Col had not slept for several days straight as he translated the scripture; once it was finished, he had experienced a stifling test of endurance at the church; they were thrown in jail but then immediately escaped; and right after that he had given the performance of a lifetime.
In the end, Myuri played the biggest prank on him, and as the blood rushed to his head, the success of Hyland’s counterattack allowed him to relax. Even the sturdiest of leather straps would break after such rough treatment. But such a small thread did so easily.
After suffering through feverish dreams for a long while, he finally woke up, and he was surprised to learn it was the third morning after that night.
“I thought you weren’t ever going to wake up.”
Myuri sat beside the bed, moody and about to cry. He faintly remembered her taking care of him. He extended his hand from under the blanket and gripped her small one.
She seemed embarrassed but happy.
“Where’s Heir Hyland?”
However, when Col asked, all expression left her face.
“I don’t know. Oh, but more importantly, while you were sleeping, I read the scripture, and you know? I found something really cool. And…and…do you want to hear it?”
Myuri began chatting happily, but Col instead scanned the room to see that no one else was there.
“No, more importantly, where is Heir Hyland?”
He wanted to know everything that had happened. He was glad they were safe, but he wanted to know about the papal officer. And not to mention that if war was still going to happen, this was not the time to relax.
“Sheesh, Brother!”
Myuri pulled on his hand, but then he heard the noisy sound of footsteps and voices coming from outside the room.
“Heir Hyland! You have not brushed your hair or eaten!”
“I don’t care!”
He tried to get up when he heard Hyland’s voice, but Myuri pushed him back down and pulled the covers up over his face.
“Myuri, what are you doing?”
“Don’t look. You shouldn’t look.”
“Hah?”
As they bickered, he heard the door open.
“Col!” Hyland called out to him, and Col threw back the covers.
Then, as Hyland rushed to his side with a smile, he wondered if he was still dreaming.
“Oh, you’re looking much better. Are you hungry? We can get anything from town. I cannot thank you enough!”
Hyland’s hair was not done up, and he had rushed over half-dressed and just as unassuming as always.
An unadorned Hyland.
Or perhaps it was better to say an undisguised Hyland.
“Ah, I’m sorry for coming to see you like this. When I heard you’d woken up, I had to come see you.”
He pulled back his beautiful long blond hair and smiled.