Chapter 96 – Too Defenseless

Farrid stared at Levisia, who was fast asleep on his shoulder. She was snoring lightly, all the while not knowing what was going on with the man whose shoulder she was leaning on.

He didn’t know what mindset he’d talked to her in. It was already like this by the time he has calmed his mind and organised his thoughts. Sighing deeply, he ran his fingers through his hair and gazed at her again. Her long eyelashes were flickering every now and then, but she didn’t stir from her slumber. She seemed fine during their conversation, but now she was completely out cold. He figured it was perhaps her anxiety had been lifted, causing a sudden slumber to fall upon her. But, somehow, he had managed to put the most dangerous person right next to him.

He thought about what she had said, about how he could never harm her, even if he was given the chance. That moment was right there, and yet he was unable to lay a hand on her when she was sleeping so soundly against his shoulder. Carefully, so as not to wake her up, he moved slightly so she would be more comfortable, and sighed. How had he ended up becoming so pathetic?

“What else do you know about me?” He said, looking down at Levisia again and tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. He knew that he couldn’t hurt her no matter what, even if she did know that he was the last prince of Roycal. Though he had a hunch that she knew more than she was letting on.

He let those thoughts slide as he focused on her hand. Slowly, he unwrapped the bandage and turned her hand over to reveal the blister that was now ready to burst. Unsheathing the dagger that he kept in his boot, he cut the tip of his finger, paying no mind to the pain that was coursing through his body. The blood from the cut dripped onto Levisia’s hand, splashing over the blister. With each drop, her hand began to heal, and soon there was no sign of the swelling or the blister. Only then, when he was satisfied with his work, did Farrid rub the blood into his own finger to heal the cut. Then, he picked up the bandage from his side and started rewrapping Levisia’s hand. He realised that it was a stupid thing to do, yet he carried on. Before letting her hand go, he lightly kissed the back of her hand. He burst out laughing as soon as his lips came off of it.

“What in the world am I doing? You don’t need to do all of this, you fool.” He let go of Levisia’s hand. “Being too defenseless is not really a good thing. When you see this, you’ll see there’s no limit to me being stupid or taking advantage of you. Anyway, let’s get you back into the palace.”

Scooping up Levisia and holding her close in his arms, Farrid navigated the gardens and headed into the palace, taking care to avoid running into anyone along the way. The last thing he wanted was to explain why he, a mere servant, was carrying the unconscious body of a princess.

To his relief, he managed to make it up to his room without any problems. He entered his bedroom, as it was closer than Levisia’s, and kicked the door shut behind him. Levisia was beginning to stir slightly as he lowered her onto the bed, so he reckoned it wouldn’t take long for her to wake up.

“I’ll go have a quick wash.” He said to himself, lifting his armpits to have a whiff. There had been no time for him to bathe that morning, as Levisia had been at his door since the crack of dawn. And his hair needed a wash, as well.

* * *

When Levisia opened her eyes, it took her a moment to realise that she was not in the garden where she had been talking to Pel. She was in a bedroom, judging by the pillow beneath her head and the blanket she was wrapped up in, but she did not recognise the décor.

Confused, she sat up in the bed and took the time to properly analyse where she was. Only then did she realise that she was in Pel’s bedroom, with the man himself walking into the bedroom and closing the door behind him.

“Ah, you’re up now. How was your nap?” He asked, running a towel through his damp hair.

“You’re not even trying to hide your identity now.” Levisia blurted out, staring at his dark red hair. “Are you trying to get caught?”