Escaping the Archduke of the North’s Obsession - Chapter 85-1

“Your Highness, were you able to sleep properly?” Isabella asked worriedly. “You should have been awake earlier, yet you’re still here in your bed. I’m worried that you couldn’t hear me—”

Duke Kyar cut her off and replied, “I’ve had enough sleep, Isabella.”

“What?”

Isabella looked at him in disbelief when he got up and leaned his back against the headboard.

“The medicine you gave me must have worked.” He said, pointing to an empty medicine bottle on the table.

“You drank that medicine before you went to sleep? Were the symptoms gone? Did you feel anything strange?”

Duke Kyar frowned slightly when he recalled the vivid dream he just had.

“I had this strange dream—-”

“Strange dream?”

Duke Kyar nodded at Isabella’s question.

He didn’t have the confidence to talk about his dream out loud.

He could only sigh every time he remembered how he had acted insanely in that dream.

“It was just a strange dream, so you don’t have to worry about it, Isabella. Anyway, that medicine has worked so you must make more and bring them to me. If my good condition continues tomorrow morning, I can confidently admit that it was effective.”

“I will. I did make this particular medicine in advance, so I guess I will just have to bring everything. I am ecstatic that the medicine helped you, Your Highness.”

Isabella replied as she nodded with determination.

Her clenched fists looked cute, and her wide grin made him think she was happier about the outcome than he was.

“Well, your ability to create such medicine is useful, Isabella.”

It wasn’t just empty flattery.

Isabella beamed at his honest compliment.

Delicious warmth flushed Duke Kyar’s back, neck, and face.

He closed his eyes and spoke curtly, “Now that you’re certain I’m  alright, could you get out of my room?” H

Duke Kyar dreamed that he had drank the love potion, but he didn’t understand why he was acting similarly to the Archduke in his dream.

“Yes, Your Highness. Oh, I apologize for bothering you again, but could you tell me which stable you left my Lucis at? I wanted to see him when I had the time.”

“The first horse section.”

“The first horse section?”

Blushing, Duke Kyar uttered such a ridiculous excuse.

“That place wasn’t that occupied.”

“Oh, yes. Thank you for taking care of Lucis, Your Highness.”

Fortunately, she didn’t find his decision strange.

He exhaled a relieved sigh as he watched Isabella’s back when she exited his bedroom.

**

The first horse section.

Isabella doubted her ears when she heard it from His Highness the first time.

The first horse section was a stable where Lacey and the Duke’s other majestic horses were deposited.

Isabella observed the animals in this unique stable, and she realized that the servants were right.

A horse’s fate was better than a man’s fate.

She frowned that these horses lived a more pleasant life in this spacious stable compared to the servants’ rooms.

These animals even ate the best hay imported from Arpeon.

Worried that Lucis had adjusted to this luxurious lifestyle,  Isabella hastened to the first horse section and entered.

A groom, who was cleaning the stables, spoke to her. “What brings you here, miss?”

” I’m here to see my donkey, Lucis. Your Highness said he was here.”

“Oh, the donkey that His Highness had brought at dawn? There he is. Your Highness seemed to cherish this one. He told me to check the donkey’s condition in the morning.”

The groom shook his head in confusion, and Isabella could only grimace before walking to the space where he had pointed at.

There, she saw Lucis eating the finest hay with a relaxed look on his face.

“Lucis.”

The donkey whined while still munching on the hay.

Maybe, it was too delicious for him just to stop chewing.

He had taken a bath, and his dirty light brown fur shone.

“You seem to be doing well, Lucis.”

Lucis grinned as if she understood.

Isabella also smiled as she glanced up at him.

But somehow, she felt like someone was watching her.

Turning her head to the direction where she felt that gaze, Isabella saw Lacey on the opposite stable.

He was snorting as he stared at Lucis.

“Lacey, hello. Long time no see.”

Lacey jerked her head to the side and ignored her.

His appearance was similar to his owner’s, but his personality seemed to be cold.

“Please take good care of my Lucis. Don’t ignore him just because he was a donkey, alright?”

Isabella whispered to Lacey, and his big dark eyes narrowed.

Duke Kyar’s stallion had given Lucis a cautious yet fierce glare.

Fortunately, Lucis didn’t seem to care.

Isabella suppressed a grin when Lucis started eating hay giddily.

“You’re shameless like me, Lucis. I’m glad I could come to visit you often. Just eat a lot and stay healthy.”

She bade him goodbye, and Lucis rubbed his nose in her hands one last time before Isabella came out of the stable.

The donkey continued eating hay afterward.

She was worried that Lucis, who was used to strolling freely in the mountains, would have to live in such a stuffy stable, but she was relieved to hear that her donkey lived in the first section.

That stable had the best facilities for horses, and it also had a large meadow behind it surrounded by fences where horses could run freely.

Lucis would be happy here.