TGDHC Chapter 90

Chapter 90. The Best Morning of My Life

Loic woke up faintly.

It felt like he’d slept for quite a while—his eyelids were heavy.

Had the rampage calmed down?

With his eyes still closed, he recalled last night.

He’d been walking by the lakeside with the Grand Duchess, ran into the daughter of Avoir, and then a sudden irritability and dizziness hit him.

Familiar signs of a rampage.

Why? I was holding Annette’s hand just moments before.

He didn’t know why, but once the symptoms started, there was no point searching for the cause.

He couldn’t bring himself to tell Annette the truth.

If he said he was about to rampage, how frightened would she be?

—“I’m sorry, but I have to go separately from here. Will you be all right?”

In the end, he had left Annette, rushed back to the castle on horseback, and returned to his room.

Fastening the restraints on his own wrists always tasted bitter—but tonight, the clanking chains sounded especially pathetic and degrading.

Just moments earlier he had been walking with Annette.

Like an ordinary man, he had held her hand and strolled through the crowd.

And now, like a beast tossed back in a cage after pretending to be human for a moment, he had bound himself in this cold room to wait for the pain.

—“Strange. My magic isn’t working.”

Even as Enolius’s expression hardened while casting recovery magic, Loic felt as if he were paying a price.

Hadn’t Annette soothed him for months?

After such long peace, perhaps he deserved this much pain.

“But surely, Your Grace the Grand Duchess could…”

Whitley looked ready to beg Annette for help, but Loic wouldn’t allow it.

After a rampage began, a wrong touch could be dangerous.

He had sent them all away and clawed at his chest in pain… he must have blacked out.

And now he felt…fine?

His breathing didn’t hurt. Nothing felt torn.

It seems it passed easily this time.

He even felt light.

Blinking slowly, he finally opened his eyes—and saw a faint golden veil before him.

Huh?

Soft blond hair was wrapped around his hand.

As he tried to sit up, he froze at the sight of a small woman lying with her head on his arm.

Annette was asleep, face buried against his chest, breathing faintly.

Loic’s eyes flew open wide.

Annette—sleeping in his arms?

His heart thundered. He even held his breath for fear the sound would wake her.

What is going on?

After his heaving chest calmed a little, he tried to make sense of it.

Was this a dream?

But it was too happy to be a dream—and far beyond anything his meager imagination could conjure. He had never dared imagine a scene like this.

They were lying together under the bedframe.

The soft quilt they shared had slipped to their waists.

With restraints on both wrists, his arms still circled the Grand Duchess, and she fit neatly inside them.

Waves of golden hair covered his arm.

Annette must have helped me.

Whitley, unable to watch his lord suffer, must have asked the Grand Duchess to come.

Holding hands wasn’t enough, so…

Looking at Annette nestled against him, Loic guessed the rest.

He had wanted to hide this from her as much as possible.

But now Annette knew.

She was essentially his painkiller.

His only savior.

How would she react when she woke?

Would she be angry that he hid it? Think he’d been gloomy and secretive?

Or would she say they should renegotiate their terms now that she had the advantage? Think she’d made a bargain?

No.

The Annette he knew would be pained by his suffering.

She had a gentle heart.

Will she pity me?

If Annette pitied him, he wouldn’t mind.

If that pity made her want to stay in Blenheim a little longer—so much the better.

He gazed down at her unguarded, pale face.

She seemed fast asleep.

Was she very tired?

Her lips were chapped—last evening she’d looked fine.

He must have looked frightening during the rampage.

She must have been scared…

And yet it wasn’t hard to picture Annette boldly reaching for him.

She was a woman with spine.

And judging by her nightgown, she must have rushed here the moment she learned what was happening.

With each breath, her white nightgown rose and fell.

I told her to at least put on a robe…

Careful not to clang the chains, he pulled the quilt up to her shoulders.

He didn’t know when she’d wake, but he had no intention of ending a once-in-a-lifetime moment first.

Feeling her warmth against him, he toyed softly with a strand of hair in his hand.

After hurting like hell last night, I can accept this as a gift.

For this moment, his curse didn’t feel so terrible.

Breathing in her faint fragrance, Loic smiled in peace.

It was the best morning of his life.

***

Click.

The clink of a teacup sounded unusually loud in the quiet sitting room.

A late luncheon had been set out, but we just sipped tea.

Since I—who usually chattered—kept my mouth shut, Loic watched me with a slightly anxious look.

“Are you really all right? If you feel even a little unwell…”

“I told you I’m fine.”

“Still, your lips should be treated.”

When his gaze dropped to my split lip, my ears burned.

He must have thought I overworked myself at the market and stayed up all night, so I was tired and my lips chapped.

“This much is fine. Enol said it’s better to let it heal naturally.”

Last night, I went into his room to calm the rampage—and then he lost control and we… well, anyway, after that, he fell asleep holding me.

I’d been exhausted, and the gentle weight around me soon lulled me to sleep too.

The three outside must have realized his rampage had settled but still kept watch in the hall just in case.

We didn’t wake until the sun was high.

Enolius came in with dark circles under his eyes and, at Loic’s insistence, checked me thoroughly before letting it go.

Grumbling that he was a mage not a doctor, he then scolded Loic—who was fussing about the cut on my lip—that it was better to let such a minor wound heal on its own, and left.

“But the injury might last a while…” Loic said, sounding deflated.

Excuse me—who do you think split my lower lip?

Remembering why, my whole face flushed.

Does he really not know? Or is he pretending?

“Loic.”

“Yes.”

“Do you truly not remember last night?”

“…”

“Not even a little?”

“Did I… do something terribly rude?”

Color drained from his face.

“The thing is, when I’m like that, I’m not in my right mind… Did I say something harsh?”

“Well…”

“D-Don’t tell me I threatened you…!”

“No. Nothing like that.”

I shook my head—then buried my face in my hands.

Haah.

My face felt on fire.

I had imagined various scenarios for this morning, but him remembering nothing was not one of them.

How can he forget that?

My heart was still racing even now!

I swallowed a quiet sigh.

Maybe it was for the best.

If we’re counting sins, I started it.

If he remembered, that might actually be worse.

Why on earth did I do that!

I mentally yanked my own hair.

Yes, he looked like he was in terrible pain—but to do something so shameless without mutual agreement…

Although, to be fair, after that, he—!

Ugh, forget it.

If he turns this pale just talking now, then if he found out exactly what happened, he’d probably avoid me forever.

Anyway, without that level of contact, the rampage wouldn’t have calmed.

When we kissed, the mana really flowed smoothly—like hauling up water with a pulley instead of scooping with a hand.

What puzzled me was why the rampage happened at all.

Since I came, I’d been venting Loic’s mana every day.

So does that only delay the cycle, not stop it?

Or was my level of contact too mild?

Well, then he should have told me!

I pressed my lips together and shot Loic a sideways glare.