My Dear Duke(BL)
Chapter 41: Sea Sickness

Chapter 41: Sea Sickness

Asher was quite excited to go on a ship.

But nothing was enjoyable as his head started spinning and he got a headache.

’Damn it! I feel like vomiting.’

Asher complained and laid on the ground where he placed a clean carpet he packed in his backpack.

The bed was for the duke, so if he wanted to lie down, of course it was on the ground.

"Hey! What are you doing?!"

The duke went outside to see the grand duke and when he came back, he saw Asher on the ground, hugging his head.

"I am quite dizzy."

Asher said in a low voice as he turned to the duke after raising his upper body from the ground.

"I think you have sea sickness."

"Sea...sickness?"

"Hm...I have some pills I brought. But they can only help you relieve the headache. I think it’s better than nothing. Get up."

Felix went to grab his bag before telling Asher.

Asher didn’t want to get up at all. But he got up and accepted the pills Felix took out from a tiny bottle.

Asher swallowed them with some water and was about to lay down again when Felix grabbed his arm with a displeased look on his face.

"What are you doing?! Lay on the bed."

Felix said as he pointed at the bed with his head.

"No...I will sleep here. The bed is for the duke."

Asher said and saw the duke shaking his head.

"Sigh...Just sleep there. I am not sleeping there now anyway. I am going outside to get some air."

"It’s okay duke. Ground is good for me."

Asher quickly laid down so the duke wouldn’t reason with him anymore. He didn’t want to try laying on the bed as he knew it’s disrespectful.

But then, to Asher’s shock, the duke suddenly bent down and picked him up easily.

"Aaah!"

Asher was unprepared and quickly put his arms around the duke’s neck, fearing he would fall.

"D-duke! what are you doing?"

Asher still held onto him tightly while trying to look away as their faces were so close.

"Sick people shouldn’t be arguing."

The duke said before casually placing Asher on the bed and silently staring at his face.

"When I say something, I learn to listen. So disobedient."

Asher was stunned again when the duke pressed his index finger against his forehead and said in a low voice.

Then he just left the cabin.

Asher was still in a daze for some time and lightly rubbed his forehead, still glaring at the closed door. He felt like there was something still on his forehead where the duke pressed his finger. It was warm.

’So bossy...’

Asher in the end, laid down with the dizziness then, shortly fell asleep.

.....

"Are you feeling better now?"

Felix enjoyed the breeze hitting his face. But it was getting cold so he came back inside and saw Asher was awake, sitting on the bed.

"The headache is gone. But I still feel a little dizzy."

"Hm. Rest more. You will feel better."

"Mm...I am causing trouble, aren’t I?"

Asher was kind of embarrassed that the duke was looking after him when it should be the opposite. He was upset about it and felt weak and useless.

Asher could feel the duke staring at him and then sighing.

"It’s not a problem. Getting sick is normal."

Asher couldn’t help but feel the duke was almost as if a different person with his behaviour. He was always aloof and maintained a cold expression. However, now his tone was relaxed and even his face looked relaxed.

He spoke casually, not making himself sound cold, unlike before. It was not the most welcoming tone, but it was pleasant and warm.

It was very obvious for Asher as he had seen him all the time with that same boring face.

Cold and annoyed...

’Maybe he is in a good mood?’

Asher thought to himself and was about to get up since the duke was back and he should return to bed. But the duke pushed him back to the bed and sat in the chair aside.

"Just rest there. With a weak body like that, you shouldn’t act tough."

The duke said with a scoff and Asher was quite pissed.

"Who wanted me to come with him?"

Before he could think a second time, Asher had already replied sarcastically.

Asher didn’t know how he got so cocky but he was regretting his words. It was disrespectful, wasn’t it?

"What did you say?"

The duke raised an eyebrow and asked. But he didn’t look angry, however amused.

"Nothing. I am sorry."

"I heard it. You are feeling better and that’s why talking back to me, aren’t you?"

"...I didn’t talk back. I don’t have a weak body. It’s just weird. I can’t control it."

"I know. I also can’t control how my body works. I shouldn’t have said that you have a weak body. Is that what made you upset?"

The conversation soon became relaxing and Asher felt better even after his dumb mouth blabbered, the duke was still talking casually.

And the duke was quite talkative. Was he having fun teasing him?

He could even see the duke’s slight smirk. Asher was not actually upset about that but felt quite better after the talk.

"You don’t usually talk much. I am quite surprised the duke can even make fun of me."

"Who makes fun of you? I am serious."

"...I can see you secretly laughing at me. Okay, I have a weak body!"

Asher said, looking pitiful.

"...No...I just feel relaxed and thought your sick feeling will go away if you keep talking."

The duke again said, but seriously.

"Oh...Thank you then."

Asher felt awkward all of a sudden. He didn’t know what to feel. He was embarrassed, pleased, touched and felt quite warm that the gloomy duke was trying to make him feel better.

Did the duke perhaps hit his head when he woke up early in the morning?

Asher couldn’t help but wonder as he saw the duke’s eyes shining and he seemed lively.

Having said that, the duke glanced at Asher and repeated to him to take a sleep again.

"If you don’t get well, who is going to help me when we are at the North Archen. So don’t disappoint me. Take a rest and get ready."

Felix said and watched Asher mumble something under his breath before Asher lay down again, closing his eyes. He didn’t know Asher would get seasick. If he had any idea, he would have asked for some pills to help him from Lucas.

’I wonder if Lucas is with Karl...It said he is sick badly.’

Felix sighed again and Asher heard it but didn’t open his eyes even though he didn’t fall asleep yet.

’This kind of duke is better. At least, he doesn’t look scary.’

But he knew the duke would be back to that same look when he was out there with people around them. Slowly, Asher came to the realisation that the duke could be acting that way for some reason. But it could be that he is actually not that cruel as people say.

And the duke seemed quite caring and Asher wondered if what the duke said at that time was really the truth.

’Maybe it was not only because we need each other. But I am a person he trusts to go on a long journey like this.... Is he comfortable around me? Is that why he is gentle...I mean being caring toward me?’

The feeling was so weird that it made Asher get goosebumps. This bigman that everyone was scared of was asking him if he was feeling better. Isn’t that an improvement? With how he isn’t very sociable and looks scary, isn’t it good that he even bothered to care for someone?!

Asher has many thoughts in his head and he was quite confident the duke was comfortable around him and wouldn’t put any act.

Maybe having sex and sharing their secrets made them quite close.

’Even if one day we won’t have sex in the future, we still have each other’s secrets. Does that make him feel I am different from everyone else? How many people know his secret? how many people know what exactly happens to him every month?’

The feeling of being the very few people to know such a sensitive secret made Asher proud.

’This damn slave is feeling cocky, isn’t he? Huh! How dare I come to such conclusions?’

Whatever will happen in the future, he will try his best to be loyal to the duke.

Because, this man saved him from getting into a worse mess.

The duke was unexpectedly kindhearted, wasn’t he?

Asher finally fell asleep, yet, not noticing the other party’s eyes that were observing his deteminded expression slowly relaxing as he fell into deep sleep.