Subliminal Wayfarer

“Could you wait here for a moment? I need to meet with the owner.”

After spending some time in the teahouse known for its delicious pound cake, Selena took Grace to the oldest antique shop nearby.

“Take a look around. If something catches your eye, pick it out—it’ll be my gift for you. It’s my token of my gratitude for the cake.”

With a twinkling smile, Selena ascended to the third floor of the shop.

The shop owner had become considerably frail, so one had to go up personally to meet him, as relayed by the owner’s daughter.

Selena, a long-time patron of the shop, had preemptively sought understanding, suggesting her conversation with the owner might extend for a while.

Grace didn’t mind.

There seemed to be enough interesting items in the antique shop to occupy her time indefinitely.

“Milady, I’m terribly sorry, but could I step away for a moment? I think I left my wallet at the teahouse.”

Julie had just come in from the carriage after arranging the items Selena had purchased over there, but soon after, she was asking for permission with a distressed look on her face.

“I’ll stay here, go on and hurry. Didn’t you say your brother gave you that wallet? Find it before it’s lost.”

“Thank you! I’ll be quick!”

Julie dashed out.

Grace worried she might trip running like that, and it was while she was glancing out the window with a slight concern that she heard it.

“Cough! Cough!”

A harsh coughing sound, as if scraping the lungs, reached her ears.

Thinking the shop was empty apart from herself, Grace was startled and turned toward the source of the noise.

The sound came from beyond a display cabinet.

“Cough! Cough! Kuh…!”

This time, the coughing sounded deadly.

Grace cautiously made her way around the display cabinet.

“Are you alright?”

“Haaa, haah—”

It was a man as white as snow, as if he had stepped out of a painting.

His hair shimmered under the sunlight, and even through the gap in his shirt, his skin was completely pale.

Below the loose shirt, his feverish skin was as smooth as a pearl.

His appearance was so radiant and mystical that Grace stopped in her tracks, forgetting to approach.

He looked like a fairy from a myth, impossible to look away from.

“Uh, haa…”

Beneath the man’s loose shirt, his neck wrapped in lean muscles, heaved roughly.

Although the coughing seemed to have subsided for a moment, his breathing was clearly troubled.

Grace quickly looked around.

Judging by the man’s clothes and adornments, he was no commoner.

It was unlikely for a nobleman with a frail constitution to be wandering alone.

‘But why isn’t anyone around?’

As she was pondering this with a puzzled look, the coughing reached her ears again.

His gasping was alarming.

Kneeling on one knee to catch his breath, the man reached out his hand.

It looked as though he was asking for her to hold it, so Grace took his hand.

‘His hand is incredibly cold.’

The man’s hand felt excessively cool, as if it had been submerged in cold water for a while.

Even through her gloves, she could feel the chill of his hand.

“Huu, haa—”

The man’s breathing steadied as he leaned on Grace’s hand.

After a few more seconds had passed,

The man finally lifted his head and looked at Grace.

“Huu… I apologize for my impropriety.”

The man lifted his head.

‘…Blinding.’

In that moment, Grace felt her mind go blank at the man’s beauty.

Especially because the pouring sunlight reflected off his white shirt, white hair, and even more blinding skin, making him appear all the more radiant.

Despite lacking any femininity, there was something strangely beautiful about him.

That such a beautiful person could exist in the world.

“Huu…”

The man, having caught his breath, showed Grace a phantasmal smile.

It was a faint smile, but somehow, it carried a sense of self-assurance.

In that moment, an animal flashed through Grace’s mind.

‘He’s like a rabbit… No, what am I thinking, in front of someone who’s ill?’

Suddenly, Grace felt guilty for the desperation with which the man was clutching her hand.

Her voice softened even more.

“It’s no trouble at all. Do you not have an attendant accompanying you? If you’re finding it difficult, shall I fetch you some water?”

For some reason, the owner’s daughter, who was supposed to manage the first floor, was nowhere to be seen.

The unique silence of the empty shop enveloped them both.

The man smiled wryly and shook his head.

Despite still breathing heavily, his demeanor had relaxed significantly.

“My attendant has… huu… gone to the carriage to get my medicine. Ha… I’m terribly sorry, but could you possibly lend me your hand until my attendant returns?”

Even as he was already holding her hand tightly, he sought permission anew.

His eyes, looking up at Grace apologetically, were rimmed red.

It felt odd, his gaze wet and red, heating up as he stared intently at her.

‘Even thinking of His Highness in the midst of this? It’s not like I’ve done anything wrong.’

Hesitant, she relented as if she had no other choice and offered her hand.

Physical contact with an unfamiliar man was undeniably uncomfortable.

Even if he was a man of dazzling beauty.

“Then, just the hand…”

“…Yes?”

“Just the hand… I will lend it to you.”

Saying so, Grace tightened her grip on the hand he was holding and took a step back.

The man seemed slightly taken aback, but soon thanked her and smiled faintly.

His hot forehead touched the back of Grace’s hand that he was clutching tightly.

“I’m sorry, it’s just… Whenever I was ill, my mother used to press her hand against my forehead like this. It seemed to help lower the fever.”

The man’s body was cold as ice, yet his forehead was excessively hot.

He seemed to be a man naturally frail in constitution.

Grace, having been frail herself as a child, felt a sense of camaraderie towards the man.

Deciding not to be too harsh, she awkwardly moved her withdrawn foot slightly forward.

After an awkward few seconds had passed,

Why wasn’t his attendant, who had supposedly gone to fetch the medicine, coming back?

“The attendant is taking quite long.”

“…Indeed. What has delayed him?”

Until just a moment ago, the man had been panting as if on the brink of death, but now he was simply gazing intensely at Grace, breathing heavily.

‘Why is he staring at me like that?’

Eventually, feeling anxious and awkward, Grace withdrew her hand and said,

“Rather than that, I think it would be better if I went to look for him.”

“Oh…! No, no, that won’t be necessary. I couldn’t possibly impose.”

Struggling to shake his head, he staggered to his feet slowly.

His steps were as pitiful as a calf rising from its resting place.

‘What if he falls over?’

Each time he teetered, Grace involuntarily tensed, ready to swoop in.

“Are you okay?”

“Please, don’t worry about me, my lady. Of course, it must be distressing—cough, cough!—to see such a beautiful man coughing away… I suppose.”

He wrinkled his nose as he smiled, as if he knew all along.

It was a charming and playful smile, but Grace, ever so serious, was not amused by his jest.

She looked at him gravely.

“You didn’t hit your head when you fell, did you, sir?”

“……”

The man gave Grace a look that was a mix of laughing and crying before he slowly turned and walked away.

His steps were so slow and exaggerated, one might wonder if he was doing it on purpose.

Just as the thought ‘He really might collapse at this rate…’ crossed her mind, the white-clad man’s body crumpled to the ground.

“……!”

Grace, who had been watching, ran over in alarm.

“Excuse me! Are you okay? You haven’t lost consciousness, have you? Where on earth is your attendant?”

“Just, right there in front… Cough! Cough cough! Guh!”

As the man continued to cough, blood suddenly spilled from his mouth.

Startled, Grace quickly pulled out a handkerchief and pressed it beneath his palm.

The blood soaking the towel stained Grace’s thin lace gloves.

‘Why is there no one around?’

It was strange.

Even her own guard, who should have been watching the front of the shop, was nowhere to be seen.

There was no one passing through the alley.

She would have asked for help if anyone were around, but the absence of people was troubling.

“I must do something. I’ll go find someone.”

“Wait, please! I beg you, please stay!”

The man urgently grabbed Grace, who was about to run for help.

With a look of utter desperation, he pleaded with her.

“Please! I don’t want to cause a commotion. I just need to rest for a bit and I’ll be fine!”

His eyes were so earnest that Grace found herself unable to refuse.

Hesitant, Grace was quietly thanked by the man, who smiled peacefully and whispered his gratitude.

“Besides, because of me, your gloves have become so dirty. I will compensate you for them.”

“It’s fine.”

Grace looked at her blood-stained gloves.

The idea of continuing to wear something so soaked in blood was uncomfortable.

Even though her arm bore inscribed words, she couldn’t bear to keep the bloodied gloves on.

Casting a quick glance at the man, Grace slowly removed her gloves.