178. Quarrel.

She knew Yosan's bad habit of often hiding his pain or other things in various ways. However, none of those tricks would work on her.

"But I'm sleepy, Your Majesty. Can't it wait until tomorrow?" Yosan asked, holding onto the blanket that Reina was trying to pull away.

"No, you have to take it now. I don't want your condition to suddenly get worse," Reina said firmly.

Yosan could only sigh softly before finally giving in and sitting up to take his medicine. Reina watched him closely, ensuring he actually swallowed it before allowing him to rest again.

As soon as the prescribed medicine from the royal physician went down his throat, Yosan coughed and complained about its bitterness. He still wasn't used to it. If Lia were here right now, he would definitely hold back from making such a face. He wouldn't complain or act spoiled in front of Reina. It would be far too embarrassing if his daughter saw him like this.

Especially since he had once boasted that he could take any kind of medicine, even the most bitter ones, just so Lia wouldn't worry whenever he had to take them. Everyone knew that drinking medicine was unpleasant and annoying!

So, don't get sick if you don't want to take medicine!

"You know, should I call Lia every time you take your medicine so you won't act like this?" Reina teased while stroking Yosan's head.

The man, still sitting at the edge of the bed, let out a soft grunt before resting his head against Reina's stomach. He hugged her tightly, as if seeking comfort amidst the unpleasant taste.

"But it's really bitter, Your Majesty... You should try it. I'm sure you'll feel the same. Try it if you don't believe me," Yosan whined.

Reina looked at him with an expression that was half amused, half annoyed. "I'm not sick, so I don't need to take it."

"In that case, don't say things like that if you don't know how torturous this is," Yosan retorted, pouting and tapping his feet against the floor like a child.

Reina sighed and grabbed the cup Yosan had used. She stared at the remaining liquid inside before bringing it to her lips and quickly downing half of it. Seeing its dark color, she realized it wasn't like the usual medicine she took when she was ill.

Her face immediately twisted as the bitterness spread across her tongue. She blinked a few times, struggling not to cough.

Yosan, still resting against her stomach, chuckled softly. "See? I wasn't lying."

Reina merely smirked mischievously. She glanced at the remaining medicine in the cup, then drank it all before suddenly pulling Yosan closer. Without giving him a chance to react, she kissed him, letting the bitter medicine transfer into his mouth in an instant.

Yosan's eyes widened in shock. He immediately patted Reina's shoulder, trying to push her away. But instead, he felt the bitterness spread even more, making him nearly choke. Amidst the chaos, he could also sense the warmth of Reina's affection hidden behind her playful act.

When Reina finally let go, Yosan coughed and glared at her with an expression full of frustration. "That was unfair!" he grumbled, still trying to catch his breath.

Reina only chuckled, satisfied that she had gotten back at him for what had happened at the theater earlier. "That was my revenge for earlier," she said, pinching Yosan's cheek playfully.

"Enough now, go to sleep. I don't want you getting sicker just because you're complaining too much," she added before turning to tidy up the medicine.

But before she could step away, Yosan grabbed her hand, stopping her.

"Your Majesty, are you fighting with Uncle Elexon?" he suddenly asked, making Reina freeze.

"What do you mean, Yosan? And angry about what?" Reina felt both awkward and annoyed, one of her hands unconsciously clenching into a fist.

"I feel like you've been acting strange every time he's around lately," Yosan said calmly.

"Besides, Uncle Elexon has been leaving often and acting weird whenever he's near you." Yosan recalled moments when both Elexon and Reina seemed awkward or behaved unusually around each other.

"Are you two fighting?"

"And why did you say earlier that you still haven't forgiven him? What exactly happened?" Yosan pressed, his eyes filled with curiosity.

"Yosan, can you stop talking about this and just rest?" Reina said, her voice slightly tense.

"Why?" Yosan insisted, unsatisfied with her brief response.

Reina remained silent for a moment. Yosan's inquisitive gaze made her uneasy. She averted her eyes, as if searching for the right answer, before finally letting out a quiet sigh.

"This isn't something you need to worry about," she replied shortly, trying to avoid the discussion.

But Yosan wasn't so easily fooled. He still held her hand tightly, not letting her leave just yet. "If it's not serious, then why did you look so upset earlier?" he asked again, this time in a gentler tone.

Reina clenched her free hand. She wasn't the type to talk about her emotions, especially when it came to personal matters with her own family. But she knew Yosan wouldn't stop asking until he got an answer.

"If you have a problem with him, can't you talk it out properly?" Yosan gently shook her hand, hoping to make her open up.

Reina finally exhaled deeply, then looked at Yosan with an unreadable expression.

"It's because he nearly killed you, Yosan."

Yosan was stunned by the sharpness in Reina's voice.

"I haven't forgiven him for what he did to you!" Reina continued, her long-held anger finally erupting. "How could he be so heartless as to injure you like that? You were unconscious for days! You're lucky to still be alive!"

"But that wasn't Uncle's fault, Your Majesty. Uncle Elexon was only training me, nothing more, nothing less. The only reason I got hurt was because I couldn't keep up, and I ended up pushing myself too far," Yosan said firmly, standing straight and meeting her gaze.

Reina looked at him in disbelief. How could he say that?

"You say it wasn't his fault?!" Her voice rose, anger flaring in her eyes again. "He almost killed you, Yosan!"

"Almost killed you! How can you think it wasn't his fault?! Look at yourself now! This is all because of him! If he hadn't pushed you so hard, you wouldn't be like this!" Reina clenched her fists, struggling to contain her overflowing emotions.

"But I chose to endure it, Your Majesty," Yosan argued, his own voice rising. "I wanted to become stronger. I know my limits, and I also know that Uncle Elexon never intended to harm me."

Reina scoffed, her eyes still burning with fury. "If that's the case, then what kind of ridiculous punishment was a thousand laps around the training field without stopping if you couldn't defeat him, huh?"

"Isn't that excessive? Where was your mind, Yosan? Do you have any idea how I felt? How afraid, sad, and angry I was watching you keep pushing yourself even when you could barely stand?!"

"And why didn't he stop you when you were already seriously injured?!" Reina went on, her voice trembling. "Why did he let you keep fighting until you finally collapsed, unconscious and gravely wounded?!"

Her head lowered slightly as she recalled the moment Yosan lay unconscious, suffering from severe internal injuries, a high fever, and the soft whimpers he made while delirious. "My world shattered when the physician told me how serious your condition was and when I saw you lying helplessly in front of me."

Her eyes glistened with unshed tears, and she bit her lip, trying to hold back the emotions threatening to overflow. "I hate him. That's why I don't want to see his face anymore. I don't even want to be near him! And yet you so easily say he wasn't at fault?"

Her gaze sharpened, locking onto Yosan's. "What exactly did you two talk about before that training session? Why did that old man say it was about 'proof' and 'approval'? What did he mean by that?"

Yosan hesitated, unsure how to answer.

Two words—'proof' and 'approval'—referred to their agreement. If Yosan managed to land even a single hit on Elexon, he would gain the man's blessing and prove himself worthy of being with Reina.

"Why are you staying silent? Answer me!" Reina shook Yosan's shoulders, demanding the truth. "What deal did you two make?"