* * *
I tapped his hand a little more firmly, hoping he’d take the hint, but he kept his eyes on the wall and didn’t even glance at me.
“Can you move your—”
Just as I began to complain,
Tap, tap-tap, tap-tap, tap.
“…?”
Klen knocked on the wall in a steady rhythm.
Whoosh—
Suddenly, a breeze flowed into the tightly sealed passage.
Wind—where no gaps existed.
It made no sense, and all I could do was blink in disbelief.
Finally, he withdrew his hand.
The stale air that had made it hard to breathe vanished in an instant, replaced by clean, fresh air that wrapped gently around us.
“What is this?”
“That kind of air isn’t good for you. If you find a glowing stone with this pattern and strike it in the same rhythm as before, the magic should activate.”
“There was a method like that…?”
A wave of frustration welled up inside me.
If he’d told me earlier, I wouldn’t have had to go through all that trouble to get out.
No—wasn’t the whole issue because I was banned from going out in the first place?
“Phew…”
I took a deep breath in and exhaled slowly, trying to calm myself.
If I started nitpicking all the way back, I’d have to admit this all began with me pretending to be weak and collapsing.
“Let’s go.”
The words that slipped from my lips were as cold as my mood.
I walked ahead.
The journey back didn’t take as long as I expected.
Even the distance felt shorter, perhaps because the air had changed.
A fresh sense of futility settled over me.
If only I’d known all this earlier…
Before I knew it, we were back behind the fireplace wall.
I tried to push it aside just like I did when I closed it.
“Huh?”
No matter how hard I pushed, the sturdy wall wouldn’t budge.
I thought I could just shove it open from this side, but… was I wrong?
“Allow me.”
Klen gently nudged me aside and stepped forward.
He took my hand, then traced the wall in front of us, sliding downward.
In the lower right corner of the solid wall, there was a tiny hole.
Cold air was seeping through it.
“This wall is thick, so you won’t feel the heat. Next time you use this passage, check if the fireplace is lit first.”
“Ah, understood.”
If I opened it carelessly while the fire was roaring, I’d get seriously burned.
Even if I moved quickly, it would be hard to escape from flames that burst out in an instant.
“And here.”
“…”
He reached into the small hole.
It was only big enough for two fingers to barely fit inside, but he felt a tiny button. I pressed it firmly.
Thunk—
Finally, the lock released and the wall shifted slightly.
I pushed it again with my hand.
Rumble—!
The wall finally opened, revealing the room beyond.
I didn’t realize how much I’d been emotionally strained.
It had only been a few hours since I left this room, yet seeing it again made me feel overwhelmed with longing.
I strode in and collapsed onto the sofa.
A moment later, I heard the faint sound of Klen closing the wall behind us, and our short journey had come to an end.
As the tension melted away, exhaustion took its place.
I just wanted to sleep.
Knock knock knock—
“Lord Adrian?! I heard a strange noise just now—are you alright?!”
“Ah.”
I’d been so happy to be back, I’d pushed the wall open without thinking.
I was careful going out, but way too reckless coming in.
The sound must have echoed through the passage.
“N-No, it’s fine—”
Just as I was replying, a shadow loomed over me—and the next moment, he fell right on top of me.
“Wah?!”
“Are you alright?!”
“I’ll open the door first!”
His sudden weight knocked the wind out of me and echoed through the room, rousing the attendants outside.
“Don’t—mmph?!”
I tried to call out to stop them, but Klen’s large hand clamped over my mouth.
Crash—
The door flung open before I could stop anything.
“Ah!”
“Oh no—!”
“S-Sorry!”
The attendants rushed in, only to freeze, then immediately turned their backs in unison.
If someone were to describe the scene…
I’d been knocked onto the sofa, and Klen had fallen right on top of me.
From the attendants’ perspective, it must’ve looked extremely compromising.
No—there’s no doubt it did.
The moment they barged in, Klen also took his hand off my mouth. I quickly tried to explain.
“No, it’s not what it looks like! I just fell over, that’s all.”
“Yes, we’ll excuse ourse—Wait, what?”
Even if we were married, even if they weren’t bothered by this, I didn’t want this kind of misunderstanding.
Finally, the three of them looked back.
Klen slowly got up as well.
‘Huh?’
His clothes were suddenly covered in dust.
Just earlier behind the fireplace, he was clean—but now he looked like he’d crawled through a sewer.
His hair was a complete mess, and he gave an awkward, goofy smile.
“I was in such a hurry to get the medicine to you that I tripped. My apologies.”
“…”
When he pulled out a bottle of black liquid from his coat, I instinctively recoiled.
It looked just like the medicine I drank in the healer’s room earlier.
No way.
That can’t be real.
It must be a fake—something similar.
Still, why does he even have that?
“Ah, I see…”
“My lady, please take your medicine first…”
“Lord Klen, come with us. You need a bath.”
“Mm… Guess I have no choice.”
He brought my hands together and firmly pressed the medicine bottle into them.
Goosebumps shot up from my fingers to the top of my head.
‘No way. This isn’t what I think it is… right?’
I stared at him, silently pleading.
But Klen only gave me a small smile as he tried to fix his messy hair.
“Lord Klen! There’s dust in Lord Adrian’s hair!”
“Come now, please follow us.”
“Alright.”
With a lazy stretch, he turned to follow the attendants to the bath.
I had the sudden urge to grab his robe as he walked away.
No—he needs to answer me properly before going!
What is this thing?!
“I’m so glad the medicine was completed, Lord Adrian!”
The maid beamed at me, completely oblivious to my inner turmoil.
“…Yeah.”
“Go on, try it! It’s supposed to make you feel better, right?”
“…Sure.”
Faced with those starry, sparkling eyes, I couldn’t bring myself to say no.
And I definitely couldn’t just fake it in front of all these people.
But still, drinking this straight?
This is torture.
“Huff…”
I held my breath so the smell wouldn’t reach my nose, uncapped the bottle, and steeled myself.
I had no intention of making a fool of myself.
I glared at the bottle and downed it in one go.
Gulp.
“…?!”
“How is it?”
“Hmm. I’m not sure yet.”
They said it takes effect tomorrow, so that was the safest answer for now.
I licked my lips.
This “medicine” Klen gave me—no, this liquid—was incredibly sweet, like fruit juice with lots of honey.
That sweetness spread through my tired body and gave me a bit of strength.
If I hadn’t held my breath, I would’ve realized it was just juice right away.
Seriously, he could’ve at least told me first.
* * *
