Rachel's body improved a lot after a month of bed rest. Thanks to the healer and doctor's meticulous attention, the chest pain and lightheadedness disappear. The wedding of Luther is scheduled for the day after tomorrow, just in time for her body to recuperate.

The families of the Monchy and Camelon wanted to postpone the wedding until the Duchess' condition is stable, but Rachel persuaded them to carry on because she didn't want to disrupt her brother's happy ending. She will see to it that Luther and Louie receive the love they deserved.

Rachel was so guilty that she made her family go through a lot of emotional pain. Her father hadn't actually slept and was on the verge of a heart attack when he learned of his daughter's unfortunate incident, while her brother was about to confront the Crown Prince, thanks to the Duke's knights, they were able to stop him.

She realized that her absence would cause her family to wallow in misery and perhaps even take a bad turn. She made the decision to be strong and take responsibility for herself so that those who care about her would not suffer.

According to her husband, a palace maid had cast a dark spell on her, which is why she fell unconscious and was unable to wake up. The palace maid was one of the Dark Master servants and the Duchess is their intended target. She initially finds it difficult to understand why she is the target, but then, she begins to recall her childhood abduction. There must be something inside of her vessel that these dark sorcerers wanted.

As she recollects the memory during her deep sleep, she met the Dragon Goddess whose appearance is exactly like hers. So, when the Goddess spoke to her as "my child," Rachel suddenly clutches her heart where she felt it touch.

All of a sudden, she heard a voice inside her head. "Anya, my child. Your core... you're running out of time. Find your chaperon, she knows the path to heaven. Hurry before it's too late. We are waiting for you."

Since Rachel was in a deep trance, she didn't hear Anne calling her for a while. Her head lady in waiting was so terrified because the Duchess spaced out as if her soul went to another world. Anne's hand trembled while she nudges the Duchess' arm gently.

"Your Majesty? Duchess?"

Anne wept hysterically as she called Rachel repeatedly, terrified that she would lose her once again. She will never be able to forgive herself for leaving the Duchess on her own in the aftermath of the incident. If the Duchess could have died, she would have followed her to the afterlife since she is unable to live with the fact that she was the one who brought about the demise of her friend.

"Anne? Why are you crying again?"

Anne hugs the Duchess tightly after hearing her voice. "Your Majesty, please don't do that again."

"Anne, nothing happened. I'm here alright?"

"But just now...you seem to be not here... I repeatedly called your name, but you just froze there as though you were in a trance."

"I didn't realize I was drifting off. I apologize if that makes you scared."

Rachel sighed deeply and patted her best friend on the back since she looked to be so fearful of something. Even though she is aware that her husband will be informed of this matter, she doesn't want him to worry any more about her.

"Anne don't tell his Majesty about this, please. My husband already has a lot on his plate, so I don't want to make things worse for him. Can you promise me to keep this a secret?"

"Yes, Your Majesty, but please don't do that again. I'll keep it for the time being, but I have a duty to tell the Duke if it could endanger your life."

Rachel nods and clasp her best friend hand to comfort her. To be honest, she fears her situation. It appears that the dark sorcerers were aware of her relationship with the celestial beings. She has no other explanation for why she was abducted, and now that her soul has returned to this world, they are pursuing her once again.

According to the Goddess, she must find her chaperon.

'Who is my chaperon? How can I find her? I have so many things to ask her. Wait! The book..."

Rachel suddenly stands up and wipes Anne's sobbing face. She gestured for Anne to be quiet when she heard footsteps outside her chamber.

"Duchess, is everything alright?" Sir William knocks on the door and asks for her permission to inspect the situation after hearing someone crying.

Following her collapse, she was under close guard by the Duke's elite knights and wizard soldiers. She always has a group of knights and wizards following her around, even moving in the nearby vicinity. She felt so overwhelmed by the heavy surveillance. It appears as though her husband was afraid, she would disappear at any moment.

"William, everything is fine. My head lady in waiting becomes emotional again. Please don't mind us."

"Alright. If you feel uncomfortable, please call me right away."

***

While enjoying a cup of tea in the salon, Rachel waited for Corine to bring her the book. She recalls putting it in her own luggage and was unable to remove it when they landed in the south. It was the temple's Book of Creation, which her husband had lent as a peace offering after their past misunderstanding.

With a troubled expression on her face, Corine walked into the salon. "I can't find the book in your luggage, Your Majesty. I searched all over for it, but it was nowhere to be seen. Maybe you left it at the palace in the north?"

"No. I was the one who put it there. Can you try looking for it once again?" Rachel's voice panic that her maid notices it.

"Is everything alright, Your Majesty?"

"Yes, I'm fine. Just look for it again, it's kind of important to me. By the way, has His Majesty returned?"

"I was about to tell you. His Majesty is looking for you."

"Alright, I will go to his office."

As Rachel made her way to her husband's office, she reflected on the fact that throughout her recovery, Sebastian made it a point to see her every day and make sure to inquire of her condition. However, she could only get daytime visits from her husband because he seemed to be so preoccupied with military affairs.

When Rachel walked into his office, Sebastian raised his head. She timidly walked over to her husband, who was seated on his desk chair. As he motioned for her to sit on his lap, Rachel obeyed and put her arms around his neck.

"Husband, are you leaving again tonight? I'd like to ask you something if you don't mind."

Sebastian chuckled and nodded his head for her to continue.

Rachel stroked his neck, and said, "Uhm. Are you avoiding me?"

Her voice carries a sense of hurt. She was little upset with him for avoiding her for the past few days. She heard him laugh and kissed her hair while seeming to sniff it.

"Wife, it's been really tough for your husband these last few days. I'm at my limit not to touch you. So don't ever think of that because it's for your own good, hm?"

Rachel gasped in awe that her heart was filled with joy. He stayed away from her because he had to restrain his lust for her. Sebastian cares about her physical condition that he is willing to control his insatiable desire.

"Then I shouldn't think of unnecessary thoughts. I'm sorry hubby if I interrupted your work. I must leave you in peace then."

"Not so fast, wife."

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Author's note: Omg! You guys! We reach 101k views and 9k votes 😱..Thank you from the bottom of my ❤️. I'll be releasing 3 chapters today as my bday treat to my dearest readers 😘❤️😊