Chapter 131
This was a peculiar development that the newly arrived maids could not comprehend. What happened to their lord who was practically attached to the madamâs hip?
âMn.â Noah nodded his head and was about to turn around when he chanced upon their strange expressions, âWhy? Whatâs wrong? Ah, yesâtell her thereâs no need to take the blame.â
It is highly likely that he and his âwifeâ had some sort of relationship agreement between them and she was probably just being worried for appearanceâs sake. His mind was fatigued and he wanted nothing more than to rest at the moment.
But just then, the door swung open and Noah swiveled his head to the direction of the noise.
âNoah!â
ââ¦â
His lips parted slightly, and his lashes trembled.
Adele rushed into his arms and hugged him tightly, oblivious to the manâs clamorous thoughts and the look of pure disbelief on his face. Looking up at him, their eyes connected with each other as tears streamed down her face.
Noah felt his heart being jolted awake.
âAre you okay now?â she asked.
ââ¦â
âIf only you hadnât protected me, you wouldâve been fineâ¦â
Sniffle, sniffle.
âWhat would I do if I lost youâ¦â
Sniffle, sniffle.
ââ¦â
âAh! Iâm sorry, Iâm sorry. Iâm not mad at you, Iâm just upset with myselfâ¦â As Adele shed her tears, Noah stroked her light brown hair with his trembling hand. Seeing him being so silent, Adele asked him cautiously as her anxiety skyrocketed, âWhy arenât you speaking?â
Noah quietly cupped her jaw and touched her tear-stained cheeks with his thumb. He still couldnât believe it.
Is this woman my wife?
Am I really married to Adele?
A thought crossed his mind. Maybe he really was dying on the battlefield, and in the midst of it all, he was seeing his deep-seated fantasies? He didnât believe in gods, but he thought if they were out there giving him these visions, he could peacefully pass on to the afterlife.
Noah gazed deeply into her glossy, light-brown eyes and lowered his head.
Then he kissed her.
Moist and soft to the touchâit was real. The woman he had longed for was truly right in front of his very own eyes.
This was neither a dream nor a fantasy and he still couldnât believe it. With her occupying his entire vision, the hellish battlefield he thought he was in seemed to fade into nothingness.
Adele was conscious of his gaze around her and poked his thigh with her hand. âReally? As soon as you wake up?! I told you not to do things like this, especially in crowded places!â
â⦠are you really my wife?â
âHm?â
Noah carefully grabbed her slender shoulder and said, âAnswer me, Adellia Liliand.â
Adele fluttered her eyelids in embarrassment. She then nodded her head and he immediately hugged her tightly. A soft and supple body felt in his arms. Taking a deep breath, her citrus scent tickled his nostrils, and the gaping hole in his heart finally felt complete.
Noah looked at her again and smiled happily, âTen years have passed, and you⦠â
âWhat about me?â
âHow are you still soâ¦â
âso beautiful.
Noah gulped. He couldnât fathom how she managed to be his, nor how she did not seem to age from the first day he had met her. Adeleâs cheeks and ears slowly turned red from his stare, and she quickly covered her mouth with her hand.
ââ¦so cute.â Noah murmured to himself.
Adele didnât understand what he was saying and frowned, âWhatâs wrong? Are you hurting anywhere?â
But Noah simply looked at her stupidly, with eyes practically dripping with honey. Like a man enthralled by a sirenâs song.
He asked, âHow did we get married?â
âHm? What do you mean? Donât tell me youâve already forgotten so quickly?â
Adele lightly chuckled, but the butler, who was just quietly observing by the side, hurriedly intervened. âMadam, the lord has no recollection of the events that happened after he was seventeen.â
Adele took a moment to process the words, then she gasped in shock. She turned to the doctor, eyes silently hoping for him to deny what had just been said.
The doctor answered in a comforting tone, âPlease allow me to have a detailed inspection of the dukeâs current situation first. May I request the madam to step outside for a moment?â
âOh, okay. That would be⦠for the best.â
When Adele tried to get up from her seat, Noah grabbed her hand. As Adele sat back on her bed, Noah grabbed her hand and glanced at the doctor.
âDoes she really need to leave?â
ââ¦yes?â
âIsnât it enough to check just how much memory I have lost?â
ââ¦â
âIf you canât provide proper treatment just because thereâs an extra person in the room, arenât your skills terribly lacking? And you dare say that youâre the dukeâs doctor?â
The doctor in question was taken aback for a moment by Noahâs biting tone, but then he coughed.
As a medical practitioner, he prioritized confidentiality, and this was just part of the protocol. He bitterly recalled those times he had examined husbands with their spouses present and diagnosed them with diseases that came from sleeping with⦠unsavory women.
Whatâs more, it was without the wifeâs knowledge. Suffice to say, what happened next was chaos.
Meanwhile, the maids around them couldnât hide the absurd expressions and took a peep at the coupleâtheir lord held his wifeâs hand so snugly, as if he would never let go of it for the rest of his life and defending against the evil doctor that threatened to take her away from him.
Ah, yes. That was the lord they definitely knew.
Adele was perplexed, but her heart was touched by Noah who held onto her like his life depended on it. She understood his predicament; his memories amounting to a decade were all gone, how could he stay calm?
She grabbed Noahâs hand and made him look at her. âGet medical treatment first, hm?â
Then she fixed his tousled hair and smiled softly.
âItâs not just about the fact that you lost your memory, you could be hurt elsewhere too. Listen to the doctor, alright? Iâll get you something to eat after youâre treated.â
ââ¦â His eyebrows furrowed, ââ¦donât treat me like a child.â
Adele smiled awkwardly and lowered her hair. Looking at his side profile, it somewhat reminded her of the 12-year-old little boy she had met back then at the mountains.
Adele waved her hand, âIâm not. Iâm just tidying your hairââ
âAlright, you can go.â
âYes?â
âIâm going to get treatment.â
At Noahâs words, Adele abruptly got up from her seat. From her periphery, she caught sight of his slightly reddened ears.
Mn. Just like when he was still a childâshy, adorable, and easily tickled.
She had forgotten about that side of him because she was more exposed to his domineering side. Have to say, she kind of missed his little bun-face.
Adele glanced at him, hesitating for a bit, then swiftly lowered her head and kissed him lightly on the cheek.
âSee you later!â Then she hastily escaped out of the bedroom.
It was just a light greeting and everyone else regarded it as such, but Adele was notorious for being so bashful when they display affection in public. Hence, she rushed out with an embarrassed look and sped down the stairs.
Because of that, she didnât know that Noah, whose face was so red, was glancing at her back in extreme wonder.