Chap 11

"We've watched each other. We have deep feelings to be together like this."

Adelin had been watching the Duke since she knew she'd die at her fiancé's hands, believing he'd be her savior.

"It must be fate. We are too important to each other."

Each needing to save the other.

"And I've already saved you."

"I really have no one but you, Mel," she emphasized, hoping her sincerity would be felt.

'Don't forget to save me, too.'

She wasn't lying, but she wasn't entirely truthful either.

"Just vague and elusive in her words, but the man's misunderstanding deepened.

"All done."

Having perfectly wrapped the bandage, Adelin picked up a shirt.

"I'll do it."

He didn't want another cold shower if he asked for help dressing again.

Taking the shirt from Adelin, the Duke was puzzled.

"Why is this shirt so…?"

The shirt Adelin found was too small.

She had hastily taken a shirt from an old wardrobe in the manor, thinking it belonged to the Duke.

'Why doesn't it fit?'

She assumed it would be the Duke's, being from his family's manor.

It appears that the Duke had not visited this manor for a much longer time than Adelin had thought. She brought clothes that seemed to fit, but the Duke's physique was much more robust than she expected.

"That's because… the clothes shrank during washing."

It was his original house, but not having clothes that fit him seemed implausible.

"Ahaha, let's go buy new clothes tomorrow!"

"You washed these yourself? How could they shrink this much…"

Adelin needed to divert the Duke's attention from examining the shirt too closely, fearing her lie might be discovered. Hastily, she grasped both of his cheeks to make him look at her.

"Not 'you,' it's 'Del'! How much longer are you going to hurt me?"

"Uh. Right. Del…"

Startled by the sudden face grab, the Duke blinked. Adelin then put on a deeply hurt expression.

"Let's just go to bed for today."

Adelin's disheartened look made the Duke quietly nod.

"Alright… Del."

Adelin snatched the shirt away and quickly laid the Duke down in bed, then left the bedroom.

That was a close call.

Upon leaving the bedroom, Adelin looked at the crumpled shirt in her hand.

'Great acting.'

Adelin was proud of herself. She hid all the remaining clothes in the wardrobe out of sight.

Adelin was pacing around the corridor near the bedroom. In her haste to leave the room, she had encountered an unforeseen problem. The manor, long vacant, had only one organized bedroom.

In this sweltering summer, the only cool bedroom was the one where the Duke was. Adelin had been sleeping on the sofa or at the edge of the bed with him.

Tonight was no different. Unable to bear the heat, Adelin peeked into the room. The Duke's room was always quiet, given his orderly sleeping habits.

As she quietly moved inside, a faint moan was heard.

"Mel, aren't you asleep yet?"

There was no response from the Duke.

Adelin rushed to him as the moans grew clearer.

"Hah…"

Approaching, she found him drenched in cold sweat.

"Are you in pain? Come on, wake up."

Adelin tried to rouse the Duke, who was grimacing in pain.

"Why is there so much sweat again… I'll get a wet cloth."

As she was about to leave to wipe his sweat-soaked face, her skirt was grabbed.

"Don't go… please don't leave me."

His voice, barely a whisper, stopped Adelin from leaving.

She sat down at the edge of the bed, beside the Duke.

"I'm not going anywhere."

In a hurry, she wiped his forehead with her hand.

"Don't leave me alone. Mother."

Mumbling, the Duke gripped Adelin's wrist as well, holding her hand.

Adelin couldn't move, held by his grip. Eventually, she gave up and lay down next to the Duke, angled beside him.