Chapter 8

"Haris. Where is Elizebeth?" Asked the duke inside his workroom.

This week, he didn't have to meet the king for political purposes so he tried to finish up the pile of work in his territory.

He sometimes glanced at the door hoping his dear daughter came disturbing his work as usual whenever he had to work from home.

Haris, the exclusive footman for the duke answered him as he put down the breakfast and the hot coffee for the duke on the table, elegantly. "She's still sleeping, My Duke."

Sleeping?

Duke arched his brow for a while before humming shortly. It was good news for him to hear his daughter well these days. His mood levitated, instantly. His hand movement was effectively faster than before.

"Then-." Haris words were cut off.

TOK! TOK! TOK!

Both of them paid their attention to the door at the same time.

"It's me, father."

Duke twitched upon hearing the voice. He continued to do his job as he dismissed Haris from his workplace. "Come in." He said at the same time Haris opened the door.

"Yes, father." Demien received Haris greeting and he nodded stoically.

The identical face of his only younger entered the room. "You, are you skipping classes?" The duke asked curtly without looking up.

Demien walked leisurely as if he didn't commit any fault, zero conscious. "Yes." He was so confident.

The duke halted his work, promptly turned to him. "I am too lenient with you."

He was painfully aware that at this hour, all three of his sons should be in the academy, yet one of them escaped the compulsory learning without giving him a proper excuse. So why is this little boy doing here, walking leisurely inside his office as if he was one of his workers asking to sign a document?

"No, you are not, father." Denied Demien, stood straight in front of his father both hands resting behind his back as if he was talking to a sergeant. His eyes unwavering looking straight inside his father's eyes, the hint of a mischievous smile in those straight lines could be sensed by the duke. His son ain't slick at all.

Duke now looked interested to see the sure face of his firstborn despite committing trouble. "What kind of gremlin are you creating at the academy?" He put down his pen, his cold eyes penetrated Demien's eyes.

"I did nothing of the sort, father. I promise you." He put his right hand onto his heart to show that he wasn't lying. To put the right hand on top of the heart was the deepest sincerity in their language.

Duke believed him without a second thought and rose from his seat. "Take your seat." Told him.

"Thank you, father." He followed his father to the set of the couch at the corner of the room and sat right after his father. He ignored his father, calling a servant to serve another set of tea for both of them and just waiting patiently.

"What do you want to talk about, especially had to skip the academy?" His father asked him at last. Toppled one leg on top another, sat leisurely.

"Father." The stoic Demien at last spoken. "It came to my attention that we need to find a cure for our baby Elizebeth."

Duke immediately focused on Demien right after he finished. "Explain." Asked him short. According to Haris, she was sleeping soundly today. What could be the problem now?

"I slept next to her yesterday. Holding hands." It was his way to brag.

Duke's eyes flashed enviously almost instantly. Sleeping next to his Elizebeth? How dare his firstborn dare to commit such an act right under his nose. It's been years since he was sleeping side by side with his daughter, but Demien dared to bypass him and slept side by side with Elizebeth yesterday and while holding hands? How dare…

Demien sighed inwardly. Massaging his temple. He was well-versed with his father's jealousy. Well new flash, he didn't care. Yesterday night was his night and Elizebeth. He slept holding hands with his dearest sister. That only matters. The jealousy of his father could be treated by Elizebeth's charm. He would bribe Elizebeth to play a trick with his father. All for his own surviving game.

"So? What do you want to discuss? Does Elizebeth want a new dress? A new nightgown? I will tell the duchess to arrange everything. You can help her to pick Elizebeth's clothes." He easily approved everything regarding his daughter.

Demien was utterly interested to be in-charge but sadly the issue wasn't that light. "I love to be in charge, father." He took the cup of tea, hanging it around his lips. "But I want to discuss her insomniac problem." He took a sip.

Duke almost pale to hear the forbidden words although he quickly composed himself. "Insomnia? She is sleeping soundly with you."

Demien shook his head. "She had just fallen asleep. Only three hours and counting."

Duke clasped his formal shirt. No wonder her knight greeted him solemnly. Surely, he must know his daughter's condition the best. He saw Derrick put on a bitter smile when he talked about Elizebeth just now. He did tell him he walked together to the garden late at night with Elizebeth. He should ask then.

"Did you have a late-night snack?" He took the cup and sipped it elegantly even though his chest was moving fast due to anger because of his own mistake. He overlooked everything this morning, resulting in Demien having to skip class and had to inform him, himself.

"Yes. I made her chocolate milk and offered her cookies." He coughed to cover his proud face.

Duke put a tiny smile on his straight-line lips. Almost invisible to the naked eyes. "Well done. I will buy you a new fountain pen."

"Thank you." He accepted even though he did the bare minimum. Well, he made his younger sister happy. It's an accomplishment.

Duke sighed. "We need to call the physicians once again."

"We should call the magicians as well."

BAM!

The stoic father hit his face on the innocent desk, instantly. His face burned with anger. "No one calls the wizard over."

Demien sat straight yet didn't waver at all. The physician was not enough this time. They had to call many knowledgeable physicians previously yet none has successfully cured his sister. If he had to cross the tradition by putting aside his prejudice to call the magician, he would do it as long as Elizebeth was free from worry. Even means he had had to face his father's wrath. It's all worth it to see the cute smile from his sister.

"No wizard." Period. Duke repeated heavily in flammable eyes.

Demien clenched his jaw. "I do understand, father." He backed off for now. In his heart, he already planned to put his sister to work her charm onto his father. Foul play was his favorite game, anyway.

"If you understand, contact all the prominent physicians over now." Ordered Duke and rose from his seat and went to his desk.

"Yes, father." He stood up and bowed to his father before proceeding to the door. "I will be going, father."

"Yes. You may go." Duke answered as he took the pen on the floor and took the clean white paper. "Call everyone. I don't care who. Until her illness is cured, never dare to stop." It was a compulsory order Demien must follow. It is equivalent as he had to put his life on the line.

Demien bowed towards his father at the door. "I understand." Then he walked away.

"Haris!" Called Duke without a rest. Relentless writing something on the paper. His eyes were full of concentration.

"Yes, My Duke?" Haris swiftly at his side like a ninja as usual.

"Get the horse ready. I need you to personally give this letter to the king."

Haris blanched by the sudden order, yet he obeyed without asking anything a second after like a professional footman. "Yes, My Duke."

Whilst Demien had already arranged his footman to contact all the physicians in the region without wasting any time. Elizebeth's health was on the line. He had to do whatever he could for his little sister.

"Young master! Young master!" The panic voice from Elizebeth's maid; Emily ceased his work at once. He got up in milliseconds.

"What?"

"Young lady. Young lady. She has a nightmare. She is crying." Emily notified him with a trace of tears on both her cheeks. The rarest occurrence has appeared.

Emily was a professional maid that his mother disciplined from when she was a child. She never showed any weakness before. It must be something terrible that happened to his dear sister, he concluded. Imagining the worst scenario inside his head.

"Let's go." He walked faster than the wind. Faster than anything.

"She keeps calling for you young master. She was afraid. She said she didn't want you to die, young master. What should we do?" Emily burst her tears again.

Demien gritted his teeth. What kind of nightmare she had?