Spring Flower (4)
Lucy lost consciousness not long after.
Perhaps because her fatigue had reached its limit, she fell asleep in my arms.
Her blonde hair fanned out against my chest as she breathed softly. I gazed silently at the warmth she emanated.
“Raiden…”
Even in her sleep, she mumbled my name, her voice thick with exhaustion. A stray tear traced a path down her cheek.
I gently wiped it away with my fingertip.
Our reunion, after almost a month, was filled with a maelstrom of emotions.
My liege was in a state of utter disarray.
Dark circles stained the skin beneath her eyes, her fingernails were bitten to the quick, and her hair was a tangled mess.
Lucy’s condition was dire.
“…What in the world…”
What in the world had happened?
I couldn’t bring myself to voice the question.
I knew, deep down, that it was none other than I who had driven this fragile girl to such a state.
I clamped my mouth shut, the events of yesterday replaying in my mind, each memory a fresh stab to my heart.
“…Sleep well”
I murmured, my voice heavy with guilt.
Holding the fading blonde close, I tried to gather my turbulent emotions.
As I sat there in silence, I gradually became aware of the numerous gazes on us.
The servants were staring.
Even Gilbert, who had accompanied me to the drawing room, was among them.
Their eyes were wide with shock.
“…Ah.”
It dawned on me then that our current state was not… ideal.
I had, after all, reduced the Empire’s treasured Golden Flower to tears. Not only that, I had driven her to the point of fainting.
What kind of person could possibly reduce a princess to such a state?
They must all be thinking the same thing.
Only Ariel and Rachel, who knew the whole story, looked at us with complicated expressions.
“Brother…”
“Young Master…”
Their voices were laced with worry as they approached me.
I tried to smile, but it felt unnatural, like a poorly crafted mask, and did nothing to convey the turmoil I felt inside.
My mind was in disarray.
Pushing down the pain that clung to my heart, I rose to my feet.
I couldn’t let Lucy stay like this.
Gently lifting her limp body, I turned to Gilbert.
“Please show me to a spare room. Her Highness needs to rest.”
“Ah… Yes, Young Master.”
Gilbert, who had been lost in thought, finally nodded.
Following the old butler as he hurried off, I walked in silence, my heart heavy with guilt and worry.
***
How much time had passed?
The girl’s eyelids fluttered open.
A dark, unfamiliar ceiling swam into her blurry vision.
As Lucy’s mind slowly came into focus, she realized that she was lying beneath an unfamiliar ceiling.
She tried to sit up, but a wave of exhaustion washed over her, pinning her to the bed.
“…My head…”
She winced, pressing a hand to her throbbing temples.
Her vision swam in and out of focus, further disorienting her.
Lucy let out a shaky breath.
Sleep threatened to claim her with each exhale.
She forced her heavy eyelids open, trying to get her bearings.
Where… am I…?
The first question that came to mind was, naturally, her current location.
The heavy shadows in the room made it difficult to see clearly, but she could at least tell that this wasn’t her room.
A wave of confusion washed over her.
She pushed it aside, trying to recall what had happened.
I went to see Raiden…
She had gone to the Lishite Dukedom without a second thought.
She had made her way to the drawing-room, and then…
“Raiden…!”
A spark of blue flickered in her shadowed eyes.
The name escaped her lips before she could stop herself, a desperate plea lost in the silence.
Lucy tried to sit up again, ignoring the feeling that her body was about to fall apart.
She had to see Raiden.
There were things she had to tell him.
But her body refused to cooperate.
The fatigue that had been accumulating over the past month weighed her down, heavy and relentless.
No… I have to see him…
Lucy bit her lip, her vision blurring with tears as a wave of helplessness washed over her.
Just as the tears threatened to spill over, a calm voice reached her ears.
“You’re awake.”
Lucy froze, her heart leaping at the sound of the voice she had been longing to hear.
“Ra-iden…?”
Her voice trembled as she spoke, a mixture of emotions clogging her throat.
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“Raiden… Is it really you…?”
She asked again, unable to believe her ears.
As if to quell her disbelief, the boy who had been shrouded in shadows stepped forward.
“I am here… Your Highness.”
His black hair reminded her of the night sky. His black eyes, usually so full of life and warmth, were now tinged with a deep sadness. He offered her a small, hesitant smile.
As his features came into focus, Lucy felt the tears finally spill over.
“Raiden…!”
She tried to sit up again, but this time, a hand gently pressed against her forehead, urging her to stay down.
“Rest, Your Highness. You need to recover your strength.”
His voice was reassuring as he added,
“Do not worry yourself. I will stay by your side until you have fully recovered.”
His touch was gentle as he brushed a stray strand of hair from her cheek.
The warmth of his hand seemed to settle the turmoil within her.
Lucy finally relaxed back against the pillows, her blonde hair fanning out around her.
Raiden sat down on the edge of the bed and took her hand in his.
His touch sent a jolt through her, warm and familiar.
Lucy couldn’t stop the rush of emotions that surged through her at the feeling of his hand in hers.
“I’m sorry…”
“Your Highness?”
“I’m sorry for coming after you… I’m sorry… Raiden…”
Her voice was thick with sorrow, her words echoing in the silent room.
“You said… you hated me… You told me to go away… But… I still came after you…”
She remembered the look on his face, the resignation and resentment, the venom in his eyes as he stared into the distance.
“I thought… I shouldn’t… But… Without you… I don’t think I can go on…”
Lucy choked back a sob, her words tumbling out in a jumbled mess as her emotions threatened to overwhelm her.
“Please… Raiden… Please…”
She remembered the loneliness she had felt when Raiden had suddenly disappeared.
The suffocating sense of loss that had clung to her every waking moment.
Now that she had finally found him again… Now that he had come back to her…
“I don’t want to… Please, don’t…”
The thought of losing him again, of facing that unbearable emptiness, filled her with terror.
“…Don’t leave me.”
Her voice was a broken whisper, her blue eyes, usually so full of life, now dull with pain.
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