It had been a week since Harriet and Liam's first whole moon night, and the woman's days passed in a relaxing routine. There was no letter from the Old Duke yet, but Harriet had already received some information from her acquaintances. The war was still going on fiercely.
So many aids were also sent by the military powerhouses on this Imperial Continent to help the Old Duke. Harriet and everyone at Almandine Castle could breathe a sigh of relief at this information. They did believe the Old Duke and their pack would win the battle.
In the afternoon, just as Harriet was about to go up to the tower with her servants to wipe Liam's body, Daniel appeared. He told Harriet that a letter had come from the imperial capital for her.
Daniel's words instantly made Harriet furrow her brows deeply.
"I'll read it later. Thanks, Daniel,” said Harriet, leaving Daniel confused.
“B-but, Madam, isn't this an important matter? His Majesty the Emperor sent it for you…” Daniel caught up with Harriet.
"Well, if it's essential, then the Emperor should send a trusted person to see me, not just send me a letter," said Harriet calmly.
In the passage at the bottom of the stairs to the tower, Harriet turned to Daniel and smiled.
"Just put it on my dressing table, and I'll open it after dinner," said Harriet.
Daniel was speechless and smiled confusedly. He saw Harriet lead the servants up the tower.
As soon as the woman's figure was out of sight, Daniel observed the letter in his hand with the wax stamp of the Euclase Empire coated in gold powder. He felt awkward because the letter was like a hot object in his hand. He had indeed heard that Marchioness Goldlane was a person the Emperor trusted greatly, and she was gifted in politics.
However, Harriet still seemed annoyed with the Emperor because the Emperor had sent her brother on a dangerous expedition that caused his condition.
Daniel went and carried out Harriet's orders.
***
After a week of doing the same thing, Harriet better grasped how to wipe Liam's body. Now, she only needed two servants to assist her, turning and tilting Liam's body. Even though she and Liam couldn't really talk to each other or do anything together, Harriet felt that the time she wiped Liam's body was a way of getting closer to him.
Liam didn't eat except when he woke up once every month. He also did not wake up no matter what people did to his body. The only indications that he was still alive were his body temperature and his breathing.
After finishing, the maids withdrew as usual and left Harriet in the room. Harriet would sit for a while, waiting for the sun to set and light the candles, then open the ceiling panels. But when it was time for dinner, Harriet didn't feel like going downstairs. She wanted to avoid opening the letter from the capital.
The woman took a deep breath and decided to act selfishly for once. She rang the bell rope installed in the tower to summon a servant from below, then asked for her dinner to be sent up to the tower. She also remembered to ask a servant to bring her some of the books she was reading. They were about Lycans and the accounting ledgers of the Pack.
She sent a message that she would sleep here tonight.
Harriet sat comfortably on the sofa, eating her food. After that, she would read in silence. Now and then, she would turn to Liam, who was fast asleep, feeling the serene peace slowly fading into a strange comfort and familiarity.
Harriet furrowed her brows deeply while reading a book about Lycans. It said that Lycans had a long life and could quickly recover from their injuries because they had excellent regeneration ability.
It was hard to kill Lycans, moreover, their Alpha. In records, the Old Duke was once stabbed with seventeen swords and eleven daggers in a battle during his prime years. However, he recovered within a month.
Harriet glanced back at her husband. She remembered the large cross wound on the blonde-haired man's chest and the known fact that he had lost his heart…
They were monsters.
It was not terrible for Harriet, but admitting they were monsters was better than denying it. After all, living and marrying monsters like them wasn't a horrible experience, according to Harriet.
The woman's face turned red.
Harriet stood, put her book on the table, and walked to the window where she saw Liam sitting on their first night. At that time, the man looked more impressive than a prince. However, right now, he seems more like Sleeping Beauty.
The thought of that made Harriet chuckle. Her husband was a monster, a handsome prince, and Sleeping Beauty all at once.
The moon rose to the peak of the horizon, and the spring stars began to shine. The many constellations would be visible in the summer sky; Harriet couldn't wait to see them from this tower. With Liam…
If only he could open his eyes by then.
Harriet changed into a more comfortable nightgown and slipped under the covers on the bed beside Liam. Tired, she immediately fell asleep.
That night, in Harriet's dream, she saw a man with long blonde hair step over to her side and hug her tightly. It was so warm and comfortable that Harriet drifted off to sleep, much more profound than usual nights.
***
The following day, Secretary Daniel climbed the tower with a breakfast tray for Harriet. He also brought the letter from the capital yesterday with him.
Daniel knew Harriet didn't want to return to her room and read the letter, so she decided to sleep in the tower. However, even if Harriet didn't want to read it, the Emperor was still the leader of this Imperial Continent. They couldn't put it off any longer.
As usual, Daniel did his morning routine. He closed the ceiling panels and was about to tidy up the room when–
CLANG!
Daniel dropped the empty tray of dishes in his hand as he saw Liam hugging Harriet from behind on the bed. The secretary still couldn't digest the sight when suddenly, his two masters slowly woke up.
“Y-Y-Young Lord…?”
"Goodness, it's so noisy; what's wrong?" Liam sat slowly with his eyes closed while Harriet tried to open her eyes, which were still sticky from a good night's sleep. She was confused by the commotion but hadn't noticed anything strange because she wasn't fully awake yet.
“Young Lord is awake!”
Daniel ran out of the room to find a physician, leaving Liam and Harriet confused.
Then, Harriet realized she had just heard Liam's hoarse voice.
Liam started to realize he was waking up in the morning sun.
Then, the two stared at each other.
"Eh?"
"Ah…"
Aksara