Chapter 6
In the meantime, Selene set her cutlery down and straightened her mouth.
“We’re going out today, is there anything I should know?”
Anna’s expression changed; she’d thought she was just asking for a short walk, but now she was asking to leave the castle. She answered immediately, as if she didn’t have to think about it. She couldn’t let the Grand Duchess leave alone.
“I will follow you.”
Anna lowered her eyes and spoke politely, but there was an air of irresistibility about her.
Selene had decided to accompany her today.
***
Barath had been locked in his office all morning. His brain seemed to have stopped working. He tried to think, but nothing came to him.
He needed something to say to her as he locked her up. Sure, he could have locked her up for no reason, but that would have been too…
like he was treating her like an object.
Feeling like a hypocrite, he wanted to find a reason, but nothing came to mind, only the face of the woman who had flirted with him yesterday.
A moment later, the door to Barath’s office opened hard and closed slowly.
His steps slowed as he made his way to Selene’s bedroom. He looked out the window and saw something strange.
Selene sitting at a table in the hallway that hadn’t been used in a very long time, and Anna standing guard beside her.
They exchanged a word or two, and then Selene stood up.
Barath retraced his steps, matching Selene’s pace at the window, and realized that she was trying to escape the inner sanctum.
His pace quickened. His mind raced with thoughts of her running away.
With Anna by her side, she’d be okay, he thought, but there was always a contingency. What if she went to a crowded place and lost her?
Normally, he would have dismissed it as an improbability and not even bothered, but he was in a state of mind where he couldn’t even think straight.
The window disappeared as the corridor ended and a dingy staircase emerged. He lost sight of her for a moment, and his gait turned to a near trot.
Soon the stairs ended, and a blinding light flooded into his eyes. He squinted and saw the back of Selene’s head, just exiting the inner sanctum.
His mood sank into the mud, as if it were trying to run away from him.
As he stepped out of the inner sanctum, he saw her flicking her hair out of her face and arranging it as if it were pleasing to the cold breeze.
He wanted to turn her round at once, pick her up roughly and throw her into her bedroom, and with that intention he approached her.
He was about to snatch Selene away from Anna when she spotted him, and her humming reached his ears.
It was a small, thin, weak humming that was like her own.
Selen hadn’t even sensed his approach.
Barath’s mind slowly returned. He knew. There was no way that Selene, a scrawny girl with barely developed senses, could escape the eyes of Anna, who had risen to the rank of Royal Knight in the Empire. There was no way.
The chances of Anna losing sight of Selene were zero.
Soon, Barath motioned for Anna to excuse herself, and she focused on Selene as if nothing had happened.
Now there was nothing between him and the moon, and he could get closer to it at any moment, as long as he kept his eyes on it. His mind relaxed and his pace slowed as he realized that Selene was not going anywhere.
Viscount Augustus Zarthein.
Hailing from a vassal family of Grand Duke Barath Velias, he is a loyal servant who has served with the Grand Duke on the battlefield as his lieutenant. His sword prowess was such that he served at Barath’s side in many battles.
He was able to spot his master from a distance. He was surprised to see him running, as if in a daze.
So he ran after his master, only to turn back when he spotted the Grand Duchess in front of him.
Zart stopped in his tracks, a puzzled look on his face, and turned to continue on his way.
His lord’s crumpled expression almost bothered him, but that was the way he was supposed to look.
Barath’s pace slowed to a crawl, and soon he was walking at the same pace as Selene.
It felt like they were walking together, even though they were so far apart.
Still, his eyes widened as he realized that at any moment she might try to outrun him. He would fail, but at least he would have proof.
It was just as well, he thought.
If she showed any sign of trying to escape, he’d catch her and tie her to the bed.
Somehow it made him feel better to think that he might have a very legitimate excuse to lock her up.
Selene couldn’t help but admire the solidly built world. The markets in the outer world were complex but vibrant. It was like stepping into a medieval fantasy film.
She wandered frantically through the market, gradually getting drawn into the crowd.
At the end of the market was an open space with a large fountain. People were munching on food and gathered in small groups, seemingly having a good time.
Selene sat down on one side of the fountain, her buttocks hanging over the edge. Anna, who had followed her wordlessly, stood stiffly, watching her surroundings.
Selene slowly collected her thoughts. The original she had seen was unlikely to help her now. Barath didn’t seem as frightening as he had been described. Perhaps he was kinder?
She smiled to herself as she remembered the feel of his strong arm as they walked yesterday. She hadn’t been in a relationship yet, but perhaps she was beginning to see herself in a relationship with Barath.
A tiny flicker of anticipation raised its head, and Selene squashed it.
It was a pipe dream.
It was hard to believe that his personality, his past, his nature, or his temperament had changed.
Selene’s heart sank into the mud when she realized she was still thinking of Barath.
She had already begun to develop a crush on him, if not a deep and abiding one. Alone.
Feeling alternately depressed and excited, Selene stood up to go back. It was already starting to get dark, so she would have to be diligent, or she wouldn’t get there until after dark.
Barath watched Selene sit at the fountain for a long time, unmoving.
It was strange that he didn’t get bored of her at all. It wasn’t until Selene stood up and started heading back towards the castle that she realized the sun was already as low as mine.
He followed her pace, which was still slow, though he felt like he was in a hurry.
The people in his line of sight jumped and bent down to greet him. None dared to raise their faces until he had passed.
His bulk and left eye were almost identical. Everyone recognized him, and everyone feared him.
The people of the duchy were greatly relieved that their monarch was Barath Velias, and even more relieved when he never left the castle.
While they were deeply relieved to have a slayer who was said to be worse than a demon looking after them, they were not happy to see the man behind the rumours right under their noses.
Barath could see the thought in their eyes, but he pretended not to notice, simply keeping his gaze fixed on Selene and walking steadily.
***
Selene stepped out of the warm water and wrapped a fluffy towel around herself while Anna brought in dinner.
The slightly cooler air was just the right amount of cooling against her overheated body, and she felt better.
‘Should I leave the window open a crack?’
The thought was short-lived, and she stepped across the soft carpet and opened the window. It was refreshing to feel the clear, slightly cool air fill her lungs.
Just then there was a knock on the door, as if Anna had brought dinner.
Selene answered it, her eyes gazing out the window at the rising stars.
The door to the bedroom opened, letting more air in through the window. It felt good to be in the breeze.
With a click, she heard the door close, and the breeze diminished in volume.
Selene looked up at the sky, waiting for Anna to leave her meal behind.
The night sky here held so many stars, as if they were about to burst forth.
A moment later, there was another knock on the door.
Knock, knock.
“It’s Anna.”
Selene’s face went blank in an instant.
Anna?
And who was here now?
Before she could turn her head, a heavy, low voice spoke in her ear.
“Come in.”
Selene’s shoulders shook at the sound of Barath’s voice.
The door to the bedroom opened, letting in more fresh air, but this time she couldn’t enjoy it as she had earlier.
Anna came in quietly, set her meal on the table by the window, and left quietly again.
Selene clutched the front of the towel wrapped around her and squeezed her eyes shut.
She didn’t dare turn her head, let alone walk.
Selene was bewildered, but Barath was not.
He had deliberately waited long enough for her to retire to her bedroom so that she could wash at her leisure.
In the meantime, he washed up and finished his meal. He had also prepared some jewelry for Selene.
He opened the door when he heard her voice asking him to come in.
Her pale blond hair swayed in the breeze that came through the window, and her slender shoulders peeked through a few times.
Her thighs were so white beneath the towel that if you smelled them, you could almost smell the white powder on the tip of your nose.
The sight of Selene’s white thighs reminded him of the sweet smell he’d picked up when she fell.
‘I wonder what it smells like over there.’
