Eilika opened her eyes slowly only to find the bright rays had filled the entire room. She quickly sat up, and checked the time. It was past nine in the morning. Jumping out of the bed, she ran into the washroom. Freshening up in thirty minutes, she changed into a simple gown.

She opened the door and hurried downstairs when her foot slipped. But Damian caught her in time as he was coming upstairs only. His arm circled around her back. "Careful! Where are you running to?"

"I was late. You didn’t wake me up," Eilika replied, standing up straight. "I didn’t even check on Roman. Did he have his breakfast? What about the other boys?" she inquired.

"They all have had their breakfast earlier. At the moment, the boys are playing outside," Damian replied. He noticed that she didn’t even dry her hair. "Ask the maid to help you dry the hair. I will send the breakfast for you upstairs," he asserted. He looked downstairs and called for a maid.

"Help the duchess in drying her hair," he instructed. He gestured to her to go upstairs as a maid followed her too.

Damian stepped down the stairs and saw Maurice standing by the sofa with a scroll in his hand. He approached him and took the scroll before opening it.

"Louis sent it," Maurice informed.

Damian read the message inside it. He folded it back and lowered it onto the table. "Is everything ready?"

"Yes. What about you? Did the Duke paint the tattoo on his chest?" Maurice was curious to know.

"Hmm. Eilika did. You were right. She has a talent to draw," Damian replied.

"I told you the Duchess has many talents," Maurice said with a smile. "I can see that you both have cleared your misunderstandings from yesterday. It is good. I suppose the Duke even slept well last night." He noticed that Damian’s eyes didn’t look tired like yesterday.

"Surprisingly, I fell asleep while Eilika was painting the tattoo over my chest," Damian admitted. "She is exceptionally humble with me. I contemplated what you said to me. I am trying to be a better husband to her," he affirmed.

Maurice smiled to learn that. "After you finish this mission, you shall take out the Duchess for dates."

Damian didn’t respond and lowered himself onto the couch. "Keep a watch on the boys," he ordered.

~~~~~

Eilika sat quietly before the dressing table. Behind her stood one of the maids, carefully working through Eilika’s long hair.

With gentle fingers, the maid separated small sections and began weaving them into thin braids along the sides of her head. He ensured each braid lay neatly against the rest of her hair.

Eilika watched the process through the mirror, noticing how skillfully the maid’s hands moved.

"How long have you been working here?" Eilika asked curiously, her voice calm.

The maid paused briefly before answering, though her hands continued their work.

"I was hired only for the period during which the Duke and the Duchess are staying here," she replied politely.

Eilika tilted her head slightly, observing her reflection again as the braids slowly took shape.

"So you do not normally work in this residence?" she asked.

"No, Your Grace," the maid said respectfully. "Most of us were brought here temporarily to assist while His Grace and Your Grace remain at the cottage."

Her tone remained humble as she carefully finished another braid, ensuring it blended smoothly with the rest of Eilika’s hair.

Eilika nodded faintly as she continued watching the neat pattern forming in the mirror. Once the hairstyle was done, she thanked the maid. "You do have a talent in making such good hairstyles," she asserted, admiring her form in the mirror.

"I’m glad that Her Grace liked it," the maid said politely.

Eilika gave a small nod of acknowledgment.

"Do you need help with anything else, Your Grace?" the maid asked.

"No, thank you," Eilika replied gently. "Let’s go downstairs."

The maid stepped aside to let her pass, and together they made their way down the staircase. The quiet cottage was slowly coming to life with the morning light filtering through the windows.

As Eilika reached the lower hall, she noticed Damian already seated comfortably on the couch. His posture was relaxed, one arm resting along the back of the sofa as if he had been waiting there for some time.

His gaze shifted toward her the moment she entered.

"The maid was supposed to bring your breakfast upstairs," he remarked, tilting his head slightly.

Eilika walked over and sat down across from him.

"I don’t really have much of an appetite this morning," she admitted. "I’ll only have some fruits. Something light will be better."

She glanced toward the maid standing nearby.

The maid nodded immediately and headed toward the kitchen to prepare what she had requested.

"I should go and check on the children," Eilika said, beginning to rise from her seat.

But before she could stand fully, Damian spoke.

"Maurice is already with them."

His calm voice stopped her.

Then he added after a moment, "When did I fall asleep last night?"

Eilika hesitated slightly as she tried to recall the exact moment.

"Umm... I believe it was about twenty minutes after we started," she said thoughtfully. "You were already asleep by then."

Damian lowered his gaze briefly.

"You should have woken me," he murmured.

Eilika shook her head lightly.

"You hadn’t slept the night before," she reminded him. "You needed the rest."

Then her curiosity surfaced. "Did you like the tattoo?" she asked. "I made sure the ink had dried completely before covering it."

Damian gave a small nod.

"Yes," he said. "I like it. The design turned out exactly as it appeared on the paper."

His tone remained composed, but there was a hint of genuine approval in his words.

After a brief pause, his expression grew slightly more serious. "While I’m away, you shouldn’t leave the cottage," he said firmly.

"If Roman asks where I am," Damian continued, "just tell him that I’m occupied with work and won’t be back for a few days. Although... he probably won’t ask much about me."