Villain, Let Me Touch You! - Chapter 23
The bathroom was filled with steam, yet even that faint mist couldn’t obscure the dazzling golden light..
How much is all this? Just ripping out a corner of this bathtub could make someone rich.
I couldn’t help but entertain such materialistic thoughts before lowering my hand.
I already knew that the room I used as a mere local physician couldn’t compare to the Crown Princess’s quarters. Still, I didn’t realize that there would be such a big difference, even in the bathroom. A golden tub, a crystal chandelier in the bathroom! It felt like the opulence of this bathroom was screaming at me for being in my shabby pajamas.
“What are you doing? Are you feeling dizzy by any chance?”
Jamie’s eyes widened as I stammered. I shook my head.
“If you feel unwell at all, you must tell me immediately, okay? I’ll help you get undressed.”
Jamie didn’t allow me to lift a finger. I didn’t even get to say I could do it myself because she had my clothes off in a flash.
Despite being naked, it didn’t feel chilly. The steam-filled room was heated by a roaring fireplace in the bathroom. The fireplace within the bathroom felt out of place, but it proved incredibly practical. I knew I wouldn’t catch a cold with it around.
I wrapped my arms around myself and dipped my toes into the tub, wearing only my underwear. The slightly hot water was just the right temperature to soothe my tired body.
As I stepped into the tub, the water surged and spilled over the edges. It’s been a while since I’ve washed. I lathered up the soap and scrubbed myself thoroughly. I soaped my hands, arms, feet, legs, and then something caught my eye.
“Let me wash your back for you.”
“Wait, Jamie!”
I stopped her and stood up, water running down my body with a splash. I stood up straight, forgetting that Jamie was watching.
“Ugh, be careful about standing up so suddenly.” Jamie waved a hand at me for splashing water on her face.
I didn’t even think to apologize and roughly covered my upper body with a towel, perching myself on the edge of the tub.
“What’s with the look on your face? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
Jamie urged me to get back into the bathtub, fearing I might catch a cold, but I couldn’t move a muscle.
Because I saw something. If what I saw was right… This was a disaster.
I desperately prayed that I had seen wrong.
“Jamie, turn around for a second.”
“What?”
“Quick!”
Startled by the urgency in my tone, Jamie turned around with a puzzled expression.
I took a deep breath, swallowed hard, and slowly spread my thighs, tilting my head downward. It was definitely on the inner thigh, and not just that, but deep enough, about half a hand’s breadth from the underwear line…
I squeezed my eyes shut, afraid to look right away.
Please, please, no.
After a long moment of praying to all the gods of the world, I opened my eyes.
“…!”
I yelped. I had to clamp my hand over my mouth to keep from screaming.
I wasn’t mistaken—clear writing engraved on my inner thigh.
I rubbed at it, but it didn’t come off, and it was definitely a name.
“Helios… Perry… Augustine?”
As I spoke the name aloud, a bright light flashed, and everything went pitch black before my eyes.
“Miss Rienna!”
Through my blurred and fading vision, Jamie’s pale and shocked face came into view. I wanted to say I was okay, but I couldn’t bring myself to speak. I just fell with a plop into the bathtub.
I had a one-sided imprint of Helios Perry Augustine.
This was terrible.
***
I was imprinted with Helios.
As I realized this fact, the contents of the novel that I had forgotten rushed back like a tidal wave. In “Tattoo: Chains of Destiny,” a novel steeped in clichés, there existed a unique world-building element called ‘imprinting.’
The setting was introduced in earnest in the second volume, when my favorite Helios becomes a villain. It was precisely at that point that I lost interest in the novel. It broke my heart every time I saw Helios acting as a villain and being rejected by the main character.
I was planning on leaving the palace before Helios imprinted with Chloe, so I was pretty much just going through the motions. I thought it didn’t concern me at all.
I can’t believe I forgot the most important part of the setting.
I wanted to bang my head against the wall.
The fact that Helios’s name appeared on my body might be some sort of punishment from the author. As if it wasn’t enough that side characters muddled the novel’s content, I even failed to recognize the most critical element within the story!
“Jamie…”
“Are you awake?”
As soon as I called, Jamie hurried over. I widened my eyes as I realized someone had cleaned my body and put me in my sleepwear.
“Jamie, you put me in my nightgown?”
“Who else would’ve dressed you? I did.”
After a moment of relief, I asked, “Did you call anyone else?”
“No, I was just about to, but I couldn’t call a doctor when you’re naked, Miss Rienna. And you’ve only been out for five minutes.”
“Good job, Jamie. And you don’t need to call the doctor.”
“What? No, I have to. His Highness instructed me to contact him at the slightest sign of trouble, even if it’s as tiny as nail grime.”
“We really don’t need to. I think I might know what’s wrong with me.”
“Really? Then we should find out sooner! I’ll fetch the Chief Physician right away.”
Jamie seemed ready to dash off. I urgently grabbed her wrist.
“When we’re a little more certain.”
“But…”
“Who am I, Jaime?”
“The doctor…”
“I think there’s more to it than that.”
“A genius, the hope of every physician, a beacon for the poor, and…a lunatic…”
“I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that last one. You’re right, I am a genius. Who cured His Highness’s incurable illness? Was it the Chief Physician? No, it was me. So, I know my illness better than anyone else.”
Unfortunately, I couldn’t cure my own illness.
