270 Kneel

''I was barely awake when you knocked,'' Esme said.

''Why are you covered like this, Es? How do you feel?" Jeremiah frowned, ''Are you sick?"

''My body has been feeling warm lately so I sleep without clothes. You barged in like that so I grabbed it to cover myself,'' she said with a straight face.

Jeremiah's face turned red. He removed his gold embroidered black outer robe and draped it over her head, ''I should not have done that. At times like this, I forget that we are not even married yet,'' he rubbed the back of his neck, looking unlike the stoic heir apparent that he was, ''Yesterday when you left the dinner table, you did not look well. I ended up discussing the kingdom's affairs and later, the King asked me to let you rest so I could not come after you,'' he stroked her face.

Esme grabbed his hand and intertwined their fingers, ''I know you are worried about me.''