Chapter 62

To be honest, every time I saw Frida, I was always confused. The feelings I had for her were sometimes unexpected and overwhelmingly intense, making it hard to find a reason. But now, my head is as clear as the sky after the rain, without a single cloud. She became the third person to belong to Daniel Rehart, following Ricardo and Dominic. When Frida wakes up, I have to tell her that, long ago, on a certain day, she was in the corner of a fourteen-year-old boy's memory. Perhaps we were destined to end up like this from the very beginning. As Daniel continued to moisten her lips with a wet towel, at some point, Frida slightly opened her mouth. The sound of small droplets trickling down her throat and being swallowed could be heard. After putting down the towel, Daniel gently stroked her head as if touching a dewdrop that would burst at the slightest touch.

"Frida, are you awake?"

There was no response, but her eyelids trembled slightly. Daniel carefully cupped her cheek and gently stroked under her eyes.

"Can you hear my voice?"

Her eyelids, which had been tightly closed, slowly lifted. Her snow-white eyelashes, which had been clumped together, separated, and her purple pupils moved apart. Daniel took in every moment of her regaining consciousness. The sight of her unfocused purple eyes gazing at him, weakly closing and opening, brought a sense of déjà vu. It reminded him of the day he found her asleep in the library of Brabant Hall. Her eyelids, which had slowly opened, could not hold on and weakly closed again, followed by her lips parting.

"Daniel..."

It was just her name. A voice as fragile and faint as a candle about to go out, calling his name. Yet, the moment Frida called him, a thrilling joy, as if his hair stood on end, washed over him. The fact that she, now conscious, sought him first was overwhelming. Daniel wrapped his hand around Frida's hand, which rested gently on his chest, and whispered softly in her ear.

"Speak. I'm here."

Frida slowly opened her eyes and swallowed, then said,

"My throat is dry."

Daniel poured water into a glass on the side table and supported the back of her neck.

"Can you sit up?"

She seemed to try to nod, but her neck was too weak.

"Just a moment."

He lifted the glass, took a sip of water, and without hesitation, parted her lips and let the water flow in. Gulping, Frida swallowed the water Daniel offered without hesitation. She refused to let go of his lips, so he willingly held on for a long time. After giving her all the water he had in his mouth, Daniel wiped the sweat from her forehead and asked tenderly,

"Do you want more water?"

As her thirst was quenched, her strength seemed to return, and she shook her head. Watching her eyes gradually focus, Daniel continued to talk to her.

"Do you want to lie down more?"

Frida shook her head more clearly and met his eyes. Seeing the redness from burst blood vessels in her eyes made his heart heavy. He felt ashamed of himself for thinking this situation was not bad. How could he have such thoughts when she was struggling so hard? Frida spoke hesitantly.

"Was I... very sick?"

Very sick. So much so that he worried she might never wake up. Daniel forced a smile and wiped the moisture from the corner of her mouth.

"You're awake now, so it's fine."

He couldn't believe she had opened her eyes and kept touching her slightly swollen eyelids, secretly warning them not to close again.

"What else can I do for you, Frida?"

If her illness was due to the doctor's explanation of her tension being released, perhaps he could keep her tense forever. He even thought about pretending to fall asleep every day to keep her from relaxing, but he couldn't do that now. He had to see her like this. But anything else, he would do anything she wanted. Tell me, Frida.

"Tell me. Even a small thing, anything."

To shake off this maddening anxiety. To keep himself from breaking down. To stop himself from twisting the neck of Rosivalt, who didn't stop her from riding a horse despite her fragility. To stop himself from blaming the incompetent doctor who couldn't bring down her fever for a week. No, he wanted to twist his own neck the most for taking her away so recklessly. Every time he felt a surge of murderous intent during the past week while she was unconscious, he only thought of this moment. The moment she would open her eyes, see him, and speak to him. So, please, say something.

"Daniel..."

When Frida called him, the anger that had been rising uncontrollably in his throat finally stopped. Gulping, Daniel cleared his throat and smiled.

"Speak."

"I feel... suffocated."

With a flushed face, Frida weakly smiled back.

"Take me... to the room with the terrace."

Despite her already small face, it looked even thinner, but she was still breathtakingly beautiful.

"I want to... see the stars."

Daniel nodded immediately. *** A full moon rose in the cloudless night sky, bright enough to be seen even by Frida, whose world turned dark at night. The two of them settled on the terrace of the fifth-floor room, which was being prepared as the new bedroom for the duchess. Although it wasn't cold due to the approaching summer, the wind from the Atlas Mountains occasionally carried a chill. Daniel, who didn't feel at ease even after wrapping her in a blanket, covered her again with his robe.

"Aren't you cold?"

"I like it. It feels refreshing. I feel alive."

When Frida pulled down the blanket that had risen to her chin, Daniel pushed it back up.

"The mountain breeze is still cold. Stay covered."

"It's suffocating..."

With her legs stretched out on the couch on the terrace, Frida pouted and leaned heavily on Daniel's chest. The couch was long enough for her but far too short for Daniel. Sitting with his legs bent, he adjusted her position to make her more comfortable. Checking her forehead and neck, he found her fever had significantly reduced. During the climb to the fifth floor, her consciousness had fully returned, and her complexion had brightened. Most importantly, the clear view of the night sky due to the full moon seemed to lift her spirits. She pointed to a spot in the black sky with her hand, which she had taken out from under the blanket.

"Daniel, is there a star there?"

Though it wasn't clear, a faint light could be seen in the dark sky. Daniel held her hand and gently moved it to the right.

"Not there, here. The point your fingertips are pointing to. Ricardo called this the Eagle Star."

"The Eagle Star? Why?"

When Frida turned her head, her hair tickled Daniel's chin. He buried his face in her damp hair, which smelled of life and was comforting.

"An ancient king of the gods ascended to the sky and became this star. It's said that when he finds a lady he likes, he sometimes transforms into an eagle and descends to the earth to take her away."

"Oh, really?"

Her voice, though not fully recovered, was thin and trembling, but it didn't matter. It was a relief to hear her voice again, even if it was broken. If he could never hear this voice again...

Hugging Frida tightly, Daniel bowed his head over her shoulder. His chest felt heavy, and his blood seemed to rush downward. It felt as if he was being pulled into a lake under the ice, and all his senses were fading.

'This is what it feels like to relax.'

The sudden realization was both amusing and frightening, and he tightened his arms around her.

"Don't look at the sky, Frida."

Daniel turned her head to face him.

"The eagle might take you away."

It wasn't because he was afraid to fight the king of the gods. The days without her... He was truly afraid now. Daniel's eyes, heavy with moisture, clung to her. His calm and serious expression was the same as always, but there was a hint of inexplicable sadness, or perhaps fear. Frida couldn't understand the fear in his deep eyes. What could possibly frighten this man?

"Why... do you look at me like that?"

"How do I look?"

"Like... it might actually happen."

It seems like you're afraid it might actually happen. Sensing the unspoken words, his lips parted, and a light breeze sounded.

"Indeed. I'm a bit afraid thinking about how much trouble it would be to find you if the eagle took you away."

It was clearly a joke, but why didn't it feel like one? He wasn't the type to enjoy silly jokes, so why was he acting this way?

"That's just a legend, right?"

"Yes, a legend."

Daniel smiled and brushed her wind-tousled hair.

"But just in case, if you see an eagle, be sure to avoid it. You can hide behind me."

Was this the Daniel she knew? The playful side of her husband was intriguing, but his sad eyes were concerning.

"Daniel, are you okay?"

She had been ill for days, but Daniel looked more fragile. The corners of his eyes curved when he heard her question.

"Are you asking me if I'm okay now?"

He chuckled and asked, 'In this state?' as he stroked her gaunt cheek. His smile made him look better, and her tension eased. The more time she spent with him, the more she realized how unpredictable he was. He could be polite and kind, then cold and distant, and when she thought he was cold, he would passionately pursue her. An enigma. No matter how much she thought about it, she couldn't understand Daniel. He was like a tree with deep roots, immovable by anyone, even when he lay unconscious in bed for three years. But the Daniel in front of her now was different. Despite his strong physique, why did he look so weak?

"Ah..."

Suddenly, she felt dizzy.

"If you're feeling unwell, lean on me."

When Frida frowned, Daniel laid her on his chest. She nestled into his embrace like a baby, but the warmth of his hand stroking her back made her reluctant to leave. She wanted to fall asleep in his comforting embrace.

"If you're feeling unwell, shall we go back to the room?"

"No, I want to stay here. The room is suffocating."

Frida, who had been through life-threatening illnesses and recoveries, was now just tired. She buried herself deeper into Daniel's embrace, wanting nothing more than to rest in his broad, warm chest. She pressed her cheek against his warm body. His large, warm hand, which had been stroking her, paused at her neck. Her tousled hair tickled Daniel's bare skin exposed by his shirt.

"F-Frida."

His voice, already low, was tight with worry.

"Oh, I'm fine now."

The strong heartbeat against her cheek could be felt. It was so strong that her cheek trembled. This man is really... different from me. As she marveled, Daniel stroked her hair and whispered quietly.

"I'm not okay."