I Tamed the Monstrous Prince - Chapter 59
Chapter 59
The last thing she saw were red eyes. Those eyes were looking at her.
I’m glad I’m not alone. My last…
“Ren, wake up.”
She jolted awake. Familiar surroundings filled her vision. Her bedroom.
But she still couldn’t tell if she was dreaming or awake.
Cold sweat stung her eyes. Salt and grease seeped into them. The stinging made her blink, and tears streamed down her face.
She finally realized she’d been holding her breath. She coughed, a retching, hacking cough.
“Hack, cough, cough…” Her back shook violently as she expelled a thick sound. Was she alive? After coughing up so much blood?
But no matter how much she looked around, no matter how much she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, there was no blood.
She had clearly felt the end of her life. So much blood… The memory of her fingertips growing cold was so vivid.
What was it?
Her hands trembled. She blinked her dry eyes, and the pooled tears flowed endlessly. Then, a hand gently wiped her tears away.
“Wake up.”
Still disoriented, she blinked again. What she saw…
“Cesar?”
It was Cesar. He looked at her, then drew closer. Her body fit perfectly within his embrace. His hand slowly stroked her back, and she finally understood that this was real.
“It’s alright.”
“Huh?”
His hand tightened on her back. She’d always known Cesar ran warm. The places where their bodies touched were hot.
“It’s alright.”
Just like she had once comforted him. The same tone of voice. Realizing he was mimicking her brought a choked laugh from deep within her chest.
“Ahaha…”
The tears she’d been holding back flowed down her chin, soaking Cesar’s shoulder.
“It was a dream.”
“A dream?”
She still felt like she couldn’t breathe.
What was that vivid dream? Could something so real truly be just a dream?
“I had…a terrible dream.”
She shook her head vigorously. In the dream, she was a new bride, but she died on her wedding night. An unknown ailment, a burning sensation… She coughed up black blood. It was probably poison.
She’d never actually been poisoned, but she knew instinctively. The sensation still lingered, making her shudder.
“Why would I have such a dream?”
It was so vivid, as if she had actually experienced it. It felt impossible for it to be just a dream. And something else bothered her.
“That wedding ceremony…”
The setting was unmistakably the Imperial Palace Cathedral. Identical to the chapel where she’d exchanged vows with Cesar’s representative.
But the wedding itself was similar yet different. The most significant difference was that Cesar himself was present.
“Ren.”
Cesar’s voice broke through her thoughts.
“Huh?”
He brushed her bangs aside and looked at her tenderly.
For some reason, his gaze seemed to plead with her.
“Clean.”
“Huh?”
His unexpected word made her tilt her head in confusion. Cesar, watching her, spoke with a pleading tone.
“Good.”
“Good?”
What was good? And why was he talking about being clean?
Suddenly, Cesar cupped her cheeks and gently pulled her closer. The faint scent of lavender drifted from him.
“Oh!”
A familiar scent. The same as the soap she used every day. She quickly looked up and met Cesar’s eyes.
“Lavender!”
“Ren, you like this.”
“Yes, I do.”
A flutter of excitement filled her chest. She already knew the answer, but she had to ask.
“Did you…did you bathe yourself, Cesar?”
“Yes.”
He nodded, looking rather proud.
“Wow, you can do it by yourself!”
Excitement bubbling up, she buried her face in the crook of his neck and inhaled. This time, the scent was stronger. Lavender, mingled with Cesar’s own scent.
Cesar pulled back and asked, his expression full of anticipation.
“Did I do well?”
She knew it was impossible, but for a moment, she imagined fluffy ears and a tail sprouting from Cesar’s head and backside. The non-existent appendages twitched and swished excitedly. The meaning in his bright eyes was clear.
“Yes, you did well.”
It was as if he was radiating the desire for praise. Wanting to meet his expectations, she hugged him tightly.
“You did so well.”
It was truly unbelievable. Cesar had bathed himself. Her heart swelled with pride; she wanted to shout the news from the rooftops.
“Doing it all by yourself… Cesar, are you actually a genius?”
Silly words tumbled out of her mouth.
“Then this.”
Cesar took her hand and placed it on his head.
Oh, this was so adorable, it made her heart ache. Everything that followed happened because of this.
