Chapter 81

After kissing several times, when Gesualdo got up, Lilith reluctantly let go of his hands.

Immediately, Lilith shivered from the cold.

Gesualdo pulled up the blanket and covered Lilith, then gently took her bandaged hands and kissed them.

"Jed..."

"I'm sorry. I not only made you scared but also injured you."

"N-no, it's not your fault. Rather, it's my fault. Even though I heard the rumors, I let my guard down, thinking that the baron and the Fontae officials were gone. Because of me, the knights were injured. ...Are they all right? They told me that everyone is fine, but I don't know the details yet..."

"Indeed, some are seriously injured, but they will be fine. Their wounds will heal in time. However... Lilith's guards will not return to their duties."

"What!?"

Lilith was shocked and jumped up at Gesualdo's words, which he hesitated slightly before revealing.

"Why! They did nothing wrong! They fought their hardest to protect me and were injured... They almost lost their lives!"

"Even if they lose their lives, protecting Lilith is their duty. They failed, so it can't be helped."

"But—"

Gesualdo raised his hand to stop Lilith's protest. The intensity of his gesture made Lilith catch her breath. Seeing Gesualdo's stern expression, she felt afraid for the first time.

"Lilith, they have their pride. If they receive no punishment for this, it will only make things worse for them. I plan to demote them from the royal guard. However, I've heard that after receiving their punishment, they intend to renounce their knighthood."

"Such..."

Gesualdo gently touched Lilith's cheek, which was clearly shocked. His hand was warm, and she felt the urge to cling to it. However, she didn't think she had the right to do so.

"They blame themselves for not being able to protect you. But if you feel sad and responsible, it will hurt them even more. So, Lilith, all you need to do is comfort them. Besides, they intend to start over."

"Start over?"

"Yes. They are determined to re-enlist in the military and rebuild themselves from the ground up."

This was what Gesualdo had heard from his royal guard captain, Silas. Normally, such a failure would warrant some taking their own lives to take responsibility, but both Gesualdo and Lilith did not want that, and their close attendants knew this.

"...I understand."

Feeling completely dejected, Lilith didn't know what else to say, and Gesualdo could only look at her in silence. In such moments, he cursed his poor social skills—something he had never felt the need for before.

At that moment, a knock sounded, and Gesualdo felt relieved. When he answered, his attendant, Filio, was waiting for instructions from Tena.

"Your Highness, I'm fine, so please return to your work. I'm sorry for the worry."

"...Then, if it's not too much for your body, I want to return to Tuisen tomorrow. Is that okay?"

"Yes, of course."

"Alright... Then, don't push yourself today and rest well."

"I understand. Thank you."

Lilith smiled, and it was the Lilith Gesualdo knew well. Feeling like a coward for running away, Gesualdo gently touched Lilith's cheek one more time, nodded lightly to Tena as if asking for her help, and left. Lilith watched him go with a wistful look. She had been so focused on the knights that she had fallen silent, and she even felt like she had acted suspiciously out of excitement at their reunion.

"Ow..."

Tena, worried about Lilith's bowed head and groaning, rushed to her side. But Lilith covered her head with the blanket and writhed.

"I did something stupid again... What if His Highness thinks I'm a pervert..."

"Oh..."

Tena, worried that Lilith might be in pain somewhere, sighed in relief. It seemed Lilith had gone overboard again.

"His Highness, I think, was relieved. He was very worried until you woke up. He must be happy to see you back to your usual self."

"My usual... self..."

"Ah, well, you know..."

"It's fine, no need to cover for me. It's too late now, and His Highness wasn't angry, right?"

"Yes, of course. He seemed very relieved."

Despite Tena's unhelpful reassurance, Lilith emerged from under the blanket. If His Highness wasn't angry, that was good. Thinking about it, Lilith suddenly realized something.

"Hey, Tena..."

"Yes, what is it?"

"Out of the blue, but... why is His Highness here?"

It seemed too early for him to have heard about her kidnapping and rushed over. The situation when he rescued her also felt like he had been prepared in advance.

"Didn't you ask him directly?"

"Well, I was... worried about the knights..."

She didn't mention her earlier behavior. Tena, seeming to understand, looked a bit sad but handed Lilith a cup of tea and sat in a nearby chair.

"I don't know the reason, but His Highness suddenly appeared in Tuisen. The people of the town and we were all surprised. But before the surprise could fade, Edgar returned with the news, and the situation became chaotic. His Highness quickly calmed everyone down and gave precise instructions. Then, he immediately set out to find you..."

"That's what happened... I caused a lot of worry for the people of Tuisen, didn't I?"

"—If you return safely, everyone will be happy just to see you well."

Tena knew that Lilith would worry no matter what, so she left it at that. After a moment's hesitation, Tena continued.

"I'm sorry, Lilith."

"Huh? What for?"

Lilith was surprised by the sudden apology and stared at Tena, who, unusually, avoided her gaze.

"To be honest, I doubted that His Highness cared for you as much as he does. He was so calm and quick in his response that I thought he might not care as much. Without His Highness, it wouldn't have been resolved so quickly without you being seriously injured..."

"His Highness is very kind, but he's often misunderstood."

"Yes, that's true. But I don't think it's just because he's kind. While you were asleep, he was very worried and checked on you multiple times. I thought maybe His Highness came back to Tuisen just to see you."

"Really? I don't think so. His Highness is very busy. He probably has something unfinished in Tuisen. He's working now, too. Thinking about it, I feel bad. Yes, we're leaving for Tuisen tomorrow. I'll take it easy today and recover fully!"

Lilith laughed and easily dismissed Tena's thoughts. Tena, who had a lot of confidence in her thoughts, didn't say anything more. As she said, Lilith stayed in her room all day and spent it leisurely.