obsession chapter 30

“.…” 

Gently, he removed the pen from her hand and lifted her head to a more comfortable position. His hesitant fingertips brushed her soft cheek as he moved a stray strand of hair. Her face, usually guarded with tension, was unguarded in sleep, her white eyelashes resting softly against her skin. 

“…Who are you?” 

She wore such a different face, yet spoke the same words, performed the same actions. Fearful and anxious, yet unwavering in her domain, never relinquishing the responsibility she held. I’m responsible for your health, so you will follow my prescriptions and instructions. 

“I’ve acquired a very stubborn physician,” Noxian murmured, withdrawing his hand. Sasha used to do this too. She’d stubbornly stay by his side whenever he took his medicine, even when he insisted she didn’t need to. She’d keep records just like this, and fall asleep in much the same way. Noxian took a deep breath, as if pushing away the oppressive weight in his chest. One woman vanished without a trace, while another, with an unknown past, appeared as if fallen from the sky. So alike, yet… They can’t be the same person. He glanced at the notebook on the nightstand. The uneven handwriting, reminiscent of what he’d seen at the apothecary, was far from the elegant script he remembered of Sasha’s. Yet, Noxian continued to watch her, enveloped in an unfamiliar yet nostalgic peace, as if witnessing fragments of a lost dream. The blue dawn slowly transformed into a white morning.

***

Even discounting the first day, which ended in forced unconsciousness, Shariette’s sleeping draught proved remarkably effective. It had been ten days since the long-suffering insomnia patient had returned to a normal life of sleeping at night and waking in the morning. Those who had been cautiously observing the situation now erupted in silent cheers. 

The sleepless nights are over! It wasn’t much of an exaggeration to say that the Rubelot Dukedom was ready to declare a holiday. 

“Heavens, this time we’ve truly found the right one. Call Miss Verdet; I must thank her personally.” The Duchess, who had been deeply worried that her wayward son might actually die from lack of sleep, was overjoyed. “Night shifts are over!” 

“His paperwork should be cut in half now, right?” 

“Send us home!” The servants, burdened by the endless workload and night shifts generated by their sleepless superior, rejoiced as well. No matter how many times a superior said, “Go home and rest,” how many subordinates could truly reply, “Yes, sir! Goodnight!”? 

The happiest of all was Luke Elden, the right-hand man, the buy-one-get-one-free, the inseparable companion, the official aide-de-camp of the young Duke. “You seem to be in good spirits.” 

“The sky is blue.” 

“Yesterday you said it was because the clouds were white.” 

“The world is beautiful, isn’t it?” The Rubelot Knights Pendragon were a slight exception. “Which is more dangerous, a sleep-deprived Noxian or a well-rested Noxian?” 

“W-well, it’s good for his Lordship, isn’t it? Loyalty.” 

In any case, while the young Duke’s new physician’s reputation soared, one person’s assessment plummeted: her fellow physician, Eden Evans. 

“That woman is completely hopeless. The worst!” 

With that innocent face, how could she be so infuriatingly adept at provoking him? Unfortunately, he was the only one who spoke negatively of the young Duke’s new physician. “Her personality and manner of speaking are a bit… unique, but isn’t she a good person?” 

“Yes. I hurt myself carrying luggage the other day, and she saw me and treated me herself.” 

“Me too! I didn’t think she’d bother with the likes of us, not being knights.” 

“Well, Master Heron is so hard to see, and Master Eden… let’s just say he’s not exactly welcoming, even when we just go to collect medicine…” 

Anyone who remembered the White Crow of Willowhill knew that Shariette wasn’t particularly friendly. It was just that Eden, standing beside her, was blatantly selective about who he treated. Of course, that wasn’t unusual in the Argen household, but the atmosphere at Rubelot was different. In any case, one thing was certain: thanks to Shariette, Eden Evans’s pride and authority were being steadily chipped away. Damn it, is she deliberately trying to provoke me? Actually, yes, she was deliberately provoking him.