Sacrificial Bride to the Feared Lord Hastings-Chapter 169: Reunion (4)

"I know there’s more you want to say, but I will let it go for now. After you have rested, I will have the doctor come to you. Lord Hastings has a good doctor, but you might find she tends not to listen," said Ophelia.

"I don’t need a doctor right now. I am fine," Theo said, not wanting to be poked at.

"I won’t make you take medicine. We should have her take a look at you to see if she has seen your condition before. You weren’t receiving the best care in the Valthorn castle. We might succeed with a new doctor," Ophelia said, hopeful.

"I will see the doctor, but can’t I rest for today? I promise you that I am not in pain right now. Allow me to be a bit carefree and look around the castle without worrying about my health," Theo pleaded.

"I’m sorry," Ophelia apologised for being pushy. "I thought we should make up for the time I was away to ensure you are well. I will hold off sending the doctor until tomorrow night. That should be enough time for you to rest. If you are in pain, you must let me know right away."

"No matter how much I try, I can’t hide my pain from you. You read me too well," Theo said, followed by a chuckle to lighten the mood.

Ophelia laughed along with Theo, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that Theo was lying to her. She did know him a little too well, and it wasn’t the first time Theo hid his pain from her.

Pointing it out would only lead to an argument and Theo sending her out of the chamber.

"Would you like a warm bath now? I can have the maids bring in warm water, and I can help you myself. Unless you want to rest. Then, I can show you all that I bought for you. Or even better, there is a home Lord Hastings has prepared for us. It is in our names," Ophelia shared.

Theo frowned, puzzled as to why they needed another home. "Why? Isn’t the castle your home? Why would you need another? Did you lie to me about your marriage?"

"No, I didn’t. Naturally, Lord Hastings and I started against each other, but we are close now. It was my request to have a home outside of the castle since I prefer a quiet life. It is not like the Valthorn castle, but a castle is a castle. It gets hectic, and I want peace," Ophelia explained.

Ophelia sat down on Theo’s bed. "I love you, but I don’t want to bear with you questioning my marriage when I have already told you the truth. I already have to put up with everyone else questioning it. Give me some peace with you. I rarely lie to you."

"It is good to see you admit that you have lied to me before. I apologise for all my questions, but you must understand me. He is Lord Hastings, and we are the forgotten children of our mother. It is hard to grasp that you settled in well," Theo said, uncertain about Dante’s kindness.

"I didn’t settle in well. There were challenges when I first came, but we have moved past them. I know it is strange to think of Lord Hastings being kind to me when he hates the Valthorns, but he has recognised I am not on the Valthorns’ side," Ophelia explained.

"Theo, it is thanks to only Lord Hastings that you sit before me. He took part in an event he had no interest in simply to bring you here. He gained nothing from it, and he didn’t ask for anything in return. He is a kind man," Ophelia promised, hoping Theo could be welcoming of Dante.

"Dante spoke of having feelings for me and wanting our marriage to be real. He wants me to stay here when the war is over and let this be my home. I am leaning towards it, but I have yet to truly speak about my feelings because I am afraid. Don’t scare me," Ophelia pleaded.

Theo felt guilty. "I didn’t think this through. Forgive me. I didn’t mean to ruin your happiness."

"I know your questions come out of concern. I won’t be upset with you for it. It doesn’t help that you weren’t able to attend the wedding to get a look at my husband, and now he is ill. Once he is well, you will see that all we heard about him is wrong."

"I look forward to meeting him. Do you get along with everyone? Who troubles you?" Theo asked after Ophelia avoided his eyes.

"I cannot get everyone to like me. At the moment, his mother is not accepting of me, and I don’t believe it will ever change. Even if she changes to like me one day, I cannot forgive all she did to me. What matters to me is that I am close to my husband and I have made a friend here. Our lives will be better," Ophelia promised and held Theo’s hand.

"I trust that it will. While I want to enjoy your company, I am tired. I have never had a bed this comfortable," Theo said, leaning back on his pillows.

Ophelia smiled and released Theo’s hand as she stood up. "Then, I shall let you rest and return later to bathe you. Rest well."

Ophelia walked to the door, leaving Theo to get acquainted with his new chamber.

With the guests taken care of, Ophelia thought it was time to return to Dante.

Thomas came running to Ophelia as she made her way to Dante’s chamber.

"You look out of breath, Thomas," Ophelia commented.

"Not at all, Lady Hastings."

"I will be busy for some time, so I need your help. Please mark out a path Lady Valthorn will be allowed to roam. If she goes off the path, she must be escorted back to her chamber. I am confident she came here with plans to either hurt me or Lord Hastings," said Ophelia.

Ophelia believed Joel wouldn’t miss the chance to get the upper hand by harming Dante and let Giselle take the fall when she was caught.

Ophelia opened the door to Dante’s chamber and found him still lying on the bed. It was a depressing sight, but as always, she tried to remain positive. She closed the door to have a moment alone with Dante.

Ophelia approached the bed, wanting to fix the blanket, which barely covered Dante.

When Ophelia reached for the blanket, she was startled by Dante grabbing her hand. Ophelia was excited, thinking Dante had finally woken up, only to be met with pain. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

A cry tore through the chamber as Dante’s nails dug into Ophelia’s flesh.