"Damned fool, he sees that I'm injured and he leaves me alone," Olivia said.
She was cursing him when suddenly he entered with a 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 oocurred.
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 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 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're 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'II be with her. If I required anything, I'II 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 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'II 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 all day, but he had much work pending. So, he rose, dressed, and then summoned a maid to care for Olivia.
After a quick bath, Leonard descended for breakfast and then secluded himself in his study once more to catch up on all the backlog of work accumulated during his extended absence.
He had instructed the maid watching over Olivia to summon him when she awoke.
By noon, Olivia had roused, and the maid, following her orders, informed him that she was somewhat improved and had insisted on getting out of bed.
"My lady, please do not rise-the physician has said you need to rest."
"Do not fret, Rose, I am quite alright. After a restful night, I feel renewed, and the fever has subsided."
Upon entering the room, Leonard observed Olivia, who appeared much better though still slightly pale.
She dipped in a curtsy and greeted him with the grace befitting a noblewoman, an image which Leonard found hard to reconcile with what he had witnessed the night before.
"Good morning, Duke."
"What do you think you're doing?" Leonard inquired.
"...?"
"The doctor has ordered rest; hence you should return to bed."
"I feel well now; there is no need to remain abed all day."
"Ah! You truly delight in being troublesome."
Seeing that she would not heed his words, Leonard scooped her into his arms and deposited her back onto the bed, his gentleness from the previous day lessened by his irritation.
"You are forbidden from leaving this room until you have fully recuperated."
"But..."
"Cease causing trouble and comply."
Reluctantly, Olivia remained in bed through the afternoon, and Leonard retreated to his office to resume work until dinner time.
During the night, Leonard returned to the room to find Olivia seated in an armchair, reading a book, apparently bored. Nothing his presence, she attempted to rise.
"There's no need for you to get up."
"Why do I owe the pleasure of your visit at this hour, Duke?"
"I've come to sleep..."
"!"
"I'm well again; there's no need for you to stay with me tonight."
"I am your husband; it's only natural that I sleep beside you, or does that vex you?"
"What? ...No."
Two maids entered to prepare Leonard's bath and left a change of clothes for him before withdrawing, leaving them alone once more.
I'II take a bath; you may go to bed first if you prefer," he told her.
Afterwards, he left her to bathe emerging from the bathroom in just a robe. Seeing him, Olivia quickly rose and slipped into bed, donning a white, laced nightgown, and pulled the covers up to her neck, amusing Leonard.
However, he said nothing an joined her in bed. Exhausted from the restless night, he fell asleep swiftly, and in the middle of the night, Olivia's blow to his ribs woke him. Knowing she would continue thusly throughout the night, he embraced her while she draped her arm over him and nestled into his chest before he fell asleep again.
In the morning, Leonard woke to Olivia slipping from his embrace and, thinking she was still asleep, he drew her back to him until she began to hit his arm, rousing him fully.
"Please release me, I can't breathe..."
Leonard had embraced her too tightly, causing her to gasp for air.
Loosening his hold slightly, he watched her silently until her breathing eased, and upon realizing he was observing her, she covered her face with her hands, her neck and ears flushed red.
"Are you alright?"
With her back to him and face still covered, she replied, "Yes, my lord, I am fine. I regret waking you in such a manner, but I could not breathe."
Olivia feared she had offended him with the blows to his arm.
"Do not worry," he responded, "It is my fault for embracing you too forcibly."
While speaking with Olivia, the butler knocked on the door...
"My lord, I apologize for the interruption, but an urgent letter has arrived from the palace."
Upon hearing of an urgent letter from the palace, Leonard dressed hastily and exited the room, casting a fleeting glance at Olivia, who seemed quite relieved by his departure.
In his study, Alfred presented the letter, which was a summons from the crown prince requesting his immediate presence.
Upon arriving at the palace, the prince awaited him in the garden, cradling his son, the prince's first child and reportedly, very devoted to his father.
"Good morning, Your Majesty."
"Leonard, I am pleased to see you. I thought you would come yesterday, but since you did not, I sent for you."
"I have been preoccupied with domestic issues."
"Has something happened?"
As the prince conversed, his son gnawed on the buttons of his jacket as thought trying to eat them, which did not sit well with Leonard, but the prince seemed unconcerned to Leonard withheld comment.
"My wife has been ill, and I've been tending to her."
"it surprises me that you are concerned for her; I believed you harbored no affection."
"I do not, but it's fair to say her worsened condition was somewhat my fault."
"I called you here to announce that I will be hosting a ball in your honor to celebrate your victory over the army of Azur."
"I appreciate it, but celebrations are not to my liking."
"I know, yet it is necessary. I think it would be fitting to formally introduce the duchess at the ball."
Considering the prince's words, Leonard found it a sound strategy for Olivia's introduction to society to occur at the ball honoring him; this would ensure his support was visible to all, deterring any potential harassment.
"It shall be as you wish, Your Majesty. What is the pressing matter you wished to discuss?"
"The ball was it. I knew unless I told you in person, you would have declined. I eagerly await the ball to meet your young duchess."