Chapter 16

“That’s right. I gave it to her.”

“Why?”

“Because she asked for it.”

“You gave her that just because she asked…… Ngh!”

Astan let out a short groan as he tried to rise from the bed and clutched at his wound. Logan, who had reflexively reached out a hand, shook his head.

“Calm down. She’ll come running in here again. Ah, or are you doing it on purpose?”

Wearing a teasing smile, Logan continued as Astan bared his teeth at him.

“I thought it would be far better for the young lady to solve things simply than for either you or me to be on edge every month wondering whether this month would pass safely.”

“You madman. And you call that a reasonable thing to say.”

“Isn’t that preferable for you as well, Your Grace, compared to being locked away in the western tower every full moon?”

“I’m used to it, so it doesn’t bother me.”

“You may be used to it, but that doesn’t mean you enjoy it.”

Astan, struck right in the mark by Logan’s words, turned his gaze to the empty desk.

“That’s my thought, of course, but the young lady wanted it so strongly, and I also thought it was the right thing.”

Logan said this with a seriousness rarely seen in him. Astan knew well enough that Logan had done all he could.

Though not as many as Astan, Logan’s body too bore countless scars that would never fade. Half of them had been earned while killing Sikun, and the other half were wounds left by Astan when he had turned into a monster.

Logan had always laughed it off, saying it was simply the price to be paid for a lowly fellow daring to be raised as a milk-brother to the Duke of Schultzmeyer, but Astan had always felt sorry that Logan, who had absolutely nothing to do with the imperial household, had to share in his pain.

Even so, if he had to share this curse with someone, his belief had not changed that Logan was preferable to Gloria.

“Take the bracelet back. I’ll speak to Gloria myself.”

“Honestly, you are stubborn. I know you like me, but it’s time to let me go.”

Answering as though joking, Logan continued in a light tone.

“Besides, isn’t pressing your lips to the young lady once far less painful for you than fighting with me?”

“This time I was chained up, so it passed safely, but if I hadn’t been—”

“Ah, so you were worried the young lady might get hurt?”

I thought as much. Logan shrugged.

“Other than her lips being a little swollen, she seemed perfectly fine.”

“She’s not the kind of woman who would say she’s hurt even if she is.”

“Thinking that might be the case, my mother checked her thoroughly. As I said, except for her lips, she was perfectly fine.”

As though he could see straight through Astan’s thoughts, Logan smoothly continued.

“If you still can’t put your mind at ease, I’ll stay by her side as much as possible. In any case, the dangerous period is limited, so as long as we’re careful at that time, there won’t be a problem, will there?”

From the grin on his face, it was obvious he found this all very amusing and had every intention of teasing. Astan glared at him as though he might devour him, but Logan paid it no mind and kept prodding at him.

“You’re pleased, aren’t you?”

“…….”

“You’ve finally found her, after all. Your destined partner.”

Astan shot him a sidelong look and answered stiffly.

“I seem to recall hearing the same thing ten years ago.”

Logan’s expression stiffened slightly.

“That time…… just think of it as not having been the right bond.”

Logan, who had flinched for a moment, quickly resumed his cheerful tone.

“Still, thanks to that, you’ve met your true destined partner now, so isn’t that a good thing?”

“So anyone can be destined, then.”

“Of course. It’s destiny. The butler chose the McCain household out of all those families and sent the proposal letter there, and then the young lady came here. Isn’t that perfect destiny?”

“…….”

“So stop resisting and accept it.”

With an irritating smile, Logan hurried out of the room. At the sound of the door slamming shut, Astan frowned.

“Damned fools.”

How could every single one of his subordinates be like this?

They truly were a pack of damned fools.

* * *

Tap, taap, tap. The sound of melting snow dripping from the eaves was loud. Astan, who had been tossing and turning as he tried and failed to sleep, finally sat up.

It had already been five days, and lying in bed all day long was beginning to make him restless.

In the past, I would have been up already and sparring with Logan by now.

Two days earlier, he had risen to reach for the teapot, stepped on the edge of the blanket, and fallen. While he was still trying to suppress the pain, Gloria had rushed over, crying out that His Grace had fallen, making such a fuss that all the servants gathered in his room. Ever since then, getting out of bed had become a frightening prospect in itself.

“Hoo…….”

Astan carefully placed a hand over his wound.

This is not an injury that should be lasting this long.

Before, he had remained fine even after wounds far worse than this, but this time the healing was unusually slow.

……Is it because I’m getting older?

He would be thirty soon, so it would not be strange if changes had come over his body.

Then again, shouldn’t that mean my wounds ought to be healing faster instead…….?

Deep in thought, Astan studied his own reflection in the window. Scars from fighting the Sikun still remained, but for now, he was all right. For now, at least.

“It isn’t easy living in one’s right mind either.”

Muttering self-mockingly, Astan turned his wrist. The loosened bracelet spun round and round.

“Your Grace.”

Knock knock. A lively voice, together with the knock, stirred him from his thoughts. It was Gloria.

“You’re awake. How are your wounds feeling?”

“I’m fine.”

“It doesn’t hurt when you move?”

“More or less.”

At the lackluster reply, Gloria tilted her head and then said,

“Take it off.”

“What?”

“You have to take it off for me to treat you.”

“I-I’ll handle it myself, so just leave it there and go.”

“How are you planning to wrap your bandages by yourself?”

A look of pure puzzlement came over Gloria’s face. Studying Astan with a curious expression, Gloria burst into laughter.

“Surely you’re not embarrassed?”

“…….”

“I already saw everything while you were lying down, so don’t worry and just take it off.”

Holding bandages in one hand and a bottle of medicine in the other, Gloria urged Astan on.

“If you don’t take it off, I’m going to strip it off by force.”

Telling him to take it off quickly while she was still asking nicely, Gloria threatened him once more.

What kind of woman is this, with so little reserve?

Letting out a groan, Astan asked,

“Where’s Colin?”

“He went out. He told me to please take good care of treating you, Your Grace.”

There are more than enough people who could do that.

The request could only be seen as deliberate, but realizing there was no bending Gloria’s stubbornness, Astan obediently took off his outer garment.

“Do as you like.”

At Astan’s declaration of surrender, Gloria began carefully undoing the bandages. She had spoken so boldly, yet the hands undoing the bandages were trembling.

When the bandages came off, blood seeped out once more from the wounds that had not yet closed.

“Your Grace, you’re bleeding…….”

“It’s fine.”

It doesn’t look fine at all.

Gloria murmured softly as she opened the bottle of medicine. As the sensation of the medicine being spread over the wound tickled, Astan shrank back slightly, and Gloria snatched her hand away in alarm.

“Does it hurt?”

“……No.”

Shaking his head, Astan pulled the blanket that had slipped aside back over himself. Having finished the treatment, Gloria picked up the bandages. Watching the woman wrap them around him, Astan suddenly spoke.

“Return that bracelet to Logan.”

“Why?”

Gloria stopped her hands in the middle of bandaging.

“It’s not something just anyone can have.”

“Why am I just anyone? I’m your fiancée, Your Grace.”

“I’m not joking.”

“I’m not joking either.”

Answering firmly, Gloria began wrapping the bandages again. Astan stared at the amethyst bracelet hanging loosely around her slender wrist and spoke once more.

“You must not understand how dangerous that thing is…….”

“I do know.”

Gloria said this as she tightened the knot.

“I know how dangerous it is, and I know how frightening it is.”

After tying off the bandage, Gloria lowered her hands.

“But Logan told me something. He said that you had never once put him in danger.”

“…….”

“So I’ll be fine too.”

She continued in a gentle voice. There was not the slightest wavering in the eyes fixed directly on him.

In a roughened voice, Astan asked back,

“Do you think you’re the same as Logan?”

“What’s the difference?”

“Logan wore that bracelet for over ten years.”

“I’ll get used to it soon enough too.”

“That fellow is a man. He’s sturdy, and strong enough to the point of foolishness.”

“That’s true.”

“If I lose my reason, he can subdue me, and in an emergency, he can even throw me over his back and run.”

“Hmm. That’s not something I can do.”

Gloria nodded as though in agreement.

“Exactly, so…….”

“I’ll work harder.”

……Haa. Astan clicked his tongue at the stubbornness of a woman who showed no sign whatsoever of yielding.

“Why are you so fearless?”

“Because I trust you. You didn’t harm me, did you, Your Grace?”

“This time you were safe only because you were lucky. Who knows what might happen next time?”

“It’ll be fine next time too.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“I can. Because I’m going to make it that way.”

Gloria replied with a bright smile.

It was a smile that made him want to believe it really would turn out that way.