Chapter 6. The Master and Servant of Ilium

“Wilma, I’m sorry.”

“What’s wrong?”

Wilhelmina grabbed my hand with a worried expression.

“I’ve never seen you this anxious before.”

I tried to put on a business smile.

But even my lips wouldn’t curl up properly.

“Is there anything I can help with?”

“That’s very kind of you, but for now……”

“I understand. You’re the Prince’s assistant, so there are things you can’t tell me.”

Wilma tightened her grip on my hand.

“I’ve seen many times how Father and Brother don’t easily share work matters either, so don’t worry about that.”

At times like this, I truly felt that she was a lady from an ancient noble family.

“Then just tell me one thing. Should I stay here, or should I return to the capital?”

It was truly an ocean-deep understanding.

And I didn’t have the luxury to refuse Wilma’s consideration out of unnecessary guilt.

Knowing it was surprising that there hadn’t been any real troubles until now, and knowing how cruel this world could be to its protagonists.

“My lady, I think you should return.”

Wilhelmina nodded as if she had expected this.

“I’ll return without incident, and you’ll spend time with your fiancé, the Second Prince.”

“Thank you, Wilma.”

“We don’t need such words between us, we’re friends.”

After saying that, Wilma called the villa’s butler and even showed me the kindness of arranging for me to stay a few more days.

When I said I could just find a suitable inn, Wilma showed her scariest face yet.

“Then, I’ll see you in the capital. Don’t get hurt.”

“Yes. Ah, and Wilma.”

Though she wasn’t Cassian and might not listen to me, it was better to speak up and risk being thought strange than to regret not saying anything.

“Could you be careful with outdoor activities until His Highness Cassian and I return to the capital?”

There was no evidence, but…

I didn’t want to see any future where she might be used by the Empress through some god’s mischievous prank.

While I was thinking this, Wilma stared at me quietly for a moment.

“That’s also something you can’t explain the reason for, isn’t it?”

“Yes.”

I deliberately answered boldly and shamelessly.

“Alright, I’ll do that.”

And my precious friend agreed to my request with a bright smile, just like my superior would.

I saw Wilma off like that.

Hoping that we could meet in the capital and laugh about how this was all just my needless worry.

*

After sending Wilma off, I took out one of the lighter dresses I had brought.

‘Ilium.’

I had the lodging address Cassian had given me two days ago, just in case.

‘Of course, my shy fiancé won’t suddenly show up suspecting me.’

Even his playfully whispered words were vivid.

‘He surely hasn’t gotten into any major crisis.’

That had to be true.

‘Being the weak person he is, he must have found a way to survive.’

By now, he’s probably smirking and thinking about how he couldn’t keep his promise with Rose.

Even while thinking this, I tied the ribbon crookedly in my haste.

I glared at the mirror for a moment.

Seeing the shape that Cassian would surely tease me about, I briefly reached for the ribbon but then left it alone.

I should leave something for my mischievous superior to do.

This was the most I could do to wish for his well-being.

*

‘Rose must be worried.’

She definitely would be.

Cassian thought this as he brushed back his damp hair.

‘My assistant acts like I’m the most hateful person in the world, but she cares about me more than anyone.’

Probably more than anyone else left in this world.

Since he essentially had no one left who could be called family.

“Huu……”

He wanted to contact her to say he was fine.

“Maybe facing a mage alone was a bit too much.”

He could clearly picture Roselita who would shower him with scolding as soon as she saw his face.

What were the knights for, she would say.

“Cut me some slack, Rose.”

Because unlike what she thought, he was utterly cunning and never did anything to eliminate escape routes.

‘Don’t think I’m a coward. Always make an escape route, okay?’

The little lady who lisped when her new teeth were growing in.

During that time when she couldn’t pronounce properly, she called him ‘Ian’ instead of his name which he had barely bothered to hide — that was his warmest childhood memory.

Those words, one by one, had built who he was today.

‘I’m really going to get scolded.’

That little lady had clearly said.

‘Huh? You know? This isn’t the time to die! Don’t reminisce about the best times then!’

Cassian chuckled softly as he hurried to stop the bleeding on his heated side.

Well, since it wasn’t time to die, he should stop thinking about it.

He couldn’t make her cry again.

Since his condition wasn’t serious enough to need comforting himself by pulling out each precious memory.

As Roselita thought, he was quite cunning and thorough, always preparing for contingencies.

Even now, he was making good use of the emergency kit he had ruthlessly made the mages create.

“Huu……”

Cassian took a deep breath at the unpleasant sensation of the bleeding stopping and wound closing.

Though fever spread as the warm sensation diffused, it seemed manageable enough to not hinder his tasks.

‘I don’t want Rose to find out I had to use the emergency kit.’

Regular scolding was fine, but he didn’t want to see her worried face.

After thinking for a moment, Cassian took off his blood-stained white shirt.

Better to be thought of as a pervert.

‘I’m sorry for ruining your vacation, but.’

He needed to meet Roselita first to resolve this situation.

*

“A cottage……? And in such a remote place?”

Though he came here for work,

If the Empress’s pretext was meeting with his fiancée, shouldn’t they have gotten a prettier lodging?

‘We could even use the official budget for that.’

The address Cassian gave me was a cottage located in an isolated forest within Ilium.

Just like before.

‘Like the cottage I rented to hide from people’s eyes when I saved him.’

Was this also some kind of signal to me?

As I sighed briefly and opened the cottage door, the inside was quiet.

“Did he really stay here for days……”

There was no sign of living here at all.

It looked beyond neat. It felt like the space had been empty for days.

This left me with no clues to track Cassian……

When he gave me the address, didn’t that mean I should come rescue him if needed?

Previously too, Cassian had sometimes said meaningless things only to me.

Until now, he had never failed to contact me or show up within promised times so I never had to use them, but…

‘Should I have tested it beforehand?’

While looking around the modest cottage interior in disbelief, I sensed movement outside the door.

At the approaching presence, I carefully hid myself beside a large wardrobe.

‘It could be a mage involved in this incident.’

Getting involved with those troublesome ones would be annoying.

As I wondered if there was a back door, the door opened with a creaking sound.

“……Hello, Rose.”

When I heard the familiar voice that sounded slightly weak, I immediately revealed myself from hiding.

“Your Highness!”

And the next moment, I caught my breath.

The damp golden hair, complexion that seemed somewhat pale, fierce eyes that suggested how dangerous a place he’d been in…

And below his neck, exposed curves that anyone would find excessive—

“……Why are you undressed?”

I ended up blurting out something foolish without filtering.

His upper body was as excellent as his face, no, no, this wasn’t the time to look…!

I barely managed to fix my gaze on his face after it had been wandering up and down in confusion, but then turned away as another thought occurred.

“Did you develop some strange hobby? It’s not even weather for going around undressed!”

“Did you like what you see?”

“Of course I— No! Why are you asking strange things?”

“Strange things?”

Cassian clicked his tongue at my justified response and slowly approached.

The next moment, he placed one hand on my shoulder and stretched out his other arm to block my escape.

“What could be more important than matching my fiancée’s taste for beautiful things?”

At his low voice, rougher than usual, whispering near my ear—

Rough voice?

“……Stop joking around and put on clothes right now.”

My flustered feelings cleared instantly.

Because I realized his condition was quite poor.

At those words, Cassian slid his hand from my shoulder and wrapped it around my waist, then opened the wardrobe door in front of us with his other hand.

“Don’t make that face, Rose.”

“How can I not?”

I could feel the intense fever from his body against my back.

Cassian took out a shirt, briefly hugged my waist tightly before letting go, and began to dress quietly.

Only after hearing the rustle of shirt fabric a few times could I finally turn around.

How could his face be so pale when his body was this hot?

Whether he knew my thoughts or not,

“Rose, the ribbon.”

He reached for my disheveled ribbon.

“Is the ribbon really the issue right now?”

“Yes, because you entrusted it to me.”

His serious and grave expression left me unable to stop him, so I let him fix it.