Saved By The Mad Duke
Chapter 52: Her Concern

Chapter 52: Her Concern

Aideen rose from the bed as soon as she heard a gentle knock on her bedroom door, welcoming Bella to enter. The maid came inside carrying a large wooden tray laden with delicious food, deftly situating it on the small, round table by the tall window. She cordially invited her lady to take a seat and enjoy her dinner, a gesture that surprised the princess as Aideen had been hopeful of the opportunity to share a meal with Tillian tonight.

Regrettably, Bella relayed,

"His Grace has informed me that he was unable to prepare for dinner and will be skipping it tonight. He extends his sincere apologies, Your Highness."

Aideen struggled to conceal her disappointment, sinking into the chair behind the table. Although she took the silver spoon from the tray, the prospect of commencing her meal eluded her – her mind preoccupied with concern. It wasn’t merely about dining alone, a departure from the shared meals she had grown accustomed to with the Duke in the Capital. No, her apprehension was more selfless; she feared that Tillian’s penchant for skipping meals, coupled with his daily patrols and the relentless burden of official tasks, might be stretching him too thin.

’He always ensures my well-being, but he neglects his own. Sleepless on the road, straight to his study upon arrival... What if he succumbs to illness?’ The weight of worry settled upon her, overshadowing the simple act of having a meal.

The very notion of Tillian succumbing to illness due to overexertion rushed the princess to her feet in a sudden surge of anxiety. Her pale hands trembled, betraying the depth of concern that had flooded her entire being.

Startled by Aideen’s abrupt movement, Bella, clutching a small bowl of sauce, teetered dangerously close to dropping it. Leaning over the table, she steadied herself by pressing a free hand against her chest and shouted,

"For heaven’s sake! What’s going on with the two of you today?! Scaring me like this, I’ll soon kick the bucket at this rate!"

As the lament escaped her lips, she instinctively covered her mouth with both hands, her eyes widening in shock. In her apologetic tone, she stammered,

"Goodness, Your Highness, please forgive me! I got scared and couldn’t control my words. Forgive my rudeness, My Lady!"

Aideen, displaying a gracious understanding, reassured Bella with a warm smile,

"Oh, that’s alright, Bella! More importantly... Can you please ask Martin to prepare a meal for His Grace as well? And please, ask him to make haste. I’ll bring the food to His Grace’s study myself."

Bella, her eyebrows arching in bewilderment, found herself surprised by the princess’s expressed desire to personally deliver the Duke’s meal. Simultaneously, a sense of joy bubbled within her, witnessing the princess gradually warming up to her new home and its inhabitants, particularly her soon-to-be husband. The evolving connection between Aideen and those around her became a source of fulfillment for the observant maid.

Sporting a wide smile on her ruddy face, Bella nodded enthusiastically. She seized Aideen’s hands in hers and declared,

"Of course, I’ll tell him right away, My Lady! Should I take your meal and keep it warm until then?"

Aideen, reciprocating the warmth, nodded appreciatively.

"Yes, thank you, Bella."

Efficiently, the maid gathered the bowls and plates back onto the tray, then hurried out of the bedroom, uttering lively affirmations under her breath. Left alone again, Aideen took a seat behind the table and released a short sigh.

’I hope I’m not overstepping by doing this... I just want to let him know that I can take care of him too. Even if it’s not much.’

***

’... Now what?’

Aideen clutched the large silver tray with food, its weight adding to the trembling in her hands. She swallowed a dry lump that had formed inside her throat. Just half an hour ago, she had been confident and eager to bring dinner to the Duke, but now she felt like her body had forgotten how to move, paralyzed by the mixture of both fear and anticipation.

’I was so confident before, but now I’m having second thoughts. What if he gets angry that I am interrupting his work? He has never been angry with me before, but I have never tried to look for him while he was busy either.’

In an attempt to steady herself, Aideen took a deep breath, her nerves requiring a moment of reprieve. She cleared her throat and, with a blend of caution and determination, spoke aloud,

"Your Grace? It’s Aideen. May I come in?"

Tillian, startled by the unexpected sound of Aideen’s voice outside the door of his study, leaped to his feet. In his haste, he accidentally knocked over an ink set, causing it to spill over one of his trading documents. Frustration surged within him as he now faced the additional task of dealing with the mess he had inadvertently created.

’Damn it! Why did she come here so late? I told Bella not to bother her and let her rest more!’

In a flurry of activity, the Duke hastily stowed the soiled documents inside the drawer of his desk. He then briskly fixed his disheveled appearance before rushing to the door, promptly opening it and inviting Aideen inside.

"Your Highness, what a pleasant surprise! I wasn’t expecting you to visit me so late in the evening. Frankly, I was hoping you would remain in your bedroom and rest some more. And what is it in your hands? Did Bella give you this? Please give it to me; it looks too heavy for you, Your Highness! I told that woman that I did not want any food, but to force it on me like on a child and make you, of all people, bring it to me, she will get an earful from me, that’s for sure!"

Aideen raised her eyebrows in response to the man’s nervous blurting, and her surprise heightened when he practically snatched the tray out of her hands. He marched towards the desk, continuing his lament, now lost in mumbling.

The princess, feeling a hint of intimidation, lowered her head and joined her hands in front of her stomach. She responded to Tillian in a quiet voice, tinged with genuine regret,

"I am truly sorry, Your Grace. I did not know. Bella seemed rather happy when I offered to bring your dinner to your study, so I thought it was alright. I just couldn’t bear the thought of you skipping meals when you have to work so much. I sincerely apologize; I will leave right away!"

With those words, she turned around, poised to rush out of the room. However, her exit was halted when the Duke nearly jumped in front of the door, his tall frame blocking the way.

Once again startled, Aideen gasped and recoiled, but Tillian swiftly placed his arm behind her back, providing sturdy support to ensure she wouldn’t stumble and fall.

"I am sorry, Your Highness. I did not mean to scare you off like that. I... Haaaa..."

A long, somewhat tired sigh escaped his parted lips, gently brushing Aideen’s dark red hair on the top of her head and sending goosebumps over her skin. Having regained some sort of composure, Duke Valentine tenderly turned the princess around. He placed both his hands on her tender shoulders and slowly guided her towards his desk, continuing,

"The only reason I reacted like that was because I was worried it was too much work for you, Your Highness. Trust me, I am incredibly happy that you have expressed your desire to share dinner with me, and I do appreciate your concern. Thank you, truly."

Still keeping his hands on Aideen’s shoulders, Tillian assisted her in taking a seat behind the desk. He then sank heavily into his own desk chair, wiping his throbbing forehead and releasing another long exhale. This action only solidified the princess’s assumptions about his condition, as she interpreted it as a clear sign of utter exhaustion.

"You sound very tired, Your Grace... It pains me so much that, although I am about to become the lady of the castle, there is so little I can actually help you with to take at least some load off your shoulders. Is it really not possible for you to rest tonight? Tomorrow is Monday, which means you will have to leave for a patrol and return very late again... If there is anything I can do to help you while you are away, please let me know; I will do everything! I might not be the brightest lady because I did not study as other noble women did, but I am sure I can be useful one way or another!"

The Duke couldn’t help but smile at the genuine determination practically lighting up his study with every word spoken by the princess.

Yes, he had admitted it to himself many times before – he had taken up too many tasks at once, and sometimes handling them alone was more than simply overwhelming. However, rest was a necessary sacrifice because the end goal of his hard work was undoubtedly worth it.

And now that he had Aideen by his side, he felt that he could do anything.

Shaking his head, Tillian picked up one of the silver spoons from the tray, placed it inside the princess’s palm, and replied in a kind tone,

"Just knowing that you care about me and my work so much makes me want to work even harder for your sake, Your Highness. And besides... There is something you can already do here. Starting from tomorrow, you will commence your magic lessons with Ahspid."

"I will?!"