His heartless offer

Six more sleepless hours after, all was settled in the once again open infirmary.

Placing her good left hand beneath her chin, Lady Adelaide de Lanark sat down on the comfortable chair that Nicolas fetched for her, nodding off in the most unladylike manner and caring very little about it.

She straightened up when Egon came through the door. 

"How is your hand?"

His lips were hidden under her white handkerchief, but his big eyes spoke a language of their own as they examined the right side of her neck beneath her secured green scarf that she never took off as of yesterday.

"…How is your neck?"

She gulped. Stay formal now…

"Master Egon, I feel no inclination to recede from the agreement into which we have entered. It is what brought me here…"

He raised an eyebrow, "Yes, you said that twice already,"

Adela avoided his intense gaze.