"I want to know why you do it."
"Why I do what." he asked, stripping off his overcoat.
He flung it over the back of the couch without much thought as he began unbuttoning his shirt.
"Why you always save me. Every time I'm in trouble you always come...
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The sound of the door to the infirmary creaking open had me shooting up from where I had passed out next to Yunho. I had fallen asleep in the chair, head resting on my arms beside him after returning from the kitchen. Every last bite from the dessert I had gotten from Seonghwa eaten and the cup it was in left on the nightstand next to the fresh bowl of water. I chanced a quick glance at Yunho to see him in the same position as he was last night before I fell asleep.
Remembering what had woken me in the first place, I turned to the door, surprised to see my mother and Hongjoong entering the room. Hongjoong had stepped in first, his eyes quickly finding mine. I could only hold his gaze briefly, my eyes dropping from his feeling my nerves settle deep in my gut after last night's conversation. Seeing my mother come in after him served as a good distraction from him as I stood from my seat.
"Good morning." I greeted her, accepting the hug she always gave me in the mornings.
A habit she started doing after my father had passed.
"I was worried when you didn't return to your room last night." She whispered before pulling away.
"I'm sorry. I should have come to find you before going to bed."
She waved off my apology.
"Don't worry about it. I ran into King Hongjoong outside of the rooms. He told me you asked to take care of King Yunho. How is he?" She asked, looking down at the man in question.
I followed her gaze. He was still paler than I'd like him to be, but the maid had been right when she said his fever had broken. And other than his pallor and lack of consciousness, he didn't have any other outright symptoms.
"There haven't been any changes. He slept well through the night but hasn't woken yet."
The room was quiet as I relayed this information. My mother's expression mirroring the sadness I felt I couldn't outright show. In my chest, there was still that ever present gloom hanging over my heart. The annoying possibility of him never waking sending alarms bells blaring and spiking my anxiety all over again to the point where I struggled to smother it once more. But it was becoming glaringly obvious that it wouldn't go away until Yunho woke up. And that was something I was both eager and terrified of happening. Hongjoong cleared his throat, my mother and I looking from Yunho to him.
I was finally able to take in his attire. He had changed from the relatively simple clothes I was used to seeing him in the past few days I had known him to a uniform much more fitting of a ruler of an entire kingdom. His suit was freshly pressed. A gorgeous cobalt blue with silver accents. Ones that nearly matched his hair perfectly as the crest of Kriton rested over his left breast pocket.
"I didn't get a chance to thank you for watching over him last night."
Indeed, he didn't. The topic of conversation having been much heavier than mere thanks. But I wouldn't dwell on that, especially not with my mom here.
