?Chapter 209:


    “Of course, you should rest,” yton said with a sympathetic nod. He had the untouched food cleared away and helped adjust the bed so I could lie downfortably.


    Before leaving, yton tucked the nket around me with a tenderness that almost felt like a warm embrace. He gently instructed, “Get some rest. Don’t worry about anything. I’lle back to see you tomorrow.” As he spoke, he ced a gentle kiss on my forehead.


    “Thank you, Your Highness,” I said, my voice thick with gratitude. Thefort of his presence and care was deeply reassuring.


    He was genuinely a wonderful man.


    “There’s no need for thanks between us.” He smiled and reassured me once more. “Rest easy. I’ve arranged for guards to be stationed near the hospital for your safety.” I thanked him again, and he left, not wanting to disturb my rest further.


    Once yton was gone, Iy in bed, unable to find sce or sleep.


    My mind was a tangled mess, reying the dangerous encounters of the past few days and the events of today. I thought of the question Alice and yton had asked: how had I managed to hunt that brown bear?


    Even I didn’t fully understand.


    I recalled the sudden surge of power I had felt, and I extended my hand, gripping the air as if trying to summon that sensation again. But it was gone, as if it had never existed.


    Yet, with its aid, I had indeed conquered a brown bear. I nced at the faint scar on my arm, nearly invisible now. Lily had said the wound was minor and that my fainting was due to exhaustion, indicating that the injuries sustained during the fight had healed on their own.


    What was happening?


    As Iy there, restless, the night deepened. My thoughts continued to churn, a knot of confusion and unease. Suddenly, the quiet of the hospital was broken by the sound of footsteps in the corridor.


    The steps grew closer, moving with purpose toward my room.


    Who could it be at this hour?


    Given the recent dangers, I tensed, my senses on high alert.


    The footsteps halted outside my door, and the doorknob began to turn.


    My heart raced with anticipation as I prepared for whoever was about to enter.


    Makenna’s POV:


    The door creaked open, and I fixated on it, every muscle tensed. The instant the gap widened, I hurled the ss cup clutched in my hand.


    A slender hand intercepted the cup in a sh; the door swung open fully, and Dominic’s tall figure materialized in the dim light.


    He let out a low chuckle as he sauntered in. “Why the fiery reception?” Dominic?


    I was caught off guard, but a strange sense of relief washed over me at the sight of him. Though he was a scoundrel in his own right, I knew he didn’t harbor any ill intentions toward me.


    I allowed myself to rx a fraction, leaning back against the headboard, and addressed him with a touch of indifference. “What brings you to visit me at this hour, Your Highness?”


    My mind was in disarray, and I wasn’t exactly in the mood forpany.


    “What’s troubling you?” Dominic approached slowly, cing the cup back on the table with a casual air. “I just came to check on you. Is my concern unwee?”


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