My Sweet Deceiver

Chapter 22

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Aida and Laurent had returned to their home, and the neatly organized villa was quiet.

Denis made Tehez sit on a chair, as she was trembling. 

Water dripped from her on the clean floor. Denis ran on his long legs, gave her a thick towel and warm water, made a fire in the fireplace, and told her to go and wash up.

“I heated up the water. You’ll catch a cold if you don’t wash up quickly.”

Despite the middle of summer, the fireplace that Denise prepared made the villa hot like a steamer.

“…Yes.”

“Why? Do you want me to wash you?”

Only then did Dennis seem to be able to relax, jokingly sweeping up his entire hair that was drenched in sweat. His shirt, wet from the river water, was clinging to it, illuminating his body softly.

“…No.”

Teherz dragged her clingy dress into the bathroom. She was submerged in a bathtub full of hot water for a long time. When she came to her senses, she felt like going crazy with shame.

‘I’m not good enough in front of him.’

She wanted to show him her proficiency in everything.

“…”

“Tehez?”

She heard a call outside. She got up quickly and wiped the water off her body.

“I’m going out.”

Her face flushed with the heat of the bath.

“Drink this.”

As if he had changed his clothes, Denis, with a smooth face, handed her something. It was hot tea.

“I couldn’t find a teapot. Drink this and rest,” he said, blushing her face.

Tehez looked down at the cup. Her own eyes were reflected in the scarlet tea.

“…Thank you.”

She meant it.

Denis patted her on the head and went out. He seemed to be going to organize the fishing equipment he threw away earlier. 

Tehez’s whole body felt tired after drinking hot tea. It was because she fell into cold water and had been in hot water for a long time. She took a few sips before placing the cup on the table and went upstairs to the bedroom. 

She put on the duvet, and it smelled good, well dried in the sun. Tehez fell asleep in an instant.

Sleeping for a while felt like a long time. The sun had already set outside the window, and it was dark.

Tehez rose with a heavy head. As she sat on the bed, the wet towel on her head fell off. The damp towel that had just been on her head was warm. Come to think of it, her whole body was hotter than usual. It felt like the world was spinning.

‘Where did the Prince go?’

Tehez stumbled out of bed.

“Prince?”

A lower-than-usual voice came out.

She looked around the living room, but he was nowhere to be seen.

She became increasingly anxious. 

Like a child who lost her mother.

Where did he go in the middle of the night?

She sat in front of the fireplace, staring blankly at the burning fire. Her whole body seemed to sink. Her head was heavy, and her neck was tingling. Although she had slept for a long time, she continued to feel hazy. Then the front door opened, and he came in.

Seeing her sitting by the fireplace, he was delighted.

“Woke up?”

“Yes.”

“How do you feel? Let’s eat this first and take some medicine.”

What he was holding in his hand was a small pot. Inside the pot was freshly boiled soup.

He poured her soup into a bowl and led her to the table. Tehez was dragged helplessly and sat down in the chair. She couldn’t swallow the soup properly because her mouth was dry. Denis sat in front of her and watched until Teherz had emptied the bowl.

By the time he saw the bottom of the bowl, he had brought medicine and water.

“Swallow it.”

Tehez meekly picked up the pill and swallowed it. The scent of cinnamon and herbs spread wildly in her throat.

“You are going to feel better, so rest again.”

Denis led her back to the bed and covered her with the duvet up to her neck.

Tehez lay down and looked at him from afar.

“What do you need?”

The tone of the question was very friendly.

“No.”

“Then-”

“Why…?”

Tehez was speechless. It felt like something was coming out of her throat.

“Why are you being nice to me?”

“Is this what you’re good at?”

He replied with a grin.

“Yes, I saved you from drowning, I took care of you. My wife becomes like a baby when she’s sick. Pampered.”

“It’s not-” Tehez tried to refute his words.

“Yes. Maybe… That’s possible, Tehez.”

Denis looked down at her. 

“I feel at ease here. I sleep well, and I feel relaxed. I think that is the reason.”

“…”

“Because it’s not a palace. I’m a little bit…”

Teherz could guess what Dennis had to say. She seemed to be able to read his expressionless face.

He kissed her lightly on the forehead.

“It’s late at night, so the baby should go to bed now.”

He arranged the blankets and went downstairs.

‘What do you mean a baby?’

Tehez felt the fever that had gone down, rise again.

The next day, when she woke up, Tehez’s fever had miraculously gone. Denis was squatting like a shrimp on the bedside on which she was sleeping. With his haggard face and the water glass and pills cluttered on the side table, she could feel that he had cared for her all night.

Denis got up, rubbing his eyes, as she removed her blanket.

“Sorry, did you wake up?”

“How’s your fever?”

Denis’ large hand covered her forehead.

“It fell off.”

Denis felt uncomfortable after sleeping in that position, so he got up, stretched, and turned his head from left to right.

“I’m sorry.”

“What?”

“I was sick…”

‘And for putting you in trouble.’

Tehez swallowed without saying those words.

“Well, don’t you say thank you at times like this, Madam?”

Denis looked at her and smiled naturally.

“Thank you.”

Tehez gave a small greeting.

“Yes. Let’s go eat breakfast.”

“Yes.”

Perhaps the news had also reached Aida, she put down plenty of meat and vegetables in front of Tehez.

“You’re going to eat all the soup today.”

Aida’s expression was very serious. Aida thought that because Tehez ate too little, she fell ill. Since breakfast, Aida has been serving her meat soup for hours, and no one stopped her today. Both Laurent and Denis seemed to have tacitly agreed with Aida’s actions.

Tehez stared blankly at her plate placed in front of her. 

Ribs, potatoes, and carrots were piled high.

“Thank you. I will eat well.”

Tehez raised the fork like a general going to the battlefield.

Tehez chewed the meat slowly. It was delicious as it was a soup made by Aida with all her heart and soul. But as she ate it, it didn’t decrease in amount. It seemed that the enemy continued to pour in, and Tehez became a cornered general.

‘How can I eat all of this?’

She ate so hard, but she felt like she hadn’t even eaten half of it yet. At that moment, Denis, who was finishing his meal, called Aida.

“Aida, can you get me some apricot jam?”

“Apricot jam?”

Aida, who was watching Tehez from her side, spying on her, rummaged through the cupboard.

“There’s no apricot jam…”

“Is there none?”

Denis looked up at Aida affectionately. He looked like a child asking for more candy from his mother. Aida hurried out through the back door, saying she might be in her house. 

Denis said as he looked at Tehez, as she sat in her bewilderment.

“Tehez, stop eating and go up to your room and rest.”

“…Yes.”

Tehez mumbled and got up from his chair.

“Hurry up. The medicine is next to the bed. Eat that and sleep.”

“I think I’m all better now, Prince.”

“Madam will take off for three days.”

“Why…?”

Tehez looked at him with a puzzled expression.

“That’s what I decided.”

“…”

Tehez glanced at him, and he gestured his chin to the second floor. It seemed to mean to go up quickly before Aida came.

In the end, Tehez was lying on the bed, just as he said. Even though her body got better a long time ago, she had only one week left from her two-week summer vacation.

After getting better, Tehez suggested Denis to go fishing for salmon she couldn’t finish. But what came back was a cold refusal. Instead, Denis asked her how it was like to go to Skane Forest.

“How about having lunch there?”

“I like it.”

Tehez and he went to Skane Forest late in the morning on a sunny day. Denis tied the picnic box tightly and pulled the bicycle. 

“I’ll hold it, Prince.”

“Let’s just go, baby.”

The road to the forest was a small path, so it was a good atmosphere to stroll. It wasn’t a bad feeling to walk through the thick bushes.

“Prince, are you good at riding a bicycle?”

“Yes. What about you?”

“I’ve never ridden it.”

“There are many things you haven’t done, Madam. Ah, is it because you are a baby?”

“…Stop teasing me.”

Denis laughed out loud at Tehez’s slightly sulky voice. It was a sweet laugh. 

After walking for about half an hour, they arrived at a wide-open space in the middle of the forest. It was carefully crafted to see if it was what people were looking for. Denis sat down there.

He lay down comfortably without saying a word and took out a book of poetry he had been reading from the train. Tehez looked at him blankly.

Tehez rose from her seat while watching him concentrate. She went around the forest. There were trees all over.

She sat in the shade of a tree and raised her hand to obscure the light streaming through the trees.

Lying under the light, he looked as small as the palm of her hand. He was covered with one hand.

Tehez was able to recognize him in detail, even though he was far away.

The frown on his forehead when concentrating, the fingers flipping through the pages, and an elegant posture while lying languidly with arms crossed.

‘Even among thousands of people, I will recognize you.’

The warm wind was making his hair flutter. 

He was extremely beautiful. 

He looked like a masterpiece hanging in an art gallery.

Tehez raised her knees and buried her head.

As he said, she was really a baby. It should be fun to be with him, but she felt like she was sinking.

Like a child who doesn’t want to see the ending of a fairy tale and doesn’t want to turn the last page.

Were the main characters still happy? Without breaking up, just like that…

Then she heard a voice calling her.

She lifted her head and looked at Denis, who called her tenderly.

“Tehez, come here.”

Tehez took a step from the shadows to the light.

It was a dream she never wanted to wake up from.

(To be continued in the next episode)

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