CH 21.1

21. Something I want to have even if I have to break it (1)

Raindrops had patted on the window since morning and continued into the night.

As a result, the room temperature had lowered and the maid had to set fire to the fireplace.

She was alone all day except when the maid helped her go to the bathroom and settle her back to bed.

“Wow. I wasn’t even able to see his face today.”

She glanced at the wall clock and realized it had been ten hours since she last saw him.

However, she couldn’t leave the situation in Joshua’s hands like this.

Sohee clutched the maidservant’s wrist as soon as she turned around to leave her room.

“What is it, My Lady?”

“I miss my husband so much. Can you bring me to him please?”

The maid appeared agonized since the crown prince just told her not to accept his prisoner’s requests.

In the end, the servant still shook her head in refusal.

Why wouldn’t they let a poor wife like her see her husband?

So-hee begged the maid some more. “Please.”

Nobody in this palace was willing to help Ariad get rid of that document so staying by Joshua’s side was the only way to overcome the crisis.

The troubled maid straightened her spine. “What if I get in trouble, My Lady?”

“It’s all right. I’ll tell the crown prince that you let me out of my room because I missed him so bad. Would he think it’s wrong for his poor wife to visit him?”

Eventually, the maid decided to help her out.

Sohee’s injured limbs caused her to lean against the servant as her soles pressed painfully to the ground.

The maid helped her climb the stairs to arrive at the third floor.

Then, both followed the few lamps lit along the hallway’s walls and walked along its path.

Upon reaching the room at the end of that hallway, she told the servant. “Thank you. I’ll go alone from here.”

“What? What are you going to do now, My Lady? Oh, my god!”

The maid released a shocked gasp when she dropped in front of the door.

She kept trying to lift So-hee up when she started crawling in all fours.

“Please keep your dignity, My Lady!”

“No. Just let me go. I’m all right.”

Sohee knocked on the door while shaking off the maid’s insistent arm as she tried to get her to stand.

There was no answer to be heard.

“What the hell? Is he not there? I want to come in and talk to you, Joshua. Please open the door for me.”

When she saw Ariad glancing up at the door while she was on the ground, the maid sighed and gripped the doorknob to turn it around.

So-hee entered alone and looked around the dark room.

Joshua must have not left any lights on.

Colorful furniture was set up in a space much larger than Ariad’s room and a king-sized bed was also placed on a round, golden carpet.

She assumed no one was there because the room was quiet.

But then, she saw Joshua lying straight with his back on the bed.

Was she sleeping?

She dragged her broken legs along and approached him.

The rainy weather had turned the entire room into ice because no one had put some flames on his fireplace.

Once So-hee arrived at his bedside, she struggled to get up so she grabbed the blanket, instead.

“Joshua.”

She could barely stand up when she threw herself onto his bed.

Joshua didn’t move at all despite her actions shaking the bed as a whole.

It appeared that the man only took his jacket off from his earlier outfit.

He had also settled an arm over his eyes.

So-hee tried to shake him but he just laid there beside her.

Well, she shouldn’t have come.

Not when she least expected the crown prince to sleep this early.

After a few minutes of silence, Joshua asked. “Why are you here?”

He lowered the arm covering his eyes to look at her.

What?

So, he was awake the entire time?

“I told you not to move until your legs are fully healed.”

His cold gaze ran over her.

“I miss you, Joshua. I also have a lot of things to tell you.”

When she said so, Joshua pulled So-hee closer to him.

So-hee’s body trembled when she faced his blood-red eyes glowing in the dark.

Was it because his bedroom was cold or was it because of his awful mood?

Joshua’s hawk-like gaze watched her for a long time and it shifted when he rose from his bed.

“You can tell me later. I’ll take you to your room now so just go there and sleep.”

“No. No. Wait a minute.”

Joshua’s large hand paused when he was about to hold So-hee’s arm to help her stand.

“Is it that important, Ariad?”

Well, she planned to tell him another wild story to change his mind.

She was that determined to say whatever to convince him of the outcome she wanted.

“Are you sure you don’t want to hear it?”

“Just tell me about it tomorrow.”

“Wait. I want to be next to you, Joshua.”

His dark brows furrowed as the large hand on her arm tightened, pulling her to stand.

The harsh gesture made So-hee desperate.

“Can’t I sleep with you?”

Joshua had no response to that request.

He merely scowled at Sohee as he left the king-sized bed.

Her lips pouted as she observed his large silhouette moving through the dark.

If she didn’t leave his bedroom, he would get out instead.

Was that how it was?

“You will leave if I won’t? How reasonable. Yes. I’ll leave if you want, Your Highness.”

So-hee heard a sudden noise from the fireplace.

When she turned her head towards its direction, she saw the man use his lighter to set the logs aflame.

It turned out he didn’t want to leave his room and he just wanted to light his fireplace up.

Joshua returned to the bed afterwards.