Vol 3 Chapter 2.7

It was not easy since it was her first time taking out a piece of iron. She had removed many pieces of wood stuck in the arms and legs of young children while staying at the orphanage. If left untreated, the inflammation could worsen, and Lucius’ legs could rot.

“But Freya, I’m a bleeding patient,” Lucius protested.

“Excuse me, Your Highness, I am not a doctor,” Freya retorted.

Lucius closed his eyes tightly and groaned in pain.

“Ughhhh…”

“Drink this,” Freya said as she handed Lucius the bottle she had left on the floor. He quickly drank it, and Freya dug through the metal pieces that were stuck in the wound again.

“Please be careful,” Lucius said, wincing in pain.

Freya had tried to be gentle, but it was hard when the piece of iron was dug so deep into his flesh. She covered his mouth with a cloth to stifle his groans, and after the treatment, she wrapped a white cloth around the wound. Exhausted, she slumped down to the floor, her hands trembling.

Lucius took off the cloth covering his mouth and noticed blood on Freya’s shirt. He was concerned and asked why she was hurt.

Freya couldn’t understand why he would put himself in harm’s way, especially as the crown prince of the empire. She helped him sit up and examined his shoulder wound.

“I’m sorry, Freya. I didn’t mean to worry you,” Lucius said, trying to smile despite the pain.

“Please don’t get hurt like this again,” Freya pleaded, her tone softening.

Freya carefully examined the wound on Lucius’ chest, her brow furrowed in concentration. She could feel his eyes on her, but she did her best to ignore them. The blood flowed freely from the wound, and she was beginning to regret not taking him to the doctor sooner. She tore open his shirt to get a better look at the wound, revealing other injuries he had sustained. Lucius had already endured numerous wounds, but this one looked particularly deep.

“I would have been less hurt if I had a jacket and a vest,” he said, his voice strained with pain.

Freya couldn’t help but sigh at his words. The brown hair on her forehead and cheeks was matted with sweat. She examined the wound carefully, and a deep crease formed on her forehead as she worked. Lucius watched her closely, wondering if he could use his injuries to keep her by his side.

He shook his head slightly, chastising himself for his foolishness.

“I lied to you again today, Freya,” he thought.

He remembered how he had used his injuries to manipulate her in the forest, and how she had come back to check on him despite his deception.

As Freya’s head touched his chest, Lucius felt a rush of heat course through his body. Her touch was soft, and her breath was hot against his skin. He couldn’t help but groan in pain and pleasure as she continued her examination.

“Does it still hurt?” Freya asked.

“Because the wound is deep. Ugh,” Freya continued, gently adjusting Lucius’s shirt and grazing his shoulder to check for any remaining fragments.

“Fortunately, I can’t see any remaining pieces here,” she added, her heart fluttering as she noticed Lucius’s trembling hand gestures.

“You said you were sick, but why are you holding it like that?” Freya asked with a tremble in her voice.

“My neck hurts too,” Lucius replied quietly, leaning over to lift his collar and show her his back. “I think my back hurts too.”

“It would have been better to show it to the physician. There’s no medicine or anything here,” Freya said, sounding a bit cold. But when she saw Lucius’s face, which looked worse than before, she felt sorry for him. It was clear that he had a high fever that was burning red.

“That’s weird. I removed everything that was stuck,”  Freya said as she reached out her hand and applied it to his forehead, comparing it to her own.

“Lucius’s head was certainly much hotter.”

“Wait a minute,” Freya said, feeling a sense of familiarity as she checked Lucius’s condition. She knew it wasn’t her place to do this since she wasn’t a physician.