"Your highness, I didn't know you had a bad habit of watching people in their sleep," Ingrid said in a sarcastic remark, despite her stomach doing a somersault upon realizing who it was.
Though Prince Aleric, as the only person who has the ability to come and go in her bedroom without getting caught, is her main suspect, knowing that it was really him was still an earth-shattering surprise to Ingrid. It genuinely never occurred to her that there is an ounce of kindness in the prince hailed as tyrannical and barbaric.
Meanwhile, Prince Aleric, still shocked to find Ingrid awake, couldn't utter a single word. He wondered how she woke up so fast.
Wait, was she pretending? But the perspiration on her forehead, her face pale with fright, and the slight tremor of her hands that were locking him in his position are telling him otherwise.
"Were you pretending?" he still asked.
Seeing that he wasn't planning to escape, Ingrid set him free from her grasp.
"It wasn't that hard," she answered, trying to act like it was nothing. But the way her still shaken body struggled as she tried to get up gave her away.
"I simply imagined being inside one of my nightmares. The effect was quite believable isn't it?" She tried to push herself up once again, but her weakened arms failed her.
Seeing her struggle, Prince Aleric sighed and helped her sit before sitting at the edge of the bed. He looked at Ingrid with an unreadable expression. Just how eager was she to catch him to subject herself to such torture?
"So, why are you avoiding me?" Ingrid's straightforward question left Prince Aleric speechless once more. Her eyes, like those of a siren that lures sailors to their death, looked straight at him.
"You were afraid," he stated with a heavy tone. Then he added lightheartedly. "It's already enough that I've frightened my bride. What if you saw me and became insane? That would have ruined everything!"
"I wasn't... afraid." Ingrid's voice turned smaller. She looked down, her hands fidgeting at the edge of the blanket.
Ingrid indeed was afraid. At that very moment the fear that grappled her made every bone in her body tremble. But once the momentary fright subsided, she realized that she didn't fear the prince as much as she should.
She was afraid of the carnage that he did, yes. She feared how fragile life looks in the grasp of his hand, undoubtedly so. Yet, deep within her gut was a spark of trust, telling her he isn't one of those who are and will try to hurt her—a rather ridiculous feeling knowing he might've killed her right then had he not regained his sanity.
Ingrid wondered if Prince Aleric suffered from some illness. Back then he didn't seem normal at all. It was as though he was an animal that had lost all reason. Also, the way that man who suddenly appeared calmly responded to the situation made her think that wasn't the first time such a thing happened.
Prince Aleric's sarcastic chuckle cut off Ingrid's train of thought. "Not afraid? Then why were you having nightmares about it?"
"I didn't have nightmares of that day!" Ingrid instantly denied. She thought she would, but she didn't. And to her horror, a sliver of darkness expanding in her heart didn't at all feel a sense of pity towards those people he killed. Instead, it rejoiced in their misery, thinking they deserved every ounce of suffering they experienced.
"You don't need to force yourself, my lady," Prince Aleric said in a mocking tone. "As per our contract, I will protect you with everything in my power."
With that, Prince Aleric turned his back on Ingrid, ready to leave.
Though everything was but a part of their big plan, he did take a slight interest towards Ingrid. He liked how, though oftentimes she was wary and fearful, she still looked him in the eye without cowering. So he couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed to see her trembling at the sight of him.
A bitter smile appeared on his lips. Perhaps that old witch was right; with this power that is not of this world, he was destined to be alone.
But just as he was about to vanish, Ingrid exclaimed, "I waited for you!" Her voice was so loud that it echoed within the confines of her bedroom. It wouldn't be a surprise if one or two guards heard her, but at that moment, none of it mattered to Ingrid.
Ingrid couldn't understand why, but she was desperate to make him believe her.
The swirling darkness around Prince Aleric stilled. He turned to Ingrid, meeting her clear eyes that seemed to reveal everything she was feeling at the moment—anxiousness, desperation, uncertainty, confusion, but no fear.
Prince Aleric smiled. "See you tomorrow, wife."
With that he vanished, leaving the bewildered Ingrid alone.
While thinking about what Prince Aleric meant with his words, she suddenly heard someone knocking on her door.
"My, lady? Are you alright?" Asked the knight guard on duty.
Ingrid's cheeks flared as realization sinks in. They must have heard what she said. Ingrid squirmed and rolled around her bed like a restless worm in embarrassment.
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"My lady? Is everything alright?" The knight guard once again asked when he didn't hear her answer.
"Ehem," she cleared her throat. "Y-yes, I just had a sleep start! I'm sorry! I'll be going back to sleep now!"
"It's no big deal, my lady. Have a good night!"
"You too!"
Ingrid sighed in relief. She hid herself under the covers and began scolding herself in shame.
////\
Ingrid woke up in a better mood. Last night the nightmares did not visit her in her sleep. The servants instantly noticed their young lady's uplifted spirit, though the change was subtle, and were taken aback.
"My lady, I heard the kitchen prepared your favorite strawberry muffin with chocolate filling this morning. Should I ask the kitchen to bring some?" Emerald asked nervously. Unfortunately, as the youngest, she ended up becoming the mood tester for their young lady.
Although Ingrid is usually a kind and tolerant mistress, there are still times when she loses her temper. She may not throw a tantrum and hurt the servants when angry, unlike some other noble ladies, but a glare from her is enough to break the servants hearts. These past ten days, the poor young Emerald ended up taking all of Ingrid's glares.
Ingrid thought for a moment and nodded. "Sure!"
The faces of the servants instantly brightened. Whenever Ingrid was in a terrible mood, she would often skip breakfast, her favorite meal of the day. Seeing her agree to Emerald's suggestion confirmed their hunch that their young lady finally regained some of her previous vigor.
It did not take long before the news reached Grand Duke's Rasmus ears. Coincidentally, he was heading towards Ingrid's palace with Elias, the physician Alana, and an aged woman wearing a forest green robe when an excited servant told him the news.
Grand Duke Rasmus hastened his steps, outpacing the three with astonishing speed. He hurried toward Ingrid's rooms, ignoring the greetings of the servants.
Ingrid's door was slammed open as the grand duke came in like an overexcited puppy.
"Sunshine!"
Ingrid's lips curled up upon seeing her father. She suddenly missed him so much even when he never failed to visit her the past ten days.
"Papa!"
It felt like a heavy boulder was removed from the grand duke's heart after seeing Ingrid smile. His eyes turned misty as he wrapped his daughter in a gentle hug.
"I missed you, sunshine."
Ingrid's nose stung a bit. She must've worried her father so much these past days.
When Elias and the others arrived, they were met by the heartwarming scene between the father and daughter.
Elias' eyes instinctively turned towards the door, which seemed to be in a far worse condition than the previous one. He couldn't help but shake his head as he arranged for people to fix it.
If this goes on, their door supply would soon run out. To his inconvenience, the wood used for this door is incredibly rare. But the grand duke would never let his daughter use anything subpar.
He made a mental note to search for Buloke trees when he has time.
"My lady!"
The emotional atmosphere was instantly broken by the arrival of another overexcited dog.
It was the old chef Roan who personally brought the strawberry muffins for Ingrid. Roan works exclusively as Ingrid's chef. He has a close relationship with the previous grand duke and grand duchess and can be considered family. Behind him trailed Emerald, breathing heavily, her face as red as a tomato. She couldn't believe how fast the old man was despite his advanced age.
"My lady! You've lost a lot of weight!" Roan, the head chef, cried with giant tears falling from his eyes. He handed the plate of muffins to Emerald, who was still barely catching her breath, and began checking Ingrid's frail arms.
Ingrid's wrists did become smaller as the stress of having constant nightmares made her lose her appetite.
"I've made you worry, Grandpa."
Grandpa Roan playfully slapped the back of her hand and scolded her, "Indeed, you did! You don't know how hurt this grandpa is every time the servants return the dishes untouched!"
"I'm sorry, Grandpa. I'll rely on you to fatten me again," Ingrid jokingly responded.
After a night of dreamless sleep, she was in a truly good mood. Catching the rat that had been sneaking into her bedroom was a bonus, though calling the man who helped her through her nightmares a "rat" probably isn't right. The image, however, kept her cheerful.
Suddenly, Alana clapped, catching their attention. "Alright! I don't want to be the party pooper, but the young lady's foot needs to be checked," she reminded them.
The two equally fussy adults instantly made way for the physician, not wanting to delay Ingrid's treatment. As usual, Alana made a routine check on her overall health before checking on her foot injury.
"It's healing pretty well! You may still feel some slight discomfort when walking, but as long as you don't strain yourself, you'll be running in no time!"
Grand Duke Rasmus was quite relieved to hear the news, and so was Elias. Not just because he cares for the young lady, but because there is a backlog of work that awaits the grand duke in his office. Now that Ingrid's health has improved, the grand duke no longer has any excuse to delay his work. Elias made a mental note to work with him like a horse.
Grand Duke Rasmus felt a sudden chill. Was he going down with a cold?
"By the way, Papa, who is she?" Ingrid asked curiously while looking at the woman with a wrinkled face sitting on the side. She noticed her coming with Elias and Alana earlier but didn't get the chance to ask about her until now.
The grand duke, in his glee at the news that his daughter finally regained some vitality, seems to also have momentarily forgotten about the presence of their visitor.
"Forgive me for my negligence, Lady Joan," Grand Rasmus said in an embarrassing tone.
"Don't worry about it! We all get caught up in the moment sometimes," the old lady responded with a smile as she stood while being supported by the grand duke and Elias.
Both of them carefully led their old visitor towards Ingrid.
Grand Duke Rasmus's courteous and respectful act was something not even Emperor Cecil got to experience. This shows how important this unknown woman's identity most likely is.
"Sunshine, this is Lady Joana, an elder of the druid tribe. My lady, this is my daughter, whom I've spoken about. Her name is Ingrid."
Lady Joana held Ingrid's hand and smiled. "Despite this poor eyesight of mine, I could tell that you are an incredibly beautiful child."
A soothing calm spread through Ingrid's entire body when Lady Joana held her hand. She has read about druids before. They were said to be the guardians of knowledge of the world and have a very close relationship with nature. But this is the first time she's seen one.
It wasn't just the old lady's hand that had a calming effect, but it was her entire existence. Looking at her made Ingrid think of a gentle morning under the canopies of trees and surrounded by various birds and animals.
"I heard that nightmares plagued the young lady's dreams?"
Ingrid nodded. It was as though she had turned into a young child under the gentle caress of her mother.
"Do you mind if I take a look?"
Ingrid nodded once more.
Holding both of Ingrid's hands, Lady Joan closed her eyes. A greenish glow appeared from her palm. Everyone watched the entire process with their breaths held.
They stayed like that for a couple of minutes before Lady Joan opened her eyes with a frown.
"These nightmares the young lady has been experiencing, they aren't ordinary nightmares. They are memories—sealed within her subconscious."