Chapter 11 - How Do I Feel?

Eloise’s POV



I woke up to another bright morning and in a ton of pain. Various bruises and cuts covered my arms and legs from the previous days. It made walking around a little difficult and reminded me about how much I suffered while at Adam’s castle.



There was a light knock at my door. I opened it to see Nora on the other side. She greeted me with a smile as she reached into her pockets. Various bottles and jars were in her possession.



“Good morning, my Lady. I have something for you!”



I took one of the jars she held and opened it. “Medicine…” I sniffed the liquid in the jar. “Where did you get them from, Nora?”



“They came from Lord Xavier, my Lady. He says that these were what he used during his time in the army. Here, let’s go back inside so I can apply these to your wounds.”



My eyebrows perked up as I followed Nora and sat on my bed. I wonder if Xavier noticed these while I was in the bathroom last night. It looks like he’s still capable of kindness despite being filled with so much hatred and anger.



Things were peaceful between us for a few weeks. Xavier was kind enough to have his servants take good care of me. They would send warm, delicious meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Occasionally, he would also send some new clothes.



But we weren’t close. Despite being married, Xavier and I continued to live separately. He occupied his master bedroom and sometimes his study room.



I only occupied one of the guest rooms but he still never came to visit me himself. I’d take this over him yelling at me any day.



One afternoon, someone came and knocked at my door. I opened it to see Adrian on the other side.



"Hi Adrian." I greeted him with a smile.



"Afternoon, my Lady. I've come to collect you for Lord Xavier" He said with a slight bow of his head.



"Collect me? Can I ask what for?"



"I don't know the details, my Lady. All I know is that Lord Xavier said he needed to discuss something important with you."



Adrian escorted me to Xavier’s study and left us alone.



Xavier raised his head from his work.



“Good afternoon, my Lord. ” I curtsied.



“Sit, please.”



Guess he wants to skip the formalities.



“So, what’s the purpose of our meeting today, my Lord?” I raised an inquisitive brow.



“Well…” Xavier hesitated. “My mother’s birthday is approaching. She resides in the town of Noah–the place I was trying to send you to initially.”



This was the first time he had ever mentioned his mother to me. It wasn’t surprising, though. He must have felt embarrassed to introduce a Wisdom daughter, of all women, to his mother.



“Oh? Well, I’m assuming you need something from me?”



Xavier nodded. “My mother is what you would call ‘old-fashioned.’ Marriage to her is very sacred and important, which means I don’t think she would be too particularly happy with me having married someone due to political obligations.”



“I guess you’re asking me to become an actress,” I stated.



Xavier nodded his head again. “Precisely. We need to behave as if we are a true couple. This means having to act like we enjoy the warmth of each other’s companionship and affection.”



He paused and fidgeted around before continuing. “And… Whatever comes out of this visit with my mother, please do not attach yourself to the idea of becoming Luna.”



I nodded my head. This wasn’t the first time that he had told me to quit dreaming about becoming his Luna now that we were married. However, this was the first time that he wasn’t so hostile about it. At that moment, he seemed awkwardly cute.





“No worries, my Lord. Just know that I fully agree with what needs to be done.”



“Excellent because we will be leaving in just a few hours.”



Later that day, Xavier and I boarded a carriage together. It was the first time that we stayed so close together without there being some type of conflict.



The ride was surprisingly peaceful. A little too peaceful for my liking.



I was forced to sit next to him since our luggage had taken the other half of the carriage. I sat rather stiffly, afraid that if I moved the wrong way, that it would upset him.



For the first time in weeks, he wasn’t upset with me or showed any aggression. I preferred to keep it that way for a little while longer, even if it was a little unnerving to see him act differently



What I didn’t expect was for him to put his arm behind me on the seat. Though he wasn’t holding me, it still made me nervous. I cautiously took a peek at him to see what he was doing but saw that his eyes were closed.



He could be asleep… I thought to myself.



A few minutes later, I was able to relax. I opened the carriage’s curtain quietly so I could look out the window.



A small gasp left my lips. This would be the first time I’d ever seen Noah. The town was settled some way south of Normand, which made the region much warmer—even during the winter.



Market stalls peppered most of the roads and the place seemed to be thriving . The town was busy and brimming with life. It’s so beautiful here!



Feeling Xavier's gaze on me, I quickly turned around but found his eyes were still closed. Was he truly asleep?



It was late at night when we finally arrived at the heart of Noah. A room was arranged for us and ready to move into so we could settle down after a long trip.



“Let’s rest for the night,” Xavier suggested.



“A good idea, my Lord. We’ll need all of our energy for tomorrow.”



I sat on the edge of the bed—the only bed that was in the room. My foot tapped away at the wooden floor as my thoughts wandered in observation of the room. The room’s cute but there’s only one bed? Well, I guess I’m sleeping on the floor tonight…



The rush of warmth and steam caused me to involuntarily pick my eyes up from the floor. Upon seeing Xavier fresh out of the shower, my eyebrows shot up.



He had a towel wrapped around the lower half of his body. This was the second time I was seeing him like this but now I had a better look at him.



His chiseled abs and pecs were like looking at carved marble. His toned-body looked so strong. I see why women are so attracted to him…



As if ignoring my gawking, Xavier’s lips tugged downward. “I do hope that you plan to take a shower before coming to bed.”



I quickly nodded and rushed into the bathroom. I tried to scrub away the nervous chatter that started in my mind with soap and shampoo. Agh, what was I even thinking?! I don’t even know if I’ll be able to go to bed after this…



After some time had passed, I stepped out of the bathroom, already fully dressed in a nice pair of pajamas. I made my way to the door but paused before leaving. Should I ask Nora for an extra quilt?



Before I could make another move, Xavier spoke up from the bed. He had already made himself comfortable. “Don’t just stand there, please. Turn off the light and come to bed.”



“Yes, of course, my Lord. I’m sorry.”



Xavier was laying down on the outside of the bed and because of how it was positioned in the room, the only way for me to get on my side was to climb over him.



Just don’t make it weird. Don’t make it weird.



I believed I was small enough to easily maneuver my way over him without a problem.



It didn’t occur to me that having to remind myself constantly to be careful only meant that the complete opposite was going to happen.



Unexpectedly, I caught my foot on the quilt and stumbled over. An odd groan escaped Xavier’s lips as I fell on him, though he only looked at me without saying a word.



To make matters worse, I was hoping to use the edge of the bed as leverage to get myself back up. Because it was so dark, instead, I ended up pressing against the lower half of his stomach. Already so flustered, I panicked and tried to find another part of the bed to prop myself up on—but I ended up touching his chest instead.



Like a baby dear, I continued to scramble about nervously until Xavier sat up. Suddenly his strong hands were wrapped around my arms. His voice was but a low, husky whisper.



“Have you gotten a good feel on everything?”