Seulgi faded in and out between consciousness and unconsciousness. Yet, during the entire time, she was vaguely aware that she was still alive and she could feel the presence of Joohyun. She believed she must have called out for Joohyun’s name because multiple times, she felt the gentle pressure of the Strategist’s on her body, checking up on her and soothing her chest. Joohyun’s touch… Seulgi needed more of it.

“Joohyun, Joohyun…” Seulgi felt her lips moving instinctively again and this time round she tried opening her eyes to her own voice.

There, she saw the faint outline of her Strategist. “Joohyun…” she murmured and this time she could clearly hear Joohyun’s reply.

“I am here, my Colonel, I am here. Are you awake?” Her Strategist’s voice sounded so tense but still so sweet to her ears.

Seulgi nodded weakly and winced when felt the familiar sting on her face. The slash across my cheeks… She attempted to lift her hands, which felt strangely heavy, to where her injury was   but was stopped midway by the Strategist.

“Don’t touch your wound, you will be fine. We are already in our own camp. Don’t you worry, the worst is over,” the Strategist cooed as she rubbed the back of Seulgi’s hand.

The Colonel knew what the Strategist meant by ‘the worst’ when she was reminded of the brutal stab she had taken when a pain shot up her abdomen. A gasp escaped from her lips, one that caught the immediate attention of the Strategist.

“Is it hurting again? Let me look at it,” Joohyun spoke anxiously and soon Seulgi felt her robes being peeled off from her cold and clammy skin.

The Colonel remained still as she let the Strategist check her wound. Her flesh had become so tender around her injury and every slight rustle of her robes stung. Seulgi winced at the aches she felt but they disappeared from her face as she concentrated on the concerned look on the Strategist instead.

“Your wound looks fine, it isn’t infected, but you must not move around too much.” The Strategist said as she retrieved a towel from a basin nearby and began wiping Seulgi’s forehead lovingly.   

By contrast, the gentle caresses and touches from the Strategist was like the cooling oasis in a harsh dessert and that brought a smile to Seulgi’s lips. It is so good to be alive…

The Colonel could not wait to get better to be able to share touches with her Strategist freely like before. One years and three months… Seulgi was finally back in her own camp, in the care of her lover. Seulgi could not stop staring at her beautiful Strategist as she continued towelling her body, showing prudence with every action. Joohyun’s soft, warm hands travelled down the length of her body, her limbs, the action itself was a bliss to watch, hypnotic even. Joohyun… Joohyun… Joohyun… Seulgi felt her lids growing heavy but could not bear to shut her eyes with the sight of her beautiful lover before her, tending to her.

Then, a flash of agitation crossed her when she noticed the bandaged hand of the Strategist’s. Seulgi’s hand shot out to grab her lover’s wrist, her sleepiness faded away.

“What happened?!”  

Removing the Colonel’s hand gently from her wrist and with a weary smile on her face, Joohyun returned the towel to the basin, bent down and replied the Colonel tenderly.

“I hurt myself while preparing your medicine, don’t you worry, it is just a minor scald. Now, please rest.”

Joohyun did not feel terrible for lying because she knew that Seulgi would put the blame on herself if she knew what had happened. It was also a fortunate thing that Seulgi had not realised that she had been suffering from a fever herself, a result of having overworked her body, again.

The Strategist was met with the hardened gaze of the Colonel’s and that was when she realised she had failed to fool the Colonel. A year of being in a wolves’ den had made her Colonel suspicious of every littlest thing. Like a stubborn child, the Colonel struggled to get up, restraining her expression from showing pain as she did so.

“What are you doing?!” Joohyun chided as she helped Seulgi up but she already knew what the Colonel was doing when her arms wrapped around her waist. That action brought Joohyun close to Seulgi’s body and fortunately, the Strategist had prepared for it and braced herself from crashing into Seulgi and prevent aggravating the Colonel’s injury.

Reckless, stubborn woman! Joohyun wanted to scold the Colonel but she could not when she was met with the burning gaze of the Colonel’s. The same gaze that always made Joohyun’s heart flutter and the effects were accentuated knowing that they have reunited in the safety of their country.  

“Why do you feel unusually warm?” The Colonel asked suddenly, grasping both of Joohyun’s arms this time round and even then, Joohyun refused to reply.

“That is because she is having a fever,” a voice came from behind them. It was Seungwan.

The hold around her waist loosened as Seulgi made a pitiful attempt to greet the Princess despite her injuries.

If not for her weakened state, Joohyun would have bickered with the Princess for exposing her like that. She avoided meeting Seulgi’s eyes because she knew she would only see disapproval and hurt in them. Yet, despite their lack of eye contact, Joohyun could still feel Seulgi’s smouldering gaze on her. It was madness, how Seulgi should be worrying about her at a time like this when she had yet to recover from her own physical injuries.     

“Your Strategist refused to let anyone touch you even after you’ve reached camp and even if the Physicians are aplenty,” the Princess began again, this time with a reproachful look on her face.

Joohyun sighed. Why did she feel like she was in the wrong suddenly and everyone was pinning blame on her?

“Fever?” Seulgi asked, apprehension in her voice as she tried to reach for Joohyun’s arm again, feeling for her temperature. The Colonel’s fingers found and wound its way into her uninjured hand and tugged at it, urging a reply from Joohyun herself but none came. 

“Yes, fever but fret not, Colonel. You’ve got your own body to recover as well. Joohyun will slaughter me if I had sabotaged your recovery progress by telling you all these.” The Princess then invited herself to sit on the stool that was by the bedside.

“Anyway, I am here to tell the Strategist, and now you, that during the seven days while you were unconscious, we have helped claimed the reward for you for the success of Proposal Crimson Pride.”

Even though Seulgi’s attention was temporarily shifted to the Princess, her hold on Joohyun’s hand was still firm as she listened intently. It has been seven days… Seven days since she had been unconscious and Joohyun had tended to her tirelessly. Seulgi felt her heart being squeezed as she thought about how much her Strategist must have suffered from all her worries.

“Your entire family has been pardoned and your family’s assets have been unfrozen. Additionally, your brother has been promoted.” Princess Seungwan smiled as she broke the good news to the Colonel. A news that made the Strategist feel relieved too.

“Thank you…” Seulgi, unable to hide her tears, let them show before the Princess but she quickly wiped it away with her sleeves.

The Princess left shortly after accepting the Colonel’s thanks, leaving them alone again. Joohyun was beginning to feel tired and her state did not escape Seulgi’s notice.  

“Joohyun, sleep by my side, please. You need rest too.” Seulgi persuaded as she tugged at the Strategist’s sleeves, like an adamant child