After staring for a while, Matthew considered having intimate contact with Rachel after her bath. He quickly undressed and reached out to test the water temperature. Just then, he heard footsteps outside, followed by a bang as the bathroom door swung open.

Rachel rushed in. “Sorry, I just need to grab my clothes…” Her eyes widened in surprise at his undress. “Why did you take off your clothes so quickly?”

Realizing her mistake, she hastily grabbed her clothes and fled, embarrassed. Matthew felt a little disappointed, sensing a missed opportunity, but shrugged it off. He knew he would see her again soon.

After a quick bath, he stepped out, only to realize there were several bedrooms on the second floor. Unsure which was Rachel’s, he went from room to room, listening at each door until he heard movement. He pushed the door open and found Rachel brushing her hair. Seeing him, she blushed, recalling the earlier incident.

Matthew noticed the awkwardness and tried to break the ice, but lacked the words. He spotted an unusually large bed and commented, “Wow, it’s huge!”

Rachel’s blush deepened. She snapped, “You… don’t go too far.”

Matthew was puzzled. “I just said the bed is huge. How is that inappropriate? It really is a big bed.”

Realizing her misunderstanding, Rachel said, “Oh, you were talking about the bed. I thought you were talking about…” She trailed off, realizing her error and snorted.

Catching on, Matthew teased, “Oh, so you thought… but you’re not wrong either. Both are quite large!”

“You!” Rachel glared. “You’re too much! You pervert!”

Matthew shrugged unconcernedly. “You saw me already. I didn’t say anything. Why are you so upset? Besides, we’re going to share a bed soon. It’s not that big of a deal.”

Rachel’s eyes flashed. “Who said we’re sleeping together? We’ll sleep in the same room, but on separate beds.”

Before coming to Khoitwood, Fred had instructed her to solidify her relationship with Matthew. This was the most intimate arrangement she could devise. After tonight, the household staff would certainly spread the word that she and Matthew had shared a room. This would convince everyone, including her family, that the engagement was set.

“Huh? Separate beds?” Matthew felt disappointed. “Then, I might as well sleep in a separate room!”

He hadn’t touched a woman in three years, and now this opportunity was wasted. It was torture.

Rachel shook her head. “No, you have to sleep in this room. Even if we’re acting, we need to put on a convincing show.” In fact, her opinion of Matthew had changed, but not enough to share a bed with him. Plus, she had a deep-seated fear of sleeping with a man.

Matthew looked at Rachel’s figure, barely concealed by her loose sleepwear. His mouth went dry. He could neither leave the room nor touch her. How could he endure this torture?

Suddenly, he remembered something. “If I’m not leaving, we should sleep together. In fact, I’m doing this for your benefit. You have menstrual pain, are often depressed, and suffer from insomnia. Tiny things upset you for a long time, and that’s why you always have a cold expression. One night of sleeping together could cure your condition. Just one night.”

Rachel’s face turned bright red. Her breathing quickened. “You’re talking nonsense!” She remembered his using this excuse before; she’d ignored him then, and now he was trying again. She realized that Matthew was simply lusting after her body. He was using medical treatment as an excuse to satisfy his desires! His behavior tarnished all doctors' reputations and ruined their profession's sanctity.