READING GUIDANCE
" This is a direct sentence in the present time."
" This is a direct sentence in the past time."
' This is a character's inner thought in the present time.'
' This is a character's inner thought in the past time.'
[ This is a direct sentence in sign language in the present time.]
[ This is a direct sentence in sign language in the past time.]
HAPPY READING!
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-'I am so confused.' Actually, really confused, to be exact. Now, in this Imperial Infirmary, she was being treated by the imperial physician.
Was that so strange?
For her, yes. Especially since Rosan had once told her that it wasn't just anyone who could be treated in the Imperial Infirmary. The people who worked there were academically top graduates, and their pay was incredibly high. It was nearly impossible for a commoner like her to receive such treatment, especially from a special physician with healing abilities.
Yes, the ability to heal was almost like magic—hands glowing with light over an injury, and suddenly it healed perfectly, as if the injury had never existed. Irisha gulped, amazed and fascinated, unable to look away from this extraordinary phenomenon.
Yet, the most unusual thing in this situation was that, in this infirmary mostly reserved for imperial staff, the famous crown prince sat on the bed next to hers.
[ I am okay, ] she signed with a smile at the physician, who seemed to be studying her carefully. [ I am really okay. ] The physician glanced nervously at the man behind her. Yes, she understood how overwhelming the crown prince could be—she was feeling the same way herself.
Irisha then looked at Haya, who had been standing by her side the whole time. [ Please tell her I was just lacking sleep, ] she signed.
Haya glanced at her with a sullen expression, then gave the physician a weak smile. Using sign language, he said, "She's okay. She just lacked sleep."
She looked at Haya again, grateful for his reassurance that no further examination was necessary. The physician appeared to look to the crown prince for confirmation, and Irisha noticed the man's gaze fall on her. Embarrassed, she quickly lowered her face but couldn't help sneaking a glance at his lips. After years of being deaf and mute, she had learned to recognize some words by lip shapes—but only in context. That was why it always felt uncomfortable not to look at someone's face while they spoke, as she missed so much information otherwise.
Haya poked her gently. "The physician needs to give me your medicine, so just rest here for a while, okay?"
[ I will follow you. ] she signed.
Haya's expression softened into a faint, confusing smile. "Just wait. I'll be right back."
As she rested, Irisha's gaze drifted around the infirmary, taking in its astonishing grandeur. The ceilings soared impossibly high, engraved with twisting dragon motifs that seemed almost alive in the sunlight streaming through arched windows. Polished stone floors reflected every movement, and the walls bore silver filigree and serpentine dragons whose scales gleamed like molten metal, radiating a quiet yet undeniable authority. Amid all this splendor, the crown prince remained seated across from her, composed and motionless, his golden eyes calmly observing her without a word. Even in his stillness, his presence filled the room with the same thick, almost tangible essence of dragon power that permeated the very architecture, making her heart thrum with a mix of awe and apprehension.
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It had been quite a long time.
'He should know I am deaf and mute, so why is he still here while Haya is gone?' she wondered. Even trying hard, she could see no other reason for the crown prince of this superior empire to sit here, taking care of a commoner like her.
'Is he even taking care of me, though?' she mused, remembering how he had brought her here. Embarrassment mixed with gratitude. Regardless of his fearsome reputation, his help mattered.
[ Thank you for— ] she began, then stopped. Not because no one but Arisha and her company could understand sign language, but because the crown prince suddenly smiled.
He rested his face on his hand, propped atop his crossed leg, smiling at her. Handsome, charismatic, exuding charm and authority, his presence was overwhelming. His well-built frame clad in the imperial black-and-silver suit adorned with the empire's gallant insignia only added to his striking appearance.
Even Irisha blushed, unconsciously.
But no! She reminded herself—he was dangerous. Even now, his aura made her chest tighten.
" A...ai...o...se," she stammered, trying to signal that she couldn't speak. She couldn't understand his words, only the shapes of his mouth.
Yet the crown prince smiled more brightly, radiating warmth rather than fear. Different from the intimidating impression he had given before, he looked approachable, charming, even kind, leaving her flustered.
'Is he okay, or is he making fun of me?' she worried. The situation was too strange, too delicate, and she couldn't understand a word he said.
Then another important figure arrived: the finance minister she had met before. He cast a brief glance at her before turning to the crown prince, already standing. Without explanation, they both walked away.
She couldn't complain. The only thing she could do was release the tension she had been holding, which had exhausted her.
She sighed deeply, lying back and staring at the high ceiling, adorned with a dragon emblem. Its beauty was calming, always her personal source of healing after frightening or exhausting situations. She exhaled slowly, closed her eyes, and felt the trembling within her gradually fade.
***
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'She is confused.' It is clearly showing on her face that she is confused by the situation she is in right now. She is nervous, maybe anxious, but just like in the meeting hall, she is now observing the situation and trying to find the answer by herself.
She, who had been so pale back in his embrace, confusedly looking straight into his eyes, is now only taking several glances toward him, and it is not like she is looking him directly in the eyes.
'... That is the third time she glances at me,' he said, while crossing his legs and resting his face on his hand.
Her expressions are quite interesting. Sometimes she shows exactly what she is feeling, just like the moment when the physician used her healing ability on her injury. Her eyes sparkle, and she is amazed by it. On other occasions, her anxiety and confusion are somehow hard to detect, hidden behind her calming and composed expressions—but he is certain they are there. Yet, there were several times, back when they first met or in the meeting hall, when he saw an expression on her face that he could not understand. A kind of expression between the desire to live and the contemplation of death. That is somehow the only analogy he can think of while looking at her.
After thirty years of living, he could usually understand the meaning behind a person's expression. To the point that such expressions would just irritate him. Yet, interestingly, he finds himself enjoying this moment. But how could he describe it? He could not understand it fully himself.
"She is okay. She was just lacking her sleep," said the man. "She was forcing herself in her work, but overall she is alright. Thank you for your help," he added, while performing that kind hand-movement gesture that somehow allowed both of them to understand each other. This woman is also looking at him constantly, as he is the only person who can give her an explanation and information about what is going on.
"...Then, it seems I will end the examination, Your Grace," she said anxiously.
'Ah, she's surprised,' he thought, not even looking at the physician because he is focused on the woman who has turned her face away from him, while sneakily glancing at him.
"...Okay, but if there is something wrong with her... you take all the responsibility," he added.
The woman froze. "...It is not about a physical issue," she said, pale. Then she noticed Haya's expression change after she spoke. "...Can we talk about it, sir? If it is related to something that is not a physical injury...?"
The man looked hesitant while observing her.
"You go," he said, glancing at Haya.
The man, shocked by his sudden reply, looked at the woman. He seemed hesitant, but his expression also showed that he needed to say something to the physician. "...The physician needs to give me your medicine, so just rest here for a while, okay?" he lied to this pitiful woman who trusted him entirely.
'So stupid,' he thought, naively believing the man who was actually lying to her.
"...But you don't have any choice, do you?" Even now, he spoke aloud, and the woman did not even lift her face. She is just confused by the situation, waking her body while she would be better off lying down. "You can't even hear me, huh?"
It had already been quite a long time for him to stay here, yet he did not even realize it.
"I could babble like this all day long in front of you, but you will never look at me just like before, are you...?" His eye twitched. The woman, now sitting and facing him, used her strange hand movements to look at him.
"Now, you look at me."
His smile widened, and somehow he could not control himself—the excitement of seeing her brown-black eyes so directly.
It is just like that time when she had looked into his eyes—the deep gaze that seemed to look only at him.
"Back then, do you know who I am?" he asked.
'Back then, your hair was not this curly.'
'Back then, I could also see your freckles.'
'Back then... you were not blushing like this.'
And the fact that it is so lovely tingled him in a very strange way.
"A...ai...o...se," and when she tried to speak, he could not even realize how his smile brightened, as he heard her sweet voice clearly. It was fascinating. He could not understand why, but she was so interesting in his mind. He could not explain this excitement or find the words for this feeling, but he could stay here all day just to see her... it seemed.
Yet, "Your Highness, the emperor ordered for your presence," suddenly came the finance minister, making him lose his smile.
"Father did?"
He nodded. "Yes."
Then, after looking at the woman, who was confused, he turned his face away before leaving, covering his mouth that could not contain his smile as he found something engaging in his wicked life.
***