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Chapter 118
Some time later, the landlady of the boarding house returned with the keys and asked Lionel a question.
“Did you say you’re friends with this student?”
“Yes. We’ve known each other since we were children.”
The landlady’s expression grew doubtful at Lionel’s answer.
It seemed suspicious that a man who clearly looked like a nobleman of high birth had been friends with a student living in a small, cheap room since childhood.
Still, the student before her didn’t appear to be lying. Everyone had their own circumstances, and there was no need to pry too deeply into someone else’s affairs.
As long as running the boarding house didn’t become troublesome, that was enough.
The landlady handed the keys to Lionel and stepped back.
“If any trouble arises later, it’s not my concern.”
“Understood. Don’t worry.”
Leaving all responsibility to Lionel, the landlady walked away without checking what had happened.
Lionel opened Jaelin’s room door. Although he had accompanied her to the boarding house before, this was the first time he had entered her room.
Jaelin’s room was small, just like her. Closing the door, Lionel looked around.
Thankfully, with the landlady gone, he could do as he pleased.
Across from the entrance was a desk, with a bed right next to it.
The items in the room were modest: a few books, a few sets of clothes, and basic necessities like towels. There was no sign of life in the room—no warmth at all.
For a moment, thinking she was alone, Lionel felt his heart stop. Then he noticed the blanket on the bed was slightly puffed up and finally relaxed.
Approaching the bed, Lionel carefully sat down on it.
Wrapped in the blanket and holding her breath, Jaelin sensed the presence of a stranger and began thrashing, screaming.
“No, no! I don’t want this!”
“Jaelin. It’s me, Lionel.”
Lionel tried speaking to calm her down, but it was useless.
Jaelin, completely agitated, couldn’t hear him and struck his jaw hard in her struggle. Yet she seemed so out of it that she didn’t even notice what she had done.
It stung quite a bit, but Lionel didn’t have time to feel pain. Holding Jaelin in the blanket, he continued speaking to her.
“Jaelin, it’s okay. I won’t do anything. Just let me stay by your side.”
Perhaps finally recognizing his voice, Jaelin’s thrashing subsided, though her breathing remained heavy.
Lionel had a vague idea of why she had suddenly become like this. It was probably because of the crown princess—the very same woman.
Jaelin’s reaction during the audience with the crown princess had been unusual. Besides, Stephan had mentioned that it had been three days since anyone had seen her, so the timing fit.
He should have realized it sooner.
Lionel knew Jaelin had been avoiding him because of what had happened at the library, but he hadn’t expected her to skip the academy for so long.
He had been waiting for the right moment to talk about that day but had stepped back to give her time.
Lionel had a rough idea of what had happened between Jaelin and the crown princess long ago, thanks to hints from his father.
It had been a mistake to dismiss Jaelin’s nervousness on the day of the audience as mere tension. Lionel bit down hard on the inside of his cheek.
“It’s okay. Nothing will happen.”
Still holding her, Lionel stroked the blanket over her gently, whispering endlessly.
“She can’t hurt you. I’ll make sure she doesn’t. I won’t let her do anything to you.”
Time passed without him noticing. The sunlight streaming through the small window of Jaelin’s room disappeared, and darkness fell, confirming a long passage of time.
The room, once bright enough to see objects clearly, was now pitch-black.
As he continued whispering, her ragged breathing gradually calmed. Seeing her settle, Lionel spoke softly again.
“You were really scared, weren’t you? It’s okay now.”
Jaelin still said nothing.
Patiently, Lionel waited. There was plenty of time. As long as Jaelin was in his hands, he could wait indefinitely. Finally, a voice came from within the blanket.
“Th-that person… th-that person…”
She couldn’t continue, gasping for breath. Seeing her struggle so much, Lionel gently reassured her.
“It’s okay. You don’t have to say anything more. I know even if you don’t say it.”
He could feel her nod inside the blanket. He wanted to see her face but she clutched the blanket tightly, unwilling to come out.
He couldn’t leave Jaelin in her unstable state alone in this small room.
Lionel decided to take her to his townhouse. With several empty rooms and staff present, it would be a much better place for her to recover.
He wanted to keep her within his influence to feel at least a little reassured. Lifting her while still wrapped in the blanket, he carried her out.
On the way, they encountered the boarding house landlady, but when Lionel explained that Jaelin wasn’t well and needed to see a physician, she stepped aside.
By the time they reached the townhouse, Jaelin, who had been tense, had relaxed entirely in his hands.
Seeing her trust him enough to let herself relax and even fall asleep in his arms, Lionel held her tighter, gently adjusting her posture.
Once he laid her on the bed, he finally removed the blanket and could see her face.
She had grown very pale in just a few days. Lionel tidied her disheveled hair.
Seeing her suffer, a strange tightness gripped his chest.
Lionel resolved to keep the promise he had made to Jaelin. Only then would the suffocating feeling in his heart ease even a little.
The next day, Lionel went to the academy and headed straight to the astronomy club room. The person he was looking for happened to be there.
“Can we talk for a moment?”
“Why?”
Adrian replied, annoyed, clearly implying refusal, but Lionel ignored him lightly.
“Sasha, Stephan, can you step aside for a moment?”
Sasha and Stephan’s eyes widened. No one at the academy was unaware that Adrian was a prince.
Lionel surely knew as well. He had been present when the crown princess referred to Adrian as Kaiser.
Although Adrian outwardly disliked being treated with special treatment and tried to act like any other student, Lionel completely ignored him now.
“Uh… okay.”
Sasha and Stephan, unsettled by the tense atmosphere, got up and moved toward the door. Just before leaving, Stephan suddenly remembered something and asked Lionel.
“By the way… have you met Jaelin?”
After Lionel had asked about Jaelin and left the classroom yesterday, Stephan had been trying to contact her through their community but had received no response.
He assumed Lionel also hadn’t contacted her, but he wanted to check just in case.
“Yes.”
When Lionel casually confirmed, Stephan’s eyes nearly popped out in shock. He pressed Lionel anxiously.
“How’s Jaelin? Is she okay? Is she in a lot of pain?”
“She’s fine now.”
“Still… if you can’t contact her, she must be in bad shape… I’ll have to visit her after class.”
As Stephan muttered in concern, Lionel spoke.
“Jaelin isn’t at the boarding house.”
“What? Then…?”
“At my townhouse.”
“Wait, why is Jaelin at your townhouse?”
Lionel remained silent. Everyone in the club room looked at him strangely. Even the perceptive Stephan felt something was off.
“Let’s go outside first.”
Sasha pulled Stephan along.
“No, wait. Something’s strange.”
“What’s strange? Jaelin isn’t well, so Lionel is taking care of her. Let’s just go.”
Whatever it was, Sasha sided with Lionel. Though she agreed with Stephan internally, Lionel’s calm but serious demeanor was unusual.
Better to leave first and ask later. Of course, Lionel might not answer their questions. Sasha dragged the struggling Stephan out.
Alone with Adrian, Lionel spoke.
“I have a favor to ask.”
“A favor? You want to ask me for a favor?”
Adrian frowned.
“Yes.”
“What kind of favor is so important that you chased everyone else out? Let’s hear it.”
“Ascend to the throne.”
Though Lionel called it a favor, the words sounded more like a command.
