Barbaric Spouse, Descry the Night's Lure-Chapter 261: Scene CCLXI

“F-Fatædi...” — Soft in his sound, Aslak’s corners wanted to widely smile, although he was aware that some of the joy should remain concealed given the way they had separated... And yet... his sound made the wife shudder to learn it truly was her spouse who had returned... furthermore as his unconfident smile announced his own return. — “I’m... I’m back, Fatædi...”

“....... R-red... it is all over...”

“Huh?”

“... red...”

“Ah..... Y-you’re right... I... forgot.”

“... You forgot?” — In her shock, Ewelina managed to mumble, looking at him with a complex expression.

“... I heard you were here... I wanted to see you and...”

“......”

“... I’m sorry.” — Looking down at himself as the shocked wife could only stare flabbergasted at his wounded self, Aslak said becoming aware of his dirty self even though others had told him beforehand... Meeting the wavering brown of the wife who could not believe the man’s wildness to the visible wounds. — “Guess I should’ve cleaned up first...”

“... Tsk! This savage man...” — Frowning, Ewelina whispered hurt by the view, turning her gaze away as tears wanted to fall from the despair it brought. Saving the blouse back into the cabinet with hurried hands, to face him once more, strict while attempting to conceal her concern. — “That is not what I meant.”

“...”

“... Nonetheless... That does not matter now...” — After both lowered their heads as this was not how the spouses had imagined their reunion, Ewelina told almost in mumble, peeking at him to do as her soul truly wished. — “... Welcome back... husband... Your appearance... it solely conveys how... how terribly excruciating a time you experienced... It-... It shocked myself...”

“... Um... I- I can wash up and come back...”

“.....”

“I was too hast...”

“... Come sit instead... I am to aid yourself...” — Sorry for the awkwardness of their ambience, Ewelina shook her head requesting with her brown for the man to not leave as it was for her that his rush had brought him in such a state before her eyes.

However, the man, although uncertain, did as told. Being observed as his walk was obviously difficult, provoking in the wife great sorrow she wanted to gulp down as she prepared a basin and a cloth to clean at least the face of her spouse, coming to his side indifferent to the stench, carefully cleaning his face.

“..... I can wash up and come to you later...”

“It is alright.”

“...”

“... This much is not to trouble myself. Do not worry.” — Seating beside him her hand commenced to caress his skin with the cloth, taking in how many wounds the man had obtained in a once clean from big scars body and the beard he had grown for no rest allowed the man to care for such.

Silence remained between them for a while as the woman cleaned the man... Managing to clean most of his face from the hardened dirt and blood. And... wishing to continue with his hand... her own came to take it, finally gaining the touch of the man placing the cloth over it to clean it... but becoming unable to move and remain unfazed for longer.

“..... Sniff... hic...”

“... Ewelina?”

“... sniff... Inconsiderate man... how can you show yourself to me like this...?”

“... I’m..”

“It breaks my heart... to see you like this... hic... covered in blood... and yet... you forgot because you wanted to see me...”

“...”

“sniff... brute man...”

The Archduke watched how her lowered head trembled along her body while telling this, and quietly he listened. Grasping her hand lovingly as it had not drawn away wishing to comfort the saddened wife.

“I’m sorry, Fatædi... Don’t cry for this...” — Aslak told to the wife who would not look at him, troubled. For he did not want this to hinder his wishes to convey everything he needed to the wife... who unexpectedly had welcomed him nicely unlike he once had contemplated. — “This is nothing...”

“... nothing?”

“...”

“These wounds are enough to kill a common man.”

“I-”

“Do not say they are nothing.” — Enraged by his comment, Ewelina glared, continuing to tell some of her thoughts on the matter. — “You never care about things like these. You enjoy the rush of fight and don’t think further... Although I was mad at you, you did not care to tell me more details on what you were leaving for either... You solely say what you think is enough... always.”

“...”

“... I will request a bath to be prepared.”

“! Wait. Fatædi, don’t be mad, I didn’t-”

“I am not mad but sad!”

“...”

“I kept telling myself that... when the time of your return came... I would welcome you... calmly and... and composed... with a smile even... Yet you show yourself like this and I feel grief at how you must have suffered while apart!!”

“...”

“... do not think I have forgotten what happened when you left.” — Seeing the touched brilliance of his amber Ewelina then said. — “It has been long enough for my sanity to recover... Yet what happened is still in my head..... That is the reason why I wanted to at least allow us to tell what we could not back then.”

“Fatædi, I also... I also want to do that.” — Overcoming the stuffiness her sayings provoked, Aslak conveyed. — “I travelled all this time and survived... solely to do that, Fatædi...”

“... Sigh... then... I... somehow, I do not know why we have come to this...”

“...” 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

“What I do know is that... all appears confusing, suddenly... Having you here relieves and unsettles myself...”

“Is that... a bad thing?”

“... No... It- it is not... Simply said... I am anxious to listen to what I did not allow before.”

Keeping the distance both did not want to cross out of caution, the woman ultimately told with a resigned smile to the spouse. Tired of the tension they had immediately fallen into because of her conflicted emotions, finally telling with honesty the wishes of her soul and the truth her wait had been anticipating for two years.

“Meanwhile you survived great hazards to come back, I came back to this House... to wait for your return... as the wife I am.”

“...”

“Seeing you alive relieves myself... deeply...” — Almost timid, Ewelina said. Holding her own limb where the accessory he had gifted decorated her arm as honesty embarrassed her, while the youthful sound and the notice of his craft on the wife had already started to warm up the heart of the spouse.