Villain, Let Me Touch You! - Chapter 24
With an uncomfortable glance, Jamie sighed deeply, stating she’d tidy up the bathroom and left the room.
I remembered something I’d forgotten about the “imprint” in ‘Tattoo: Chains of Destiny.’ Imprinting was when you fall in love with the person whose name appears on your body. There were happy pairs who exchanged names and cases like mine, where it was one-sided.
The problem is the latter. A one-sided imprinted person can only live for six months without the help of the imprinted person.
When you’re away from the other person, your body has an abnormal reaction, and the only way to reduce the reaction is through physical contact.
My adverse reaction was a condition called imprinting pain. If separated from the target of the imprint, one suffers, collapses, hemorrhages, and writhes in agony.
In other words, Helios now held the reins of my life and death.
The treatment method, known as “skinship,” was more effective with frequent and intense contact. As long as the skinship was maintained, there weren’t major issues with daily life.
It finally made sense that the pain would disappear whenever I touched Helios. It wasn’t a delusion; it was a disaster.
Of all people, why did it have to be Helios? Despite his royal status, there were monumental obstacles. He would one-sidedly imprint the heroine, Chloe Dorian. If that happened, Helios would be unable to heal me. Skinship won’t work if the other person is imprinted with someone else.
In the end, you want me to die.
My depressing thoughts brought back the side effects of imprinting. I reached out frantically, searching for painkillers, but found nothing within my grasp. The headache got worse and worse. I gasped for breath and barely managed to lean against the headboard.
Memories of the novel that had remained in my unconscious mind suddenly emerged. Scenes of Helios imprinting on Chloe and his subsequent obsessive pursuit of her flashed through my brain.
After imprinting, Helios assumed the role of an unrequited lover, offering himself as a mere stepping stone for the heroine. He was obsessed with Chloe, even though he knew it was a love that could never be reciprocated.
As someone who adored Helios, I found the situation agonizingly frustrating. I couldn’t comprehend his actions. But now, I understand—why he was so fixated on her, why he tormented the other male leads just to have her. Imprinting pain was beyond my imagination.
I need Helios to imprint me in order to live, which is…absurd.
It was a novel written by a writer who loved fate, and he couldn’t escape his imprint.
Suddenly, I recalled a phrase Helios often used in the original story.
[It’s not fate. It’s a curse.]
I never realized how much that resonated with me. It seemed ridiculous that not long ago I had believed that I had changed the story. Anger surged through me as I realized that no matter how hard I tried, I was powerless to change my fate.
It’s so unfair!
I raged at the novel’s world that left no room for human free will.
That writer, if I ever meet them, I won’t let them off easy!
My anger gauge, which hadn’t changed even when I was given a time limit, quickly maxed out. However, I really didn’t have a way to let it all out.
“Hmph.”
It hurt like someone had squeezed my heart. I dropped to my stomach, clutching my chest. As I lay there, concentrating on my breathing as best I could, the bedroom door opened.
With a thud, someone approached me, a confident stride, and a large but loving hand on my back.
“Rienna, are you in a lot of pain? What’s bothering you? Tell me.”
Just his comforting touch on my back made the pain vanish. So, this is the effect of the imprinting. I was once again amazed by the immense power held within the bitter chains of fate, of this curse.
Slowly, I raised my head. Helios was looking down at me, his eyes betraying his concern and agitation. It made me both proud and apologetic to see his eyes flutter with worry. When did he get well enough to care about me? My nose felt stuffy.
Each time he patted me, my breathing slowed. Then drowsiness overtook me. Helios did not leave my side as I began to doze off.
“Your Highness, I’m feeling sleepy…”
“Just rest comfortably, Rienna.”
“Even so, Your Highness is here…”
“You’re a patient.”
I strained my eyes to stay awake, but the weight of my eyelids was too much. Eventually, I closed my eyes.
Yet, I wasn’t completely unconscious. I was vaguely aware of Helios gently nudging me to lie down properly and pulling the covers over me. Although I couldn’t muster enough consciousness to express gratitude for the prince’s care, I truly appreciated him at that moment.
Then Helios whispered in my ear. “Rienna, I’ll protect you no matter what it takes. Even if it means I’ll die…”
But I never got to hear the end of Helios’s words. I was already pulled into a deep slumber.
