KYDC chapter 45

* * *

When I opened my eyes again, I was in someone else’s room.

Something cold had touched my cheek, and though the bedding was familiar, it still felt off.

“…!?”

I tried to sit up, but my body had no strength.

Where am I?

Despite the haze in my mind, I gripped the sheets, attempting to rise again, when a soft but firm voice reached my ears.

“You should rest a little longer.”

Ah. Not him again.

Of all people, why did it have to be him?

Just my luck. Hernan’s cold hand gently covered my eyes.

“I’ll go to my own room…”

I weakly protested, shaking my head, but Hernan lightly pressed on my shoulder as if to keep me still.

Ugh.

Annoying as it was, I had no energy to even lift a spoon, so I sank back into the sheets.

“Just sleep quietly.”

What are you going to do if I don’t?

Though a rebellious thought flickered in my mind, I couldn’t insist any further in my current state.

Sighing inwardly, I gave in, resting my head against the cool feeling on my forehead. I wasn’t usually this weak. Why did I always end up like this around him?

Despite my frustration, the fresh scent of wood filled the room, and gradually, my breathing steadied.

The crisp, calming scent lulled me into a deeper sleep.

---

Hernan gently removed his hand from Jurgen’s forehead once he confirmed that he had fallen back into a deep sleep.

The heat radiating from Jurgen was so intense that despite continuously switching hands, it felt like Hernan’s palms had been placed on a scorching stove.

As he placed his cooler hand on Jurgen’s forehead, the man, as if in a fitful dream, stirred and gripped Hernan’s hand in his own.

“…Ha.”

If only Jurgen could be this open when he was awake.

Even at the hot springs, he’d tease him relentlessly just for showing a bit of vulnerability to the warm water.

Every time Hernan thought of stepping back, Jurgen would close the gap, shaking Hernan’s resolve—completely unaware of the effect he had.

‘If he knew, he wouldn’t act so recklessly dressed like that.’

Hernan hadn’t anticipated how thankful he’d be for the decision to visit the open-air bath alone with Jurgen, leaving Irina back in the village.

He couldn’t have imagined that this particular man would step into the bath in such a revealing state.

Though Hernan expected something akin to swimwear worn in the southern regions, what Jurgen chose to wear was a thin bathrobe that clung to him provocatively once soaked in water.

Even someone as naive as Hernan couldn’t remain oblivious to the sight.

The thin fabric, transparent with water, clung to Jurgen’s skin, highlighting every contour in stark relief, yet Jurgen acted as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Of course, to him it probably was.

In the southern regions, where men cooled off by diving into lakes or oceans, it was common to wear even less than a bathrobe.

Traditional attire in the south was an open-chested robe tied at the waist, leaving the chest bare.

While Jurgen had never worn such attire around Hernan, he often greeted important guests at the hotel wearing southern-style garments that left little to the imagination.

In the frigid north, where the cold was biting, showing bare skin was uncommon.

Yet it wasn’t as if men in the north were ashamed to bare their chests to each other.

Hernan, having grown up in the north, simply wasn’t accustomed to such bold displays.

‘Not that he’s even wearing tight clothes…’

The front of Jurgen’s robe was entirely open, and even the parts that were covered highlighted his figure, making Hernan’s eyes struggle to find a safe place to rest.

It was clear that Jurgen had no idea how revealing he appeared; otherwise, he wouldn’t be acting so nonchalantly.

Hernan, exercising the last of his patience, averted his gaze, only for Jurgen to casually grab hold of his ankle.

‘…’

Jurgen, always burning with fever and collapsing at random times, would ask to be cooled down with Hernan’s lower body temperature.

What did he expect?

That Hernan would do anything he asked just because he asked?

Hernan sighed quietly as he looked down at Jurgen, who rubbed his now lukewarm forehead against his hand, as if complaining.

---

A full day passed before Jurgen’s fever finally subsided, allowing him to get out of bed.

Frustrated at the time lost, he resolved to refocus on his work immediately.

Having already surveyed the area, he now needed to send people to measure out the land for the building.

He also had to find someone to design the waterway that would bring the hot spring water into the building and get an estimate for the costs.

There wasn’t a moment to waste.

“…”

But standing in his way was none other than Hernan himself.

“What are you doing?”

I had been planning to jump out of bed and return to work, but the sight of Hernan, armed with a fork and a tray of food, made me pause.

“What do you mean? This is a medicinal jelly made from herbs and honey. It’s good for reducing fever and restoring strength. Now, eat up.”

“That’s not what I’m asking.”

I was wondering why someone as busy as you, the busiest person in this castle, was stuck here playing nurse to me like you had nothing better to do.

“What is it you’re curious about, then?”

What else? Narrowing my eyes, I asked, “Have you perhaps handed over the job of Grand Duke Velon to Lord Ryuudene?”

I couldn’t exactly tell him that I had mistaken him for a jobless loafer.

Yet Hernan, without a hint of shame, answered boldly.

“I can’t just sit idly by when a certain baron is constantly collapsing from overwork, unaware of his own poor health.”

I felt unfairly accused.

It was true that my body wasn’t the strongest, but I had never been this physically exhausted while living in the south.

If it weren’t for this damned cold, staying up late and working hard wouldn’t have been a problem.

“It’s not that I’m weak; it’s just that the northern cold is too harsh.”

I figured I’d get used to it. Humans are adaptable creatures, after all.

I wasn’t about to let the weather stop me from completing my tasks.

I’d just have to be more careful from now on.

“I’ll be more cautious so as not to worry you in the future.”

Seeing as my condition was clearly worrying him, I thought it best to back down a little.

But instead of calming him, Hernan’s eyebrows furrowed in frustration.

Now what?

What’s bothering him this time? I looked up at him with confusion, shrugging.

“Words alone won’t suffice.”

And what’s that supposed to mean? It’s not like you’re going to force me to rest.

I had underestimated Hernan—something I quickly came to regret.

“…”

The next evening, at precisely 8:55 p.m., I sighed and put down my quill.

In the office sat myself, Hawthorn, and Hernan, the uninvited guest who had arrived with five minutes to spare before the clock struck nine.

“Are you just going to stand there all night?”

I asked, not believing he was serious. Hernan, arms crossed, replied without hesitation.

“Yes. You have exactly 4 minutes and 29 seconds left. Start wrapping things up.”

The reason Hernan was standing there, watching me so intently, was simple.

‘‘I hereby forbid Mr. Everdeen’s late-night work past 9 p.m. from today onward.’’

What? Was this a joke? I couldn’t believe my ears.

‘‘What do you mean, past 9 p.m.? Not even midnight or one in the morning?’’

This couldn’t be real.

There were 24 hours in a day!

I had already ensured that I wouldn’t die of overwork by securing six hours of sleep every night.

During the day, you constantly barged in with meals and snacks, making it impossible for me to focus.

The night was the only time the castle was quiet enough for me to concentrate, and now you’re telling me I can’t even work then?

When I protested fiercely, Hernan shifted his tone in an instant.

“It seems you’ve forgotten that you’re staying in Velon seeking restitution for the significant damages caused by the Everdeen’ rudeness.”

Ugh. If he brings up that topic, I have no words to defend myself, even if I had ten mouths.

As if sensing my involuntary unease, Hernan continued coldly.

* * *