The Villainess's Secret Bedroom Service
Chapter 35: Blood Moons

Chapter 35: Blood Moons

Damien stood in his bedroom in front of the tall standing mirror and couldn’t help but feel anxious. He had beaten his own record for how fast he could take a bath, and now that he was all washed up and even perfumed, there was still one rather big dilemma left unsolved – what should he wear?

’I have never been on a picnic before, I have no idea what sort of attire one wears to such an event.’

He kept pacing in front of the mirror, holding different outfits against his body, trying to choose something nice and casual, but nothing seemed to be working for him. At last, tired and scared that he had already wasted too much time on such a meaningless task, he turned to Felix and asked,

"What do you think? Which one should I choose?"

The duke’s aide raised his eyebrows and offered his lord a somewhat confused look. He could not recall the last time he saw Damien so weird and flustered, especially when it came to spending time with ladies. Therefore, witnessing such a rare and bewildering sight could be considered a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, which he, unfortunately, did not find all that exciting.

’Why is he so nervous? It’s just a picnic with his fiancée. Must he act so strangely?’

Felix let out a long sigh and pointed at a pair of black pants and a loose black shirt that matched them.

"You should wear something comfortable, Your Grace. These clothes will do."

He then walked up to the open closet, took out a light summer uniform jacket with silver buttons on it, handed it to Damien, and continued,

"You should also take a jacket just in case. Summer is almost over, and the evening air can feel a bit chilly. I noticed that Lady Rosalie was wearing only a summer dress, so take it in case the lady feels cold."

"Oh... That’s right. A jacket."

Damien fidgeted with the black jacket in his hands for a few more moments, then looked at Felix and continued, his voice devoid of confidence,

"Thank you, Felix. This is really smart advice."

Lord Howyer awkwardly scratched the back of his neck as he continued observing the duke’s bizarre behavior and couldn’t help but wonder,

’Has he always had it in him? Right now, it feels like I am seeing an entirely different person before me.’

***

With the fear pressing onto his wide muscular chest, Damien rushed into the garden, his galloping heartbeat ringing in his ears. He had taken too much time dressing up and now it was dark outside so he could only hope that Rosalie would still be waiting for him.

And to his great relief, she was still there.

Lady Ashter leaned against the wide brown trunk of the willow tree, the golden lights of tiny fireflies reflecting on her soft ivory skin and wavy hair. Her eyes were closed, and she breathed quietly as her consciousness immersed itself in her own inner world of dreams.

Spotting Logan standing guard behind the tree, Damien offered him a subtle nod and silently ordered him to leave his post, indicating that the guardian duties were now in his own reliable hands. With brisk and light steps, he quietly approached Rosalie and took a seat beside her, his deep golden eyes firmly glued to her serene, resting face. He gently covered the girl with his black jacket and tucked a stray lock of brown hair behind her left ear, barely brushing his long fingers over her soft skin.

’She must be exhausted after preparing all this and helping Felix... Look at her, she is sound asleep.’

A faint smile tugged at the corners of his lips as he heard her almost purr-like snoring.

"She looks so peaceful... It would be a shame to wake her up right now. Let’s just sit here and wait for her to awaken on her own. After all... this, too, isn’t half bad."

The duke leaned against the willow tree and closed his eyes as well. The heavy fatigue of the long day began to dissipate with every breath he took, and as the tranquil atmosphere of the garden helped him calm his wandering mind, he felt his body growing heavy, succumbing to the lullaby of the approaching night.

***

Rosalie opened her eyes and realized that she had dozed off while waiting for Damien. Flustered, she jerked her body away from the trunk of the tree and noticed a large black jacket over her body which did not look like it belonged to Sir Logan. Still fogged by her half-asleep state, the girl suddenly heard a strange noise coming from her left side and rounded her eyes as she finally saw it – Damien was sitting right next to her, gasping for air like a fish thrown out of the water, his broad chest heaving, and his entire body covered in a cold sweat.

Lady Ashter moved closer to the man and pressed her right palm against his forehead – his body temperature was definitely high, and it nearly burned her skin as if it were radiating from within. She pulled her hand away almost instantaneously, her face contorted with a mix of pain and perplexity.

’Is he having another seizure? Why so soon? We exchanged Acme just a day ago. I guess simply kissing really was not enough to suppress his curse after all.’

With her hands tightly pressed against the burning skin of the duke’s face, Rosalie took a deep breath and tried to wake Damien up.

"Your Grace? Can you hear me? Your Grace, please wake up!"

Perhaps the sound of her nervous, shaking voice really did reach the depth of Damine’s consciousness as he suddenly opened his eyes and gazed directly into the girl’s face. Instead of the familiar golden flare, his irises were crimson red, glowing with menace like two blood moons.

Startled at first, Rosalie jerked her body away from the duke, nearly falling down, but Damien briskly caught her by the waist and pulled back closer, his whole body trembling in an uncontrollable bout.

At last, he parted his pale lips and said in a hoarse, demonic voice,

"Help me... P-Please... Help me."