You’re Bleeding

A wave of heaviness crashed over me, the weight of her revelation pressing down on my chest until even my knees felt unsteady. A coldness enveloped me, as if I had committed a grave sin, and a clammy sweat broke out across my skin. Despite the overwhelming discomfort, I forced myself to maintain composure in front of Hiyasmin, unwilling to reveal the turmoil churning within me.

"R-really?" I stammered, my smile faltering. "I'm sorry, Your Highness, if I disturbed your peaceful night. I didn't mean to intrude. I was just curious as to why Leaf always enters here and why no one knows who resides here. It was never my intention to…" My words trailed off, shame and unease choking my throat.

I felt as if I were confessing to a crime, facing a punishment far worse than I could bear. The weight of my guilt hung heavy in the air, suffocating me with every breath.

Despite my overwhelming urge to flee, I found myself rambling on, unable to stem the tide of words pouring forth from my lips. Deep down, I knew that Ludwig and Hiyasmin shared a romantic connection—I had witnessed his nightly visits to her chambers—but to hear it confirmed was a blow I hadn't been prepared for.

The confirmation from Hiyasmin herself hit me like a ton of bricks, despite my prior expectations. It was one thing to suspect, but another entirely to hear the truth spoken aloud by her own lips.

I struggled to comprehend the whirlwind of emotions swirling within me. The heaviness in my chest intensified, threatening to overwhelm me with a sickening sensation. Each beat of my heart felt like a painful reminder of the truth I had tried to deny.

I couldn't make sense of the turmoil raging inside me. It was more than just emotional distress—it was a physical agony, as if my very heart were being crushed and twisted within my chest. With each labored breath, I fought against the suffocating weight pressing down on me.

What was happening to me? I was lost in a sea of confusion and pain, struggling to navigate the storm raging within me.

"Why are you crying?" Hiyasmin's voice pierced through the haze of my distress, her concern evident in the furrow of her brows. She remained seated on the edge of her bed, her gaze fixed on me, but she made no move to approach.

My hands trembled as I reached up to touch my cheeks, only to find them damp with fresh tears. I hastily wiped them away with the sleeve of my dress, attempting to conceal my vulnerability.

Her question echoed in my mind, mirroring the confusion I felt within. Why was I crying? It was a question I couldn't answer, a mystery wrapped in the turmoil of my own emotions.

"Don't mind me, Your Highness," I replied, my voice tinged with forced nonchalance. "I just... I'm not accustomed to the dusts."

I almost laughed at my own feeble excuse. It was the best I could come up with in the moment, though I doubted it would convince Hiyasmin. But what else could I say? I had no explanation for my sudden outburst of tears, for the overwhelming sense of heartbreak that gripped me without warning.

"You're crying," Hiyasmin observed, her tone thoughtful as she nodded to herself.

I could only nod in response, acknowledging the undeniable truth of her statement. Yes, I was crying. And I had no idea why.

"You're sad," Hiyasmin whispered, her voice gentle like a lullaby. "You're crying because you're sad."

I nodded in agreement, though her words felt like a revelation, unlocking emotions I had been trying to suppress.

"You're crying because you are sad," she continued, her tone soft but resolute. "You're sad because you learned that Ludwig already has a fiancée. You're sad because you like him."

Her words hit me like a bolt of lightning, piercing through the layers of denial I had built around my feelings. She was right, but I couldn't admit it, not even to myself.

"No, no, no, Your Highness," I protested, my voice trembling with denial. "I do not like Prince Ludwig. I do not even have the right to like him. You're mistaken."

I shook my head vigorously, as if trying to shake off the truth that threatened to engulf me. But no matter how hard I tried to deny it, the undeniable ache in my heart remained, a silent testament to the feelings I had been desperately trying to bury.

"You like him," Hiyasmin asserted, her gaze unwavering as she met my eyes. It felt as though she was peering into the depths of my soul, uncovering truths I had long tried to conceal. "You like Ludwig…"

I continued to shake my head in denial, but her words persisted, cutting through my protests with unwavering certainty.

"No, Your Highness," I insisted, my voice trembling with conviction. "You are wrong. I do not like the prince. I have no—"

"So if you really don't like him," Hiyasmin interrupted, her eyes narrowing with amusement, "is it okay with you for us to marry?"

Her question caught me off guard, the implications sinking in slowly. Was she testing me? Was she daring me to admit my true feelings?

Without hesitation, I nodded. What right did I have to object to their union? I had never been a part of their relationship, merely a bystander on the sidelines.

"Of course, Your Highness," I replied, my voice steady despite the tumult of emotions raging within me.

"Really?" Hiyasmin's smile remained soft, but a glint of mischief danced in the depths of her blue eyes. "Is it okay with you if I hug him?"

In an instant, my mind conjured the image of them wrapped in each other's arms, their embrace suffused with love and intimacy. I couldn't shake the feeling of nausea that washed over me at the thought.

"Is it really okay with you for him to love me?" Hiyasmin pressed on, her words like daggers plunging into my heart. "To love only me and no one else. Is it okay with you if I kiss him—"

Before I could comprehend her next words, the ground rushed up to meet me with a sickening thud. My knees buckled beneath me, followed swiftly by the rest of my body, as darkness consumed my vision and the world spun out of control.

As I lay on the ground, the pain of my fall was overshadowed by the crushing agony in my heart, each beat sending waves of torment through my chest, as if it were being squeezed into pieces.

"Louise!" Hiyasmin's scream pierced through the haze of my anguish, but I paid her no heed. My mind was consumed by visions of her and Ludwig together—embracing, kissing, their happiness palpable in every imagined moment.

Hiyasmin wrapped in Ludwig's arms. Ludwig pressing a tender kiss to Hiyasmin's forehead. The two of them, blissfully happy in each other's company.

"Enough…" I whispered, my voice barely audible over the pounding of my heart.

Tears streamed down my cheeks, borne not from the pain of my fall, but from the unbearable truth that had been laid bare before me.

"Oh no!" I could sense the panic in Hiyasmin's voice, even as she remained rooted to her spot on the bed. She attempted to move, her hands and body trembling with the effort, but her movements were slow and hesitant. "You're bleeding!" Her voice rose with panic. "This is my fault. I've gone too far. I didn't know your body couldn't handle it. I'm so stupid!"

I curled into myself, the pain intensifying until it felt as though my very neck was being strangled. Each breath was a struggle, my ribs and lungs protesting with each labored gasp. It felt as though someone were kicking me from within, relentless in their assault.

The world blurred around me, Hiyasmin's panicked voice fading into the background as the agony consumed me, overwhelming every sense until all that remained was the relentless onslaught of pain.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Hiyasmin's voice, now filled with genuine remorse, broke through the haze of pain. "Calm down, Louise. I'm not really Ludwig's fiancée. Goodness, I don't ever want to be his fiancée. Yuck. I'm just kidding. Calm down, please. I'm sorry, I forgot that you're just a human."

It was as if a switch had been flipped, instantly extinguishing the searing pain in my heart at her words. Could it be true? Was she really just joking?

Though a dull ache lingered, it was nothing compared to the agony I had experienced moments before. My breathing gradually steadied, returning to normalcy, yet my body remained weak and trembling, unable to support my weight.

Questions raced through my mind, each one more bewildering than the last. Was I being possessed? Enchanted? Why had my chest suddenly ached, only to have the pain vanish as quickly as it had come? Was any of this normal?

Hiyasmin's words, spoken in a low and weary voice, only added to my confusion. "They are going to kill me for this," she muttered, her hand gently caressing her temples.

Still rooted to the spot, I made no attempt to move, despite the fading pain in my chest leaving me weak and trembling.

"What the fuck happened here?"

Then, like a bucket of cold water being splashed over me, Ludwig's voice cut through the air, startling me into awareness. I hadn't realized the door had been opened, hadn't noticed his silent entrance into the room.

As I struggled to glance at his towering figure, Ludwig's sudden presence sent a surge of electricity coursing through my body. Not again, I thought, my head spinning from the intensity of the sensation.

Dizzy and disoriented, I barely registered Ludwig's approach until his strong arms encircled me, lifting me effortlessly into his embrace. A wave of unexpected pleasure washed over me at the contact, leaving me bewildered by my own reaction. What was happening to me?

"You're bleeding," Ludwig's growl rumbled through the air, accompanied by a sudden increase in temperature that seemed to envelop the entire room. With gentle care, he settled me into a soft chair near the bed, his concern evident in the furrow of his brow.

Ludwig turned to Hiyasmin, his voice laced with concern. "What happened?" But the moment his gaze fell upon her, his body tensed with horror. "You're bleeding as well," he added, his tone filled with alarm.

Despite the urgency of the situation, Ludwig showed no signs of releasing me from his embrace. He held me close, his gaze fixed on Hiyasmin with unwavering worry. She was his primary concern, his Hiyasmin.

The pain that had momentarily subsided surged back with even greater intensity, flooding my senses with a bitter agony I was unprepared for. Before I could comprehend the overwhelming turmoil within me, darkness consumed my vision, and I succumbed to its comforting embrace.