Chapter 34

“It seems you have no fever. That’s a relief.”

“W-what are you doing? Why are you taking off your clothes?!”

Just as I was thinking that I might suddenly get a fever because of who was annoying me right now, the Duke began removing his garments one by one.

Even while panicking, my eyes betrayed me and turned toward him on their own.

The faint fire from the brazier cast deep shadows across his body.

All that remained on him was a thin tunic and trousers that revealed the solid lines beneath.

‘Ah.’

Our eyes met as he approached with his clothes in hand.

Something in that look pierced straight through me and I couldn’t look away.

I tried to stand up but the blanket wrapped tightly around me threw off my balance and I tipped forward.

“Ah!”

“Eli…!”

The hard wooden floor rushed up right in front of my face.

Just as I thought I would actually break something, the Duke grabbed my shoulders.

“Are you alright?”

Relief lasted only a moment because the warmth of his hands gripping me and his eyes fixed on me felt too unfamiliar.

I just stared up at him, unable to answer.

I didn’t even register the fact that he almost called my name just now.

I felt like if I moved one inch our fragile balance would collapse.

“I was trying to take your clothes off for you…”

He murmured quietly.

The blanket the monastery provided was too thin and worn for winter. From his perspective it made sense to take off his cloak and doublet to cover me better.

But my brain decided to interpret that in the worst way possible.

My face burned instantly.

“T-thank you. Yes. I see.”

I hurried out of his arms.

The blanket had long fallen during the commotion so I scrambled to gather it again.

He straightened up half a beat slower. Quite unlike the strongest knight of the Empire he always appeared as.

“Why is it so hot in here?”

Meanwhile I kept fanning myself like crazy.

But it was only my cheeks and ears that were burning. My hands and feet were still frozen stiff. Lombard’s winter was merciless.

Despite saying I was hot, my body betrayed me by reaching for the fallen blanket like a desperate survivor.

And of course the Duke reached for it at the same time.

Our fingers brushed.

His heat shot into my cold fingertips like sparks. I jerked back in shock.

“L-let’s just sleep now!”

“…Yes. That might be best.”

He answered quietly after a pause.

Inside I was screaming.

Maybe I was overthinking but there was only one bed in this room and the mood just now had been extremely weird.

‘I read this in books. This is exactly how two idiots end up doing something they regret!’

I had zero experience in romance. I had never even liked anyone romantically before.

But I had read every genre of book. I knew the cliche.

They ignore each other but then the mood takes over and the next morning brings awkward eye contact and regret.

‘I need to kill this weird atmosphere right now.’

I lay down on the bed.

Not straight. Diagonally.

Yes. Cowardly. Pathetic. I didn’t care. It was the only way to block him from getting on the bed.

‘I’m a patient. I have no fever but I’m definitely a patient.’

Still if he pushed me aside or asked me to move I would have a hard time refusing.

A noble’s greatest duty is to continue the family. In other words producing heirs.

Fortunately he did not attempt to approach the bed. He sat on the floor and leaned his back against the side of it.

There was a tiny desk and chair for copying scripture but with his build he would break them just by sitting down.

‘Well in the previous life too…’

The Duke and Elicia never consummated their marriage.

It was a poorly kept secret even though they tried to hide it in the castle. It weakened her already frail position in Lombard.

He suddenly spoke.

“I wished to speak with you but could not find the chance.”

“Oh really. I had no idea.”

I knew. I had been avoiding him.

“It is regarding Lady Olden.”

“Please go on.”

I opened my eyes.

We looked at each other straight on.

The man who once snapped his neck away at even the sight of my nightgown was gone. Now he stared calmly with not even a twitch despite my thin sleepwear.

That deep quiet gaze again.

I felt foolish for being the only one conscious of the situation so I subtly shifted to lie properly on the bed.

Half the bed was now empty but he did not move.

Instead he carefully continued.

“I punished the maids without your permission. It concerns the security of Lombard so I acted first. I apologize for that.”

“It is fine. I would have done the same.”

I remembered.

Our bids were always lost by a hair. The castle’s secrets leaked and spread to faraway newspapers in the Capital. Even confidential policies stalled because foes somehow always found out.

People called it coincidence but I sensed something wrong.

Someone was leaking internal information.

I investigated in secret and discovered that Elicia or her maids were responsible.

‘I never uncovered who was behind them before I died…’

But I had my suspicions.

I believed the great nobles of the Capital backed Elicia.

They benefited the most from Lombard’s failures.

“No matter what the process was I am now a Lombard. If the lord of this land decides something I will follow.”

“Are you sure.”

“I mean it.”

He could easily suspect that I was allied with Lady Olden.

So I needed to draw a clear line.

And honestly his actions made my life easier. As someone from the Capital it would have been troublesome for me to eliminate my own followers.

Unfair but that’s politics.

If a noblewoman suddenly disposes of her own retainers brutally people will stop trusting her no matter how justified her actions are.

Standing with the Duke gave me the best justification.

I could distance myself from my old faction without looking like I betrayed them and show clearly that I now stood with Lombard.

‘He didn’t do it for my sake but…’

Still this time I gained from it.

I realized I was thirsty. Probably from the wine earlier. I groped around the bedside table for water.

Instead of a wooden cup my fingers touched a silver goblet and pitcher. The kind used only in ceremonies.

I whispered without thinking.

“Why is this here…”

“I ordered them to prepare silverware used for offerings.”

He continued when he saw my confused look.

“So that you will never swallow poison again.”

I shot upright.

‘Gilbert really told him.’

He was always impossible to read but right now it was clear.

He was angry that I had nearly been poisoned. Or rather angry that the Duchess almost became infertile.