Chapter 71: Under the Bandage

The armored transport vehicle rolled to a smooth stop right inside the grand marble courtyard of the palace. The metal side door swung outward, and Leo slowly stepped down onto the smooth pavement, his left hand instinctively reaching up to touch his injured shoulder. The shallow cut from the broken spear shaft had stopped bleeding heavily, but a dull, burning ache still pulsed through his back muscles.

Eleanor immediately stepped close to his side, her gorgeous purple gown shifting as she carefully looped her slender arm around his right elbow. Right on his other side, Alistair Roslav stepped up, his usual haughty, high-and-mighty royal pride completely missing as he placed a supportive hand against Leo’s broad back to help him steady his stride.

"You need to get straight to your guest room, Leo," Eleanor said softly, her violet eyes swimming with an intense, frantic worry as she looked up at him. "The cut looks incredibly painful. Go lie down on the bed right now, and I will personally run down to the palace infirmary to gather the medical supplies and bandages for you."

Alistair offered a rare, disciplined nod of agreement, his sharp violet eyes locking onto Leo's face. "Eleanor is completely correct. Go fetch the premium antiseptic, sister. I will take charge of escorting Leo up the stairs to his chambers myself."

Leo let out a quiet, relaxed rumble of a laugh, gently trying to pull his broad shoulders back. "Look, guys, I'm completely fine. It's just a tiny scratch from a broken wooden shaft. You don't need to make such a massive, chaotic fuss about it."

"Absolutely not," Alistair interrupted firmly, his voice snapping with a cold, unyielding authority as he kept his supportive grip secure. "You threw your own chest into the line of danger to save my life in that warehouse, Leo. Our entire royal family house owes you a profound debt of honor. At the very least, let us perform a little simple work to ensure your physical body recover."

Leo let out another long, exhausted sigh, realizing it was entirely impossible to argue against their stubborn royal protocols. He nodded his head reluctantly, walking slowly alongside the purple-haired prince as they climbed the grand marble steps, leaving Eleanor to sprint quickly down the corridor walkway toward the medical room.

.....

A few minutes later, the door of the luxury guest room clicked open, and Leo walked inside the spacious room, sitting flat on the edge of the large plush mattress.

Alistair stood near the center of the floorboards, his hands shoved deep into his suit pockets as an intense, highly unusual hesitation took over his disciplined posture. He looked down at the carpet for a long moment, before forcing his sharp violet eyes to look straight into Leo's dark gaze. "Leo... I believe I need to offer you a sincere, formal apology. My highly aggressive behavior and constant insults over the past few days were completely out of line. I was blinded by my pride."

Leo looked up at him, a relaxed, easy grin tracing his sharp jawline. "It's fine, Alistair. You were just trying to protect your sister from what you thought was a common street rat. You did exactly what you needed to do as an older brother. I'm just glad the ambush is cleared and everyone is completely safe now."

Alistair’s face softened, a sudden wave of intense respect for Leo’s character clearing out his remaining royal armor. He offered a firm, grateful nod.

CREAK.

The wooden door swung open, and Eleanor stepped inside the room, carrying a polished silver tray loaded with clean white bandages, a bottle of clear antiseptic liquid, and small cotton blocks.

Alistair checked the room, a highly comical, teasing smirk suddenly tracing his handsome face as he backed away toward the exit. "Well... it seems my presence here is no longer required. I shall leave now."

Eleanor’s entire face instantly painted itself in a white-hot, burning crimson blush. She aggressively stamped her foot against the floorboards, her violet eyes wide with panic as she glared at her brother. "Alistair! Stop saying such ridiculous, inappropriate things and just get out!"

Alistair let out another smooth chuckle, slipping quickly out into the corridor and shutting the door behind him, locking the room into absolute silence.

Eleanor breathed out a nervous sigh, walking slowly over to the edge of the twin bed mattress. She set the silver tray down on the wooden side table, her fingers trembling slightly with pure, frantic shyness as she looked at Leo's broad chest.

Leo offered a relaxed wave of his hand. "Honestly, Eleanor, I can rub the liquid on myself. You don't need to bother doing the dirty work."

"No way," Eleanor pouted cutely, her soft lips twisting into a highly adorable, stubborn expression. "You violently lunged straight into a sharp spear just to protect my brother, and you fought Felipe on the high catwalk to pull me off the ground. I... I desperately want to do this to thank you for saving our lives, Leo. Just sit still."

She sat flat on the edge of the mattress right beside him. She hesitated for a long, quiet moment, her face turning an even deeper shade of pink as she looked down at the buttons of his shirt. Her voice dropped into a remarkably soft, breathy whisper. "Um... Leo? Can you please... please remove your shirt? I cannot reach the wound like this."

"Sure," Leo murmured calmly.

He slowly, effortlessly unbuttoned the gray fabric, sliding the sleeves down his broad arms and throwing the ruined shirt onto a nearby chair, leaving his tall, chiseled torso fully on display. Under the light, his exceptionally broad shoulders, lean defined core lines, and powerful athletic chest looked completely flawless, despite the small red cut tracing his left shoulder blade.

Eleanor locked her gaze onto his bare physical body, and her entire brain instantly went completely, totally short-circuited. A massive white-hot crimson flush violently exploded across her cheeks, her violet eyes stretching wide as she got completely zoned out, her breath catching heavily in her throat as she stared blankly at his chest.

Leo blinked his dark eyes. He leaned his head sideways. "Hey. Eleanor? Are you completely okay over there?"

"E-Eeh?! No! I am completely, perfectly fine!" Eleanor squeaked out frantically, her voice cracking in deep embarrassment as she snapped her mind back to reality.

She quickly picked up a cotton block, soaking it in the clear antiseptic liquid. Moving with extreme, delicate care, her soft fingers gently brushed against his bare smooth skin as she began to slowly apply the cold medicine across his shoulder blade.

Leo flinched, letting out a sharp, quiet gasp as the liquid stung the raw cut.

"Ah! I'm so sorry!" Eleanor apologized quickly, her violet eyes wide with intense panic as she slowed down her movements, her touch becoming as light and gentle as a feather. She kept her head lowered, her long purple hair brushing softly against Leo's arm as she continued to wrap a neat white bandage around his shoulder line. She stayed quiet for a minute, before her voice dropped into a soft, highly serious tone. "Leo... why did you do it? Why did you face an entire army, and risk your life to save me?"

Leo thought about her question for a few long seconds, his dark eyes staring blankly at the wall as he calculated his feelings. "Honestly, Eleanor... when I saw Felipe holding that blade against your neck on the high catwalk, I didn't think of danger. I just... I just wanted to save you. That's exactly what my mind and my heart told me to do. I couldn't just leave you behind."

A beautiful, profoundly happy smile slowly traced Eleanor's lips as she heard his protective words. A sudden wave of intense, devotional infatuation completely filled her chest, her high-society pride completely vanishing into pure affection. She finished locking the bandage knot, setting the tray down.

"I am truly, deeply happy that I am going to be officially engaged to you, Leo," Eleanor whispered breathlessly, her cheeks flushing a sweet pink as she looked straight into his eyes. "You are an incredibly capable, highly responsible, and amazing man."

Leo turned his chin around, his dark eyes locking dead into her glistening violet gaze from mere inches away. The physical proximity inside the quiet bedroom was sudden, intense, and completely overwhelming. Eleanor looked down at his lips, her breathing becoming shallow, rapid, and heavy as she slowly, deliberately raised her small hands, placing her palms gently against his warm cheeks. She leaned her upper body forward, her face tilting close as she slowly went in to plant a warm, lingering kiss straight onto his lips.

CREAK.

"His Royal Majesty, the King and Queen have arrived!" the armored guards outside the door announced authoritatively in a booming voice.

SHOCK!

Eleanor lunged backward, her entire body springing off the mattress in a total, frantic panic. Her face exploded into a massive white-hot crimson flush as she aggressively smoothed down her disheveled purple gown and frantically tucked her messy hair back into place, standing rigid by the desk.

Leo let out a quiet rumble of a chuckling laugh, thoroughly entertained by the terrible timing. He quickly pulled his shirt back over his broad shoulders, standing up smoothly from the bed frame just as the massive golden doors swung wide open.

The King and Queen of Zhelora walked into the room with absolute majesty. Leo bowed his chin formally, but the King immediately raised a large hand, a wide, proud smile tracing his face. "No need to bow down to us, young man. Please, remain at ease."

The King walked over, placing a heavy, proud hand straight onto Leo's uninjured shoulder. "Alistair has just given us a complete, detailed report of the entire warehouse combat. I am truly, deeply glad that Eleanor chose a warrior of your exceptional caliber. We are incredibly proud to welcome you into our house as our official son-in-law."

Leo offered a disciplined nod, forcing his voice into a calm, casual rumble. "It was simply my responsibility to ensure her safety, Your Majesty. I did nothing exceptional."

The King let out a hearty laugh, thoroughly pleased by his humble composure. "An excellent attitude! We shall initialize the grand preparation folders for the festival engagement immediately. Get some proper, deep rest today, Leo. We will speak more tomorrow." With a proud wave, the King and Queen turned on their heels and exited the chambers.

Eleanor stood near the doorway, her face still painted in a cute pink blush. She peeked at Leo through her long purple bangs, offering a sweet wave of her hand. "See you tomorrow... Leo," she whispered breathlessly, before stepping out and shutting the door completely.

Click.

The room plunged back into silence. Leo threw his body flat across the mattress sheets, staring up at the ceiling as the pulsing neon-pink system countdown timer violently filled his vision.

[Time Remaining: 29:59:58]

Leo clutched his forehead, a sudden wave of frantic, human anxiety running through his system as he sat up quickly on the bed. Less than thirty hours left on the lethal death penalty clock... Leo thought, his jaw locking tight in absolute worry. But to initialize the virtual reality date, I need to wear that damn obsidian VR visor gear! The visor is sitting right inside my apartment bedroom drawer! How the hell am I supposed to get my gear?!

He stared blankly at the floating digital numbers, completely cornered by the impossible constraints.