"What? Put me down right now! I can walk by myself!"
Irene shouted as she struggled in his arms, trying to free herself.
A sharp pain shot through Lucas's injured hand, making him frown slightly.
"Hold still for a moment."
But Irene didn't notice. If anything, she moved even more, uncomfortable with being carried.
"I said put me down!"
Lucas didn't argue with her. He gently lowered her to the ground, then immediately grabbed his injured hand, wincing in pain.
Before Irene could continue scolding him, she suddenly stopped and stared at his hand.
She had completely forgotten that she had heard his hand was broken.
She hadn't noticed it earlier because his clothes had concealed the splint from view.
Irene gasped, then stepped toward him and carefully took his hand.
"Are you... are you all right?"
Her eyes fell on the splint, and a wave of fear washed over her.
Isn't he supposed to avoid moving his hand altogether?
She had learned that the worst complications could occur if a broken bone failed to heal properly...
In some cases, it could even result in the loss of the entire limb.
Before she knew it, she shouted,
"What were you thinking?! How could you carry me with a broken hand?! Are you insane?!"
Lucas looked at the unfamiliar expression on her face before a small smile appeared on his lips.
"Are you worried about me?"
Irene grew even more irritated by his response.
"Why are you suddenly talking like this?! Do you think I'm joking with you?! If your hand gets any worse, you could lose it!"
Lucas chuckled softly.
Irene stared at him in confusion.
What's wrong with him? Is he actually laughing? Or is he pretending that he isn't in pain?
Lucas looked at her for a few moments.
I think this is enough for today... She'll probably cry again if I keep this up.
Then he spoke calmly.
"This isn't the first time I've broken my hand. Besides, my bones are stronger than those of ordinary people because of my training. It's not a serious injury. It'll heal soon."
He looked away from her, then bent down until he was closer to the ground.
"Since you don't want me carrying you like that... climb onto my back."
Irene raised her eyebrows in surprise.
Sally used to carry her on her back when she was little, especially whenever Irene became sleepy during their walks.
But she was grown now.
She was one hundred and sixty-six centimeters tall, wearing a long, heavy dress, and Lucas's long coat only made things more difficult.
"What? Are you trying to break your back too?"
Lucas laughed at her remark.
"Do you really think I'm that weak? All those rocks didn't break my back, and you think someone the size of a child will?"
The size of a child?! How dare he describe me like that?!
"Hurry up. Get on."
Irene hesitated before slowly moving forward.
She placed her hands on his shoulders and leaned against his back.
"Hold onto my neck."
Reluctantly, Irene wrapped her arms around his neck.
"I'm going to stand now."
Irene's eyes widened in surprise as he rose to his feet.
He's so tall...
She felt as though she were sitting on top of two Sallies stacked on top of each other...
Perhaps even a little taller.
Lucas steadied her with one hand and began walking.
Irene felt terribly embarrassed.
She hated the fact that she had been forced to rely on him ever since she woke up.
And yet...
I feel a little sorry for him.
He had come to rescue her.
He had risked his life to protect her from that collapse, and he had even broken his hand because of her.
Regardless of everything that had happened today...
I suppose we're even now.
Silence settled between them for a while.
Only the sound of Lucas's footsteps could be heard.
Then Irene finally spoke.
"Thank you."
Lucas's footsteps stopped for a moment.
He turned his head slightly and glanced at her over his shoulder.
Irene continued in a quieter voice.
"For saving me back then... thank you."
Something strange stirred in Lucas's chest.
Truthfully, he hadn't wanted to hear her thank him.
He didn't consider himself someone worthy of her gratitude for what he had done.
Irene broke through his thoughts.
"You nearly lost your life because of me too... so I suppose we're even."
She then rested her head against his shoulder and closed her eyes.
At last, Irene surrendered to the exhaustion weighing down her body.
Lucas froze for a moment.
He could feel the warmth of her soft breath against his neck.
But he said nothing.
He simply continued walking in complete silence.
We're heading back along the same road he came from...
Ah... I'm so tired that I don't even have the energy to be angry with myself anymore.
But...
I feel strangely lighter after crying.
It was the first time she had cried in front of someone like that since she had grown up.
Ah... I hate this.
Why did she suddenly feel so embarrassed?
Since when have I allowed this kind of emotion to control me?
She had never allowed anyone to manipulate her feelings.
And yet I feel like he's always one step ahead of me.
Irene quickly closed her eyes, as though trying to stop herself from thinking about it.
But she shifted slightly without realizing it.
Lucas could feel every movement she made, but he continued walking in silence, pretending not to notice.
Nothing mattered more to him than the fact that she had finally calmed down.
And yet...
The sound of her crying still echoed in his mind.
There had been something painfully sorrowful about it.
Like the haunting melody of a violin, it made his heart feel as though it might burst.
He had countless questions he wanted answers to.
But he didn't dare voice a single one.
That small glimpse of the side of her she had revealed earlier...
That fragile part of herself she constantly tried to hide...
It made him afraid to ask those questions at all.
His feelings toward his wife had become even more complicated than before.
What had begun as a desire to experience that pleasant feeling again had gradually turned into something else...
Something that had pulled him back into a dense fog of uncertainty.
"Lucas!"
Lucas snapped out of his thoughts.
Irene lifted her head and looked toward the voice.
Louie was approaching them, accompanied by several knights.
" man, seriously! You had us worried sick. Where have you been?!"
Lucas glanced at Irene, then smiled.
"My wife wanted to take a walk away from the camp, so we went out for a while. We came back after her body finally gave in to exhaustion."
The knights awkwardly turned their heads away.
Even Louie, who knew Lucas well, couldn't understand why he had phrased it like that.
"Ahem... Ahem... Are you all right, Princess?"
Irene didn't understand the strange looks on their faces.
She glared at Lucas.
How dare you turn this on me, you liar.
Then she said, trying to suppress her irritation,
"Yes... I feel much better. My body feels lighter now"
The knights completely misunderstood her words, becoming even more uncomfortable.
Louie, however, understood exactly what she meant.
Unfortunately, the way she had phrased it only made the situation sound even more suspicious.
"Ah... I'm glad to hear that."
Suddenly, as though she had only just remembered, Irene realized that she was still riding on Lucas's back.
Her face immediately flushed with embarrassment.
She slapped his shoulder angrily.
"Put me down! I can walk!"
"Are you sure you can walk after everything that happened?"
The atmosphere became even more awkward.
The four knights felt as though they were suffocating from embarrassment.
Lucas knew exactly what he was doing...
While Irene was completely oblivious.
"I said put me down!"
Irene began trying to climb down on her own.
"All right, all right... calm down. I'll put you down."
Lucas finally lowered her to the ground.
Irene gathered the hem of her dress and hurried toward the camp, while the knights followed behind her.
Lucas remained where he was for a moment before suddenly bursting into laughter at the expression on her face.
Louie stared at him with exasperation.
"You... what is wrong with you? Did those rocks hit you that hard in the head? Why did you say it like that?"
Lucas covered his face with his hand, still laughing.
"Ah... don't you think her expressions are hilarious?"
"What? She didn't even look like she understood what you were saying! You just made everyone here go through an incredibly awkward moment."
"Yeah. I know."
Louie sighed tiredly and looked toward Irene as she walked away.
"Stop this. What is really wrong with you? Everyone in the camp is going to misunderstand if you keep acting like this..."
"Come on. Let's go. I'm hungry."
Louie stared at Lucas for several seconds before muttering,
"You really don't know anything, do you?"
He sighed again.
He knew that the smile on his friend's face would disappear completely once Lucas discovered the extent of the rumors that would spread about Irene after they returned to the capital.
But there was nothing he could say.
King Richard had given him a special order out of concern for his son: no one was to tell Lucas anything before the king confronted him himself.
Louie clenched his teeth.
"Damn it..."
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Two days passed at the camp.
Finally, the doctor informed Lucas that Irene's condition had stabilized and that she was well enough to travel again.
Everyone immediately began preparing for their departure.
Irene was placed inside a carriage accompanied by a medical team so they could carefully monitor her condition throughout the journey.
Meanwhile, Lucas made sure to lead the journey himself, determined to prevent what had happened before from ever happening again.
The journey was uncomfortable and extremely painful for Irene.
But she concealed it with remarkable composure, refusing to let anyone see just how much she was suffering.
At last...
The carriages drew closer to the capital.
Irene looked out through the window, her eyes fixed on the road ahead.
She had been waiting for this moment impatiently.
And now...
She finally knew what her next move would be.
To be continued....