Even if he restrained himself from persuading otherwise, the way the Wolf Knight flipped the quilt and kept fussing revealed his inner thoughts.
It wasn't until Nero tugged again at his wolf ear that he finally murmured softly, "Alright, Your Highness, alright," and lifted Nero from the bed, carrying him toward the bath.
The bath had already been renovated before Nero took residence, specially designed for someone with difficulty moving. The tub had floating leg supports on both sides, padded with a soft waterproof lining.
The White Wolf Knight gently placed Nero into the armchair inside the bath, released warm water, then removed the young master's nightclothes. He lifted both his legs and set them on the floating supports.
Nero was still visibly unwell. He coughed lightly, leaned against the soft padding by the tub, and soon drifted into drowsiness on his arm. The White Wolf Knight did not disturb him, only quietly washed his body with mild scented soap. He slid his arm out from beneath Nero's head and replaced it with a soft waterproof cushion.
But when he reached the lower legs, his movements clearly paused. Very slowly, very carefully, he removed the bandages around Nero's ankles.
Born into a pampered royal household, the most doted-upon little prince had grown up in indulgence. His feet were as white and soft as snow. Because of his disability, he rarely touched the ground, and not even the thinnest callus had formed. His toes were round like pearls, his ankles slender, faintly glowing with a soft pink hue. In the White Wolf Knight's palm, they looked like meticulously carved works of art.
Yet at those delicate ankles lay two ghastly scars. A silver axe wound had sliced across the tendon from the calf to the front of the ankle, nearly severing the foot from the leg.
Alongside, the ankle joint was twisted, grotesquely swollen and deformed.
The White Wolf Knight first sprayed disinfectant over the old wound, then carefully wiped along its edges with a damp cloth.
"Alexey, you're tickling me," Nero murmured from where he lay on the soft padding, shifting his foot slightly. "Use more strength, it won't hurt."
But the knight, ever obedient, still used the gentlest touch, like stroking feathers, washing the young master's feet with the scented soap.
Afterward, he dressed the wounds with fresh bandages and set Nero's feet back on the cushion. "Little Highness, once the coronation ceremony is over, I will prepare your sleeping pod first thing."
Wrapping the freshly bathed Nero in a robe, the White Wolf Knight carried him back toward the bedroom, all the while speaking earnestly: "It will take three days to reach the Delphi system. At least during these three days, you may rest fully in the pod."
Nero set his feet upon the knight's thighs, letting him put on socks and shoes. The knight rambled on, while Nero propped his chin in his hand, half listening, his resolute gaze carrying regal authority, yet always drifting to the magnificent Solar Palace outside the window.
"After the Holy Temple completes the purification rite, if the physicians still insist your condition is unfit—Your Highness, forgive me. I may have to use a little force to keep you resting in bed... However, if you truly feel unwell, I will not persist too long. Therefore, Little Highness, please..."
"Alexey, you must remember this."
Nero abruptly cut him off, shifting his gaze from the window back to his childhood companion of gentle temperament. The corners of his lips tilted slightly upward, but his blazing red eyes, catching the radiance of the setting sun outside, burned all the brighter, impossible to look upon directly.
"After tomorrow's coronation ceremony is complete, from that day onward—
"You must call me Your Majesty the Emperor."