Night of the Abandoned Duchess - Chapter 54

Chapter 54

When Rosalind woke up again, the two father-and-son were sleeping next to her. Kyle lowered his head slightly and closed his eyes while Leo had his head half-buried in bed.

Just looking at it, she couldn’t help but smile.

“…What a good thing to see. You two look a bit alike?”

She thought she had fallen asleep as Kyle told her to stay here. However, when she woke up, this scene unfolded.

Rosalind glanced at him and Leo carefully. The straight nose and long eyes seem a bit similar. In fact, the most similar thing between the two was their eyes. Green eyes like a beautiful tree that hangs wide on a summer day.

She liked that green. It was because it was a color with a freshness that shines brilliantly under the sun.

“Who says you’re not father-and-son?”

It was fun to see the two of them sleeping together, and their friendly appearance was also pretty, so she kept looking at them. Then, feeling sorry to see him sleeping uncomfortably, she carefully got up.

If he was going to sleep, he should just sleep comfortably… Why was he staying here…?

As she got up slowly from the bed, Rosalind took her steps carefully so as not to make a sound. She quietly approached him, holding an extra blanket in her arms that someone had already prepared by her side. She thought it would be a little more comfortable to sleep if she covered him with a blanket.

It was when she gently stretched out her hand lest he woke up from his sleep.

“Oh…”

Suddenly, he grabbed Rosalind’s hand.Her eyes widened at what had happened in an instant. Seeing that his eyes were still hazy, it seemed to be an unconscious reaction from his body. Unexpectedly, the blanket in her hand fell to the floor.

The moment he grabbed her hand, it felt like her heart was dropping along with the blanket.

“Hands, hands…”

Perhaps, because of the unexpected circumstances, her heart started beating like crazy. He stared at Rosalind and continued to hold her hand.

“…Rosalind. You scared me.”

He spoke up one beat later, and later let go of her hand.

“As you know, I’m sensitive when I sleep.”

She nodded her head as if she understood his words.

“You woke up because of me.”

“No, I was going to get up. Are you all right?”

“Yes. Before, it was difficult to get up, but now I am fine.”

As Kyle’s suspicious eyes, she shrugged her shoulders, convincing him that it was real.

“You should still be lying down.”

“I’m fine…”

Come on.

At the firm voice, Rosalind went back to bed and laid herself down. It was more comfortable lying down than standing still. Meanwhile, Kyle was staring at her, who was lying quietly on the bed. As she was wondering why he was staring at her so blatantly, his voice resounded subtly.

“I think that it would be good for you to lie down like this all the time… That would not be so bad.”

Rosalind frowned slightly. As if she didn’t know what he was talking about, there was a look of wonder in her eyes.

“I don’t want you to get sick, I just want you to lie here without going anywhere.”

“Yes…?”

“What should I do if that’s how I feel?”

She let out a ridiculous laugh. As he acted softly towards her, she suddenly remembered that night.

‘You will master it by the time my foot breaks.’

The day she danced with him for the first time under the moonlight, he looked just like that time, and she kept smiling, remembering it.

“I wish you could just lie down next to me like this. Every day.”

His voice whispered softly into her ear.

Maybe, it was because of his soft voice, her ears were slightly red. Rosalind turned to the side to hide her embarrassment.

“…I’m hungry.”

He took her word casually.

“Then, let’s eat some stew.”

Kyle quickly called the maid to bring food.

Shortly thereafter, with a knock, the maid brought a stew into the room. Taking the bowl, he began to cool the vegetable stew, squeezing it down with a spoon before crushing it further.

Then, as if giving to a child, he scooped an appropriate amount with a spoon and brought it to her lips.

“Eat.”

As he did it casually, Rosalind could not help but panic once again.

“It’s not that I don’t have any hands…”

“Come on.”

“Leo eats on his own, too.”

He pushed in again, not paying attention to Rosalind’s words.

“Leo will feed the wife later.”

He was like an ex-husband to her, yet even if he casually called her his wife, she didn’t want to object. Was it because his appearance was surprisingly shameless? Or, was it because she didn’t hate his kindness…?

“I can do it alone. What will Leo think when he wakes up?”

“He will be happy that his parents are on good terms.”

…Wasn’t it?

Despite his casual reply, Rosalind hesitated again and again. Leo tend to sleep well once he fell asleep, but nonetheless, this was too embarrassing. It was true that she did not dislike his kindness, although she never meant for him to feed her stew like a child.

“If it were me, I’d rather eat before Leo wakes up.”

While enduring like this.

As he said, it was better, so Rosalind ended up eating the stew. As the soft, warm pieces touched her mouth, she felt more at ease.

“You have to eat again.”

‘Come on, ah,’ Rosalind stared at him at the prompting voice. Then, she realized that she had no talent to object to it and began to eat it quietly. While she continued to follow him meekly, he grinned satisfiedly.

“How good.”

At that, he reached out his other hand that was not holding the spoon and floated over her lips. Some stew must have landed around her mouth unknowingly.

“You did well.”

He casually licked the stew off the tip of his thumb.

It was all over her lips, why…

Although she spoke smoothly without a feverish tremble, Rosalind’s ear reddened again.

* * *

Kyle was kind and sincere. On days when he was not working, he stayed by her side, and when work was over, he immediately came to her side.

“…Have I not been lying in bed too much? It’s frustrating.”

Rosalind felt sorry for how diligently he was taking care of her even though he must have been busy. At the same time, her mother, Helen, looked out for her, checking in during her spare time. Leo, needless to say, was clinging to her side as if protecting his mother.

By this point, she wondered if she was bothering the people around her, unintentionally.

The maids and servants of the castle were also overprotective like their master. Rosalind only flinched, and they would make a fuss.

“Shall I go out for a while?”

Today was the day Kyle came back late from the Imperial Palace. He had been too concerned about her, so now was the only time she could move comfortably.

“Isis, I’ll go for a walk in the garden for a moment.”

Isis asked in a worried voice when Rosalind said so.

“Are you okay?”

“I have improved a lot. Everyone is so worried about me, it’s to the point where I’m all frustrated.”

“Still, it’s late… Well, let’s just get some air and come in.”

Rosalind stopped Isis, who had been sitting in the chair next to bed, and rose from her seat as if it was natural.

“It’s easier to go alone.”

“Alone? No…!”

“I want to walk alone quietly.”

After thinking for a while about her words, Isis finally took a step back and nodded her head.

“I’ll be back soon.”

Rosalind smiled once to reassure Isis, and then moved a little hastily. All she thought was that she had to go out into the garden before she changed her mind.

“…It’s nice that the wind is cool.”

Even though it was a little chilly, the wind was pleasant enough. Her blonde hair gently fluttered in the swaying wind as it ruffled her hair.

Feeling the cool breeze brushing her cheeks, she glanced around her. She noticed that one of the chairs was not far away, and she approached it cautiously. As Rosalind sat down with her handkerchief on it, Kyle’s voice came from behind her.

“What are you doing here?”

Rosalind found Kyle and smiled.

“Duke.”

He strode towards Rosalind, who spread her dress wide open and greeted him.

“What are you doing here?”

“I was getting some air for a while.”

“What if you catch a cold like this?”

Rosalind shook her head, saying she was okay when she heard his voice brimming with concern.

“Lying down all the time, it was frustrating.”

Suddenly, he reached out and tucked her hair behind her ear. The end of the man’s eyes staring at her were calm and affectionate.

“Would you like to sit down for a moment?”

Saying so, she glanced at the chair.

As he sat down, she sat softly next to him. Kyle took off the robe he was wearing and draped it lightly over Rosalind’s shoulder. The weight of the clothes sitting on her shoulders was not large, though somehow the warmth felt doubled.

Rosalind lightly touched the clothes he had put on.

“I’m afraid you will get a cold.”

“It’s oka—”

This time, he grabbed Rosalind’s hand, who was sitting next to him. She opened her eyes in surprise, but he calmly held her hand as if nothing had happened. If the clothes he gave her were mere warmth, his hands on her made her flutter in some way.

Rosalind stared at Kyle with a red face.

“I’m afraid you’re still cold.”

The brazen man’s voice tickled her ears, and she finally burst into laughter.

“It’s a nice day today.”

“I know. The stars are pretty, and the moonlight is pretty too. It’s been a while since I’ve been out, so I think it feels more beautiful.”

“There was another day when the moon was so pretty.”

“When?”

Rosalind asked curiously.

“When was it? It was the day of the masquerade, and I was frustrated and went out to the garden. The moon was particularly bright that day, and I met a woman there. For it to just pass by… It was a little special.”

No way…

“Because you were crying.”