Adrian was unsure how to react to the unexpected words he heard from Layla.

“Layla…”

No other words came to mind except her name.

His heart fluttered finely. He had never been deeply moved by someone else’s words before, but he liked all the language she uttered.

“Such words won’t be enough for atonement, though.”

“No. No, Layla.”

The Layla who was pure and naive beyond innocence is no more.

Adrian’s heart ached that he couldn’t protect that lovely figure from her childhood. He felt he knew well how much she must have regretted that day and endured hardships while apart from him.

How much pain she must have felt. And how many tears she must have shed.

He regretted and felt guilty that he couldn’t wipe away her tears.

But on the other hand, he was also glad to see the maturity of the lover he had long waited for.

“There’s really no need for atonement. But if that’s your realization after 10 years… I want to respect that too.”

Layla closed her eyes gently without any response. Knowing this meant she agreed with his words, Adrian felt his heart constrict strongly.

Adrian pulled Layla’s body close to him and placed her small head on his lap.

Almost immediately after, Maeve returned and knocked on the door.

“Your Highness, I’ve brought the court physician.”

“Bring him in.”

Layla seemed to flinch as if trying to slip away, but Adrian instead wrapped his large hand around her round shoulder.

Maeve, who entered, seemed nonchalant as if she had expected this, but the physician looked surprised to see the slave lying on the Crown Prince’s thigh.

However, having already treated Layla on the 5th floor before, he approached the bed with quick steps.

And a sound like a small scream escaped from Layla.

“Ah… Your Highness!”

Adrian had slipped his hand under Layla’s shoulder and pulled her, embracing her completely.

He paid no heed to Layla’s embarrassment and instead made a soothing sound as if to show off.

“Shh, it’s alright, Layla.”

He briefly considered adding ‘my’ in front, but Adrian compromised at this level.

But even that was enough to make Layla’s face, which had cooled for a moment, flare up again, and this time Maeve slightly bowed her head as if finding it embarrassing.

Lastly, the physician inwardly trembled with fear, wondering if he could survive witnessing such a scene.

Adrian briefly commanded the pale-faced physician.

“Treat her, without causing pain.”

Even so, to say ‘without causing pain’ when treating wounds from whipping was a very unreasonable demand.

Layla also whispered to Adrian, meaning for him to stop.

“It’s an honor just to receive treatment, Your Highness…”

As she said this, she rolled her blue eyes and glanced towards the door.

The bedroom door was still wide open, as Maeve hadn’t closed it yet. The sounds inside would surely be audible.

But Adrian, seeing where Layla was concerned, went even further.

“Not at all, you’ll be receiving treatment here every day from now on, so there’s no need to be grateful for just one time.”

It was a statement implying that both Layla and the physician would be called every evening.

He said it loudly as if for everyone outside to hear, so by tomorrow morning, stories about Adrian and Layla would spread throughout the imperial palace.

Layla felt some difficulty or even fear at Adrian’s suddenly bold attitude.

Was this man really going to declare that she, a slave, was the Crown Prince’s lover?

While she had been hurt when Adrian disregarded her in front of everyone, ironically, now that he was acting this way, she felt worried.

It seemed there would be many things Adrian would have to give up in the future because of her.

However, Adrian, who had just committed a great act, showed no concern at all and gestured for the physician to come quickly and start treatment.

As the physician approached to expose Layla’s back, Adrian even showed the kindness of covering the rest with a blanket himself.

“It might be uncomfortable, but please bear with it a little, Layla.”

“Yes…”

As the physician carefully examined Layla’s back, disinfecting and applying ointment, Adrian added a remark.

“Court physician, why don’t you leave the medicines you brought? The application seems simple enough, I think I could do it myself.”

“Y-yes, I will do that.”

The physician stammered and his hands trembled.

For a moment, the physician’s mind recalled certain incidents from history books where people sold or ruined their countries to possess a beautiful woman. There were surprisingly many such anecdotes.

However, when he glanced at Adrian’s fierce face, carefully observing his every hand movement, he immediately changed his mind.

Crown Prince Adrian Raines, regarded as the second most powerful figure in current Hankin. No matter how one looked at him, he didn’t seem like someone who would sell or ruin his own country.

‘Though buying or ruining someone else’s country might be a different story.’

And that thought was precisely correct.

Currently, Reynold, the 7th prince of Filmer, was on his way by ship to Hankin to ask for his country to be saved.

The chirping bird tapped on the window with its small beak.

Adrian, who had slept holding Layla after finishing her treatment last night, opened his eyes at the sound. Then, looking down at Layla’s crown still in his arms, he thought.

‘Something feels strange.’

…he did.

It was understandable to feel refreshed the first or second time they slept together. Because he was in a good mood.

But to put it a bit extremely, last night he had merely shared a bed with Layla, yet strangely the fog in his head had cleared.

Had there been something wrong with his eyesight due to the overall decline in physical abilities caused by the rebound effect? His vision had become clear as if he had gained enlightenment overnight.

It was a strange thing.

‘Does Layla have attunement abilities…?’

Perhaps she had manifested but hadn’t told anyone.

Even when she was a princess of Wessex, there had never been any talk of her being an attuner. If Layla had awakened as an attuner, the king of Wessex, who would now be in hell, would never have sold Layla to the likes of Filmer’s 7th prince.

Was it just his imagination?

But it was mysterious, as there hadn’t been a time recently when he didn’t feel dull upon waking up.

Adrian looked proudly at the deeply sleeping Layla, then succeeded in sitting up on the bed carefully so as not to wake her.

The cool morning air was felt more keenly as he separated from Layla.

However, after standing up, he deliberately opened the door with his own hand without making footsteps and left the room.

He hurriedly stopped the attendants from greeting him, closed the door behind him, and shifted his gaze to look for Lilburn. As soon as he did, Lilburn appeared before him as if knowing.

“Did you rest well last night, Your Highness.”

Lilburn quietly laughed at the sight of Adrian, who was still in last night’s robe without changing clothes.

That expression fully conveyed the meaning that he understood why Adrian had opened the door and come out on his own, and that it was sentimental.

Adrian, who momentarily considered getting rid of Lilburn who knew him too well, raised an eyebrow sharply, and Lilburn generously threw out one thing he wanted to hear.

“I hear that the 7th prince of Filmer has departed from his country, Your Highness.”

In the meantime, Filmer had faced default as expected.

There was some commotion in neighboring countries due to the sudden default of a nation. Considering that, Adrian thought it might have been rather late for them to decide to come to Hankin, since it took a few days until they made the decision.

“I might be in the south by the time they arrive, should I tell them to come there?”

“Well, I suppose it wouldn’t matter if you did that?”

Lilburn smiled brightly as he posed the question. Then he approached Adrian closely and softly let out the words, “Shall we discuss the rest inside.”

When Adrian sent a look demanding to know what was going on, he whispered in his ear.

“Cedric.”

And as Lilburn tapped his own chest, Adrian immediately turned around and opened the door.

Then he saw Layla, who had woken up in the meantime, sitting on the bed in the room where the morning sunlight was shining.

With messy hair, she looked a bit dazed, probably startled to find Adrian not by her side when she woke up, but showed signs of relief as he entered.

Adrian, who was gladly observing the changes in Layla’s expression, faintly smiled at her and opened his mouth.

“Layla, there’s good news this morning.”

Gesturing for Lilburn to close the door, he hurriedly walked to Layla’s side. Layla, looking at him as he sat on the edge of the bed, opened her particularly clear eyes wide, having just woken up.

“Good news?”

“A letter has come from Cedric.”