Liam stared in awe all around the room. Everything was so bright and shimmering, so different from the darkness of the night under the full moon that he was used to seeing when he woke up once a month.
Because he was getting used to it, he thought he'd wake up on the next full moon, but things were so different when he opened his eyes. He was dazzled. It took a lot of work for him to adapt to everything.
“Milord…?”
Beside Liam sat a woman wearing only a simple nightgown on the bed. Liam knew her as his wife, Harriet.
"Am I dreaming, Madam?" the man asked, narrowing his golden eyes in disbelief.
“I-I wanted to ask the same thing…” said Harriet quietly.
Liam got out of bed and slowly walked towards the east window. The sun had climbed high in the sky. From the top of the tower, he could see the view of the Northern Land under the bright sky.
When was the last time he witnessed this sight?
Harriet got off the bed and slowly approached her husband from behind. The man fell silent in amazement, shocked at what had happened, perhaps even more amazed than she was.
And then, she heard the man's low laugh. Harriet peeked at the expression on Liam's face in the morning sun. Harriet's shaded, sharp eyelids widened. The man's golden eyes and blonde hair shimmer in the light from the east sun.
Harriet immediately felt this man was best suited to stand in the sun, not the moon. No. To be more precise, Liam Almandine looked like the personification of the sun itself.
“Madam… what exactly… had happened?” the man turned to Harriet.
The woman at his side shook her head in confusion.
“Is something different… or is there something you did to me while I was sleeping?” the man asked innocently, but Harriet furrowed her brows in annoyance.
“If it was me who caused this, shouldn't you be thanking me?” said Harriet with pursed lips.
Liam chuckled. He enjoyed teasing his wife and saw her annoyed expression, but now he had enough. So, he added a few more questions in a row.
“How many days has it been since our first night? Did you sleep by my side every night after that night? Oh, and did you miss me?”
Harriet knew that, apart from the last question, this handsome man had no intention of teasing her. However, with the man's mischievous expression and intense gaze, Harriet couldn't help but hide the blush on her face.
“It has been eight days since the full moon. I slept by your side last night and on that full moon night. While on the other nights, I always slept in my room,” Harriet answered thoughtfully.
Liam nodded. The man turned to return to the bed, but suddenly, he felt pain in his chest. It was as if a sharp object w. "Ugh!"
Harriet saw Liam suddenly clutching his shirt against his chest and bending over.
"Milord?!" Harriet propped Liam quickly.
At the same time, Daniel arrived with two physicians and several servants. They saw Liam get up and stand on his own two feet under the sunlight.
"Young Lord!"
Daniel immediately stepped forward to bring Liam back to bed. The servants and the two physicians he brought with him still stared in amazement at the conscious Liam. They quickly examined Liam's body.
The Alpha’s eyes felt heavy. It felt like he would be unconscious again.
While the physicians examined his body, Liam reached out to Harriet, stopping everyone from moving.
Harriet's heart skipped a beat at how pale Liam's face was. Her brain didn't dare guess, but she was afraid that Liam was suddenly waking up because he was experiencing health complications that were worse than before.
Would she be left alone this soon by her husband?
Harriet reached out to Liam on the bed with her hand. She knelt on the side of the bed, close to him. "Yes, Milord?"
The man smiled helplessly.
"Will you sleep by my side every night, Madam?" Liam asked.
Harriet's sad and frightened face slowly changed with the addition of a sad smile. “I don't like high places, Milord…”
"Ugh," Liam groaned softly. "So I can't sleep with my wife every night?"
Harriet's face flushed red with a complicated expression.
"Nevermind. My Madam can sleep wherever she likes,” Liam said, slowly closing his eyes. "Sleep by my side when you miss me..."
And as if his time had run out, Liam fell asleep, his hand still intertwined with Harriet's.
Silence enveloped the room at the top of the tower again.
For some reason, everything felt slightly more oppressive than the usual silence in the tower.
Harriet got up from the floor slowly and then pulled the covers for Liam. She turned to the physicians and motioned them to start examining Liam again. She didn't move an inch from where she was standing. There were so many people around her, but somehow, she felt so lonely. It hadn't been that long, but she had begun to miss the man. Liam Almandine.
***
“Madam…” Daniel looked worried, seeing Harriet's expression, which was so sad since Liam had returned to sleep.
“The physicians said Young Lord didn't show any deterioration in health. Moreover, it's been almost 40 years since the Young Lord could wake up during the day without the help of the moonlight…” Daniel chose his words carefully.
“But it seems that what happened today was just a coincidence. I'm afraid these are signs before something happens. I hope it will be something good," Harriet said with a smile.
But Harriet and Daniel knew such a thing was impossible. Even though Liam was a Lycan and a powerful Alpha, which gave him a powerful regenerative ability that made him nearly immortal, no creature in this world could survive without a beating heart.
Harriet sighed.
"Okay. You came to the tower to deliver a letter from the capital to me again, right?” asked Harriet, rising from her desk and walking to the sofa. Daniel handed her the letter from his jacket pocket and stood faithfully by Harriet's side.
As Harriet tore the envelope with her salad knife, Daniel shuddered with horror. Harriet didn't treat the letter respectfully, even though the emperor sent it.
Harriet opened the letter and skimmed the contents. Then, she immediately stood up and threw the letter into the fire without hesitation.
"M-Madam?" Daniel furrowed his brows and was amazed at what Harriet had just done.
"The Emperor asked me to come to the capital," said Harriet casually. She threw herself back on the sofa and continued, "Let's schedule me to visit the capital in a few months."
"In a few months? But Madam…?” Daniel was getting confused.
Harriet smiled reassuringly. She said softly to comfort Secretary Daniel, "Let's ensure my brother gets well before I'm willing to respond to the Emperor's request."
“I have sent a letter to resign from the world of government and politics. I've also left my responsibilities of the West Fortress to the Crown Prince's authority. Since the war is still going on in that area, the Old Duke himself is also keeping an eye on it, so there's no problem,” said Harriet in quick words.
Daniel could no longer try to change Harriet's mind.
Harriet had experienced a lot of misfortunes all her life. Plus, lately, everything seemed to be attacking her from all sides. Her younger brother came home severely injured and turned into a Lycan. The war broke out, and the offer the Old Duke made for her changed her life.
“Don't worry too much about the Imperial Capital, Secretary Daniel. Since the war in the West is ongoing, they won't consider my disappearance from government and politics important. Right now, they must focus on being on alert from all sides with their military forces,” said Harriet.
Still, Daniel felt Harriet's words sounded condescending to herself and her role in government. Harriet was quite famous in this Empire as a woman capable of being the Emperor's right hand.
"Then, Madam, would you like to have breakfast now?" Daniel smiled warmly, changing the subject.
Harriet nodded and smiled.
Aksara