Chapter 231: Chapter 231
— You say it is not real... —
The judging Prince commenced.
— Yet even I, who has a short time knowing the Lady, can see that right now she is so devoid of colour that it cannot simply be faked. —
—.....—
Sylfinnier, frightened to walk to his ailing child’s side, scowled at the relentless sight of her trembling back; aware that the demeanour she portrayed at the moment was as disheartening as any she had displayed whenever her soul suffered.
— That would be needed to be proved. —
Then his youngest child coldly said, unbothered to keep a concerned expression, to now portray one of shameless indifference as she continued to speak.
— Is it not suspicious? Lately, she has been ailing just at the "right time". How can I trust that my sister is not feigning her ailings when some time ago nothing ever happened to her? It is also strange that she keeps showing this to the Prince. Obviously, she’s trying to get everybody’s sympathy– —
— Stop right now, Theressa. —
— ! Father, I– I know it didn’t sound right but– —
— You didn’t mean it to?..... I highly doubt that, child. —
— But father! Look, if I– —
— Don’t touch your sister. —
—..... Father... —
— Go back right now to your chambers... I don’t want to take this further at the moment. Leave before more shame falls on you... And myself... for having to see this unsightly attitude of yours. —
The words he had told his child still burnt his throat.
Never in his life had Orland thought that the girl he pampered would behave so coldly. And that he would need to use such harsh expressions, even when restraining his rage to not say more that could hurt her.
Her tearing eyes left with her stomping feet. And only silence remained in the terrace lounge, only allowing a short peek between the men, that transmitted each other’s stance at the situation before the Duke could come closer to his struggling child.
Shivering helplessly, the girl’s lids were open, blankly looking downwards, unlike her inner self believed.
Dreadful as only her already inexpressive demeanour could become, Marianne’s only sign of life was the concerning flinch her limbs and head would sadly demonstrate in her contained posture.
’Dear... How come Theressa spouted such atrocities when this sight was before her?’
The hurt of biting his inner lip felt like a lovely caress compared to the one in the hollow space the mangled wound of witnessing a scene like this again provoked within his desperate spirit.
One-sidedly, the Prince called for his disconnected child repeatedly, careful not to touch her again, as at his first attempt a noticeable recoil of her frame was displayed. Eventually, The Prince’s attempt reached her, finally appreciating the opening of her lids with delayed woken gems.
’... Sweet child... I am sorry, my dear bird... For you to go through this... It ought to be my fault.’ — Orland blamed himself, discouraged at how brittle she appeared in that seat, lonely, as she reached for her own hands to find comfort.
Sadness invaded him, but the Duke still managed to speak to Marianne. Pushing himself to seem fine as she apparently ignored what had happened during her dissociation, Orland affectionately spoke, normally trying to appease the child with fake calmness as his sorrow traversed quietly through his veins; carrying the blood he wished to sob in exchange for her health.
’My little bird... How it hurts to separate from you after having your small frame be embraced by me in a farewell... If only I could carry you around like the little child you were back then...’ — Orland thought yearning for the facilities a past could give.
’Yet you have grown... And other ways to protect you must be sought now.’
In the end, at the conversation he overheard from his Child’s servants, Orland had abstained from having the conversation Theressa deserved after the incident.
He now knew that no word his child told could be trusted at the current impression everything gave about her.
Hence...
"... Theo..." — The Duke whispered, clicking his tongue twice, to summon the one he needed to speak to in privacy as he went to a secluded place to not be seen.
Analysing his surroundings with his trained skill, he confirmed the solitariness they needed and clicked his tongue once more in a hollow sound, corroborating to the summoned one that he could come forward.
... Sssh... — The long-haired man appeared, covered in his Umbra Quadrigis cloak as he was on duty.
"Your Grace. It is rare for you to ask us to leave the shades..."
"Keep an eye on Theressa."
"..."
"If necessary, listen to what goes on in her private stances."
"My Lord?"
"I heard from Bashaa. You asked to be trained on the Lugubri Quietam techniques... I don’t know what pushed you of all people to do that, but as you are also my Duchy’s librarian, I need You to be the one to do this."
"..."
"That is all, You can go back."
Preparing to turn his back on the undercover librarian, Orland gave a decisive glare to the young man conveying the severity of his petition.
However, more was to be told by the one entrusted with the mission.
"Sir." — He called, hesitant to truly say what he wanted to.
"What."
"... There is a reason I requested this of Bashaa... Even though I had refused multiple times in the past."
"... I didn’t ask–"
"I think you need to know, Sir."
*******
Innocent, she cuddled in his arms, letting herself be pampered by the enamoured man holding her dearly as the void of his feelings kept growing with the ambiguous relationship they had.
It was clear she was special to him.
From the very first moment, his actions demonstrated what his heart already knew yet his mind ignored.
Now, in this closeness, he wanted to do much more for the woman relying on him. Nevertheless, the situation was not proper, and her weak state was not one he desired to use to his advantage.
’My delicate Lady... So soft and heavenly delightful... Marianne..... To define our connection at a time like this... Certainly would be brutish and unsightly on my part would it not?’ — Zeleskiaz mulled over the situation as he found comfort in her exquisitely braided crown. Sighing ardently as another kiss was pressed on her while his arms grasped more of her in a long embrace.
’My Love... I hate that this short escape cannot last forever...’ — Zeleskiaz lamented, desireful to take her with him without worrying about anything else.
"...m..." — Her sound then made him aware.
"!..... Was I... Squeezing too much?" — The man asked after meeting her gaze, as he moved in hast to know what made her manifest.
’Yeah... Don’t squeeze me... You’re too big for me to survive your strength.’ — She nodded as he told him, going back to rest her head on him after her carefree warning.
"....."
The loveliness of the woman’s innocence was maddening.
Her readiness to continue being held was cruel to him who learned the feelings causing the unstoppable racing of his heartbeat... As well as the difficulty to grasp air when the woman behaved so selfishly, subconsciously aware that he was hers to take.
"?"
In her position and in their silence, she had no other option but to notice.
The pace of the heart Zelekiaz had controlled nicely until now, had been disrupted. So strongly, that even his hands did not know what to do with themselves at the increasing heat her actions incited in his body and soul.
’Kinky... Are you alright? Do you have arrhyth–mia...? What’s with that face?’
Conflicted expression invaded his nice features.
Light flush menaced to paint his cheekbones as he observed the woman looking up at him completely ignorant of his struggle.
’Woman... Don’t put me into more trial, please...’ — He swallowed, thirsty for her taste.
"... So unfair..." — The man whispered to himself, forgetting that their distance enabled her to hear.
’Unfair?’
She repeated, curious to see him sigh so frustrated.
’... Hmm... Maybe you’re right. This might be a little bit unfair if I see it from your perspective.’ — The clueless foreigner commented in her inside, pondering what she mistakenly thought he found unfair about the situation.
"....."
Loosening her grip on his back she observed the troubled Prince from her height, tilting her head from one side to the other as she thoroughly decided what to do about such "unfairness" he mourned over.
"... Haaah... It may be wise to make our way back to the Ball Room now, my Lady... Your disappearance will certainly be noticed if we don’t return soon."
"....."
Resigned to keep the hazard to himself for the moment, Zeleskiaz told the staring woman whose enchanting eyes lowered dejected and in thought; as if they were feathers graciously dancing an uncertain tune as they fell through the air.
’... Alright.’
Making up her mind, she eventually agreed to his suggestion with a light nod of her Crown.
"Hm?... My Lady?"
Nonetheless... before their bodies completely separated...
’But let me do this before we go back.’