The Werewolf King's Bride

(From Blue's Perspective)

"Do you like another girl?" I asked.

"No! Why would you even ask that?" he almost barked.

"Just making sure you still love me," I mumbled.

"… Why don't you take some rest?"

"Ah, I had almost forgotten to tell you. The doctor also said that you should use a separate room. I told you too, right? This is contagious, so it's better if you stay away as much as possible," I said.

"No," he declined firmly. "I am not going to an empty room."

"There will be furniture…"

"… I don't mean that."

"Do you need a plushie?"

"… Are you okay, honey?"

"I cannot allow you to have another person in that room though. You are mine, so I cannot allow that," I mumbled.

"Yes, I am yours. And you are mine," he chuckled. "And I am not leaving this room. I cannot sleep well if you are not by my side."

"You just want to take care of me, don't you?" I asked.

"Is that even needed to be said? Of course, I will take care of you. You are my wife," he said. "Wouldn't you also take care of me if I got sick?"

"Of course! Why wouldn't I?"

"Exactly," he said. "I am doing the same. So, don't talk too much about it and rest up. You need to get better as much as possible."

Find more to read on empire

Was it because of the fever that I felt very sleepy? I was dozing off. "… You really… should use... a separate room…," I mumbled.

"Sleep, darling," he said and kissed me on the forehead and gave me a peck on the lips. "Why do you worry about so many things? Just worry about yourself, sweetie. After you get better, you can worry about me."

I had a very peaceful dream that night. My family, Luc's family, and Iris's family- all went on a picnic together. Our plan was to hike in the mountain and look for a good spot to have our lunch. Athena and Abel were with us as well. It was fun. Usually, my dreams were very weird, and sometimes, it was hard to understand something.

Dem woke me up around eleven at night. "I'm sleepy…"

"Have something for dinner. Then, you are free to go to sleep," he said as he helped me sit up. "I will call the doctor after you eat."

"My head hurts…"

"You have medicine to take. It will help with the headache," he said. "How come my wife has such a weak stamina?"

"… I don't know…"

"That's why you need to eat well to build up your stamina. You need to eat more."

"I don't have an appetite. If I eat, I will throw up…"

"That's fine. But you need to eat."

"Ugh…"

"It's soup. You don't have to chew."

Dem fed me everything himself. He was very patient even though I kept complaining how hard it was to eat and kept comforting me. Seeing him like that, who would not call him the sweetest man ever?

Just as I suspected, after dinner, I had to vomit. I let everything out that I had just eaten. I felt bad for Dem and the cooks. They tried so hard.

Dem held my hair back just like before as I threw up in the toilet. My head felt slightly lighter."

"I told you…," I said.

"It's fine," he muttered.

"Gosh, I really am not feeling well. My head is killing me! And my whole body hurts… It's a very uneasy feeling…"

I could not act as if I was alright anymore. I truly was not feeling well. It was the time I realized how dangerous this fever was.

Dem did not say anything and carried me back to the bed after helping me clean up. He covered my body up with the blanket. He pulled the bell.

Two maids rushed inside and gasped, looking at me. Did I look scary? "Call the doctor and tell him to come here right now," Dem ordered. One of the maids ran outside, while the other went to the bathroom quickly.

"Dem…," I called, pulling his sleeve.

"Yes?" he asked, turning back.

"Do I look scary?"

"Of course not. Why would you look scary?"

The doctor came very quickly. His expression was slightly concerned, which was very different from his usually calm expression.

The maid also came back from the bathroom with a bowl of water and a towel. Dem pointed at the stool to place the bowl there.

"It can happen during fever, but Her Highness's ones do not seem that good. But it will get better."

"What? What is it?" I asked. "Doctor doesn't know what happened, right? Dem hasn't told you yet. I threw up after dinner. I don't understand what you are talking about."

"Your Highness, have you taken a look at yourself?" the doctor asked.

"Hm, I did. This morning…"

"There are red dots all over Your Highness's face, neck, and arms, it seems," he said.

"What…?!"

I looked down at my arms and chest. He was right. I had red dots all over. "A mirror… Get me a mirror!"

The maid quickly brought me a mirror. As I looked into it, I was horrified. My whole face was covered in red dots along with my neck and chest.

"Oh my god…!" I exclaimed. "What happened to me?"

"It can happen during high fever, Your Highness. There is not much to worry about," the doctor said. "Are they only in these visible places?"

"No, they are also on her belly, back and legs. There are less on the legs," Dem answered.

He perhaps checked while changing my nightgown while I noticed nothing. "Will they go away?"

"Yes, just do not rub them. They are not supposed to itch, but even if they do, try not to rub them. They will go away on their own when the fever goes down," the doctor said.

'My god, I look so heinous. There is not a single place on my face where there are no red dots… No wonder the maids were scared…'

"Please do not even treat them like they exist. Care for the fever only. That will solve this issue too," the doctor said.

"Yes…," I mumbled, rubbing the red dots on my face.

"Don't rub them," Dem said, pulling my hand down immediately. "She also vomited right after dinner."

"It is also nothing to worry about for now. But Her Highness should still have some food. Since it is unlikely Her Highness will want to chew anything in this state, it is better to have chicken or vegetable soup. Her Highness also should try to have some juice every now and then. Drink enough water. Do not give up on chewy food fully.

Try to have them too."

"Are you listening?" Dem asked.

"Yes…"

"Try to eat whatever you are served," Dem said, then looked at the doctor. "Isn't her weight also decreasing?"

"This is something I think I understand a bit now. Her Highness's power is very far from being awakened fully. Excessive mana cannot be used even though it is in her body. It is having a bad effect on her body. I believe Her Highness has always had a weak body and was underweight, her whole life."

"… Well, that is true…," I mumbled as I remembered the amount of time, I heard I was too thin all my life. "I thought it was because of something else…"

I actually thought it was because Father and Draven beat me a lot and I was not given enough food to eat. I had always been left hungry.

"Get out," Dem ordered the one maid who was in the room.

"Yes…," she bowed and quickly left, closing the door on the way.

Dem glanced at me. I looked away from him and looked at my lap. "… I used not to have enough food to eat… I was not given enough food. And… my family was quite… abusive, so… I thought that was the reason."

"That is one of the reasons," the doctor said. "May I ask from which age they started to abuse Your Highness? If you are uncomfortable, there is no need to answer to this or anything related to it."

"… From age three and a half, perhaps. I am not sure, because I was too young. But as far as my memory goes, I don't remember a day when I was not beaten up, or at least, yelled at."

"How long did it go on for?"

"Until Dem brought me here, which was two days before my eighteenth birthday…"

"And how far did it go?"

"… Beating and swearing- that's all… Ah, and not giving enough food… I think it has taken a toll on my mental health too. You see, I am quite afraid of… people yelling at me… and saying that I am not worthy…"