The Archduke's Songbird-Chapter 189: Letting Her Vent

Cordelia stood up and blocked Louis from leaving. She stood blocking the door, legs spread and palms pressing on the threshold of the door.

This was the second time he walked out without kiss-*Ehem*- without giving her an answer. She opened her heart up, without hiding anything, forgetting the norms and the societal etiquette that a woman shouldn’t reveal her heart first, and yet, he wanted to leave without any answer.

"What?" Louis asked, his eyebrows raised.

"You’re leaving," she said and gulped. She fixed her palms strongly on the threshold. If he was going to push her away, she didn’t want to let him go without a fight. "Without giving me an answer..."

Louis looked at her, his head tilted and his lips curved to a crooked smile. "Answer? What answer?"

Cordelia’s eyes watered and she bowed her head. After showing her vulnerability to him, it appeared that he was mocking her. But she knew he was not mocking her. His previous action might have been ambiguous, but he was not mocking her and her feelings.

"Are you crying now?" Louis asked, his voice getting low out of concern. "Hey, Cordelia..." he held her chin to make her face him.

Cordelia was not planning on crying. She was not someone who let others see her cry. But the moment he asked her if she was crying, her eyes started to water without her control.

"Cordelia!" Louis’s heart dropped to his stomach seeing tears in her eyes. He wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her. Nodding at one of his knights to not allow anyone in the hallway, he brought her inside the room and closed the door.

She was sniffing as she leaned on his shoulders. He gently placed her on the couch, but she didn’t let go of him and wrapped tightly around his neck.

He let out a deep breath and rubbed her back. "Please, stop crying... Cordelia... Please..." He couldn’t bear with the way she muffled her sobs. His chest hurt.

"You want answers, is that it?" He asked, holding her cheeks.

Her eyes were red along with her nose and cheek and he missed the brightness of her eyes.

"Yes! I told you I was in love with you all the time the last time. I told you I am fine with being your friend. I even told you I’ll be your mistress. Do you hate me so much that I can’t be your friend or a mistress?"

She sniffed and wiped the snot off her nose. Louis was about to give her his kerchief but she pulled his coat to make her look at him.

"Yes, I did tell you that I admired a random man! But you started it first. I heard that Lady Catherine would be announced as your fiancée! I asked you and you laughed at me. You LAUGHED at me! Do you know how jealous I was? It was the same with Lady Jessamyn. I hated her only because you said she was the prettiest woman you’d ever laid your eyes on!"

"Cordelia..." Louis’s face bloomed with a soft smile and he held her cheeks.

"Why?" Cordelia buried her face in his chest. "Why did you make me jealous and say those cruel words to you? You’re making me stupid and I should hate you for it, but... I still can’t..." She took a deep breath and looked at him.

"You think you’re pathetic? Then what am I?"

Louis hugged her and she rested on his shoulders. He patted her back gently allowing her to vent her frustrations on him.

"You have anything else to say?" He asked, his tone gentler than ever.

Cordelia listed the names of every lady he was talked with. She said one name and it caused her hurt. But he hurt her more.

Louis listened to her silently. She had a terrifyingly good memory. She even listed the day and time of those incidents she talked about. He didn’t remember much.

He hugged her close and took a whiff of her hair. Only after listing all the names did she calm down.

"I am this jealous. I know I am not suited for being your wife. I get that~"

"Those were all cries for help..." he interjected her. He wouldn’t allow her to say such deprecating words about herself.

"Wh-what?" Cordelia looked at him with her eyes wide.

Louis gently wiped the tears off her cheek. "I cried out for the wrong person and ended up hurting the one who loves me this much..." His eyes reddened as he said that.

"Louis, don’t mind my words. I was just~"

Louis pressed his finger on her lips. "Listen to me, Cordelia. Listen well to my answer. I do not want to have you as a friend. You never were a friend. I definitely do not want you as my mistress. I do not think you’re that talented in bed. I~"

"I know things. I was taught things," Cordelia interjected him.

Louis raised his brows.

"I was taught lessons on how to please a man," Cordelia said, leaning forward.

"Of course, they did..." Louis muttered. She was supposed to become the future queen. Of course, her family would have taught that.

His eyes ended up on her neck and down below. His throat went dry seeing her clear pale skin. He gulped and turned away clearing his throat.

"I can show you if I want..." Her slender fingers found their way to his belt.

"Eh!" With a yelp, Louis jumped back and grabbed her wrists. He clenched his jaws and looked at her.

"I can..." Cordelia gulped and leaned back seeing the change in his expression.

"Will you listen to me?" he shouted, gathering every last vestige of his patience.

He was trying, really trying to employ self-control and yet this woman was trying to break it at every turn.

"Yes," Cordelia bowed her head.

"Look at me," Louis said, his voice deep and gentle.

Cordelia slowly lifted her head to look at him.

"Where did I leave?"

"You do not want me to be your friend or a mistress," Cordelia said with a pout. But her eyes looking at him were filled with a cocktail of fear and anticipation.

"Why are you scared?" he asked. "Do you think I’ll hurt you out of anger?"

"I do not want to lose you, Louis. I do not care about anything else. I’ve mentioned it!"

Louis chuckled. "You’re cute... Just like the day I met you..." 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

Cordelia relaxed looking into his eyes. She might be wearing thin his patience by being difficult. She should listen to what he wanted to say.

"You’re as handsome as always..."

"I do not want you to be my friend. I cannot degrade you to be my mistress..."

"And...?"

Cordelia could hear her heartbeat in her ears.