The Duke's Bed Warmer

Chapter 109: What’s Next?

Alina woke up. Austin was already gone, as usual. She hugged his pillow and lay in bed. The feeling from night was still there.

She had hoped sleep might make it easier to ignore but it didn’t. She sighed and sat up. For a moment, she wished it to turn into something simpler like attachment or fondness.

But it was love. And that feeling wasn’t going anywhere.

At breakfast, she hardly ate. She kept thinking about this new feeling bubbling up in her chest.

She was in love with the man who had bought her and loving him was dangerous.

It was even worse because Austin hadn’t said anything. He had shown he cared for her but had never actually said those words.

She quickly finished the breakfast and left the hall. She needed to talk to someone. And right now, only one person would understand her.

Cecily was playing the piano when she entered. She stopped when she saw Alina.

"What happened?" she asked noticing Alina’s troubled expression.

Alina sat on the sofa and looked at the ceiling.

"I’m in trouble," Alina said.

Cecily moved closer and sat beside her.

"What kind of trouble?"

Alina took a deep breath.

"I think...I’m in love with your brother."

Cecily’s eyes widened as she tried to process the words she had just heard. Then she grinned.

"I knew it," Cecily said.

"This isn’t funny."

"This is the funniest thing ever," she laughed. "You look like the world ended and the problem is you’re in love with my brother."

"I didn’t realize until last night."

"What happened last night?" Cecily asked, curious.

Alina hesitated.

"He was removing parsnips from his food."

Cecily stared at her in bewilderment.

"Parsnips?"

"Every course had parsnips. He was carefully removing them from his plate while discussing grain tariffs, and I was watching him, and I realized..." she stopped and put her face in her hands. "I realized I loved him... while he was fighting a root vegetable."

Cecily burst out laughing.

"He has hated parsnips since he was a child," she said.

Then her laughter softened.

"He doesn’t know how to love properly," she said with a faint smile. "He knows how to protect people and that’s how he shows he cares. But love...is different. And he doesn’t know how to show it yet."

"So...what should I do?" Alina asked.

"If you love him, you’ll have to teach him the difference between protecting and loving."

Alina leaned back on the sofa.

"That sounds difficult."

"He’s stubborn and a slow learner," Cecily replied. "But he will learn."

Alina closed her eyes for a second.

"Don’t tell him," she said.

"I won’t."

"I’ll tell him myself when the time is right."

"And when will that be?"

Alina thought for a moment.

"When there’s nothing between us. When it’s just us."

Meanwhile, Austin stood by the window in his study with a report open in his hand. He hadn’t turned the page in several minutes.

He kept thinking about Alina and what was happening between them. He exhaled slowly and put the report on the table.

This was exactly what he had been trying to avoid. He had kept his distance for years from women, from attachments, from anything that could turn into something...complicated.

He wanted control and safety.

But Alina had walked into his life and ruined all his plans without even trying. He walked away from the window and leaned against the desk.

"I should have controlled myself, " he muttered under his breath.

But even as he said it, he knew he would do everything he did for her again and again, without thinking. Because it was her.

He closed his eyes in frustration.

"I need to fix this."

But then immediately, another thought came.

Do I?

And that hesitation made him realize what he didn’t want to admit.

From the east wing, Alina walked back through the castle thinking about the Cecily’s advice.

Reach him the difference between protecting and loving.

She passed the back corridor near the kitchen and saw Harwick there. He was sitting by the wall and meowed when he saw Alina.

She crouched and caressed his head. He purred.

"He cares about you, you know," she said. "He just doesn’t say it."

He purred louder. She smiled, stood up and walked on.

When she reached her room, a message arrived for Alina through a maid.

"Her Highness requests your presence in the west gallery," the maid said politely.

Audrey? What does she want now?

Alina nodded.

"I’m coming."

The west gallery was full of paintings of past rulers and noble families. Audrey stood near one of the windows and turned when Alina entered.

"What did you call me here, Your Highness?"

Audrey instead of answering, gestured towards the paintings.

"Do you know who these women are?"

Alina looked at the paintings.

"Duchesses," she replied.

"Some of them," Audrey corrected her. "Others were women who never married."

Then she walked slowly along the wall.

"The castle remembers them," she continued. "Even if history doesn’t."

Alina stayed silent. Audrey stopped in front of a portrait of a young woman, painted in soft colors, looking lost.

"She was brought here from the eastern provinces," Audrey said. "For a political arrangement."

Alina raised her brows.

"What happened to her?" she asked.

"She learned very quickly how things worked here," Audrey smiled.

"And what did she do?"

"She adapted," Audrey replied. "She became exactly what the court wanted her to be."

"And you called me here to tell me this?" Alina asked.

"No," she replied. "I called you here because I think you’re making things harder for yourself than they need to be."

There it is.

"I’m fine," Alina replied.

"But there are constant whispers, and rumours about you," Audrey said, tilting her head slightly. "That must be exhausting."

Alina didn’t answer. Because it was true. Audrey took a step closer.

"You’re strong," she continued. "You fight back. You prove people wrong and hold your ground." A small smile touched her lips. "It’s impressive."

Alina frowned because it definitely didn’t feel like praise.

"But this isn’t a battlefield," Audrey added. "It’s a castle. In a battlefield, strength wins but in a castle...acceptance does."

"Can you be direct?"

Audrey’s expression softened.

"I just want to tell you...you don’t have to fight so hard to stay here. Not when there are easier ways."

"And if I don’t want easier ways?" Alina asked, crossing her arms.

"Then you might win small battles but you’ll lose the war without even realizing it."