CH 19

“The captain grew up preciously, so he just likes things that look expensive.”

“How about this one?”

“Oh, that’s perfect.”

Annamaria nodded.

Iris bought one more handkerchief for Hayer and went to find a flower shop.

It was not easy to find a flower shop because it was such a large and crowded market.

It was not until Iris’s weak legs and feet began to throb, that the two found a flower shop.

Luckily, Iris found the light purple wild flowers growing under the tree at the flower shop.

When Iris bought all the wild flowers in the store, Annamaria asked, puzzled.

“I guess you like this flower?”

“Yes. Very much.”

She couldn’t say it was a flower for healing Hayer. Annamaria began to talk about her favourite flowers after hearing Iris’s words.

Iris wasn’t usually the type to have long conversations, but Annamaria’s excited expression while she talked seemed to make her (Iris) happy.

* * *

The Knights of Tejas, who came to the capital, were drunk every day.

At first, Iris thought Hayer would hold back, but since the Knights arrived, he kept drinking, just like his subordinates.

Hayer rented everything with his own money, from the bar on the first floor, to the second and third floors where the accommodation was, and he was drinking day and night even while Iris was in Everhart.

Iris hid the precious wild flowers and went down to the first floor to call Hayer for treatment. And for the first time in her life, she made a loud noise at the shocking scene she saw.

“Sir Haywin!”

Iris’s shout surprised Hencke Haywin, and he let go of the bar owner who he grabbed by the collar.

Hencke said.

“He was cooking stew with meat from the leftovers of another customer…”

In fact, even Iris thought it was worth being grabbed by the collar. She had to press down the momentary disgust.

When he released the owner, Hencke said.

“You’re what I want to throw into that pot, but you barely lived because the princess saw.”

“Th-thank you, Sir! I will never forget this grace!”

The bar owner knelt down and sobbed.

Iris sighed at the fact that Hencke, who was considered relatively gentlemanly in the Knights, was not much different from the other wild and unruly knights once he started drinking.

Roughly speaking, The Knights of Tejas were even more so (wild) than other knights, since they were stationed on the border with nothing and spent the rest of their time drinking.

They seemed to be having fun because they could come to the capital and get good alcohol and good meat.

Iris passed through the noisy, unpleasant-smelling Knights and headed for the table closest to the wall.

In the middle of the long table, in full view of the whole bar, Hayer was drinking.

“Hayer, stop and come to…”

That’s how she called him, but Hayer was drunk and their surroundings was loud, so he couldn’t hear her voice.

Iris had no choice but to raise her voice a little and called him again.

“Hayer, come to the bedroom.”

She said that, but for a moment, the bar that was so noisy was quiet.

Iris looked around the bar, puzzled.

She didn’t understand why it became quiet, and she didn’t know why everyone was looking at her.

As she looked at the knights with her long, pensive eyes, as if to explain to them, Hayer covered her vision with his hand and said.

“Let’s go.”

“…Okay.”

Iris replied and followed Hayer to the stairs.

When they went up to the third floor where the two of them were sleeping, she stopped belatedly and covered her mouth with both hands.

“What should I do…”

At her startled voice, Hayer looked back at Iris.

On the contrary, he was covering his mouth with his hand to suppress his laughter.

Her head was filled with the thought of treating Hayer, but she now realized that telling someone of the opposite sex to go to the bedroom in the middle of a bar would raise doubts.

Iris, who was blushing, hurriedly turned to the stairs and said.

“I’ll come back after I explain.”

Her feet almost twisted as she spoke, so Hayer grabbed her wrist to keep her from falling and asked.

“What are you going to say?”

“That… Ah…”

In hindsight, the question of what to explain was a problem.

It’s a secret that Hayer was injured in the first place, so she can’t honestly say that she’s treating him.

Iris asked, perplexed.

“…What can I explain?”

Hayer opened the door to the room and said when she asked.

“Why would you explain?”

“It’s not for that purpose.”

“It’s not?”

Iris was choked up by Hayer’s mischievous question and slapped him on the back.

“Don’t try to tease me if you know why I called you.”

“Sorry. Drunk.”

Hayer said and entered the bedroom.

Iris decided to explain next time, so for now she pointed to the bed and said.

“Lie down now. You’d better take off your top.”

Hayer seemed to be holding back his laughter at her words again, so Iris sighed and covered her face with her hands once more.

The more she spoke, the stranger she felt.

Saying nothing, Hayer took off his shirt without hesitation and fell flat on the bed.

As he was about to fall asleep, Iris said.

“Don’t fall asleep.”

At her words, Hayer turned to Iris. He looked at her with his face half buried in the bed.

When his moonlight melted orange eyes stared at her, Iris unknowingly met his gaze.

In Iris’s opinion, the prettiest part of Hayer’s face was his forehead and the corners of his mouth.

These two parts, which seemed to be made of soft arcs, made both his deep, rough-looking eyes and jawline look less rough.

However, when his hair was down like that and covered his forehead, it seemed that only the manly part was left of him.

Even the corners of his mouth, which she thought were pretty, were shut flat, making it feel that way more. She thought maybe it was because he wasn’t laughing.

His golden hair that was tousled from drunkenness and those long eyelashes aroused a possessive desire that made others want to take him right away.

During the three months she accompanied Hayer to the North Gate, she grew to love him more and more.

She became fond of every aspect of him, even the occasional embarrassing parts later seemed sweet, as if she had been sprayed with a love potion.

Even so, it was the first time she felt the same way now, perhaps because of the situation.

Therefore… it wasn’t like that then, but now she wanted to touch him a little bit.

“Say… Are you always this good at listening?”

Hayer replied when Iris asked.

“Yes, I’m very obedient.”

Seeing that she didn’t even hate that answer, which was clearly meant to be teasing, Iris thought that she must have been on something.

In any case, her heart fluttered whenever Hayer just looked at her, and she couldn’t do anything at all.

Iris said, avoiding his gaze.

“…You can just sleep. I’ll take care of it.”

“Why did you change your mind? You acted like you’d scold me if I slept.”

“Looking at it that way, I can’t say anything.”

Hayer closed his eyes when she said it. And as expected, he fell asleep after a short while because of the alcohol, so she could only hear the sound of his breathing.

Iris finally looked at Hayer’s left shoulder, where the wound was open.

The red scar continued to the place where the wing bone was, and the wound looked like it was expected to worsen.

The poison of the sacred tree would slowly wrap around Hayer’s back later, eroding his shoulders, arms, and waist, pushing Hayer into pain.

That didn’t mean he looked okay now either. It was a terrible wound.

Iris couldn’t figure out how he could smile and even worry about others with this wound. He was a man who tolerated pain too well.

Iris mixed an ointment well with the flowers she bought at the market today. Then she began to apply it carefully over Hayer’s wound.

Just looking at the wound that had been sloppily stitched with thread made her heart ache.

The flowers detoxified the poison and seemed to have an analgesic effect at the same time. Perhaps that’s why Hayer’s forehead, which had been wrinkled since he fell asleep, became more and more relaxed.

afterword

ahhh i was sad i didn’t get to see either of them drunk last chapter but this chapter!! was!! so!! cute!! iris’s easily misinterpreted words and hayer’s teasing made me so giddy  when they entered the bedroom it felt so warm and cozy i love them aaaa

waiting for the tension build up between the two  it’s either going to be an angry confession or the softest most tender confession i’ll ever see idk what i want more