The Munchkin Princess Wants to Run Away Chapter 16

Cedric had changed into a thin nightshirt, leaving half his chest exposed.

He had merely undone a couple of buttons to make himself more comfortable, but Ivanna felt it was far too much.

The different areas of the tent were separated by partitions. She had come out believing that once she lay down in bed, she wouldn’t be able to see his desk.

“You should dry your hair properly.”

As Ivanna stared at his chest with unsteady eyes, Cedric pointed at her still-damp hair and spoke.

His ash-gray eyes settled on her hair.

“Understood.”

Ivanna immediately went into the bathroom.

Thump, thump.

There was absolutely nothing for her to be embarrassed about. Yet her heart was pounding noisily, as though she were the one who had done something wrong.

He was wearing a different nightshirt than usual. She had nearly lost herself in the sight of the firm muscles visible through the opening in his shirt.

I should dry my hair until the Duke falls asleep.

Once I’m under the covers, I won’t be able to see his body.

Instead of using an artifact, Ivanna carefully blotted the moisture from her hair with a towel.

‘She’s taking too long.’

Cedric, who was sitting on the edge of the bed reading a book, turned his head toward the bathroom.

The princess had gone in to dry her hair, but she still hadn’t come out after quite some time.

Did she collapse or something?

To exaggerate only slightly, her wrists were thinner than the hilt of the sword he carried around.

Her body, revealed beneath the thin nightdress, looked so delicate that it might snap if someone gave it a light tap.

Water dripping from her damp hair had soaked the thin fabric of her nightdress, leaving it darker in places.

He remembered the imperial family mentioning that the princess was physically frail, which was why he had deliberately told her to dry her hair before coming out.

If she caught a cold, it would interfere with their schedule.

He was already on edge throughout their journey, worrying that the princess, who had to spend the entire trip in the carriage, might collapse.

Cedric had never imagined that traveling with another person could be so exhausting.

The moment the princess entered the carriage, even the atmosphere changed. Unlike when he rode alone, a soft and warm feeling lingered inside.

It was only one additional person, yet Cedric found himself inwardly tense in the unfamiliar environment.

On top of that, whenever the princess moved, the perfume she wore tickled his nose.

It wasn’t the sharp, overpowering scent of the young ladies who approached him at parties. Hers was soft and subtle.

It was even sweet, to the point that on the first day of their journey, Cedric had wondered whether the princess had somehow been covered in fruit.

He had to forcibly resist the urge to keep turning his head toward her, as though a needle had been threaded through his nose and was pulling it in her direction.

Tap.

She was taking far too long.

He had turned three pages of his book, yet the princess showed no sign of leaving the bathroom.

Cedric closed the book and set it on the table, then let out a faint breath as he rose from his seat.

The princess had clearly collapsed from the exhausting journey.

Regretting his decision a little too late, he stopped in front of the bathroom.

“Your Highness.”

He called to her softly, but no answer came from inside.

Cedric tilted his head.

“Your Highness. I’m coming in.”

When she failed to respond to his second call as well, Cedric pulled back the thin curtain without hesitation.

“Gasp!”

“Are you still drying your hair?”

Seeing her round eyes finally turn toward him, as though she hadn’t heard what he said, he was at last able to relax.

The princess was sitting on a small stool, drying her hair with a towel.

“You aren’t using an artifact?”

“I thought it might disturb you while you were reading.”

“It doesn’t make much noise, so it’s fine.”

Cedric carefully examined the princess’s condition. Her face was flushed, and her body was trembling slightly.

Are those the early symptoms of a cold I read about in a book?

“I’ll help you.”

He decided that drying her hair quickly was more important than risking her catching a cold.

He immediately picked up the artifact and stood behind Ivanna.

Whoooooosh!

“Eek!”

Ivanna screamed as a sudden gust blasted her hair from behind. The Duke had turned the wind up to its strongest setting, causing her hair to whip violently against her face.

“I-I’m sorry.”

Accustomed to drying his own short hair with powerful gusts of wind, Cedric stared in dismay at the princess’s hair flying wildly in every direction.

“Please turn the wind down.”

Ivanna hurriedly grabbed her unruly hair and met his eyes in the mirror.

“Yes.”

“And I’ll do it myself.”

“No. Tell me how, and I’ll do it.”

He glanced back and forth between his arm and the artifact. It seemed unlikely that the princess would be able to hold the artifact herself until her long, thick hair was completely dry.

Of course, Ivanna had no idea what his gaze meant.

Did I look so poor that he thought this was my first time using an artifact?

Ivanna glared at Cedric through the mirror. Standing behind her, he looked as serious as someone preparing for a decisive battle.

His eyes were fixed intently on her hair, like a man carefully gauging his opponent before striking off the enemy general’s head.

Brrrrrrrr.

In the bathroom, where only the two of them were present, the only sound was the hum of the artifact.

The gentle warmth brushing past Ivanna’s ears made her eyelids grow heavy.

The tension and the fatigue from sitting in the carriage all day were finally catching up with her.

I mustn’t fall asleep.

Feeling her head begin to tilt, Ivanna snapped her eyes open.

As a result, her gaze met Cedric’s. He had been watching her from behind, and he looked just as startled to find their eyes meeting.

“It seems to be dry now.”

His large hand brushed delicately through her hair.

Ivanna’s shoulders hunched as goosebumps prickled across her skin.

“You seem cold. Let’s finish up here.”

“Yes.”

She had no idea why he had suddenly mentioned that she was cold, but Ivanna quickly nodded.

She wanted to escape this situation by any means possible. No one would believe her if she told them Cedric Reynold had dried her hair for her.

Was he frustrated because I took so long, when he was trying to go to sleep early?

She simply couldn’t believe what had just happened to her.

Looking utterly bewildered, Ivanna followed Cedric back toward the bed.

He gestured toward the blankets with a solemn look. Still dazed, Ivanna awkwardly climbed into bed.

This was the first time since their marriage that he had taken an interest in her bedtime.

Usually, either she was already asleep or he had gone to bed first.

Even when they went to bed at the same time, he had acted as though she weren’t there, so she had assumed he wasn’t interested in her.

What on earth is going on?

Ivanna pulled the covers over herself and looked at Cedric.

Is this right?

The Duke seemed to be assessing something. Only then did he give a small nod.

When Cedric climbed into bed beside her, Ivanna squeezed her eyes shut.

What a strange day.

She had no idea why the Duke was behaving differently from usual, but her heart kept tingling strangely, and she felt as though she were about to sneeze.

It must be that contract again.

Everything that seemed excessively polite and considerate was because of that.

They had discussed the contract before she went to wash up. There must have been something about it that was bothering him.

Having settled on that explanation, Ivanna began counting silently.

One, two, three.

Rustle.

Ivanna held her breath at the presence beside her.

“Is there anywhere you’re feeling unwell?”

“No!”

The Duke seemed to be looking at her. If she opened her eyes, she felt certain she would meet his gaze.

“If anything hurts, please be sure to tell me.”

Nod.

Clutching the blanket tightly, Ivanna nodded rapidly.

Let it rain. Let it pour down in torrents.

Ivanna repeated the words silently.

Rather than agonizing over why the Duke was suddenly doing things he never usually did, making it rain would be far more worthwhile.

By tomorrow, I won’t have to see the disappointed faces of the people anymore.

Ivanna quietly summoned her divine power.

She could feel the power draining from her body. Thankfully, there was no outward sign that she was using it.

It seemed to be draining away faster than she had expected, but this much should be fine.

Ivanna closed her eyes, hoping that tomorrow she would be able to hear the people laughing, even if only from a distance.

Tap.

Tap, tap.

The sound of raindrops falling onto the tent reached her ears. She sensed the Duke getting up in surprise at the sound of the rain, but Ivanna kept her eyes closed, pretending to be fast asleep.

She didn’t know why he had been paying attention to her, but she shouldn’t jump to any conclusions.

Perhaps he had simply been in an unusual mood for a moment.

Relieved when she could no longer sense him nearby, Ivanna sank into a deep sleep.

 

***

 

“Mmm.”

Warm.

It seemed the rain during the night had made the weather a little chilly. Anthony must have put an artifact inside her blanket before leaving.

The temperature inside the tent could be adjusted to suit its occupant, but it had been set according to Cedric’s needs, since he tended to run hot. As a result, it was a little too cool for Ivanna.

But isn’t this artifact a little too big?

The artifact, radiating a pleasant warmth, seemed to be just the right size to hug.

It was excessively large…

“Eek!”

The moment Ivanna opened her eyes, she let out a scream.