SLDS 65

He hugged Cecil tightly and cautiously stroked his trembling back.

Cecil, buried in Alexis’s neck, felt the familiar voice and scent and, after breathing raggedly, gradually relaxed his body.

Only after confirming that Cecil was asleep did Alexis carry him out of the basement. The inside of the mansion was a complete mess. Outside, knights who had belatedly heard the news had gathered.

Claude, who was standing at the front, quickly ran over and bowed his head.

“Your Highness, I have prepared a carriage.”

“We will leave immediately. Assign a few more knights to take care of the marquis’s house.”

“I will obey your command.”

While the cleanup was busily underway, Alexis boarded the carriage that had been prepared in advance.

Claude, who had given the orders to the knights, also followed him into the carriage. After thoroughly securing the door and even drawing the curtains on the window, Claude glanced once at Cecil, who was lying with his head on the crown prince’s lap, then furrowed his brow as if in a difficult situation.

“His condition… does not look very good.”

“I should have found him a little sooner.”

“Your Highness did your best.”

Instead of answering, Alexis let out a sigh mixed with a lament. He swept back his rain-soaked hair and then carefully examined Cecil’s condition again.

“Rent a nearby inn.”

“Are you not returning to the imperial palace?”

“It will be difficult right away. You make up a suitable excuse for our absence.”

A large hand gently stroked Cecil’s round forehead. Sticky sweat came off on it, but Alexis did not mind. It was a relief just to have gotten him back safely.

“No one must know that Cecil has suffered a misfortune.”

“I will ensure it is kept strictly under wraps.”

Before long, the long night had passed, and the sky was gradually brightening. The carriage carrying the three people turned its wheels and moved further and further away from the gloomy mansion.

An inn was secretly rented. The knights, changed into plain clothes, walked around the area pretending to be guests and stood guard strictly.

No matter how well-managed it was, an inn was still an inn, and it could not shed its shabby appearance. Nevertheless, they chose the largest and best room to let Cecil rest comfortably, and they were finally able to examine his condition in detail.

Cecil did not regain consciousness even as time passed. There were times when he would occasionally open his eyes and react when his name was called, but even that was mostly nonsensical babbling.

Alexis’s worry, as he watched over him, gradually deepened.

“He said he took a drug. What in the world is it that it makes a person such a mess?”

“From what I have found out, it is a new type of drug that is currently popular in the brothels. I have prepared a doctor who is well-versed in that field in advance.”

“Bring him in.”

The moment Alexis’s permission was granted, the doctor rushed in. The man, who entered the room through the tight security, stood there bewildered, then saw Alexis’s hair color and dropped to his knees.

“Y-Your Highness! I am in the presence of the great star of the emp…!”

“Shh, be quiet and come examine him.”

The doctor crawled over on his knees. He did not dare to look at the crown prince’s face, nor could he turn his gaze toward Knight Commander Claude, who stood by as if monitoring him.

At this point, it seemed likely that the person lying on the bed also possessed a high status. The doctor swallowed the saliva that had pooled in his mouth, gulp, and then barely began to examine the patient.

“You said he took a drug? Is this his first time?”

“Yes, and though I do not know when he took it, it is certain that half a day has passed.”

“His eyes are unfocused, and his pulse is racing, which seems to be a symptom of an overdose.”

“Are you certain?”

“Yes, of course. I have seen many people in similar conditions. If left untreated for a long time, there is no hope, but fortunately, not much time has passed, so it is fully treatable.”

The doctor rummaged through the bag he had brought. What came out was an unidentifiable brown medicine bottle with no name written on it.

Seeing that, Alexis’s eyes narrowed.

“What is that?”

“It is an antidote I made. It makes the body discharge the toxins that have spread in the blood…”

“Can it be trusted?”

“Of course! I have never seen anyone who has had something go wrong after taking it! Everyone is in an uproar because they can’t get their hands on this medicine!”

The doctor’s words were not entirely trustworthy, but there was no other way for now. In fact, when it came to drugs, this doctor was likely more skilled than the palace physician. Alexis clicked his tongue quietly and gave a nod of permission.

The doctor administered the treatment more carefully than ever before. The potion was poured into Cecil’s mouth, who was propped up at an angle with cushions stacked in layers, several times. It took a long time to finish one bottle, as he had to stop every time he coughed and every time he struggled.

The doctor wiped the beads of sweat from his forehead and said.

“Phew, it is done. Now you just need to watch him for about a day.”

“There won’t be any side effects, will there?”

“Rather than side effects… he will probably sweat a lot during the detoxification process, so you will need to watch him carefully. Please replenish his fluids as much as possible, and always keep his body temperature warm.”

“You’ve done well. You may leave now.”

The doctor dragged his knees again as he had come and backed away. Claude followed him out to ensure the doctor’s silence. Afterward, in the quieted room, only Cecil’s ragged breathing floated like debris.

Because of the rainy weather, the wooden inn was rather damp. He didn’t feel a chill, but recalling the doctor’s words to keep him warm, Alexis got up and added more dry firewood to the small fireplace.

Crackle, crackle, the wood burned fiercely. Alexis, who was sitting on the edge of the bed and gazing at the red, flickering flames, turned his head and met Cecil’s face.

“You idiot. How could you follow him when you knew full well what kind of person the marquis is?”

“……”

“I’m asking you, why did a normally clever boy like you fall for a filthy bastard like that?”

There was no way a reply would come back. Looking at Cecil, who still hadn’t come to his senses, Alexis clicked his tongue, tsk.

“Just you wait until you wake up. You’re in for a big scolding.”

Contrary to his scolding tone, the hands that cared for Cecil were incomparably tender.

Despite never having tended to anyone before, he personally brushed back the sweat-soaked bangs, supported the head that had drooped limply to give him water, and then laid the reclining body down more comfortably.

However, despite the gracious care, Cecil’s condition did not improve in the slightest. His wheezing breaths made even the listener feel breathless.

Just as he was beginning to doubt whether the antidote was working properly, Cecil began to shiver, shiver, shiver.

“…Hnngh, ugh.”

“Are you cold?”

The room was already filled with stuffy heat. It was hot enough to make one sweat just by sitting still, yet Cecil huddled his shoulders and shivered like a person with chills.

When the sound of his teeth chattering, clack, clack, clack, was finally heard, Alexis sighed and got up.

He brought over an extra blanket and covered Cecil’s body with it, but his condition did not improve. Compared to the expensive bedding of the imperial palace, the inn’s blankets were all old and flattened, and even to Alexis’s eyes, their thermal insulation was terrible.

“You’re a high-maintenance child in many ways.”

Alexis lifted the blankets that were piled up like a tomb and laid himself down inside the bed. He settled behind Cecil, who was lying on his side, and hugged his shivering shoulders tightly with one arm.

Pressing their bodies together was the most certain way to transfer body heat. He had decided to become a human heater himself and soothe Cecil’s chills.

Cecil flinched at the sound of another’s breath near his ear. As if a bad memory was stimulating his anxiety, he began to struggle and push Alexis away.

“Ugh… No, stop. Don’t. Go away…”

His sharp elbow repeatedly poked Alexis’s chest, but Alexis steadfastly endured it and instead pressed their entire bodies closer.

“Shhh, it’s okay.”

He patted his chest, pat, pat, and soothed the trembling Cecil.

“Nothing happened to you. You just had a nightmare.”

“…A dream?”

“Yes, a dream. Forget all about it.”

Was it because of the voice seeping into his eardrums, or was it because of the body that was protecting his back like a sturdy support? Cecil, who had been breathing raggedly, gradually regained his composure and, before long, fell completely asleep.

Even after the trembling subsided, Alexis continued to soothe Cecil.

What should I do with this boy from now on?

It was right to hate him, but he kept catching his eye, and he couldn’t leave him alone. Alexis was just as confused, his barely composed heart shaking.

After a few hours, the effects of the antidote began to gradually appear.

Cecil was still just sleeping, but his complexion, which had been pale all along, had improved, and his breathing had also stabilized.

However, because he had been sweating as if it were raining, his whole body was damp, and he even smelled of sour sweat. Alexis, who was closely monitoring his condition, ordered the knights to prepare a bath.

Then, as he lifted Cecil up to move him, Claude quickly approached and extended his arms.

“I will do it.”

“It’s fine. I have been taking care of him myself all this time, what’s a bath.”

As Alexis carried Cecil with light steps, Claude rubbed his embarrassed face and kicked all the knights in the room out. It was the Knight Commander’s duty to protect the crown prince’s dignity.