Chapter 8

 “You don’t want to ride in the carriage?”

 “……”

“Shall I put you on a mare?”

 Ella’s eyelids fluttered. She shook her head. It was a pointless act of defiance. Disobedience without an alternative was nothing more than a whim. She wanted to protest his actions, but this man was bound to take it as a whim. Even so, sometimes she wanted to fall for him.

 “Ella.”

 “The body.”

 Her lower lip trembled. It felt like worms were wriggling around. She pulled herself together. As soon as she uttered the word “body,” she felt a rush of blood to her head.

 “I saw it. Hanging from the tree.”

 Ella scratched the corner of her eye. She was afraid of him. She was terrified of him. The man was cruel. It was said that men who wielded swords were often gruff and harsh, like unworn steel. She knew, but she was afraid. She saw him every day, but she couldn’t understand him. If he ever turned his back on her, that unrefined rage would be directed at her.

 “Go on.”

 “Did you do it?”

 “If not me, then who?”

 He admitted it quickly. It was something he couldn’t deny. She clenched her hands, which she had clasped together, and took two steps back. The man didn’t allow it.

 “Don’t step back.”

 Ella’s legs trembled. It wasn’t easy to get away from him. But it was even harder to approach him. As she stood there, unable to move, the man walked up and stood in front of her. His fingers touched the piece of cloth covering her forehead. It was a touch that was as if he was afraid of wearing it out. Ella often felt like a glass doll, not a servant girl, when she stood in front of him. Because of this, even the servants of San Parvale were hesitant to touch her, as if she were a glass doll.

 “You, you didn’t have to do that. In that house, in that house…… It was my fault. I shouldn’t have gone to that house. That woman’s sister died, so that’s why she……”

 “That’s understandable. She must have been angry.”

 He knew that, didn’t he? He understood that, and yet he killed someone like that? Her eyes stung. As her emotions overwhelmed her, she felt a headache coming on. She put her hand on his flat chest. The man was wearing a metal breastplate, and it was cold. She had put her hand on him without permission, and she had defied him without permission…… There was no such thing as a servant girl who would disobey her master’s wishes over and over again. No matter how generous he was. And yet Larque remained silent as she acted up. Ella withdrew her hand from his chest. The man took her hand again and held it.

 “But why should I understand that?”

 “Sir.”

 “Why should I understand their anger?”

 “You didn’t have to kill her. She lost her sister, so she must have been sad.”

 “Ella.”

 His eyes narrowed. For a moment, the corners of his eyes seemed to twitch with amusement, but Ella only felt a chill. His gauntleted hand was as cold as it was creepy. She twisted her arm, trying to pull her hand away. Larque pulled her closer and tucked her under his chin.

 “Then she should have gone to Endymion.”

 “Let me go.”

 “How weak and pathetic deflected anger is. They don’t rage against those who are stronger than them. Their anger is always directed at those who are weaker than them.”

 “Sir! That hurts.”

 Ella gasped. Goosebumps erupted on her earlobes where his voice reached. She stopped twisting her arm and blinked. The sunlight was harsh. She thought of the neck that Endymion had severed and the body hanging from the tree. He called it weak anger. He said it was pathetic. Ella parted her lips. No words came to mind.

 “She hurt you.”

 “……”

 “You fainted. You almost died.”

 Ella stared at him. He let go of her hand and grabbed her shoulder. The wind picked up again. The cloak billowed. Ella nodded. Her hand, which had been trapped, throbbed. Her knuckles ached, and she clenched and unclenched her hand repeatedly.

 “Actually, that’s reason enough.”

 He was cold. There was no warmth in his murmur, and his eyes were heavy. It wasn’t a kind answer, but Ella didn’t ask anything more of him. Maybe it didn’t matter to him how weak or pathetic the dead sister’s anger was. As she nodded slowly, Larque lowered his head and kissed her cheek. It was a tender kiss, as if to soothe the woman who was stiff with anger.

 “Ella.”

 Ella, who had been staring into space, moved her eyes. She focused on him. She touched her lips to his. Larque caught her lips as they lightly brushed against his and returned the kiss tenderly. Soon, they were entwining their tongues and sharing saliva.

 ***

 “Sir.”

 Arthur brought the mare. Ella was led quietly by his hand. Her eyelids were a little puffy, as if she were tired. It was possible that she had been crying. The mare Arthur had brought was gentle. He helped his servant girl onto the saddle and then inspected the lined-up soldiers. At the front of the line of soldiers stood the knights. Larque glanced at Ella, who seemed a little out of it, and then at Arthur.

 “You stay back there and look after my girl.”

 “Shall I mount the mare?”

 “No.”

Larque shook his head. If Arthur mounted the mare that Ella was riding, he would have to hold her. That couldn’t happen. He didn’t want his woman to mix with another man in any way. Sir Arthur bowed his head. Larque gently held Ella’s leg. She looked down at him while holding the reins.

 “Can you ride alone?”

 “Yes.”

 Larque nodded deeply before turning around. He had put Ella on horseback several times. With good motor skills, she could ride anything, be it a mule or a mare. Larque walked to the front of the line with Arthur. Endymion, who had been taking care of Marie from behind, followed and mounted his horse. A red cloak fluttered on his shoulders, just like his own.

 “It’s fortunate we could kill them all.”

 Endymion muttered. He looked quite cheerful. He seemed happy to be able to return home early. Larque turned to look at him without responding. Among those who died by his sword were some who weren’t enemies. Of course, that wasn’t significant to him.

 “If we had stayed another month negotiating with prisoners, it would have been a headache.”

 Endymion whistled. The horse walked at a pace that was neither fast nor slow. His golden hair fluttered in the wind. The man had striking features. His healthy tanned face and blue eyes like blue flames were gentle like a young noble reciting poetry, contrary to his fierce personality.

 “If you were worried about the servant girl’s belly, you shouldn’t have brought her along.”

 “I tried that, but she cries when I’m not around.”

 “She cries even when you’re around.”

 “That’s true.”

 Endymion was in such a good mood that he showed his teeth and laughed even at Larque’s sharp retort. Larque thought the laugh was unsightly as he looked ahead.

 “Besides that, I just love rolling around with that girl.”

 “……”

 “Just like you, Larque.”

 Endymion snickered. There was a legal wife at his castle. She was a noble’s daughter he had married a year ago, but Endymion still only embraced his servant girl. The legal wife, as usual, hated the servant girl. Endymion knew this as well. The reason he deliberately brought along a servant girl with a swollen belly must have been because of that.

 “Your servant girl cries too often.”

 “This time it’s because of you, Larque. Because you didn’t handle it properly, she saw it.”

 Larque remained silent. He didn’t even narrow his eyebrows. It wasn’t worth responding to.

 “She almost lost the baby. Do you know how much Marie cried?”

 The man growled. Light sweat covered his golden hair. Clear anger directed at Larque showed beneath it.

 “You already have two children, why do you need to be greedy for another in the belly?”

 Larque was indifferent. There were two boys. Whether born or in the belly, if it was Endymion, he thought children wouldn’t be welcome.

 “Aren’t more children better?”

 “……”

 “I love children. They’re so cute. All the children Marie bore are cute. Larque, you’re having a child this time too. If possible, I’d like Marie to have more children. But since she’s not well, this will be the last. I hope it’s a girl.”

 There was no getting through to him. Larque turned his gaze away. The man rambling on by himself was ridiculous. He was a man different from Endymion in many ways. If there was any similarity, it was their possessiveness, their women. That is, their servant girls, and their reactions when their servant girls were threatened….. There was nothing else in common. Suddenly remembering Ella’s blood made him nauseous. The cut on her white forehead. The moment her silver hair became wet in the sunlight. Larque gripped the reins and clenched his jaw. Endymion’s eyes narrowed. He made a ‘hmph’ sound and let his lips curl.

 The smile playing across his tanned skin was mischievous. Larque noticeably distorted his expression. The beginning of all this was Endymion. More precisely, it was his servant girl, but… Larque didn’t want to blame the woman who trembled before Endymion. He glanced to the side. The man’s handsome golden hair was disheveled in the wind. It was a beautiful sight. Taking after his mother, it was brilliant and gorgeous. His dead father would always click his tongue when he saw his nephew, saying what use was beautiful hair.