Mr. & Mrs Meropide

Chapter Thirty-Three: For Maria

The morning light filtered softly through the curtains, casting a warm, golden glow across the room. Wriothesley felt a weight on his arm and glanced down, seeing Clorinde's head resting gently against his shoulder. Her breathing was slow and steady, her expression peaceful and relaxed. They were a bit more cuddled up than he had anticipated, her arm draped lightly across his chest. The sight made him pause, a small smile tugging at his lips—she looked undeniably cute, a side of her he rarely got to see.
He didn't want to wake her by moving, so he lay still, enjoying the moment.

After a while, Clorinde began to wake. Wriothesley quickly shut his eyes, pretending to be asleep. As she became more aware, she noticed how close she had gotten to him during the night and felt a small flush of warmth creep up her cheeks. Surprised at herself, she carefully lifted her head, taking a moment to compose herself before slowly slipping out of bed. She moved with deliberate care, not wanting to wake him, and quietly made her way downstairs.

As he heard Clorinde moving around in the kitchen, Wriothesley decided it was time to get up. He quietly made the bed, folding the sheets and propping the mattress against the wall. Taking a moment, he glanced around the room, his eyes landing on the brooch she had mentioned. It sparkled beautifully in the sunlight, casting delicate reflections across the room.

A little while later, the scent of breakfast was in the air, and Wriothesley decided it was time to make his way downstairs. He found Clorinde in the kitchen, busy preparing breakfast. She turned and smiled when she saw him.

"Good morning," she greeted, placing a plate of food on the table.

"Morning," Wriothesley replied, taking a seat and inhaling the delicious aroma. "You didn't have to do this."

Clorinde waved it off with a smile. "It's the least I could do after you helped so much yesterday."

They enjoyed their breakfast together, the conversation light and easy. But as they finished up, Wriothesley sighed, knowing what he had to say next.

"I've got to head back to the Fortress today," he said, regret lacing his words. "There are some duties that need my attention."

Clorinde nodded in understanding, though there was a hint of disappointment in her eyes. "I figured. Duty calls, right?"

"Unfortunately, yes," he replied, standing up and giving her a small smile. "But I'll be back to check on you soon. Don't hesitate to reach out if you need anything."

"I'll be fine," Clorinde assured him, walking him to the door. "I still have a lot of unpacking to do anyway."

With a final wave, Wriothesley left, heading back to the Fortress. Clorinde watched him go before turning back to the task at hand. There was still a lot to do to make the house feel like home. 

The Duke walked into the Fortress, heading straight to his office. As he approached, he heard some noise coming from upstairs. Cautiously, he made his way up, not sure what to expect. But the scene that unfolded before him was far from what he imagined.

Maria and Sigewinne were jumping on the couch, alongside Vire's daughter, who was clearly having the time of her life. And Vire? He was sitting peacefully at the Duke's desk, casually stamping documents and forging the Duke's signature with the most relaxed posture imaginable.

"How did everything go?" Maria asked, still bouncing on the sofa.

"Why is Vire in my seat?" the Duke countered, eyeing the scene with disbelief.

"You weren't here, and the Fortress doesn't run itself," Vire replied casually, flipping through the next document with practiced ease.

"You can't just break into my office and... work?" the Duke said, his expression a mix of incredulity and confusion.