The lethargy that had been nagging at Bastian all day seemed to intensify as he got out of the shower. He was too exhausted to care over his messy, damp hair as he ran his fingers through it while wearing a bathrobe that was only lightly buttoned. He couldn’t remember the last time he had gotten a good night’s sleep.

Bastian had been pushing himself relentlessly to complete his work well ahead of schedule. Day after day, he soldiered on, taking brief naps whenever overwhelming drowsiness threatened to overtake him, consuming perfunctory meals, and then diving straight back into work.

With his eyes half-shut and his steps faltering, he shuffled towards his wife’s bedroom door. Though it was only nine o’clock, he longed for rest today. Collapsing onto the bed with a bone-weary sigh. He appeared to be capable of sleeping for several days in a row in a deathly sleep.

Bastian moved towards the corridor that connected the two rooms with a firm step. All that was left to do was wait for his father to take the bait after he had carefully constructed a lure. Final touches were being made to the preparations for the impending naval event.

With just one mission left to accomplish, Bastian knew that he had to execute the perfect portrayal of newlyweds in love. This was precisely why he had agreed to Admiral Demel’s offer of a honeymoon vacation, despite the web of lies that would inevitably ensnare him. Deceiving the ever-suspicious Crown Prince of Belov would require a complex and intricate fabrication, but it was the only way to capitalize on the freedom he had worked so hard to secure.

He finally reached the end of the dimly lighted hallway and gently knocked on Odette’s door. His wet hair was making a lovely pitter-patter sound as it fell onto the bridge of his nose, mixing in with her response.

“Please, come in,” Odette’s voice was melodic and serene, utterly devoid of surprise or suspicion.

Bastian pushed the door open with a hand that had hastily wiped away the droplets of water from his face. Odette was standing by the window, her figure bathed in the warm glow of the light that filtered into the room. The soft radiance lent a rosy tint to her pale complexion, making her appear all the more delicate and beautiful.

“What are you planning to say?” Odette asked, wrapping a delicate lace shawl around her slender shoulders.

“Nothing,” Bastian responded, his answer catching her off guard. He crossed the room with heavy steps, his eyes heavy and bloodshot from exhaustion, even more so than they had been at dinner. His movements were sluggish and lethargic, a marked departure from his usual grace and poise.

“What brings you here then?” Odette struggled to maintain her composure, fighting to keep her emotions at bay. But with just one word, Bastian shattered the steely façade that she had erected around herself.

“To rest,” 

Bastian walked over to the bed, and Odette’s eyes widened as she realized the implications of his actions.

“You don’t mean that we’re supposed to share the same bed?”

“Why bother asking when you already know the answer?” Not wasting a moment as he clambered onto the bed and settled himself against the head cushion, his eyes fixed firmly on Odette.

“I… I don’t understand,” Odette protested, her face stiff with apprehension. After taking a deep breath to steady herself, she continued in a calm and measured tone. “I realized that due to the Crown Prince Belov’s visit, the day when we must live together has been moved up. It’s essential for us to appear more affectionate and friendly towards each other. However…” 

Bastian only revealed his actions to Odette after the fact. Although it was disrespectful of him to act without consulting her first, she chose not to voice her objection.

It would be sheer folly to invite ridicule by harping on the niceties of marital decorum, especially when the contract had already been signed and sealed. Employee and employer, after all.

Odette was determined to honor the boundaries that Bastian had set for their relationship. She refrained from prying into Sandrine’s affairs and dutifully complied with any unilateral directives that came her way. 

“However?” Bastian murmured, his voice low and strained with fatigue as he gently closed his eyes. To Odette’s surprise, he seemed utterly spent, another startling fact that left her puzzled.

“I’m happy to cooperate with you, Bastian, but is it really necessary?” Odette asked, offering her apologies as graciously as she could. “We’ve been using separate bedrooms for a while now, and there haven’t been any disturbances or disruptions.”

Bastian opened his eyes just as the weight of the silence between them grew heavier.”What if an issue arises at the most crucial moment? Are you willing to take responsibility?” 

Odette paused for a moment, “Well, that’s…” 

Bastian’s gaze sharpened as he fixed his eyes on Odette, who found herself rendered speechless. “There may already be rumors circulating about the Klauswitz couple living in separate quarters. They just haven’t gained enough traction yet to surface in the open.”

Bastian leaned over to the bedside table and switched off the lamp, enveloping the room in darkness. The overwhelming weariness that had taken hold of him was now compounded by a throbbing headache, making him feel as though he were sinking into the depths of the ocean. Amidst the haze of his fatigue, the only clear image that he could discern was that of Odette standing in the faint glow of the moonlight.

“But… it’s only natural for respectable couples to have separate bedrooms,” Odette offered, after much contemplation.

“I wouldn’t know, being a bastard and all,” With a heavy thud, Bastian collapsed onto the bed, engulfed in the soft, sweet fragrance of Odette’s body. “Who’s to say that the grandson of an antique dealer can’t be just as noble as you?” 

Odette’s eyes flickered uncertainly at his lightly joke. “I didn’t mean it like that. It’s just that…”

“Let’s continue this discussion tomorrow, Odette,” Bastian interrupted, letting out a long, tired sigh and closing his eyes. He had reached his limit, and he knew that he was in no state to handle Odette’s wrath. “I can’t quite hear you now,” he murmured softly, already half-asleep. “We’ll pick up where we left off tomorrow.”

“Bastian?” Odette’s voice called out his name, growing steadily closer. Despite his efforts to rouse himself, Bastian found that his body was no longer under the control of his consciousness.

One step, then another. As the sound of approaching footsteps came to a halt, he felt a gentle hand shaking his shoulder with delicate care.

That was the last thing that Bastian could recall from that fateful night.

*.·:·.✧.·:·.*

Duke Dyssen’s eyes flicked open, without so much as a twitch of movement.

The caregiver returned to the hospital room just in time, only to be startled by the sight of the Duke’s open eyes. Taken aback, he stepped back, causing the sound of a clattering tray and clinking cups to reverberate through the stillness of the night. In that moment, Duke Dyssen remained motionless, his gaze fixed unblinkingly on the ceiling overhead.

“Alright then. It couldn’t have been a dream,” Duke Dyssen muttered to himself, chuckling softly before suddenly turning his gaze towards the caregiver. “Raise me up immediately!”

A flash of anger crossed his face, causing his previous smile to vanish in an instant. Taken aback, the caregiver quickly raised Duke Dyssen and helped him to sit upright.

“I knew my memory wasn’t failing me. That girl is the one who did this to me!” Duke Dyssen ranted, talking nonsense and causing a ruckus.

With a quiet, resigned sigh, the caregiver took a step back. It was the same commotion every single day, so there was nothing new about it. No one would have bothered to attend to the notorious patient had it not been for the generous compensation provided by his son-in-law.

“Did you have a nightmare? Would you like me to get you a sedative?” The caregiver offered up formal words of comfort, albeit with some reluctance. In the past, the Duke had been known to become even more angry and vicious in response to such inquiries, often resorting to profanity-laced outbursts. However, on this particular occasion, he seemed to be quieter than usual.

“Bring me pen and paper, quickly!” Duke Dyssen barked out the order, running his frustrated hand through his disheveled hair.

With a weary sigh, the caregiver quickly complied with the Duke’s demand. As soon as the table with writing tools and paper was placed before him, Duke Dyssen pounced upon it like a famished predator, his bloodshot eyes glittering with a manic intensity.

In that moment, it was as if he had been transformed into a raving lunatic.

Unconcerned with the caregiver’s departure, Duke Dyssen poured all of his energy into crafting his letter, his focus unbreakable.

“Tira. That damn bastard,” Duke Dyssen muttered through heavy breaths as he tightened his grip on the pen. What had occurred that day was far from a mere accident, and the final pieces of his fragmented memory had now fallen into place.

He could recall with vivid clarity the feeling of Tira’s hand shoving him with force, as well as the fact that Odette had been present on the stairs and had witnessed the entire scene. Despite this, both girls had kept their mouths firmly shut.

With dry, chapped lips, Duke Dyssen set about penning a letter seething with resentment and bitterness towards Tira.

It was absolutely unimaginable that Tira and Odette could have planned a plot together. Since none of them have the strength necessary to carry out such a scheme, it was obvious that a third person must have provided them with aid.

The most likely suspect was none other than the lowly grandson of the antique dealer, the man who had the nerve to marry Odette.

Yes, that had to be it. Duke Dyssen was certain of it.

As he gazed down at his immobilized leg, a wave of agony twisted his features into a mask of terrible pain.

Right after the accident had occurred, the man had wasted no time in proposing to Odette. To Duke Dyssen’s dismay, she had accepted without hesitation, as if she had been anticipating the offer. He had later learned that Tira was attending a prestigious girls’ school, while Odette was enjoying a life of luxury on the man’s dime.

It had been a perfect, happy ending for everyone involved, except for Duke Dyssen himself, who remained confined to the hospital, tormented by his thoughts and suspicions. He was convinced that the trio of bastards had played a part in his downfall, but he couldn’t understand why the pieces of his memory hadn’t fallen into place sooner.

Duke Dyssen surveyed the room with a sense of apprehension, acutely aware of how much of his waking hours over the past few months had been spent under the influence of various drugs. What other secrets and conspiracies might be lurking in the shadows?

He knew that he needed to see Odette immediately, and the mere thought of her stirred a fierce determination within him. His hand trembled with a potent mixture of anger and adrenaline as he began to write frantically, the sound of the nib scratching against paper echoing through the stillness of the night.

*.·:·.✧.·:·.*

The gentle warmth of the sunlight creeping over the edge of the bed roused Odette from her slumber, signaling the start of a morning unlike any other.

As she lay on her back, gazing up at the ceiling, her eyes were immediately drawn to the lazily swaying shadow cast by the shifting light.

The sunlight filtering in through the window felt noticeably softer than it had just a few weeks before, a subtle reminder that the seasons were beginning to shift once again. The crispness of the blanket and the pleasant warmth it provided were also telltale signs of the impending change.

As Odette lay there, taking in the fading sunlight and contemplating the arrival of autumn, she thought about the events of the previous night. A soft sigh escaped her lips as she closed her eyes, the memories still fresh in her mind.

‘Bastian’

The sound of her own voice, calling out the name  echoed through Odette’s mind, jolting her awake from her drowsy state. But as she came to her senses, the sound of laughter filled her ears, causing her to wonder if it was all just a dream.

Slowly, she turned her head to the side, hoping against hope that the warmth she felt beside her and the sense of someone’s gaze upon her was real. For so long, the bed beside hers had remained empty and cold.

Odette’s eyes met Bastian’s as he lounged on the bed, looking down at her. As she gazed into his piercing blue eyes, her mind began to clear, and memories of the previous night flooded back to her.

She remembered watching him fall asleep in the bed he had claimed as his own, feeling a mixture of frustration and confusion. But now, as she lay next to him once again, she could only feel a sense of curiosity and longing.

As Odette laid down next to Bastian, she felt uneasy and restless. She feared that her movements would disturb his slumber. After all, they had experienced the consequences of sleeping separately before, as seen during their stay at Demel’s villa. Despite her despair, Odette resolved to endure and persevere through the night.

However, to her surprise, she fell into a deep, restful sleep like never before.

Odette’s cheeks burned brighter as she caught a glimpse of Bastian’s hand, rough and rugged yet gentle as it cradled her face. As he drew her gaze back to him, she fell for his piercing blue eyes. It was as if the world had faded into the background, leaving only the two of them in a moment frozen in time.

Bastian chuckled, his laughter filling the air as Odette bowed courteously to him. Her appearance became even more unkempt as a result of his playful tugging on her hair, which only made her more endearing.

It was a romantic moment that would have led anyone to believe that the couple was a blissful newlywed couple living the best of their lives, showered in love.

“Are you ready, madam?” Bastian asked abruptly, his laughter subsiding. 

Odette nodded in response, feeling compelled to do so despite her unease.