For a short time, Dorothea was happy. It started out as a mere physical satisfaction. After all, that was how it began with him and Alfonso. But this time around, it was more equal. He was eager to please her, and she was no longer a passive stone.
She saw the signs. His face had gone noticeably thinner. His usually muscular body had become slimmer. During the last few nights, she could even feel his ribs. But she did not stop – she did not stop to see what was wrong.
In her dreams, the duchess saw herself laughing ecstatically. Her head was pulled back and her hands were on her chest as if she was trying to contain her hilarity. The voice that came out of her mouth was not hers, though, but something vaguely familiar. Then, she saw herself move towards the duke who was sleeping in his
