CH 40

Winter was just around the corner. During this season, knights and soldiers would use the time to recover from their injuries and to train. Lords were going to search for reliable supporters while they continued to speak ill of each other.

The same went for Gareth’s party. They had been engaging in back-to-back battles for nearly a year and, as a result, suffered from major and minor injuries. If left unchecked, wounds would grow out of control and eventually end up crippling a knight or soldier, rendering them worthless. This was the reason why Gareth, after recovering his estate, returned home once a year—rest. His plan was to let his men rest, heal their injuries, and build up their strength to continue with their jobs again.

“Giggs. Did you say that you wanted to take a long break this time?”

Giggs smiled shyly at Gareth’s words, which was not fitting for his bearish appearance. 

“What a gross sight,” one of Gareth’s men murmured, causing a commotion from the rest of the men agreeing to this statement. 

Gareth’s indifferent gaze landed on Giggs’ neck that was covered with sores. He then shifted his eyes and looked over the faces and exposed skin of the rest of his men, criticizing Giggs for showing them something they shouldn’t have seen. Skin diseases were particularly severe this year. It had gotten bad enough that it kept his men, who had to take catnaps, from sleeping soundly. However, Gareth began to realize a few days ago that his men had gradually stopped scratching. Although it didn’t necessarily mean the itching had stopped completely, it meant that it was at least under control.

Gareth suddenly thought of what Elena had tried to negotiate with when he had stayed at Count Townsend’s castle. ‘Elena’s ointment…’ 

“We’ll rest for at least two months for the following year,” Gareth decided. Low exclamations sounded from the mouths of his subordinates. Excitement filled their bodies at the news of getting a break that was twice as long than the usual length of rest they got.

Gareth smiled bitterly at his men’s expressions. There was information to be collected during the next two months. Now that he had noticed the capital increasing its power, Gareth had to be careful with his decisions. He put the map back into his inner pocket and instructed one of his men, “Gote, go this way as the advance party and announce our return home.”

“Yes, sir,” Gote replied, then immediately mounted his horse and set off for the estate.

Elena, who had been preparing dinner, raised her head in surprise at the sudden sound of hooves to see Gote disappear quickly into the night.

“Where is he going?” Elena asked Gareth when he approached her. 

“He’s going to the estate as an advance party.”

Elena smiled softly and replied, “Are we close now?” 

“It’ll take one more day.” 

“Do you happen to have family at your estate?” Elena asked in a cheerful tone.

At that moment, Gareth’s dark eyes which held no light glared at her. “Why do you ask?”

“Just because. I thought you would have a family waiting for you since you had a home to return to.”

“I don’t have a family,” Gareth spat out coldly. 

Elena stared at Gareth, who had spoken with an excessively frigid voice, with bewildered eyes. She then mumbled quietly as if to affirm her thoughts, “I’m your only family, then.”

Gareth’s face seemed to freeze over at her words. His lips twisted into a smirk, and from them came words that cruelly stabbed Elena’s heart over and over, “No, I’ll continue to not have a family.”

Elena’s body naturally trembled at his words as dark, ominous thoughts pervaded her heart. She tried to ask what he meant by those words, then decided not to when she saw the shadow casted over his cold eyes. It seemed that something lurked inside him that she shouldn’t bring up.

“Is dinner ready yet?” Gareth asked at that moment. 

“Oh… It will be ready soon.” 

Elena turned her gaze back to the rabbit stew she was making for dinner. It was a rabbit Giggs had caught. She grabbed a wooden spoon and stirred the pot as she furrowed her eyebrows. She continued to stir the stew in a circle as she listened to the sound of it boiling and felt the heat emanating from the firewood. Even so, Elena couldn’t feel anything. Her heart felt cold and heavy from the disappointment that filled her.

* * *

Elena’s mouth was opened wide in shock; the scene in front of her left her speechless. The wide field that had been neatly harvested was covered in a layer of frost from the previous night’s snow. It wasn’t the vastness that captivated her, but the peaceful atmosphere in the air. White smoke leisurely rose from the chimneys of the small houses huddled in the villages. She looked even further in the distance to behold the sight of a castle made of stone, followed by mountains covered with snow caps. The scenery gave her a profound sense of peacefulness she hadn’t experienced in years.

Elena remembered her home, impoverished and suffering from hardships in comparison to this place. Peace had never come no matter how long she had waited and the estate had become heavily taxed due to the unending conflicts with Logan. Back then, seeing smoke coming from chimneys was a rare sight for Elena, as people didn’t have the time or resources to even bake a loaf of bread.

Realizing the value of Gareth’s name, Elena recalled the time she had asked Gareth about his sacred oath during their journey. 

* * *

“Have you ever failed to keep your oath?” she asked. 

The fire cast a dark shadow on Gareth’s face as it danced in the wind. “I have. Twice,” he answered in a mocking tone.

Elena was about to blame her foolishness for leaving her family behind believing only in his oath, when Gareth opened his mouth again. “The person I was commissioned to kill had killed my employer while I was away. However, that didn’t mean the contract between me and the dead employer had ended. To me, the commission ends when the person I am assigned to get rid of dies.”

Elena became horrified at that moment. She stared at Gareth’s cold, glistening eyes; dark eyes that didn’t carry even a single grain of emotion.

“It wasn’t until I killed his whole family and hung them on the walls of their castle that my work was finished. However, something similar happened again, and I felt the need to show what happened to those who didn’t believe in my oath. What do you think I did?”

Elena stared blankly at Gareth’s sensual lips carrying cold cynicism. 

“I hung the person on my horse alive and made him travel with me. I had to show what happened to those who test my oath and that it’s no use for them to kill the person who employed me. After that, everyone knew that my work only concluded if the person I was commissioned to died.”