Chapter 20

“What did you do to my forehead?”

“What? I just put my hand on it…”

As I answered, bewildered, Declan raised his upper body.

“Put your hand here.”

I hesitated and laid my hand on his outstretched hand.

“…It’s warm. It’s very weak, but I can definitely feel it.”

What kind of nonsense is this?

“It feels like I’m basking in the sun. Did you touch my forehead yesterday as well?”

“Ah, it looks like you are tossing and turning while sleeping.”

“So, it was.”

He muttered softly and looked at me. I raised my hand and looked around, but didn’t feel anything special.

Declan gazed at my hand and laid back down without a word.

“Lullaby, sing it to me.”

“Would you mind if I put my hand on your forehead?”

Raising my hand, his expression softened. The tension was relieved, and I hummed a small lullaby.

“It’s the first song I’ve ever heard.”

That’s what my mom used to sing for me. I never thought I’d sing it here. My chest tightened a little.

As the lullaby continued, his breathing became more even.

“Sleep comfortably.”

I gently brushed his hair with joy.

‘He looks like a child when I sleep like this.’

Seeing him sleeping comfortably, it was clear that my hands were playing a role.

“Did he say it felt like he was basking in the sun?”

I tried to hold my hand, but I didn’t feel anything.

I’ll find out the reason later.

“Your Majesty, I’ll make sure you don’t have nightmares again. Have a good night’s sleep…” I whispered softly to him and got out of bed.

“Oh, I should’ve asked you to open a book.”

If I went inside the doll, I would have been able to read a book all night long.

With regret, I glanced at the book on the side table. He brought the history book I had been looking at to his bedroom every day.

‘Because he’s surprisingly attentive.”

A small laugh leaked out.

As soon as the sun came up, I hovered around the bed.

I was bored all night and wondered if Declan slept really well.

“Good morning?”

“You surprised me.”

Speaking in a tight voice, he raised his upper body.

“Did you sleep well yesterday?” As I pushed my face closer with a grin, Declan shook his head in embarrassment.

“Looks like so.”

“It’s all thanks to this hand of medicine!”

I waved my hand.

“Hand of medicine?”

“Yes. Hand of medicine.”

“What does that mean?”

Oh, is there no such word here? Well, if not, you can create a new one.

“It means the hand that heals when you touch a sore spot.”

“That’s the first time I’ve ever heard of that word,” Declan said, tilting his head and frowned.

“It’s like something I’ve seen in a fairy tale book your Majesty read before…”

“From the book I read?”

Declan furrowed his brow as if trying to remember if there really was such a thing.

I quickly added, “Anyway! From now on, with this little hand and a lullaby, I will protect Your Majesty.”

Saying that, I raised my right hand and smiled proudly.

“Even if you have a hand of medicine, you are not good at lullabies…”

“Hey!”

Declan avoided my gaze and coughed.

“You’re so funny.”

Having said that, he got up from the bed.

I secretly glanced at Declan and smiled again.

“You’ll see. You won’t be able to sleep without a lullaby anymore.”

Declan listened to me and pulled the string. Then, Noah came in. “Your Majesty, did you sleep well?”

“Yes.”

“Yesterday and today, you look good.”

Look at that. As I smiled, Declan quickly looked away from me.

“Please say hello to the Chief Attendant.”

He let out a small sigh as my eyes urged him.

“Erica is greeting you.”

Noah glanced around at the words with a terrified expression on his face. “To me? Where is she now?”

Declan pointed his hand to where I was standing, annoyed.

“Did you sleep peacefully, too?”

Noah smiled at me and greeted me.

“Yes. I slept well.”

“She slept well without even sleeping.”

He grumbled a little next to me.

“The chief attendant is someone who knows of my existence other than His Majesty, it’s good to greet each other.”

“Don’t use me as an interpreter. I’m not your servant.”

Declan then looked away as if he had nothing more to say.

I also turned my head at his negligence.

“Prepare the wash.”

“Ah, yes.”

Noah, who was looking awkward talking to the air, immediately opened the door and went out.

Mason was heading to his office with the papers to process.

Just then, someone whispered from the end of the hallway.

“Don’t you think His Majesty seems strange these days?”

He wanted to ignore and pass by, but it was about none other than his monarch.

“What? Is he talking to himself?”

“Come one. He’s talking to the Crown Princess, it’s always happening. It’s strange that His Majesty is now talking to the air.”

“Come to think of it, I saw him in the garden yesterday too, didn’t he speak to himself while holding the Imperial Princess?”

Mason’s eyebrows, who were listening to the conversation, narrowed in an instant.

“Isn’t it possible that he is getting seriously ill?”

“Should I look into something else?”

“Maybe that’s right. We’re going to die like this.”

As he walked in the direction from which the voices were heard, he saw three or four attendants hurriedly dispersed.

Mason stood there for a while after they disappeared, then turned and headed for the Emperor’s bedroom.

“Chief attendant, I need to talk to you for a moment.”

He whispered softly as he saw Noah out of the bedroom while Declan was eating. At that, Noah followed him with a puzzled face.

“What’s the matter?”

“I heard a strange story while I was coming.”

“A strange story?”

Noah tilted his head.

“Did His Majesty go out for a walk in the garden yesterday?”

“Yes, he is.”

“His Majesty these days, instead of looking at dolls, is he talking to himself in the air?”

Mason’s eyes narrowed as Noah’s face hardened in embarrassment.

“I’m sorry, but may I ask where exactly you heard this and from whom?”

When Noah asked, as he quickly corrected his expression, he lowered his voice even more. “On the way, I overheard some of the attendants talking. They said that His Majesty’s illness was getting worse.”

“Haa. I was afraid that something like this would happen.”

Noah muttered a little with a serious face.

“Is His Majesty really talking to himself in the air?”

He hesitated for a moment, and then opened his mouth to make sure he had what he had to say. “Yes, that’s true. But, it’s not because of the disease.”

“It’s not enough with the doll… Is he now seeing an illusion?”

Mason touched his forehead as if he had a headache.

“It’s not like that. His Majesty doesn’t have any mental problems, you know?”

“I know he’s holding onto the doll to appease his longing and guilt.”

He let out a sigh and continued.

“It’s been strange since he said that the doll is moving. Even having a book open in front of the doll. Was it all a foreshadowing?”

Noah looked at him with a calm face.

“His Majesty is heartbroken, but he has not been clouded. I can assure you of this.”

“It means you know why.”

Mason stared straight into Noah’s eyes.

“…Yes. But I can’t tell you without His Majesty’s permission. I’m sorry.”

“Okay. Let me ask His Majesty myself.”

And so, Mason headed to Declan’s bedroom to meet him.

***

“Your Majesty, this is Mason.”

“Come in.”

Upon entering with Declan’s permission, the doll that should normally be beside him is on the opposite side. And, the strangest thing was that there was a plate of food and cutlery lying across from him.

Mason narrowed his brow, clearing his voice.

“Your Majesty.”

“What’s going on? Did you find out who was behind the last poison case?” Declan asked with an indifferent face.

“No.”

“Then?”

“I heard a strange story, so I went to check the truth.”

Mason straightened his expression as he looked at the plate on the empty seat again.

“These days, there are rumors circulating that Your Majesty’s talking to himself in the air… there are rumors that your illness may have gotten worse.”

He looked closely at Declan’s reaction, but Declan only stared at the other side, where there was nothing.

“If that’s true, you should seek medical attention immediately, and if it’s not true, I need to figure out the source of the rumor and catch the person who spread it.”

Declan let out a short sigh as he finished his speech and stood with his face stiff.

“I must clean the Imperial Palace once.”

Mason bit his mouth tightly.

“I’m fine. Do you think I’m crazy now?”

Declan clasped his chin and tilted his head while waiting for Mason to answer.

“Not really.”

“Well, did you think I was crazy when you saw me treating the doll as Chloe?”

Mason’s face was a little startled at the words ‘doll’ as the doll had always been called Chloe.

“Why? Because I looked at Chloe and said she was a doll? You must have thought I was crazy.”

He was taken aback by the nonsensical remark.

“No! I never thought so.”

“But why are you so surprised that I referred to the doll as a ‘doll’?”

“…Because I know that Your Majesty’s wounds are difficult to heal.”

Declan looked down at him.

“Mason, can you believe everything I’m saying? Even if it’s something that’s never going to happen?”

“I’ll try to believe it.”

He believes in Declan more than anyone else, and he can lay down his life for Declan. However, when it comes to his safety, he needs to be cool-headed. If Declan is deceived by something like black magic, he has to deal with it quickly.

Declan looked into the air opposite him and nodded his head slightly.

“Do you remember what Chloe called this doll?”

Mason traced his memory and narrowed his brow slightly.

“I remember the Princess calling the doll Erica.”

“Yeah, it was Erica. This kid’s name.”

Declan stroked the doll’s head.

“A few days ago, I began to see Erica’s soul.”