I shook my head as the door shut. “Why is she doing this when she’s so scared of dying?”

“Because no one thinks they’re actually going to die,” said the Grand Duke.

“Hm, must be a sheltered life,” I said. “I always thought I would end up dying every day of my life. Ever thought it would be anything out of place if one day I met my death.”

It was a revelation. People always thought they were going to live forever. A person walking down a street could die anytime. A flowerpot could fall on their head. Death was always near…

Suddenly the Grand Duke collapsed on the floor. I looked at him, startled. ‘What’s wrong?’

His face was pale and beads of sweat formed on his forehead. He looked like he was in pain. He was okay at dinner a while ago. He was eating and speaking with people casually… or was he just enduring his pain through all that? I wasn’t paying attention to him at dinner so I hadn’t really noticed. I was deliberately ignoring him because he always distracted me. 

I leaned by his side. I checked his forehead to see if he had a fever. His body trembled.

“Did you eat something bad at dinner?”

“I wish it was that,” he smiled weakly. He propped himself up with both hands. I sat by his side, frowning. My clothes were still damp from the spilled wine but I couldn’t change it without Amy.

“What is it then? What’s wrong?”

“I… don’t know,” he said. “Not long after you left, I started feeling uncomfortable. I left with an excuse to make sure you were alright.”

“Why were you here instead of your room?” 

His smile vanished. “I felt that it would be a bad idea to let others know I was sick.”

I glared at him. He looked back with cloudy gray eyes. “Is someone trying to kill you?”

“I wouldn’t be hiding here if I was sure of it now, would I?”

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His body shook violently and he clamped a hand over his mouth. I stood up and picked up the basin and put it on the floor in front of him. “Just try and vomit into that.”

He tried to smile. “I was planning to seduce you but not like this.”

I chuckled. “Well… right now, anything coming out from the top would be better than anything coming out of your bottom. Either would be better than dying.”

He turned towards the basin. “Find Archer, my servant,” he said weakly. “He knows what to do.”

***

The night had passed. A dim glow of dawn faintly shone in the distance through the window. A man, pale in the face and breathing heavily, slept on my bed. His servant observed his face. Sometimes, he wiped his Master’s face and helped him take a sip of water.

The servant seemed so accustomed to the routine which made me wonder if this had happened before. I understood why the Grand Duke had asked me to find his servant but what I didn’t understand was, why didn’t he ask for a healer? When you are a Grand Duke, you are bound to have a personal healer you can trust, right?

I had put up a screen and changed my clothes behind it with Amy’s help, who had followed Archer to my room. But I didn’t leave the room after that. First of all, this was my room and I didn’t know where to go. I couldn’t possibly sashay into the Grand Duke’s room declaring I would be sleeping there today. Secondly, I wanted to check on the Grand Duke. I was worried about him. Lastly, I needed some information. I needed to know what had happened.

“Does this happen to him often?” I asked Archer.

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The servant glanced at me sharply and turned back to his master. But he didn’t answer. Wow, he really was a model example of a quiet and obedient servant…

But Archer didn’t know how stubborn I was. I couldn’t possibly give up all my comfort and sit here on this uncomfortable chair all night just to be ignored by that wall of silence. I could have just kicked Alex out of his room and slept there if I had wanted to.

Since Alex pretty much knew about me and the Grand Duke, I had briefly explained to him the situation. I didn’t want him to misunderstand the groans coming out of my room. Alex had understood and went to watch over Aaron. Amy stayed with me till midnight until I firmly sent her to sleep in Alex’s room since he wouldn’t be there today. 

So only the Grand Duke, Archer and I were left. The Grand Duke was sick. The servant was busy taking care of him. Alex hadn’t burst into my room yet so he thought it was safe as well. Or, maybe Alex is still with Aaron and doesn’t know I sent Amy to sleep in his room. Either way, it didn’t matter. 

I observed the servant again. He was tall and lean. But he looked strong. He looked… plain and ordinary. He looked like someone forgettable. Maybe that was why he was such an asset. He had brown hair with red tones, and a short neck. The curious thing was he didn’t make any sort of sound while moving around or tending to his master.