I was shocked, but not like yesterday when I found the prince; I didn’t scream this time. 

Or maybe a part of me had anticipated this turn of events ever since Eugen had suddenly appeared before me earlier today.

“…Lord Mont.”

Eugen’s eyebrows raised slightly.

“You recognize me.” 

He said, meaning how did I know? He wasn’t wearing his helmet now, showing his true face.

His hair was a very dark brown, nearly black, and his eyes were a fiery hue that must have chilled his enemies to the bone in countless battles.

These were traits visible even beneath his usual helmet. But everything else about him contradicted the wild speculations of the public.

Apart from a scar that ran horizontally across his mouth, his skin was smooth. Delicate facial features. Large eyes that reminded one of a deer’s.

The real Eugen Mont I met, despite being an adult, exuded a boyish charm, just like the novel described.

‘But what a physique!’

My gaze drifted from Eugen’s face down to his body as if I were under a spell.

As expected of the King of Mercenaries, his physique was impeccable. Without the armor, his rugged muscles were clearly defined.

That face with that body… wasn’t it almost unfair?

While the Crown Prince I saw yesterday was certainly not lacking, the combination of Eugen’s youthful face and his body was devastatingly striking.

The people of the Empire, unaware of such beauty, had spread baseless rumors. That his face bore terrible burns or that he was a hideous man hiding behind his helmet.

In truth, his comrades in the mercenary group had suggested the helmet so he wouldn’t be taken lightly due to his baby face. Indeed, hiding his face likely incited more fear.

‘Otherwise, he would have been swarmed by admiring women.’

Eugen wasn’t fiercely handsome like the Crown Prince. He had a soft, approachable look and a similar personality unless provoked.

When I just stared silently for a while, Eugen cocked his head.

“Everyone else gets surprised.”

Aila was pretty shocked when she saw Eugen’s face; it was so different from the rumors. Being a reader privy to the backstory, I recognized him immediately.

“Because you had the same voice I heard this afternoon.”

“That’s a first.”

I thought I saw a flicker of change on Eugen’s face, but when I looked again, he was as expressionless as before. He slowly entered my room through the open window.

He looked at me intently and asked, “Aren’t you surprised?”

Was he referring to the same surprise as before? No, it shouldn’t be.

Before, he was talking about reactions to his appearance, and now, about my lack of surprise at his sudden visit.

Eugen had a pretty unique way of communicating. You could say he leaves out about eighty percent of what’s necessary to say.

If you didn’t know Eugen well, his taciturn nature could make him seem unapproachable. Even the female lead, Aila, had her difficulties conversing with him at first.

But having gotten used to Eugen’s way of speaking through the novel, I kind of got the hang of it!

“I was quite surprised. Just don’t show it much.”

“I’m here on business.”

“That’s fine. If you have urgent matters, you can always leave first.”

“Talk.”

“You mean to speak comfortably? Alright. From now on, I’ll just call you Eugen.”

Truthfully, I’ve always called him by his name in my head, so that’s easier for me. How many readers formally address a character in a novel?

‘I used to be so informal with Crown prince and all, just calling them this guy or that…’

Lost in memories of the past, I suddenly realized Eugen was right next to me. His menacing pectoral muscles were almost in my face.

I swallowed hard with nervousness. I had let my guard down because of his baby face, but up close, his presence was intimidating.

The thought, ‘Ah, I really have entered the world of the novel,’ came to my mind once again. These characters were no longer as comfortable to me as when I was just a reader.

“Um…”

I couldn’t bear the awkwardness and was about to say something when he suddenly pointed behind me.

“That bed.”

My gaze followed his fingertip to land on my bed.

Right. There it was as if it were the most natural thing in the world – the damned bed!

‘I didn’t want to believe it, but…’

Since the Crown Prince had explained the curse yesterday, doubts had been creeping up on me like smoke, doubts that I desperately wanted to ignore, thinking, ‘No way, that can’t be true.’ But now, those suspicions had solidified into reality.

The curse of the bed hadn’t just affected Reynard. Eugen delivered the confirmation like a bullet point.

“I want to… sleep there too.”

I really felt like giving him the bed and just disappearing somewhere.

Once I had seated Eugen on the sofa, I attempted a more detailed conversation.

“So, what you’re saying is you haven’t slept for days?”

Eugen nodded obediently.

“And a voice.”

“Are you suggesting there’s a voice telling people to go to my bed?”

“Only to me.”

“So, you’re hearing voices that others can’t hear, like an auditory hallucination?”

“You, at the banquet.”

“Huh? Did you try to speak to me yesterday during His Majesty the Emperor’s birthday celebration?”

As expected, the person Eugen was calling at that time was me. He wouldn’t have guessed about the curse, as clueless as he is.

“Ian… he told me. The one with the orange hair.”

“Orange hair’s not too common. Must’ve been a bit of work to track me down with just a description. So, a colleague of yours named Ian did some digging?”

“Yeah.”

Eugen’s symptoms were the same as Reynard’s. Long sleepless nights, voices compelling him towards the bed, and my face, persistently haunting his thoughts.

I bit my lip, a sense of dread washing over me.

“By any chance, did that voice mention something about the author?”

Eugen’s eyes widened noticeably.

“How did you know?”

“Just had a feeling.”

Yesterday, some other guy came by and helpfully filled me in with all the juicy details.

“And there was more… Eugen, come to my bed right now—”

“Aaack! There’s no need to spell it out for me!”

Hearing about my own cringe-worthy past from someone else’s mouth was embarrassingly unbearable. If only I could go back in time and slap some sense into my past self who left those comments.

Did I really spout such cringe-worthy nonsense for Eugen as well as Reynard? What on earth was with that darned bed!

Wanting to crawl into a mouse hole, I felt a bit mortified, but Eugen just seemed amazed.

“It’s fascinating. You understand me so well.”

“…I guess it just happened.”

If it had been Reynard, I would have tilted my head, feigning ignorance about the curse, but with Eugen, it’s different.

Eugen, how should I put it? To put it nicely, he’s a bit quirky; to put it not so nicely, there’s a certain… naïveté about him.

Among the readers, there’s a running joke that if he hadn’t met his reliable companions, he’d probably have been sold to a fishing boat and become a fishermen king.

‘He would’ve excelled at any physical task, that’s for sure.’

But given the situation, I didn’t have much of a choice.

“Alright. Lie down on the bed.”

Let’s get this over with quickly and save the complicated worrying for tomorrow. My eyelids are heavy, probably because I didn’t get much sleep last night thanks to the prince.

“Thanks… for granting my request.”

Eugen flashed what almost passed for a smile before he made a move towards the bed.

“Wait, wait. Clothes? Didn’t you bring pajamas?”

“None.”

If he’d been that prepared, he wouldn’t be the Eugen I know. Really, what are those Hess mercenaries doing, not taking care of such basic needs?

When I asked, just in case, Eugen said he hadn’t told anyone about his strange symptoms. When I asked why…

“Just because.”

The man who came yesterday, Mr. Someone who wouldn’t fully trust even his closest aides and would hide any potential weaknesses at all costs, was quite a different story from Eugen.

Well, having more people know about this wouldn’t particularly benefit me, so it’s not a bad thing.

Anyway, while I’m not usually a neat freak, I absolutely cannot stand the sight of someone lying on my precious bed in their outdoor clothes, which could be soiled with who knows what.

But it seems too harsh to tell him to bring pajamas and come back tomorrow. Looking closely, the shadows under Eugen’s eyes were dark and heavy.

‘How long has he been without sleep…’

He looked dozens of times more exhausted than me, his eyes drooping constantly.

I headed towards the door and instructed him.

“Since you helped me out today, I’ll lend you some pajamas. Just wait a moment.”

I couldn’t shake a feeling of unease, so I gave him a firm warning.

“Don’t you dare go outside. No loud noises, either. And if you think someone’s coming, hide. Got it?”

“Got it.”

Only after hearing his clear response did I take a lit lantern and leave the room.

The mere thought of the chaos that would ensue if it were discovered that I had let a man—especially Eugen Mont—into my chambers at this late hour was something I didn’t even want to imagine.

Especially the Marchioness, she’s just your everyday woman who harbors a perfectly ordinary fear of the so-called Mercenary King. When she found out Eugen was involved in today’s affair, she beseeched me with utmost urgency to never get entangled with that man again.

‘I better hurry up and get this over with because of the unease.’

Luckily, the laundry room of Lindsay Manor is practically littered with men’s clothing. The garments of knights and servants who live and work within the household are all washed there.

Soon enough, I managed to reach the laundry room without running into anyone. At this late hour, it’s rare to encounter any servants about, and with a little cunning, it’s an easy task.

“Men’s pajamas, men’s pajamas.”

I shuffled through the shelves where freshly ironed clothes were neatly folded and lined up, scrutinizing them.

‘This one looks too small for Eugen, and this one too big.’ 

As I carefully inspected each garment, one caught my eye that seemed to roughly match the build I had estimated for him.

“Huh?”

But this fabric… Why does it feel unusually high-quality?

At that moment.

“What are you doing here, sister?”

The voice that came from right behind me nearly stopped my heart.

“Even holding my pajamas.”

From the shadows, Jayden Lindsay looked down at me with eyes that seemed to be searching for an explanation.