Beneath the Surviving Princess's Joyful Facade - Chapter 163

This dream was utterly ridiculous. Miesa thought to herself as she accepted the cup Eirik handed her.

“It’s the antidote for Finime.”

Miesa took the cup. The warmth felt strangely realistic. However, seeing Eirik’s face confirmed that this was another odd dream.

Good grief, what a disheveled Eirik! That beard and the scar on his cheek—what had he been through?

“You’ve been through a lot, Eirik.”

Miesa smiled at him. She had imagined this moment so many times, in both reality and dreams, that the emotions she’d felt initially were no longer there.

Without hesitation, she drank the antidote in one gulp. This one tasted bitter too. It was so vivid, just like real life—she’d need something to wash it down.

“Bring me some candy.”

“Where is it?”

“It’s on the table over there.”

Miesa watched Eirik fetch the candy with interest. They said he had been in Trea, and her sharp memory had evidently dressed him in Trean clothes from her imagination.

“Envoys from the New Year’s Festival didn’t wear clothes like that.”

“Well, it’s a long story.” Eirik laughed incredulously as he handed her the candy. “Wait, is that really what you’re curious about? My clothes?”

Instead of answering, Miesa peeled off the candy wrapper and popped it into her mouth, crumpling the paper and handing it to him.

“Here.”

“And now you’re giving me trash?”

Though he had just been fetching things for her like a proper servant, this version of Eirik seemed too proud, laughing at the absurdity of it all. Miesa laughed along with him.

“Miesa, to be honest, I imagined this moment over a thousand times. I wondered what I’d say when I saw you again, but…”

He paused and shook his head. “Never mind. You look well, and that’s all that matters.”

Miesa opened her mouth to smile in response, but instead, what came out was a violent cough—and a mouthful of blood.

“Don’t worry. It’s fine.”

Eirik calmly wiped her mouth and hands with a cloth he had prepared in advance.

“I forgot to warn you beforehand. You were treating me so casually that it slipped my mind.”

Even as he explained, Miesa gagged and spat out another dark red clot. Her gaze shifted from the blood to Eirik’s face.

She had experienced many nightmares before, but this was the first time she dreamed of him poisoning her.

Miesa had always thought that if Eirik were to give her something dangerous, she wouldn’t care even if it burned her insides. But now that it was happening, she was dumbfounded. Even if this was just a chaotic dream.

“You bastard.”

Shaking with a mixture of sorrow and anger, Miesa glared at Eirik and hurled insults at him.

“I won’t let this slide. I really will get remarried.”

“What?”

“Tomorrow, I’ll summon all the noblemen to the Central Palace and choose the most handsome one.”

Eirik was truly speechless. Her sharp words were too flippant to be serious, yet too baffling to be a joke.

“I mean, when I finally see you… I wanted to just… embrace you…”

While Eirik chuckled, Miesa narrowed her eyes mischievously. “Pick one or the other. Either poison me or embrace me.”

“What I gave you was the antidote, not poison. So, how about a hug now?”

“Fine.”

Miesa quickly wrapped her arms around him. Eirik had no idea what was happening, but after weeks of tension, he wasn’t thinking clearly anymore.

“Let’s talk more tomorrow. For now, I’ll go clean up.”

“No, lie down here.”

“No, I can’t. Not in this state.”

“You can’t leave now. If you do, everything will be cut off again.”

Cut off? What was she talking about? While Eirik was puzzled, Miesa started pulling off his shoes.

“Miesa, stop. It’s dirty.”

“Then take it all off before getting into bed. Your clothes too.”

“My body isn’t clean either.”

“You, not clean? Let me see.”

Eirik was very troubled. She wouldn’t let him leave, and now she was trying to undress him. He had no choice but to compromise by removing his outer garments.

“Have you been drinking?”

She didn’t smell of alcohol, but her clinginess was so unlike her usual self that it was the only explanation he could think of.

“No, I’m telling you to take everything off.”

“I said no. Now take your hands off me.”

He managed to get her to stop pulling at his clothes, but she blocked his way to the bathroom. In the end, Eirik had no choice but to lie down on the bed in his Trean-style undergarments.

“Won’t you be embarrassed when you wake up tomorrow and see that you slept next to a man in this state?”

Miesa didn’t respond. Instead, she lifted his arm and snuggled up to him.

“Miesa?”

Just as he thought about how she might smell his sweat, Miesa scrunched up her face and, like a child, began to cry softly.

“You won’t be here tomorrow.”

“What?”

“I’ll wake up alone again, the bed will be empty, and you’ll be gone…”

Then Miesa broke down into loud sobs. The sight of her crying, something she had never done before, left Eirik stunned.

Is this reality or a dream? Eirik suddenly groaned as a thought crossed his mind. Maybe Miesa thought this was a dream.

“When tomorrow comes, I won’t be here, and you’ll wake up from this dream?”

“Shut up. Be quiet and just hold me.”

“Good heavens.”

That would explain why she had been so calm with him. Eirik’s eyes welled up with tears as he realized just how much she had missed him. Without a word, he pulled the sobbing Miesa into a tight embrace.

After some time, Miesa’s sniffles turned into soft breathing as she drifted off to sleep. Eirik, too, couldn’t fight off the weight of his heavy eyelids any longer.

The next morning, Miesa found herself looking down at the man beside her, deep in thought.

She was relieved that this ragged man was still here, but surely it was time for him to clean himself up.

She had experienced dreams within dreams before, but this was the first time she’d woken up to find herself still in the same dream. Of course, she was happy. Even the maids, who hadn’t arrived yet, were uncharacteristically lazy today, which only added to her delight.

Miesa took her time studying today’s version of Eirik.

He was still clad in foreign clothes. She had never seen this particular undergarment before, so she curiously peeked inside his shirt. She smoothed back his unruly hair, but he remained fast asleep.

Just as she was about to gently press her lips against his, drawn to the rough appearance of his face with its beard and scars that gave him a villainous look…

“……!”

He suddenly snapped his eyes open, rolling them to confirm the person standing right in front of him. His fierce gaze made Miesa’s face flush red, and she quickly pulled away in embarrassment.

“No, it’s not what it looks like…”

She swore she had never done anything inappropriate while dreaming of Eirik. She had just been about to give him a light kiss, like in her usual dreams. So why did she feel so guilty, as if she had been caught doing something wrong?

“Oh, it’s you. I woke up startled.”

Eirik rubbed his face and sat up. When he noticed the bright morning sunlight streaming through the window, he blushed.

“I must look awful. I’ll go wash up first.”

“No, I’m coming with you.”

Seeing how she clung to him, Eirik smiled and rang the bell. Madam Manere entered, and he gave her quick instructions.

“Prepare the bath. I don’t need any attendants, so make sure no one comes in.”

“Yes.”

After Madam Manere closed the door, the sounds of preparations and movement could be heard outside. Eirik picked up a piece of fruit from the table.

“You never liked fruit before. Have your tastes changed?”

“…You eat that, and I’ll eat this.”

Miesa pointed to the table with a gesture, and Eirik smiled, amused. Had she been playing pretend while he was gone?

“At least you remembered what I like.”

But Miesa seemed preoccupied with something else, her lips moving as if trying to work out a puzzle.

Eirik asked, “What are you doing?”

“Clean up! Huh, it’s not working.”

“Have you been practicing magic?”

“This is my dream, and I can’t even control it!”

“That’s how dreams work.”

Eirik watched her chatter away, his forgotten sense of playfulness bubbling up once again.

“If you keep stressing yourself, the dream might end sooner.”

“Oh no, that can’t happen.”

Miesa jumped in surprise and sat quietly, sulking. But when Madam Manere announced that the bath was ready, she eagerly followed Eirik out of the room.