A very small noise woke me up.
The sound of hand turning a doorknob âclickâ.
I woke up to the sound and opened my eyes.
But it was still dark in front of me.
I was scared for a moment.
Did I dream of being rescued?
Am I still stuck in the carriage?
However, the soft touch of the blanket in my reflectively moving hand told me this was a different place.
At the same time, I lost all the strength I had in my body.
And I thought again.
I quietly moved my hand and touched my eyes.
As expected, it was covered with blindfolds.
I havenât seen the light for a long time, so my eyes hurt when I open my eyes and see a bright light.
Someone did this for me.
I was completely relieved to think so.
And various information began to come in through senses other than vision.
The smell of fire as the firewood burns.
The touch of soft and warm bedding.
And a voice that talks from a distance.
"Why isnât she still up? Is she seriously sick?"
Oh, itâs Gilliu.
"She has been sleeping for three days. Shouldnât we wake her up?"
A slightly lower voice than Gilliu, Mayron.
"Lady Florentia is very tired. Donât worry too much, the only thing thatâs hurt is her forehead."
Estiraâs here, too.
Instead of black silence, I kept laughing at the voices of familiar people.
I thought I could lie down like this and listen for hours and hours.
"How are you two shoulders?"
Estira asked.
"Iâm fine, but Gilliuâs been moaning all night."
Mayron replied.
"Well, itâs the first time Iâve ever used Aura that much. Can you give me more of that ointment, Dr. Estira? Itâs very cool and nice."
"Sure, Iâll give you as much as you want, so donât hold it in, Sir Gilliu."
I thought they were talking about Estira ointment.
Then Mayron said.
"Doesnât my uncle have to apply it too? You were busy replying to the letters until late last night."
"Haha, then Iâll borrow some. My wrist is a little sore."
Oh, itâs my father.
The sweet voice with a smile was obviously my father.
Itâs a long way to Ivanâs estate, how did he get here?
"Do you get a lot of letters asking after Lady Florentia?"
Estira asked my father.
"Donât even say that. Father, sister Shannanet, Larane, and Craney. Itâs not going to be an uproar from Lombardy to here by using emergency troops several times a day. If you hadnât helped me write back, I would have stayed up all night."
"Everyone was worried. Huhu, when Florentia wakes up, everyone will hear something. How can you just use the emergency messenger phrase like that?"
"Haha, I think so."
The laughter that I had endured burst into the sound of my fatherâs laughter.
"Iâll write the reply to this letter myself, Dad."
"Tia!"
I could hear several people running toward my bed at the same time.
"Isnât Ivanâs estate very far away? What is everyone doing here?"
I asked with a smile.
"Of course, after hearing the news of Tia, I ran right away!"
"Right! Weâve been from Lombardy to here in just four days!"
"Do you know how worried we were about you, Tia?"
The twins replied quickly to each otherâs anger.
"I arrived yesterday, Lady Florentia. Iâm a little late for the carriage ride, Iâm sorry."
"No, it took me ten whole days from Lombardy to here. If you had arrived yesterday, you wouldnât have been able to rest all night. Thank you, Estira."
"The eye patch is very uncomfortable, isnât it? Iâve made the room dark, but I covered it because it could be too much. If itâs late, you can take off your blindfold for a moment."
"Yes, I see."
So I had a conversation with Estira and suddenly realized.
That thereâs someone who hasnât said much yet.
"Dad, are you okay?"
"...Tia."
Oh My Goodness.
As expected, my fatherâs voice was very trembling.
My crybaby father.
"Iâm fine, now. You were very surprised, sorry."
I turned my face to the side where my fatherâs voice came in and smiled brighter on purpose and said.
"Of course! When I pass by, the road collapses. I was a little unlucky... Right!"
I had no choice but to stop talking.
It was because his less trembling fingers touched my hair that flowed down slightly.
"...Yes, Iâm glad youâre all right. Iâm so glad."
I could tell without looking.
What kind of expression my father has now.
I held my fatherâs hand and said.
"Everythingâs fine now, Dad."
My father kept sweeping my forehead without saying a word.
I laughed, feeling more relaxed than ever at his touch.
When I feel happy for a while, another curiosity pushes into my head.
"But what happened to Migente Ivan? Is he all right over there?"
The answer came back from Estira.
"He broke his leg and it took him quite a while to get it treated, so the repercussions will still be there, but heâs recovering smoothly."
"If itâs the aftereffects..."
"I think heâs going to limp."
"Ah..."
I thought the shape of his leg was a little weird, but it broke.
I now understand what was worse than me.
"What about Perez?"
"Why do you ask the Prince?"1
My father asked me back, wondering.
"Iâm stuck down there, and I donât think Perez would have stayed still."
It was a vague inference, but the credibility was very high.
My father was silent for a moment.
And replied in a slightly pouty voice somewhere.
"His Highness is fine. He has worked so hard to rescue you, but heâs recovering fast. Oh, there he is."
I heard my fatherâs word and a click at the door.
"Perez?"
Itâs so uncomfortable because my eyes canât see.
Step, step.
Instead of answering, I heard footsteps approaching me.
"Weâre going out for a while, Tia. Please talk for a moment."
For some reason, my father and others quietly moved away.
Everyoneâs out and only me and Perez are left.
I reached out to Perez.
Fortunately, a big hand grabbed my hand right away.
"Have you eaten?"
But he did not answer.
"Perez, you know I canât see right now, right? I donât know if you donât tell me."
"...Sorry."
Perezâs voice cracked very low.
"What?"
"For letting you go through it alone."
Oh, I could roughly tell what he was thinking.
"Thank you for your concern. Donât think about it. What if you were in there with me? Didnât you bring me out because you were outside?"
Perez held my hand more tightly without a word.
"I wish it hadnât happened at all, but I think it happened in the best circumstances. I came out like this."
Actually, itâs a bit scary considering the narrow dark carriage.
I said as calmly as I could.
"And in fact, it wasnât as scary as I thought. I thought you were gonna save me."
I mean it.
I said, holding his hand as tightly as Perez did.
"Especially, Perez, it was reassuring to think that you were out there. Although the waiting time was a little boring."
"Tia..."
"Now you have to think that itâs time to forget about it and get back to a normal life. Then Iâll feel better. So will you, Perez."
"...Okay."
He answered obediently.
But there was still no energy in his voice.
Well, then thereâs nothing we can do.
I peeked up the blindfold, just a little bit.
It wasnât very bright inside, as Estira said, whether the room had a thick curtain.
I blinked a few times and there was nothing wrong with my eyes.
I took off my blindfold as it was.
"Tia!"
Perez was surprised but I didnât stop.
And I opened my closed eyes slightly.
Right in front of me, I could see Perezâs face full of worries.
"I knew it."
The pupils shake like an earthquake, and the tail of the eyes is drooping down.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
I raised my hand and touched Perezâs cheek slightly.
Of course, the crazy beauty didnât go anywhere, but it was very upsetting.
"Youâre worse than me, arenât you?"
"...Iâm fine. Iâm recovering well. You are more than me..."
"You and I should eat well for a while."
I deliberately put my hand on Perezâs face, speaking more lightly, and naturally, let go of my grip.
I felt Perezâs gaze staying there for a while.
"What about Lord Ivan?"
"He resigned the day you were rescued. And the next day, he officially passed over to Migente Ivan, who came to consciousness. I think heâs trying to take full responsibility for your accident, but Iâm not going to put it that way."
Perezâs voice saying so was a little grim.
"He has to take responsibility for what happened."
"No, Perez, let Jerome Ivan bear all the burden."
But I shook my head and stopped Perez.
"Migente Ivan is the one who will give you a vote of consent if you are appointed as the Crown Prince. Now, if the representative of the Northern part is changed to a family other than Ivan, the reward of having suffered this hardship will disappear."
Perez looked at me for a moment.
His red eyes had sunk heavily.
Itâs been a long time since Iâve seen that look, so I asked with a small wince.
"What, why do you look at me like that?"
"Donât tell me itâs because of me that youâre linking Lombardy and Pelletâs to Northern Relief and Ivan."
"Why not, Perez, youâd better get ready now. You know youâve already started working on it, right?"
Thatâs why you longed for the Triva tree that way.
But Perezâs expression continued to be alarming.
The moment I thought it was reminiscent of that day at the lake, Perezâs hand touched my cheek.
I was so surprised that my eyelids looked at Perez unknowingly trembled.
It was strange.
It felt so different from when I touched Perezâs cheek a while ago.
And Perezâs lips touched my forehead before I could stop them.
Thump! Thump!
My heart started beating violently after a long time.
Perez, whose lips were removed from my forehead, stared at my face for a moment.
It seems like it was burning hot because it was a position where my eyes could be met with his intense eyes.
As it was, Perez did not move.
Like waiting for me to be ready.
I bit my lip once without realizing it.
I didnât know why.
As if just before opening the awaited present, it was full of impatience.
And as if it were a sign, Perezâs face slowly approached.
I could avoid it if I wanted to.
But instead, I closed my eyes.
Perezâs lips, which came a little faster than I expected, touched my lips very slightly.29
A hot body temperature was felt through the thin skin.
Suddenly, I remembered Perez, whom I had seen several times in my dream.
The face that came to everyone with cold eyes on the horse.
And at that moment, Perez rubbed his lips furiously.
Itâs as if he canât be satisfied with a soft kiss.17
When the heart was conveyed, the heart pounded again and beating fast greatly.
The difference between Perez in my previous life and what he is now has been mixed up in my head.
His hard fingers were digging into my hair to get closer.2
Perezâs body was also felt.
It was as if we were speaking with the whole body.
He wants me to accept him.
My heart was talking too.
I want to accept Perez.
Unknowingly, I raised one hand and placed it on Perezâs chest.
And I grabbed his clothes and pulled them close.14
No, I was going to.
But when I realized how much I wanted Perez, I came to my senses.
I suddenly pulled back and removed the strongly entangled lips.
"Well, what are you doing?"
I almost fell for it!1
At my shout, Perez looked at me with eyes as if the heat hadnât gone away.
And without taking his eyes off me, he stole my wet lips with his thumb.
And said in a somber voice.
"Tia, you told me before. âLove without expression is not loveâ."6
"Hey, thatâs just to Avinox..."
"I almost lost you once, Tia."
Perez reached out to me.
"Now I donât hesitate."1
And then, with his finger, he rubs my lips a little.
"Because I think I know your heart now."
Perezâs eyes looked down at the wrinkles on his shirt and said.
Just a moment ago, it was the place that I clenched tight with my hand without me realizing it.
He touched the wrinkles part of his clothes with a proud face somewhere.7
Then he said with a very deep smile.
"Now Iâm going to express it, Tia. Until youâre ready to accept my heart."16
It was a declaration of war. (Ohhh war for love).