Chapter 105: Nothing Else Matters
Tillian hesitated in front of the bedroom doors, reluctant to enter for fear of disturbing Aideen’s rest with unnecessary noise.
He was utterly exhausted. So much so that he could not even muster the energy to finish his usual tasks, leaving Stanis to take care of them in his stead.
Never had he imagined that seeing Aideen hurt, even if not severely, would take such an immense toll on him. His own well-being deteriorated almost instantly, and he found it remarkable how deeply his wife’s condition, or rather, her lack of well-being, affected him.
Both emotionally and physically, he felt the weight of her pain as if it were his own.
’For so long, I have loved her without fully realizing the depth of my feelings. But now, as I stand here, every fiber of my being intertwined with hers, I find myself facing whatever hardships she endures as if they were my own. Now that she is here, so close to me, I see clearly that she is not just the love of my life; she is the air I breathe, the beat of my heart, the reason for my very existence. Without her, I am but a shell of who I am meant to be.
And it pains me that I have to be reminded of this in such a dreadful way.’
A light creak broke through the hallway’s silence as Bella opened the door and stepped outside, addressing the worried Duke,
"Your Grace, the bath is ready. Please, get some rest. You look as if you are on the brink of collapse."
Ignoring the maid’s concern, the man nodded at her, expressing modest gratitude for her effort, and quietly walked into the bedroom, ensuring that his steps were as light as feathers.
As he passed the bed where Aideen lay soundlessly, he could not help but stop.
Yes, perhaps he worried too much and she was now alright, but a nagging feeling deep in his heart kept distorting his perception of her; she seemed smaller, weaker, even defenseless, and he did not like it one bit.