The sound of the bedroom door opening softly broke the silence of the night. Reina stepped in, wearing a simple yet elegant evening gown. The tiara that usually adorned her head had been removed, revealing her long, beautifully flowing hair, waving gently every time she moved.
She found Yosan sitting and leaning against the bed, with his gaze focused on a small book in his hand. The warm light from the bed lamp on the nightstand accompanied him, creating a calm atmosphere. Yosan's face looked peaceful, as if fully immersed in the world told by the book.
"Aren't you sleeping, Yosan?" asked Reina softly, her voice almost a whisper infiltrating the silence.
Yosan, however, did not respond. Too focused on his reading, he did not even notice Reina's presence nearby. Reina shook her head softly, her lips curving into a faint smile. She stepped closer, removed the tiara adorning her head, and placed it on the table near the door. Her flowing hair exuded even more charm under the dim room lights.
At the side of the bed, Reina looked down slightly, watching Yosan's face who was still focused on his book. Wordlessly, she reached out and deftly took the book from Yosan's hand.
"A-ah!" Yosan gasped, finally noticing Reina's presence. He straightened up, his face showing a look of protest. "Your Highness! What are you doing? Give me back the book! I haven't finished reading it yet."
Reina smiled faintly, holding the book with one hand, while the other rested on her waist. "You should get some sleep, Yosan. It's too late to stay up late. Do you want to get sick again?" she said softly but firmly, tapping the corner of the book against Yosan's forehead with a light motion.
"Your Majesty!" Yosan let out a small whimper, rubbing his forehead which did not really hurt. "I'm really in the fun part! Give me back the book, I promise to only read for a little while longer!"
Reina shook her head firmly, lifting the book higher so that Yosan could not reach it. "Nothing. You should go to bed now," she said while wearing a half-ignorant, half-serious expression.
Yosan sighed softly, then without thinking, he extended his hand, trying to snatch the book back from Reina's hand. "Your Highness, I beg you-"
Reina quickly moved backwards, but her movement made her lose her balance. In an effort to keep Reina from falling, Yosan reflexively moved forward. However, instead of helping Reina stabilize, they fell together onto the bed, accompanied by a small scream and the sound of their bodies colliding.
Time seemed to stop with Yosan under Reina, their faces only inches apart. Their eyes met in silence so close that Yosan could feel Reina's soft breath against his skin. The light of the bed lamp at the side of the room reflected softly in Reina's eyes, making it difficult for Yosan to look away.
Reina, who was usually calm and confident, looked a little confused by their position. Her cheeks blushed a beautiful pink, but she did not immediately speak, as if lost in the warmth of the moment.
"Your... Your Majesty..." whispered Yosan finally, his voice barely audible. His heart was racing, feeling like it was going to jump out of his chest.
Realizing their awkward position and worried that Yosan's condition was worsening, Reina swallowed, tried to recover herself and hurriedly stood up. "Sorry, I didn't mean to. Are you okay?" she asked in a panicked tone. However, before Reina could move further, Yosan, with an unexpected reflex, pulled her back and kissed her lips.
Reina froze for a moment, her eyes widening. Yosan's soft lips pressed against hers, so warm yet also full of unexpected boldness. Instantly, Reina's shock turned to confusion, and before she could pull away, the kiss deepened, as if Yosan had completely immersed himself in the moment.
When Yosan finally broke the kiss, he looked at Reina with sparkling eyes, his face flushed but filled with conviction. "That's what they do," he said in a slightly trembling voice, while referring to the novel he had just read.
"Your Highness... I want to do it. Can we make love now?" Yosan continued, his voice sounding honest, almost innocent.
Reina's eyes widened at the request. Her heart was beating faster, but she tried to recover her sanity. She took a deep breath, trying to restore composure to her face, though her cheeks were still flushed red.
"Yosan, you... are still sick," Reina replied in a firm yet gentle tone. "It's not good for us to do that right now. I don't want to make your condition worse later."
"But I have recovered, Your Majesty," Yosan cut in quickly, his face showing confusion mixed with a hint of disappointment. "It's been a while since we've done that, ever since you seemed to be avoiding me to do that lately... for various reasons."
Yosan remembered very well how recently Reina had been rejecting him or avoiding him when he wanted to make love. Whereas before, she was the one who was usually more eager to initiate.
Reina was silent for a moment, trying to digest Yosan's words. She did not expect that Yosan had noticed the change in her attitude so far. Carefully, Reina raised her hand, gently touched Yosan's shoulder, and looked at him with understanding eyes.
"Yosan, listen to me. I'm not avoiding you," he said softly. "I just wanted to make sure you were well rested after training with Uncle Elexon. Moreover, the two of us are often busy with each other's business. That's why I've been rejecting you lately. You know how much I care about you, right?"
Yosan looked at Reina with eyes that were beginning to tear up, yet a flash of determination was still clearly visible in them. "But you yourself once said that I should serve you every night in exchange for you helping me learn martial arts and prepare to take over my power. So... can't we do it now?" he asked in an almost whispered, yet hopeful voice.
"I... I'm scared and confused," Yosan continued, his voice beginning to sound soft. "When you kept rejecting me, I thought you were starting to not love me anymore. But your sweet and warm treatment, as always, made me feel conflicted. You still treat me so well... it makes me not know what to think."
Reina was stunned, looking at Yosan who now looked fragile yet full of courage in expressing his feelings. A feeling of guilt crept into her heart, but she knew that engaging in excessive emotions now would only make things worse. She took a deep breath, trying to ease the tension that was beginning to fill the air between them.
"Yosan, listen..." Reina said in as gentle a voice as possible. "I never stopped loving you. I've never looked down on you or treated you the same way again. You're important to me, more than you can possibly imagine. I just want to make sure everything goes well for you, for both of us as well as Lia."
She took Yosan's hand, looking at him with sincerity. "I rejected you because I wanted you to stay healthy and not get exhausted."
Reina smiled gently and stroked Yosan's cheek gently. "Now, get some rest, okay?" With those words, she brought herself closer to give Yosan's forehead a brief peck. "You should get well soon, Yosan."
"So that you can get back to training again, and... we can do it next time, when you're fully recovered. Understood?" continued Reina in a gentle yet firm tone, while stroking the top of the man's head attentively.
Although hesitant, Yosan finally smiled a little, feeling a little relieved even though he knew that his feelings were far from over. "Good... Your Highness I understand."
Reina smiled a little, then rubbed Yosan's cheek gently. "That's just a good boy. I just want to make sure you stay healthy and strong, Yosan. You know how important you are, right?"
Yosan blushed with a flushed face, not daring to look Reina directly in the eyes. But in his heart, he harbored the determination to recover soon and prove himself.
As Yosan tried to rise from his position, a small moan escaped his lips. He held his stomach, enduring the sudden pain. Reina immediately put on a worried expression, but that soon turned into a gentle reprimand accompanied by a small tickle on her forehead.
"See? What did I tell you, Yosan?" said Reina in a half-annoyed tone, but her eyes still radiated affection. "You haven't even fully recovered yet, but you're asking to do something like that. Are you going to make me worry even more?"
Yosan grimaced while holding his forehead that had been poked. "I just want to sit properly, Your Highness... nothing more," he said in a pitiable tone, though the blush on his cheeks made him look more cute than pathetic.
Reina let out a long sigh, then reached out to help Yosan lie back down. "You should really listen to me this time," she said, her tone softer. "There's no reason to force yourself. If you continue to be stubborn like this, I will get really angry, understand?"
Yosan nodded slowly, his eyes unable to look away from Reina who was now sitting on the edge of the bed, watching him like a tireless guard.
"Good. Now, go to sleep," Reina said as she carefully covered him. After making sure Yosan was comfortable, she looked back at him with a small smile on her face. "I'll be right back. I'll take a shower first."
However, when Reina was about to step away, Yosan's hand suddenly grasped her wrist gently. His gaze was hopeful though it seemed a little doubtful. "We'll do it when I've recovered? You promise?"
Reina fell silent, letting the words hang in the air. She took a deep breath, looking at Yosan who now looked fragile but still tried hard to ask for reassurance. Reina realized how important those words were to Yosan, as something he could cling to in the midst of uncertainty.
Finally, Reina nodded slowly, her voice sounding soft and reassuring. "I promise."
With that simple promise, Yosan slowly released her grip with a much more relieved feeling.