A surge of something rose within him. He didn’t believe in gods, nor did he have any loyalty to the royal family—in fact, he despised them. But even he couldn’t help but feel how absurd this situation was. Even a street orphan would have someone try to stop them if they attempted to head towards the Nabimi Forest. 

So why…? 

Looking at Kirona’s calm face, lying there without a groan, like a corpse, he felt anger boiling up. He would have preferred it if she at least cried, claiming she was in pain—someone who could cry so easily when she was fine was now silent. He was furious, though he didn’t know who his anger was truly directed at. 

“What’s the reason for this? Were you really abandoned? Why would anyone send a weak royal like you alone into this damned forest?” 

“It’s fine. This doesn’t even count as being sick. It’s just a temporary fever.” 

“If this is ‘fine,’ a couple more temporary fevers like this and you’ll end up in the afterlife.” 

“Five times, and I might.” 

“What?” 

“Besides, this isn’t that kind of fever. No one’s come looking for me yet, right?” 

Kirona, unfazed by his anger, continued to ramble. Her amber eyes, which had returned after their dip in the water, now sparkled as she gazed at the ceiling mural, even giggling. 

“You’re laughing right now?” 

“It’s Theresia and Yuri Eclipse. Look up there.” 

He pulled the blanket over her face, but Kirona didn’t relent, pulling it back down to point out the mural above them. Jade reluctantly looked up. Sure enough, the mural covering the temple depicted none other than the Flame Knight. 

From the moment he fell for Theresia at first sight, obsessively following her around, to the scenes of him glaring jealously from the shadows every time Theresia met with other knights—every foolish moment was vividly illustrated. 

Jade had always wondered, even before his family’s downfall, why the Flame Knight was the most popular knight. He was just a fool who threw his entire life away chasing after Theresia. He wasn’t like the Earth Knight or the Wind Knight, who had noble aspirations, nor did he remain steadfastly by her side like the Star Knight. 

“Seems like Eclipse is the patron saint of this temple. Eclipse is everywhere.” 

“Please stop talking about my cursed ancestors and just close your eyes. I’m going to try and make something to eat, maybe dry some meat or something. Didn’t you say you wanted to kill that snake? Or do you want to die here?” 

“Will you help me kill the snake? It really seems like that’s our only option now.” 

“Sure, let’s give it a try. If that’s the only option, what else can we do?” 

He sighed as he responded, meaning it only half-seriously. The other half was just to appease Kirona, as he feared she might start crying again. 

“I thought you’d tell me to give up and commit suicide. You did say that the first time we met.” 

“That was when I was alone. If you really want to kill that snake, you need to get better first.” 

Even as he spoke, the future looked bleak. He was at a loss and could only keep adding more blankets over Kirona. If he had known it would come to this, he would have spent less time arguing with the old witch and more time asking for medicine. He had never been seriously ill before, so he hadn’t considered that someone could collapse like this. 

“…You really don’t like your ancestors, do you?” 

“Would you like someone who passed on such a cursed bloodline?” 

Kirona forced herself to sit up and laughed again. Jade tried to make her lie back down, but she suddenly grabbed him by the neck. He was taken aback but couldn’t bring himself to push her away. 

Clinging to him like a lost child searching for their parents, Kirona looked desperate and earnest, as people often did when they were sick. 

“You’re cold.” 

“Of course, we both fell into the water. I’m no human furnace, so stay close to the fire. Once I warm up, I’ll be your heater.” 

“No, when you have a fever, cold things feel better. I’m cold, but my body is burning.” 

Kirona shook her head and burrowed deeper into his arms. Jade froze, his heart pounding wildly, unsure if it was from embarrassment or shock. He tried to focus on one thing, convincing himself that it was just the fever that made her cling to him like this.  

She’s the princess. She’s sick. Princess, sick…  

“Keep talking to me,” Kirona whispered. 

“What should I talk about?” 

“Anything. Just let me hear your voice. It’s the first time someone’s been with me while I’m sick.” 

What kind of nonsense is this? A royal with no one to care for them when they’re ill? He frowned and asked, 

“Were you locked away?” 

“When I opened my eyes, no one was ever there.” 

Kirona pulled him closer, as if to share a secret, and whispered, 

“The demon that came to take me always made sure of that.” 

People really do lose their minds when they have a fever… Jade thought, cupping Kirona’s burning face. Even if she hadn’t clung to him, he would have tried to cool down this frighteningly hot fever.