Her face warmed and her lips parted and closed at a loss of what to say, but Vivia blamed it on the chill.
"You must feel cold too."
"I do, but we're used to tough weathers."
She gasped. "Then why do you keep giving your coats to me? Do you want to fall sick?"
With a puff of frustration, she was about to remove the coat, but Zerath stopped her.
"You cannot stop me," she frowned. "I won't bear this injustice toward you."
Zerath stared into her eyes that shimmered with a faint, almost indecipherable mistiness. He ever so gently lifted her hand, his gaze lowering to her wrist.
"Injustice is what happened to you today, Vivia."
She followed his gaze and understood.
"Ahh!" She quickly waved her hand in dismissal and laughed. "You don't have to mull over this, Crown Prince. I'm fine! Sir Tarin and Sir Kael have done all the required treatment. The injury will heal in no time," she grinned.
"Don't downplay your wounds," his eyes narrowed.
"I-I'm not," she sweated, "I get hurt often, but I always recover quickly! My heart and body are very stubborn~" her nose elongated with misplaced pride.
Her laughter did little to ease Zerath's worry. He held her hand with deliberate care, avoiding accidentally touching her burned skin.
"I didn't foresee that cousin Astaroth would go this far. I did expect an unsavory reaction from him but not up to the point that he would harm you and Eurus," a chilling seriousness rose in his voice.
The air felt heavier as he went on. "But it doesn't mask the truth that I failed in protecting you. I was careless."
Vivia read the sorrow and guilt in his eyes that gave rise to a strange uneasiness in her chest. She liked his eyes more when they looked sly and playful, not laced with remorse.
"What are you even talking about?" She harrumphed. "It's as if you claim that you can see the future. Nobody can. Naturally, we cannot foresee all the circumstances. The only person responsible for today's chaos is young lord Astaroth."
Zerath's jaw clenched as he stared at the charred and swollen flesh. Words weren't enough to express the guilt and loathe he felt. He wished he could punch a hole in the wall.
"You're my guest, Vivia. In my land, in my realm. I should've protected you better. You didn't deserve to suffer."
Watching his guilt-ridden gaze, Vivia didn't quite understand what took over her. Before she realized it, she slowly lifted her free hand and the tips of her fingers gingerly touched his cheek.
Zerath met her gaze in a stupor, surprised by her gesture.
"You haven't let me bear even a single grievance, Zerath. I truly enjoyed living here because you took such good care of me. You're not guilty of anything."
A faint, shaky breath escaped his lips. In response, he raised his hand instinctively, brushing against the back of hers as their fingers entwined. He liked the softness in her voice that echoed in his ears and the shimmer of her gaze that sparkled so brilliantly in the moonless night.
Her breath hitched, feeling the distance between them slowly lessen. She wasn't sure who was leaning toward whom, but it didn't matter. Her heart pounded in her chest uncontrollably as she felt her hand squeezed in Zerath's warmth.
"My lord."
They froze, the strange tension between shattering in the next moment. Vivia swiftly lowered her gaze, flustered and unable to meet his gaze. Zerath, too, was shaken for a moment but he calmly released her hand and regained his poise.
Lucian approached them cautiously. "My lord? Is everything fine…?"
He smiled. "Yes. Princess and I were talking about Eurus."
Vivia exhaled quietly, though her heart thudded against her ribs as though it might burst.
"Please forgive my interruption," he bowed.
"No need. Were you looking for me?"
"Yes, my lord."
Lucian held up a letter marked with a royal seal.
"We've received a letter from the Emberlain Kingdom. The convoy will arrive in Rudaheim to fetch the princess three days from now."
—
Vivia lay on her bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. Her mind was too jumbled up to find any sense of coherence. Countless thoughts raced in her mind, but none really reached her consciousness.
"Haha…Why am I feeling so surprised? Of course, I knew this day would come. I'm more surprised that it didn't come sooner. Why was Clairette's father taking so long, I wonder?"
Vivia chuckled at her own silliness, but it did little to dissipate the heaviness from her heart. As if somebody was pinching her throat shut, she found it hard to breathe.
"So my last day is drawing near. Ah! how time flies haha…Oh! The day after is the festival at Casca, right? I should buy some gifts for everyone as a token of my appreciation. Everyone took such good care of me, especially Zer-"
Vivia uneasily shifted, her thoughts coming to a screeching halt. She closed her eyes and refused to think about it.
"No, no, no! That was just some momentary confusion. Nothing of that sort was going to happen between us!"
She hastily brushed off the memory of the strange atmosphere that had taken root between them just a while ago. She tossed and turned in bed and eventually buried herself inside the blanket.
"I simply touched his face to assure him because he looked so guilty. I wasn't going to…"
Or was I?
Her own counter question made her feel paralyzed.
Of course not! That's beyond comprehension!
Before she knew it, Zerath's gaze and expression returned to her mind akin to an unstoppable wave that was stubborn to reach the shore. Her breath hitched in her chest. She felt the warmth of Zerath's fingers still lingering on her hand.
Did he also…?
The mere thought made her heart flutter and shudder at the same time.
Don't be foolish, Vivia. Today was such a tiring day. Maybe the exhaustion caught both of us. Something like that is impossible between us anyway. Not just impossible but a crime…
"Ah, it feels good to return home," she murmured, her voice laced with a daze. "I need to be back home. Then I wouldn't be plagued with such thoughts…"
Her gaze dimmed in the darkness of the blanket.
Yes, back home…
—
In a thoughtful silence, Zerath stood in the balcony, watching the night unfold before him into a deeper hue of black. He dazedly touched his cheek, where Vivia had held it only moments ago. His fingers traced the places where her fingertips once lingered, the warmth now slowly fading away. He covered his face in his palms, dragging out a frustrated sigh.
I shouldn't have approached her like that…
Zerath pinched the space between his brows, peeved at himself for his careless momentary loss of self-control, though Emberlain's letter irked him more than his own carelessness. He had expected the response to arrive later rather than sooner.
"It came too soon," he murmured.
Vivia was meant to leave three days from now. He pressed his lips in distaste.
Why are they in such a hurry? They should've taken longer if they had delayed so much anyway…
Zerath knew he was being unreasonable, but he could do nothing about the prickly feeling rampaging all over him. Breathing in the chilly air, he stared at the twinkling stars.
What is she thinking about right now? Is she furious at me for approaching her like that?
The unease nagged him. The end of her stay was looming closer, and he wouldn't get to spend much time with her. He wondered if his earlier slip had angered her. He didn't want their relationship to take an awkward stalemate after coming this far.
He let out a weary sigh again, his shoulders sagging in defeat.
I can only hope for the best…