Chapter 66: I took away Yeju's first love.
He pressed and extinguished what he was holding and threw it away.
"It's just that there's no proper painkiller. Don't worry, it's not bad for your body."
After saying that, he let out a short groan and lay back in the chair.
I slowly pushed through the smoke and approached Aster.
He had taken off his shirt for the treatment.
His body, without a single ounce of fat, showed how long he had trained.
The muscles, taut and tightly packed, seemed as if a blade wouldn't easily pierce them.
But what surprised me more were the numerous scars on his skin.
Cuts from knives were common.
There were also tears and puncture marks.
It was hard to believe how he had survived until now.
When my gaze wouldn't leave Aster's body, he asked.
I sat next to him and placed my hand on his bandaged arm.
I had inflicted another wound on this beautiful person.
After saying that, he reached out and swept my hair.
His fingers moved delicately, like a performance, from my hair to my cheek and then to my jaw.
The intense herbal scent, which had momentarily faded, now assaulted my nose, making my head spin.
When he lifted my face with his fingers, I met his sunken, purplish eyes.
It was a casual conversation.
But strangely, my body stiffened with tension.
I managed to open my mouth and answer his question.
"I'm fine. Compared to Aster, I'm not in pain at all."
"You shouldn't use me as a benchmark."
When he slightly lowered his gaze, his long eyelashes cast a shadow on his face.
The trembling of his eyelashes looked pitiful, like a butterfly's wings caught in a spider's web.
The eyes visible through his lush golden eyelashes were filled with an intense possessiveness.
It was an emotion so clear and unhidden that it was hard to believe it came from Aster, who always maintained a poker face.
A primal fear, even more intense than when I met the wolf god, began to consume my mind.
My voice trembled as I called him.
He, who had been staring at me intently, stepped back.
The hand that had lifted my chin and the bitter herbal scent simultaneously faded away.
"I'm tired today. If you're fine, you can go now."
Aster turned his head as if fleeing.
I couldn't say anything and was chased out of his tent.
It was as if I was seeing him for the first time.
The knights' hunting competition was postponed. Given the special treatment for the knights, canceling it would have caused significant backlash.
As a result, other schedules were also pushed back, including the opening date of the perfume workshop.
So, I had completely forgotten about what happened with Aster that day.
"Miss, everything is ready."
Today was the day of the grand banquet, the highlight of the hunting festival.
It was also the first time Aster and I would enter together.
'I completely forgot about it.'
How awkward the atmosphere was when we parted that day.
Seeing my anxious face, Lily asked.
"Is something worrying you?"
"You seem different from usual. Why are you so tense?"
Was I this tense because it was the first time seeing Aster since that day?
My mouth was dry, and I fidgeted with an empty cup.
"Lily, listen. It's not my story, but my friend's."
Realizing my slip of the tongue, I closed my mouth.
'Lily knows best that I don't have any friends.'
I couldn't even lift my head in embarrassment.
"Why is your friend's story important, Miss?"
Lily pretended not to know and asked me.
I almost felt moved by Lily's effort to cover up my past.
"Um, it's my friend's story... Someone they usually know well showed a completely different side. What should they do in such a situation?"
"A completely different side? Like, violent or something?"
"No, not violent... Just, the atmosphere was very different from usual."
Lily looked completely confused.
I recalled that day and stumbled through an explanation.
"Maybe they seemed less relaxed than usual? They also seemed a bit dangerous."
His eyes and aura, like those of a lazy predator, left a strong impression. He even seemed seductive.
"I'm not sure exactly what you're worried about. Do you think this person is strange?"
"It's not that. It's just awkward. And, it's not me! I don't know what to do when my friend acts like that."
Lily shrugged at my words.
"Maybe just go with how they react. Your friend might have been mistaken."
"Come on, there's no need to worry. It's time to leave now."
At Lily's words, I looked in the mirror for a final check.
The dress matched Aster's. It was made of light pinkish-beige chiffon, with a thin silver shawl and lace added on top.
The waist was adorned with colorful flowers, making it look luxurious.
My long hair was decorated with pearls and jewels.
"Miss, the carriage has arrived!"
At Lily's words, I left the room and went to the front door.
The carriage sent by the royal palace was incredibly large and ornate.
It was even more impressive than the one sent last time.
The Aster I knew wouldn't do something like this.
My heart felt strange as I rode the carriage to the royal city.
The grand banquet was held in the royal garden.
Lanterns with the crests of the winning family illuminated the banquet hall.
This year, lanterns with the crests of the Pioneira Duke's family and the royal family were hung.
At the coachman's words, I got out of the carriage.
The head butler greeted me and led me inside.
The closer we got to the waiting room, the more nervous I felt.
When the head butler announced my arrival and opened the door, I saw Aster.
His reaction was so ordinary that I felt silly for being so tense.
I sighed in relief and approached him.
"The dress suits you much better than I thought."
Aster's outfit was made of the same material as my dress but in a slightly lighter beige color.
He had the same pattern embroidered on his wrists with gold thread and a pink cravat.
While not exactly the same, the design clearly made us look like a couple.
Behind him was the perfume I had given him. I moved closer to check if the scent was strong enough.
Aster was startled and stepped back.
"I just wanted to check if the scent was strong enough... Did I surprise you?"
"I haven't sprayed it yet."
Aster turned around, picked up the perfume bottle, and handed it to me.
He scratched the back of his neck, embarrassed.
"I've never used it before."
Aster closed his eyes and sat on the chair.
I took the bottle and stood in front of him.
'Something feels strange.'
I tried to ignore the awkward feeling and sprayed the perfume around him.
The strong top note suited him surprisingly well.
"How does it feel? Does the scent give you a headache or anything?"
Aster raised his arm to smell the scent and looked satisfied.
However, the movement seemed unnatural.
Considering he had been injured just a few days ago, I doubted he should be moving so freely.
"Ah, it's not something to worry about."
I noticed his bandages were gone.
"Can you already take off the bandages?"
"Thanks to my good recovery, it's fine now."
He said that and hid his arm behind his back.
"I need to see it with my own eyes."
I quickly grabbed his hand as he tried to step back.
I must have gripped too hard; he winced and staggered.
When I let go in surprise, Aster quickly stepped back.
When I took a step closer, he stepped back again, trying to keep his distance.
"I-I'm fine. You suddenly used a lot of force."
"You didn't get proper treatment, did you?"
He just turned his gaze away and kept his mouth shut.
"As the Emperor, you should take care of your body."
When I saw the scars on his body, I realized something.
Even if he was neglected by the previous emperor, it shouldn't have been to the point where he couldn't get treatment.
Perhaps he found it troublesome, or no one cared about his injuries.
Even Aster himself didn't.