ODEN 15

Chapter 15

Gasps could be heard from all around.

I only realized I was being carried by Calix after our eyes met.

It felt as though someone had thrown cold water over me, instantly clearing my head.

“W-Wait a moment, Your Majesty! Please put me—”

“Stay still.”

Holding me securely in his arms, Calix walked forward with steady steps.

I crossed my legs awkwardly and struggled.

“Your Majesty! I’m really fine! I’m okay, so—”

Suddenly, Calix stopped walking and looked down at me.

“Didn’t you tell me to create a harmonious atmosphere?”

“Huh?”

“Then stay still.”

He muttered the words shortly before continuing to walk.

This isn’t the kind of performance I meant!

I barely held back the urge to shout and continued struggling.

Calix frowned deeply.

“Stop being troublesome and listen to me, unless you really want your head smashed.”

“…”

His lowered voice made it perfectly clear that if I didn’t stay still this time, he really would crack my skull.

Looking back, I saw Rubellin toddling after us with her short little legs, screaming loud enough to burst my eardrums.

“Ungma, get down! Let go of our Ungma!”

“You’re noisy.”

“Give Ungma back!”

Without paying her any attention, Calix continued walking ahead with his long strides.

I slowly stopped resisting and relaxed.

Ah… whatever.

My body felt heavy.

My eyes throbbed.

The fever burned through me.

If he wanted to carry me, it certainly made things easier for me.

Rubellin’s cries echoed behind us, making my pounding head ache even more. Giving up, I simply let my body go limp.

Just as my eyes slowly drifted shut, Calix stopped walking.

“Hey.”

I faintly heard him calling me before my consciousness slipped away.

“If her fever had risen any higher, it would have become dangerous.”

The royal physician, dressed in a robe, bowed as he reported her condition.

Calix glanced at him once before looking back down at Lucina, who lay asleep on the bed with an indifferent expression.

The physician secretly observed Calix from beneath the shadow of his hood.

I heard she was the princess’s treasured tutor… but to summon me just because a mere tutor collapsed? And even bring me into His Majesty’s private bedroom, where no one has ever been allowed?

Surprised by the unusual situation, the physician examined Lucina.

Could it be…?

His eyes widened as he looked at Calix.

“If she gets plenty of rest, there should be no need for concern.”

Calix let out a scoff.

“Hah. Who said I was worried?”

The physician lowered his gaze.

Apparently, his assumption had been completely wrong.

“…My apologies. I spoke out of turn.”

He smoothly corrected himself.

Truthfully, he was curious about the woman’s identity.

But after serving thirty years in the imperial palace and standing on the verge of retirement, he had no intention of losing his head over unnecessary curiosity.

“I shall take my leave, Your Majesty.”

The physician bowed and headed for the door.

The moment he opened it, chaos rushed inside.

Rubellin was clinging tightly to the door while the attendants desperately tried to stop her.

“Ungma! Ungma! I’m here!”

“Princess! You must step back! If His Majesty becomes angry— Ugh!”

“Move!”

“Urgh!”

Crash!

Ken, wearing a protective robe, had wrapped his arms around Rubellin from behind, only to be kicked so hard that he was sent flying across the hallway.

“Ungma!”

Bang!

As Rubellin tried to force the door completely open, it shook violently as though made of paper.

Mevern, wearing a strength-protection robe, hood, and gloves, rushed over and grabbed Rubellin from behind.

Looking at the physician, he shouted,

“Now’s your chance! Hurry and get out! Quickly!”

The physician wasted no time slipping through the opening.

Safely back in the hallway, he dusted off his robe and politely bowed to Rubellin.

“Until we meet again, Princess. Please stay well.”

Without a trace of hesitation, he turned around and disappeared down the corridor, his robe fluttering behind him.

Watching him with envy, Mevern cried loudly enough for Calix to hear inside the bedroom.

“Your Majesty, please help me! At this rate, Mevern, the Empire’s greatest tutor, is going to die…!”

At Mevern’s booming voice, Lucina groaned softly in her sleep and frowned.

Seeing that she looked as though she might wake up at any moment, Calix turned an icy gaze toward the door.

“Too noisy.”

Snap.

He flicked his finger, and the bedroom door slammed shut.

Walking back to the bed, he flicked his finger once more.

A transparent barrier, as smooth and glossy as a soap bubble, wrapped itself around Lucina’s entire body.

Watching her tense expression gradually relax, Calix looked satisfied.

Finally… some peace and quiet.

Her soft breathing.

The gentle rise and fall of her chest.

As he silently watched her sleeping face, a thought suddenly struck him.

…What am I doing?

He had only gone to check whether Lucina had caught a cold because her report had been delayed.

Yet when he saw her coughing weakly, irritation welled up inside him.

Before he knew it, he had carried her here and even summoned the royal physician.

Even he couldn’t understand how he had ended up personally taking care of her.

He stepped a little closer to the bed.

Lucina lay there with her thin eyelids closed, barely clinging to life with faint breaths.

The physician had said things would have become dangerous.

For ordinary humans…

That meant death.

So she had nearly died.

Right.

That’s all it is.

If this woman died, Rubellin would become unbearably noisy. That’s why I did it.

Having reached that conclusion, Calix turned sharply.

“What a pointless waste of time.”

He muttered quietly.

Just as he took a step forward…

A weak force tugged gently on the hem of his clothes.

Calix froze as though his feet had been nailed to the floor.

Looking down, he saw Lucina’s pale hand gripping the edge of his robe.

“…”

He pulled his robe in the opposite direction.

She didn’t let go.

The fabric stretched like melted cheese.

He tugged harder once more.

Still…

Her fingers refused to release him.

Letting go of his robe, Calix stared at her hand with a crooked look.

Should I knock it away?

He raised his hand…

Then stopped.

Compared to his own hand…

Hers was unbelievably small.

Even a light tap from him could crush such fragile human strength into dust.

“Tsk.”

Clicking his tongue, he lowered his hand again.

“Hey.”

Lucina answered only with faint, sleepy breaths.

Calix placed one hand beside her face and leaned over her.

“Hey. Let go of this.”

“…”

“Wake up and release my—”

“Mm…”

Lucina suddenly frowned deeply and wrapped her free arm around Calix’s neck.

“…”

Powerlessly, Calix found himself buried against her shoulder.

He blinked several times, trying to understand what had just happened.

Her familiar, comforting scent filled his senses.

Her warm breaths tickled the back of his neck.

Several seconds passed before he finally came back to himself.

“Damn it.”

It was the first time in his life…

That he had been so completely overpowered by the touch of a human.

The tips of Calix’s ears turned slightly red.

When he tried to stand up, the weak arm around his neck pulled him closer once again.

“I don’t want to…”

Her pitiful voice whispered beside his ear.

“It hurts… I don’t want to be alone…”

Calix stopped moving.

Slowly lifting his head, his silver hair spilled across her round forehead.

At that very moment—

Bang!

“Ungmaaa!”

“You can’t go in, Princess!”

Rubellin had finally thrown the bedroom door wide open.

She ran inside—

Then froze like stone at the sight before her.

“Y-Your Majesty…?”

She wasn’t the only one.

Ken and Mevern, standing in the doorway, froze as well.

Their eyes bulged as though they might pop out.

An icy silence filled the room.

After a long moment…

Calix awkwardly gestured toward Lucina.

“Perfect timing. Come over here and remove this hand—”

“Mm…”

Rubellin’s eyes drooped as tears gathered.

“Ungma…!”

Like a bullet, she threw herself toward the bed, diving straight between Lucina and Calix.

Snap.

Calix flicked his finger, and the transparent barrier surrounded Lucina and the bed.

Thump!

Rubellin landed perfectly between Lucina’s arms.

Turning sharply, she glared fiercely at Calix.

“What did you do to Ungma?!”

“I didn’t do anything.”

“Liar!”

To be fair…

Calix felt slightly wronged.

It had been Lucina who grabbed his clothes and hugged him.

“I really didn’t do any—”

He stopped speaking.

…Wait.

Why am I even explaining myself?

As Calix sank into that fundamental question, Lucina groaned softly and shifted in her sleep.

Only then did Rubellin stop glaring at him and look at Lucina.

Seeing her pale face, Rubellin buried her own face against Lucina’s chest.

“Ungma…”

Some time passed.

“Is… Ungma… dying?”

Sniff.

Rubellin asked weakly.

“…She’s not dying.”

“She’s alive?”

“She’s alive.”

With tears shimmering in her eyes, Rubellin looked at Calix.

She looked ready to burst into tears at the slightest touch.

“Reawwy?”

“Yes.”

“Thank goodness…”

Relieved, Rubellin buried her face against Lucina’s chest.

After sniffing a few more times…

Her breathing soon became soft and even.

Calix looked at Lucina’s hand, which was still clutching his robe.

“Then remove this hand already—”

“Snoore…”

“…?”

Unable to believe what he had just heard, Calix slowly tilted his head.

Did I hear that correctly?

Can children really fall asleep this quickly?

In the end…

Calix sat down beside the bed, leaning against it as he stared at the two sleeping females.

What exactly am I doing…?

He rubbed one eyebrow with his fingertips.

Just then—

The bedroom door burst open.

“Your Majesty! I heard Her Highness entered this room, so I hurried—”

Yukar stopped the moment he stepped inside.

He froze like a statue at the unfamiliar sight.

Blinking several times, his gaze slowly lowered to the white hand gripping Calix’s robe.

“…”

The corners of Yukar’s lips twitched.

Finally, he turned around and covered his mouth.

“Pfft.”

He truly didn’t want to laugh.

He really didn’t.

His shoulders trembled as he struggled to hold it in before finally turning back.

“Your Majesty… this is the first time you’ve ever looked… adorable…”

He stopped mid-sentence.

Because he had just met Calix’s murderous crimson eyes.

A cold smile spread across Calix’s face.

“It seems you find this situation very amusing.”

A chill ran down Yukar’s spine.

His face instantly turned pale as he bowed deeply.

“I spoke out of turn, Your Majesty. To think that, even for a moment, I found the same ruthless emperor who works us to death with endless overtime… adorable. My eyes must have completely failed me.”

Calix stared coldly at the green-haired man for a long moment before turning his head away.

“Leave.”

However…

Yukar remained exactly where he was