, he put down the new bandage he was about to wrap.

“It seems like it needs disinfecting too.”

“Ah, the medicine is here. I’ll do it.”

Ibnel was going to do that much herself, but Shuher took the medicine from her hand before she could. He quickly opened the lid and said to her:

“Stay still. If you move.”

“Alright. I won’t move.”

It was clear that if she moved carelessly, the disinfectant would wet his clothes. Only then did Shuher pour the disinfectant over the wound. Despite his firm words, his touch was extremely careful.

As the medicine touched the wound, an intense stinging sensation overwhelmed Ibnel. Unable to move, she tried to endure it somehow while clenching her fist. But she couldn’t stop the voice that escaped her lips.

“Ah, it stings.”

“Such exaggeration for this much.”

“It’s not exaggeration, it really hurts. Look. Here are the teeth marks and claw marks.”

Even without her saying so, Shuher could clearly see the wounds caused by the magical beast. Dozens of deep teeth marks that seemed to have bitten strongly into the flesh, and long scars from claw scratches all around.

In short, the condition of her arm was terrible, and although the bleeding had stopped now, it was clear she must have felt considerable pain at the time.

Seeing it up close like this again, it was too delicate an arm to belong to someone who faces magical beasts and wields guns. The wounds seemed even more prominent against her snow-white skin.

“I have the exact same wounds on my leg too.”

“Why did you stay still while being bitten so deeply?”

“I was aiming my gun at one that was charging at me. I thought I had to catch that one first. So I just endured it somehow.”

At those words, Shuher’s hand pouring the disinfectant stopped. It was a situation that couldn’t be understood simply by the explanation of enduring.

He was simply amazed at her mental strength to have withstood without wavering despite what must have been considerable pain.

“Still reckless.”

“It was the best I could do at the time. Literally giving flesh to take bone. I’m fortunate it’s only this much. Thank you, Your Majesty. And I’m sorry.”

When Ibnel apologized at the end, Shuher, who was about to wrap the new bandage, looked at her. No matter how he thought about it, there was no particular reason for her to apologize.

If anything, it should be the opposite.

“Why are you apologizing?”

“If I had watched Davian more carefully, this wouldn’t have happened. Your Majesty entrusted him to me. Maybe I was too arrogant thinking I knew a lot about magical beasts.”

As she blamed herself despite sustaining such injuries, his hand holding the bandage tightened. This incident was by no means her fault.

Feeling anger rising inside him, Shuher pulled on the innocent bandage strongly as if taking out his frustration on it.

“Did you open the cage door?”

“What? No.”

“Then did you tell someone to open it?”

“Of course not. I even told them not to go near the cages with magical beasts.”

Ibnel responded sharply for a moment. Of course, she had prioritized safety when entering such a dangerous place. While watching the magical beasts, she had also kept an eye on Davian, but the accident happened in that brief moment when she let her guard down slightly at the end.

“Then why are you apologizing to me?”

She couldn’t readily answer that question. As he pressed the issue, it sounded like he was saying she hadn’t done anything wrong.

“The fault lies not with you, but with the knights who failed to properly perform their duties and with Davian who opened that door.”

When Shuher confirmed once more as if delivering a final blow, Ibnel nodded as if entranced. Perhaps if it were her from before, she would have tried to rationally consider whose fault it was one by one.

But as if brainwashed by everyone around her saying everything was Aodin’s fault, she had been unconsciously looking for her own mistakes without realizing it. Even though this wasn’t such a situation.

However, it was none other than Shuher who decisively shattered that. It was unexpected, if anything, and grateful, if that.

“You’re right. I tried not to be swayed by others, but at some point I was naturally looking for my own faults. Thank you for saying that, Your Majesty.”

As Ibnel expressed her gratitude with a much lighter expression, Shuher’s hardened expression also softened in turn. Somehow, a dejected or dispirited appearance didn’t suit her at all.

“Honestly, I expected to get scolded by Your Majesty.”

“I have no interest in treating someone as if they lack reason. And there are others who need to hear those words.”

Knowing that he meant Davian, who was the cause of today’s incident, Ibnel carefully expressed her thoughts.

“Would you leave that to me?”

“If you’re thinking of offering feeble consolation.”

“I won’t do that.”

She shook her head firmly. She had no intention of covering up or shielding Davian’s mistake.

“I also think this incident is clearly Davian’s fault. I’ll speak firmly about that part. To ensure this never happens again. But even if we say the same thing with the same intention, if Your Majesty says it, it will feel completely different from the receiving end. It would be scary and make them shrink back more, I suppose?”

If it were Shuher, he would undoubtedly push forcefully while pressuring, which would surely make Davian more intimidated. In such a state, whatever is said wouldn’t be heard well.

“You’ll need Davian’s help a lot in the future, right? So it would be better for Your Majesty to maintain an amicable relationship with Davian too. And anyone can make a mistake once.”

After considering various factors, Ibnel decided it would be better for her to take the lead. This was also for the sake of both of them. To prevent their relationship from becoming distant due to this incident.

‘It’s not bad to create something to be grateful for later.’

Although he knew in his mind that her words were right, he strangely didn’t feel very good about it. At the way she so naturally assumed he would harshly rebuke.

“It sounds like I’m being made out to be some kind of monster.”

“That’s not it, but am I wrong in what I said? Even when Your Majesty doesn’t say anything, it’s like that, so if you get angry on top of that.”

Even without Ibnel finishing that last sentence, Shuher could sufficiently guess what she meant. Rather than being angered by those words, he was dumbfounded that she spoke so candidly in front of him.

Though she knew she shouldn’t, she couldn’t help but laugh at his expression, as if he had been struck right on target.

“Honestly, you can’t deny it either, can you, Your Majesty?”

“You must have several lives to spare, young lady.”

That statement also implied whether she was aware that the person in front of her was the emperor.

Since he didn’t show any signs of anger or displeasure, Ibnel rather showed a more relaxed expression. Certainly, as time passed, she found herself shrinking less and less in Shuher’s presence.

“I suppose I’ve been through so much that, as Your Majesty said, nothing fazes me anymore. But I am aware that the person before me is Your Majesty.”

“This level of awareness is quite something.”

“Well, I’m in no position to be afraid or scared when I’m receiving treatment from Your Majesty.”

Knowing he couldn’t easily win with words, Shuher started slowly wrapping the bandage instead of answering. But she was surely unaware. That no one else dared to retort to his words like this, or openly say he was scary.

“So you’ll leave Davian’s matter to me, right?”

“Make sure to speak clearly.”

“I will. So Your Majesty should also treat him kindly. Ask if he’s adapting well when you meet, have meals together occasionally, and engage in casual conversation.”

Ibnel said this hoping the two protagonists would grow closer a little faster, but Shuher, unaware of these circumstances, became displeased at the nuance that seemed to want him to become friends with Davian from before.

He had intended to maintain an amicable relationship by giving what was needed as she said, but hearing it from Ibnel’s mouth made him feel unpleasant.

As if revealing his uncomfortable feelings, Shuher pressed firmly on the bandage he was wrapping around her arm. Feeling the sudden pain, she couldn’t help but raise her voice.

“Ah, it hurts. If you apply so much force.”

“It needs to be wrapped tightly so it doesn’t come loose.”

“Still, please wrap it a bit more gently. Even when the court physician treated me, I barely held back from screaming.”

“Why bother holding it in? You could just speak up like you are now.”

“Because Lia would worry if I did.”

Seeing Lia looking shocked and at a loss upon seeing the wound, Ibnel had endured the pain until the end of the treatment, pretending to be composed as if it were nothing.

“I can comfortably show that I’m in pain in front of Your Majesty.”

“Why is that?”

“Because you won’t worry about me even if I do.”

As soon as her words ended, Shuher’s hand wrapping the bandage came to an abrupt stop. His expression looked as shocked as if he had been hit on the back of the head.

The way she said so calmly and matter-of-factly that he wouldn’t worry.

He wanted to refute somehow, but no words came out of his mouth. As Ibnel said, he had no reason to worry about her.

But contrary to that obvious thought, he felt as if his insides had been completely turned upside down.

At the same time, one question arose.

“Are you saying you only show your weak side in front of me?”

Behind that indifferent voice, some inexplicable anxiety was hidden. However, unaware of this, Ibnel showed a slightly contemplative look.

“Hmm, I suppose that’s how it turns out. I’ve already shown you many unsightly sides, Your Majesty. Besides, there’s no need to pretend to be composed.”

Ironically, it was because the other person was the emperor that she felt this way. Since everyone bowed their heads before Shuher, it seemed only natural for her to show weakness as well.

“It’s not like Your Majesty would tell anyone else. I guess that’s why.”

Listening to her answer, Shuher began moving his hand again. His touch wrapping the bandage was extremely careful, as if handling glass, and his gaze had somehow softened.

Ibnel probably didn’t realize. That his emotions were rising and falling with each of her words.

‘It’s certainly unexpected.’

To her, this situation of being with Shuher felt unreal. That he, of all people, was treating her. And so meticulously at that.

She even thought that perhaps the opposite case would be more realistic.

‘Could it be that he’s opened his heart to me a little?’

She quickly erased the thought that arose in her mind as if it couldn’t be. This was surely just simple sympathy. She concluded that he was just doing this because it would be awkward to ignore it.

Only after finishing perfectly did Shuher release her arm. Ibnel let out an admiring voice at his skill, which was no less than what the court physician had done.

“You’re very skillful.”

“Well, I tend to get injured often.”

Having been through repeated battles with magical beasts, he was able to do simple wound dressing and treatment. Looking at her perfectly treated arm, she suddenly remembered an answer she hadn’t yet heard from him.

“By the way, why did you come to my room? You couldn’t have known about this.”

What reason could there be for him to seek her out in the middle of the night?

Meeting her gaze that demanded an answer, Shuher tried to appear calm on the outside, but in fact, he was uncharacteristically flustered.