When she came to her senses, Lilian was leaning againast Damian’s arms as if trapped.
Damian asked.
“Wife, are you okay?”
“…yes, I’m okay. I stumbled for a moment.”
Since she hadn’t left the Empress’ palace yet, she needed to look appropriate.
Lilian glanced at Damian as she spoke. In Damian’s eyes, there was only concern for Lilian.
‘I suppose he didn’t hear it.’
Damian asked in a low voice.
“I thought that couldn’t be the case, but what did sister-in-law do to you?”
“No, it’s not like that.”
It seemed better not to talk about hearing hallucinations.
“I just stumbled because I was so preoccupied with the conversation.”
“Hm. It seems to me that if the Duchess’ feet touch the ground, the same accident will happen again.”
“…yes? Your Highness, wait!”
Before Lilian could stop him, Damian had already carried her.
Lilian instinctively hugged Damian’s neck, then, startled, removed her hand. While carefully grasping his shoulder, she said.
“Your Highness, what’s the meaning of this? Put me down right now if you’re even a little bit concerned about body pain.”
“Haha, Damian doesn’t know much about that.”
“Yes?”
The big man referring to himself in the third person distracted her. Lilian felt it ridiculous in many ways. Damian managed to carry his well-mannered wife to the carriage while she was at a loss for words.
Surprised by his unconventional behavior, Lilian climbed inside before coming to her senses.
“Your Highness!”
“Please forgive me, wife.”
Damian suddenly lowered his tail.
“I spent all my teenage years on the battlefield, so I forgot about etiquette.”
“Even if you talk about your pitiful past, I won’t let you go this time…!”
“Oops, I got caught.”
There was no sign of remorse from Damian who clicked his tongue.
Lilian was quietly enraged and then sentenced him.
“I will sleep alone tonight.”
“Yes?”
Damian was astonished as if he had been struck by lightning.
“Wife! Isn’t that too much?”
“It seems that it’ll be helpful for Your Highness to observe each other’s manners, as common aristocratic couples in the Empire do after a while.”
“How cruel. I’ve already become someone that can’t sleep unless my wife is by my side…”
“You fell asleep without me in the parlor of the Empress’ palace a while ago.”
“That’s because everyone was so nervous so I pretended to be asleep. And…”
Damian, who was making excuses, was sorry, but Lilian didn’t let him go.
“And?”
“…I want to kiss you when you came near…”
It’d be a lie if she didn’t find him cute seeing her husband confiding his dark feelings while avoiding her gaze. But if she accept each and every one of those actions just because he’s cute, she’s going to spoil him.
‘It seems like we’re already halfway there, but…’
Anyway, now was the time to be ruthless.
“As expected, Your Highness seems to need some urgent action. Since neither party will withdraw.”
“Wife!”
Feeling unfair, Damian spoke out, but Lilian, like a Turinian, pretended not to listen.
***
And that evening.
“Your Highness, what’s the meaning of this…?”
“Yes?”
Damian replied wtih a smile.
“Right, I’m trying to cure my beloved wife’s disease.”
Turin’s doctor Shawn, the Grand Duke’s doctor, and even the wizard called the Grand Duke’s vassal gathered together to examine Lilian and continued their discussion.
“There’s no drug that’s effective for the above diseases…”
“Looking at the development of the disease, I have no disagreement…”
“I guess that’s how it is now…”
After the meeting, the three approached and announced the result.
“Your Highness, as a result of the medical examination, it’s true that Her Highness’ health has improved, even slightly, compared to when she just arrived in the capital. It’s not to the extent that the disease is fundamentally cured, but I think it’s a meaningful progress.”
“I see.”
“Yes. The three of us recommend that His Highness the Grand Duke continue to deliver mana more frequently for the health of Her Highness.”
“You mean more aggressively?”
At Damian’s meaningful question, the eldest Grand Duke’s doctor smiled and nodded.
“Yes, please. It wouldn’t be difficult to increase the time you two spend together, I believe? The two of you are so good…”
Neither the attending physician nor Shawn had any specific knowledge of the way Damian transfer mana to Lilian. The only way they knew how to transmit mana was the standard method of holding the wrist, concentrating their minds, and sending it through blood.
However, Damian was so good at controlling his mana that he could deliver an abundance of mana without having to hold wrists.
Only Lilian knew that he was using his outstanding skills to transmit mana in various ways.
Her husband’s skills were unnecessarily superior, and Lilian was ashamed. The shameless Damian just thanked the attending physicians with a wide smile on his face.
“Thank you for always doing your best for my wife’s health.”
“We were just doing what we have to do.”
The three bowed politely and withdrew. Shaw spoke to Lilian before stepping out.
“I was worried, but I’m glad you’re doing well. Mrs. Hayworth will be pleased as well.”
Shaw, a member of her own family, felt that Lily’s room was very luxurious and that the clothes she’s wearing were much better than when she was a young girl. It seemed that the people around the Grand Duchess had succeeded in breaking Lilian’s insistence on frugality.
Above all, her relationship with the Grand Duke seemed good. Then Shaw went out with great relief. However, he didn’t notice that until the end, Lilian was, in a different sense, no different than a sheep on the verge of being eaten.
“Come on, my Duchess. Did you hear the diagnosis?”
“I know….I heard…”
“Right, I’m glad you heard.”
After everyone left, Damian approached Lily with a smile many times sweeter than usual.
“It seems that there are many things we need to try to heal you. Isn’t that so?”
Her husband’s meaningful words made Lilian ashamed. But she didn’t forget to get a word in.
“If I think that Your Highness is using his brain to avoid being cornered, am I being too suspicious?”
“No, what you’re thinking makes senses. I’m a dark-hearted husband.”
Damian confidently and brightly admitted.
“It couldn’t be better if I can satisfy my selfishness while taking care of my wife’s health.”
“Your Highness, the day is still bright…mmm.”
Damian bit Lilian’s lips. Since the first time, she didn’t think he’s clumsy at kissing, but after countless repititions of practice, he became proficient before she knew it.
Was it a difference in innate qualities? Even though she repeated the same lessons, she didn’t make much progress, and Lilian quickly became dizzy.
“Please try harder today. It’s all for your health.”
“Is…is that really so?”
Damian responded with a mischievous grin.
***
After being bullied by Damian which wasn’t actually bullying.
Lilian, who overate, fell asleep earlier than usual.
It was at the Palace’s Western Villa that Lily regained consciousness.
This was already her third dream.
Plus, for some reason, today felt more real than usual. Her mind was clearer than usual.
‘Maybe I’m really at the palace…’
Even if she sleepwalked, she wouldn’t be able to pass the imperial checkpoint, so that couldn’t be the case.
Lilian cautiously opened the hall door and stepped outside. She was then taken by surprise.
“Oh my, what’s this mess?”
The hallway was a mess.
The reliefs decorated on the walls were smashed and the windows broken. The chest of drawers had fallen over, spilling all contents, and the decorative armor had collapsed, blocking the hallway.
There were only traces of shells and blood, as if war had broken out.
Naturally, she started to worry about the only person she met in this palace, a child with purple eyes who could be Damian.
Lilian couldn’t stand still and looked around. No mattter which room she went to, it was a mess. It seemed that the hall where she had been from the beginning, was the only space left intact.
“Oh!”
At that time, the floor shook with a rumble.
“Is it an earthquake…?”
Could it be that the earthquake made this place so messy?
It wasn’t the time to figure out the cause. If there was an earthquake, she had to find the child quickly.
Lilian rushed through the obstacles to find the child.
‘Where are you?’
She wanted to go to the attic where she met the child the other day, but the way there was completely blocked due to severe damage.
But she was able to find a clue there.
‘There are bloodstains!’
Small drops of blood lined up in a row as if to mark the path.
Lilian stumbled along, obstructed by damaged objects and fallen doors as she eagerly pursued the trail. It was then.
“Ah…!”
“Found you.”
Suddenly, someone hugged her from behind.
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