Vincent left the hospital room and immediately returned to his own quarters. He wearily sank into the sofa, his mind swirling with chaotic thoughts.
He never intended for Majori to suffer, but it seemed he had no other choice. He didn't want to be hurt himself. He truly was selfish and despicable, just as Majori had said.
There was a knock on the door. Vincent waved his hand slightly, signaling the servant to step outside and invite the visitor in.
The person entering was Marcus, accompanied by a well-dressed guest. Marcus's task was merely to escort this man to Vincent, and then quietly retreat to stand guard outside.
Vincent straightened his posture and raised an eyebrow at the newcomer. It was Dr. Ryder, the best physician in the royal family who only treated the nobility. Vincent had specifically ordered Marcus to bring him to examine Majori. This matter was to remain confidential and not be disclosed to anyone.
Dr. Ryder bowed respectfully. Internally, he was filled with curiosity about the identity of this girl. Just what kind of influence did she hold to warrant such personal attention from the king himself?
But, as a servant, he knew better than to meddle in royal affairs. He dutifully handed a file over to Vincent, letting out a long sigh.
"That young lady… her condition is very serious."
Vincent's heart skipped a beat, and his brow furrowed even tighter. He took the file and carefully flipped through its pages.
Inside were X-ray images, each of the critical organs—liver, kidneys, stomach—all showing alarming red indicators. Vincent, knowledgeable enough to understand such medical data, felt his tension grow as he read further.
Majori's body was in shambles. Nothing was intact—each organ suffered damage to varying degrees, leading to an overall dire prognosis.
Dr. Ryder continued:
"I don't know what she's been through, but from what I can see, she's endured immense hardships. Not only are her vital organs damaged, but her skin also bears numerous scars."
The doctor closed his eyes, sighing once more.
"For such a young woman to have so many old wounds yet to heal, new injuries piled atop scars… It's as if… she doesn't even view the harm inflicted on her body as something serious. To be honest, this kind of psychological state is extremely unhealthy."
Vincent's hands trembled as he flipped through the medical records. He clutched at his chest, feeling his heart twist painfully. At the end of the file was an image of Majori's back.
Just as Dr. Ryder described, her body was covered in scars that resembled crawling centipedes, grotesquely etched into her delicate skin. The once slender back that had mesmerized him now looked entirely different.
It seemed… that he wasn't the only one who had changed.
All these years apart, what had truly happened? And why, on that fateful day, did she leave without a word or reason, abandoning everything?
Could it be that things weren't as simple as they seemed? Was Majori hiding some deep secret from him?
The report revealed that she wasn't merely suffering from severe malnutrition; her vital organs were deteriorating rapidly. He couldn't even fathom what kind of torment she had subjected herself to reach this state.
Vincent felt suffocated, unable to breathe. He leaned back, covering his face. It was his failure for not protecting Majori properly. There had to be some hidden reason that drove her to abandon a life by his side and reject him so fiercely.
Moreover…
When he found her, she was being hunted.
Even though he'd lost control and ordered his men to slaughter every last one of them, he'd still managed to investigate a few clues from the corpses. All signs pointed to them being from Mozzafiato—a nation known for its brutality. Why was Majori entangled with such savages?
The way they had acted—intent on killing her, tearing her apart—
Would an entire group of large, grown men need to muster such forces to chase down one frail woman unless she harbored a dangerous secret that made them desperate? Was it to silence her? Or out of some unfathomable grudge?
Regardless, why was Majori involved in all of this?
Vincent called for a servant to open the door for Marcus. As soon as Marcus entered, Vincent immediately issued his order:
"Investigate everything about Majori's life over the past few years, especially any connection to the people of Mozzafiato. Every bit of information must be brought back to me—immediately!"
Marcus bowed respectfully and retreated. Inwardly, he was shocked. It seemed the status of the woman they found on that mountain was far from ordinary.
Vincent held the file tightly, gripping the final image until his knuckles turned white. He remained silent for a long time. The data seemed to stir a new kind of fear within him. Vincent looked at Ryder, eyes bloodshot.
"Will her condition improve?"
Ryder took in Vincent's state. He knew, no matter what he said, Vincent would understand. The king was knowledgeable enough to grasp the reality of the situation, to see the inevitable outcome. What he sought was perhaps a sliver of hope, or a definitive answer.
Ryder shook his head regretfully.
"If she had been brought here just a month earlier, perhaps things could have been different—perhaps there might have been something we could have done. But… her body has been drained of its vitality for too long, her organs are failing. This means that all current medical interventions can only slow the decline, but they cannot restore her to her former health."
Vincent leaned back, closing his eyes tightly as Ryder's voice continued to echo:
"Your Majesty, I'm afraid… she doesn't have much time left."
"Do whatever you can to prolong her life."
That was all Vincent could say in the end. He knew that if Ryder gave such a diagnosis, there would be no other way.
That afternoon, Vincent returned to Majori's hospital room.
He stood outside, gazing in. Through the window, Majori looked like a beautiful yet fragile painting. Her long hair spilled over the stark white bedsheets, her eyes blank as she stared out the window. Her pale face was filled with a sorrow that seemed to carry a thousand unanswered questions—questions Vincent couldn't even begin to unravel.
He compared the image of her now with the vibrant girl from the past. How had it come to this, where the once-lively woman before him no longer had much time left to live?
Thousands of thoughts swirled in his mind as he stared at her.
What was Majori truly thinking?
Just then, Majori seemed to sense the scorching gaze from a distance. The familiar presence—it could only be Vincent. She frowned and turned away, hiding herself from the window's view.
Vincent sighed deeply and took a step toward her room. This time, he wanted them to face each other calmly, to have a real conversation.
…
I sat there, waiting for him.
I looked at him and gave a faint smile.
"Your Majesty, have you reconsidered?"
The distant manner in which I addressed him made Vincent's brows furrow deeply. I was determined to keep a clear boundary between us, to cut off all ties.
So what if he was the king of an entire nation? What did that matter now? His power could not represent his true heart.
"Can't you… not treat me like a stranger?"
I chuckled softly. How naïve was he to say something so ridiculous? I tilted my head, gazing at him.
"We're both adults now. Observing basic etiquette is a must. Don't make things difficult for me."
Vincent could only drop the subject. He sat down across from me, his expression serious as he asked:
"Why did you leave back then? Who were those people chasing you? What have you been through all these years? Majori, trust me—I won't hurt you. I'll make everyone who's harmed you pay."
I looked away. I turned my head toward the window, staring at the swaying maple leaves outside. Vincent continued to wait patiently for my response, but all he received was:
"Your Majesty, please just let me go."