Villain, Let Me Touch You! - Chapter 126

Only Jamie was in the bedroom. She was in the middle of tidying up the bedding. I held onto the doorknob and asked,

“Where’s His Highness?”

“In the office.”

“Thanks.”

Without another word, I headed straight for the office.

“Welcome, Lady Rienna.”

The guard stationed outside Helios’s office gave me a gentle smile.

“Is His Highness inside?”

“Yes, he is.”

“Could you let him know I’m here? And if he’s not too busy, please ask if he could spare a moment for me.”

The guard knocked on the door and stepped inside to announce me. A moment later, the office door opened, and it was Helios himself who answered it.

“Your Highness, you didn’t have to come out. I could’ve gone in.”

“If a special guest is here, of course I have to come out myself. What brings you here? You’re not usually fond of stopping by the office.”

When Helios used to fall ill, he would often disappear. And whenever he vanished, he’d be found either here in his office or at the training grounds. Sometimes collapsed, drenched in cold sweat, or utterly defeated.

Even in pain, he was obsessed with working.

It was as if he believed he had to prove his usefulness in order to survive, and that desperation kept dragging him to either his desk or the sparring ring.

That’s why I didn’t like either place. Unless I had a real reason, I rarely came.

Showing up at the Crown Prince’s office or the ballroom for no reason just feels absurd.

And yet, there I was, overthinking something so simple.

“Come in first. Let’s talk inside.”

Helios took my hand. I gave a polite nod to the guard, then followed Helios inside.

His office was laid out like a room within a room.

When you stepped through the door into the outer office, a sofa and table faced you directly, while Vincenzo’s desk occupied the space to the left.

Vincenzo stood up when he saw me, but I waved a hand to stop him.

I didn’t want people going out of their way just because of me. It made me feel guilty, like I was causing extra work for everyone.

Both walls of the office were lined with bookshelves, crammed with thick volumes from floor to ceiling. Near the end of the right-hand bookshelf, there was an arched door, and beyond that lay Helios’s private office.

That space wasn’t open to just anyone. It contained sensitive materials related to projects Helios was secretly spearheading.

Early on, even I hadn’t been allowed past that door. Not even when he collapsed.

Back then, Vincenzo had to drag him all the way out to the shared office space before I could examine him.

But around a year into my transmigration, things changed.

‘I’m heading to the office. Want to come with me?’

These days, it felt like Helios was desperate to bring me along anytime he went.

“You didn’t come, and it withered away.”

Helios pointed to a dried-up plant pot on his desk. I blinked in surprise and picked up the little terracotta pot.

It was one I’d brought in because his office felt too cold and lifeless. I’d specifically chosen something nearly impossible to kill, assuming Helios wouldn’t pay much attention to it —  one of those hardy plants that thrived on neglect, really. Water it occasionally, and it would flourish.

But he’d still managed to kill it?

“What were the attendants doing?”

The poor plant tugged at my sympathy enough to shift the blame to someone else.

“Oh, uh… I told them I’d take care of it myself.”

“And since when did ‘taking care’ become planticide?”

I muttered, dumbfounded. Helios just shrugged like it wasn’t a big deal.

“Weird, right? I gave it plenty of water and even let it get some sun now and then.”

“Often?”

There it was — the cause of death in his words.

Overwatering.

“If you give it too much water, it dies. You have to go easy.”

“Can’t we bring it back?” asked Helios as he stared at the potted plant.

“Do you really think that’s possible? Once it’s dead, you can’t bring it back. That’s why they say you should take care of things while they’re still alive.”

I put the pot back in its original place. I’ll take it when I leave.

“Alright. I’ll keep that in mind. Do better while it’s still alive. I’ll do better, Riena.”

It was meant for the plant, but strangely, I felt a flutter in my chest.

I pulled my gaze away from the pot and looked at Helios.

“Your Majesty, the reason I’m here today is because I have a request.”

His gaze lingered, intense. It felt like he would agree to anything.

“I need treatment.”

I was planning to infiltrate Priscilla’s glass greenhouse tonight.

I needed to make sure Helios was fully charged before I left since I didn’t know what would happen.

“Treatment…”

It was strange that he didn’t immediately take my hand.

“Your Majesty, please treat me.”

“I will.”

He smiled slightly. Suddenly, I felt anxious.

“But what should we do? I’m a bit busy.”

Helios pointed at the mountain of papers piled up on his desk.

I knew.

I knew he was busy.

And I knew that his work was more important than mine.

Still… still…

“I’m kind of in a hurry too, you know?”

I slightly insisted.

“Hmm, well, I guess there’s no choice.”

Helios stood up from his desk and sat down in his chair. Then he patted his thighs lightly.

“Sit here.”

“Sit there?”

“While I work, you can get treated. Easy, right?”

He smiled, looking refreshingly confident.

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