Chapter 88………………………………..
– The Sleeping Duke (2) – English Translation
But no matter how hard Anze shook him, the duke showed no sign of waking.
It didn’t seem like sleep—more like he had completely passed out.
If she raised her voice any louder, the servants would surely come running.
Anze was on the verge of tears, not knowing what to do, when—
“My son has committed a great discourtesy.”
Startled by the sudden voice of the Dowager Duchess, Anze jumped back from the duke.
She had been so focused on waking him that she hadn’t noticed the duchess approach.
“Well, um, this is… hard to believe, but when I opened the door, he was like this.
It seems His Grace fell asleep leaning against my door… but I don’t know why.”
Even as she said it, Anze knew it sounded absurd.
Why would the duke be so distressed as to fall asleep in front of his secretary’s door?
But unexpectedly, the duchess nodded with full understanding.
“Yes, yes. I see. That makes sense.
My goodness, he’s sleeping so deeply. He must have wanted to sleep like this for so long.
Heavens… how long has it been since I’ve seen him resting like this?”
Her eyes even glistened with tears, but noticing Anze’s bewildered expression, she composed herself.
“No need to be flustered. It isn’t public knowledge, but everyone in the family knows about Joseph’s insomnia.
Though I admit… the place he fell asleep is rather surprising.
But that hardly matters. Anyway—how are your injuries?
Yesterday was late, so I couldn’t check properly.”
Her worried eyes traveled over Anze’s singed hair, the small blisters on her wrists and arms.
“It’s nothing serious. But if His Grace sleeps here like this…”
“Not being able to sleep is the problem. The location doesn’t matter.
Men his age could sleep on bare dirt and wake up fine. Leave him be.”
Dirt? His Grace?
Anze blinked in disbelief.
From what she’d heard, nobles of his rank used massive tents with bathtubs even during war.
Her gaze drifted back to the duke sprawled across her doorway, sleeping as if dead.
“To me, this looks like the best sleep he’s had in years.
Honestly, I’m more worried about waking him while moving him to his room.”
“Um… I’m saying this just so there’s no misunderstanding, but I really just washed and fell asleep last night.
I had no idea His Grace was sleeping here.”
The duchess burst into warm laughter and took Anze by the arm.
“No matter. First let’s have the physician treat those injuries and eat breakfast.
After that, shall we go shopping with Mariana?”
Linking arms with Anze, the duchess thought bitterly that, before the war, she might’ve reacted quite differently.
Back then, she would have valued family reputation over anything—
She might have chased Anze out immediately, and rushed to secure the marriage with the Crow Marquisate.
Hildegard was the daughter of a beloved friend and heir to the powerful Crow family.
She already far surpassed the qualifications for a daughter-in-law.
She even had the initiative to send a marriage proposal first.
But then the duchess nearly lost her son in the war.
After that, the only thing that mattered to her was Joseph himself.
Of course, he had always been precious—but almost losing him forever…
Even now, the memory chilled her chest at times.
Under such circumstances, if Anze could cure Joseph’s terrible insomnia,
then even if she were a fallen noble, a slave, or a commoner, the duchess would bow her head in gratitude.
“But, madam—”
Being dragged along, Anze looked back.
The duke was still half-collapsed across her doorway, exactly as before.
His leg stuck out into the hall.
They were just going to leave him like that?
“What about His Grace? Madam, is it really okay to leave him there?
The floor is cold…”
He could catch facial paralysis or something…
“Madam? Call me Mother from now on.
And as for him—honestly, that seems more comfortable than the finest bed crafted by any master.”
Spotting a butler coming up the stairs, the duchess waved him over.
“Did you call for me, madam?”
He stopped three steps below her and bowed.
“Joseph is asleep upstairs.”
The butler’s eyes widened.
“His Grace… is still asleep at this hour?”
“Yes indeed. Ho ho.
Although the location is… unexpected. But does that really matter?”
He nodded in agreement—though had he seen the duke sleeping on bare wooden floor in Anze’s room, he would have been horrified.
Anze listened uneasily as they spoke.
“Anyway…”
The duchess glanced at Anze, then stepped down two stairs and whispered into the butler’s ear.
He cast a brief look at Anze afterward.
“But madam… will His Grace permit that?
And this concerns Miss Anze…”
Hearing her own name made Anze frown slightly in confusion.
“I’ll take care of it.
You know how severe Joseph’s insomnia is.
At its worst, he slept barely three or four hours per week. And now—”
She placed a hand on her chest, recalling what she’d just witnessed.
She didn’t say it aloud, but she was nearly overwhelmed with emotion.
How long had it been since Joseph slept so deeply he wouldn’t notice being carried away?
After the war, he often woke screaming from nightmares.
Recently he’d improved to three or four hours a night—but even that was such light sleep that he’d wake at the slightest sound.
Sometimes she feared something terrible would happen if this continued.
And now he was sleeping so deeply he wouldn’t wake even if someone dragged him away.
Sure, the location was strange… but who cared?
Anze was anxious, but the duchess wanted to hug her and dance.
“He’s actually asleep. Understand?
No medicine, no fragrance, no remedy ever worked on him—yet he’s sleeping peacefully.”
“I understand, madam. I’ll do as you wish.”
The butler nodded seriously.
The duchess finally smiled and tugged Anze’s arm.
“Come. There’s a physician waiting downstairs. Let’s treat your injuries and have breakfast.”
Anze felt a stab of guilt at the duchess’s unusual kindness.
Last night, she had told the duke she planned to resign.
Her decision hadn’t changed.
The moment he woke up, she fully intended to throw that resignation letter at his oh-so-handsome face.
But the old lady’s warmth kept poking at her conscience.
“As I said earlier, they’re not serious injuries…”
Anze tried to pull her hand free.
The duchess stopped walking and gave her a fond, chiding look.
Her grip was warm—but firm.
“Even small burns scar easily.
In summer they heal better, but still…
Whatever happened, from now on leave everything to Joseph.”
Anze could never admit that she was paid to get hurt on the duke’s behalf in order to gather information.
The gracious duchess still believed firmly that there were certain things men should do and certain things women should do.
“Oh dear, this must have hurt.”
She lifted Anze’s arm, inspecting it in the bright morning light, clicking her tongue.
“How on earth did this happen?”
She clearly wanted to know the details, but Anze averted her gaze and remained silent.
As soon as they reached the first floor, the duchess called for the physician—
and even stayed to watch the treatment.
“There must be no scarring.”
At her command, cold sweat trickled down the physician’s back.
No doctor wanted to leave scars—
The problem was simply the severity of the wounds.
“Well?”
Fortunately, Anze’s burns were minor.
“There are several affected areas, but all are light burns and abrasions.
Scarring should be minimal.”
“Minimal?
Not completely gone?”
At the duchess’s sharp tone, the physician bowed deeply.
“N-no, madam. I have an excellent ointment.
She will recover quickly—very quickly!”
