Rosie's Games

Chapter 180: A Sword and a Dress

Rosalind did not know if she would laugh or clap her hands when she saw the Prince storm out of the room. Earlier, when the Crown Princess left, she was already beaming inwardly.

She knew that the Duke was overbearing, but she never expected him to blatantly disrespect the crown prince and princess of another Kingdom! How could he brazenly act like this!?

However, she had no time to think about this. As soon as the Prince left, she immediately used her light Blessing to heal the Count. She was not yet done, she thought.

"Please carry him to the bed," she said softly. Denys carried the man as if he was as light as a feather. Then she wasted no time and started treating the Count once again. After what felt like forever, she finally stopped. She could feel her back drenched with sweat. She lifted an eyebrow when she saw the Duke sitting not far away from her, reading a book in an unknown language.

She was surprised, she did not think he would stay with her. She then looked at the windows and realized that it was already dark outside.

"The food will be ready in a minute," he said before he closed the book. He got up and approached her. Without warning, he lifted her and carried her off like a princess.

"What are you"

"Rest," he ordered. She wanted to tell him to put her down so she could walk and that she was fine, but in the end, she felt herself deflate. In the presence of something that reminded her of a bed, she could only relent and let him carry her away.

She made herself comfortable and closed her eyes. She could hear a little commotion but decided to ignore it. She wanted to rest, sleep and recover her energy. Healing someone could be very exhausting, yet somehow satisfying.

Her lips lifted into a smile before she inhaled his scent. His presence alone was enough to make her lower her guard. Something told her that the Duke would protect her, no matter what, and that she was safe, even if she fell asleep in this unfamiliar place.

The next thing Rosalind knew, she was once again waking up in an unfamiliar bed. She stared at the ceiling for a few seconds before she jolted upright, panicked.

"Calm down."

She looked at where the voice was coming from and realized that it was the Duke. He was lying down on a nearby couch, his upper body was bare, showing off all the different scars, and his forearm was resting on his forehead.

"You"

"I told them we would be staying in the same room."

How could that be? Only married people stay in the same room! Then she recalled his words about introducing her to the public. He was doing it now, this was a part of his plans.

She immediately calmed down.

"It's cold," she noted, but the man was sleeping without a shirt.

"Does it bother you?"

"The cold?" Or his scarred body and perfectly shaped abs?

He got up and smiled without saying anything.

"The cold does not bother me at all," she was quick to add in order to try and diffuse the situation. However, right after she said those words, she sneezed. "This is because of exhaustion," she was quick to explain. "I exhausted my blessing."

"I was not asking, Lady Rosie, but alright. Thank you for letting me know."

Rosalind glared at him. "How could you say something like that?" she asked. "I have never met a man that does not hesitate to insult a woman like you do."

"Are women not human?" he asked.

"What?"

"Are they?"

"Yes. Of course."

"I grew up with men, Lady Rosie. I was fighting before I could start walking. On the battlefield, we do not hold our tongue to make someone feel better."

"This is not the battlefield."

"Is it not?" he leaned back and rested his arms on the couch.

"I" This was a battlefield, everything around her was a battlefield and she had learned it the hard way in her previous life. She swallowed, and somehow, her eyes landed on his chest and stomach. Then she blinked and turned her head away. When they first met, the man had a wound from a cursed weapon. She wondered if the other scars on his body were also from cursed weapons.

If it was then just how much pain did he endure to survive the dark curses?

"Tea?" he asked.

"Yes, please."

"Denys will arrive soon with the breakfast," he continued pleasantly.

"Alright," she started to lift her thick blanket so she could go and sit opposite the Duke but she quickly realized that she was no longer wearing the clothes that she had worn while treating the Count. Her eyes immediately landed on him. She was not exactly surprised when she discovered he was already staring at her with that slight smile on his face.

"Who removed my clothes?" she asked. "Did you ask a maid to remove them?" She was currently wearing only her white inner clothes. It was thin and had a little see-through material. From it, she could see her small underwear.

"No," he said. "But I closed my eyes."

"What?"

"I could kill people even with my eyes closed, Lady Rosie, using a sword is simple."

"Hold on" she got up and approached him. "Are you telling me that" she was not able to finish her sentence when she saw the pile of clothing near the bottom of her bed.

Rags.

In fact, they no longer resembled a dress but rags, small parts of rags.

Her lips parted. She could not say anything.

"I didn't hurt you, did I?" he asked almost innocently.

"You used a sword to remove my clothes." This was a first.

"They were dirty and reeked of blood," he reasoned.

"Why didn't you ask a maid?"

"I was not comfortable with asking someone else to remove your clothes."

Somehow those words made her blush. However, her embarrassment quickly changed to irritation. "Tabatha, Fraunces, and the rest should be here by now. Tabatha had been helping me dress and bathe on the road, I don't understand why you didn't just"

"Did it hurt you?" he asked.

"No?"

"Are you planning to wear those clothes again?"

"No. Of course not."

"Then?" he asked.

"Well" she swallowed. For the second time in a few short minutes, she was not able to say another word.

....

I promised a mass release, but we had an exam today! I spent my time studying. So, I am not going to sleep tonight, until I write that mass release. hehehe