The Untouchable Prince | A Norenmin FanFiction

五十八

Fifty Eight
Updated: January 3, 2022

Author's Note
Like the previous chapter, there will be slight mentions of self-harm (the aftermath of it at least), so if you are uncomfortable, please skip. It's better for you to be safe than to read this chapter. But, if you do wish to continue, please, please, please be careful!

The last thing Renjun expected was to see Donghyuck be brought into his palace, covered in blood. The amount of blood was overwhelming, Renjun could faint at how much blood he saw. It was twice the amount of blood he's seen in all of his life in one place, and it was frightening. Especially since it came from his cousin, who rarely ever was ever covered in blood. In the past, there were only a few incidents where he did bleed, and even then, it was only small cuts.

Not only were Donghyuck's hands covered in cuts and blood, but his entire silk hanfu was also stained, and even his tear-stained face was streaked with some of the dark liquid.

He was immediately brought into Renjun's room and laid down on Renjun's bed, which Renjun gave up voluntarily. Then, to prevent any more chaos, the young doctor had Youngho and Guhyung keep anyone from entering the room, not even Donghyuck's little brother, who was causing a loud ruckus outside.

Turning to Donghyuck, Renjun's gaze softened. "What happened, Hyuck?" he asked in almost a whisper as he prepared the medicine.

"N-nothing happened," responded the other, turning his head away.

Renjun set the medicine on the bedside table as he picked up a damp towel. "Hyuck-ah... w-why would you-"

"Nothing happened, Injoon-ah!" Donghyuck snapped angrily.

Renjun flinched, dropping the towel into the pan of water.

The other's eyes widened at his mistake and backed down, shutting his mouth and turning his head away guiltily.

Silently, the crown prince picked up the towel again, draining its water as he reached for one of Donghyuck's blood-covered hands. He himself hesitated to pick it up without another towel, but he did eventually, holding Donghyuck's hand by the wrist as he gently wiped and cleaned the wounds.

Donghyuck noticed this and immediately tried to pull away in respect of his cousin's phobia, but Renjun's grip stopped him.

"Don't move," he advised sternly.

"Injoon, your-"

"I'm fine," he said. His eyes were pinned on his work, gently cleaning around each cut. "Jaemin and Jeno have been helping me," he added, deciding to talk about himself rather than about Donghyuck. A soft smile crept onto his face. "They are very nice to me, Hyuck. They've been treating me very well, caring for me often. When I missed meals, they would come to find me, bringing along with them a tray of food. When I needed help, they would always be around the corner even if I didn't want them to follow me. When I'm frightened, I wouldn't have to tell them, they would just know. If they accidentally took one step over the line, they would take ten steps back." Renjun made eye contact with Donghyuck's watery ones before moving to his other hand. "I'm very thankful for them. I really am, but I sometimes wonder what I have done to deserve any of it. I don't think I even deserve kind people like them."

A soft chuckle escaped his lips. "Kind of funny, isn't it? Just a while ago, I didn't want to be near them. I was so frightened of them. I hated them. I prohibited them from coming near my room. I even considered kicking them out of the palace. But, here I am, smiling dumbly at all of the things they've done for me. Even now, I still tell myself to stop liking them and go back to hating them, but I can't. I keep telling myself that I shouldn't like them, that if I did, I might just suffer again, but right now, I don't feel like that incident would happen for a second time."