Chapter 54: Healing Magic
“Mr. Alman, have you been resting well lately?”
“Ah, not too bad, what’s up?”
After returning to the manor from the Knight Order, Alman encountered Evelia in his bedroom. As always, she brought him dinner, and the simple meal made it hard to believe that he was the high-ranking leader of the Royal Knight Order.
“Weren’t you suffering from insomnia before? I was worried you might still have that problem.”
“Ah—that.”
If we’re talking about insomnia, that problem certainly still exists.
The nightmare seems to linger and I can’t shake it off, always surrounding me and forcing me to struggle in the mire of my dreams.
This situation has happened more than once or twice. Every time I feel somewhat at ease, that dream will appear. I once asked the medical officer during a routine check-up what was going on, and the old doctor simply replied with “mental tension.”
Alman longs for a peaceful life, but the wishes he carries are not easily fulfilled.
Even though he was saved by the First Prince, he couldn’t just become the current leader of the Knight Order. He started out as an ordinary guardian knight and fought his way to become the leader of the Knight Order through sheer determination.
To be honest, even if he is powerful, he cannot resolve every battle without injury; as a warrior, he carries countless scars, even a fatal wound that pierces his chest. If it weren’t for the conviction that compels him to survive, he might have been just another corpse on the battlefield back when he was still a soldier.
But that conviction that has supported him all this way now entwines around him constantly.
“You are now living so comfortably; have you forgotten the vows you made back then?”
—I remember.
“Why do you show such an expression now? Don’t you know who you are facing?”
—I know.
“Don’t let yourself sink any further—remember, you promised to do this for me—”
“Mr. Alman?”
“Ah—”
In a daze, he heard Evelia’s voice.
If she hadn’t called out to him, he might have sunk back into the swamp of the past.
“It’s nothing.”
He smiled back at Evelia, taking off his coat that jingled with medals.
Ah… what a relief.
Although the metal medals aren’t that heavy, he has to wear them every time he makes a formal appearance, and the clinking sound can be quite headache-inducing.
“Please wait a moment, Mr. Alman.”
As he casually tossed his clothes onto a chair, Evelia moved closer, her body getting nearer until she gently pressed against him. Perhaps it was this ambiguous distance that gave a teasing sensation.
Evelia stood on her tiptoes slightly, and it seemed they did not have deeper contact, with a gap still between them. However, with their breaths, the rise and fall of their chests would make their bodies touch slightly, and Alman’s abdomen would quiver with each breath, pressing against Evelia’s softness. After a brief contact, they would again separate, but another round of breaths would arrive quickly.
“Mr. Alman… your dark circles are getting worse again.”
Evelia reached out her hand, gently touching around Alman’s eyes. Her fingers were a bit cold, but because of that, her touch was distinctively conveyed to Alman, dragging along the shape of his eyes, lingering at the corners reluctantly.
“Evelia… what are you doing?”
The delicate sensation made Alman retreat slightly, and Evelia’s fingertip left his face.
“I’m worried about you.” Evelia retracted her empty hand back in front of her. “I think your spirit seems off, and you look a bit haggard.”
“I’m not so bad that you need to worry…”
Alman touched his own face, his calloused hand unable to feel any signs of haggardness.
“You are absolutely worth my worry.” Evelia’s response was serious. “You are very important to me.”
As her primary goal, Alman certainly deserves her concern. Up until now, his presence still holds great significance, and Evelia wouldn’t want him to fall ill suddenly before she could uncover the First Prince’s secrets, only to have him meet his end.
However, Alman completely misunderstood Evelia’s intention. To him, her words sounded quite ambiguous, causing him to smile awkwardly.
“In any case, if you’re feeling unwell, I need to heal you.”
“Heal?” Alman, intrigued by Evelia’s words, asked, “Have you learned any healing magic from the priest?”
—If Evelia has that ability, wouldn’t that give him another reason to keep her by his side?
Alman still seeks reasons to not get rid of Evelia, convincing himself in his heart.
“Please come and sit.”
Evelia walked to the side of the bed and bent down, patting the spot beside her.
“…What is this for?”
Because of the last “sleep aid,” Alman was a bit on edge regarding Evelia’s invitation. Putting aside the fact that she had licked him all over afterward, just what she had done to his ears at the start left him with psychological scars.
“Just sit, Mr. Alman.”
From Evelia’s expression, Alman couldn’t discern if she meant to do something good or something strange, but he still followed her words and moved to the spot beside her, sitting on the bed.
“Now, I will begin to heal Mr. Alman.”
“——?”
As he was surprised, Evelia standing beside him opened her arms and pulled Alman tightly into her embrace.
“——Evelia?”
“Shh, don’t move, Mr. Alman. Healing is happening now.”
The so-called healing was merely something Evelia had learned from a novel.
“When that knight fell into despair, the maid walked to his distraught side, smiling, telling him she brought a healing magic.
In a daze, that knight was gently held in the maid’s arms, warmth and softness enveloping him, the love within beginning to mend his scarred heart.
“This is my healing magic; I hope I can heal the pain in your heart.”‘
——Perhaps that’s how it is.
So Evelia would do this and call it “healing.”
However, compared to the carefulness of the maid in the novel, Evelia wrapped him in a little tighter, though it wasn’t yet the same force as when she lifted him entirely last time.
The steady sound of her breathing brushed against the top of Alman’s head, the warm and soft touch wrapping around his head. Evelia’s arms were working hard to hold him, the sound of her heartbeat echoing right by his ear.
In those few brief breaths, Alman’s mind turned several corners.
At first, he didn’t expect Evelia to embrace him. After a moment of surprise, he wanted to break free, but a hint of greed kept him from overcoming Evelia’s strength.
Later, the image of being fully embraced flashed in his mind, wondering if he might be body-slammed next, but after waiting for a while and seeing that Evelia didn’t do that, he felt slightly relieved.
Now, Alman was quiet, initially thinking of resisting a bit, but now he was enjoying the embrace.
He felt everything about Evelia; the warm embrace chased away the coldness on him.
He had always been someone who liked warmth, especially after being poisoned; he preferred to keep himself in a warm state. He had thought he could maintain the temperature on his own, but it seems now that Evelia’s presence actually made him feel even warmer.
In the bedroom, both remained quiet. Evelia stood there, continuing to embrace Alman in her healing method, while Alman sat quietly being held by her, the height difference perfectly encasing him in Evelia’s arms.
When Alman finally came back to his senses, he realized he had unconsciously wrapped his arm around Evelia’s waist. What was originally a one-sided embrace became a mutual hug.
—Ah…
Alman silently smiled wryly, burying his head in greed, his short hair sticking up and making Evelia feel a tickle in her chest.
Alman had always worried that one day he might soften his heart and fall into useless emotions, making a mistake, but… that day would ultimately come.
One misstep leads to another.
