Episode 8

"Damned fool, he sees that I'm injured and he leaves me alone," Olivia said.

She was cursing him when suddenly he entered with an elderly man who had a bit of trouble walking.

The duke sat in a chair near the bed while the old man approached Olivia, examined her wounds, and began to treat them without uttering a word.

After he finished bandaging her knees, he handed a piece of paper to the duke, and then they both departed the room.

In the face of this, Olivia was left somewhat bewildered, not fully grasping what had just occurred.

Some time after they had left, a maid entered the room with a tray of food, triggering Olivia's realization that she hadn't eaten anything since morning.

"Are you feeling all right, my lady?"

"Yes, Rose, I'm fine..."

Rose was one of the youngest maids in the mansion, tasked daily with styling Olivia's hair. She brought a light broth for Olivia to eat, her concern clearly visible.

"I've prepared some broth for you; please eat before it gets cold."

"Thank you."

Olivia managed a few spoonfuls of soup, and Rose said, "I'm so glad, we were all quite worried about you. Even the duke seemed concerned, and he was the one who carried you to your room."

Olivia choked on her soup.

"What...?"

"When the duke arrived, he spoke to you, and you were so startled that you fell down the staircase, but luckily, he caught you before you hit the ground. After that, you fainted, and since you weren't waking up, the duke sent for the doctor."

"How long have I been unconscious?"

"All afternoon, which is why we were so worried, my lady."

Once she finished her soup, Rose cleared the tray, setting it on a small table.

"I'm sorry for causing everyone to worry," Olivia said.

The sound of the door opening heralded the duke's entry into the room.

"It's good to know you're aware that you've caused trouble," said Leonard.

"You may leave now," he signaled to Rose.

"My lord, I thought to stay the night and care for the duchess, should she need anything."

"I'll be with her. If I require anything, I'll call. You may go now."

"As you wish, my lord."

"What?!" exclaimed Olivia, taken aback.

"I recall instructing you not to cause trouble in my absence, and on my return, I find my wife has transformed into a rambunctious boy rather than a lady."

At the duke's words, Olivia was stone-still, unsure how to respond.

"For today, I will overlook your behavior, hoping you will reflect and amend your attitude. Now drink the medicine the doctor has left; you are to remain in bed for a few days."

At a loss for words, Olivia simply nodded and drank the peculiar concoction the duke provided. Its bitter taste nearly prompted her to spit it out, but with the duke watching her continuously, she was compelled to swallow it.

After drinking it, she began to feel very tired. Just as she was about to fall asleep, she heard the rustling of clothes and her eyes flew open.

The duke had removed his shirt and was undoing his trousers.

Olivia's face flushed red as a tomato at the sight of the duke's well-defined chest, an undeniable spectacle, and she couldn't help but stare at him, transfixed.

"Do you like what you see?" he asked.

"What! No... I mean... why are you undressing?"

"I said I would stay to care for you, and now I prepare to sleep. You don't think I would sleep fully dressed, do you?"

"But... surely you aren't planning to sleep naked?"

"Of course, I always sleep thus, but since I'm staying with you tonight, I'll keep my undergarments on."

"But..."

Ignoring Olivia's protests, he lifted the blankets and slid into the bed. Instantly, she turned away, utterly embarrassed at the thought of the duke lying in the same bed as her—especially since he was almost naked.

Olivia trembled like a tiny rabbit beside him, which he found quite amusing, but that didn't last as she soon fell asleep.

Leonard, utterly exhausted, fell asleep quickly as well, but a short while later, he awoke disoriented from a blow to his face.

It was Olivia, who had turned over in her sleep, her arm across Leonard's face, and her leg on top of him. She was drooling, apparently a disaster in sleep. There came a moment when she nearly fell out of the bed, and then he realized why the maid had intended to stay—she wanted to keep Leonard from discovering her terrible sleeping habits.

After adjusting her in the bed several times, Leonard tired of preventing her from falling. So, he held her in his arms, and that way they slept for the remainder of the night.

In the morning, Leonard felt even more exhausted than the day before, with Olivia still in his arms, sleeping peacefully like a child. He wanted to pinch her nose to wake her, but ultimately he restrained himself.

She was so small and slender that he feared crushing her if he embraced her too tightly.

Leonard, feeling so weary, didn't want to get up; he wished to stay in bed all day, but he had much work pending. So, he rose, dressed, and then summoned a maid to care for Olivia.

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