My Disfigured Duke Husband Helps Me Plot My Revenge
Chapter 126: From Healer to Patient

Chapter 126: From Healer to Patient

The golden light of morning filtered through tall windows and made severe colors less bold. The dark wood covering Desmond’s room became more inviting. Ancient swords and shields, his preferred decorations, reflected light that bounced off walls in all directions.

Considering Desmond’s room was on the opposite end of the estate from Leonor’s, the slowly waking duchess realized it wasn’t morning light filtering in, but the evening sun as it set over the large mountains that bordered her home.

A whole day. She had been asleep for nearly an entire day.

Leonor came to, remembering the state she fell asleep in. What was supposed to be a quick nap became the full-fledged sleep of a woman who hadn’t eaten and used all of her healing mana in one sitting.

She thought of the reason her mana was so depleted and instantly sat up, surprised at how comfortable she felt despite sleeping on the floor.

However, she realized she wasn’t on the floor but lying on the duke’s bed which he no longer occupied.

Her hands went to her mouth in horror. What sort of mage was she to fall asleep and replace the patient in the bed?

As her eyes darted around, she looked down, realizing she was wearing a nightgown with nothing underneath as she usually did, but the issue was being in the duke’s bed where anyone could see her rather than her own where she knew no one would be.

Her hands then went to her chest and her mouth hung open in shock.

"Don’t worry," a gravelly voice spoke from a chair in the corner, towards the head of the bed. "I had a maid dress you so you wouldn’t have to sleep in a corset again."

In the year she had gotten to know him, she knew when he was using an irritated tone. It wasn’t much different from his usual rough voice but there was a certain edge to it.

That, and his posture was rigid with crossed arms over his chest - a chest more defined than she could have ever imagined until the night before when he was lying in front of her completely shirtless save for a robe.

"O-oh," Leonor uttered. "Thank you. I ought to leave."

She couldn’t look directly at him any longer.

Desmond stood up swiftly.

"You will stay in that bed," he ordered. "You will stay until I’m certain your mana has replenished. How could you do that to yourself willingly?"

The duke scoffed in frustration. He was trying to hold back to the woman who had only just woken up but he sat there all day, watching the color in her face slowly return. She was white as a sheet when he found her on the floor next to his bed.

"Your skin was practically grey!" he snapped. "Can you imagine–!?"

He wanted to ask if she could imagine how he felt then, but she wouldn’t know. They were never honest with one another in that regard.

He pulled at his cloak in frustration and stepped away from the bed.

"I couldn’t rest knowing you would be in pain if no one healed you," Leonor said, her eyes cast downward on the bed.

"That isn’t your problem to deal with!" he exclaimed from where he stood.

Leonor flinched at the sound of his voice and Desmond’s eye widened, realizing he was too emotional and made the mistake of snapping at her in such a way. She was petrified of unstable men.

He rushed forward and sat on the edge of his bed. He grabbed her arms but his head was angled downward so she couldn’t see it.

"I don’t want you to be hurt while you’re under my care," he almost pleaded. "That’s the last thing I wanted."

Leonor remembered the anger she felt the day before and squeezed her eyes shut before wrenching her arms away from him. She crawled towards the other side of the bed and got up.

"So if I have a choice to help you not be in pain anymore, I’m supposed to sit by and pretend that isn’t an option?" she asked desperately. "What about what I want? That isn’t what I want!"

The moment her voice raised, she grabbed her forehead from standing up too quickly and she fell forward, catching herself on the edge of the mattress. It had been a long time since she felt so depleted.

King Stephano made sure while they trained to never overdo it. He could read her like a book the second she was getting towards the end and he would cut off practice for the day. He was an amazing mage for so many reasons.

She could never compare to him because she didn’t even consider the fact she was depleting herself while she healed the duke.

Seeing that Leonor was still unstable, the duke was at her side quickly, lifting her again and placing her against his pillows. He put the blankets over her up to her chin.

"We can talk about this later," he said in a hushed tone. "You need to feel better first."

"Okay," Leonor agreed.

For once, Leonor couldn’t disagree. She simply settled into the bed and rested against the pillows of the man she realized she loved the day before.

She had already resigned herself to the fact that she would remain tight-lipped about it until she knew how he felt.

Cuddled up under blankets in such a way made Leonor feel tired. Her body was cold and the bed was so warm. She turned her head and decided that perhaps sleeping wasn’t a bad idea.

"I’ll tell Stephano you’re awake," Desmond said. "He has herbs for you to take. I will get you something to eat as well."

Leonor only made a noise of acknowledging what he said. She felt tired again even though she slept for so long.

All insecurities were forgotten as she felt the embrace of sleep along with the duke’s familiar scent. Even though he had left the room, it was as if he were still there with his arms around her.

She hated how much she wanted that to be the case.

With Desmond at the forefront of her mind, Valerio was forgotten for a moment.

Leonor only woke up again when the duke came back with the king and a tray of food that would be light on her stomach.