2.

Although there was a cord to summon a servant, Yvonne told him it was unusable. She assured him it would be functional by tomorrow. 

As night fell, the sound of the windows rattling in the wind greatly bothered Leon. 

Still, he consoled himself that at least he had escaped the Duke’s mansion, and waited for the pain to subside.

He couldn’t bring himself to sleep. Perhaps……he was afraid that when he opened his eyes, all of this would turn out to be a dream.

He was afraid to fall asleep, afraid that being here was all just a dream. The same anxiety he felt when he barely survived death and opened his eyes washed over him again. He couldn’t forget the memory of that time. The feeling of being completely helpless was terrifying. But even after he returned to the Duke’s mansion following the surgery, it was just as awful.

Honestly, it was a complete mess. On top of that, they only offered him a measly 1,000 gold. He couldn’t help but frown.

He had so much to do and so much to take care of. But with his body in this state, he was burning with frustration. He needed to focus on recovering quickly first.

Yvonne was even more afraid of him than he had anticipated. She was originally timid and gentle like a deer, so it seemed his current appearance frightened her. He wasn’t entirely sure, but it didn’t seem like she had another man in her life. Her reaction was different from what he expected, but considering the immense shock she must have experienced, he could understand.

Would tomorrow be any different?

The cracked and broken window continued to rattle disturbingly. He knew sleep would be impossible with that noise. Maybe it was for the best. He wasn’t particularly sleepy anyway.

He stared down at his own hands. He gazed for a long while at the hands that had caressed Yvonne’s cheeks, the hands that had stroked her soft hair. A faint smile lingered on his lips.

***

The hall bustled with activity from early in the morning. More and more servants gathered. After his father left for the war, they had to cut back on the extravagant expenses that maintained the mansion. The snowballing debt had reached an unmanageable level. Tax revenues dwindled, while expenses continued to rise. He had no choice but to let go of some of the staff. He promised to rehire them when the situation improved, but none of them expected it to happen so soon.

Yvonne was grateful for the servants who returned so promptly, as if they had been eagerly awaiting her summons.

Nora and Jack would manage the expanded staff effectively, as instructed.

A short while later, the Duke’s physician arrived. He explained that he would have to make daily visits for the time being and headed to Leon’s bedroom for examination. She followed him inside. 

The physician, who had rushed over since morning, re-dressed his wounds and shook his head. The wounds had worsened and reopened overnight. Leon groaned repeatedly throughout the treatment, clenching his jaw against the pain. The tendons in his neck stood out prominently, a testament to his agony. Unable to bear the sight, Yvonne turned her head away.

As the physician packed his bag with a worried expression, Leon forced his mouth open.

“How is my father?”

“He is not in good condition.”

It was the same answer Leon had received countless times before leaving for war. For years, they had heard nothing but rumors that the Duke’s return was imminent. Duke Clift, bedridden for the past ten years, had already begun transferring his responsibilities to his heir, Luke. The Duke had always been frail due to his chronic illness. Now, he remained confined to his bed, quietly awaiting his demise. It had been a very long time since he last made a public appearance.

“Yvonne.”

When the physician departed and she was about to follow, Leon called out to her. His voice was weak, drained from enduring the painful treatment.

“Yesterday, my fiancée left with only the money pouch and hasn’t returned since.”

What……? What is he talking about……?

His words made her feel like a con artist. A gold-digging scammer. She had never done anything like that. She was starting to feel wronged again. She had only followed his orders, but it felt like he was trying to torment her again. Maybe he was trying to vent his frustration after the painful treatment. He always did this. She let her guard down for a moment.

After yesterday’s strange events and the unexpected turn of events, she had unknowingly become lax somewhere along the way. It had only been a day. No wonder a day had passed so uneventfully.

“I’ll forgive you with a good morning kiss.”

She didn’t understand what he was saying at all. His words didn’t register in her mind.

It sounded like he was talking about a kiss, but it was a phrase they had never used between them, so she couldn’t grasp its meaning.

Although her mind couldn’t comprehend his words, her eyes were fixed on Leon’s lips, as if in fear.

Gasp.

Finally, her mind caught up with his words. Her eyes widened, and her lips trembled as she jumped back.

So……a kiss? On those lips?

“Crazy……”

She immediately covered her mouth, but a few words had already slipped out.

Even when Leon had frequently visited her after their engagement, he had never kissed her on the lips. He had only politely kissed her cheek a few times. So she had no idea what kind of good……morning kiss he was demanding. He was determined to scare her. If that was his intention, he had succeeded more than anything else.

As expected, Leon’s expression hardened, and his eyes narrowed. His lips pressed into a firm line as he scanned her trembling hands and lips, his gaze lingering on her fear-stricken eyes.

“Why is it crazy to kiss your fiancé?”

His stern words struck her like a whip, intensifying her fear.

She couldn’t utter a single word. She felt like anything she said would only anger him further. Her head bowed lower and lower. What should she do……? What could she do……?

Leon let out a low, deep sigh as he silently observed her terrified state.

“I’ll wait a little longer.”

Startled by his unexpected response, she lifted her head to look at him. His expression seemed to hold a hint of resignation. At least it wasn’t an expression of anger. As long as he wasn’t furious, she felt a sense of relief.

Whenever she found an opportunity to get away from him, she always took it and ran. And she did the same now. She quickly turned and dashed towards the door. She had to get out of here. Away from his lips.

Once outside, she gasped for breath. That was close. But the fact that he had backed down like that was meaningful.

Phew……

Was he trying to torment her with this absurd request after throwing her some money yesterday?

No. She leaned against the bedroom door and took a deep breath. To be honest, he hadn’t just thrown her some money; he had given her a significant amount. Moreover, he hadn’t dragged her away or forced her to do anything.

He didn’t actually want her to do it. It was just a way to torment her. Since he couldn’t move his body yet, he was trying to torment her with words instead.

Once he recovered, who knew what else he would do……

Her mind in turmoil, Yvonne knocked on Emil’s bedroom door and entered, seeking solace.

“Did you sleep well?”

Kiss.

A good morning kiss needed this kind of affection. She gently greeted Emil with a kiss on his angelically chubby cheek, and he responded with a burst of bright laughter.

Only then did Yvonne feel a sense of mental and physical purification. Emil might have thought she was the one taking care of him, but in reality, she was the one who benefited more from their relationship.

“Eve, today will be a better day.”

Oh my. How can he even speak like such an angel? It was always Emil who amazed her, even though she experienced it every time. If it weren’t for Emil, she wouldn’t have been able to endure this painful life.

She stroked Emil’s blond hair and smiled along with him. At this moment, she felt at ease and happy. Right. Let’s just think about Emil. The Azerine Kingdom, where only the eldest son could inherit the family.  The twelve-year-old Emil was not yet old enough to inherit the family. He would be eligible at the age of fifteen, and until then, he needed a guardian. So when his father passed away, his uncle was eager to seize both the family and the mansion. His intentions were crystal clear. She had to protect this angel at all costs. If anything happened to him, she wouldn’t be able to go on living.

Yvonne was able to come out again with a recovered face.

***