Barbaric Spouse, Descry the Night's Lure-Chapter 228: Scene CCXXVIII

“She may be able to tell how the barony was doing before going to the palace. She searches for you every day. Although, as you ordered, we keep her away... Yet the pledge she made not to eat nor speak with anyone but you has been honoured-”

“Don’t say anymore, Gilead.”

“... Ma’am-”

“It’s not a request. I won’t talk with her, she should have some shame in herself... to even believe she deserves my glance... Disgraceful she is.” — Turning her glare off from the guard as pain was felt as she talked harshly to him, Ewelina bit her inner lip restraining any weakness to be shown, stepping away, resuming her path to where the girl and grumpy savage waited.

The guard instead, sighed troubled at his Master’s orders, for from the corner of his eye he could see the woman far from the group, watched by a pair of men so no attempt to get close to the Archduchess was allowed and yet had attempted too often.

‘If she doesn’t want her near why not simply dismiss her? She won’t order us to kill her unlike the Archduke... yet she can still send her away with a threat...’ — Gilead contemplated recalling the urgency with which Kelly had approached their march once they left the Palace. Joining their travels late that day, for she somehow managed to leave the palace with a horse that pertained to the house of the Orteu... Even though he had tried preventing such by following secrecy.

— E-Ewelina! Archduchess!! —

— ... Keep her away from me. —

— Please! Wait! Let myself talk to you-Ah! —

— Show some respect, who do you think you’re talking to. —

— ?! I- I’m sorry! P-please, Your Illustrious Grace! Please! I have been trying to reach you yet never was I able!! Please, let myself- huff! Let myself receive your sentence! —

— ... —

— Allow myself to speak with you! I beg of you! — 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

— ... Ma’am... your order? —

— ... keep her away from me... —

The trembling Gilead heard in Ewelina’s voice was concerning for it traversed to her body. For a moment, the order was understood with deathly intentions by the men, yet the curious inquiry of an innocent yet dangerous child proved the guards mistaken, leading to the current situation.

— The woman ignited Master’s wife’s shivers... Should Nu make the woman boom, Master’s wife? —

— ?! No! No... Do not do that... S-solely do not let myself hear nor see her... —

‘We keep her away yet she persists in following us... only water she drinks enough to survive and get the chance to talk to the Ma’am...’ — Trouble made the man exhale as he shook the bad taste the situation granted. Recalling the sentence he had to execute on the lady that once he felt sorry for, telling matters that led to his Master’s sorrow. — ‘She avoided such an end and yet... why is she searching for her death with this?? The Ma’am has enough motives to kill her and yet she...’

Unable to understand what drove Kelly into this behaviour, Gilead scowled at the cracking sound he had to provoke in a woman’s bones. Going against the nauseating sensation every hit inflicted in himself along her cries... for he took such as the price his guilt needed to pay.

— You- hff-fh! You WanT tO Be loYal- hF?! tO her-?! KGh!! Agh! fh!! —

“.....”

— KnOW thAt yoU hElped dEstrOYing your MAstEr!! —

“... Cursed fuck... Damn it... damn it!” — Overwhelmed by the recall of Dina’s broken sound as she told how fault also fell on him, his teeth gritted painfully. Saddened to know... what he had thought was only announcing a parent’s death would become Ewelina’s harm...

Warmly received by the girl, however, Ewelina also glanced where the woman was watched.

The weary appearance, deprived of the food that once made her healthy provoked the Archduchess to turn from the sight. Conflicted... yet unable to gather the kindness she once could allow on who she believed was her friend.

“Veneer Female, it smells like foreigners took the land.” — Once he saw the brakian mainglousse go to Gilead who was taking too much ease in joining them, Yngve told her, rising from the ground with the big axe he had been sharpening. — “No sane root would leave their land and territory... These northerners gave up their ground, tsk.”

“... If such is the case... it would be better for them to leave.”

“Cowardice cannot be a source of pride.”

“... Yet it may allow you to survive... Pride is not everything, Yngve.” — Soft, Ewelina dedicated a complicated smile to the tall savage that practically showed his teeth in dislike to her sayings. Calming down... as the words attempted to make sense in his wild self.

“... What could there be besides it?”

“Hm... maybe it could be a friend, family... a beloved...”

“...”

“Pride... sometimes sorrow also... they could hinder our path to such I believe.” — Looking again in the direction Kelly sat, Ewelina got lost in a blank stare. Inviting the savage’s stare to lay on her after seeing the woman her gaze watched.

“... Hate’s tha same then.”

“...? What?”

“...”

“...”

Bothered by the wishes his flesh demanded from the woman before him, Yngve contemplated on the matters he knew about the Archduke’s situation. And in an impulse of his hand, it hesitated as it lifted wanting to touch the wife of another... who could not be stolen unless honouring the barbarian’s roots for pride, by fighting the spouse or once learning of the spouse’s death.

“Master’s wife~!”

“?! Nu, please do not yell, we do not know who may be in the shadows!”

“...”

At Ewelina’s move with cautious sound, the hand that hesitated remained still, feeling numb by the touch it couldn’t grasp.

‘Can pride and honour be forgotten?’ — Yngve questioned. Conflicted, for he wanted the woman to the extent of not attending great battles that were to occur at his birthland solely to get a whiff of her air by chance. — ‘... Would that Myrkzver forget it?’

The ignorance he possessed did not allow him to see how he was already leaving it behind with his sole presence in the north, yet no answer would be given unless instincts dictated otherwise... for Yngve was wild just like Aslak... and lacked the learnings the Archduke gained after marrying the wife.