WMEEM Ch 26

Batizo's Nightmare

Everything transpired in an instant.

Attendants swarmed the room and carried Batizo to his bedchamber, and I followed close behind.

When word of the collapse arrived, Terkan and the physician entered to examine Batizo's condition.

While my startled heart hammered violently, Terkan and the others moved with calm, swift precision.

The physician's expression remained composed during the examination, suggesting no immediate danger.

[Physician] "Severe exhaustion has accumulated. Though further observation is required as a precaution..."

The physician reiterated the details Batizo had shared before collapsing.

Severe insomnia, compounded by recurring nightmares, had deprived him of sleep. Combined with an unchanged workload and a lack of proper meals, it had resulted in temporary weakness.

Although the physician deemed it temporary, relief still felt out of reach for me.

The sight of a man built like a mountain collapsing helplessly, along with the heavy thud of his fall, remained vivid in my mind. At the sound of that thud, terror had gripped me, making me fear his skull had fractured.

Once the physician finished the examination and stepped back, I looked closely at Batizo's face. His left forehead and cheek were slightly swollen, the impact site from his fall. Fortunately, the skin was unbroken.

[Celeste] "A cold cloth..."

Before the request fully left my lips, an attendant pressed a damp towel into my palm. Continuous application should minimize the swelling.

As I looked down at the collapsed, exhausted man, sorrow weighed heavily on me.

Terkan noticed my reluctance to leave and spoke in a low voice.

[Terkan] "Such occurrences arise annually around this season, so you don't need to worry excessively."

[Celeste] "An annual occurrence?"

Terkan ordered everyone to vacate the room, leaving only himself, me, and the bedridden Batizo.

[Terkan] "His Majesty's nerves fray every year during this period."

[Celeste] "Is preparing in advance impossible?"

[Terkan] "Had that proven feasible, such incidents wouldn't occur."

[Celeste] "You excel at brewing tea as well. Tea that aids deep slumber..."

I caught myself speaking rapidly, as if interrogating Terkan, and stopped immediately.

[Celeste] "Forgive me. You undoubtedly managed everything within your power."

As Batizo lay bedridden, his face appeared noticeably gaunt.

He was no virtuous man. Through endless wars, he had dragged countless lives into death and agony, and many undoubtedly gnashed their teeth at his very name.

Although he had issued absurd instructions and intimidated me with fearsome glares, he remained a savior to me. He had rescued me from Raff's horrific clutches.

Whatever others thought of him, he was my savior. I knew it was a selfish sentiment, yet I couldn't bring myself to despise him or pull away completely.

Occasional glimpses of his goodwill stirred my heart and filled my thoughts. After our marriage, I wanted to get along with him, holding tight to the quiet wish that we might live as an ordinary couple.

At times, I had even wanted to earn his favor. I had not understood the reason before, but the truth was slowly becoming clear.

[Celeste] "I shall remain by His Majesty's side."

[Terkan] "Your Highness, numerous attendants can guard him, so please don't strain yourself."

[Celeste] "I know. Yet I wish to stay beside him."

I spoke with firm resolve. I expected Terkan to refuse to the end, but he yielded with surprising ease.

[Terkan] "I shall wait outside then, so summon me should the need arise."

When he left, only Batizo and I remained.

I soaked the cloth anew, wrung it out, and wiped away the cold sweat glistening on his forehead. The persistent sweat continued to worry me.

An annual occurrence around this time. What could be the cause?

Troubles like insomnia and nightmares didn't arise without reason. There had to be a definitive cause for a man this formidable to endure such suffering, yet asking him or Terkan would yield no answers.

Although I felt tempted to find someone who knew the truth, prying into his dark secrets felt wrong. Unless he chose to share it with me voluntarily in the future, I wouldn't force an answer.

After wiping away the sweat, I pressed the cloth against his swollen cheek once more. Though Batizo knitted his brow slightly at times, he fortunately didn't awaken.

Even if exhaustion had forced this sleep upon him, I prayed he would rest deeply all the same.

---

I dozed off briefly, only for his low groans to wake me. His faint moans grew louder, shifting into restless sleep-talking.

[Batizo] "No! Get away!"

He was trapped in a dream. Reaching his hands into the empty air, he thrashed violently as if fighting off something terrible.

[Celeste] "Your Majesty."

I called his title while shaking him gently, and quiet settled over him for a moment. Yet he was still lost inside the dream, and his voice cried out again.

[Batizo] "I was wrong!"

The nightmare held him fast. Beads of sweat formed across his forehead once more.

[Batizo] "I was wrong! Father! I was wrong! Spare me!"

He thrashed his head from side to side, trembling violently.

Father? What could he have done to beg so desperately for his life?

I shook him more forcefully to wake him.

[Celeste] "Your Majesty! Your Majesty!"

Even though I called right beside his ear, he couldn't break free from the nightmare. Fearing he couldn't be left in such a state, I turned to call for help—

[Batizo] "No! It hurts! Aaargh!"

He shrieked aloud. In that exact instant, Terkan and the physician burst into the room.

They had clearly been listening closely outside despite claiming to wait, yet their reactions remained composed. A testament to how familiar this annual ordeal was to them.

Batizo quieted before long. After a brief inspection, the physician departed first.

[Terkan] "Shall Your Highness remain longer?"

I gave a slight nod to Terkan's question and sat back down.

Once more, a quiet stillness descended upon the room.

Looking at Batizo as he slept with an uneasy expression, I realized that tragedy must have haunted his childhood. The cries echoing from his dream were the unmistakable marks of abuse.

I was wrong. Spare me. No. It hurts.

They were the exact same desperate pleas I had screamed at Raff.

What kind of agony had this massive, formidable man endured during his youth?

The traumatic memories still haunted him with nightmares, even into adulthood.

I resolved to remember this recurring period of anguish. Tracking the date required little effort, as my upcoming birthday served as an easy anchor.

Even if I could offer little, I intended to do everything in my power to help him.

I reached out to brush away the damp hair clinging to his face. My hand trembled cautiously, as if I were committing a crime.

Batizo flinched and knitted his brow before relaxing again, making me pull my hand back into a startled fist.

Trying once more, I cleared the hair from his face and looked down at his rugged features for a long moment. Because he had eaten practically nothing recently, his skin felt rough.

I ought to scold him later.

As I recalled our conversation from a few days ago, a faint smile slipped onto my lips.

When I casually brushed my fingertips against his cheek, coldness met my touch. The exact opposite of Terkan's warmth. Batizo's skin was not as smooth as it looked.

Suddenly, he muttered again, trapped in another dream. I leaned my ear close to his lips, but his words were unintelligible. They were not words at all, but quiet weeping.

What could bring him such deep sorrow?

A moment later, distinct words reached my ear.

[Batizo] "Mother... Mother..."

Desolate sobs followed, like those of a young child.

The sound of those heartbroken wails made my own chest throb. Though I knew nothing of his youth, his childhood had clearly been devoid of happiness.

[Batizo] "Mother, don't leave... Don't leave me behind."

He was trapped in a memory of his childhood.

As I wiped away the tears streaming from the corners of his eyes, tears welled in my own as well. Awakened by memories of my mother.

In my memories, Mother's final moments were with her eyes closed. Young as I was back then, I had shaken my motionless mother relentlessly, calling out to her in vain.

[Celeste] "Mother, Mother. Celeste is here. Please tell me how pretty your Celeste is."

I had clasped her limp hand and pressed it against my cheek, just as she used to do when she was alive.

When my begging for an embrace brought no answer, I had nestled myself into her arms instead. I lifted her heavy arm, draped it around my neck, and rubbed my cheek against hers.

While my tears and skin burned hot, hers felt icy cold. When I realized that even her drying tears felt frigid, I understood that she was gone forever.

Even now, I still relived that day in my dreams from time to time, weeping for her.

Although I didn't know how Batizo had lost his mother, he yearned for her just as I longed for mine.

Human nature is the same, after all.

I couldn't bring myself to wake him while he sought his mother in his childhood memories. Knowing all too well the desperate desire to hold on to a mother reunited in a dream, I held back.

Instead, feeling a deep pity for his sorrowful search, I stroked his hair gently. Fearing I might disrupt his reunion in the dream, I gave him only a few slow strokes before stopping.

Yet his continued sobs pained my heart, so I patted his chest softly. I intended to stop after just a few gentle pats…..

Batizo abruptly caught my hand and pressed it against his cheek. He rubbed his face against my palm.

[Batizo] "Mother, I missed you. Don't leave."

His falling tears spilled onto my skin. Clasping my hand tightly, he drifted off into a quieter sleep.

I couldn't bring myself to pull my hand away. If my hand brought him even a fleeting moment of peace, I would surrender it willingly.

---

Batizo opened his eyes.

He had slept deeply, and his body felt surprisingly refreshed. His vision, which had been dim and hazy for days, cleared completely.

Then he felt an unfamiliar sensation against his face. Celeste's hand rested against his cheek, or rather, he was gripping her hand tightly.

Seeing her asleep in an uncomfortable position beside the bed, it became obvious that he had held her hand captive all night.

What am I doing?

Batizo hastily flung her hand away, practically throwing it aside.

Startled by the sudden movement, her eyes fluttered open. She blinked rapidly, caught sight of Batizo, and sat upright at once.

[Celeste] "Your Majesty! You are awake. Are you feeling well?"

Her large violet eyes, brimming with deep concern, looked up at him.

Batizo scanned her from head to toe. Her hair was slightly disheveled. She was still wearing the gown from dinner. It was proof that she had spent the entire night here.

[Batizo] "What... are you doing here?"

Although he understood why she was there, harsh words tumbled out of his mouth anyway.

[Celeste] "Do you not recall? You collapsed during dinner yesterday."

[Batizo] "I know that much. I am asking why the Princess remains here at this hour."

[Celeste] "I felt... I ought to remain by your side..."

He had slept deeply for the first time in recent memory, well before his usual spell of insomnia had run its course.

Was it because of Celeste? Did her small, soft hand bring me peace?

Suddenly, the memory of someone patting his chest floated to the surface. It had been Celeste, just like his mother used to do long ago. A mother who stayed by her son's side while he groaned in pain through the night.

He turned his gaze and spotted the damp towel resting on the nightstand. This, too, mirrored his childhood. The memory of his mother overlapped with the woman before him.

He knew he should thank her, yet the words remained trapped in his throat.

In truth, confusion rattled him as well, accustomed as he was to Terkan, attendants, or physicians guarding his bedside.

On top of that, he had held her hand captive all night. Alarmed by his own uncharacteristic actions, Batizo failed to offer any gratitude, putting on a harsh front instead.

[Batizo] "Never do this again. I detest awakening to find an unfamiliar person beside me."

[Celeste] "Ah..."

Her eyes widened even further, and a faint, awkward smile touched her lips.

[Celeste] "I apologize, Your Majesty."

He hated when Celeste stepped so boldly into his personal life. He feared it.

Marriage was a passionless contract, and claiming Calyx was his sole desire. Yet a dangerous greed threatened to take root.

He knew that if given the chance, he could bind Celeste to his side permanently. If he chose to do so, swaying her heart would be easy.

Her eyes had betrayed her shifting feelings lately. When receiving gifts, when confronting him over the wedding night instructions, and now in this very moment. He had seen and understood every bit of it.

Yet tying himself to a single person to build an ordinary family held no appeal at all. It was completely unthinkable. Watching Celeste hold expectations he could never fulfill irritated him.

In reality, he was most angry with himself. He had felt anxious over her reaction, even though the gifts were bought by Terkan. His eyes tracked her automatically whenever her voice or presence was near.

He had felt strange lately, but he had truly lost his way now.

If I act like this, Celeste will naturally follow suit. I must return to my former detachment.

[Batizo] "Leave this instant! Immediately!"

He shouted vehemently.

Flustered confusion gripped her for a moment before she gathered herself and offered a bow. Although her disappointment was clear, he pretended not to see it.

[Celeste] "...Yes, Your Majesty. Please rest well."

Batizo refused to watch her turn and leave. The door unlatched, followed by her soft sigh.

Only after Celeste stepped outside did he look toward the door.

Even if she is disappointed, it can't be helped.

He forced himself to push the memory of her eyes and her sigh out of his mind.

The door unlatched once again, letting Terkan and the physician inside.

[Batizo] "Who authorized reckless entry for anyone?"

Terkan bowed instantly.

[Terkan] "I apologize, Your Majesty."

[Batizo] "Who knows what could have transpired through the night?"

[Terkan] "I shall exercise caution moving forward."

Though his anger was directed at Terkan unfairly, Batizo felt no remorse. Because Terkan had pushed for the marriage with Celeste in the first place, enduring this reprimand was entirely justified.

After dismissing everyone, Batizo sank into deep thought, considering how to handle Celeste.

And in the end, he reached a decision.

A decision he would regret bitterly long after this day had passed.

---

If you enjoy it, feel free to leave a rating or review on Naver Series and Novel Updates.