Midnight Affair

20 : Comfort

"Milady.." Anita who arrived at the morning ran to the large bed.

"Anita… you're back?" Helena asked in a faint tone.

"Yes, milady. I'm back. How are you feeling? Should I make soup?"

"I'm okay. Rather…"

Anita sat herself on the cold floor when Helena looked at her like she wanted her to listen to what she has to say.

"The princesses came by. They mentioned about the noble's common tradition.."

"What is it, milady?"

"They brought up the common fact that noblemen can have many wives if the wife is lacking.. I almost forgot about that…"

Helena smiled but it didn't take long for her to cry it out. She covered her face and sobbed.

"I don't know what they're trying to say… really… they asked if I can conceive a child with a weak body like this.. it scares me.. I'm afraid that I couldn't do it.."

Anita sighed. So this was the reason why she suddenly fell ill.

"You should not worry about that, milady. They're just trying to mess with your mind. The princesses love the Grand Duke."

"But it's true… if I can't bear the pregnancy then someone will have to do it instead of me.. Riftan has to embrace them untill they become pregnant… I don't like that.. I don't like another woman touching him.. hik. Even though I'm lacking.. I don't want him to have a second wife.. hik."

Helena kept on crying harder. Anita looked at the trembling body with an unexplainable gaze.

Too bad.
I touched that man.
He has me on his bed countless times.

"You shouldn't be overthinking when his grace didn't even say anything, milady. The time you should worry about is when you hear it from his grace himself."

"That will be scarier…! Hik."

"But it's the truth."

"…"

"Noblemen can have wives just the amount of their wealth. They can't marry more than they could provide, that'll be illegal. Please think about it, as how wealthy the Christensen is, he could've built a harem but he did not."

Can't a noble lady think this much? Anita sighed as she, a slave, had to comfort and taught a noble lady about how the noble society works when she should be aware of that herself.

"That is because he is in love with you. Milady. Please stop crying.."

And I wish he didn't love you at all.

Anita wiped the tears rolling on Helena's cheeks, she comforted her until the sick lady stopped crying and fell asleep.

"You're here?"

A voice heard from behind made Anita turned around.

"The Duchess is sleeping, your grace."

Riftan nodded. When he reached where she stood, the man dropped his face on her shoulder.

"Are you alright, my lord?"

"No. I'm not. I'm mad and frustrated."

"Don't worry too much. Master talked it all out to me. She will be better in no time, your grace."

"I hope so."

Riftan looked at the sleeping person before leaving the room with Anita following him. He sat himself on his large bed. Anita sat her knees on the floor and looked up to the man.

"Please don't worry too much about it, my lord."

She put her fingers on his chest then slipped them to his neck. Riftan held her hand.

"I'm not in the mood."

"I wasn't trying to do it, your grace. I'm comforting you."

She sat on his lap, kissed his cheek then proceeded to peck his lips. Riftan kissed her back. As their lips locked, Riftan found himself forgetting about all the storm inside him.
Anita slowly moved her lips to his throat and bit the skin on his Adam apple.
They then kissed again but passionately this time.

"Master told me the princesses asked her if she could bear a child with a weak body, that's why this happened. She over-thinks about what they said to her."

"What? They brought up the child?"

"Yes. Master told me so. It seems like they were trying to make the Duchess voluntarily suggest you to have more wife, and that'd be them."

"Ha. I should've just killed them."

Anita kept quiet before she started another kiss. He was in a shitty mood. She had to do something or else, the war between the Christensen army and imperial family's may happen in a blink of an eye. He accepted it. The darkened feeling that held him up the whole night vanished from his chest little by little when this woman touched him. He found comfort in her skin. He did not know what this feeling was, he just wanted to feel her more. To calm down all the anger that took form inside him.

You still love her a lot.

She looked at the man who swallowed her lips with his eyes closed.

I wonder if you will want to end my life, too… if you know what was inside this filthy mind of mine.