CH 26

Act 4. 

“We’ll spend the night here and leave early tomorrow morning.” Gareth stopped only once he and his men were deep in the mountains. They had traveled all day except when they had to eat.

Even though Elena had never left the Townsend estate and Gareth had not explained where he was taking her, she had no choice but to follow him. Nevertheless, she finally had some time to rest now.

As soon as Gareth finished speaking, Elena dismounted her horse, her legs shaking, and flopped onto the grass wet with evening dew. Her thighs and back hurt so much she wanted to scream, but she endured.

Gareth’s men, on the other hand, seemed very accustomed to this situation. They were laying out blankets and picking up branches to make a bonfire. She tried to help them, but her body didn’t listen. All she could do was stare at them wearily.

Elena was full of questions. She wondered where she was going and how much farther she had to travel. She had asked Gareth several times, but he hadn’t answered. It had seemed like he didn’t want to have a conversation with her at all.

She was starting to wonder if Gareth had taken Logan’s words to heart when she heard his voice. “Get up.”

Elena looked up in surprise at his sudden order to see the man standing with a blanket in his hand. Before she could ask anything, he lifted her up by the arm. Her body shrieked from the pain. 

“I have something to say,” he began.

‘Is he finally going to tell me things?’ Elena wondered, her expression becoming delighted without her realizing it. She held onto her soon-to-be-husband’s arm. He was the only person she could rely on in this situation.

She took a step and staggered, but Gareth wrapped an arm around her slender waist to steady her. Elena made her way through the dewy grass, supported by Gareth. His men ignored them as the pair moved deeper into the forest.

When she realized that they had walked for a while, she asked, “Where are we going? Can’t we talk here?”

“A little further and there will be a stream. I heard the sound of water,” Gareth replied. 

‘Oh, I’ll be able to wash my face, then,’ Elena thought. When they walked a little further, she also began to hear the sound of moving water. When the two finally reached the brook, Elena slipped out of Gareth’s grasp and leaned down to the water. She dipped her hands in the cold stream and washed her face and neck repeatedly. The dust that had stained her skin all day was washed away, and it was like the fatigue that weighed down her body and mind was also relieved a little as well. 

Elena turned around to express her gratitude for taking her here, only to harden her expression.

Gareth had placed the blanket down to the ground and taken off his greaves. After he loosened the sword at his waist and put it down near him, he began to take off his trousers.

Elena watched him, forgetting to breathe. The clouds moved, slowly shrouding the moon.

As it did, Gareth said quietly, “I want to check to see if you were worth it.” 

Elena felt goosebumps break out over her skin, “I-I didn’t g-get m-married yet,” she stuttered. 

Gareth laughed indifferently and said, “I’ve already sworn, Elena. I swore by my life. You’ve already become mine since then.”

“No, I’m your wife.”

“It’s the same thing,” he said dismissively, “Come here.” 

Elena could hardly move. Fear was eating away at her. It was the most frightening moment of her life, and her body trembled like a leaf. 

Gareth began to move at that moment. He approached her, then looked at her, his eyes shining in the night for a moment before a cloud crossed in front of the moon, shrouding them in even more darkness. “I need to see if you were worth it, Elena.”

He grabbed her chin with one cold hand. Elena trembled and tried to look into his eyes which were now hidden in shadow. Still, she could feel his gaze on her face, her neck, her bre*sts. She already knew that she had his undivided attention, but the feeling of his gaze fixed on her made it more obvious.

Unable to hold them back, Elena’s eyes welled up with tears. Only the occasional sound of rushing water broke through the desolate silence that had fallen. The wet grass was cold against her feet, and the cool night air brushed against the goosebumps on her neck.

“I have something called pride, too, Gareth,” Elena barely managed to answer him. Her first night was going to be uncivilized and barbaric. It was going to happen on a blanket laid atop of wet grass.

“I’m a mercenary, Elena. Do I need to explain how unnecessary it is for me to adhere to formalities?” 

At his remark, Elena thought about Gareth for a moment, ‘A mercenary. A man who carries death in his wake.’ He was a killer. She naturally realized that it meant that he, too, had no idea when he would die and that was why he didn’t let himself be caught up by things he found useless.

‘Ah…’ Elena let out a long sigh. In a way, she could understand him, but she still could not believe the reality before her. 

However, Gareth seemed to take her sigh as a sign of resigned acceptance, and he immediately made her kneel on the blanket.