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Realistic or Modern Night’s Embrace | Private |

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Rose was well aware of her stubborn nature. She believed it to be something that she had inherited from her father. After all, the man truly did know when to let things go. She knew he had been hounding Emory about giving up his land for years. It was a bit amusing now that the other male had to take care of her in the way that he did. The irony of it all was enough to make her want to laugh. She held it back though. She didn’t want to get a lion from the other male or to have to explain why she found something in this situation to be amusing. Nothing about what was happening at the current moment in time was on the line of being funny. She would be lying if she didn’t admit how miserable laying here in this way made her feel.

She was now cursing herself for not being smarter the day prior. She knew how weak her immune system was. She had multiple scared like this throughout her life. It had been a while since it had been this badly this quickly though. That was enough to worry her to a point of no return. It would only get worse from this moment in. She was sure that the medicines and herbs in the town near here wouldn’t work as well as those in the kingdom. She just had to pray that her own stupidity wouldn’t be her demise.

She blinked as she heard his words, her gaze shifting to land on his expression. It softened some then. “I’m sorry for not telling you about how ill I can get yesterday. I should have kept my curiosity to myself. We shouldn’t have gone to the funeral.” Her words were gentle. She felt the need to have something fill the tense air around them. She could tell how uncomfortable Emory was at the current moment in time. She bit her bottom lip gently. Her head felt very foggy, though she was sure it was from the fever she was experiencing. It was beginning to pound with the beginning of a headache. “You do not have to help me anymore if you do not want to. I will be fine until Viola comes in.” She added after a few minutes had passed by. She was contradicting the entire purpose of going to get Emory in the first place, but she was trying to ease the mood.

She fell silent again as the nightgown was completely removed from her. She was rather confident with her body. It was shaped rather nicely. The corset she wore most days helped shape her waistline. Normally she would have joked about the situation that they found themselves in, but she couldn’t find it in her to do so. She allowed for her eyes to fall shut then. It was far too hard to keep them open for now. She only forced them back open when the other male pulled away from her. She tilted her head to look at him carefully. She nodded her head. With his help, she managed to get herself into a sitting position. She carefully placed her hands on his shoulders to keep herself balanced enough. Despite the effort the other male put in, her fever was raging on. Swear was beginning to show on her forehead. Her skin tone hadn’t improved either.
 
Her condition was deteriorating before his eyes, and that alone made the man's mood sour further as he stopped for a few seconds to allow Rose to properly grip his shoulders, leaning closer so that she could cling closer to him if she desired to do so. His hands grasped hold of the replacement nightgown, and being as gentle as possible while providing some space between them did Emory begin to clothe her. He took care not to allow his hands to wander unnecessarily, for his attention regardless was on the new sweat that was beading her forehead, his expression becoming more tense. He did keep in mind that she had given him an opportunity to leave if he truly desired to... but did he want to leave this woman to fend off a fever on her own? Some reason, he didn't desire for her to die, for it seemed as if this fever truly was eating at her health.

He quickly reasoned in his mind that his sole purpose to keep her alive was for perhaps not wanting to feel guilty if she were to pass. Not only that, she was to inherit everything he owned if he by chance were to die. It only made sense to keep her healthy enough to be able to inherit everything, not only that he had promised her that he would deal with Blaine swiftly. She was essential to his plans, so she mustn't die. But was that all? He supposed he found her interesting if not odd, but that was as far as he was willing to dig into these other emotions he felt surrounding her. She was an odd puzzle that he had yet to solve, so Emory was interested... but surely that was as far as that interest went, right? Of course, there was nothing else he could feel for a guest of his home, anything else would be foolish.

Forcing his wandering thoughts to disperse, it was only then that he had realized that he had finished clothing her while he was lost in thought, his eyes shifting to look upon her face. From how sickly she appeared, he didn't truly like gazing upon her face while it was so pale, void of the bizarre cheer she normally would have. Emory's hand raised and ever so gently had he placed a hand upon her cheek, feeling the blazing heat of her fever against his skin which prompted the man's expression to become quite troubled. He certainly was pushing himself in terms of his fear, for his hand was still trembling against her cheek, but it was slightly less than before as he murmured, "Rest." That was a simple enough order for her to do. All she needed was proper rest, he would see to it that she would get the proper care and medicine she needed.

His other hand rested upon her lower back as Emory had moved his hand from her cheek, assisting her to lay back down upon her bed. It was then that he eyed her blankets, which the man had leaned over and began gathering them up and silently left the room. It wouldn't be long until he returned, with fresh blankets although slightly lighter than the heavier ones that she had been covered under. It was then that he had begun to unfurl the new blankets, although looking upon them after not seeing them for so long had made the man's stomach clench in tight knots, but he quickly waved them aside as he had then draped the blankets over Rose's body, securely making sure they were around her and covering the bed. After a few moments of fussing over this task he had placed for himself, it was then that he exited the room once again. Surely, Rose would need water, considering she was sweating quite a lot that might possibly help?

So, once again Emory had returned in the span of a few minutes, a cup securely in his grasp that was filled with water. He had placed aside the cloth and bowl he had used earlier, keeping in mind to discard both as he placed the cup of water on the nearby table, reaching over to Rose to gently prop her up as he had grabbed the cup of water and gently held it to her lips, expectantly looking at her to drink at least a little bit of the water even if she didn't much feel like it.
 
Rose took a few gentle breaths, trying to focus on anything other than the way she was currently feeling. Normally she would have been taken care of with the best medicine in the kingdom. Nurses would be waiting on her. She would be able to get her fever under control rather easily. This was much different than that though. For the first time since she had been here, she felt fear within her. She adjusted her grip on Emory’s shoulders to hold on tighter, not wanting for herself to accidentally fall. She closed her eyes partly as she waited for the male to dress her in the clean nightgown. She was hoping that the fever would calm soon enough and that her body was be able to rest efficiently. This was the one truly terrible thing in her life. It was one of the reasons as to why her father had been quite careful with her when she had been younger.

Thinking back on it all caused for the faintest of smiles to cross her face. If Blaise had truly wanted for her to die, it wouldn’t have been hard. He could’ve thrown her out into the cold for a night or given her some rotten food. Her former husband had been quite the idiot though. He caused for Emory to now have to deal with this large inconvenience. She took another breath before she allowed her words to leave her lips. “I am sorry for burdening you. Once Viola arrives, you shouldn’t have to care for me anymore.” She murmured. She wished she would have been able to speak in a firmer tone, but it wasn’t going to happen anytime soon. She had expected for the other male to either mutter under his breath or to scold her. Instead, she was met with a gentle hand on her cheek.

Her eyebrows furrowed with confusion as she lifted her gaze to slowly meet his. The gold of his irises seemed far more troubled than it had during the duration of her stay. She couldn’t imagine what was running through his mind at the current moment in time. Her head leaned lightly into the touch. There was something familiar about it that reminded her of better days. She didn’t speak on the matter though, deciding it would be best to let the moment pass. She didn’t want to cause Emory to feel any more uncomfortable than he probably already was. She didn’t fight him as he pulled away and then helped her lay down. Exhaustion was beginning to hit her once more. It was growing harder and harder to keep her eyes open.

She kept her gaze on the ceiling though as the other male hurried around the room. She could feel blankets being laid upon her. They were much lighter and far more comfortable than the ones before. She was sure she would need to move them off at some point during her sleep, but she would use them for the time being. Besides, the sun would rise soon and she would be Viola’s problem. She only moved her gaze when the other male returned for a final time. She watched as he carried a cup towards her. She could only assume that it was filled with water. She didn’t fight him as she was carefully helped sit up. Once the cup was brought to her lips, she only managed to take a few sips. “Thank you Emory. I am going to try to rest some more. I appreciate your help. You can go back to your room now. I am sure I will be fine.” Her words were a far stretch, but she didn’t want for him to be stuck in here with her if he didn’t want to. She slowly shifted to get herself laying back down once more. It didn’t take long before her eyes fell shut again and she was soon asleep.
 
Emory was conflicted once more with the options she had placed before him, considering how uncomfortable he had seemed around her and even so much as touching her, it made him a bit ashamed that she had taken notice of such discomfort. But, before he could verbally respond to her, he had taken notice that she had closed her eyes and fell asleep. A sigh left his lips as he lingered by her bedside for a few moments longer, conflict still raging on in his heart as he looked about the room and a hand came to his head, an ever familiar headache beginning to thrum within his skull. There's no need to overthink anything. She needs medicine, so you have to leave. He would have to do everything in his power to help her, it didn't matter if he had to pull some strings or release some people from their debts to get what he needed, she was his priority at the moment.

Stepping away from her bedside, the man's heavy steps for once was muffled as quiet as possible as he mumbled under his breath, "I will protect you." Emory knew well enough that she could not hear him, nor would he had wanted her to hear such a vow. It wasn't too long after he had mumbled such words that he had closed the door to her room behind him and went about preparing to leave the mansion, going to his own room and gathering together some hidden funds that he primarily used to purchase his vials of medicine from the Black Market as well as gathering together an inconspicuous outfit so that he'd not stand out in public. The best medicines were located in the kingdom from official stores, he wouldn't dare buy medicine for Rose from the Black Market, there was no telling what could effect a body that had a weak immune system.

The man then had retreated to his study after his preparations were complete, leaving behind a short letter as where he was going and to keep an eye on Rose while he was gone; after all Viola perhaps would be frantic to see Rose ill with Emory no where in sight if she had no clue where he disappeared off to. With that done, the man had made his way down the stairway, moving to the dining hall where he placed the note in clear view of anyone who would walk by then exited the mansion, securely closing the door behind him. Preparing a carriage would take too long, so riding a horse on his own would do for now.
...

A few hours passed, and with it the morning sun had fully taken its place in the sky, and with it Viola had finally arrived at Emory's estate. As usual, she would unlock the door and make her way inside, though her gaze had been caught by a paper clearly placed upon the dining room's table which had made the maid walk over, picking up the note with curiosity in her gaze only for her face to grow pale as she read Emory's neat handwriting upon the brief message left behind for her. Immediately, the maid had taken to rushing up the stairway, her hurried footsteps taking her to Rose's room, "Lady Barclay?" Her voice was soft as she had spoken, not wishing to alarm Rose if she was resting, opening the door and entering though seeing Rose's current condition had made the maid's face grow pale as she turned tail and immediately rushed back down the stairway. All she could do at the moment was prepare some soup for Rose to consume while waiting for Emory to return with medicine.
 
Rose’s sleep was much better than it had been the hours before she originally woke. Her body still was covered in sweat, but she had gotten used to the way that she was currently feeling. She had tossed the blanket off of her once more in her sleep. Her eyes slowly began to open. She closed them quickly at the bright light that came streaming in through the windows in the room. A gentle groan escaped her lips as she rolled to lay fully on her back. She brought a hand up to rest lightly on her forehead. She quickly withdrew it after she felt just how hot her skin was. She knew it wasn’t a good sign. She adjusted her hands to push herself into a sitting position. She could only assume that the other male had gone back to his room and slept for the rest of the night. She hoped that he had gotten better sleep. He deserved it for the way he had gotten up and took care of her. She would forever be grateful for his help that night.

She adjusted her legs in order to finally stand up. Her vision quickly turned black, causing for her to grab ahold of the bed next to her. It soon cleared up though. She began to make her way carefully out of the room. She walked down the hall and towards the stairs. She could hear movement in the kitchen of the mansion. She assumed that it would be Viola. After all, she assumed that it was early in the morning still. She didn’t know that it was almost midday. She managed to get herself down the stairs and into the dining hall. “Viola?” She called out gently. Her voice was a bit stuffier than normal. Her head felt very cloudy as well. She was hoping that she might be able to get some tea brewing in order to help her feel better.

She slowly made her way into the kitchen. She leaned lightly against the wall, her gaze falling onto the maid. “Where is Emory?” She was surprised that it didn’t seem as though he had come down for lunch like he normally would around this time. She was sure that she needed to be laying back down in bed, but she was already tired of doing so. She hated not being able to function like she normally would. She turned her gaze to see what the other woman was working on currently. “Are you making soup?” She inquired. She couldn’t smell anything currently. That was bothering her as well. Her head was beginning to feel as though it was spinning again. She blinked a few times before she took a few deep breaths. She doubted that she would be able to stand for too much longer, but she wanted to get some tea started.

She began to step towards the kettle, moving to get some water. She set it over the fire to begin to hear. She then moved to take a seat on one of the chairs in the kitchen. “Do you know of anything that might help my fever break for the time being? I am burning up. It is making my head cloudy and I can’t stop sweating.” She explained. She truly was hoping that Viola might know of something. She didn’t know Emory had gone to get her medicine.
 
Viola, busying herself with preparing some soup had nearly jumped out of her shoes as soon as she heard a faint sound near the kitchen's doorway. Turning on her heel, the maid's wide eyes turned to land upon Rose in astonishment, which quickly turned to anxiousness as the maid spoke, "L-Lady Barclay, you're not supposed to be out of bed!" Of course, that didn't mean that she was going to force her to return to her room just yet, on the mere account of Rose probably being too stubborn to heed her words. Nonetheless, that didn't stop Viola from wringing her hands together as she watched with nervousness as Rose proceeded to brew her own tea, although this certainly would be a task that Viola would have wanted to do herself for the younger woman. After all, Rose was ill right now and her appearance certainly showed it now more so than ever. Her condition was getting worse. Please, hurry Lord May.

Suppressing a sigh of exasperation, the older woman had turned her attention back to the soup she was preparing for Rose, her expression taunt with worry, though she did take the time to answer all of Rose's questions, but not without casting worried glances over her shoulder to Rose as she had made her way to a chair to rest, "Lord May left a letter behind for me, he apparently went to the capital earlier on in the morning to get some medicine for you." This fact was surprising on its own, for Emory to even so much as go to such lengths for another person was unheard of. It would be expected for him to perhaps say that this matter no longer concerned him and leave her fate to the maid, such cold actions weren't unheard of. But, instead he was going out of his way to travel personally to a place that he detested in order to perhaps save Rose's life, if her fever was indeed quite severe: which so far it seemed it was.

"He should be back soon, though I don't know if he took a carriage there or not." She didn't recall seeing any fresh carriage tracks on the way to the mansion, only the sight of fresh hoofprints from a horse, which quite possibly was the first time in a very long while that Emory had ridden horseback anywhere. His recent actions were baffling to Viola, but who was she to question it if his actions would take a relatively positive effect on the people around him. A smile crossed Viola's face as she turned her gaze to Rose, "Oh, yes I am preparing some soup for you, Lady Barclay. You have to have something warm in your stomach after all." The added tea that Rose herself was brewing would perhaps help a little bit more, although Viola was desperately hoping it was. She knew a trip to the capital and back would take a few hours, and that was if Emory was pushing whatever horse he had taken with him as hard as possible. Thinking about such a thing made Viola shake her head to disperse the anxiety within her chest.

Her gaze settled upon the soup she was preparing, her lips pressing in a tight, tense line as she was wracking her brain for a possible solution to break Rose's fever. Though she was no stranger to illnesses, having a family of her own, she never had to deal with a fever as high as Rose's without proper medication. After all, they usually would have a traveling doctor pass through the village that Emory owned every now and again with fresh medicine from the capital which Viola and the other citizens would stockpile on. Since Emory's relationship with the kingdom wasn't favorable, any chances of doctors from the capital or their medicine coming to Emory's lands were slim to none. "I'm.. sorry, I don't think I know anything that can help you at this moment Lady Barclay." Regret tinged her voice, feeling quite useless at the moment.
 
Rose couldn’t hold back the smile that managed to break its way onto her lips as she heard the maid’s words. “I am aware that I shouldn’t be. I can’t stand laying there anymore. I will go back to my room in a little. I just need to get out for a little while. I am hoping that the cooler air out here will help me feel a little better.” She tried to explain. It truly was a terrible excuse, but it was the best that she could come up with at the current moment in time. “I apologize for scaring you. I didn’t mean to.” She added on after a few moments. She could see just how scared she had caused the other to be. She reached a hand up to rub against her eyes. There was an uncomfortable feeling settling within her now. She couldn’t shake it and she absolutely hated it. She wished that she could shove it away.

Some surprise hit her when she heard the response to her question as to where the lord was. “He went to the capital to get medicine?” She asked. Her words held her feelings towards the situation. She truly didn’t expect for the other male to do something like that for her. She knew the way he detested going there the day prior to attend her ‘funeral’. She had expected for Viola to be stuck dealing with her while Emory ended up focusing on his work for the day. “I didn’t think he would go that far for me. I didn’t ask him to.” Her thoughts were being vocalized then. She truly couldn’t help it any. She shifted her gaze to look towards the door that she came through. She couldn’t help, but wonder what caused for the other male to have this change of heart.

“Alright. I will have to thank him once he gets back. I just truly can’t believe he would do something like that for me.” She mumbled. She adjusted on the seat some as she turned her gaze back towards the maid. She grimaced lightly as another wave hit her. She didn’t understand why it was hitting her as badly this quickly. She wished that she could break the heat that she was currently feeling. She could only assume that her fever wouldn’t break easily. She just wanted for the sweating to stop. It was causing for her entire body to feel off. “Thank you Viola. I truly appreciate you more than you know.” She confessed. The maid had been there for her quite a bit since her time here began. She helped her feel at home. A groan left her lips then.

The words that left her lips next were something that she had feared. “Viola, can you please help me back to my room? I need to lay down. I really do not feel good.” She mumbled. Her breathing was a little labored by that point. She was beginning to regret her decision to come down. Laying down was much easier on her body at the current moment in time. She moved to carefully get herself standing once more. Again, her vision completely blurred. She was bent over some. She felt as if she was on the verge of consciousness once more. Her grip on the chair tightened.
 
Rose's disbelief would almost be amusing if Viola had the time to be properly amused. Instead, such amusement would be quickly stomped out as she turned around to face her as her breathing had become labored, her emotions turning to panic as she quickly approached Rose, "L-Lady Barclay!" The maid had without hesitation reached out to Rose and helped propped her up to her feet, using her own body as support so that Rose could lean on her. Clicking her tongue in disapproval at her, the maid fussed with worry tinging her tone of voice, "You shouldn't have gotten up." But, scolding Rose would do little to help her situation right now, instead the maid had gently led Rose back up the stairway, taking care not to go too fast or to move ahead of her. Eventually, through slow process, the maid had led Rose back to her room and assisted the young woman back into the bed, securing the blankets around her as she had said gently, "Stay here, Lady Barclay I'll make sure that-" Her sentence was swiftly cut off by the sound of the front door to the mansion slamming open, startling her as she whipped around in surprise.
...
​
Emory's grip tightened around the reins of the horse he currently was riding on, the horse's breathing labored and ragged. Normally, he would never be pushing an animal this hard for any reason, but any rational thought seemed to have left him that day. Instead, all he could think of was Rose, his thoughts filling with frantic worry which made his teeth grind together in irritation. The horse wasn't moving fast enough for his liking, no matter if the beast was exhausted and quite frankly was beginning to froth, he needed for it to last just a little bit longer. The sight of his mansion was beginning to come back into sight, if just a little bit longer-

The horse gave out underneath him, tripping forward and collapsing on the pathway causing a curse to leave Emory's lips as he rolled away from the horse's body, the pitiful creature's rasping breathing grating upon his ears. Although he pitied the creature, such sympathies would have to wait, the man clutching the medicine within his coat close to him as he made a run for the mansion. No matter how fast he was pushing himself, it seemed like his legs were not going fast enough, but soon the man did reach his estate which without hesitation had slammed open the front door, having little patience to bother with opening it properly, rushing up the stairs, his breathing coming in fast huffs as he turned the corner seeing a rather startled Viola as she saw the ragged appearance of Emory, "L-Lord May?! W-what in the world happened to you?"

The man was beaded with sweat and breathing hard, though that was mostly due to him having to run the last bit of distance to his estate. The man reached into his coat, brandishing the bag of medicine that he had secured, "Give... Rose... daily... a pinch..." He could barely manage to get the words out, having to bend over, struggling to catch his breath, "Now..." He managed to struggle and get the single word out as he waved Viola over to Rose immediately, his heavy breathing filling the air clearly looking the worse for wear, with his hair being freshly tousled from the wind, his face appearing pale with sweat and his golden gaze exhausted, it was clear he had truly put in effort to secure what she needed.

Taking the bag from him, Viola's expression truly was rather astonished although she was quick to obey as Emory recovered. The maid had turned away from him and approached Rose's bedside, placing the bag of medicine on the table near the bed and had hastily moved down the stairway to the kitchen to prepare some of the tea that Rose had been brewing earlier, as well as securing some of the soup she had been preparing and soon came back to Rose's room with a silver platter with the tea and a bowl of soup. By now, Emory had reclaimed some of his composure, the young lord now having sat in the chair he had been sitting in earlier during dawn when Rose had gotten him first, the man's expression was tense and he was still rather pale, but some color had managed to return to his face, although his shirt was certainly damp from sweating so much, probably from stress.

Suppressing a sigh of exasperation, Viola had approached Rose's bedside again, taking the medicine out from the bag as it seemed to come in a powder form and gently propping up Rose as she had made sure the tea was at least warm enough without being able to burn and promptly mixed in a pinch of the powder into the tea, saying softly, "Here, Lady Barclay. This should help." She held the tea toward the noblewoman, gently coaxing for her to drink from the tea as Emory watched on with a tense expression upon his face.
 
Rose had been aware of the scolding that she was going to receive from Viola. She probably shouldn’t have stood, but it wasn’t like she could help it. She understood the way that she was feeling and knew she would need to head back to her quarters. She kept her hold on the chair until the maid rushed over to help her. She then shifted to balance herself with her help. “Thank you Viola.” She mumbled. The maid reminded her of the way that her mother used to be. It was almost enough to bring another smile onto her face. She missed her dearly and wished that she had been alive longer. She would’ve never been for to marry Blaise then. She wouldn’t even be in her current situation if the queen had still be here. But she wouldn’t have met Emory then. There was something about the other male that drew her towards him. She could only assume that it was the way he seemed so cold towards the world. She wanted to break that shell and get to know him more.

It worried her that the young lord hadn’t returned yet. She was hoping that he hadn’t gotten caught in the kingdom either with some business or some guards. She was aware of just how greatly her father wanted to form a deal with him. It would be a shame if he had noticed Emory in the capitol that day and decided to approach him. But then again, he was most likely still grieving her ‘death.’ She wished she felt well enough to laugh on the matter. Now all she was hoping was that she was able to overcome this and get to her moment of great reveal. The two of them still had a bit of planning to do. She just couldn’t wait until she saw Blaise’s expression when he found out she was still alive. It would be sweet enough to last her a full lifetime.

Her steps were slow as she began to make her way back towards the stairs. She had to pause every now and then but, with Viola’s help, she managed to get up the and back into her bed. Her nightgown was sticking to her due to the sweat still coming from her pores. She made a mental note to see if she could change once more later on. She was hoping that she might be able to do so herself this time. She didn’t want to bother anyone in that way, especially Emory. The other male had done quite enough for her already. She truly wanted to be able to talk with him on it, if he would even allow her to ask him questions. She turned her head to the sound of the front door of the mansion slamming open. Some confusion crossed her expression before she realized who it was. Hope began to fill her. If he returned, maybe he was able to get the medicine that she needed. She watched as Viola moved towards him. She then turned her head to look out the door and to the hall.

The ragged appearance of Emory was a shock to her. She hadn’t seen the man so undone the entire time that she had been here. A weak smile finally made its way onto her lips as she noticed the small vile being brought towards her. She recognized the type of medicine immediately. “Tell Emory thank you for me.” She whispered to Viola. She turned her gaze to look back towards the ceiling then. She allowed for the maid to go and grab her tea. She helped push herself into a sitting position. She reached out to carefully take the tea. She began to sip on it. She wasn’t too hungry, but she was sure that was just due to the fever. She would at least have some of the soup that Viola made. She didn’t want to be rude. “Thank you Viola.” She turned her gaze to glance out the door. “Can you tell Emory that he looks almost as terrible as I do? But in a light way, of course.” She meant it to be completely teasing.
 
Viola nodded her head to Rose, although she seemed a bit surprised regarding Rose desiring to tease Emory. Granted, the maid wasn't even sure how Emory would take it considering the man was still within the room, attempting to catch his breath as he sat and was watching the maid administer the medicine to Rose. Just feeling the man's gaze drilling holes into her had made her nervous, after all there was still some reason to fear Lord May, even if he was acting very much odd as of late, she wasn't sure if he'd appreciate such a thing at his own expense. Nonetheless, Viola's expression had gentled as she nodded her head to Rose, "Of course, Lady Barclay-" Emory interjected before Viola could even so much as get the final breath out after her completed sentence, "Don't bother, I already heard." The man had managed to reclaim his breath, although sweat still coated him from head to toe, his expression seemed to recover just enough to be as cold as it usually would be, "It's good to see you have enough energy to bother with jokes, Rose." Standing from where he sat, the man had turned away from a rather startled Viola, and promptly left. It was difficult to see if he had been either amused by what had been said, or annoyed. The man didn't give a clear indication to either, which in of itself was bewildering.

Emory however was relieved, not by much but with how worried he had been, it was as if a weight had fallen off from his shoulders that he didn't realize was even there. Rose was still alive, granted it was just a fever but seeing how sickly she had been earlier in the day had truly scared him. That alone made him incredibly confused. Never before had he been scared for another person, or even felt concern for another. He always had been focused upon himself, there was no need to worry about other people whom were to be used as tools to be discarded later on. Rose was quickly becoming an exception to this however, and he didn't know why. Why did his chest seem so tight around her as of late? It truly did confuse the man as his mind could not reason out the source of such an ailment. Was he becoming ill himself? Impossible. I don't even have a fever. It would be a waste of resources to check. After all, with his early childhood years, he had lived in places which were highly unsanitary, and he would be sure by now if he had caught some sort of disease of some sort. These were emotions he was dealing with that he had never felt so intensely, nor did he experience them ever. He felt uncomfortable.

The man didn't stop walking until he finally reached his bedchambers, which he promptly locked the door behind him and leaned his back against the door. His tired legs wobbled and gave out underneath him, slumping to his knees as he stared blankly at the opposing wall as his eyes began to sting. Ah. Relief rose uncontrollably within his chest, as his hand came up to his face, finding that a stray tear had managed to fall free from his golden eyes. Startled, the man wiped away at the salty tears, confusion flowing through his body. How long had it been since he had shed any tears? Had it been years? "Thank God... she'll be okay." The words slipped past his lips, which made him more so confused than ever as his heart clenched tightly in his chest. Just what was this woman doing to him?
 
Rose could tell the other male had been acting off with the way that he had rushed off to get her medicine. She hadn’t seen him act like that before. It was clear that Viola had been surprised by it as well. She wished that she could decipher just why he was acting the way that he currently was. She found it odd that Emory had decided to sit in the room with her as Viola finished getting the medicine in the tea. She carefully continued to take some sips of her tea as she tried to not think on it too much. She didn’t need for her thoughts to be consumed with the young lord. She was only hoping that she would be able to keep her mind from him. A gentle hum left her. She was grateful that the medicine didn’t have any taste to it. She carefully placed the cup of tea down when she heard the way the other male cut her off. She blinked, turning her gaze to look over at him. “Trust me, I do not. I just felt that it was necessary at the current moment in time. After all, I am grateful for you.” Her voice was still quieter than it would normally be. It was something that she truthfully couldn’t help.

Emory left the room then, causing for a gentle breath to escape her. She picked the tea back up and continued to sip on it. “Have you ever seen him act like this before? I haven’t in the time that I have been here.” She asked the maid in a soft tone. She bit her bottom lip gently for a moment. She shook her head lightly before she finished the tea. She placed the cup back to the side once again. “I want to tell you something Viola. Please promise me that you won’t tell anyone else though.” She felt as though she could truly trust in the maid. She had helped her through quite a bit since her arrival here. She looked at her lap then. “I don’t know what I feel near Emory, but it is something I haven’t before. It isn’t fear either. My chest feels warm near him.” She didn’t know how to fully explain it. It was rather confusing. She truly had never felt like this towards anyone before.

“He helped me last night. It was too early for you to be here. He wiped the sweat from my body and helped me change.” She was just speaking her thoughts then. She could only assumed that her head was far too clouded due to the fact that she still had a fever. It felt as if there was a band wrapped around it. “I don’t know Viola. It is probably just the fever speaking.” She shook her head lightly and shifted to lay back down then. “You can leave the soup here for now. I don’t feel hungry right now, but I will have some in a little bit.” She tried to reassure. She knew that she needed to try and get some rest again. Her complexion was still pale, but it seemed as though her sweating had yielded for now. Her skin was just far too hot to the touch still.
 
Even the maid was bewildered by Emory's sudden withdrawal from the situation, his actions an enigma to her own mind. Though, she did watch Rose's interaction with Emory, the woman couldn't help but be quite a bit puzzled by his behavior toward her. Rose's question had brought Viola out of her confusion as her focus soon turned back to the ill noblewoman, and her rather puzzling question. The woman shook her head almost immediately, "No, I've never seen Lord May act in such a way. I wonder if he is feeling well." Viola was uncertain if Emory could even feel tender emotions, in fact for the majority of the time she'd known the man, he was always frigid and cold. Concern was rare, and he didn't concern himself with anyone. He normally would place people as a "waste of time".

Viola perked up as Rose had spoken up once more, asking if she could tell her something. Truly, the maid was flattered that Rose would consider someone as low of a status as her to confide in, which made the maid's expression soften as she smiled, "Of course, Lady Barclay." What Rose had begun to explain next, however, had made the maid's eyes grow wide as she placed a hand over her mouth in the beginnings of a surprised gasp. Could it be? Has a woman finally fallen for Lord May? But, how and why? Certainly, Viola was happy that Emory finally had someone whom was romantically invested in him, but she was worried that the man would sooner spurn Rose's affections if what Rose was saying was true. Perhaps, it was nothing more than a small one-sided crush? But, as Rose would soon reveal Emory's care of her, a tinge of red had crossed the woman's face as shock flooded through her. Emory had dared to touch a woman out of his own choice?

The woman's head spun as she took in a breath to make herself calm down before she would get too excited all on her own. "M-my Lady, forgive me if my words are rather... bold, but I believe you perchance have fallen for Lord May." The words sounded absolutely ridiculous coming from her own lips, even she had a difficult time believing it herself, but it was possible. She did suppose that Emory was a rather charming, handsome young man in terms of appearance. When the former Lord May was still alive as well as his family, Emory when fed a decent amount of food had been a handsome little boy and caused plenty of visiting noble's daughters to attempt to gain his affections, which continued into his adolescence where his cold attitude made women quickly lose interest, but his good looks was enough to attract the eye. But, she had a feeling such emotions were not for something so shallow as that. For a woman to take interest in Emory despite his cold attitude... it gave Viola some hope.

She was always worried about Emory, the man had no heirs and no siblings to replace him. He took no interest in women and rejected marriage proposals when they had first been given when he had taken over. She had been worried he would have rotted away, alone in his estate with no one by his side, but now this was a welcome change. Which made her consider now, how did Emory feel? He supposed he had been slowly thawing around Rose, but it was more so his actions than anything else. His heart, she felt was still closed off. Shaking her head to dismiss these hopeful thoughts, the maid's expression gentled as she looked at Rose, "Very well, let me know when you need something else Lady Barclay. Try and get some rest, okay?" With that, the maid had bowed and left the room, closing the door behind her as quietly as possible to allow Rose some privacy and some peace.
 
Rose had grown to trust and appreciate Viola in her time here. The maid had been the only person to show her true kindness in the beginning. She was grateful that things began to change with Emory though. Even though the two did have their moments, she did also appreciate the slight bond that had been formed with him as well. It was different from the ones that she knew before. She felt as if she need to project her happiness towards him. She would love to see him eventually smile. After all, it didn’t seem like it was a common thing for him to do. If she managed to just get one smile out of him, she would probably feel happier than she ever did. She hated when those around her didn’t share the joy that she managed to find in life. If she managed to get Emory to feel that way or open up towards her, it would mean everything to her.

She stayed quiet as she waited for the maid’s response to her words. She was sure that they came as a shock. The emotions were a shock to her as well. It would be nice to have a sense of guidance when it came to understanding everything. She felt as though it was the complete opposite of how she felt towards Blaise. Maybe she had fallen for the cold lord. It wouldn’t be too hard to comprehend, especially now that Viola had spoken what her heart had been trying to tell her. “I believe that you are right Viola. There is also no need for you to apologize for your words. I just have a hard time understanding my feelings at times.” She explained. She feared to tell Emory of her feelings though. It would be far too hard for her if there was a rejection. It would also cause for the air between them to turn cold and awkward. It might even ruin their plans.

A gentle breath left her as she forced a weak smile to her lips. “Thank you Viola.” She spoke as she watched the maid leave the room. She sunk into the bed, pulling the blanket higher over her. Her gaze stayed fixed on the ceiling as she let her thoughts consume her once again. She could only hope that she wouldn’t allow her actions to make her a fool. She would need to keep herself guarded enough until Emory showed if he felt anything resembling what she did for him. She shifted to lay on her side, a sharp pain hitting her head. A headache had formed much earlier, but now was beginning to bother her greatly. She finally allowed for her eyes to fall shut once more.

———————————

Her sleep lasted until the late afternoon, drawing closer to dinner time. She woke in some confusion before the memories of what happened that day hit her. It caused for her head to begin to throb again. She lifted a hand to rest lightly on her forehead. The heat seemed to have diminished, but not by a lot. Her sweating hadn’t resumed either. It gave her a little hope. The fever would be the hardest thing to break. She doubted that she would feel better for the remainder of the week. She managed to get herself standing like before. This time, thankfully, her feet were able to balance her body. She grabbed the tray that held the contents from earlier and began to bring it back towards the kitchen. She truly didn’t know where Viola was at the current moment and didn’t want to bother Emory if she could help it. She glanced towards the window as she walked by it, only noticing then that the sun was almost set. If the maid stuck to the normal schedule, it should be dinner time. She turned the corner to the dining hall, still balancing the tray in her arms.
 
The sound of clattering was coming from the kitchen, pots and pans being moved about as well as the sound of footsteps. The warm aroma of food wafted throughout the interior, although this certainly could be blamed upon Viola as the maid had been tending to making a simple meal for Rose as well as Emory. After all, she didn't want Rose to have an upset stomach if she made food that was particularly rich. Viola's humming could be heard, the maid in particular being in a very good mood. Why wouldn't she be? For a woman to finally take interest in Emory after so long, why, it was enough to make the maid desire to celebrate such an occasion. However, due to Rose wanting for such feelings to go unsaid for now, the maid wouldn't not speak a single word to Emory. But, that didn't mean she wouldn't allow herself to be as joyful as she possibly could while she was alone, or if Emory wasn't close by.

Of course, her humming would soon come to a halt as she heard the sound of footsteps nearing the dining hall which caused the maid to stop in the midst of her preparations for dinner and look out from the kitchen to see Rose. The maid's cheeks puffed up in indignation as she swiftly moved over to the young woman as hastily as possible, "Lady Barclay, why are you up? I could have gotten the tray for you!" Viola knew better than to possibly push the issue any further though, from the amount of time that Rose had taken up residence in Lord May's estate, she knew that the young woman insisted on doing things on her own. But the woman couldn't help but fret over her, after all it had only been a few hours prior that Rose had been bedridden with a fever running very high, and from the looks of it, her fever still hadn't broken yet which was worrying. She didn't want what had occurred a few hours earlier where she had to support Rose as best as she could back into her bed.

"You shouldn't feel the need to do these things while you are sick, I-" As Viola had crossed the space to take the tray from Rose's hands, the woman's head darted up as she stopped and bowed almost immediately, "Lord May." Sure enough, his familiar heavy footsteps could be heard coming down the stairway as the man came into view. He was dressed in more relaxed attire than usual, considering he'd had a fairly rough start to the day by straining himself to get medicine for Rose, the man's hair for once was not tied back and instead hung loosely about his face. It seemed as if the man had also taken the opportunity in the hours that passed to bathe and once more trim down his beard, considering early in the morning he hadn't done so. This relaxed appearance was certainly not normal for him, but Emory at the moment was still running on low energy. He wasn't going to put in the effort for his usual look, and as it was he still felt horrid. Even from his current position, his eyes seemed a bit puffy and red as if he'd been... crying? But, for a man as cold as he, that would be virtually impossible... right?

Emory had paused in his descent down the stairs, his golden eyes landing upon Rose, "Why are you up?" He echoed Viola's initial question immediately, his eyebrows furrowing as it seemed like he was less than pleased with what he was seeing. She was ill, why in the world was she doing getting up out of bed? Of course, he wasn't going to treat her like a child, but in his eyes she was acting foolishly like one if she couldn't have the sense to stay put. This was all coming from a place of concern for her wellbeing though. It was his whole reason why he'd exited his room in the first place after the overwhelming relief had finally died down within his chest; was she alright?
 
Rose had expected a scolding from the moment that Viola saw her. The maid was very motherly and she was sure that she would be upset that she got out of bed. One thing she despised while being ill was bed rest. She didn’t mind laying in bed for a few hours at a time, but she couldn’t stay there the entire day. She ended up getting stir-crazy. It also caused for her body to end up aching more. She took a deep breath as she watched the other woman turn the corner. The look on Viola’s face caused a smile to break out onto her lips. “I am aware that you could’ve. But I assumed you would be busy and I didn’t want to bother you. Besides, it is good to me to get up every now and then.” She tried to justify her actions, though she doubted it would make any difference. She glanced towards the kitchen where the maid came out of. She assumed that dinner was almost ready and as she was already down here, she might as well eat at the table. There was no reason for her to automatically have to go back to her quarters.

She had opened her mouth to begin to respond to Viola when the maid cut off and bowed. She slowly turned to see Emory coming down the stairs. His relaxed appearance was something that she hadn’t expected. She couldn’t recall a time that she had seen the other male dressed in such a way. She much preferred this though. She took note of the way that his hair framed his face. She felt that familiar aching in her chest. Now realizing what it meant, her cheeks flushed pink. She could only hope that it was perceived to be from her fever. She did not for Emory to figure out that she had feelings for him just yet. She would much rather sit down and talk with him about it at some point. After all, if he was uncomfortable due to it, he could just send her on her way.

The one thing that snapped her from her thoughts was the redness and puffiness of his eyes. It was something that she doubted she would ever see. She was all too familiar with the remnants of crying. She looked similar to that for months after her mother had passed. Before she even realized what she was saying, words slipped from her lips. “Are you alright Emory?” She inquired. She realized that she was far too bold in her statement. She doubted the other male wanted her to even worry for him at the current moment in time. She cleared her throat gently before she straightened her posture. She was suddenly aware of the warmth that she was feeling, but she didn’t let it show. Instead, she turned her attention for answering the question that he put out.

“I wanted to bring the tray down for Viola. After all, I could only assume that she would be busy and I didn’t want to bother her. Besides I am just bringing down something light. It won’t affect me in any negative way.” She tried to reassure. She could see the disapproval for her actions clear upon his face. “I also cannot just sit in my room the entire day. I get restless and need to move around some. This is a way that won’t bother her. Now that I am here, would it be alright if I sat at the table and ate with you tonight? You can banish me back to my room if you please, but I would prefer this.” She commented. She tilted her head slightly as she gaze at him. Her hair wasn’t combed through as it normally would’ve been and she was still in her night gown. She made a mental note to get a bath set after dinner. She wanted to at least get herself somewhat cleaned up before she had to crawl back into bed.
 
Emory's expression stiffened as she had asked if he was alright. Well, he certainly didn't feel like himself, that was for certain. But, regardless the man didn't answer that question, choosing to ignore it. After all, she should be more concerned over her own health rather than his own. Yet, even so as he observed her face, her skin appeared to have flushed which made the man's expression tense. She clearly wasn't feeling alright, perhaps the fever was beginning to go high again? Before he could even begin to tell her to go back to her bed, she had given her reasons for leaving her bed. It was then that the man's expression had softened up only slightly, although his gaze was heavy with his disapproval of her actions.

"Very well," The man had walked down the rest of the stairs, considering he wanted to keep an eye on her condition, it would only seem fair that he could grant her this much. It wasn't as if his sole purpose was to limit her in any sort anyways, but for her own health he would simply have to make sure that someone kept an eye on her. Though, his original intentions had been to personally get his dinner and retreat to his study to be able to look over any letters he'd received that day, one day of missing out on his work wouldn't hurt him. It was unusual for him to prioritize someone else over his work, but then again so far this day was a rather abnormal one that he would just have to adapt to in stride. "You may do as you wish, however the second you feel faint then you must get rest."

It was a good enough compromise, allowing her to do as she'd like to have dinner with him. However, if he observed anything that could even so much as hint that her fever was getting worse, he would without hesitation bring her right back to her bed to rest. He wouldn't take "no" as an answer either if by chance that happened. Stepping past Rose, he walked into the dining room, sliding a chair back for Rose to be able to sit before going on the opposite side and sitting down, from his position in the dining room with the light being able to fully show on him, it was clear he didn't get much rest from earlier. In all honesty, he wasn't looking to be at his best which was probably why he didn't put much effort into his appearance, even if it was a rather refreshing change. His golden eyes shifted over toward Rose expectantly, though part of him felt a bit odd. Why did he feel like this was becoming more of a habit, eating with someone else? It was becoming something that he didn't mind too much, in fact he probably would have offered for Rose to join him for dinner regardless on if she had requested it or not. How truly odd.

It's probably because she's interesting. Emory dismissed it as simply that. Ever since Rose had shown up on his estate, his life had been disrupted from the usual day-in and day-out working. He actually had to interact daily with another person, and said person had become someone whom he felt rather invested in keeping alive. Probably, it could be out of selfishness. She had provided some sort of activity to his life that had been void of it before, so he wished to continue observing her if only for a little bit more. His eyes shifted briefly from Rose to Viola as the maid had hesitantly taken the tray Rose had in her hands and retreated to the kitchen, but his eyebrows had furrowed in bewilderment as the maid had turned away, catching a smile on her features. What was that about? Puzzled, he dismissed the odd expression as his attention turned to Rose once more, his attention focused intently upon her face.
 
Rose could immediately see the change in the other’s expression. She was sure that she had crossed a boundary by asking about his well-being. She did not care too much of that at the current moment. After all, everything seemed to be thrown out the window after this morning. She felt like there was a different dynamic to, what she dared called, their friendship. She greatly disapproved of the way that he had dodged her question. She made a mental note to ask him about it once they were seated alone at the table. She was only hoping that the other male didn’t want to answer it around Viola. She wouldn’t stop until the other male gave her an answer. She might feel sick, but she could still be very stubborn. Emory should’ve known that by now.

Her shoulders relaxed when she heard the approval from him. It made her feel better to know that he wasn’t going to force her back to bed immediately. She had been quite worried that he might’ve done so. He seemed to be quite protective over her currently due to her condition. She was only hoping that she wasn’t taking it out of context. Now that she was aware of her feelings for him, she didn’t want to ruin things between them. She also didn’t want to overthink things and hurt herself in the process. “I promise that I shall inform you of the moment that I feel faint. The worst thing now is just my fever. The moment that breaks will be wonderful.” She tried to explain. Her head was beginning to pound once more. She was refusing to let that show now though. She wanted to be able to enjoy a meal with him that night.

She turned to watch as he walked into the dining hall. A gentle smile made its way to her lips as she noticed the way that he pulled the chair out for her. It was refreshing to see him so polite. His cold exterior wasn’t showing as much these past few days. She waited patiently for Viola to return to her to take the tray. “Thank you.” She spoke gently. She then walked to the chair. She sat down carefully. She turned her gaze to look back at Emory once again. “I do need to thank you for running to get medicine for me this morning. You do not know how much it means to me that you did. You probably have saved my life.” Her words were simple, but held weight behind them. Everything in her itched to tell the other male what she was feeling. She didn’t want to startle him though.

She swallowed to keep her words from spilling out. “I noticed how you avoided my question earlier. It would give me great delight if you answered me. I do care about your well-being also Emory.” She mused. She allowed a smile to come to her expression once more. She didn’t bother trying to hide her gentle looks towards him. She truly doubted that he would be able to catch onto the fact that she had fallen for him. He seemed quite oblivious to those types of emotions. “I want to apologize, though, if I had ruined any plans that you had for the day. I did not mean for this to happen to me at all.” She added after a few moments.
 
Emory watched as Rose sat down in the seat across from him, though he shook his head at her slightly as she had thanked him once more. There was no need for her to show him gratitude, after all what else could he have done in the situation earlier? If he had given her his protection, he was going to fulfill it no matter what situation would occur. She was a guest in his estate, and he already had invested plenty of time into her as well. Her health was a priority, he needed her to stay alive as he only had more to gain from her being healthy than dead. After all, who else was going to inherit his estate? Of course, he was fairly certain that was the only reason why he was so interested in keeping Rose alive, but something in him panged with an odd sensation as he looked at her. Was it worry still? He couldn't even tell anymore.

Discomfort settled upon his expression as she had inquired to his well-being, causing the man to oddly enough avoid her gaze. Ah, he should've known it was a bad idea to show himself when his eyes were still red. It wasn't as if he could do much to hide it though. "I'm fine, Rose. There's no need for you to concern yourself. A little bit of rest should be enough for me to recover." He wasn't going to lie, the ride to the capital and the rush back to his estate had indeed tired him out a fair amount as he'd never had been so frantic before. It still made him a bit puzzled with his frantic state earlier, but he was swift to dismiss it as the gravity of the situation forcing him to react in such a manner. His response was normal at least, he didn't need her to feel worried about him when she should be concerned about herself instead. It wasn't as if he was particularly in bad shape.

Her next words made him shake his head at her again, "No, there's no need to apologize. You are ill, and it would benefit me more to make sure you're healthy rather than concern myself over documents and letters that I can take care of tomorrow." He was being as honest as he possibly could at that moment with her, though it was the first time he had even hinted that she was a priority to him over his work. Of course, he was looking at things from a logical perspective. Letters and documents could always be replaced, but people could not, so of course she was far more important than him dealing with other dukes or lords. He grew tired of dealing daily with them anyways, with pleasantries being carefully written in the letters although not meaning a single word. Rose in comparison was a welcome reprieve from them, though he was still attempting to understand her even now.

It seemed as if her gentle expressions had not left her face, but oddly enough it seemed more... warmer now. It was a change that Emory would notice automatically as from the first day she had arrived, he always observed her facial expressions. The expression upon her face made him feel... odd. He couldn't describe the warmth that pooled in his chest, but it unsettled him. He'd not felt such warmth in his life before. Any soft, warm emotions had since left him very early on in his childhood, so he didn't understand this feeling now that he was gazing at her, and his expression seemed to show it. He was extremely confused.
 
Rose blinked at the way the man sitting near her shook his head. She assumed it was due to her gratitude. She would ever not show her appreciation for something, especially when it was as important as it had been. She would have been in completely different shape if it weren’t for the quick actions of Emory. She was still somewhat surprised that he had decided to even make the trek into the kingdom for the medicine. She was sure that there were different possibilities when it came to medicines on the black market. She would’ve only assumed that the other male would’ve just gotten them from there. It made her wonder why he didn’t try to get medication from the kingdom to help with the migraines that plagued him most days. She guessed she would just need to continue to make the teas for him. She was aware that they had worked on him originally.

She raised an eyebrow at the way he diverted his gaze. It wasn’t something she expected. It almost seemed as if he was a bit embarrassed to be talking about it. “I am going to concern myself because I do consider you to be a friend Emory. I do not want for you to be in pain or discomfort.” She explained. She came dangerously close to continuing, but she caught herself before doing so. The pressure in her chest hadn’t gone away. Instead, it was warming. “I just do not think I have ever seen your eyes so red and swollen before.” She mused. She turned her gaze then to glance around the dining hall. It was still bare, which was rather unfortunate. She truly couldn’t wait until she was healthy enough to be able to decorate it. She was hoping she could make a trip into the town to gather more supplies with Viola. Emory had given her permission to do what she pleased with the mansion.

She looked back towards him as he spoke once more. “That is rather kind of you to say. I am sure it must’ve been a nice change to have a day off from that. I mean, it wasn’t any less stressful but I do know the matters you attend to get to you. It is one of the reasons you have those horrid headaches. Speaking of, would you like Viola to set a kettle for the sleeping brew? I recall that helped you.” Her words were almost a ramble, similar to how she normally talked before being ill. She soon realized how she had been speaking, causing for her cheeks to flush once more. She hated that she was feeling so embarrassed around him now. It was the one downfall from the conversation Viola and herself shared earlier. She would just pray that he wouldn’t notice or look into it too far.

The change in his expression was something that she noticed immediately. These past few days had caused for the other male to show her so much emotion. It was a pleasant change. “You seem rather confused Emory. Did I say something?” She inquired. She tilted her head slightly, causing for her hair to fall into her face. She would have no clue that his chest was pooling with the same warmth as her own. She hadn’t a clue that he had been studying her expressions so closely. She had noted the way he stared at her at times, but she assumed it was due to the manner in which she went about her day. She guessed that she might be wrong though.
 
A friend? The man would have laughed if he hadn't been surprised by her words. Not once did anyone ever consider him a friend, no, he was more of a means to an end or perhaps not even that. An enemy, a threat, or someone to be used only to be tossed. Not once had anyone seen him positively enough to be seen as a friend, nor did he ever desire friendship with another human being; since everyone had been viewed as a monster in his eyes, even himself. However, for Rose to say that she considered him a friend had caused the warm feeling in him to grow. Did he... desire to be acknowledged in such a way? He couldn't say for sure, but perhaps the whole notion was so ridiculous that the man's face had a rather stunned expression, only for the most curious of smiles to manage to crack through his cold exterior. It wasn't a full, happy grin. Nor was it the fake smile that his father, Laurence Barker had used. It almost seemed as if Emory was being... shy? No, that wasn't quite it either.

Regardless, the man's eyes seemed to brighten a little bit, a brighter and warmer gold if that were even possible. "You do say the strangest things, Rose." It didn't seem like he hated what she had said, instead he seemed kind of happy. His first friend? How strange indeed. "But, I suppose I was concerned about you, you had caused me a bit of distress with you suddenly falling ill. I wouldn't want my friend to suddenly perish." It seemed like Emory was enjoying the thought of finally having a friend, even if he was remaining quite composed it seemed like he was convinced this was the reason why his emotions had been so strange lately. He just wanted companionship! It all made so much sense in his own mind now. In a way, it was almost as if one could imagine a younger, excited Emory practically beaming with delight at the thought of finally obtaining a friend. Of course, he was certainly not reading the full situation correctly at all. He remained blissfully unaware to Rose's true feelings toward him, having contented himself on that idea that friendship had been the whole reason why he had been so distressed.

Sometimes, the young lord as smart as he was, could be quite the fool.

But, it seemed that he had slightly given her the reason as to why his eyes had been red and puffy. He had shed tears over her, it was no other reason but her that he was so concerned over. That alone showed quite a large change from their initial standing with each other. Now that Emory was viewing her as a friend and less than an acquaintance, she had grown a bit closer to the cold man and a tiny sliver of his emotions were beginning to leak through his icy exterior. As she inquired about his headaches, he had nodded his head, the small smile upon his face fading away, "Yes, I suppose I'll ask Viola before I rest for the night." He needed to, though the sleeping aid he still heavily relied on, he was attempting to try the tea as an alternative for now. It still did little to keep his nightmares at bay, but it could be a healthier alternative than what he was taking now.

"Hmm? Oh, no. You didn't say anything." He quickly dismissed her concerns, after all the confusion had left his face by now. He was fairly confident what his emotions were caused by, although he was quite frankly way off. He wasn't even aware of Rose's feelings, and he had simply been convinced that his feelings were the desire for a friend and nothing more.
 
Rose kept her gaze on the other male’s expression, wondering how his reaction would be to her words. She was sure that it was going to come as a shock to him. She doubted that anyone had viewed him as a friend before. He seemed to have quite a lot of enemies. She had heard rumors and stories of the things that he had done. They used to scare her, but she saw him in a completely different light now. One thing that she hadn’t expected was for the smile to break its way onto his lips. Surprise filled her, but it only caused for her expression to soften more. She had fallen hard for him and rather quickly at that. She didn’t know how to fully describe his smile, but she thought it to be one of the most wonderful things that she had witnessed. It was a good change for him. She was only hoping that he would be able to continue on showing his emotions like this to her.

“You have a lovely smile Emory. You should show it more often.” She complimented. Her words were fairly simple. She assumed that it would be best to take that portion slow. She truly didn’t want to overwhelm him anymore than he was. “I am sure that I do not. You probably just haven’t heard those words before. But I am grateful that you consider me to be your friend as well.” She confessed. She let out a gentle hum, relaxing more into her seat. “My immune system has never been the best. I have unfortunately been ill multiple times in my life already. Blaise hadn’t cared when I was sick. I had to convince a maid to sneak me in medicines. I was lucky enough to not die under his care.” She mused. A thought hit her then. “It surprises me that he didn’t just try to kill me himself and blame it on an illness. He could’ve poisoned me and no one would’ve known.” She realized, eyebrows furrowing.

She cleared her throat to try and shake those dark thoughts away. She needed to be thinking more on the positive side of things then. After all, her world was beginning to look brighter once more. She has to thank Emory for that. “Alright. I just do not want for you to rely on those other medicines too much. I do not trust the black market.” She heard there could be adverse side effects to most of the medicines that they sold. Most of them were also priced much higher than other alternatives. She hoped that Emory would be convinced with the tea eventually. It would be much healthier for the young lord. It was obvious to see that she truly cared for him. She doubted that he would realize in what way she did. She would probably need to tell him before he did.

She nodded her head slightly, a light frown coming to her face. The pounding in her head was beginning to get once more. She was trying everything in her power to not let it show, but it was bothering her quite a bit. She lifted a hand to lightly hold to her forehead for a few moments. A gentle cough escaped her as she did so. She knew that Emory would probably waste no time in quickly getting her back to her room. She would attempt to argue with him about it, but she doubted he would allow her to stay down here any longer. The skin that she touched was still hot, much too hot for her liking. She allowed her hand to drop to her lap once more.
 
(Sorry about the long break between posts, finally had enrolled in college and studying ate up all of my free time as well as life in general. Only just recently got some more free time since it's reaching the end of the semester >.<)

Although Emory was quite content in his discovery that he had finally obtained his first friend; this jubilation was temporarily stamped out by her words regarding Blaine. Displeasure settled within the man's chest as she had mused about her survive underneath Blaine's care. Though, Emory wasn't expecting for her to have been treated well by the Duke, the extent of his business partner's neglect had been unknown to him. Perhaps, Blaine only kept her alive on the off chance of her perhaps producing an heir, although once seeing that was no use, only had she been relinquished into Emory's hands so he could get rid of her quietly, and discreetly. Of course, before Emory didn't care, however these words that left Rose's lips only served to cause the intensely unpleasant feeling in his chest to grow, which in turn cast a shadow over Emory's once slightly warmer features. "I know enough that he perhaps was trying to get as much use out of you," He remembered countless complaints from the Duke over his wife apparently being barren, as it was one of the only complaints that the man had about his former lover. "He oftentimes complained about not receiving an heir from you. That was the only reason why you probably was spared... until now that is."

There was no amusement in his tone, as how could he take much amusement in a situation that could only be seen as intensely unfortunate for the young woman? She didn't need to be served such a hand, and if anything he felt... some empathy in an odd way. After all, he had seen the true monstrous side of people himself, buried underneath memories he no longer desired to see, even if they still came clawing at his mind and ripping away at the small bits of his sanity. He shook away his quickly spiraling thoughts, now once more focused upon Rose as she had expressed her concerns over him relying on the other medicines from the Black Market too much. A dry, almost bitter expression crossed his face for a moment. As if he could stop so easily... he wished he could. Emory's expression returned quickly to normal however, not wanting to put a damper on their conversation, "You certainly are right to not trust the Black Market. But-" He paused, his sentence stopping abruptly as he spotted the frown on her features, followed by her cough.

Immediately, alarm flood through his body as he surged to his feet, moving to her side as his hand came to rest on her forehead. Her skin was hot underneath his touch which caused the young lord's expression to grow irritated. Why was she forcing herself to sit at the table with him when she clearly still wasn't feeling well? "Rose, you should be in your bed right now. Say something sooner if you were suffering." His tone wasn't pleased, but at the very least this was him showing concern in his own way toward her. She needn't push herself to attempt to stay and talk with him when she still wasn't feeling like herself, nor did he want to see her condition grow worse. He wasn't sure if either his mind nor his heart could even be able to take it at this moment in time.
 
it’s okay! i completely understand :) this semester has been kicking my ass lol))



Rose kept her gaze focused on the other male, studying his features as he reacted to her words. It was hard to tell just how he would react to such words. He was not the type to show emotion. She was shocked that she had been able to get this much out of him as it was. She assumed that it was because he was finally opening up to her. After all, he did seem to take particular interest in her well-being. A soft sound left her lips as she heard his words. “Of course that would be the one complaint he had.” She murmured, shaking her head lightly. It amazed her the way that men only seemed to care for the children in marriages. “I am glad that I never bore him a child. He truly doesn’t deserve to be a father. I couldn’t imagine him as one.” She commented.

She moved her gaze to the table then. Despite her joy of not giving Blaine a child, it still did worry her. She wondered if it was something wrong with her or if it was something wrong with him. She didn’t want to actually be barren. She would enjoy to have a child someday. She rook a deep breath, looking back at the young lord. He seemed to be troubled with something. She didn’t know if it was her situation or just things from his past. She didn’t bother questioning it though. She opened her mouth to speak as he moved quickly from his seat and towards her. She mentally cursed herself for showing how ill she felt. This was the one time that she was actually able to speak to him without structure.

“I wasn’t suffering, per say. Besides, I wanted to be able to sit and eat with you. It gets boring being cooped up in my room. There is only so much rest a person can get.” She stated, hoping he would understand where she was coming from. “My head is pounding, that is all. I am going to have some tea in a little that might help.” Her words weren’t very reassuring, but it was the best that she could do with the current circumstances. “I enjoy your company Emory. Please don’t force me back to my room just yet.” It was all that she could say in hopes of being allowed to stay.
 
(Have to admit, this semester has been screwing me over with math. I absolutely hate math, never was good at it :c )

Emory's eyebrows furrowed, an ever familiar annoyed crease beginning to form between his brows. His golden eyes didn't leave hers for a few moments as she pleaded with him, though it seemed as if it was all falling on deaf ears at first. For a few seconds he didn't say a single word, going over the logical option of sending her to her room or Rose's desire to sit and talk with him... as much as he thought that it was foolish for her to want to converse with one such as he, but his shoulders sagged as he shook his head at her, his hand falling away from her forehead, "You may stay only until after you eat, afterwards I expect you to go and rest until you begin to feel better." He clearly wasn't too happy that he had given into her demands, normally he wouldn't. After all, he found it unreasonable that she was insisting on staying up. However, he didn't wish to see her unhappy, not right now.

The man had returned to his spot across from her, his expression now settling into his previous neutral mask. It seemed as if it would take certainly awhile for him to show all of the emotions that could possibly be going through him, though the only emotion leaking through was concern from the way his eyes focused upon her. He remained in his position until Viola entering the room with a hearty bowl of soup, and some tea for Rose and a matching bowl and tea for Emory had been placed upon the table before them. The maid had taken note how haggard Emory had looked earlier and perhaps thought that the selection of a more simple meal would be enough to regain some warmth in his body again, of course she also was greatly concerned over Rose's condition, judging alone from the look that she had given her. It seemed as if Rose indeed was in good hands judging by the concerned expression both the lord and the maid was giving her, certainly a stark contrast from the life she perhaps had suffered before underneath Blaine's "care"... if it could be even called that.

Emory's gaze shifted down to the bowl of soup before him, his mind recalling what he had been saying before regarding the Black Market before he had been distracted by Rose's condition. He cleared his throat, his eyebrows furrowing as he hesitated for a few seconds, "...As I was saying earlier, I am well aware of the risks I take by accepting medicine solely from the Black Market. However, in my current situation... I.. have no other choice." He felt odd revealing so much, even if it wasn't even really a lot by any means. And it certainly left more questions than answers, questions that even Viola who was looking quite perplexed herself in the corner she had retreated to didn't even know.
 
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