Chapter 117 - Trinket

Gael has been busy preparing himself to the battle, he has been practicing with his sword even though that there's no need for him to practice since there are no competition between swords but he had always been thinking about the time he lost to a commoner in the swordsmanship competition four years ago. Since then, he never participated in the competition in the following years since her noble pride can't handle the lost.

He always wanted to meet that commoner again that he hired many investigators and even paid huge amount of coins to the guilds in order to find the winner, Alexjin. Spending money and troubling himself to search for his identity and background leaves him in a dead end as no matter where or how he tried to finds him, the winner is like a smoke that vanished into thin air.

That's why every day he had a vacant time, he spends it to practice his skills and even use the family's knights to battle with and even if he always win, he is not satisfied until he will meet Alexjin again.

A rustle on the bush caught his attention, since he is in the middle of the forest. He expected it to be an animal lurking around the night. Lifting his sword, Gael was about to strike to his pray when a woman's voice squeal in fright.

"Who are you? Show yourself!" He spoke in a gentle but hard voice as he step back to give the woman space to stand.

"I'm sorry.."

A woman appear behind the bushes wearing the most sparkiest dress he ever seen that he wanted to look away in order not to cringe or look disgusted as what his sister told him sticks on his mind. It's about him being the worst husband material for the girls.

"I'm just walking by and I apologize for disrupting your practice, young master Gael." The woman bowed elegantly as her peach hair softly brushed on her skin.

His eyes squinted at the woman's sight. She is indeed beautiful and had a nice figure which was showcase on the dress she's wearing but when he recognize her face. All his thoughts of being gentle was gone and was replaced by distaste.

"Go away," He spoke in a harsh voice and turn his back on her. Even if he saw the hurt on her eyes, he just doesn't want to care.

"Young master Gael. I apologize again for what I've done but I would like to talk to you as well. My name is Geraldine Laurent, daughter of Viscount of the East." The woman spoke gently and her voice has a tint of seduction.

"Tell me what you want then go away instantly," He snapped and look at her with a glare. He could still remember what she did to his sister.

Geraldine Laurent squirm under his gaze and took out something on her pouch. It was the trinket she wanted to give to Gael as a lucky charm for the event.

"Young master Gael, I hope you would accept my humble gift for you," Geraldine Laurent present the trinket with a smile, hoping that he will accept it instantly. 

Gael looked at the trinket with the same expression on his face, looking at the sparkling gem in her hands. He was not delighted and even finds it funny at how Geraldine Laurent chooses a trinket made in diamonds and other jewels that served no purpose in the event.

He turned his back for Geraldine Laurent not to see his look of disappointment and distaste from the trinket she wanted to gave to him.

"Lady,you should go back to your tent as the night is getting deeper. Dangerous creatures will be lurking from this time. Go back where you are safe." Gael started to walk away.

"Young master, you don't like my gift?" Her voice sound soft but broken from the rejected of the man he loves.

"I appreciate the effort but that gift serves no purpose and the glistening gem will only attract unwanted attention and I don't want it to add to my troubles." Gael still has his back turned away from her. When he's done speaking, he started to walk away again when he felt something hugged behind his back.

"Young master Gael, I liked you since the day I saw you in the swordsmanship competition. Starting that day, I can't take you off my mind ---" Geraldine Laurent wasn't able to continue what she's about to say when Gael turned around and pushed her back. His eyes are blazing with anger as if he wanted to burn her alive.

"Don't you dare show me your face again or you would feel my wrath!" He yelled which shocked Geraldine Laurent. She wasn't able to move on the ground while looking at Gael who is breathing heavily. 

"I - I" Geraldine Laurent could not form any words from her mouth as she watched Gael walked away from her.

Gael went back to his tent, looking at the time it was already 9:00 PM. So he call his servants to start preparing for the upcoming hunt event.

***

Multiple silent steps keeps on approaching the forbidden area of the forest. He walks like he had no fear in his bones and act like he's just strolling in the night market. He is wearing simple dark clothes and a silver sword in his right hand.

He keeps walking and walking, ignoring the growls of different creatures he heard around him. In his mind, he only wanted to achieve something and he will do everything to get what he wanted.

He spend hours on his foot walking in a specific direction. Blood drenched in his clothes as his clean and shining sword bathe in red. His expression remained emotionless while killing the creatures that comes in his way mercilessly.

Darkness engulfed his body as the rays of the moonlight couldn't enter due to the amount of leaves barricading it from entering but even if it's total darkness, the man sees where he was going.

His electric blue eyes glow in the darkness as if he is one of the creature around that needs to be feared. After a few turns around the forest, he finally arrived at his destination. It was a huge cave that is surrounded by huge stones with no living plants around and the ground have huge foot prints.

"I finally found you," he said with a smirk forming on his lips. He draws out his sword and swat away the blood of the other creatures. He bravely enter the cave without any fear of what's coming to him as soon as he enter.

***

Birds flocked away while chirping in fear and the rustle of leaves is so loud that even reached a human ear. Geraldine looked up in the sky to see the birds covering the moon, she thought that it might because of the hunt that has been going on for an hour already. She was about to go back and read her book when she felt the ground shake. 

Her eyes snapped at Gavril to see that he is sleeping comfortably at the chair. The rest of the crowd is also have their eyes closed which makes Geraldine wonder why would the event be held at that time frame.

"Meh, maybe it's the rampage of the creatures due to their hunting," She whispered and went to read again but her gut feeling tells her that something is not right but couldn't point what it is.

She stands up from her seat and planned to go back to her tent to sleep comfortable on her bed when Geraldine Laurent silently approached her. Then without a word, she pulled Geraldine Gauthier by her dress and bring her to the safe part of the forest but makes sure nobody could see them.

Geraldine Gauthier let herself be pulled as she's not even scared to the woman wearing a flashy clothes in the middle of the forest.

"You brainwashed your brother, didn't you!?" Geraldine Laurent snapped at her as soon as they arrived at the spot she choose.

"What are you talking about?" Geraldine Gauthier cocked her head to the side and act innocently and tried not to laugh as she saw Geraldine Laurent face turn to red because of anger.

"YOU TOLD YOUR BROTHER BAD THINGS ABOUT ME!" Geraldine Laurent couldn't help but scream her lungs out and didn't even bother to show any elegance of a noble in front of Geraldine Gauthier.

"Woah, you need to calm down," Geraldine Gauthier giggled while gesturing her hands up and down in front, "Besides, how could I say things about you when I even forget your name. Who are you again?" 

That question even made Geraldine Laurent storm in anger as she just went again and raised her hand, wanting to slap Gael's sister but when she was about to hit Geraldine Gauthier's cheeks, something appeared in front of her eyes. It was so fast that she barely see what it was but looking down, she noticed that her hand was gone.