CH 109

Ryu Hyang4-5 minutes 20.02.2022

“Go back to sleep, Elena.”

Elena gently touched Gareth’s arm that was still full of red scars and shook her head. She couldn’t fall back asleep.

Gareth kissed her again lightly like a butterfly, on the temple this time. He then began to caress her stomach carefully. Elena indulged in his warm, soft touches, then smiled faintly as she recalled what Madel had said.

“Lord Gareth was such a mischievous young boy. He would never come back on his own once he went outside, so the Madam and I frequently went looking for him around the estate.”

“He would always smile.”

“He was an outstanding man skilled in swordsmanship like the late Duke Garcia, but he was also warm-hearted and tender like his mother.”

Elena had not believed everything Gareth had told her over the past few days, but Madel’s words had made his stories seem more plausible. Thinking back on them made Gareth’s touches feel more affectionate. Elena buried herself further into his arms, enjoying the warmth and comfort he provided. At that moment, she suddenly recalled another thing Madel had said.

“I’ve always felt guilty ever since he had returned because he had changed so much. If I had stayed with him back then… If I had not given up on him back then…” Madel had said with tears in her eyes while they were in the kitchen, making Elena realize that the woman had indeed felt terrible about the changes in her lord.

“I thought what I had done was the right thing to do for Lord Gareth. I was trying to hold onto this place because I was worried that he would forget about us, always leaving us alone like this, living each day on the brink of death. But I was wrong, ignorant, and stupid. Everything is my fault, Madam. It’s all my fault.” Madel had repeated her apology multiple times to Elena while giving her a handmade dress or a coat. She had continued to ask for Elena’s forgiveness, trying to open her heart once again. Her efforts had definitely contributed to where Elena was now. Otherwise, she would have needed more time to open up to Gareth again. The maids and the villagers had also done their best to express their apologetic thoughts.

Nevertheless, it was Gareth who had brought her back to life again. He was the one who breathed life into her.

Gareth’s hands gently caressed Elena’s body. It seemed that he was not touching out of desire; it was because he thought of her as a precious being. Elena relished his touches for a moment, then asked, “Did the meeting go well?”

“To some extent,” he answered.

“May I ask who you met?”

“It was Ethan, the rightful heir to the throne,” Gareth admitted. It wasn’t something that he had to hide from her, and he actually appreciated that she was talking to him like this. While he had been away, he had been nervous, wondering if Elena was really going to be waiting for him and if she had truly forgiven him. After the meeting, he had traveled back home without stopping, anxious about what could have happened. And now, it seemed that Elena was soothing his uneasy thoughts by accepting his caresses. It seemed as if she was going to continue waiting for him in the future.

“Have you heard of Ethan?” Gareth asked.

“I have, but I was told he was a bad person who tried to kill his half-brothers when he was pushed off of the throne,” Elena answered, unknowingly narrowing her brows with worry. It had been about five years since she had heard the name ‘Ethan,’ the man who had disappeared in the name of treason without even having the chance to sit on the throne despite being the rightful heir. ‘Why did Gareth meet him?’ she wondered.

“It’s the exact opposite of what you know, Elena. The truth is that he wasn’t trying to kill his half-brother who posed a threat to him; he was forced to give up the throne. Halbert would have killed Ethan if he hadn’t been successful in escaping the prison,” Gareth explained in a quiet voice.