Chapter 72

‘Yes, I know everyone is worried about me, but this is a bit much.’

 

I blinked slowly. The scene unfolding before my eyes was utterly bewildering.

 

“Why aren’t you eating?”

 

“Shall I have something else prepared?”

 

“I’ll have the chef make another dish at once.”

 

Norman, Winnie, and Freyer showed no intention of leaving my bedroom. Freyer frowned slightly, picked up a spoon, and held it out to me.

 

“Do you not even have the strength to lift a spoon?”

 

“…….”

 

No one could eat comfortably under such intense scrutiny. I stared at the spoon held out in front of me and spoke.

 

“If I eat right now, it’ll just sit heavy in my stomach.”

 

“?”

 

“Do you have no appetite, miss? Shall I prepare steak?”

 

“But her digestion isn’t good right now. Meat wouldn’t be suitable. She should have clear soup for the time being.”

 

“It’s better to eat steak later, once you’ve fully recovered.”

 

Norman and Winnie nodded, backing Freyer’s opinion.

 

“That’s not it….”

 

“Then what is it?”

 

Freyer tilted his head, looking genuinely puzzled. I pressed my fingers to my forehead, and Winnie raised her brows and stepped closer.

 

“Does your head hurt?”

 

“Are you feeling dizzy?”

 

‘Please….’

 

Their reactions made my head spin. At this rate, they’d probably say even breathing or blinking was dangerous. I truly didn’t understand why they were like this.

 

“Even if you don’t want to, you have to eat.”

 

Freyer held the spoon out to me again. Norman and Winnie made no move to stop him.

 

With all three of them staring insistently, I half gave up and accepted the spoon. I took a bite of the soup—and Winnie actually clapped her hands, looking at me as if soothing a child.

 

“Well done!”

 

They all treated me like a baby bird in a nest. The soup melted smoothly in my mouth, and I blinked in surprise at the unexpected taste.

 

“!”

 

I looked down at the soup in front of me, so clear it almost reflected my face. Its appearance and taste were complete opposites. Seeing my expression brighten, Winnie asked,

 

“It’s good, isn’t it, miss?”

 

“Yes! It’s really good.”

 

When I was sick, I usually just ate instant porridge from the convenience store.

 

The soup had a deep flavor, as if made from meat stock, perfectly seasoned and irresistibly comforting. I took another spoonful, the rich taste spreading through my mouth.

 

Before I realized it, I’d finished it in no time. When I came to my senses, there was only an empty bowl in front of me.

 

‘How shameful.’

 

For someone who was supposedly sick, my appetite was far too good.

 

“You eat well.”

 

“Shall I bring you more?”

 

I shook my head, feeling full. It was the first time anyone had taken such care of me while I was ill—comforting, but also awkward.

 

“Miss, you need to take your medicine.”

 

Norman then held out a cup filled with a dark brown liquid. At the foul smell, I instinctively leaned back.

 

‘When I drank it half-asleep, I didn’t realize it smelled this bad.’

 

“Do I… really have to drink this?”

 

“You need to, to recover quickly.”

 

“Miss! You must take your medicine!”

 

Would it really help? My stomach would surely churn. It might have been better if they’d forced it on me while I was asleep.

 

‘Fine. I’ll just do it in one go.’

 

I took the cup, squeezed my eyes shut, and swallowed it down. The healer’s medicine was far worse than the last one.

 

“Ugh… what is this taste?”

 

At first, it was gritty, herbal bitterness—sharp and harsh. Then the slick liquid slid down my throat, and my whole body shuddered from head to toe.

 

‘This tastes like something witches brew.’

 

You know—the kind from fairy tales, made in enormous cauldrons with strange ingredients. Exactly that taste.

 

“Miss, drink some water!”

 

Winnie immediately handed me a cup of water. I didn’t hesitate, gulping it down as if my life depended on it.

 

Even after drinking, the taste lingered on my tongue. I frowned and closed my eyes—when suddenly, something round popped into my mouth.

 

“Huh?”

 

A lemon candy. As the sweetness spread over my tongue, the bitterness vanished, replaced by a sweet-and-sour flavor.

 

When I opened my eyes, Freyer was smiling gently at me. I realized he’d given me the candy. He patted my head, still smiling.

 

“From now on, I’ll give you candy after you take your medicine.”

 

“I-it’s okay!”

 

I hurriedly looked away. Maybe I really was sick—otherwise, this strange, ticklish feeling wouldn’t be blooming inside me.

 

 

***

 

 

I thought the restriction was only not being allowed to leave the bedroom.

 

But the moment I said the word “walk,” all the replies came back in perfect unison.

 

“No.”

 

“No way!”

 

“No.”

 

Even ants marching along would probably laugh at this. There was no need to coddle me this excessively. When I fell silent and stiffened, Freyer asked, “Do you really want to go for a walk that badly?”

 

“It’s stifling.”

 

Even with Winnie helping me wash up, staying still made my whole body itch. Freyer rubbed his chin, deep in thought, then spoke.

 

“…In that case.”

 

“Huh?”

 

He lifted me with both hands and set me down on the window seat.

 

“If you stay here, the suffocating feeling should ease.”

 

Sitting by the window wasn’t the same as going for a walk. Winnie quickly came over and opened the window.

 

“Miss, it’s cold outside.”

 

Norman handed Freyer a cloak from who knows where, and Freyer draped the thick mantle over my shoulders. The wind blew in through the open window, fluttering my hair.

 

“How is it?”

 

“It feels much better.”

 

The stuffiness really did fade.

 

“That’s a relief.”

 

Winnie smiled at me, clearly pleased.

 

“If you want some air from now on, you can stay here!”

 

“Very good.”

 

With Norman, Winnie, and Freyer all worrying over me, I didn’t say anything—but I never imagined their overprotectiveness would continue like this.

 

 

***

 

 

The bedroom that had once felt comfortable now felt unbearably suffocating.

 

The reason was simple: Freyer never left it.

 

‘Why is he always here…?’

 

A day passed, then another, and Freyer remained by my side. The only times he left were when Sir Derek urgently needed to report something—and whenever he did, Winnie and Norman took his place.

 

I looked up from my book and glanced at Freyer sitting near the window.

 

“Do you need something?”

 

I’d only looked at him, yet he noticed immediately. He was sharp like that. I rolled my eyes slightly, and Freyer came over and sat beside me.

 

“Lilithia. If you need anything, say so.”

 

All of his attention was focused on me.

 

‘Anyone would misunderstand and think he’s here because he likes me.’

 

Unable to avoid him any longer, I asked the question I’d been holding back.

 

“Aren’t you going to the imperial palace…?”

 

I was really asking why he was staying by my side.

 

“I’m more worried about you than imperial duties.”

 

His sincere gaze and the way he said my name sent my heart into turmoil. When I’d collapsed unconscious, I hadn’t had the clarity to think—but there was something I’d never settled with him.

 

“I can’t forget the night we spent together.”

 

Being with him made that line resurface, filling my mind. Just then, a knock sounded, followed by Derek’s voice.

 

“Your Highness. I have something urgent to report.”

 

Freyer’s expression hardened slightly as he spoke to me.

 

“I’ll be back shortly. Get some rest.”

 

I nodded lightly and watched him leave the room. My heart felt heavy.

 

With the authority of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, his workload must be immense. According to Winnie, he’d stayed by my side the entire four days I was unconscious.

 

‘And he doesn’t look like he’s been sleeping properly.’

 

Even when he left for work, he returned at night to stay beside me. His hands were always full of documents, yet despite his exhaustion, he remained with me.

 

Only now did I begin to understand why.

 

‘Freyer likes me.’

 

Unlike the original story, Freyer was looking at me, not Nazlee. I’d known it—but perhaps I’d been deliberately ignoring it.

 

He’d searched for me, carried the traces of that one night in his heart. I couldn’t fail to understand his feelings. And his sincerity made my own heart waver.

 

‘But I can’t.’

 

I can’t accept his feelings. Freyer must not fall for me. Yesterday only made that clearer.

 

‘I’m no help to Freyer.’

 

It might seem strange to reject the affection of my favorite character—but I had to be more objective than anyone.

 

In a few months, the emperor would pass away. A silent battle between the prince and the crown prince for the throne had already begun. With the plot diverging from the original, he needed someone strong at his side. That was something a minor baron’s daughter could never be.

 

I had to remind myself of my purpose.

 

‘I wanted to prevent Freyer’s tragic ending.’

 

Would he truly be happy if he stayed by my side? No. He’d be placed in danger—constant uncertainty and instability.

 

I am not the female lead. He must not fall for me. I can’t make him happy. Knowing that, I couldn’t accept his feelings.

 

‘I can’t do something like that.’

 

I had to put distance between us.

 

After all, I’m nothing more than an extra in this novel.