Chapter 72

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Translator: Harry Potta

Chapter: 72

Chapter Title: Five Knights and Roxiana Franche (6)

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Floyd gazed at her as she leaned against the massive wolf and looked up at him.

Her long platinum hair, her lilac-tinted skin gleaming purely in the sunlight, the forest-like eyes captured in her wide-open gaze, her slightly parted lips, and the delicate shoulders flowing from her slender nape.

The moment their eyes met, Floyd's time stopped. That unreal beauty stole his time away.

Even with the magical beast right in front of him, his calm heart pounded strangely fiercely. Thump, thump, thump—his ears rang from the beating of his heart, but he paid it no mind. Everything about him was entirely focused on her.

'She looks healthy.'

Floyd barely managed to squeeze out that single thought. If he didn't, he felt like he'd be swept away by this inexplicable emotion and do something irreversible.

In truth, she looked healthier than when she'd left. Color had returned to her once-pale skin, and her flushed cheeks brimmed with vitality, as if they'd been rubbed with strawberry juice. Her green eyes sparkled more brightly than before, and her lips looked moist like flower petals kissed by dew.

I want to kiss her.

The moment he saw her lips, a fierce impulse dominated his mind.

Even though she no longer seemed fragile, as if she might shatter or scatter away, he still wanted to kiss her.

'Why?'

He didn't know the reason.

But he knew this much: it was a desire purely for himself. Not to save her, but solely to satisfy his own greed—he wanted to kiss her.

Realizing that this explosive emotion was entirely his own made his breath catch. At the same time, a memory he'd crumpled up and buried deep inside burst forth like an explosion.

-"Every time you make a mistake, your mother will take the punishment in your place. Understand?"

A damp voice slithered like a snake into his ear.

And his mother, collapsed in a bloodied heap inside the tower devoid of even a sliver of light. Yet he couldn't tend to her, only able to see her through the small window of the sturdy iron door. Like a beast trapped in a cage, like an old circus animal past its usefulness, lying on the cold floor, gasping raggedly—saaek, saaek—that was his mother.

Even under torture that would make one wish for death, his mother never bit her tongue. He only learned much later that it was because of him. That cursed woman had endlessly droned to his mother, "If you die, your son will take your place." He found out far too late.

If only he'd known sooner, he would have thrown away this life to break his mother's chains.

The sticky voice clinging to him and the cold hands groping his shoulders came to mind, making him nauseous. He'd thought he'd improved a lot—women no longer reminded him of her, no longer made bile rise in his throat—but why did she suddenly appear in his mind at a moment like this?

Roxiana didn't resemble that woman at all. Not in the slightest.

At that moment, Roxiana composed her startled expression and slowly rose. She lightly smoothed her skirt and walked toward Floyd.

Floyd wanted to stop her from approaching, yet at the same time, he wanted to pull her into his arms. Frozen in confusion over these contradictory emotions, he watched as Roxiana stopped in front of him and tilted her head way back to look up.

"Your Highness, are you unwell?"

Those large eyes. Eyes with a deep green rim edged in gold. They truly resembled a forest. A forest on a bright, sunny day, where clear sunlight filtered through dense trees.

On such a day, Floyd remembered the scent of the forest.

The smell of moist earth and trees, faintly mingled with flower fragrance—the aroma he loved so much.

Then, the churning in his stomach gradually settled. The horrific past shaking his mind silently dispersed.

"No, it's just..."

Floyd barely managed to force out his voice.

His hand gently caressed her smooth cheek. The moment her soft cheek touched his palm, the horribly clammy memory vanished cleanly.

"You're dazzling."

Only after saying it did he realize it was true.

"You're dazzling, Princess."

"Pardon?"

Watching her eyes widen in surprise, Floyd smiled. The smile on his face was as gentle and sweet as ever, but it carried a trace of loneliness unlike before.

It was the first time he'd smiled at Roxiana like that, so she held her breath. His hand on her cheek felt especially hot.

"May I kiss you?"

An unexpected question slipped from between his lips. Roxiana drew in a sharp breath before barely managing a reply.

"I'm not sick anymore."

"I'm the one who's hurting."

"Ah!"

Roxiana startled and pressed close to him.

"Where are you hurt?"

As she examined his body here and there, Roxiana looked just like a rabbit. So tiny and delicate, a fragile, lovable creature that might burst if he cupped it in his hand.

Floyd could no longer hold back. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her in. Pressing their bodies firmly together, he whispered intimately.

"Is it alright?"

Roxiana held her breath.

Her mind spun dizzily.

'For real? Not a joke? A kiss? With me? Because it hurts? Where does it hurt? Is it bad? But my kiss won't help anyway. Does kissing make it hurt less? Even if it's for healing, is it okay to keep kissing someone without any pact? Is it fine? Or not?'

Scattered thoughts swirled in her head, making the world spin before her eyes.

Even amid the chaos, he stared at her, waiting for an answer. In her confusion, Roxiana realized his gray eyes were the same color as the dark clouds that had blanketed Torkan these past few days.

'Is that why I kept thinking of this man whenever I looked at the sky?'

She hadn't even realized she'd been thinking of him all along. Though his eyes couldn't possibly read the jumble of thoughts in her mind, she felt exposed and lowered her gaze.

Then she saw his lips.

'These lips...'

These were the lips that had healed her all this time. Touching her lips and nape, breathing life into her, mending her shattered soul—these lips.

Just like when she'd first seen Floyd earlier, her heart began pounding fiercely. Amid that violent throbbing, Roxiana thought.

'What's the point of all this agonizing?'

She was no longer a princess who had to maintain proper decorum and watch her words and actions. Like Floyd drinking from a wooden cup using a barrel as a table, Roxiana too could do whatever she wanted.

'Let them point fingers if they call me unladylike.'

At the very least, she knew Floyd wouldn't mock her for it. She didn't know much about this man, but for some reason, she was certain of that.

That was enough.

When she was with Floyd, she could act as she pleased. Just as he'd pulled snacks from his pocket, Roxiana decided to be free—at least in front of him.

And so, Roxiana closed her eyes.

His lips overlapped hers. It didn't take long for the tentative touch to deepen into something intense and fervent. His body heat seeping between her parted lips led her to hot, intimate places.

She vividly felt his palm against her back. The heat flowing down her nape pooled heavily below her solar plexus. Lewd sounds dominated her hearing, and his breath brushing her nose shook her brain.

Even though they'd kissed many times before, new sensations tickled her toes as if it were the first time. Her legs inexplicably weakened, but his thick arms bound her firmly, preventing her fall and drawing her closer to him.

Just as she felt like she might melt into his body, his lips parted. Slowly opening her eyes, his gaze filled her vision.

He looked a little weary.

Without thinking, Roxiana gently brushed aside the hair covering his eyes and said.

"Shall I put you to sleep?"

"Pardon?"

Just as she'd been startled by his request for a kiss, now he widened his eyes in surprise. Finding his flustered expression a bit amusing, Roxiana continued.

"Your bed must be uncomfortable. If I'm by your side, you can use the blanket, so rest your eyes for a bit."

"Ah..."

Floyd turned his head to the side and covered his mouth. His cheek above the hand seemed faintly flushed, but Roxiana pretended not to notice and lowered her gaze.

After a moment, he spoke in a noticeably subdued voice.

"Then, if you wouldn't mind."

Kirshan had no leisure to enjoy the welcoming party. The knights' greatest task—subjugating the magical beasts—was over, but Kirshan had an even greater challenge remaining.

Kirshan gathered all the herbs from Enilta Kingdom and those in the grand ducal palace warehouse, heading to the laboratory at the top of the western tower. It was time to put into practice the treatment methods he'd only thought about during the subjugation.

Adrian and Kain helped carry the boxes. Walking beside Adrian, Kain grumbled.

"What's with you? Not dancing like a madman in front of everyone for once and sticking around here?"

"Oh dear. You pretend to hate it, but you actually wanted to see my dance? I could dance for you now—shall I give you a special dance just for you after so long?"

"...Please spare me."

The long-unused laboratory was blanketed in dust, but Kirshan sat heavily in the chair before the desk without a care. As white dust puffed up, Adrian coughed and opened the window.

"Shan, shouldn't we clean first?"

"No time for that."

Kirshan replied offhandedly as he quickly jotted something down on a long sheet of paper. It was the recipe for an ointment that could heal deep wounds without leaving scars.

From now on, he'd make each item he'd planned one by one, test their effects, and then proceed with Roxiana's treatment. Kirshan wanted to erase the brand on that spirited princess's shoulder as soon as possible.