Witch's Daughter And The Devil's Son

"My Queen, would you like to visit around if you are not feeling too cold?" Drayce asked, as his motive for bringing Seren to the hot water spring was fulfilled. 

"What's here to visit other than this hot water spring?" Seren asked as she moved her sight from the spring to Drayce. 

Drayce looked at her, "The hot water spring that is meant for us, the King and the Queen," Drayce answered and asked, "Would you like to visit it?"

She stared into his eyes for a moment which didn't let her guess what was in his mind, but her clever mind was fast enough to conclude something. 'Hot water spring meant for us? That means he will ask me to soak in hot water to increase my immunity.'

"I think I am a bit cold today, Your Majesty," Seren replied immediately, hoping he wouldn't insist on her. 

Drayce had nothing such in his mind as for him; it was not yet the time. He wished her to know more things and later understand what he would do without having any weird thoughts about his actions and not to feel scared. 

Drayce could see through her and agreed, "As you say, My Queen."

Just like they left the balcony of Seren's bedchamber, they returned to the same place similarly.

Seren was again exhausted with this process. 

Holding her tightly after reaching the balcony, Drayce enjoyed hugging the little kitten like he always did; he could never get tired of her soft body, "Soon you will get used to it, My Queen."

Seren breathed deeply and looked up at Drayce, still being in his warm embrace, "Your Majesty, don't you feel tired after teleporting like this?"

"When I learned about this ability, at the start, I used to feel tired, but now I don't. That's what I said, just like me, you will get used to it too," Drayce replied, looking into her hazy eyes. 

Seren nodded as she understood, "It's too exhausting," and put her head back on his chest as if she felt like she had no energy left in her.

Drayce lifted her in his arms and took her inside the bedchamber. Marie and Eva immediately bowed to him, "Greetings, Your Majesty!" The two felt worried seeing their Queen in King's arms. 

"Should I call for the Royal Physician, Your Majesty?" Marie asked.

"Prepare something warm and healthy for her to drink," Drayce instructed as he lay Seren on the bed. 

"Yes, Your Majesty," The two servants understood their presence was not needed and left.

Drayce covered her with a blanket and looked at Seren, who had closed her eyes and tried to breathe normally. He held her hands and rubbed them with his palms.

"My Queen, you had to go through it twice in a short time, and you are already weak due to blood loss. Also, you were affected by cold air outside, that's why you are feeling more exhausted than before. You will be fine soon."

Seren opened her eyes to look at him and nodded. His red eyes held the care and worry for her while his hands held that soothing warmth that made her feel better. No one other than Martha had ever made her feel like this. She couldn't help but stare at him as if he would disappear from her sight, although her eyes felt hazy to open them. 

As if Drayce understood the way she earnestly looked at him, he assured her. "You can close your eyes, My Queen. I am not going anywhere."

Holding his hand that was rubbing her palm even over the woolen glove, she closed her eyes. No matter how she acted, at the end of the day, she was always the one who wanted him around her.

Soon Marie returned with the soup prepared for her Queen. "Your Majesty,...."

"Keep it here," Drayce said, signaling towards the wooden bedside table.

Marie quietly put that wooden tray on the table and left after bowing as she didn't need to be instructed to leave. She was smart and understood what their king was up to. 

Drayce helped Seren sit on the bed and arranged the pillow at the backrest for her to sit comfortably while resting. Drayce held the bowl of soup with a small wooden dish that perfectly fit the bowl's base in his hand, and he was ready to feed her. He stirred the soup with a silver spoon and blew on it. Seren smiled lightly behind her veil as she had never expected him to do all this for her. 

She was still in a daze while not feeling satisfied enough, no matter how much she looked at the caring man in front of her. She didn't even realize he had offered her soup in a spoon for her to drink. 

"My Queen, you need to open your mouth so you can drink this," he said and pulled her out of the daze. 

"Ah...Your Majesty... I… can do it. I am not sick," she said and was about to get the bowl and spoon from him.

"My Queen, you are exhausted because of my negligence. I didn't expect you to turn so weak. You should give me a chance to make up for it so I won't feel bad later," Drayce countered, pulling out an apologetic expression.

Seren felt hesitant as she was not used to someone feeding her other than Martha, who did the same whenever Seren was sick. But there was an issue that Drayce had totally forgotten, and Seren had to remind him. 

"Your Majesty, this veil...I can't...take it off in front of you."

Drayce didn't know what to say now. This veil was even stopping him from taking care of his wife now. He felt like taking it off the very moment but then looked at her apologetic eyes and controlled himself. 

Drayce put the bowl of soup back on the tray and stood up. "I am heading out. If my Queen needs anything, you can call the servant."

Seren nodded lightly, and Drayce left. Seren felt bad, too, but she could do nothing. The least she could do was not fall sick and trouble others, so she quietly ate her soup. 

Seren called for Marie after finishing the soup. Marie looked at Seren and understood her Queen was not fine. Though she couldn't see her entire face, her eyes were enough to say it all.

"Your Majesty, are you feeling better now?" 

Seren nodded quietly and continued sitting while resting her back at the backrest of the bed and looking outside the windows of her room where the sky was losing its brightness and the darkness of the night would soon take it over.

"Your Majesty, is something troubling you?" Marie asked worriedly. 

Seren looked at her, "Marie!"

"Yes, Your Majesty?"

"Is it necessary for the husband to see his wife's face?" Seren asked; the sadness was evident in her eyes and voice.

"Your Majesty, we can't put it like a compulsion, but it's more like one would always want to see someone's face they love, care for, and would spend their entire life with," Marie answered. 

Seren understood and felt even worse. She heard Marie as she knew the root of this worry. "Your Majesty, His Majesty must want to see how his wife looks when she is happy or sad or angry. He must want to see how his wife looks, and it's normal for anyone to wish for that," Marie paused for a moment as she gave some time to Seren to process what she meant. 

"Your Majesty, may I ask you something?" Marie asked. 

Seren nodded, and Marie asked, "If his Majesty had his face covered, wouldn't you be the same and had wished to see him? Wouldn't you be curious to see the one with whom you will spend your entire life?"

"If it had concerned his life, I would have accepted it," Seren replied. 

It puzzled Marie, "What do you mean, Your Majesty?"

"The man who sees my face will have the misfortunes befall upon him, and it will destroy both of our lives," Seren replied.

Marie didn't expect this and felt speechless. "Your Majesty, as you have married His Majesty who himself possesses supernatural powers, I am sure there will be a way out of this. We can discuss it with Lady Tyra. She is someone who knows everything which some of the great scholars might even fail to know."

"And you, Marie?" Seren asked as she looked at her. At this moment Seren didn't look like an innocent young woman but her eyes looked intimidating as if she could see through the person and there was no way the person could lie to her. 

Marie felt caught off guard but realized their Queen was not someone ordinary. Marie could sense the strong energy from her Queen and understood she could see through everyone.

Marie lowered her head, "I.. am the same, Your Majesty, but I am nothing as compared to Lady Tyra."

Seren could sense the energy from anyone who was not an ordinary human being. The energy coming from Marie was too weak and felt so harmless that Seren never bothered to think about it much. Till now she at least realized Marie was someone she could trust, just like how she trusted Martha all her life.