“Y-Your Highness! T-this is too much!”

The chirping of birds entered through the open window together with a fresh gale that playfully picked up a couple of strands escaping from Lorelei’s braid. Looking at her, Noah had to make great efforts not to laugh or give in to the temptation to pet her head. Nestled between the soft pillows with pouting expression and flaming cheeks, she was a ruffled, little robin amidst a snowy field. He noted with delight that the dark circles under her eyes were almost gone, and her complexion had improved. Still, she looked frail - a single ray of sunshine and she’d be melting away like a spring frost.

Swallowing his smile, Noah carefully stirred the bowl of porridge and took a spoonful. After giving it a few gentle blows he brought the spoon to Lorelei’s mouth.

“Say ‘A-a-a’.” Her mortified look almost made him burst into laughter, but he made sure to keep a straight face. “Come now, Duchess. Be a good patient and eat your breakfast.”

“I-I am fully capable of feeding m-myself!” she retorted shakily and pulled the bedsheet to her mouth, blocking his way. “There is no need for the Duke to spoon-feed me like a child!”

“But Milly told me that you refused to eat even half a bowl yesterday and the day before.” Imitating the tone she used when scolding him, Noah persistently held the spoon before her. “Honestly, you had made such great progress by putting some meat on those bare bones the last few months, but now, dear Duchess, it is all gone!”

“It’s unbecoming of a knight to talk about a lady’s looks like this! Such beastly manners…” Lorelei huffed, but he could see some sparks kindling in her eyes.

“As the Beast of Norden, I have a reputation to keep, dear wife. Let me tell you, now you look just like that scrawny, lily-livered twig-of-a-girl I met in Sefis.”

“Oh, my! I had no idea that in your eyes, I have been such an unsightly creature from the beginning, dear husband!”

Her words made Noah flinch. Husband? She never called him like that. It sounded so sweet, coming from her mouth. A warm, fluttering feeling tickled at the pit of his stomach at the same time as sharp guilt pierced his heart. Had he gone too far? All he said was the truth, but… Maybe he had been unnecessarily blunt. Damn! All he wanted to say was that he was worried about her poor eating habits. That she had to get better soon. That looking at her, pale and bedridden, made his heart bleed. That seeing her full, rosy cheeks and cheerful smile made the world a brighter place because it meant that she was healthy and happy under his care. He wanted to tell her that in the last couple of months, she had bloomed into the most radiant and courageous woman he had met, and he’d fight anyone who would dare argue otherwise. Tell her that he hated her family for how they treated her and one word from her was enough to send him to burn down the entire Sefis. Instead… He had hurt her!

The spoon slowly sank into the oatmeal bowl. He stared at Lorelei, looking for a way to apologize, but unable to utter a single word. His right hand dug through his hair, his mouth - opening and closing like a fish on dry land.

With a sudden move, Lorelei grabbed the porridge from his loosened grip and gave him a triumphant grin.

“To think the great Beast of Norden is so easily swayed!” She chuckled at his bewilderment and put a spoonful in her mouth. “But you reap what you sow. And for your information, my liver has always been perfectly fine.”

At this moment, it felt almost impossible to suppress the urge to burst into laughter and ruffle her hair, but Noah prevailed. Instead, he shook his head.

“I declare a complete and utter defeat, Lady Norden,” he said quietly while his eyes were getting drunk at the sight of her healthy appetite.

“Isn’t the Duke too busy to watch me eating?” She threw him a shrewd glance over the bowl’s rim. “Feel free to return to your duties, Your Highness.”

“You are quite lucky.” Noah shrugged, managing to regain his composure. “I have a work proscription by threat of being tied to my bed should I pick a document for the rest of the week. And William and Neli never joke when it comes to threats.”

“Are you unwell?!” Lorelei stiffened, her eyes studying his face intently. “Are you injured? Did the whiplashes get infected?”

“Calm down. I’m fine.” Hearing the tremor in her voice, Noah felt a bit of traitorous happiness and guilt. “I’m as fit as a mountain rabbit. But those two worrywarts say I need to take a break after the recent… events.”

“And they are right!” The physician in Lorelei took control as she furrowed her brow and waved her spoon. “If your wounds got infected, it could not only lead to scarring but also your flesh can begin to rot. And that in addition to the bruises you suffered when you jumped from the cliffs after me. You do indeed need ample rest to restore your health. Sitting on my bed in an uncomfortable position might aggravate your injuries.”

“Look who's talking!” Noah couldn’t keep his bemusement. Leaning against the bedpost, he crossed his arms and gave her a sunny smile. “First, my lady, the tiny scratches from the whip are long-healed. Second, I don’t think the one who almost died and is now bedridden has the right to lecture me about health.”

“I am far from being bedridden, my lord.” Lorelei straightened her back, trying to look imposing but managing to portray the aggressiveness of a sparrow. “Yesterday, I made three rounds around the room without taking a break.”

“Three laps!” Noah’s eyebrow arched. “So now you are ready for a whole stroll to the castle gardens, I presume?”

“As a matter of fact, I was planning to do one with Milly just after breakfast and also visit Rish and Anuk-”

“No.” Suddenly, Noah’s tone became cold. “You need to stay in bed and rest.”

“If I stay much longer, I'll get bed sores. Kush-turgan Akasha said it shouldn’t be a problem.”

“But you just woke up! This is too reckless!”

“I woke up two days ago. At some point, my lord, I need to get out of this bed and back into the world.”

Noah took a breath, preparing to continue arguing, but then reconsidered. Knowing his wife, she would go on that stroll, with or without his permission. Tying her to the bed, as tempting as it sounded, would hardly be beneficial for her health or their relationship. In the name of the patient’s health, peace of mind, and marital bliss, he had to choose the lesser evil.

“If you eat the whole bowl, I’ll personally accompany you, Lady Norden.”

Blinking surprised at his sudden capitulation, Lorelei needed a minute to process his words. As they sank in, her whole face beamed with delight.

‘She looks so beautiful!’

The thought shot through Noah’s head and almost flew out of his lips. As pale and frail as she was, with sunken cheeks and sparkling eyes, she was indeed the most beautiful woman in Norden. For a moment, his lips tinged as he remembered the kiss he had shared with her imaginary lookalike in the depths of Nerodris. That phantom had looked identical to her, up to the tiniest freckle. Its voice had sounded the same. Its gestures had been hers, from the way she scrunched up her nose to the piercing stare she had given him. That imaginary Lorelei had told him to look for her in Ildemar, but now, as he stood before the real woman, he couldn’t gather the courage to ask that single question. Had his vision been… just a vision, or, for some unfathomable reason, a reality? He knew he wouldn’t be able to accept the truth, no matter what the correct answer was. A dream would mean that his desire for her had reached the level of madness, driving him one step closer to becoming a monster just like his father. If it had been real…

His eyes traced Lorelei’s profile, her straight nose, her long eyelashes, her lips, now stretched into a charming smile. He studied the thick, silky braid, snaking down her slender neck and over her slim shoulders; the small hands and long, thin fingers, still carrying scars from the time she had reached into a burning heart to save Jessup. His ears picked the bubbly melody of her voice, and his soul quivered in a long-denied realization.

It was impossible to let go of her and carry on with his marriage to Marzbane Ilmaz.