Chapter 12
[Day 6]
Selene did not leave her room all day. Barath said he hadn’t intended to send for his old mate, but it seemed he would have done so without hesitation if she had asked him to leave.
The whole situation made her feel like she was being told that this was no place for her after all.
The sobbing never stopped.
Anna would stand guard outside Selene’s bedroom, and when the sobbing subsided, she would go in and make tea and meals. When it was quiet, she’d go in to make sure she wasn’t thinking too much.
Most of the time, she just stood at her door, thankful that the Duchess’s was only crying quietly.
Barath, too, remained confined to his bedroom all day. Sitting by the open window, he drank, the occasional sound of Selene upstairs a comforting distraction.
When he heard the words “asshole” and “bastard” through the open window, he wanted to storm into her bedroom and ask her who it was. He wondered who she was thinking about now, even as she cried.
Of course, it’s obvious that she’s crying because she saw her old flame the day before, but the way she looked at him didn’t seem that affectionate, so it’s possible that the “bastard” she’s talking about is him.
Rather than crying because she’s thinking about him, he thinks it’s better if she’s crying because she’s disappointed in herself. Whatever negative thoughts she has, she’d be better off thinking about him.
Zart imprisoned Robin in the basement again, and gave her a trusted henchman.
He constantly brought alcohol into his master’s bedroom. He was easier to deal with when he was drunk than when he was sober, so he didn’t stop him from drinking to excess.
He couldn’t remember the last time he drank this much. Honestly, in his eyes, he was the biggest fool of all. What kind of man would ask a woman he liked to meet an old mate?
Apparently, the idiot doesn’t even realize that he is in love with Duchess. His perverse possessiveness is making his head hurt these days.
His head is spinning in a negative and violent direction.
This is not a war zone, and he is starting to worry. He’ll be fine in time.
May the Empress put a sturdy leash on his lord.
[Day 7]
The sun had not yet risen and it was dark.
Barath walked into the main hall from his dawn training and looked at Selene’s bedroom window.
It was shut tightly and the curtains were drawn.
She hadn’t stepped out of her bedroom yesterday. The woman who loved being out in the wind and sun had been in that cave all day.
Well. Yesterday she was depressed, so that’s to be expected. She’ll come out today.
Barath was wrong. Selene’s condition was exactly the same as yesterday. She hasn’t eaten, and she’s crying about where she gets her strength from.
Good. Lock her up and she won’t have to think about herself. He doesn’t think she’s going to keep crying like that forever. It’s good that she’s locked up on her own.
[Day 8].
‘…’
Damn.
Shit.
Shit.
He finally realized he was in front of her bedroom. He snatched the tray from Anna, who was just about to prepare the soup and enter.
After clenching and unclenching his fists a few times, Barath knocked roughly on the door and entered.
Selene’s bedroom was darker and quieter than he expected. Barath tensed until he reached her bed, then relaxed as he saw her eyes open, if only dimly.
Her once-white skin was paler, and the life had drained from her lips.
Barath set the tray down on the night table beside the bed and peered at Selene.
She was lying on her side, her eyes narrowed as usual. Thankfully, she seemed to be her usual self.
Sure, she looked a little more groggy. Still, the unflinching way she looked at him, the way she didn’t shy away from him, seemed to be the same, and just as he was thinking about it, the corners of her eyes filled with water again.
Barath opened his mouth cautiously.
“You need to eat something…”
“Why are you here?”
He didn’t know what to say to her question, cutting himself off.
Because he didn’t know why he was here either.
“I’m not going out.”
“Doesn’t matter, they’ve closed the inner city anyway.”
Barath felt weird for a moment. It made him feel a little better to see her snap out of her tirade and shoot me the words.
She hadn’t been intimidated by him before, of course, but there was a sense that she was cautious and wary.
Now, on the other hand, she’s clearly cold in demeanor and her voice is pointed, so why does he find that endearing?
‘You’ve come full circle.’
She looks him straight in the eye, and he can’t help but wonder what she expects from him after everything that’s happened.
***
She used to be excited about Selene, she used to be attracted to her, and she used to dream of a happy marriage. But when she realized that Barath didn’t have any feelings for her, she felt depressed, as if it was a difference.
‘Why did he give me jewelry, why did he give me shoes, why did he come to me at night, why did he hold my arm, why did he hold me when I fell. You’re such an asshole.’
No, it’s not.
‘A man came at night and gave me a gift. He caught me when I fell. I put my arm around him. Took me for a walk. Isn’t that a green light? I’m a single, don’t I know what I don’t know? … I’m an asshole.’
Selene couldn’t stop thinking about the good times she’d had with him. It was as if he had a heart of his own back then. But when she thought of Barath, the man who had brought the old man before her, she felt depressed and irritated.
Then Barath walked in, his face impassive as if he didn’t know what was bothering him, but there was concern in his tone.
Ironically, it was the worry in his tone that annoyed her more. She wondersw if he’s misunderstanding her and digging the ground.
Selene didn’t hide her state of mind; she cut him off at the knees and gave him a pointed look.
Her mind was not in the right place right now, and her head was filled with thoughts she would never normally have.
Half of it was that if she was going to kill him, she should do it, and the other half was that he couldn’t die because he was the hero.
Barath felt like he had developed some kind of pathology.
Whim may run you, but there should be a fountain, and now she wants him to take a step outside to see the sun.
Eat something. Get some air.
He coughed and said to her.
“I’ll leave the door open again, and you can keep your promise to ride out with me.”
Her sobs died down, and she replied, stiffly, as if reluctant.
“When are you going to leave?”
Barath’s heart wanted to go right away, but he knew he had to put it off as long as possible. He said what he thought was the most appropriate time.
“In the afternoon, in three hours.”
What a clueless man, Selene thought, and threw back the covers.
“If you’re done talking, you can leave now.”
Is it so hard for him to ask if she’s okay and wipe away a tear?
***
The Outer Stables.
As the caretaker of all the horses owned by Castle Velias, the stables were always bustling with people.
They are all called the Shields of Velias, and they are almost the only group of people who do not fear Barath.
When Barath entered the area, he was greeted by each person he encountered, and that was that.
In this relaxed atmosphere, she picked out a horse, knowing that even though she claimed to be unable to ride, she was actually quite good at it.
Back home, she used to go hunting on horseback, and when he asked her how good she was with a bow, she told me she’d shot birds, squirrels in the trees and deer in the distance.
There were no roads for carriages in the town of Chimelinsi, so most people knew how to ride.
There wasn’t much to play for in such a small town, just strap on a bow and go hunting on horseback.
An old acquaintance of Selene’s named Robin, and he looked into her past.
At first, a woman’s past didn’t matter. All that mattered was that she would bear a child. So he brought her in with a few conditions.
…He was right to do so. A little more scrutiny and he’s sure Zart would have brought in another woman.
After choosing a horse, the rest of his luggage was filled with food. The woman had eaten very little food in the last three days, so the strange idea that she needed to be fed a lot of something ran through Barath’s head.
He went to the stable lot. That is to say, he was in a clearing within the stable, handloading and securing the food the cook had brought, when he heard a commotion around him.
He chuckled as he heard whistling and all manner of flirting.
Anyway, they’re always fussing over any maid who walks by.
On the one hand, it was understandable. Of the Shields, only the youngest were battlefield orphans, and most were bachelors who’d either filled their lungs or passed them on.
On the battlefield, he could channel that blood into battle, but within the walls of the castle, it’s hard enough.
It’s a wonder he doesn’t hear wolves howling at night.
Now that they have a castle and a stable life, the first thing they do is chase after women. According to them, women always smell fragrant.
He said.
‘Fragrant, yes. That sugar smell.’
He doesn’t think it’s strange that he’s thinking about her again, but it’s strangely quiet around him.
And now he reined in his horse and headed for the inner courtyard.
As soon as he turned round, there was a head of pale blonde hair close enough to touch his breastbone.
Sure enough, she smelled like sugar.
