Villain, Let Me Touch You! - Chapter 12
“Mm.”
I had dozed off for a moment and sensed Helios tossing and turning. I abruptly jolted myself awake. Instinctively, I reached out and placed my hand on his forehead. I was merely checking for a fever, but my ability kicked in automatically.
Nightmare.
He grunted and gasped at whatever terrible dream he was having. Helios often had nightmares, and whenever he had them, they always made him sick afterward. Only he knew what they were about. No matter how many times I asked, he would never tell me.
“Our Highness seems to be struggling. Isn’t there any way to help?”
There were medications for physical ailments, but there were none for a troubled mind. Dreams were said to be the footprints of the subconscious, so nightmares could be viewed as symptoms of a mental illness, something that was harder to treat with the medicines that I had access to.
I raised my hand to wake him up, but then I paused. Memories of me performing CPR flooded my mind. As soon as my hand touched him, the words “cardiac arrest” vanished, replaced by a healthy heartbeat and the diminishing fever when I stroked his head.
Could this be another newly awakened ability? It’s similar to messages that pop up in martial arts games.
‘You have acquired a new skill.’
Maybe I’ve gained a new ability too. Eager to confirm, I hummed a lullaby while caressing his head, as if chanting a spell.
“Sleep well, our Highness. Even the birds in the front yard and the back garden sleep deeply, while the moon in the sky spins silver and gold. Sleep well, our Highness, sleep tight, our golden one.”[1]
I added a little personal touch at the end, hoping that Helios would understand my heartfelt sincerity. I sang the same song twice, diligently smoothing his hair.
Then the words blurred and disappeared. Helios’s expression relaxed.
“Wow.”
I bit my lip.
Did I really acquire a new ability?
I calmly reassessed the situation. Before, touching him allowed me to see his symptoms, and now I could cure them with the same touch.
I stared down at my hands. “…Awesome.”
That was all I could say.
***
Sunlight streamed into the room. The strong summer sun pierced through the thin canopy fabric, tickling Helios’s face.
Helios’s eyebrows twitched. His consciousness slowly returned.
“Are you awake, Your Highness?”
He could see Vincenzo standing at his bedside through his half-lidded, unfocused vision.
Helios finally opened his eyes.
“Shall I fetch some water?” Vincenzo leaned in closer and murmured softly. His unusually cautious demeanor differed from his usual self.
“Your mosquito voice is disgusting. Why are you so careful all of a sudden?” Helios frowned and started to push himself up, but stopped. Someone was squeezing his hand.
It was Rienna.
She was fast asleep, curled up on the bed, holding one of his fingers tightly in her grasp.
In hindsight, he understood why Vincenzo had lowered his voice.
“She’s been by Your Highness’s side all night.”
“All night?” Helios’s voice cracked. Vincenzo offered him water, but he declined by waving his hand, carefully rising to prevent waking Rienna.
Even though moving was uncomfortable, he didn’t release her finger. Gently smoothing Rienna’s disheveled hair, he extended his hand, shielding her face from the sunlight streaming in.
“Should I wake her?” asked Vincenzo.
Helios furrowed his brow, as if uncertain, yet observant. Whether he was aware or unaware, he remained an enigma whenever he looked at Vincenzo.
“Leave her be. If she wakes now, she won’t be able to sleep again.”
Rienna had nursed him through numerous nights, more than once.
Helios knew precisely how she had spent the previous night. He could even paint a picture of it if asked—her checking his temperature every half hour, reading books related to his symptoms, preparing medicine from the makeshift desk filled with herbs in his room, adjusting the room’s temperature by tending to the fireplace or opening windows.
And by the time the sun came up, she would be asleep.
Although uncomfortable in her posture, supplementing her insufficient sleep was more crucial for Rienna.
“Is this not inconvenient for you, Your Highness?” Vincenzo glanced down at Helios’s held hand.
Helios had a pathological aversion to touching others. It was a trait that stemmed from his upbringing, when he’d been sequestered in the palace since birth. Both Helios and his closest confidant understood and were cautious of his nature.
So when Rienna insisted on examining Helios several months ago, even touching his thigh, Vincenzo thought for a moment that Helios would have her killed. However, she survived, and, in fact, Helios spent a considerable sum to get her from the Empress’s court. That fact remained a secret between Vincenzo and Helios.
And now she was the only one who could touch him without permission.
And there was something even more astonishing.
“No, it’s not uncomfortable at all.”
Helios didn’t feel uncomfortable with Rienna’s touch at all. No, sometimes he even longed for it.
¹ This is a popular Korean lullaby known as 잘자라 우리 아가↩
