Hiding the Emperor's Child

Chapter 29

The snowy expanse resembled a picturesque field, but it was a frozen lake covered in a thick layer of snow. Astelle, drenched and shivering, gazed toward Kaizen as he extended his hand.

"Are you alright?" His concern was palpable in the crisp air.

"I... Your Majesty, thank you," Astelle managed, her voice faint against the wintry breeze. She grasped his hand firmly.

With a gentle tug, Kaizen helped her up from the frozen surface. The water-soaked fabric of her dress hung heavy, clinging to her form. Kaizen, though soaked himself, looked less affected than Astelle.

"It would've been dire had you not come. Thank you," he expressed, gratitude lacing his words.

Astelle offered a soft smile, a gesture that held volumes despite her discomfort. Unlike Kaizen, her condition seemed more severe.

The once-elegant dress bore multiple tears, revealing injured and bleeding knees peeking through the torn fabric. Her meticulously arranged hair now hung disheveled, undone by the tumultuous plunge into the icy waters.

"You've got quite a few injuries," Kaizen remarked with concern, eyeing Astelle's torn dress and wounded knees.

As they stood by the lake, two horses approached them—a familiar white steed, the one Astelle had been riding, and Kaizen's own horse. Kaizen moved to his horse, patting its cold and wet mane, expressing regret, "I'm sorry."

Turning to Astelle's horse, he took hold of the reins and offered his hand to Astelle. Realizing her difficulty in mounting the horse in her current condition, he scooped her up gently.

"Thank you, Your Majesty," Astelle murmured gratefully as Kaizen settled her onto his horse.

Leading both horses, Kaizen guided them away from the lake's edge. Amidst their journey, he couldn't contain his curiosity. "But what brought you here?" he asked.

Astelle chuckled softly, her response seemingly light, "I was just... admiring the scenery."

This place was deep within the heart of the forest, a distant trek for anyone seeking merely a view. Though it seemed improbable, Kaizen chose not to probe further, allowing the matter to rest.

The journey back to the castle was arduous for the pair. Having fallen into icy water and traversed the forest while wet, the biting cold pierced them both. Astelle shivered uncontrollably, her fingers trembling from the chill. Despite Kaizen's robust health, Astelle appeared pitiable, her pale lips quivering.

Kaizen considered offering his hand for warmth, but hesitated, unwilling to intrude upon her discomfort.

Their passage through the forest's winds in drenched attire led to Astelle succumbing to a fever, confined to her bed the following morning. As Kaizen visited her, she offered an apology, a faint smile gracing her pale, fatigued face.

"I'm sorry, Your Majesty. Please don't concern yourself about me; enjoy the hunt with the others."

Astelle, her complexion as pallid and delicate as her white irises, lay in bed clad in pristine white pajamas. Her long, loose blonde hair, framed her colorless face. Even her slender arms and wrists protruding from beneath the blanket resembled fragile branches. A slender finger, bereft of its skin, was wrapped in a bandage, a testament to her recent plight.

Her skin bore a scratch from her act of saving Kaizen—a silent reminder of her selflessness.

In that moment, a thought flickered through Kaizen's mind: perhaps he should stay by Astelle's side. Not out of genuine affection or regret for her situation, but rather due to concern that his absence on a hunt with his ailing fiancée might reflect poorly upon him.