Schuler and Glen said they would immediately comply with the order to ‘once again inspect and organize all those belonging to the Crown Prince’s Palace’.

They also said that this situation, with Sinclair injured now, could be an excellent opportunity for them, so they would continue to stay at the Crown Prince’s Palace and put more effort into security than usual.

According to them, it seemed that Eric Connor’s side had secretly sent private soldiers. Schuler said they would naturally stay at the Crown Prince’s Palace for the time being as well, and Elaina thought it was fortunate amidst the misfortune.

And after they left, Sinclair took strong medicine and fell asleep again.

He looked like someone who was trying to catch up on all the sleep he hadn’t been able to get until now. Of course, it was probably unavoidable due to the medicine, but somehow I couldn’t help but feel sorry for him.

It was as if I could clearly see Sinclair’s days when he couldn’t rest with ease like this…

Fortunately, Sinclair didn’t suffer from nightmares like he did last night.

Although I learned that it wasn’t just Sinclair who was being targeted, strangely, I didn’t feel scared or afraid.

To be precise, it wasn’t that I wasn’t worried at all, but whenever I was, I remembered the time when the lion attacked. Sinclair’s back as he stood in front of me to protect me.

That reassurance that no matter what happened, he would always protect me without change.

It had been a very long time since I felt such an emotion.

[What’s wrong, Elaina?]

When was it? Probably before my leg was damaged. It was around the time I was frequently meeting with Ren in the valley.

At that time too, Elli met Ren with a beautifully colored face. Up to that point, it was no different from usual, but that day, Elli cried for the first time in front of Ren. And very sadly at that.

[…Leila keeps insulting our mother.] [What did she say?] [She said that because of one cheap mistress, the honor of the Aswald family has hit rock bottom. And not only that, she said that because a cheap mistress gave birth to a cheap daughter, someday I’ll end up selling my body like my mother. It’s all lies. My mother never sold her body. She may not have been nobility, but she was a commoner who lived diligently. My father forcibly… hic…]

Ren listened to Elli’s words for a long time. Until the sunset, night came, and the moon rose.

[But Elli, your mother won’t care at all what that damn girl babbles about. She won’t be hurt either.]

And he told her.

[She’ll only worry. Because it breaks her heart to see you cry like this.] […Really?] [Of course. And you said it’s not even true. So don’t be sad no matter what Leila says. You’re too precious for that. It’s a waste.]

Hearing those words, Elli cried for a long time again.

Because there was no one around to say such warm things. Because Ren was the first…

Although Sinclair didn’t say such kind words, sometimes there were certain things that could be shown through actions without necessarily having to open one’s mouth.

“…”

Sitting next to the sleeping Sinclair, taking care of him, Elaina was lost in thoughts of Ren like that and slightly hesitated.

How strange.

Why do I keep thinking of you so much these days?

You who abandoned me and left me coldly. You who ruined me…

Elaina laughed emptily to herself.

And at the same time, she heard a presence.

“…Sinclair?”

Turning her head, she saw Sinclair trying to get up, seemingly awake from sleep. Elaina immediately reached out to support him. Sinclair tried to push her away slightly as if it wasn’t necessary, but Elaina didn’t budge.

“It feels like just yesterday I asked if you wanted to take care of Duke Hank, and now I’m making you do something similar.”

Sinclair mumbled softly.

“I can do it myself. So don’t touch me.”

Sinclair staggered to his feet and took steps to the corner of the bedroom. Then, with careless hand movements, he roughly opened a cabinet and threw something carelessly onto the bed.

It was new bandages.

“…”

Sinclair sat on the edge of the bed and began to unwrap the bandages covering his shoulder.

The bandages were completely soaked with pus and blood in just one day, making it painful just to look at.

Elaina hesitated for a moment, then cautiously approached him.

“You’ve stubbornly resisted enough, so just stay still now.”

Elaina’s white hands touched the dirty bandages that Sinclair hadn’t fully unwrapped yet.

“And stop making me feel like a miserable person who can’t do anything.”

Sinclair seemed to sigh briefly, but surprisingly, he obediently listened to her words.

After unwrapping the bandages, Elaina quietly looked down at the wound that showed no signs of healing yet.

The skin pierced by the lion’s fangs was a dark red color, and even at this moment, blood was seeping out.

…It must have hurt a lot. It must still hurt.

“It’s better not to have useless thoughts.”

And as if seeing through Elaina’s mind, Sinclair opened his lips in a low voice.

“I would have done the same even if it wasn’t you in that place.”

“…”

“I mean, I didn’t jump in specifically because it was you.”

“I know.”

Elaina replied briefly and began to disinfect his wound with the medicine Judith and Anna had left.

But not understanding how he could still speak so sharply even in moments like this, Elaina deliberately poured a little more disinfectant.

“…You have a more gloomy side than I thought.”

Sinclair muttered, slightly frowning.

“Even so, to backstab me like this.”

I said I’d help you.

Although it was ridiculous, Sinclair unknowingly laughed silently, finding Elaina’s small act of revenge a bit cute.

“Are there many such items in that cabinet?”

Elaina asked, blatantly ignoring Sinclair’s nagging.

“Probably.”

“…”

“I get injured often.”

“What about doctors or maids to treat you?”

“You know what my nickname is, don’t you?”

Elaina’s hand, which was changing the bandages, hesitated in mid-air.

“They’re probably worried about losing their heads for offending me if they come forward to treat Sinclair the Bastard. They wouldn’t want to displease the Emperor or Hister either.”

Sinclair continued.

“The doctor who treated me this time is someone I met on the battlefield recently. He came because he has no interest in the internal strife of the imperial palace.”

“…”

“That’s why I said, I can do well enough without your help. It was the same even when I was in worse shape than this.”

Elaina didn’t give any answer.

She just thought to herself.

Of Sinclair lying on the bed alone, groaning and covered in blood, in worse shape than this.

Of some lonely nights when he might have suffered from nightmares and shed tears while sleeping in pain with such an injured body, like he did last night…

And without realizing it, she opened her lips.

“I’m quite good at this too, you know.”

“What?”

“I had many occasions to get injured. Getting beaten up every day.”

“…”

“So at least while I’m here, you won’t have to struggle alone, groaning in pain.”

There were many times like this back then too. Sinclair quietly recalled Elli and Ren wrapping bandages around each other’s bodies by the valley.

The clumsily wrapped bandages were so loose that they would come undone as soon as one turned their head, and once, Elaina almost caused a big problem by mistakenly bringing Melvin’s hair growth tonic instead of medicine.

Just like then, the touch caressing him was so warm. Like the spring sunshine melting the frozen earth and spreading widely…

“For such a large wound, the bandages need to be changed often, so I’ll do it for you again tomorrow morning. You won’t be able to disappear on your own anyway since you need to rest for a while, right?”

When the day breaks tomorrow, I should call that doctor again and ask if there’s any good medicine that won’t leave scars as much as possible. He said he met him on the battlefield, so he might be more knowledgeable about these kinds of wounds than the imperial palace doctors.

And I should ask for more new bandages to be brought. Since he’s the type of person who won’t properly take care of his own body, saying it’s bothersome…

Elaina, who was organizing various thoughts in her head, quietly gazed at the snow-white bandages wrapped around his muscular body.

Then, without realizing it, she reached out and caressed his shoulder.

Hoping it would heal quickly.

Without leaving any scars…

“…”

At Elaina’s sudden touch, Sinclair flinched greatly. But Elaina was still looking at the wound, gently caressing Sinclair with her small hand.

As if such contact didn’t affect her at all.

Unlike Sinclair, whose heart sank with each touch.

Just as Elaina had done, Sinclair also reached out without realizing it.

And then he grabbed Elaina’s hand firmly.

As if finally coming to her senses, Elaina hesitated and raised her head, and Sinclair also stared down at Elaina’s face that had come close to his nose.

Their breaths intertwined in the air, not knowing whose was whose,

A very subtle.

And for some unknown reason, a painfully unfamiliar atmosphere settled heavily between the two people.