Villain, Let Me Touch You! - Chapter 88
Helios held me tightly around the waist with both hands as I handed over the documents. “Next page, Rienna. No, go back. Yes, right there,” he commanded, his lips right against my ear.
I felt like a page-turner. Not that I minded. Because as closely attached as we were, my condition was steadily improving, and he had unearthed some significant facts.
“It’s all related to the Steel Merchant Company. We’ll need to check their access records.”
“Huh? Really?”
The first victim a year ago – Nick and I agreed to consider the series of suicides as a single major crime and referred to the deceased as victims – was an ink supplier for Steel Merchant Company.
The second victim was a stamp distributor for the Company, and the third victim worked in its administrative department.
“Kama Jin was an assistant to a professor conducting research funded by the Steel Merchant Company.”
The Steel Merchant Company, a broker that connected all these people who supposedly died by suicide with a mysterious burn.
I could smell it. It stank like hell.
“I have to go to the Steel Merchant Company.”
I started to get up, but Helios quickly grabbed my waist and pulled me back down.
I lost my balance, not expecting his grip.
“Ow!”
I caught myself from falling, but unfortunately, it was onto his thigh.
But… but…
“Your Highness… What’s this?”
Something hard in my hand.
A club hidden on his thigh.
“You hide weapons on your thighs now?”
When Helios was ill, there were enemies who took advantage of his weakness to attempt assassinationsāmostly those in the service of the Imperial Consort, or those who believed strongly that Macaulay would become Emperor.
Although the knights guarding Helios were skilled, their numbers were limited.
As a precaution, Helios kept weapons on hand even in his bedroom.
That habit of his almost got me killed.
Anyway, it wasn’t the fact that he had a weapon that was alarming, but rather where he had it concealed.
Why on earth was it by his thigh… And how is it even possible to carry something like this comfortably during daily activities?
Wouldn’t a smaller dagger be more practical? Or perhaps a type of poison that he could easily spray? Was this even a club? It’s thicker than usual, and the shape is a bit… off. Whatever it was, it’s probably more convenient to carry something easier to handle than a club.
“…No.” Helios muttered softly, his face turning red.
“Hmm? What did you say, Your Highness?”
“Let go.” His voice grew quieter and quieter.
Was he in pain?
I leaned in closer to better hear Helios’s voice. “Your Highness, I can’t hear you well. Please speak up.”
Helios exhaled heavily, his breath warmer than usual.
“Your Highness, are you running a fever? I need to check…”
I reached out to check his temperature.
However, Helios suddenly pushed me away and seemed to be leaving the bed altogether.
“Your Highness, what’s going on?”
I was dumbfounded as I flopped down on the bed like a damsel in distress.
“I, uh, remembered something urgent. I have to go check it out!”
“Another urgent matter?”
It seemed like Helios had developed forgetfulness lately, often disappearing after recalling something he had forgotten.
Should I start giving him memory-enhancing tonics or something?
“Anyway, there’s something urgent.”
Before I could even grab hold of him, Helios moved away from the bed. But his gait… seemed a bit suspicious.
“Your Highness, do you have a rash?”
His stride resembled that of someone with a rash between their thighs.
Forgetting that I had been pushed away, I sprang up from the bed.
As a personal physician, my conscience wouldn’t let me stay still and leave him alone.
“Don’t follow me!”
Helios refused to let me accompany him.
Was heā¦refusing treatment?!
“How… could you do this to me?”
I couldn’t hide the hurt expression on my face. Helios ran his hand roughly through his hair.
“Rienna, don’t misunderstand. I’m not in pain. I’m fine. I’m too fine, and that’s the problem. Don’t worry about it.”
“That’s for me, as a physician, to judge!”
“Right. But youāve already checked. I’m healthy.”
“When did I check?”
“Well… just now, when you touched…”
“When did I touch? Don’t tell me… that baton?”
“Baton, what?”
As I nodded, Helios let out a deep sigh.
