May Every Wound Be Fatal - vanish into fiction

When she woke up after having drifted off while admiring his face in his light slumber, the spot where he had been was empty, as if the previous night’s events were all a dream.

“…….”

She did not know if it was a gesture of consideration for her, since she found him unfamiliar due to her memory loss, or if he was simply a blunt and awkward man by nature, or perhaps both, but she was starting to feel a bit slighted.

Of course, coming every single night and staying by her side until she fell asleep could not be an easy task. Reyna took comfort in that fact.

And so, another day of her life began, flowing exactly the same as the ones before.

Knock, knock. A light sound was followed by the door opening as the maid Allin entered.

“You are awake, My Queen.”

A young palace attendant followed behind her, carrying a silver tray with wash water, dry cloths, soap, and fragrances.

“I will wash your body for you.”

Two and a half months had passed since she injured her leg, but she was still not permitted to submerge her body in water. They said the wound was not yet fully closed, and she wondered exactly what state “not fully closed” meant.

Did it mean the flesh was still gaping? But it did not hurt that much anymore, so how could it still be….

“Is there anything in particular you would like to eat? Please, just say the word.”

Regardless, once the simple meal was over, the young palace attendants would massage her entire body so that her muscles would not stiffen, and after that, the old scholar Thales would visit with his assistant.

Reyna was used to all of this now. However, being used to something and being adjusted to it were two slightly different matters.

She was still making an effort to accept this new life.

After all, she was alive, and she could not simply let go of her life like this.

Her lost memories still had not returned. Once she accepted that this was something beyond her control, her sense of urgency lessened. Reyna looked for things she could actually do.

When she stopped skipping meals despite having no appetite, Allin made a great fuss, looking quite pleased.

“I think your cheeks have filled out a little.”

At those words, when she peeked into a mirror, she felt as if her face really did look better than before, though it might have just been her imagination.

The changes in her leg were felt even more clearly. Now, even when Thales disinfected the wound, there was only an occasional stinging sensation rather than actual pain.

“You may now take a bath for a short while, My Queen.”

And not long after, when Thales said those words while inspecting the wound, Reyna felt a surge of joy for the first time in a long while. It was perhaps the first time since she had injured her leg.

“…Is that true?”

“To allow the blood to circulate better down to your toes, submerge your body in warm water for a short time about twice a day. The bone has also knit together to some extent. You may remove the splint now.”

“My goodness….”

She felt as if she were reclaiming her life bit by bit. She felt that one day, she might be able to find all of those lost times. Her heart began to throb with hope.

The person even more excited than Reyna was Allin.

“Shall I bring the bathtub immediately?”

Reyna turned back to Thales with cheeks that were strangely flushed.

“Would that be alright?”

The old scholar, who looked closely at her face for a moment as if gauging her condition, soon nodded slightly as if it were fine.

Joy spread across Reyna’s lips once more. At that, even the exceptionally blunt Thales showed a rare upward curve of his lips before quietly withdrawing with his assistant.

When Allin gestured, the palace attendants brought in a bathtub a short while later, placed it in front of the fireplace on one side of the bedroom, and began to fill it with warm water. Meanwhile, Allin approached Reyna again and whispered.

“My Queen, lean on me.”

The only people in that room allowed to touch Reyna’s body were Allin and the young palace attendants. They joined forces to carefully lift Reyna’s body.

Reyna grimaced at the inevitable pain and the strange sensation of her stiffened flesh pulling.

Her body was light, but even that was burdensome for a leg that had hardened from being immobilized for so long. Of course, compared to before, this kind of pain was nothing, but even though she had only crossed the room, cold sweat was inevitably beaded on her forehead by the time she sat in the chair next to the tub.

As she caught her breath, Reyna suddenly murmured.

“Come to think of it, this is the first time I am seeing it.”

Allin, who was kneeling on one knee at her feet to undo the bandages, faltered.

“Ah…. Yes, I suppose so.”

Reyna noticed that her eyes wavered subtly.