My Lord Chapter 19
by Ariana“My lord, I’m coming in.”
Without waiting for a reply, I opened the door and entered. Sedian was still sitting, leaning against the headboard of his bed. I hurried over to him and naturally held his hand.
Sedian no longer pushed my hand away. Perhaps he had grown accustomed to me, or maybe he had given up. I hoped it was the former, but even if it were the latter, it wouldn’t be bad. After all, as long as I could hold Sedian’s hand and relieve his curse, that was enough.
Holding his hand tightly, I smiled at him with warmth.
“Why are you smiling like that?”
“Pardon?”
“I asked why you’re smiling so slyly.”
Why does he always have something to say about my smile? Is it really that odd? I clicked my tongue and responded.
“Because I’m happy to see you, My lord.”
“…Nonsense.”
Sedian muttered, slightly turning his head. For a moment, I thought his cheeks looked red, but it must have been my imagination. There was no way he was in pain, especially since I had been continuously relieving his curse.
There was something else that needed my attention. Slowly, I began to explain why I had come to see Sedian.
“You remember Cordelia and the head chef I mentioned before?”
“Yeah.”
“I’ve dismissed them.”
Sedian’s head snapped toward me.
“You madman!”
He glared at me, gritting his teeth. His flushed face made it clear how furious he was. So, earlier must have been my imagination. His face turned tomato-red in an instant.
“You didn’t listen to me! I told you to leave them be—! You—! Let go of my hand! Let go!”
Sedian occasionally had such hysterical outbursts. The curse and the pain made it difficult for him to control his emotions. It was practically my fault, so I held his flailing hand even tighter and spoke.
“You were worried there would be no one to fill their positions, correct? So, I’ve found replacements.”
At that, Sedian’s outburst came to an abrupt halt. He looked at me in disbelief.
“…Replacements?”
“Yes.”
I firmly clasped both hands around his, trying to calm him.
“Some people recently moved to the village. When I offered them the positions, they immediately accepted. I’ve verified their backgrounds and even obtained recommendation letters from their previous workplaces.”
Of course, that was all a lie.
But I believed this: benevolent lies were acceptable.
There’s no reason for any problems to arise.
There was a risk that the royal tracking team might catch up, but I had already figured out how to handle that. There was nothing to worry about.
“And?”
After a long silence, Sedian finally spoke slowly.
“Do they know who I am?”
He was likely asking if they knew about him being the ‘cursed prince.’ I nodded immediately.
“Is there anyone in this region who doesn’t know about you, My lord?”
“…And yet, they came.”
Sedian’s face twisted into a complicated expression. He gave me a doubtful look, as if he couldn’t believe what I was saying, then soon shifted to a resigned expression.
“Are they desperate for money?”
“I don’t think that’s the case.”
“Then are they criminals?”
“That doesn’t seem to be it, either.”
…Though they were criminals, I couldn’t exactly tell him the truth, so I lied.
Sedian furrowed his brows, his expression growing even more confused.
“Then why…?”
He murmured.
“Why would they come to me?”
“…”
“There’s no reason for them to come to me…”
Oh, dear.
I couldn’t help but let out a sigh. How could his self-esteem have sunk this low? Sedian wasn’t just physically cursed—his heart was also deeply scarred.
“My lord.”
I interlocked my fingers with Sedian’s. Not just to alleviate the curse, but because I wanted to comfort him. I wanted to soothe his wounded heart.
“You are someone who is cursed.”
“…”
“But you yourself are not the curse.”
Sedian’s large eyes flickered ever so slightly.
“Why do people come to you? Because people are meant to meet other people. It’s natural for people to live by interacting with others.”
“…”
“You’re merely afflicted by a curse. You are still you, My lord. A kind employer who pays well and doesn’t overwork his staff.”
Of course, he was prickly, but I didn’t feel the need to add that part.
Sedian’s gaze dropped. His long eyelashes quivered as he struggled to focus his eyes. Then, holding my hand tightly, he raised his head.
“…So, you coming to me is natural as well?”
“Yes.”
I replied without hesitation.
“And I’m very content now.”
Once again, Sedian’s eyes flickered. This time, it wasn’t with confusion. A faint light shimmered in his widened pupils, making them look almost like they were glistening with tears.
“You…”
Sedian seemed genuinely touched, and I smiled in satisfaction, waiting for what he would say next.
“…are a fool who knows how to run that tongue of yours.”
“…Excuse me?”
“I’ve never met someone who can talk so smoothly.”
“…”
Hey. We were having a good moment just now. That’s too much.
“If that was meant as a compliment and I misunderstood—”
“Would it be a compliment?”
“No.”
Sedian completely cut off even the faintest hope. He chuckled. It was obvious to anyone that he was pleased with himself for successfully teasing me. I squinted my eyes at him in disapproval.
“I’m going to sulk.”
“Go ahead.”
“Do you know what happens when I sulk?”
“Nope.”
“Actually, neither do I.”
At that, Sedian chuckled again. A small curve appeared at the corners of his lips before his mouth widened into a grin, revealing white teeth. Dimples indented below his lips and on his cheeks. His smile lit up his face, making him look more radiant than ever.
“You have such a beautiful smile, My lord. Please smile often.”
I said it without realizing, and Sedian immediately stopped smiling.
“When you say that, it makes me not want to smile.”
What a jerk.
“That’s too much.”
Sedian chuckled once more. He only ever seemed to laugh when teasing me, huh?
I wasn’t thrilled about it, but I figured it was better to let it go since at least he wasn’t in pain. Being teased didn’t hurt me, after all.
“Anyway, My lord. The weather is lovely today. How about a walk?”
The open window let in the refreshing summer breeze. The sea-scented wind seemed to beckon us, inviting us to step outside and embrace the world.
“I’ve also purchased a tea table and chairs. Taking a walk and enjoying some tea might improve your mood.”
Sedian blinked slowly, and I saw my reflection in his blue eyes.
“Are you going too?”
“Ah, I have some work to do, so…”
“Then I won’t go either.”
What’s with this precious little one?
“Fine, I’ll go. If you can only feel at ease with me by your side, I suppose I have to go. Yes, I’m going.”
I said it to provoke him into snapping back and refusing, but unexpectedly, Sedian didn’t retort at all. He simply snorted and turned his head away.
“Think of it as me doing you a favor by going along.”
“Ah, yes.”
After helping Sedian put on his shoes, I gently supported him as he swung his legs off the bed. I wrapped my arm around his waist and leaned his body against mine, making sure he could rest comfortably. With more contact between us, transferring magical energy became much easier. Hmm. Should I suggest daily hugs from now on?
“…Let go.”
“Pardon?”
“I said let go. I can manage on my own.”
“No way! I’ll help you at least until we’re outside!”
I didn’t want to miss out on this perfect opportunity, so I flatly refused. But Sedian was adamant.
“I told you three times already—I can walk on my own. Stop making me repeat myself.”
Hmm. If I pushed it any further, I’d probably be on the receiving end of some serious verbal abuse. Not that I wasn’t already used to that by now… but still, getting scolded is never fun.
Reluctantly, I let go of Sedian. He swayed slightly but soon steadied himself and began walking on his own two feet.
But then…
“My Lord?”
I tilted my head and asked.
“Are you feeling feverish? Your face is red.”
“…Shut up.”
Why does he have to complain even when I’m just worried about him?