I was sprawled on my bed at home, wrapped like a burrito in my favorite hoodie and blanket, half-heartedly scrolling through my laptop for urgent client emails. My body felt like a battlefield—one minute I was burning up, and the next I was shivering so hard my teeth practically rattled.
My nose was stuffed, my throat felt like sandpaper, and my head pounded as though a rock band were rehearsing in my skull. Yet, despite it all, I clung to some sense of responsibility, hoping maybe there was an email titled "Miracle Cure for the Common Cold—Open Now!"
Even in this feverish haze, I noticed Luke's steady presence. For the past few days—ever since our amusement park outing—he'd hovered around me like a silent, protective guard. I actually teased him about being Olaf from Frozen, offering warm hugs, and he'd just blinked earnestly as if he was genuinely willing to be my personal snowman. It was endearing… and a bit intense, considering his usual proud, noble attitude.
He'd become so attentive—waiting outside my house to help with my bags, prepping the shower for just the right temperature, and even cooking alongside Amiel so I had decent meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
At first, I chalked it up to him simply feeling indebted after the amusement park shenanigans. But sometimes, I caught him staring, his eyes seeming to hold a thousand questions, like he had a secret he was dying to share. Creepy? Maybe a bit. Sweet? Possibly.
From the minute I fell ill, Luke never left my side. Amiel, on the other hand, was forced to explain the situation to Mrs. Kim, their convenience store boss. According to Amiel, Mrs. Kim got all excited, covering her mouth and asking, "So, are they dating?".
That prompted a hearty round of laughter from everyone… except me. The idea of Luke as my boyfriend was beyond awkward—especially given how he fussed over me like I was a delicate vase one strong gust away from smashing.
When my cold lingered for over three days, my best friend I-seo insisted I go to the hospital. I refused—who wants to vegetate in a waiting room for hours? But in typical I-seo fashion, she went nuclear, she grabbed her phone, called my parents, turned on the camera, and broadcast my sorry burrito-self to my parents. Because that was exactly what I needed—my over-the-top parents going into full panic mode.
My mom, Park Nara, who's usually chill but becomes a drama queen at the slightest provocation, instantly had a meltdown.
[My poor baby! Should we build a hospital right next to your office so we can check on you every day?!] she wailed.
"Mom! No!" I groaned, burying my face in my pillow. Meanwhile, Luke sat beside me, offering his warm arms like a dutiful caretaker—which only escalated Mom's shrieks.
[W-What was that?!] They both shouted on the other line as soon as they saw Luke,
My dad, Park Dong-Hyuk—usually laid-back but now in full anxious-dad mode—demanded to know if the guy on screen was "his future son-in-law." Right. Because somehow, me having a fever translates to me being engaged?
Luke, ever the gallant Prince, took the phone from I-Seo and bowed with perfect form. "Greetings, Your Graces. I am Prince Luke Valenhart of the Val—"
Horror shot through me. He was seconds away from revealing he was from another dimension. I slapped my hand over his mouth.
"Mom, Dad, it's all just a misunderstanding! O-Ohh please, give me a break," I whined, feeling my head split like a cracked egg.
But Luke merely cleared his throat, still holding the phone, and reassured my parents, "I will accompany Lady Sena to the healing premises—this 'hospital'—so there is no need to worry."
[Oh my! How caring you are! Please take care of your wife, my son-in-law! She still needs to bear a football team after all!] Mom exclaimed, tone brimming with excitement.
I massaged my temples. "Mom, why are you—" My voice trailed off as Dad joined in, practically bouncing with joy. Luke, for his part, chuckled sheepishly.
"I will take care of her forever, Madam," he said, looking straight at me. "I will protect and cherish her with all of my heart and soul."
Mom let out another dramatic sob, Dad beamed so hard he might've cracked his jaw, and I just wanted to vanish. Knowing my folks, they'd book tickets ASAP to swoop in and fuss over both me and Luke. They'd done crazier things—once they flew across the country because I sneezed on a phone call.
Sighing, I let I-Seo wrest her phone back from Luke. He then helped me stand—my limbs felt like wet noodles—and insisted I change clothes before heading to the hospital. I didn't have the strength to argue; I just threw on a fresh shirt while Luke hovered, ready to catch me in case I fainted (which I almost did, to be honest).
After that fiasco, I finally gave in to the idea of a hospital visit. I-Seo, looking smug, slipped her phone into her bag and turned to me.
"So, we'll go to the hospital now, right?" she asked, arms folded.
I let out a low grumble but nodded—like I really had a choice.
"That's more like it," she said, then glared pointedly at Luke and Amiel. "Yeah, yeah, we're all going. It's not like I'd let you two medieval kids run around a hospital by yourselves."
That should have been the end of it—a simple plan to get me checked, pick up meds, and survive the day. But Luke had other ideas. Without warning, he scooped me up instead of just supporting me, carrying me to the couch in my living room like I was some rag doll.
"I will assist you," he declared firmly.
"Assist me with—?" I started, but he was already kneeling near the couch, reaching for my socks—socks that seemed to have been neatly placed there beforehand. Did he prepare those?
"What—hey!" I tried to tug my foot away, halfhearted at best. "I can dress myself!"
Luke didn't bother responding. With quiet focus, he slipped the socks onto my feet, ensuring not a single wrinkle marred them. Then he retrieved my hoodie, and I just resigned myself to this bizarre pampering. Finally, he snatched up my scarf, wrapping it snugly around my neck. The entire time, he wore the expression of a knight arming a fellow warrior for the battlefield.
I just sat there, too feverish to fully grasp how surreal this was. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw I-seo and Amiel watching from the doorway, their eyes gleaming with delight.
"Is this… really happening?" I heard I-Seo whisper.
Amiel, draping an arm around I-Seo's shoulder, nodded solemnly. "It appears so."
Luke leaned back as if inspecting a masterpiece. "There. You are now properly prepared for battle."
I blinked. "We're going to the hospital, not waging a war."
Luke ignored me. I glanced at I-Seo for backup; she just smirked, totally reveling in the spectacle. I was too drained to fight further, so I decided on some petty last words.
"You know," I said, fixing Luke with a look, "no matter how heroic you act right now, it doesn't change the fact that you and Amiel basically tortured that chicken earlier with chopsticks like they were swords." I pointed accusingly. "You both still need to learn how to use chopsticks properly."
Luke froze, looking like I'd caught him stealing royal silverware. Amiel found the floor very interesting, and I-Seo burst out laughing.
"Oh, the shredded chicken incident?" she cackled.
"Yes!" I narrowed my eyes at Luke. "Explain why you two turned it into a medieval execution instead of just eating it?"
Luke coughed, readjusting my scarf. "Those two pieces of stick were… confusing to handle, and it's hard to pick the chicken whole,"
I raised an eyebrow. "So you went straight to chopstick warfare?"
Amiel shrugged. "It was an experiment."
"Yeah, an experiment in total destruction," I-Seo wheezed, wiping tears of laughter.
Rolling my eyes, I sighed. "Whatever. Let's go. I might pass out if we stay here any longer."
But Luke still wasn't done. "You should not be walking," he declared, then turned to I-Seo with regal authority. "You will take the lead in that metal carriage."
I-Seo's jaw dropped. "Wow. Thanks for allowing me to drive Sena's car."
We finally made our way outside. The cold air bit my face, and I clutched my scarf tighter, wishing I could just teleport to bed. Luke led me to the car as if each step required precise planning—fitting, since the last time he touched my door, he'd ripped it off.
This time, he gently pulled the handle, and the door stayed on. Luke's face lit up. "I have conquered the metal carriage door!"
I stared at him, unimpressed. "You mean you finally opened it without breaking it?"
"Precisely!" He turned to Amiel. "Observe! The door is still intact!"
Amiel nodded in mock admiration. "Indeed, this is progress."
"There's an unreasonable amount of duct tape and rope keeping this thing together, you know," I-seo grumbled, sliding into the driver's seat. "So try not to jinx it, Luke."
I leaned over, noticing the rope as well. "Is that rope actually holding it on?"
Luke sighed, "It's temporary! I told you, I'll hire the best artisan in Valeraine to fix it."
I was about to climb in when Luke slipped inside first. In one swift move, he grabbed my wrists and tugged me onto his lap—a "carrying a baby" posture, arm under my knees, the other supporting my back. My head naturally fell against his chest, and my cheeks burned.
"W-Wait!" I tried to squirm, but my limbs felt like Jell-O. My feverish brain spun, and Luke calmly held me as if we did this every day.
"You are too weak to sit on your own," he said, sounding utterly sincere. "It's safer if I hold you like this. I can protect you."
Right. Protect me. My brain screamed at the intimacy, but my body gave up. As if this weren't humiliating enough, I spotted I-Seo and Amiel turning around in the front seats, grinning like kids on a field trip.
"Sena," I-Seo teased, "are you sure you're just sick? Because this looks… cozy."
"They do seem comfortable," Amiel added with a mischievous pout, making puppy eyes at I-Seo. "I want that too, my Sugarplum."
My face blazed. "It's not—I mean—He's—" No words formed. Everything stuck in my throat like peanut butter.
Luke, of course, tightened his hold, smiling calmly like nothing was amiss. He totally knew he was pushing my buttons. With my headache hammering away, I managed to muster a glare at him before giving in.
"Just drive, I-seo," I whispered, dropping my head against Luke's chest. The fever left me too little fight to do anything else.
I-Seo chuckled, finally turning forward to start the car. As the engine rumbled, the gentle vibrations lulled me, and my eyelids grew heavy. I dreaded every time I looked up because I'd see Amiel's or I-Seo's amused smirks. Luke pretended to be clueless, but I caught the corner of his mouth twitching more than once.
The steady rhythm of Luke's heartbeat under my ear was almost soothing, though I hated to admit it. Even if this entire situation was humiliating, my pounding head, unknowingly together with my heart, and aching body just wanted relief. And at that moment, staying in Luke's arms was… not the worst place to be.
Yet every time I felt myself relax, I'd catch a glimpse of I-seo or Amiel snickering, and my face would burn all over again. Luke pretended to be clueless, but I could see the slight twitch of amusement at the corner of his mouth. He was definitely enjoying this.
I exhaled a silent groan. I needed medical attention, sure—but more than that, I wanted a black hole to crawl into. Because if I survived this car ride physically, I wasn't sure I could survive the avalanche of teasing.
And as we drove on, I was left with a single, dreadful thought:
I might not survive this car ride.
Right on cue, my phone buzzed. Myeong, my flamboyantly curious assistant, was calling. Without fail, the camera turned on automatically, exposing the entire mortifying scene—I snuggled against Luke's chest, with I-seo and Amiel smirking in the front seat.
[Our Director Park, what is this clingy chest situation? Are you sure you're sick, or is this romance fever? Spill the tea—did you snag yourself a Greek god boyfriend?!] Myeong's voice came through, half giggle, half genuine worry.
Mortified, I tried to shield myself with my hoodie. "Myeong, please, I'm on my way to the hospital. Luke is just… being generous, okay?"
Myeong sighed dramatically and ended the call, then texted me something about how "my chest situation was off the charts." Great. Now my coworkers, too, were witnessing this fiasco via livestream. As if my parents planning to swoop in wasn't enough.
I wasn't sure which was more likely: passing out from my fever or dying of secondhand embarrassment. The bright red flush in my cheeks suggested both were equally possible.
I still couldn't believe how the morning had spiraled into an amusement park level of chaos—complete with my over-the-top parents, Luke's medieval chivalry, and Myeong's livestream drama. Yet here I was, in my hoodie wrapped with my scarf and half-wilting on Luke's lap as the car finally pulled into the hospital parking lot. The duct tape and rope that held my poor car door together somehow felt symbolic of my sanity.
As we neared the automatic doors, I braced for the next wave of misadventures. After all, if the last hour was any indication, the actual fiasco had only just begun. With two medieval "kids," a best friend who loved to egg them on, and my feverish body teetering on the brink of collapse, stepping into that sterile modern building was guaranteed to bring a fresh round of chaos.
But a tiny, exhausted part of me still felt oddly grateful for Luke's steady warmth. Sure, I'd die of embarrassment if my coworkers ever replayed the footage of me curled up against his chest, but at least I was heading somewhere with real doctors who might fix my battered immune system. If Luke, Amiel, and I-Seo didn't inadvertently finish me off first, of course.
I took one deep breath, inhaled the hospital's antiseptic air through my stuffy nose, and silently prepared myself. It was time to face whatever came next—with Luke, Amiel, and I-Seo in tow, and my dignity hanging by a thread. Wait! My parents will be here as well. Just. Wow. (facepalmed)
(End of Chapter? Probably not! Because the real chaos starts at the hospital…)