A very small noise woke me up.

  The sound of hand turning a doorknob ’click’.

  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 haven’t 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 isn’t she still up? Is she seriously sick?"

  Oh, it’s Gilliu.

  "She has been sleeping for three days. Shouldn’t we wake her up?"

  A slightly lower voice than Gilliu, Mayron.

  "Lady Florentia is very tired. Don’t worry too much, the only thing that’s hurt is her forehead."

  Estira’s 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.

  "I’m fine, but Gilliu’s been moaning all night."

  Mayron replied.

  "Well, it’s the first time I’ve ever used Aura that much. Can you give me more of that ointment, Dr. Estira? It’s very cool and nice."

  "Sure, I’ll give you as much as you want, so don’t hold it in, Sir Gilliu."

  I thought they were talking about Estira ointment.

  Then Mayron said.

  "Doesn’t my uncle have to apply it too? You were busy replying to the letters until late last night."

  "Haha, then I’ll borrow some. My wrist is a little sore."

  Oh, it’s my father.

  The sweet voice with a smile was obviously my father.

  It’s a long way to Ivan’s estate, how did he get here?

  "Do you get a lot of letters asking after Lady Florentia?"

  Estira asked my father.

  "Don’t even say that. Father, sister Shannanet, Larane, and Craney. It’s not going to be an uproar from Lombardy to here by using emergency troops several times a day. If you hadn’t helped me write back, I would have stayed up all night."

  "Haha, I think so."

  The laughter that I had endured burst into the sound of my father’s laughter.

  "I’ll write the reply to this letter myself, Dad."

  "Tia!"

  I could hear several people running toward my bed at the same time.

  "Isn’t Ivan’s 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! We’ve 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 other’s anger.

  "I arrived yesterday, Lady Florentia. I’m a little late for the carriage ride, I’m sorry."

  "No, it took me ten whole days from Lombardy to here. If you had arrived yesterday, you wouldn’t have been able to rest all night. Thank you, Estira."

  "The eye patch is very uncomfortable, isn’t it? I’ve made the room dark, but I covered it because it could be too much. If it’s late, you can take off your blindfold for a moment."

  "Yes, I see."

  So I had a conversation with Estira and suddenly realized.

  That there’s someone who hasn’t said much yet.

  "Dad, are you okay?"

  "……Tia."

  Oh My Goodness.

  As expected, my father’s voice was very trembling.

  My crybaby father.

  "I’m fine, now. You were very surprised, sorry."

  I turned my face to the side where my father’s 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, I’m glad you’re all right. I’m so glad."

  I could tell without looking.

  What kind of expression my father has now.

  I held my father’s hand and said.

  "Everything’s 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 he’s recovering smoothly."

  "If it’s the aftereffects……"

  "I think he’s 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.

  "I’m stuck down there, and I don’t 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 he’s recovering fast. Oh, there he is."

  I heard my father’s word and a click at the door.

  "Perez?"

  It’s so uncomfortable because my eyes can’t see.

  Step, step.

  Instead of answering, I heard footsteps approaching me.

  "We’re going out for a while, Tia. Please talk for a moment."

  For some reason, my father and others quietly moved away.

  Everyone’s 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 can’t see right now, right? I don’t know if you don’t tell me."

  "……Sorry."

  Perez’s 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. Don’t think about it. What if you were in there with me? Didn’t you bring me out because you were outside?"

  Perez held my hand more tightly without a word.

  "I wish it hadn’t happened at all, but I think it happened in the best circumstances. I came out like this."

  Actually, it’s a bit scary considering the narrow dark carriage.

  I said as calmly as I could.

  "And in fact, it wasn’t 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 it’s time to forget about it and get back to a normal life. Then I’ll feel better. So will you, Perez."

  "……Okay."

  He answered obediently.

  But there was still no energy in his voice.

  Well, then there’s nothing we can do.

  I peeked up the blindfold, just a little bit.

  It wasn’t 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 didn’t stop.

  And I opened my closed eyes slightly.

  Right in front of me, I could see Perez’s face full of worries.

  "I knew it."

  The pupils shake like an earthquake, and the tail of the eyes is drooping down.

  I raised my hand and touched Perez’s cheek slightly.

  Of course, the crazy beauty didn’t go anywhere, but it was very upsetting.

  "You’re worse than me, aren’t you?"

  "……I’m fine. I’m recovering well. You are more than me……"

  "You and I should eat well for a while."

  I deliberately put my hand on Perez’s face, speaking more lightly, and naturally, let go of my grip.

  I felt Perez’s 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 he’s trying to take full responsibility for your accident, but I’m not going to put it that way."

  Perez’s 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.

  It’s been a long time since I’ve seen that look, so I asked with a small wince.

  "What, why do you look at me like that?"

  "Don’t tell me it’s because of me that you’re linking Lombardy and Pellet’s to Northern Relief and Ivan."

  "Why not, Perez, you’d better get ready now. You know you’ve already started working on it, right?"

  That’s why you longed for the Triva tree that way.

  But Perez’s expression continued to be alarming.

  The moment I thought it was reminiscent of that day at the lake, Perez’s 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 Perez’s cheek a while ago.

  And Perez’s 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 didn’t know why.

  As if just before opening the awaited present, it was full of impatience.

  And as if it were a sign, Perez’s face slowly approached.

  I could avoid it if I wanted to.

  But instead, I closed my eyes.

  Perez’s 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.

  It’s as if he can’t 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

  Perez’s 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 Perez’s 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 hadn’t 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. ’Love without expression is not love’."6

  "Hey, that’s just to Avinox……"

  "I almost lost you once, Tia."

  Perez reached out to me.

  "Now I don’t hesitate."1

  And then, with his finger, he rubs my lips a little.

  "Because I think I know your heart now."

  Perez’s 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 I’m going to express it, Tia. Until you’re ready to accept my heart."16

  It was a declaration of war. (Ohhh war for love).