CH 52

Giggs was actually very quick-witted and excellent at reading others’ minds. This was the reason why he was able to survive until now and become Gareth’s right-hand man. By spending a lot of time at Gareth’s side, Giggs had quickly learned that Gareth was a man who reciprocated trust. Even when they had faced a large number of enemies, Giggs knew that Gareth would protect him until he died. After Gareth had saved him from multiple deadly situations, Giggs had given his full loyalty to Gareth.

“You’re quite talkative today, Giggs,” Gareth said.

“It’s because I’ve never had such a delicious stew in my life. The bread was great, too. I’m guessing Lady Elena probably made that as well.” Giggs’ mouth immediately began to water after he finished speaking. Although his only comfort in life was eating, the same issue was the most problematic thing about the harsh, deprived lives of mercenaries. Even though they were treated fairly and shown hospitality at the estates they were commissioned to, this didn’t mean all the food they were served was delicious. Giggs’ principle was to eat something delicious every day, so he could close his eyes in peace if he were to die in battle the next day. This was all the more reason to despise Madel, the woman who couldn’t even cook and discriminated against him.

“Alright, do what you want,” Gareth said as he got back on his horse.

“Thank you, sir. Will you be going back to the castle?”

Gareth nodded lightly, to which Giggs smiled and said, “Then we’ll hurry up and patrol the towns. We’ll be back before lunch.”

Without another word, Gareth turned his horse around with an expressionless face.

* * *

Elena finished sweeping the wide hall, then poured out the water from the bucket she had prepared before she started cleaning. A thick layer of dust covered the floor like a mat, making it obvious that it hadn’t been cleaned properly for a long time. Gareth’s men had slept on this filthy floor last night, which meant that their skin diseases had worsened at best. With these thoughts in mind, Elena began to scrub the floor.

Meanwhile, Lydia was sitting on a chair in the hall, caressing her belly as if to show it off. She observed Elena, who was busy cleaning the floor. The night before, Lydia had sent Jamie to investigate where Gareth had been before making his way back to the estate. She wanted to find out where Elena was from, since she was the first woman that Gareth had brought to his castle. Although the woman was dressed in a coarse, rough dress, her beauty and elegance still shone through.

‘I seriously don’t like her,’ Lydia thought. Regardless, Elena continued to scrub the floor and eventually reached Lydia’s feet.

“Could you please hold your legs up?” Elena asked gently.

Lydia twirled her red hair with one finger, then opened her mouth. “You should be putting my legs up on a chair. How dare you try to order me,” she spat in a mocking tone.

Elena glanced at Lydia in response.

“What are you looking at? Do you want me to pluck out your eyes for being disrespectful?” Lydia spit out quietly.

Elena shifted her gaze away, then lifted Lydia’s legs and placed them on a separate chair. She quickly wiped the floor underneath Lydia. The king’s younger sister was indeed rude, contrary to Elena’s expectations about the royal family.

“What’s your name?” Lydia asked at that moment.

“It’s Elena.”

Lydia squinted her eyes at the name and twirled her scarlet hair even faster. ‘Elena? I think I’ve heard that name before… Black hair and emerald eyes. I’ve heard this description a lot before as well…’ With this thought, Lydia asked, “And your last name?”

“I don’t have one,” Elena murmured quietly. She couldn’t tarnish her family’s name, not after having already humiliated her father. Elena lowered Lydia’s legs back onto the floor once she was done.

“Oh, really?” Lydia scoffed in a sarcastic tone, stepping on Elena’s hand with one foot. “Then how did you end up coming here with Gareth?”

Elena didn’t answer. Her hand that was under Lydia’s foot was in extreme pain, but she endured.

“How did you seduce Gareth to bring you here? Just what in the world did you do?”

“I didn’t do anything,” Elena answered.

‘Black hair, emerald eyes, quiet but elegant tone… Could she be…?’ A sinister smile formed on Lydia’s lips. “Oh, my… You’re Elena Townsend, aren’t you?”

Elena became startled. ‘How did she find out?’

Lydia saw Elena’s trembling eyes, which affirmed her speculation. She gazed down at Elena and asked in a subtly ridiculing tone. “How did you end up like this? Hm?” It seemed that Gareth was obsessed with Elena, but the two were not married. Lydia continued her interrogation, twisting her red lips. “How did you end up becoming a whore like this?”

Elena frowned and remained silent. Lydia gave a sly smile and blatantly looked over Elena’s body. This was the woman that Logan wanted so badly; she was the one who Logan talked about so much. ‘What’s so attractive about her? And why is Gareth so obsessed with this woman?’

“The father is begging like a hobo, and the daughter is working as a whore. Is this how things work in the Townsend estate?” Lydia threw more provocative words at Elena to try to provoke her. She was able to see a hint of red on Elena’s face after she finished speaking.

Elena finally opened her mouth. “Be careful not to lose your dignity as you are a member of the royal family. You must be more careful about what you say and do now, since there is a baby growing inside of you.”

Unable to control her emotions, Lydia’s face turned red. “How dare you try to give me advice?!” she shrieked.

Elena observed Lydia’s stomach for a moment, then continued calmly. “The baby can hear sounds coming from outside and will start to learn while growing inside their mother.”

“What did you just say?” Lydia’s face turned purple with anger. “How dare a whore try to lecture me!”

At that moment, the sound of a heavy door opening came from behind, causing Elena and Lydia to turn towards the door in unison to find Gareth entering the hall.

Lydia rushed over to Gareth while complaining, “Oh, Gareth! I’m so glad you’re here. I couldn’t handle all the insults she’s thrown at me. Oh… I think I’m having cramps.” Lydia grabbed her belly with one hand, then collapsed onto the floor in front of Gareth as if she was fainting.

Gareth gazed indifferently at Lydia who had fallen onto the floor, then stepped over her body with his long legs as if there was nothing there.