Chapter 40: 39

“What do you mean?”

Renato’s expression stiffened when seeing Khalid saying as if his fainting had a specific cause. Khalid immediately asked back, perhaps because he had been waiting.

“Have you ever heard of trauma?”

“Trauma……”

“In other words, I’m talking about post-traumatic stress disorder. It refers to the situation when a person who was severely traumatized by war or disaster feels the same fear or pain when they encounter a similar situation.”

“Ah.”

“Should I explain it more simply? A person who almost died from drowning will never be able to swim again, or a person who was nearly stabbed to death by a sword will hyperventilate just by looking at a sharp object…… These are typical symptoms of trauma.”

Renato’s pale violet-colored eyes shook because of Khalid’s explanation. Renato seemed to understand why the man was saying that to him. So, Khalid meant that……

“Are you saying I have post-traumatic stress disorder?”

“If I put together what I have felt after seeing you and what I have heard from Dame Luna today, that seems to be the case, Your Imperial Highness. Perhaps that scar was the cause.”

Khalid’s gaze went down. Realizing where he was looking, Renato reflexively shrank his waist. With just the man’s gaze, subtle heat rose from his scar. It was a strange feeling, different from the pain that normally tormented Renato.

“With those symptoms, you must have noticed as well, Your Imperial Highness. Have you ever felt that your condition was strange lately?”

“A little bit. But today was the first time I fainted.”

“Considering what happened today, such symptoms happen when you see a sword or blood, right? Your body trembles, or, conversely, hardens…… You will probably find it difficult to breathe. And when I look at you earlier, I feel like you had phantom pain as well……”

“H, how.”

Renato couldn’t deny any of Khalid’s examples. All of them were things he had experienced. The pain from the scar that came up every moment, the tremors that could not be controlled, and other symptoms all occurred after he returned to the past.

So he thought it was the aftereffects of regression. But was it because of trauma, not aftereffects?

Renato bit his lower lip with a confused expression. Khalid didn’t know this, but besides seeing a sword or blood, there were other times when he panicked as well. It was when he met Maximo.

Perhaps that man is the cause of the trauma.

Renato’s face darkened when he thought of Maximo. Just thinking about the man made him feel a tingling, aching sensation near his scar.

“So I really……”

Unable to continue his words, Renato closed his mouth. If it was made certain that he was having a trauma, his plans for the future might be disrupted.

“You will have to be diagnosed to know for sure, but I think it’s likely to be post-traumatic stress disorder.”

“How do you know this, your highness?”

“Post-traumatic stress disorder is a disorder that many knights and soldiers suffer from. I have seen countless people with the same symptoms as Your Imperial Highness’ over the years.”

It was very arduous to stay sane on the battlefield where people died every day, where a comrade who laughed and chatted with them in the morning returned as a cold corpse in the afternoon.

The wound caused by the death of a comrade, the guilt of murder, the primal fear of dying…… Khalid had met people who suffered from traumas because of various reasons.

Some of them eventually gave up the sword path. In severe cases, they even took their own lives. That was why he felt worried about Renato.

“If you leave it like this, your symptoms will only get worse. You should start treatment right away.”

“But……”

Renato hesitated with a troubled expression. If he was fortunate enough, he might be able to receive treatment without Marquis Medus knowing, but he was not confident to explain when and how this scar appeared.

Is it also because of Marquis Medus?

Seeing Renato hesitating to seek treatment, Khalid recalled what he had seen in Nasir’s report. Renato had made up his mind to part ways with Marquis Medus, so it was understandable that Renato didn’t want to show his weak side in front of that man, but if he didn’t get treatment, his symptoms would only get worse.

“……Would you like to meet the military doctor on our side?”

After agonizing for a while, Khalid carefully recommended. He knew it wasn’t good to do Renato a favor when he still couldn’t decide whether he would be with Renato in the future or not, but he couldn’t turn a blind eye to a sick person.

“Military doctor?”

“Yes. Sir Souad is an expert in trauma therapy. I think it’ll be fine if you receive medical treatment for a short while whenever you visit the diplomatic office for business.”

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Even Marquis Medus would not know the details of what was going on in the diplomatic office where Khalid exerted influence. Khalid was confident that if Renato wanted to, he could get treatment without even his closest aides like Luna and Louis knowing.

“You don’t have to worry about words leaking out.”

“It would be great if I could get treatment, but…… Why are you doing this kind of favor?”

Renato asked with a confused expression. He knew Khalid was a kind person. But the goodwill he was showing now was excessive.

“I’m not sure…… Hmm, I guess it’s because I’m worried about the health of someone who might be my companion in the future.”

Khalid muffled his words for a moment, then playfully responded. Truthfully, he himself didn’t even understand why he cared so much about Renato.

But one thing was certain: he would continue to be swayed by Renato in the future. His intuition, which was much stronger than others’, was shouting like that to him.

“So please answer me.”

Khalid leaned his body towards Renato. His hand once again accurately touched the scar hidden under the shirt. The sudden touch made Renato gasp.

“Who made this scar?”

Khalid lightly rubbed the scar at his fingertips and asked in a quiet tone. Then, he recalled the scar he had seen a few hours ago.

The new skin that grew on Renato’s pure white skin without blemishes was definitely caused by a stab wound. Moreover, the shape of the scar was also unusual. It was clear that the person who wounded Renato wasn’t just any random person, but someone who had used the sword quite a bit.

If this scar remained even with the unique healing power of the imperial family, it would have been so serious to the point of endangering Renato’s life.

The more he thought about the culprit who wounded Renato, the angrier he strangely became. He applied more force to the scar at his fingertips.

“……Ugh, what will you do if you know?”

Letting out a short groan, Renato grabbed Khalid’s hand on his waist. He bit his lip, desperately holding back the groans that were about to come out of his mouth.

“Because a madman that stabbed an imperial family member with a sword should be punished, am I wrong? Ah, or is that person already dead?”

Khalid took his hand off the scar and pretended not to know. In fact, he had some guesses as to who the culprit was. There was only one person who had made Renato show strange reactions so far.

Maximo Florence.

Khalid slightly frowned, remembering their meeting at the welcome banquet. Back then, Renato had the reactions of a typical assault victim.

“My scar has nothing to do with you, your highness.”

“Maybe it will have something to do with me in the future.”

Hearing Khalid’s words, Renato’s expression subtly changed. He felt like he was continuously swayed around by this man from a while ago. Feeling choked up for some reason, Renato pursed his lower lip. Renato was slightly annoyed by Khalid’s attitude of acting vaguely as if he would accept the proposal, while still attempting to solve his own curiosity.

“……If you are curious, please marry me.”

“Excuse me?”

“I’ll let you know when you accept my proposal, your highness.”

“I beg your pardon?”

“I am not yet your companion, your highness. I’m just someone who might be your companion. So I don’t feel obligated to answer your question.”

Renato refused to answer Khalid’s question in a sullen tone. Khalid’s face became blank for a moment because of the sharp reaction that was unlike Renato’s. But soon, the corners of his lips went up, and he let out a soft chuckle.

“You are right, Your Imperial Highness. I was being rude.”

With soft laughter, Khalid lightly retreated as if admitting his defeat. However, the distance between the two was still close enough to faintly feel each other’s breath. Feeling uncomfortable, Renato moved his body back.

“If you know now……”

“However, you know what it means to become an Alpha’s companion but still insist on marrying me, right, Your Imperial Highness?”

“Excuse me?”

Renato was about to ask Khalid to part away from him, but stopped when hearing the man’s words. Knowing what it means? His light purple eyes stared at the red irises with suspicion.

Khalid smirked when seeing Renato react like that. It was a mischievous smile just like a villain who found someone to tease.

“I don’t know about marriages with Betas, but Alphas and Omegas have the duty to consummate the wedding even if they are married for convenience.”

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