'I am so confused.' actually REALLY confused to be exact as now in this Imperial Infirmary, she is being treated by the imperial physician.

Is that so strange?

For her, yes. Especially when Rosan ever told her that not just anyone could be treated in Imperial Infirmary. She said that the people who work in the imperial infirmary are academically top graduates and their pay is very expensive. It is nearly impossible for a commoner like her to get this treatment. Especially with the special physician who has the healing ability.

Yes, the ability to heal is just like magic where the hands could give off light to an injury and suddenly the injury will heal perfectly. As it never exists in the first place. That is why she gulped and is amazed at the same time as she is now seeing something that normal humans shouldn't be able to do. It is so strange and magical that she can not turn her eyes away from this fascinating phenomenon.

Yet, the most abnormal one in this situation is the fact that in this imperial infirmary that is mostly used for the Imperial staffs- sits the famous crown prince in the next bed of her where she is lying down right now.

[ I am okay.] she said while smiling at the physician that seems trying to find what is wrong with her. [ I am really okay.] and the physician looks hesitant while looking at her again and taking a nervous glance at the man behind her. Yes, yes. She understands how overwhelming the crown prince is, as she is feeling the same way too. Then, Irisha looks at Haya who stands alongside her all the time, [ Please tell her that I was just lacking my sleep.] she said.

where Haya looks at her with his sullen looks before looking at the physician with a weak smile. He uses his sign language and said, " She is okay. She was just lacking her sleep."

and she looks at Haya again who is saying his gratitude. Saying that it's okay not to take further check-up and just let her rest. Then the physician seems to look at the crown prince to find reassurance, and Irisha follows her way and she is surprised because the man looks at Irisha too. Make her hurriedly turn her face down and just sneakily steal a glance on his lips. After being deaf and muted for several years now, there are some words that she could understand by seeing the shape of the mouth, but of course, it is only the word and she still can not understand without the context. So that is why it will feel uncomfortable for her not to look at someone's face when they are talking as she lost a lot of information that she should know.

Then Haya pokes her, " The physician needs to give me your medicine, so, just rest here for a while okay?"

[ I will just follow you.] she said.

but Haya's face somehow changed, and he gives her a faint smile that confused Irisha. " Just wait, I will be right back."

It is kinda strange but Haya is someone that always tells her the truth, that is why she will not ask more and follow what he said to her. Then, in this large, spacious, full with a unique and extravagant accent of the Malum Empire, she is being left behind with the crown prince who still sitting beside her. He does not look like he will go right away so she decides to wake up and sit. Truthfully she is kinda confused and feels awkward with this situation, as the man sitting faces her but also does not do anything.

It is really quite a long time for this man to still be here.

'he should know that I am deaf and mute, so why is he still here while Haya is not here?' even she tries so hard to think, there is also no other reason for the crown prince of this superior Empire, sit in this kind of place and ' take care' a commoner like her. 'Is he even taking care of me, though?' well, he did bring her here. It is kinda embarrassing when she remembers it again. Yet, despite who is he and how famous wicked he is, the fact that he helped her is something that is important. So she will just give him her gratitude.

[ Thank you for-] but she stopped. It is not because she remembers that no one could understand sign language other than Arisha and people in her company, but, it is because the crown prince suddenly smiles. He smiles while putting his face on his hand that resting on the top of his crossed leg. Smiling at her with his handsome face that is so charming and attractive. She could not deny it. Ignore who he is, the man in front of her is a kind of prince that lives in the fantasy world. Not only that his appearance define what beauty is, but also the charisma and the charm that he exudes bluntantly. His sturdy and good-looking body who wears an imperial suit that is thick with black and silver color and with the gallant insignia of the empire is also the other factor that makes him become more handsome.

.... even Irisha unconsciously, blushing.

.

.

BUT!

NO!

She should hold herself and be aware that, this man is dangerous. Yes, he is. Even it is not that strong, she could still feel a strange atmosphere that somehow make her feel hard to breathe.

" A...ai ..o...se" and she ended up trying to say something to show him that she could not speak. She could not understand what he is trying to say, as she was once looking at his mouth speaking.

Yet, this crown prince smiles more brightly. Somehow different from what the first impression or the second one, where he gave a very frightening expression. Now, he looks so happy and so charming that makes her could not stop but blushing on her face.

It is a natural reaction surely, but, feeling this kind of sensation toward a man with this handsomeness, is somehow different.

' Is he okay, though? or he is making fun of me, again?' because it is not okay from her perspective to see him acting like this. It is not his character that she knows. ' Is there any paper?' she kinda looking around for a while as it is now quite hard to stay in this kind of situation without she understand a single thing. But then suddenly another important person comes up and the finance minister that she once met, looks at her with his brief gaze before he turns away and speaks to the crown prince who already standing.

Then, with just a simple glance, they both go without telling her something or giving her an explanation.

she could not complain though. The only thing she could do just relieve the tension that she holds quite long. That is somehow tiring her up when she finally realizes that all of it is already ended.

She sighs so hard as she lets out the tiredness that she keeps within her. While lying herself again and looking at the high ceiling with the engraved dragon emblem. It was so fascinating. It is always calming her down. The beautiful scenery is always been her best healing every time her body becomes so exhausted. Just every time when she faced frightening situations, where she forced herself to be calm and composed while truthfully it was too much even for her.

So then, she exhales the air again.

Slowly closes her eyes.

Then the trembling will slowly go away.

***

.

.

.' she is confused.' it is clearly showing on her face that she is confused with the situation she is in right now. She is nervous, maybe anxious, but just like in the meeting hall, she is now observing the situation and trying to find the answer by herself.

She, who was so paled back on his embrace, that confusedly looking straight into his eyes is now only taking several glances towards him and it is not like she is looking at him into his eyes.

'... that is the third time she glances at me.' he said. While crossing his leg and putting his face on to his resting hand.

Her expressions are quite interesting. Sometimes she shows exactly what she is feeling, just like the moment when the physician does her healing ability to her injury. Her eyes sparkle and she is amazed by it. On the other case, her anxiety and her confusion are somehow quite hard to be found as they are hidden in the calming and composed expressions of her but he is certain that they are there. Yet, there were several times back in the first time they met or back in the meeting hall when he found the expression that he could not understand the meaning behind it. The kind of expression in between the desire of living and death. That is somehow the only analogy that he could think of while looking at her.

After 30 years old living, he could easily understand the meaning behind the expression of people. It is to the point that their expression then will just piss him off. Yet, interestingly, he finds himself enjoying this moment.

but how could he describe it? as he is also could not understand it too.

" She is okay. She was just lacking her sleep." said the man, " She was forcing herself on her works, but overall she is alright. Thank you for your help." he said while doing that kind hand movement thing that somehow, could make both of them then understand each other. This woman is also looking at him all the time as he is the only person that could give her an explanation and information of what's going on.

"... Then, it seems I will end the examination, Your Grace," she said anxiously.

' ah, she surprised.' and he is not even looking at the physician because he is looking at the woman who turned her face away from him, while sneakily looking at him.

"... Okay, but, if there is something wrong with her ... you take all the responsibility."

and the woman froze. "... It is not about the physical thing, " she said paled. Then found out Haya's expression is changing after what she said. "... Can we talk about it, sir? If it is related about something that is not physical injury... ?"

and the man looks hesitant while looking at the woman.

" You go," he said while looking at the man.

then the man that shocked by his sudden reply, look at the woman. He seems terrified but his expression shows that he also needs to say something to this physician. "... The physician needs to give me your medicine, so, just rest here for a while okay?" and he lied to this pitiful woman who trust himself entirely.

' so stupid.' naively believe in the man that actually giving her the lie.

"... but you don't have any choice is not it?" because even now, he speaks to her out loud, the woman does not even lift up her face. She is just confused with the situation by herself, waking up her body while she better just lie down. " You can't even hear me, huh?"

and it is already quite a long time for him to stay here. Yet, he does not even realize it.

" I could babbling like this all day long in front of you, but you will never look at me just like before, are not ...you?" but then his eye twitched. As the woman who is now sitting facing him, use her strange hand movement and looks at him. " Now, you look at me." and his smile widen up, somehow he could not control himself. The excitement where he could see her black eyes straightly.

It is just like that time when she was looking at him in his eyes. The deep gaze that was looking only to him.

" Back then do you know who am I?" asked him.

' back then, your hair is not this curly.'

' back then, I can also look at your freckles.'

' 'back then- .... you are not blushing like this.' and the fact that it is so lovely, tingling him in a very strange way-

" A...ai ..o...se" and when she tries to speak- he could not even realize how his smile brighten up, as he hear her sweet voice. It is so interesting. He could not understand why but, she is so interesting, in his mind. He could not explain this excitement or find the word for this feeling, but, he could stay here all day just for seeing her... it seems. Yet,

" Your Highness, the emperor ordered for your presence." suddenly the finance minister comes and makes him lose his smile.

" Father did?"

and he nodded. " Yes,"

then after looking at the woman who is confused, he turns his face away before he leaves while covering his mouth that could not hold his smile as he finds something engaging in his wicked life.

***