CH 65

“Lady Elena. W-where d-did you get that?” Madel had asked, her glare prompting Elena to be flustered as if she had stolen the dress.

“Gareth gave it to me,” she had managed to answer. At her words, Madel had stared incredibly hard at her clothes and even shed some tears. Elena was taken aback by the extreme reaction, and had begun to wonder whose clothes she was wearing. Elena had already asked Gareth this question multiple times, but he had never answered, just like he was doing now.

“I’d feel more comfortable wearing these clothes knowing whose it is, Gareth,” Elena spoke as gently as she could.

“Is that necessary? If it bothers you that much, just think of it as borrowing them for a while.”

Elena released a quiet sigh. Gareth had become a lot softer to her, but still hadn’t told her anything. He hadn’t said a word about himself like how he had lost his family or when he had decided to become a mercenary. At first, ELena had been pleased to see that Gareth had somewhat softened. She liked that he took the time to teach her in detail how to wield the dagger, since it felt like he cared about her and wanted to protect her. She had regained her faith in him again, and had started to expect something from him again.

However, that was all. Gareth had only changed a little, and that was the end. MEanwhile, Elena felt ostracized in the village, castle, and even with Gareth. Such a feeling was bruising Elena’s heart. She felt as if she had become nothing and that putting effort into things didn’t even matter. She didn’t necessarily want to be recognized by other people, but at least wanted to blend in. She wanted to feel that she belonged at this estate.

“I just don’t want there to be any misunderstandings, so please clear this up for me, Gareth.”

“There’s nothing to be misunderstood.”

“That’s what you think. I want to hear whose this is,” Elena insisted.

Gareth ignored Elena and this time began sharpening the sword he had made to fit properly in Elena’s hands. Elena sighed as a lump of tears welled up in her eyes and tighethed her throat. It seemed that this was the norm in their relationship—Gareth ignoring her questions. ‘Why does he have to be so frustrating?’ The lumps of anger and sorrow caused by Gareth’s silence bumped into each other in Elena’s heart, leaving a blue bruise.

“I really… don’t know you,” Elena said.

“What you see is who I am, Elena.”

“That’s not good enough for me. Is it so hard to tell me who these clothes once belonged to?!”

Gareth jumped up at that moment, smashing Elena’s sword against the table with a loud clang. “What are you so curious about? What in the world do you want from me? I’m being nice to you, Elena. You can’t want more than this. Let go of your greed.”

Elena’s ocean-like eyes slowly turned dark. ‘Greed? How am I being greedy?’ Sadness and anger surged up inside her, and tears started to prick at her eyes. “Is it… Adelia’s?” The question slipped out from Elena’s lips before she realized it. She had heard the name Adelia uttered a million times during her stay. Madel would also whisper amongst the maids with a delighted expression whenever she would have something to do for Lydia. Elena had asked about this person named Adelia before, but Madel had ignored her. In fact, Madel would simply stop talking once Elena approached her. Such behaviors would leave Elena frustrated and at a loss for what to do, which only made the name Adelia haunt her more. ‘So… who in the world is she?’

“Was Adelia your wife?” Elena guessed.

In response, Gareth quickly strode towards Elena with an irritated expression. However, Elena simply glared at Gareth and continued to ask, “Are you replacing Adelia with me?”

“Stop talking, Elena,” Gareth demanded.

Having had enough of being shunned and isolated, Elena became enraged. She spat sarcastic, bitter words at Gareth in retaliation. “Did you drag me here because your beloved wife died? Are you using me to replace her? Ah, what should I do? I heard Adelia has red hair. Since I have black hair, does your fantasy only work in the dark? Is that why you’re forcing me to become isolated like this? Because I’m merely a substitute for someone else? That would explain why the people here hate me so much.”

Elena had crossed the line. She was immediately able to notice her mistake when she saw Gareth’s expression change the moment she mentioned Adelia’s name. Still, there was no use crying over spilt milk.