I Became a Cat That Sleeps with an Obsessive Tyrant Every Night - Chapter 43

When a calm and soothing voice reached my ears, I desperately hoped that this time it wasn’t just a dream.

If we were stuck like this, wouldn’t I be able to get a knife to him before I hurt him?

“You can relax. This isn’t a dream.”

Killian told me as if he had pierced into my inner thoughts.

However, fearing that he might suddenly change and whisper something bad into my ear, I clung desperately while my heart thumped.

“Reinette, just a moment. Let me see your complexion, your condition. I haven’t seen you open your eyes properly yet.”

Killian tried to detach me, but I hesitated to look at his face, not harboring the futile hope as before.

A repeating touch on the back of my head continued.

I eventually hesitated and blurted out.

“Is there… a knife here… by any chance?”

I heard him release a light sigh in response to my question.

“No, there isn’t. Nothing similar.”

“Are your nails unusually long, or are your teeth sharp… by any chance?”

“I understand the knife, but I have no idea what nails or teeth would be used for. Now, show me your face.”

Somehow, it seemed like the original tone of Killian that I hadn’t heard in the dream.

I don’t know how to describe it. It’s a tone that makes you feel scolded, even though it’s not at all affectionate.

“Really… you promise?”

“Yeah, it’s me.”

A reassuring touch, as if to comfort, brushed my head while whispering in my ear.

“Wow… saying it like that makes it really seem genuine…”

With a resolve not to create a situation where I might grab a knife again, I loosened the arm that had crossed over his neck.

As I did, a cool breeze seemed to penetrate above my face. Killian, still cradling the back of my head, rested his palm on the pillow.

With a narrow gap, I finally faced a Killian whose face was exactly as I knew it.

“You’ve been having nightmares for a long time, right?”

A chill ran through my body at his question.

Captivated by an ominous premonition, I looked at him with suspicious eyes.

“How do you know that?”

“I asked Harrid to help me see your memories.”

A response different from the nightmares I remembered flowed from him.

My stiff shoulders sank, and something lumpy and hot rose to my throat.

“I’ve made everyone unhappy, just as the oracle predicted.”

As I barely uttered a word, Killian responded with a face devoid of any emotion, as if he had scrutinized my unease multiple times.

“It’s a wrong dream.”

“I… I even killed everyone…”

“That didn’t happen.”

“Everyone hated me. But the me there truly deserved it.”

“Who dared?”

Unlike the incredibly kind face I saw in the dream, his slightly furrowed brows expressed dissatisfaction. It made me wonder if this was truly not a dream.

While hearing such indifferent responses, I strangely felt genuine happiness, an inexplicable mix of relief and gratitude.

“I’m sorry.”

Like a rusted pair of scissors finally loosening, I slowly opened my eyes, which had become swollen and teary. Killian spoke as I did.

“I was careless. I didn’t know what would happen to you, and I acted recklessly.”

Regret seemed to mingle with bitterness on his heavily marked face.

“It’s not your fault.”

His red eyes widened for a moment as he looked at me, but I believed it was right to say those words.

After all, it was Killian who had eaten Gisela’s food, not me. Who could have anticipated what would happen if he took the medicine? Even I, who knew that it contained a potion of dark magic, couldn’t have predicted the unforeseen events.

So, I couldn’t blame him.

“So, don’t apologize, please.”

I could only manage to mumble my response, realizing that my body was so cold that my jaw was trembling.

As I let go of Killian, the chill I felt on my face wasn’t simply due to the ambient temperature. The only place where warmth could be felt was around Killian’s wrist, which was still wrapped around his neck.

“I’m c-cold…”

Instinctively complaining about the cold, I tried to grab onto him again, but either due to relaxation or tension, my arms didn’t move as I intended.

“Just a moment.”

Perhaps realizing what I was trying to do with my shivering, Killian’s hand fully lifted me, cradling me in his arms.

Seated on his knees, his strong arms encircled me like a protective barrier, and only then did the warmth finally reach my body as I leaned my head against his chest.

His warm body temperature, as if melting me away, transmitted through every nook and cranny of my veins to every single cell, and I delved into his embrace as if seeking more life.

Although comforted by the warmth, I couldn’t shake off a strange feeling at the same time.

“…”

Every time I had a nightmare of killing countless innocent people, I distinctly felt a chill. And the moment I became aware that it was a nightmare, I would face another dream, haunted by a new cold.

However, it was puzzling that the icy cold I felt in the dream didn’t just end in the dream but continued into reality.

“Why?”

Killian, who had been watching over me with concern, asked as my expression darkened.

I shook my head, claiming that it was nothing serious, but he, now seemingly determined not to let anything pass lightly, momentarily pulled away to look at me.

“Tell me. What’s going on?”

“It’s really nothing. Just felt cold.”

I buried myself in him again, my trembling body seeking solace. Eventually, I felt his hand cover me with a blanket, and then he embraced me tightly.

Now was not the right time to speak calmly about everything. Besides, I found it difficult to express my emotions or feelings, as I had never verbalized them to myself or others before.

I chose to reserve my words about the current emotions, burying my face in his chest and patiently waiting for the cold to subside.

“…”

The warmth emanating through his shirt was as welcoming as spring after a long winter.

Gradually regaining a sense of stability like budding sprouts in the warm temperature, I felt warmth spreading from around my heart to the tips of my fingers and toes.

“Is it an issue you can’t talk about, or do you not trust me?” he asked.

Huh? What is he talking about? I lifted my head abruptly, looking at him.

It seemed like my recent act of keeping my mouth shut gave the impression that I was either getting anxious again or maybe harboring resentment.

Seeing his stern face, I felt uncomfortable, so I forced a smile to appear cheerful.

“It really was nothing.”

“Did you get scared again because of another dream?”

“No, not at all! Actually, it wasn’t even that scary. I knew it was a dream even in the dream, well, it’s really okay n—!”

My attempt at reassurance seemed to fall flat.

Killian’s expression appeared to darken.

“Okay.”

As I nodded in response, Killian pressed my head firmly against his chest, making it impossible for me to lift my head.

The pressure was so intense that I couldn’t break free.

Through his thin shirt, I could hear the rapid beating of his heart, resonating in my ears.

“It’s real… Believe me.”

“Believe those words.”

His tone was assertive, showing no intention of letting it go easily.

“…I have to believe that I’m fine and if don’t believe, what are you going to do?”

As I mumbled under my breath, a sound resembling a bitter laugh echoed above me.

He pulled away slightly, locking eyes with me.

“So, how’s your body feeling now?”

“What?”

Although it had improved from earlier, my body still felt chilly in this place.

“Are you feeling better now?” he asked, accompanied by a slightly forced smile.

I wasn’t sure what the issue was, but I could sense that he wasn’t in a good mood.

His long, graceful eyes were half-shadowed as he stared down at me from beneath his dark hair, and his tightly set mouth was cynical, like a man on the verge of losing his temper.

The rhythmic sound of the ticking wall clock echoed in my ears, and in the low light of the lamp, his face seemed somewhat unfamiliar.

Come to think of it, his eyes appeared slightly bloodshot.

As if he hadn’t slept in days, his once clear eyes were darkened by sleep.

“Yes?”

As I remained silent, Killian’s static voice gently resonated, as if probing me.

It was only then that I looked at him and nodded my head.

There was no need to burden the sharp-edged Crown Prince with unnecessary concerns.

Moreover, my condition was gradually improving. Well, my state wasn’t a particularly crucial issue, right?

Both he and I seemed to be in good shape, and perhaps it wouldn’t be too late to talk about how I was tomorrow when the day dawned.

“I’m fine.”

Hmm, it was better when I was snugly attached to him earlier. Where did Killian’s mood turn sour?

“Are you sure you’re really okay?”

“Yes, I’m truly fine.”

“You always answer like that, don’t you?”

He said in a low voice, staring at me coldly.

Surprised by my reaction, Killian paused and ran his fingers through his hair, letting out a deep sigh.

His neat hair became slightly disheveled, and a sense of embarrassment appeared on his fatigued face.

“That answer, saying everything is okay, drives me crazy.”

In the moment my heart sank, his hand touched my forehead.

Were the words replacing my fears and anxieties with claims of being okay truly the wrong approach?

Memories from past lives, where speaking honestly would often lead to hearing sarcastic comments, passed through my mind like an old film.

As if pushing aside those thoughts, Killian’s touch began to tidy up my hair.

“From now on, it doesn’t matter what it is. Even if it’s something trivial, tell me, whatever it is.”

As my view cleared and I faced Killian, he gently tapped my nose.

“Can you do that?”