May Every Wound Be Fatal - Chapter 61.2
“Why is that?”
It looked like she had something to say, but she simply shook her head with an awkward smile, as if it were nothing.
“How dull.”
Since it wasn’t the first time Allin had acted so frustratingly, Reyna didn’t think much of it and turned her gaze back to the book, flipping the page.
It was something Allin had found for her—a piece of chivalric literature she used to enjoy reading when she was seventeen. She still loved stories about the romance between a noble lady and a young knight.
But in truth, she hadn’t been able to focus on the book at all.
Her mind was completely filled with thoughts of him. She wanted to tell him the good news as soon as possible, but for some reason, time seemed to crawl more slowly than ever today. Her gaze kept drifting toward the window.
“…Um, Your Majesty. Do you still feel awkward around His Majesty?”
At the sudden question, Reyna let out a small, incredulous laugh and turned to Allin.
“Not awkward? Well…”
Then, without realizing it, she fell into thought about him.
She always felt sorry and grateful toward Elizer, but if she were to be honest, things were still awkward between them.
He spoke so little it was almost frustrating, and he tended to pull away even at the slightest touch, making it difficult to grow closer to him.
But…
“When he smiles, he feels like a completely different person.”
The brief honesty he had shown in his sleep, along with that sudden smile, had left quite an impression.
It had been faint—hard to even recognize—but perhaps that was why it lingered in her mind all the more.
Yes, ever since that night, she found herself thinking of him at all times, to the point that it was troubling. There was no room left for anxious thoughts to creep in.
And whenever she dwelled on that smile that had vanished like a mirage, a strange feeling would arise. For some reason, her heart would race, and her forehead would grow warm.
“It is awkward…”
Now that she was aware of it, the awkwardness felt different from before. And yet, one thing was certain…
“Even so, I don’t dislike this awkwardness. No… it actually feels rather nice.”
As she said that, Reyna ended up smiling shyly.
“…That’s a relief, then.”
At that, Allin had nothing more she could say.
***
Before long, the weather had turned too chilly to keep the windows open. They were always shut now, and the fireplace crackled and burned throughout the day. The scent of firewood, mixed with cypress and pine, filled the air richly.
Reyna took deep breaths again and again within it.
The warmth made her body feel languid, yet her heart beat faster than usual with a strange sense of anticipation. Unable to sit still, she eventually got up and began shifting the glass lamp at her bedside back and forth.
She couldn’t freely leave the bed, so all she could do was move it slightly from the right to the left… then back again.
Though nothing had really changed, she adjusted it so his face would be a little easier to see. Then she pulled back the bed curtains as far as she could—so he could see her more clearly.
After that, she lay down again.
But before long, she suddenly sat up once more.
“Hmm…”
After some thought, Reyna lowered her legs to the floor and sat facing the door.
Only then did she feel satisfied. It finally felt like all her preparations were complete. Sitting there quietly, she waited for him, imagining how he might react.
What if he cried again? The thought brought a strange kind of excitement. Maybe she would get to see his smile—she couldn’t help but feel a subtle sense of anticipation. She didn’t even understand why something like this made her heart race so much.
It was at that moment that hurried footsteps could be heard outside.
Instinctively, Reyna held her breath and listened. The sound of light footsteps stopped in front of the bedroom door, and after a brief silence, the heavy door opened without a sound.
The moment she saw him, Reyna smiled brightly in greeting—and when Elizer saw her, his steps slowed.
“…Reyna?”
It was rare to see her sitting up like that, so his surprise was understandable. But it was still too soon for him to be truly shocked.
Reyna grinned and said meaningfully,
“Stop right there for a moment.”
Elizer, who had been walking toward her, paused on the spot, confused.
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