Reborn: The Duke's Obsession-Chapter 24 - Twenty Four

Eric led Delia outside into the fading afternoon light. They stopped beside his awaiting carriage, a sleek, dark vehicle that stood as a symbol of the power and freedom he represented. The air was cool on her flushed cheeks. She turned to him, her mind still reeling from the mixture of events inside the manor.

"Thank you," she said, her voice sincere and a little shaky. "Thank you for standing up for me back there. I really appreciate you honoring our deal, even though we haven’t signed any contract." She looked at him, trying to make sense of his actions. "I didn’t know you were such a good actor. Your performance back there... it was even more believable than I could have hoped."

Eric didn’t reply. He simply stood there, his expression unreadable, just listening to her with an unnerving intensity.

She continued, feeling the need to fill the silence, to put their relationship back on the transactional ground she understood. "What do you want me to do in return for this favor? There must be something I can—"

"Have you eaten?"

He interrupted her, his voice so soft it startled her. The question was simple, direct, and had nothing to do with contracts or favors. She fell quiet, the truth caught in her throat.

He pulled his gold pocket watch from his vest, flipping open the lid. "It’s almost dusk," he said, his voice taking on a slightly sulky tone. "And I’m hungry too. I haven’t eaten all day." He looked at her and pouted, a surprisingly boyish expression on his serious face. "Let’s eat first, before we get to that conversation."

He opened the carriage door himself and helped her inside before climbing in after her. The driver, taking this as his cue, started the carriage. They rode in silence to a high-class, established gourmet tavern, the kind of place Delia had only ever seen from the outside.

As they were led to a private table, the smells of roasted meats and rich sauces filled the air, making Delia’s empty stomach ache with hunger. Eric began to order a lavish spread of food for them, but as the server took down the order, a wave of anxiety washed over Delia. The thought of eating in this luxurious place, surrounded by wealthy patrons who might stare and judge, was too much.

"Can we... can we take the food somewhere else?" she asked, her voice low. "I don’t feel comfortable eating here."

Eric looked at her, saw the genuine fear in her eyes, and didn’t question it for a second. He turned to the server. "Pack the entire order to go, please. And be quick about it." He then turned back to Delia, his expression softening. "Should we go back to the cabin?"

Delia nodded, a wave of relief so strong it almost made her dizzy. The cabin felt like their sanctuary, the only place she felt safe.

When they arrived, the sky was a deep shade of orange. Eric retrieved a thick, soft blanket from a chest inside and spread it out on the grass in the clearing, creating a makeshift picnic ground under the setting sun. The driver helped him set out the containers of warm, fragrant food before discreetly retreating to the stables.

They sat down on the blanket, the array of delicious food between them. "Have one bite," Eric urged gently. "You don’t look so good. You’re too pale."

Hesitantly, Delia picked up a piece of roasted chicken. The moment the rich, savory flavor hit her tongue, something inside her broke. A primal, desperate hunger took over. She started eating like she hadn’t seen food in days, quickly and without grace, barely pausing to breathe.

Eric watched her, his own appetite forgotten. "How long were you locked in that room?" he asked quietly.

Delia’s face was stuffed with food. She swallowed with difficulty before answering. "Six hours. It was even shorter this time." She spoke as if this were a normal occurrence. "Sometimes I get forgotten. I sleep without eating for the whole day." She looked up at him, a piece of bread halfway to her mouth, and managed a small, wry smile. "What?" She asked. " Why? Do you pity me?"

"Calm down," Eric said, his voice gentle but firm. "Don’t rush, or you’ll choke."

Delia forced herself to stop, putting the bread down. Her stomach was already beginning to feel uncomfortably full. "You saw how the Baroness and her daughter treat me." It wasn’t a question. Eric ate a small piece of fish from his own plate, his silence an invitation for her to continue.

"You heard what she said to me in my room, right?" Delia asked, needing to know.

Eric paused his eating, his gaze now fully on her. Delia let out a cruel, broken laugh, mimicking her stepmother’s venomous tone. "’You spent one night with him, it means nothing. You are a whore. You threw your dignity away for him to trample on. He was just having fun...’"

"Stop it," Eric said, his voice suddenly serious, cutting her off. "You don’t need to think about such nonsense. Those words are poison. They don’t mean anything."

"It’s refreshing," Delia said, her voice softening, "to have someone on your side. Someone to come to your rescue. I’ve never had that before. Except for my father, of course, but he can’t do much now." She looked at him, a genuine smile touching her lips. "To have a business partner is a good thing. I like it."

She took another bite of food, a much smaller one this time. But as she chewed, tears began to well in her eyes. Her stomach clenched violently. She clapped a hand over her mouth, a look of horror on her face, and scrambled away from the blanket just before she threw up, her body rejecting the rich food it was no longer used to.

Eric was by her side in an instant. He knelt beside her, rubbing her back as she retched. When she was finished, he handed her a glass of water he had brought from the cabin.

"What happened?" he asked, his voice full of concern as he gently caressed her hair, pushing it back from her pale, clammy face.

Delia took a sip of water, her body trembling. "Whenever I eat more than what the Baroness gives me," she explained, her voice choked with shame, "I tend to throw it all up. I eat once, sometimes twice a day if she’s being generous, in very little portions. After eating my meal, sometimes I go to the kitchen to steal some scraps. If I eat more than I usually do, my body... it can’t handle it. I throw up, but I still feel hungry." She kept her eyes on the ground, too embarrassed to look at him. "I was always too afraid to tell anyone, so I just kept it to myself."

She finally locked his gaze, her own eyes swimming with tears. "I’m pathetic, right? Just a broken young woman."

"I have never thought of you in that light," Eric replied, his voice soft but firm.

The simple, honest words broke her. The tears she had been holding back began to stream down her face. "I never told you what I really wanted from this contract," she confessed through her sobs. "It’s not just about safety or a title."

She looked at him, her expression now fierce despite her tears. "I want revenge. Against everyone who wronged me. That’s why I chose you. Because you have influence, power, and wealth that will be good for my revenge. With you, I will be killing three birds with one stone. Will you help me?"

Eric looked at her, at this fragile, fierce, broken, and beautiful woman. He reached out and gently cleaned the tears from her cheeks with his thumb.

"Say no more," he said.

He moved in front of her and went down on one knee in the soft grass. He took her hand, the one that wasn’t trembling so much. "I don’t have a ring with me now," he said, his voice full of a sincerity that went far beyond any business deal. "I hope you don’t mind."

Delia shook her head, speechless.

He smiled, a slow, warm smile that seemed to light up the twilight. "Marry me, Delia," he said, his voice a possessive, certain statement. Then he paused, his eyes widening slightly as he realized his mistake. A flicker of a blush appeared on his own cheeks. He corrected himself, his voice now softer, more respectful, turning his command into a genuine question.

"Will you marry me, Delia?"

Visit freewe𝑏n(o)v𝒆l.𝑐𝘰𝑚 for the best novel reading experience