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Chapter 20
7. Alea
I opened my eyes inside the Cave.
When I awoke, it was the dead of night. As I shifted my body, I realized my head had been resting against someone's firm knee.
Startled, I bolted upright, and Enoch, who had been leaning against the cave wall, slowly opened his eyes.
"Ah. You're awake."
Enoch spoke in a drowsy voice. ‌‌‌How incredibly sensual that sounded... No, this was not the time for such thoughts.
"What happened?"
At my question, Enoch fell silent, his face ‌‌‌darkening.
Moonlight filtered through the cave opening at that moment, illuminating his features with crystalline clarity.
"I apologize."
"I'm sorry? What are you apologizing for now?"
I ‌‌‌‌blinked in confusion, studying his face intently.
"You had developed a fever. ‌‍It seemed like a cold, so I wanted to give you medicine, but I couldn't determine which of the medicines in that medical kit you should take." ‌
Only then did I notice the first aid kit placed beside Enoch. Its open ‌‌‌lid revealed various medicines scattered haphazardly inside.
Enoch stared at those medicine bottles as he spoke.
"I have never felt so helpless in my entire life." ‌‌‌
Enoch's expression was clouded with self-reproach. For a member of the Imperial family, this environment was indeed devastatingly harsh.
I understood why Enoch would succumb to such helplessness so easily.
"That's not your fault. My dress disappeared... Oh, speaking of which, where is my dress?"
Enoch's face grew troubled as he pressed his lips firmly together.
Watching his expression, I sensed what was coming. Finally, it had arrived. ‌‌‌‌It seemed I had encountered ‌‌‌someone. Either one of the male leads, or the female lead, or perhaps all of them.
'Is the peace over?'
Even now, I was occasionally attacked by magical beasts, so I couldn't exactly call this peaceful. I grew dejected, my shoulders sagging as I cast my gaze downward.
At that moment, a gentle hand touched my head. Surprisingly, Enoch was stroking my hair.
I looked up in surprise and met his eyes. With an expression utterly devoid of ulterior motive, he was patting my head as if I were a puppy.
'What is that look in his eyes? Does he actually think I'm a real dog?' ‌‌‌
As such thoughts occupied my mind, Enoch carefully ‌‌‌‌chose his words and opened his mouth.
"I encountered Duke Diego. He was the one who stole your clothes."
Damn it, of course.
'Wait, the Imperial Guard Commander ‌‌stole the clothes of a bathing woman? Where did his chivalry go?'
"That bastard—I mean, where is Duke Diego?"
Enoch calmly offered me his apologies.
"Since he was once my subordinate, I will apologize on his behalf for his misconduct."
"Why are you apologizing for him, Enoch?"
"If you wish to receive a direct apology from him, tell me. I will drag him here."
From Enoch's expression, he looked fully prepared to haul Diego in immediately. ‌‌
I felt deflated and sighed. Was I insane? Would I willingly walk toward another male lead? ‌That would be like stepping directly into the fires of hell.
Enoch alone was already overwhelming, and now I had even picked up Kaiden. Managing just these two was already pushing me to my limits.
"Never mind. ‌‌‌I'll take my revenge directly later."
At my response, Enoch let out a soft chuckle.
"I thought as ‌‌‌much. You're not saying you won't take revenge."
"Of course I will. I'm the type to repay what I've received in kind. Tell Diego to watch his back. He has no idea when I might... well, when ‌‌‌I might steal his clothes."
Not now, of course, but before I escape this Island, I'll definitely steal from him. ‌‌
"There are no other people with him?"
I probed ‌‌‌‌‌Enoch cautiously. According to the original story, Diego should have ‌been with the other protagonists.
"That... I'm not sure."
Enoch gave an ambiguous answer—whether he truly didn't know or was pretending not to ‌‌‌‌know, I couldn't tell.
I studied his expression intently, but discerning his true thoughts proved difficult.
"Wouldn't it ‌‌‌‌be better to move together if ‌we want to escape the Island? I thought we'd need to gather information."
Enoch stopped stroking my head and rested his chin on his hand, falling into thought. After a moment, he spoke to me.
"Your point has merit, but I don't think we need to move together. We've arranged to exchange information with Diego once every ten days."
According to Enoch's words, Diego was ‌‌‌the commander of the Imperial Guard of the Langrid Empire, so he was indeed Enoch's man. I'd naturally assumed they'd move together, but Enoch's answer was unexpected.
"Is that so...?"
"He seems to ‌be in a similar situation to us. He doesn't know much."
Still resting his chin on his hand, he rolled his eyes and glanced down at me. Then he reached his hand toward me again. His fingers drew close to my hair, barely touching. And—
Tap. His fingers touched my hair absently. Tap, tap. After toying with my hair that way a few ‌‌‌‌times, he gently brushed it back. ‌‌
My hair wound between his ‌‌‌‌fingers. ‌‌His touch was so careful that I held ‌‌‌my breath and froze.
'What is this? He said we shouldn't bother each other, so why is he doing this?'
Yet his touch wasn't unpleasant. In fact, strangely enough, it brought me a sense of ease. So this is what it feels like to have someone gently stroke your head with affection.
During my time as Jin-ju Lee, I'd never experienced such a tender touch. Like a puzzle piece forced into the wrong place, I'd never fit well with others.
"If I obtain any useful ‌‌information, I'll share it with you, so don't worry too much."
Perhaps noticing my expression had darkened again, Enoch spoke to reassure me.
I nodded. Then I suddenly looked down at the ‌‌‌‌dress I was wearing.
'Wait, didn't I pass out wearing only my undergarments?'
Reading the meaning in my expression, Enoch answered quietly.
"I changed your clothes myself. I tried my best not to look, so don't worry."
"So you did look?"
Enoch fell silent again.
I could all too well understand what it felt like to have one's face drain of all color.
The undergarment was made of very thin cotton, and since I'd been soaked at the time, everything would have been visible.
If I die on this Island, the cause of death will be death by mortification.
"Good heavens, my marriage prospects are ruined."
As I lamented, Enoch, whose lips had been moving as if he had much to say, dropped a bombshell.
"Is that what you're worried about? Then if you marry me, the problem will be neatly resolved."
"Are ‌you serious?"
"Does it sound like ‌‌‌‌a joke?"
No. It sounded far too serious. Why is he ‌‌like this?
"When I asked you to marry me, you refused so firmly."
"Things have changed since then—both the circumstances and you."
'You too.' The words referred not to the Margaret of the past, but to the changed version of myself standing before him. Though I was Margaret and he knew me as Margaret, such distinctions held no real meaning.
I couldn't fathom why he was acting this way. Had I done something to offend him?
Racking my brain to avoid an uncomfortable topic, I clapped my hands together.
"Oh, Kaiden!"
Enoch noticed my effort and stared at me ‌‌‌silently before releasing a heavy sigh.
"That one seemed to have a fever burning through the night, but he appears fine now."
Enoch's face looked terribly exhausted.
I wondered if the Crown Prince, for all his title, had grown disillusioned caring for two patients alone. In any case, he must have been through quite an ordeal.
"You've worked so hard. I think my fever has broken completely now."
He quietly placed his hand on my cheek. After a ‌‌moment, apparently satisfied that the fever was ‌gone, he nodded. ‌‌‌‌‌
"Rest well. I'll ‌sleep over there."
"No...."
Enoch looked as though he wanted to say something as he reached for me, but instead he sighed and wished me a good night.
I looked at him with a puzzled expression, then smiled and thanked him.
"Thank you."
Enoch ‌‌‌stared at me with an unreadable expression before ‌‌‌nodding quietly.
After bidding him goodnight, I settled myself far away from ‌‌‌‌‌‌both him and Kaiden, and surrendered to sleep.
Thus I drifted off, bringing another day to a close.
* * *
Rustle.
My body felt heavy, and as I ‌‌‌‌tossed restlessly, the discomfort wouldn't fade, so I opened my eyes.
Then my gaze met a pair of eyes as crimson ‌‌‌as blood.
"What——!"
Just as I was about to cry out, ‌‌‌‌Kaiden raised his bound wrist and brought his index finger to his lips.
"Shh."
I snapped my mouth shut as though under a spell.
Those brilliant crimson eyes, gleaming with madness, looked down at me with a ‌‌‌beautiful smile. Like Enoch, this one was devastatingly handsome.
Even with his wrists bound, he moved with ease. He tilted his head close to mine and whispered against my ear. ‌‌
"Don't scream, ‌‌or you'll wake the Crown Prince."
I turned my head to look toward where Enoch was sleeping. He remained distant, still lost in slumber.
"A platinum-haired woman with the Crown Prince...."
Kaiden had recognized Enoch as the Crown Prince ‌‌‌‌at a glance. Which meant——
"Why did you lie to me, Margaret?"
He had also discovered that I was Flone ‌‌‌‌Young Lady.
"Is it because I said I didn't like being called Flone Young Lady?"
Kaiden's gaze swept ‌across my face with amusement.
"Still, lying is wrong."
Then, tilting his head slightly, he stared directly at me.

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Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org
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