Chapter 39 – An Agonizing, Sleepless Night

“What about you, Your Highness?”

“I will once I get sleepy after reading.” But at this state, it seemed like sleep wouldn’t come easily. She might have to finish the entire book before drowsiness overcomes her. “Shall I turn off the lights?” she offered.

“It’s fine. You should continue reading,” Pel replied.

“I can turn on the bedside lamp.” Levisia turned off the light that brightened the entire room before Pel could utter a single word to stop her. Then, she lit up the candle of the lamp on the bedside table. “You wake up earlier than I do. So go to sleep.”

Pel cast a glance toward her and lied down reluctantly. Levisia sneaked a look at the back that was facing her and went back to reading.

Some time had passed, but somehow, Pel didn’t seem to be able to sleep as he tossed and turned continuously.

Levisia inquired, “Is your bed uncomfortable?”

“…No, it’s not like that.” His tone sounded as if he was irritated, but she couldn’t possibly say anything at the moment. After all, in a way, she had just kicked Pel out of his own bed.

After turning a few more pages of the book, Levisia felt her heavy eyelids droop and closed the book, placing it on top of the bedside table, and blew on the candle. The entire room was engulfed in darkness. She whispered ‘good night’ to Pel’s still silhouette and closed her eyes.

* * *

‘As I’d thought, I made a mistake coming here.’

Pel thought to himself as he watched Levisia dry her hair after taking a shower. He contemplated leaving the room once she had turned around and idled around the bookshelf, but for some reason, he couldn’t bring himself to leave. When he had come to his senses, he was already seated on a stack of blankets, and Levisia was constantly glancing at his head covered with the wig.

“Aren’t you going to wash up?” she asked.

“…I will when I return to my own room.”

“Oh, okay.”

‘Hah,’ he sighed internally. He sat on the blanket and counted the time going by. At this rate, he felt like he would do something, so he turned his back against her and lied down on the bed.

But that was a worse decision. Flip, flip. Whenever a page was turned, it disturbed Pel and left him wide awake. The sound that echoed from behind him, the scent that consumed the entire room— all of these kept him conscious and tossing all night.

“Is your bed uncomfortable?”

“…No, it’s not like that.”

Even though Levisia asked, he couldn’t speak the truth. Pel lay on one arm and spent hours, which felt an eternity, staying still in one position. He lay like a statue, causing Levisia to assume that he had fallen deeply asleep. Pain began to numb his arm for a long while, but he couldn’t reveal that he was still awake; he could only clench his teeth and endure the ache.

‘No matter what I must sleep outside,’ he determined. It was a night in spring, and the winds blew strongly, yet Pel resolved to sleep outside even if he froze to death. He was regretful the entire night.

Levisia didn’t fall asleep easily. For quite some time, she flipped the pages of the book again and again as if they reached no end, before finally closing it shut. Pel, who had been counting numbers in his head with his eyes closed, lost his count as he heard Levisia stir.

‘Three million… what was it again?’

Rustle, rustle. The sound of the blankets disturbed his train of thoughts.

“Good night,” she said. Her usual bright voice whispered softly— the last straw in driving the sleep away from Pel.

‘Damn it. Good night my ass. I just hope the sun doesn’t come up yet.’

Darkness invaded the room and soon, slow rhythmic breathing replaced the silence. Then, Pel opened his eyes. “Ha…” He sighed out in relief and looked up at the ceiling, cracking his neck. It was already lost to him how long he had been frozen in one position.

‘I’d rather sleep outside than to sleep here,’ Pel grinded his teeth as he kicked his blanket and stood up. Then, just before he was about to leave the room, he turned to look at Levisia. ‘Ah, again.’ For some reason, unbeknownst to him, he found himself unable to move.

“Damn it.” He covered his own mouth with his hand, afraid that he might wake Levisia who had just fallen asleep. Pel stared at her face lit up by the faint moonlight. A while had passed, and it was only when he finally came to his senses. Pel took off his stuffy wig and ruffled his hair. He turned around with reddened ears.

‘What am I doing right now? Tsk, I’m becoming an idiot.’