Chapter 23: The Original Work Hit Me in the Back of the Head (1)

In the carriage, as the Crown Prince mentioned, there was a priest. When I turned around on the carriage seat, he started healing the wound on my shoulder with holy power from a slight distance.

The cool sensation felt nice, but the feeling of flesh filling in on my shoulder was strangely unsettling. The intense pain gradually subsided.

However, I sensed the priest who was diligently channeling holy power suddenly flinch and tremble.

“What’s wrong?”

“Oh, it’s nothing. Not just your shoulder, but your back is all torn up too. Didn’t you know?”

No wonder my back hurt. Did it get torn when I was attacked by the beastmen?

“Should I treat it?”

“No, it will heal naturally.”

“What?”

I lifted my head to look ahead. In an instant, I caught sight of the Crown Prince’s beautiful face reflected in the carriage window, twisted in a serious expression. When I turned my head, he met my eyes and gave me a gentle smile.

‘Did I see it wrong?’

While my shoulder was being treated, the carriage gradually approached the Graham family residence. A light flickered in the third room on the right on the third floor of the residence. It was Maya’s signal.

“Oh no, this is bad.”

I said I would return before 10 o’clock from the Duke’s residence, but it seemed I was quite late. If I went in through the front door and happened to run into my parents, it would become a hassle.

“Thank you, Your Highness. Could you take me to the back gate instead of the front?”

“Yes, of course.”

The exceedingly kind male lead, Arthur the Crown Prince, did as I asked.

Soon, the tall and long wall of the back gate appeared, leading to a spot prepared for days like this. It was camouflaged with bushes, so it wasn’t noticeable.

When I was about to get off the carriage, the Crown Prince hurriedly stopped me.

“Miss, I have something to ask you.”

“Next time. Let’s talk next time we meet, Your Highness.”

“Miss, just a moment.”

Suddenly, Arthur the Crown Prince draped his uniform jacket over my shoulders. A sharp and sophisticated men’s cologne scent wafted over.

“Your Highness, it’s fine.”

“It’s cold. Don’t refuse.”

“It’s not that, but I’m about to crawl through a hole.”

The Crown Prince’s pretty golden eyes blinked a few times. For someone known as a cold male lead, he made such an expression.

“What did you say?”

“Your expensive clothes will get ruined. So I’ll return the jacket.”

“Hahaha, I can always make another one.”

“But…”

“The back is too dazzling, it’s blinding.”

I hunched my shoulders in embarrassment and blushed.

‘He wrapped it up like that because my back is bare.’

“Please go quickly. The light is shaking wildly.”

“Oh!”

“Haha, see you again.”

Leaving the Crown Prince’s short laughter behind, I hurriedly got off the carriage.

‘I find my parents more frightening than the crown prince. Imagine the fuss they’d make if they saw my blood-stained clothes!’

After confirming the carriage had left, I crouched down and crawled through the hole. The back garden, softly lit by streetlights, felt wider than usual, perhaps because it was night.

Avoiding the streetlights, I picked only the shaded areas and ran like mad to find the door used by the servants. It was only after a 100-meter dash that I saw the side door. At that moment, the side door opened, and Maya peeked out.

“Miss, why are you only coming now?”

“Sorry.”

“Where did you leave the rented carriage and come in a sparkling one? And what’s with that man’s clothes?”

“You saw?”

“Yes. But this isn’t the time for that. Everyone’s asleep, so go up quickly.”

The path past the central staircase to the third floor was long and far. My heart pounded with every step my soles touched the floor. Only after I barely opened and entered my room did I let out a deep breath.

“Haah.”

Maya glanced around the hallway and quietly closed the door without making a sound.

“Both of them just fell asleep after waiting until a moment ago.”

“Really?”

I guess I’ll be bombarded with questions when they wake up tomorrow.

“Oh my, Miss, what’s wrong with the back of your dress?”

Maya seemed to have discovered the back of my dress was torn wide open while taking off the Crown Prince’s jacket draped over my shoulders.

“I got a bit hurt. Must have scratched it somewhere.”

Maya’s round eyes narrowed and widened repeatedly.

“Hurt? There’s a star drawn on your back! Oh my gosh!”

“What?”

“There’s a big golden star shining and sparkling on your back.”

I tried tilting my head back to see my back, but it was impossible to see it with my own eyes.

“Maya, mirror!”

Maya hastily handed me a hand mirror. Reflecting my back between the full-length mirror and the hand mirror, I was utterly shocked.

“Th-that’s the Saintess’s mark!”

‘They said it burst because my back was injured!’

Instead of a wound, a handspan-sized golden star was prominently displayed on my back. The star that should have been on Rosetta’s forehead was engraved on my back.

“Miss, the Saintess’s mark? What do you mean?”

“J-just a moment, Maya.”

My head was ringing as if I’d been hit with a book.

Then, what about Rosetta? What about the Duke?!

“I’m going crazy.”

With that one phrase, everything went dark before my eyes.

“Meow.”

Or rather, was it two phrases?

＊

How much time passed? I woke up in the middle of the night.

“Meow.”

A cat?

In my blurred vision, a cat resembling a Russian Blue appeared.

A mysterious cat with grayish-black fur and teal eyes.

It’s Kiki.

‘I wanted to meet again after parting on the battlefield, is this a dream?’

Kiki, pretty and handsome, was sitting quietly next to my pillow.

“So cute.”

The teal eyes were quite serious for a cat, making it even cuter.

I reached out and grabbed Kiki’s face with both hands. Pulling the resisting face closer, I kissed its cute and dainty snout.

“Hehe, cute Kiki.”

“Hiss!”

Kiki recoiled, shaking its head. But since it’s a dream, I can do as I please, right?

The plump cat’s butt was wiggling right in front of me.

“I’ll pat your bum, Kiki.”

I snatched the fleeing Kiki and caressed its firm backside.

“So soft! You like it too, right?”

“Meow! Meow!”

The cat, with its ears folded back, kept hitting my hand with its paw, but even that felt pleasant.

“Why? Should I kiss you again?”

Feeling good, I gave a peck on its tiny mouth this time. Then its teal eyes widened, and its mouth dropped open.

“Hehe, do you like it?”

With those words, I drifted back to sleep.

＊

It’s warm, very much so.

Firm and spacious.

I should praise Maya for tidying up the bed so well when I wake up.

The morning sunlight is gently touching my cheek.

“Meow, no. Miss.”

“Hmm.”

“Yuria Graham!”

Did lightning strike? Surprised, I opened my eyes wide. Before me were glossy teal eyes. When I rolled my eyes, those eyes followed.

“A cat talking?”

“It’s me, Xavier Auguste.”

“What?”

A large man was straddling me. The lower body was wrapped in a bed sheet, and the upper body was bare.

To be precise, pinning my hands down on the bed…?

Holding me down!

“W-what is this? Why is the Duke here!”

“What are you?”

Xavier suddenly got angry.

“P-please calm down and put on some clothes.”

“Do I look calm? And the clothes… aren’t here.”

“Oh.”

His solid pectoral muscles and perfect six-pack were right in front of me. Just a slight movement of his body made the muscles and veins stand out provocatively.

“Eek. Get away from me!”

Startled, I kicked Duke Xavier off with my foot.

“Ugh.”

Kicked in the stomach, he rolled off the bed to the floor.

“Ugh… my back.”

“I’m s-sorry.”

Xavier grimaced, grabbing the bedpost to stand up. Wrapped in the bed sheet, he looked oddly sexy.

“Yuria Graham, explain what happened yesterday.”

“Explain what? You met the Saintess, didn’t you?”

“Good point, scammer.”

“S-scammer?”

I don’t understand why he’s acting like this after meeting Rosetta. But why am I being interrogated like this?

“Why are you angry, Duke? Isn’t it wrong for you to sneak into a maiden’s room naked? I’m going to scream. Fath…”

“W-wait!”

His face turned red like a child’s, and he jumped onto the bed, covering my mouth with his large hand.

Seeing Duke Xavier so flustered was quite entertaining. However, the bigger issue was him kneeling and straddling over me.

His firm thighs were distracting. And with his hand covering my nose, I was starting to suffocate.

“Mm, mmph!”

“Oh.”

There was a rustling sound as he got off the bed. Xavier, who had distanced himself at lightning speed, held the bed sheet around his waist tightly and asked again.

“Explain.”

“Explain what?”

“I woke up this morning to find myself naked. And the Saintess you mentioned was just an ordinary woman with no mark.”

“What?”

Rosetta isn’t the Saintess?

“You lied about introducing me to the Saintess. Not only did you deceive me, but you also disappeared in the Crown Prince’s carriage?”

Is it because of the mark on my back that Rosetta isn’t the Saintess? This is absurd. I couldn’t understand what was happening.

“I trusted you, not knowing you were the Crown Prince’s pawn!”

“That’s a misunderstanding. Yesterday, I was almost attacked by beastmen and happened to be helped by His Highness the Crown Prince.”

“And I’m supposed to believe that?”

“You said you saw me riding the carriage, didn’t you?”

“Yes, I clearly saw the big wheels rolling with my own eyes.”

‘What on earth is he talking about?’

“Then I’m innocent. I definitely fainted as soon as I got home yesterday, so why is the Duke in my room? There was only a cat in my room.”

“……!”

Xavier seemed to realize something, his eyes widening immensely, then muttering ‘I see,’ as he began feeling himself all over.

“Huh? Did you see a cat? Did you chase it away?”

“No.”

“That’s strange. I thought I heard a cat in my sleep. It was definitely Kiki.”

“I don’t know.”

“But why are you sweating so much?”

He glanced at me briefly. The moment I saw his eyes, the teal eyes of the cat from last night came to mind.

“Hyperhidrosis.”