Romanoff Dukedom: Plan (4)

Ius only heard Dorothea's mildly coughing. He didn't have the time to wait for her permission. Hence, he entered after knocking one last time. 

As soon as he opened the door, he saw how sickly the old woman was. Only a day had passed, but Dorothea looked as if she hadn't eaten for days. 

Dorothea didn't notice Ius. She just had her eyes fixated on the window, staring off into the far distance no one could reach. 

Rather than startling the old woman, Ius made sure that his steps were quiet. He might be in a hurry, but he still had respect for Dorothea. Similar to Erwin, the old woman had taken care of him ever since he was young. 

Ius knew that, like him, the woman was deeply in grief. She was probably in more misery than Ius, considering that she was Erwin's lover.