“What do you mean?”

“Never mind if I don’t.”

Her question might have sounded funny, but it was important to Yelena. She didn’t care about other people, but she certainly didn’t want her husband to smell… the foul odor of someone who hadn’t bathed.

Yelena sniffed her own skin. The maids must have wiped her body down thoroughly while she was unconscious. She didn’t smell.

‘Phew.’

Afterward, Merry, who seemed to be feeling a little better, pulled away from Yelena’s hug.

Yelena turned to her husband and asked, “…Were you very worried?”

“I believed that you would wake up safely,” Kaywhin said, but his eyes were bloodshot, like someone who had barely gotten any sleep. Yelena hesitated and then furrowed her brow.

“Darling, how much sleep did you get while I was unconscious?”

“I slept as much as was necessary.”

“How many hours?”

“…”

Kaywhin didn’t answer. Yelena glanced at Ben, who was behind Kaywhin. Ben shrugged his shoulders and held up three fingers.

“…Each day?”

Ben shook his head.

“…For the whole week?”

Ben nodded.

“Darling!”

Yelena grabbed onto Kaywhin in disbelief.

“You said you believed that I would wake up safely, yet you didn’t get any sleep?”

“I did get some sleep…”

“Who would call three hours of sleep in a week ‘getting sleep?’”

Yelena exchanged glances with Ben. The perceptive butler led everyone out of the bedroom.

As soon as the bedroom was empty, Yelena commanded, “Darling, lie down. Next to me.”

“That won’t be necessary. I’m not so tired that I need to sleep immedi…”

“Ah, I said lie down.”

Yelena pulled Kaywhin’s arm, but his burly physique didn’t move as easily as she thought it would. Yelena raised her eyebrows.

“If you don’t lie down, I won’t kiss you anymore.”

“…!”

“And just like you, I won’t sleep for a week and I’ll starv… Wait a minute, darling, did you eat?”

“I will lie down.”

Kaywhin immediately got on the bed before Yelena could start another interrogation. The bed was wide, so there was space even with Kaywhin lying beside Yelena. It was the same bed they slept together in every night.

“Close your eyes.”

“…”

“Go to sleep. I’ll make sure you eat after you’ve rested. I already know you haven’t been eating properly.”

“…”

“Why haven’t you? So foolish. And… heartbreaking.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t apologize.”

Kaywhin obediently closed his eyes as Yelena ordered. Yelena watched her husband’s long eyelashes.

It wasn’t long before she heard her husband snoring softly.

‘He’s in a deep sleep.’

Yelena tucked her chin in her palm and gazed at her husband sleeping beside her.

‘Just how exhausted was he?’

Yelena’s chest trembled softly.

‘He must have been so worried… and so anxious.’

Yelena could easily imagine the hell her husband had been living in while she was unconscious. All she had to do was imagine herself in his place.

“…”

Yelena interlocked fingers with Kaywhin. The warmth their hands shared reached her heart.

Yelena ended up falling asleep as she watched her husband. When she woke up, her husband was already awake, gazing at her.

“…You should have woken me up when you woke up. You shouldn’t have waited.”

“I just woke up.”

“I don’t believe you, but okay.”

Yelena blinked her bleary eyes and looked down. They were still holding hands. Yelena wiggled her fingers awkwardly but didn’t break out of the hold.

“Oh.”

Yelena suddenly let go of her husband’s hand and jumped up.

“Where was I when I fainted? In the storage room, right?”

“…Yes. The soldier on guard duty found you unconscious.”

Kaywhin followed suit and got up as well, though he seemed to be disappointed. As he did so, Yelena reached her hand out towards the headboard and rang the call bell.

“Madam, do you need any…”

“Check if the Holy Sword is in the storage room. If it is, bring it here right away.”

The summoned maid left the bedroom to go on her errand.

Then, Kaywhin asked, “Why are you looking for the Holy Sword?”

“Well, truth is, before I fainted…”

Yelena gave a detailed explanation of what had happened.

“…So I went inside the storage room and held the sword’s hilt. As soon as I did, I fainted.”

“Then could it be that the Holy Sword…”

Right at that moment, the maid who had left the bedroom returned.