“We’ve been waiting for you. Miss Maria instructed us to escort you as soon as you arrived, Miss Lashantia. Please follow me.”

Lumiere followed the servant who had been waiting for her in the lobby up to the third floor, where the king’s bedroom was located.

Her heart pounded as she climbed the stairs.

He’ll be surprised, won’t he? How surprised will he be?

How should I react?

I shouldn’t just act like I know him, right? Then what expression should I have when I see him?

Despite her confusion, she felt genuinely happy at the thought of seeing him after so long.

This would be her first time meeting him since her memories returned.

Like someone who had returned from a very long journey, she wanted to see him as soon as possible.

‘What if he hates that I came here without notice……’

Embracing all her expectations, excitement, fears, and worries, she reached the front of the king’s private reception room.

She remembered Karl once telling her that the reception room, office, and bedroom had been connected into one for the sake of the ailing king.

To minimize movement, he had said.

“I will request an audience. Please wait here for a moment.”

The servant standing in front of the waiting room spoke respectfully and withdrew.

Lumiere gripped the handle of her art supply bag tightly.

Thump, thump, thump.

Her heart beat so hard it felt like it might jump out of her chest from nervousness.

— ……Save me!

At that moment, Lumiere paused and raised her head at the faint scream she heard.

“Did I mishear……?”

It sounded like a woman’s voice crying for help…

“Miss Lashantia, please follow me.”

Just as Lumiere was getting up to locate the source of the sound, the servant who had gone to request an audience came rushing back and led her inside.

The large door beyond the waiting room opened.

Lumiere took a deep breath and slowly entered.

“……”

And inside, a scene completely different from what she had imagined unfolded before her.

* * *

‘I survived.’

Maria barely managed to sit on the sofa and gripped the teacup with her trembling hands. Then she moistened her lips with the cold tea.

Her fingers were trembling terribly, turning white, but fortunately, she was managing to keep her expression composed.

“Th-this person is Lumiere Lashantia who painted my portrait. Although she’s a female painter, she p-paints with remarkable delicacy and attention to detail.”

Maria introduced Lumiere with a forced smile.

Thankfully, the king’s condition had improved from moments ago when he had lunged at her like a madman trying to kill her.

He sat silently on the sofa, staring intently at some point in empty space.

‘Is he alright now?’

Maria glanced at him and unconsciously let out a sigh of relief.

She had almost ended up begging the king in front of this woman.

That wasn’t why she had brought this woman before the king.

Either way, it was fortunate that the king had calmed down.

‘……Should I even call that being calm?’

Maria glanced fearfully at the king and quickly lowered her head.

As soon as the painter entered, the king had just sat there motionless, as if his soul had been switched.

But he could snap again like earlier at any moment, so it would be wise to leave this place quickly.

“Her t-talent is recognized by everyone, so Your Majesty will surely be satisfied. Miss Lashantia, His Majesty is not feeling well today and may have difficulty cooperating, so you’ll need to f-finish well on your own. Do you understand?”

Maria forced a smile as she put down her teacup, suppressing her still trembling voice.

“Yes, I will do so.”

Lumiere Lashantia seemed frightened, staring at the floor with a completely stiff face.

‘Yes, this is the king you were singing praises about. Try painting with your eyes wide open now.’

Maria felt a lukewarm sense of satisfaction as she hurriedly rose from her seat.

“Th-then I shall withdraw so as not to disturb you. I leave it in your hands.”

She left the reception room hastily without looking back.

As the reception room door closed, only Lumiere and the king remained.

The king, who inherently kept few people close to him, did not call for servants unless necessary.

“……”

“……”

A heavy silence settled in the vast reception room.

Neither of them ventured to speak first.

Lumiere clenched her fist over her knee.

Her dress hem rolled into her tightly clenched fist.

‘Stay calm.’

She slowly caught her breath.

She felt cautious even breathing in too deeply or quickly.

She didn’t know what meaning her startled breathing might hold for that person.

‘……Stay calm.’

Lumiere closed her eyes and weighed the words she would say to Karl.

What should I say, what should I say?

It was difficult to even glance at him from the corner of her eye.

The unprecedented sight of him had driven like a nail deep into her chest.

Her once-pounding heart now throbbed with pain.

Her chest felt numb and painful as if bruised.

Lumiere clenched her fist until it turned white, then released it, biting her trembling lips hard.

Above her closed eyes, the image of him that she had encountered upon entering this room was vividly imprinted, as if branded there.

Skin that looked as if it would ooze pus at any moment, hair covering half his face, hunched shoulders, and the dull golden eyes trembling in his startled, wide-open eyes…

Was it really Karl?

He looked so completely, perfectly different that she wondered if she had seen wrong.

‘Ah, Karl…..’

She had heard the rumors.

It was just a vague guess, but she had suspected his appearance would be concerning.

She vaguely remembered hearing once that one needed to wear makeup when entering the castle.

But the gap between what she vaguely knew and the reality she now faced with her own eyes was deeper and wider than she could have ever imagined.

While she hesitated over what to say, Karl broke the silence first.

As always, he was the first to speak.

“……Are you surprised?”

How can you speak so tenderly even at this moment?

Tears welled up suddenly.

“I didn’t want to show you this appearance.”

The moment she heard that bitter voice, she couldn’t control her emotions.

Lumiere abruptly stood up and rushed to Karl in one step.

“Don’t come closer……!”

She saw him flinch and back away, his face covered with patches of chemically treated artificial skin.

Lumiere didn’t stop.

As he raised his hands to cover his face, she reached out with both hands and embraced him tightly.

“……!”

She felt his body stiffen like stone.

Lumiere embraced him even more firmly and held his cheeks in her hands, making him look at her.

Though tears blurred her vision, she forced a smile and looked directly at Karl as she spoke.

“What do you mean by this appearance? What’s wrong with this appearance? Does wearing some fake skin make you any less you? Any less the person I love?”

“……Lumiere.”

Karl stared at her blankly, not knowing what to do.

Lumiere caressed his pitiful cheeks covered with patches of artificial skin.

Something rubbed off on her palm, but she didn’t care.

“I came because I missed you. I missed you so much I…… couldn’t bear it anymore, so I came. I’m sorry. I’m sorry, Karl. I’m sorry.”

“What……”

He wanted to ask what she was sorry for, that she had nothing to be sorry for to him, what on earth she was apologizing for, but his throat closed up and no words came out.

Karl buried his face against her small shoulder, clenching his teeth, and embraced her trembling, thin back, swallowing the sob that threatened to escape his throat.

“……What are you sorry for?”

“How difficult must it have been? In this lonely, cold castle, wearing such heavy skin…… How, how difficult must it have been……”

She embraced him, crying openly on his behalf.

Whatever his true appearance might be, it didn’t matter.

This man was simply Karl Winger whom she loved.

Despite voluntarily confining himself in this huge castle, he was just her kind and lovable lover who worried about her and sent her lemon candies.

“I’m sorry for coming so late. I’m sorry for always waiting for you to come. Okay? I’m sorry, Karl.”

“……Lumiere.”

“I should have come sooner…… I shouldn’t have let you guard this lonely place alone……”

At Lumiere’s sobbing apologies, moisture finally rippled in Karl’s eyes.

He twisted his face and silently shed tears.

‘Perhaps I’ve been waiting for someone to cry for me like this?’

He thought everyone in this country hated him.

But that was fine.

What they hated was the fake king who had the truth covered up, not his true self.

They weren’t hating the real him.

I will reveal the truth, clear my name, and someday fly freely into that wide, bright place.

So, it didn’t matter if he was trapped in this dark villa, curled up with a monstrous appearance… he was strong…

Perhaps that’s what he wanted to believe.

Inside Karl Winger, who grew up with stubbornness and spite, the young Laedro—crushed by loneliness after losing his family to blame and criticism—must have still been alive.

“You’re not alone. I will, always, I will…… I will stay by your side.”

Each and every word from Lumiere comforted Karl.

They soothed the little prince trapped inside him.

Lumiere swallowed her sobs and pulled his cheeks toward her.

Two crying lips carefully overlapped, seeping into each other.

The two caressed each other tenderly with the warmth of their lips.

Without passion, pleasure, or sensuality, yet it was a kiss hotter than any other, lasting for quite a long time.