บท 17: Close Calls and Complications (2)
After Beth had aided Mikael in dressing and arranging his wig, their nerves were on edge as the family doctor entered the room.
But it seemed that Marquess Nicolaus had told a few people about Mikael's true identity. The tension that gripped them started to ease a little as they became aware that Secretary Cade and the family doctor had been informed.
Mikael loosened his stiff shoulders and followed the doctor's orders, letting himself be examined. The doctor checked his pulse and jotted down things in a little notebook.
And amid the doctor's inspections, suddenly, the door burst open, and there was Nicolaus. Mikael's heart jumped from his ribcage; he wasn't prepared to meet the Marquess, not after the previous night.
Without thinking, he turned his gaze from Nicolaus, the memories of their night together still graphic in his recollection and senses. Mikael swiftly redirected his focus, trying to steady himself and provide answers to the doctor's queries.
He forced himself to pay attention, though his responses were all over the place and a bit strained as his thoughts were tangled. Keeping up a straight face with Nicolaus' unrelenting stare was not easy.
A little while later, the doctor began packing up his things into his leather case, ending Mikael's examination. He cleared his throat gently, then took out a tin box.
"This will help you," the doctor assured, handing Mikael the medicine. He continued, "It can also treat the bite on your nape. It has a soothing effect."
Mikael's cheeks reddened with shame as the doctor's observations proved his hunches. The issue was a tear in his rear entrance – no wonder he had been in such pain that his movements were restricted, making walking nearly unbearable.
Unconsciously, Mikael's eyebrows furrowed, his gaze flickering toward Nicolaus. Mikael pressed his lips together as he could not help but feel resentful, blaming the man who caused his current misery.
"Please be more careful from now on, my lord," the family doctor advised Nicolaus, his voice carrying a note of concern. The doctor's hand landed briefly on his shoulder in a reassuring pat before he walked to the door.
As the doctor exited, he asked Beth to step aside for a quick chat about an additional remedy, leaving Mikael and Nicolaus alone in the bedroom. The door shut softly, and their voices faded into the distance.
The bedroom had cleared out, leaving only Nicolaus and Mikael behind with an unbroken silence embracing the air.
Amidst the quietude, Nicolaus' approaching footsteps cut through. They got louder as he approached.
He sat on the side of the bed, and the mattress responded with a gentle creak as he sat down. His hands moved as he took the tin box from the table by the bed.
"I can manage it myself," Mikael said, his voice carrying the pride left in him. These words instinctively slipped out of his mouth, a defense mechanism to maintain his dignity.
One side of Nicolaus' mouth lifted in a slight, insightful grin. "Now, no one had seen," he paused, his gaze meeting Mikael's, "their own asshole."
Mikael's cheeks flushed slightly, his eyes looking away momentarily before meeting Nicolaus' gaze again.
"It's not exactly something people can handle on their own," Nicolaus said, sounding amused. "Sometimes, assistance can be necessary, whether we like it or not."
Mikael felt the urge to protest, to show he could make his own choices, but he couldn't ignore what Nicolaus said. He held back his words and surrendered, convincing himself that asking Beth would be more embarrassing.
"Lay on your stomach," Nicolaus directed.
Mikael, however, didn't follow the instruction and stared elsewhere. His eyes were fixed on the blanket.
He opted to speak something that was in his mind instead. "I was thinking about asking you to cancel the wedding," Mikael expressed.
Nicolaus answered briefly, "Even if you told me, I'd respond the same way I told your sister: It's not going to be possible."
"Why? You can easily ask for divorce since I–" Mikael began, but his voice trailed off as he tried to reason that he wasn't the person Nicolaus had initially intended to marry.
Nicolaus didn't beat around the bush. He stated firmly, "I need a person to give birth to my child," without any chance for debate.
A shift in the room's mood occurred, a mild tension taking over as the conversation swerved unexpectedly. Mikael's demeanor turned watchful, and a faint resentment lurked beneath his surface composure.
His voice held a bitter edge as he spoke to Nicolaus, "Y, You plan to treat my sister worse than an animal. To sleep with you and give birth to your child!"
Nicolaus' attitude changed, his expression turning stern as he locked eyes with Mikael's defiant gaze.
"I have to go back to my estate," Mikael's voice grew colder, his tone tinged with disdain. "There are matters I have to deal with."
"Matters?" Nicolaus scoffed, his voice dripping with skepticism. "The Steele's dying businesses, I presume?"
"Dying?" Mikael's eyes showed annoyance. Those words hit him hard, like a punch to the gut, leaving a wound that cut deep.
While there was no denying that the family's business endeavors were encountering difficulties, Mikael was devoted to finding solutions and restoring their fortune, no matter how tough the circumstances.
"I told you to turn over," Nicolaus' instruction was sharp, his impatience now showing evidently.
Mikael's resistance flared, frustration and defiance intertwining in his voice. "I told you I can handle it on my own."
"I don't have the time or patience for this," Nicolaus' irritation seeped into his words, his patience nearly gone. He caught Mikael off guard, firmly repositioning him on his stomach by giving his leg a yank.
"Then, don't do it!" Mikael protested, finding himself overpowered by Nicolaus' firm grasp.
Mikael could hear the distinct sound of a medicine bottle being opened as he lay there. He shivered a bit when Nicolaus' fingers made contact with the back of his neck, accompanied by the soothing feel of the doctor's medicine.
A quick gasp escaped Mikael's lips when his thumb delicately separated his buttocks. With careful attention, Nicolaus used his finger to apply the remedy directly to the source of his discomfort.
"Wasn't that easy?" he said.
There was no other than resentment swelling within Mikael. He resented Nicolaus, resented the circumstances that had brought him to this point. His anger burned even brighter as he reflected on the cruel irony of it all.
He hated the Marquess even more for the knowledge of how Mikael would have been treated if he had let his sister marry this man.
Amid his turbulent thoughts, Nicolaus' voice cut through, carrying sincerity that caught him off guard. "I respect you, Lord Mikael," he began. "You've got a good sense of loyalty to your sister. Instead of revealing where she was, you went as far as impersonating her–"
"Th, Then I would not be any different from my father who sold his daughter!" Mikael yelled, his emotions laid bare as his voice started to waver.
"Let's find out how long you're going to keep loyal to her," Nicolaus said, issuing a challenge.
Mikael's frustration surged, his hands balling into fists on the mattress. "D, Don't you dare look for her," he warned.
"And why wouldn't I?" Nicolaus shot back, his annoyance palpable. "She said yes to having my kid, then disappeared without a trace. It was a direct insult," he added bitterly.
"Even your old man pulled the same stunt," Nicolaus continued. "Is it some tradition of yours to take words lightly?"
Mikael fell silent. Tears of anger and frustration welled up in his eyes, and his vision blurred by the storm within him.
His heart aching for all the words left unsaid. He bit down on his lip, his emotions threatening to spill over as he struggled to contain them.
"Make sure you'll recover in three days. I can't delay our trip back to my territory any further," Nicolaus said as he pushed himself up from the bed, the soft rustle of fabric accompanying his movement.
Mikael managed to summon the strength to ask, his voice laced with confusion, "Our?"
"Why? Aren't you my wife?" Nicolaus' words were edged with a touch of sarcasm.
Mikael shifted, despite the pain that radiated through his body. He turned over, wincing as he faced Nicolaus. "I never married you," he declared.
Nicolaus offered no further response, merely stating, "Tell that to the person who showed up at the aisle," before he left, his departure marked by the closing of the door.
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