“I know…but let’s just enjoy each other’s company for a while…” Her cheeks reddened saying this. 
“Are you just saying that because you’re afraid that our future children might steal my attention from you?” 
She almost choked at the word “Future children.” Geez, what did Raziel eat to be so brazen like this? 
She thought of a powerful retort to fight back but then Raziel changed the topic as he leaned on the door.  “We’ll stay here for a while if you’d like.” 
She nodded, somehow feeling tired from riding the carriage all day. 
“You can sleep first, I need to deal with something.” Raziel said before leaving their room. She was left alone now. Too exhausted, Vienna slumped on the soft mattress and let her eyes rest for a while. 
She didn’t know that she fell aslept as she heard the floor creaking. 
Half-asleep, she put her feet on the floor and stood up, somehow wanting to drink some water in the kitchen. 
There was a glowing light from a far, and curious Vienna, she didn’t hesitate to follow it. She turned left on the hallways until she was directed to the door and outside, revealing Duke Raziel hiding behind a tree. 
She furrowed her eyebrows, wondering why Raziel was outside at this hour and was about to call him when she noticed that Raziel was looking at a  woman standing by the tree. 
Her long silky silver hair and white robe was too noticeable not to see…It was Avelina..
Vienna looked back at Raziel who was silently watching Avelina from afar. 
It’s like he’s hiding from her and doing it discreetly. She froze at the spot, not knowing what to do. No other sound was there except the howling from afar and the owl cooing in the night. 
The cold wind brushed past her and Vienna shivered, returning to her room now. Whateevr it was, she’ll just ask Raziel tomorrow. Plus, she’s so sleepy that this might have been some dream. 
****
Vienna woke up with a sleeping Raziel by her side. Strange. Raziel stirred in his sleep, and as he noticed her stare, his eyes flickered open. 
His lips instanlty formed a smile at the sight, cupping her face and carefully stroking her hair to the side. 
“Goodmorning, Vienna.” 
“Morning.” She replied shortly, wanting to ask him about last night. 
Sitting upright, Raziel ran his fingers to his hair and grabbed his mask from the beside  before facing her, “Shall we have some breakfast?”
With Raziel escorting her, they headed to the kitchen. While on the way, she couldn’t help but pop the quesiton that’s been bugging in her mind. 
“Why were you out late last night?” She asked. 
Raziel stopped on walking as he replied, “I was just looking around.”
She raised her eyebrows, finding him lying. 
“I saw you.. last night…” She blurted out and that made him on alert. He immediately looked around for any person that could have heard that and quickly  grabbed her hand, directing her to a room. 
He crossed his arms, eyeing her like a hawk, “Tell me what you saw.” 
Somehow, it just irritated her. Why make a big deal with this? Unless he’s hiding something?
“Tell me Vienna.”
“You were watching Avelina.” She said, although doubting it as a dream at first, but with the way he’s reacting right now, she’s sure it was real.  “Why were you doing that?”
“I’m afraid I cannot tell you the reason, Vienna…” He calmly replied and that irked Vienna. Her heart dropped and her stomach churned at his reponse. 
She swallowed hard, “Why?” Is this jealousy? No…this is not..
Raziel sighed, “It’s hard to explain.”
It felt like a branch of twig in her brain. snapped. That’s it. Her blood is boiling. 
 “Then explain it to me the way that I could understand, Raziel.” She snapped at him. 
“Please trust me on this. I haven’t confirmed my suspicions yet, so don’t tell anyone what happened last night.” He said, “I don’t want to fight with you, not right now, Vienna.”
She sighed, now opening the door, “Fine. Suit yourself. ” 
As she was about to walk away, Raziel called out to her, “Vienna…”
She harshly turned to him, “What?”
He hesitated but asked,  “Are you angry at me?”
She crossed her arms, “What do you think?”
He gritted his teeth, a bit annoyed too, “But are you feeling something strange concerning Avelina?” 
Vienna gasped, not beliveing him now. Really Raziel? “Why is it about her now?”
He looked at her for a minute, his eyes holding an emotion she couldn’t tell but he just dropped it, “Nothing, let us talk when we both calmed down.”
Vienna immediately barged out of the room and went to breakfast like nothing happened. 
Everyone was at the table, and they were looking at her as if waiting for something. 
“What?” She asked. 
“What about the duke? Is he coming?” Asked cheerfully by Mr. Martini, his eyes hopeful. 
She shook her head, “No, he’s not eating now.” 
Fedel instantly stood up, “I’ll call him then.”
“Alright, shall we eat then?” Asked Avelina, breaking the awkard silence. The children exclaimed yes geedily and dug in.
Vienna couldn’t help but cast a glance at Avelina. She was laughing happily with the children, spoon feeding some. Vienna was then reinded of the little argument she had with the duke.  What was he even refering about? NOw that she calmed down a bit, was she too aggressive? Dammit, times like this, she just wishes Roxy was there to give advice to her. 
Avelina seemed to notice her stare as she paused and looked up at her.
“Is there something wrong?” Avelina asked, her innocent purple eyes glistening against the light. 
She shook her head, smiling uncomfortably, “Nothing.”
Ater breakfast, they went to harvest some crops outside. The little chilren were dilgent in helping Mr. Martini. Some were hanging dry the clothes, some watching the dishes, folding the laundry, and some were running around.
Fedel came back empty handed, without the duke. 
“Where is the duke?” Asked Avelina and Vienna waited for his reply but Fedel shrugged, not answering her. Instead, he ran to where Titus is, who was helping the children in folding the laundry and Avelina running to them. Vienna was left alone sulking in a corner, so she sat by a nearby tree and watched Titus and Fedel bicker, and Avelina laughing at them.
She inhaled the fresh scent of the wind, the musky and earthy smell of the ground, and the faling leaves. 
A little girl then shyly ran to Vienna, a little flower crown on her hands. 
“G-good morning, d-d-duchess!” She stammered, and held out the crown for her, “I made these for you!”
Vienna took it from the kid, and she smiled, “Thank you, kiddo.” She pat her head. 
“NO problem! it’s a gift because  you are making the duke happy!” She exclaimed happily and then suddenly asked, “Do you love him, your grace?”
She was taken aback by that question, especially coming from a little child. 
“Hmm..what do you think?” Vienna instead replied, not sure what to say. Just then, something was amiss.  The bushes were strangely moving right now…a familiar clothes were hiding by the bushes, clothes from the Duke Raziel…
Vienna shook her head, fighting herself not to smile at his gesture. Does he think some flowers will solve their little fight? Well he’s kind of..right..
 “Who asked you to send this?” She asked the child and the girl hiccuped. “Oh…he’ll get mad if I tell you!”
“Then tell the gentleman that he needs to appear and explain to me his plans or else, I’ll have to cut his throat to know the truth, alright? Now go.” She ushered, and the girl walked to the bushes, where Duke Raziel was hiding. 
“Your grace, isn’t that a bit too extreme for a little child to hear?” Asked Titus who suddenly appeared behind her. 
“Well, at least the duke will know the message clearly.” She said, holding the flower crown and smelling it. 
But strangely, she remembered something missing. 
Valen. 
She hasn’t seen her lovely adobrale little pet today..
“Where’s my Valen, Titus?”
Titus sucked a sharp breath, dreading to tell her something, “That’s why I came here to tell you something…he has been feeling unwell, your grace.”
She instanlty stood up at that, “What?”
Titus looked down in sadness, “I checked earlier and he wasn’t moving, my lady. He looked weak and sickly.”
Vienna gritted her teeth and called Fedel. “Fedel!”
He later arrived after escaping from the children’s hands, “Yes, your grace?”
“You made sure to feed my Valen, right?” She asked, just to make it certain and Fedel nodded. 
“Yes, your grace, I fed him last night and just this morning…but I somehow forgot to check up on him  earlier.”