Villain, Let Me Touch You!

“Rienna, where does it hurt? Can you breathe? Answer me, Rienna!”

Helios rushed over and swept me into his arms. His tone was urgent and his movements were filled with worry.

The reactions were too much, and it became awkward to admit that I had only sprained my leg.

“Um.”

I glanced at Helios and pretended to be in pain, burying myself in his embrace.

“You need to tell me where it hurts, Rienna.”

I closed my eyes tightly and pretended I was suffering from my imprint. Helios, recognizing my act from that one gesture alone, hugged me tightly.

“It’s nothing. Everyone, get out. She must be tired.”

Helios refrained from saying more because Benz was present. Jamie and Vincenzo exchanged glances and took Benz with them as they left.

He gently laid me on the bed and held my hand. As we held hands, the throbbing in my ankle gradually subsided. It wasn’t even an imprint symptom, so was this just a placebo effect?

“Rienna?”

For a moment, I almost got lost in my thoughts.

“I’m fine now.”

Helios tightened his grip on my fidgeting hand.

“What do you mean you’re fine? You’re blue in the face. Is there anything particularly painful? I’ll have Ebony make you some medicine. It may not work, but it’s better than nothing.”

I shook my head. I could take care of my ankle on my own. I’d called Jamie because I needed support, not medical attention.

Helios frowned at my reaction, then plopped down on his bed.

“Your Highness, aren’t you going to work?”

“Oh, I’m done.”

“In thirty minutes?”

“I’m just that efficient.”

True, but saying that all the work was done was a lie. Helios had so much to do.

“Just hold my hand for thirty minutes and go back to work. That should be enough.”

I reached for the hourglass on the bedside table.

“I’ll manage,” he said. “But get some sleep. You must be tired.”

“Not at all. My stamina is excellent.”

…And with that declaration, I fell into a deep sleep without realizing that he had left.

***

I was hopping around, trying to catch the floating chicken leg above my head.

— ‘Give me my leg!’

I shouted at the chicken leg over and over again. Despite my desperate cries, the winged chicken leg only drifted further away.

I had a strong premonition that eating that chicken leg would somehow heal my sprained ankle.

I mustered all the strength, even the infantile strength I had from drinking milk—though sadly, I had no memory of gaining strength from formula—and leaped.

Finally, I caught the chicken leg!

“Doctor! Doctor, something big happened!”

“Ugh, why is this chicken leg so thin? My chicken leg….”

“Oh dear, doctor, don’t get drool on my arm. What kind of dream are you having? You have to wake up right away! Wake up!”

The chicken leg slipped out of my hand.

“Give it back, no!”

As I screamed, my eyes flew open. There in front of me was Jamie, wiping her arm on my comforter.

“Jamie? Where’s my chicken leg?”

“Are you still dreaming? Come out quickly. Something’s a mess. It’s Mr. Benz. He’s shouting and causing a scene.”

“What? Mr. Benz?”

I hurried downstairs and slipped my feet into slippers. Strangely, my ankle didn’t hurt at all.

So even ordinary injuries are helped by skin-to-skin contact with His Highness? That’s amazing!

Although I had achieved a Nobel Prize-worthy revelation by my standards, I had no time to rejoice. I rushed over.

“Uuuugh.”

An agonizing wail shook my eardrums as soon as I opened the door to Benz’s room. He was writhing in pain, his limbs pinned to the four corners of the bed.

Beside him, Helios and Vincenzo stood guard.

“He’s been like this for the past half hour. Jamie tried to take his temperature, but his thrashing made it impossible. Ebony is on her way.”

Helios explained as I approached Benz. I nodded and turned to Jamie.

“Is there anything else I should know?”

“He was sleeping before the seizure. It seemed like he was having a dream, and he kept mumbling nonsense.”

I remembered what Benz had said about nightmares making him sick.

Could it be happening again?

I immediately went over to him. His condition up close was not good. Fluid oozed from every orifice. Even in this restrained state, he struggled, and blood soaked the cloth binding his wrists.

How much pain must he be in to do this?

I gently squeezed his arm, praying my powers would work this time.

Nightmare, burning pain.

He’s on fire?

I quickly scanned Benz from head to toe. There was no place where he could be burning from.

So then it’s just regular pain.

“How is he? What should I prepare?”

Without a specific diagnosis in mind, I asked for a simple pain reliever and a topical liquid to cool the skin. While they prepared the medicine, I examined various parts of Benz’s body, touching every inch.

“Touch therapy, is that it?” Helios asked, poking his head out from behind me. There was a hint of displeasure in his voice.

“Yes, I hope it works.”

Praying for it to be effective, I diligently massaged his hands and shoulders.