CH 26

Nuova4-5 minutes 12.04.2022

Kalix flinched at the sight of Amber’s tired expression. The scowl on his face deepened, but Amber decided not to pay much attention to it.

“… Understood. I will think of it as having no meaning behind it.”

“Thank you,” With Amber’s awkward response, the requested conversation was finished.

Yet again, a long period of silence reigned.

Amber tried to predict how long the silence would last as she counted the seconds in her mind. When she reached the 77th, Kalix finally opened his mouth.

“I will return the dowry to you, Madam.”

“Ah, that,” Amber let out a small surprised gasp. She was so swept up by everything that happened that she had forgotten about the dowry. “You’re going to return it to me?”

She stared at Kalix with a surprised expression.

“Madam…” Kalix hesitated for a moment before letting out a sigh and continuing. “You will have a hard life here without that dowry money.”

At that moment, Amber’s face stiffened. Her heart froze over. This man was just like Bella, thinking that she was causing a commotion over her dowry just to spend it on luxury goods without realizing the state of the Eastern Lands. Though Kalix was vague, Amber could only take his words that way.

No matter how much different he was at the moment, she still couldn’t separate him from the man who treated her indifferently for ten years.

‘I don’t even want to talk to him anymore.’ Amber turned her gaze into a narrow icy glare and stared at Kalix. Kalix also kept his lips shut tight and showed signs of discomfort.

“May I leave to attend to the injured maid now? I am worried about her,” Done with the uncomfortable conversation, Amber asked Kalix for permission to leave.

“Go ahead. But how did the maid end up so injured?”

At Kalix’s question, it was Amber’s turn to feel bewildered. How could he have seen the whole situation and still be unable to deduce the truth? No, perhaps her husband was making fun of her. “She was injured in my stead,”

“In your stead, Madam? What do you…” Kalix’s eyes widened.

His expression was still as stiff as ever, but he looked so disturbed that it was fair to say that he was absolutely astonished at what he heard. Even so, Amber had no intention to explain everything in detail.

‘He’s still a man of the East. More than anything, Jenia might be ambushed by now.’ Considering Bella’s personality, once she learned that Kalix had heard of what happened, she would kick Jenia out to rid the root of the problem ahead of time.

Amber didn’t yet have the strength to fight head-on with Bella, who was still in control of the castle. ‘I’ll make sure to keep her protected at least until I can make sure she cannot be fired without my permission.’

With that decision in mind, Amber shook her head. “It is not something you need to concern yourself with.”

Kalix flinched again at Amber’s cold response.

“Now then, can I actually take my leave now?”

Kalix stood there with his lips still tightly shut, holding his silence. It was only when Amber started to show signs of anxiety over  Jenia’s health that he finally spoke again. “Go ahead.”

Amber didn’t look back as she left the study to look for Jenia.

* * *

Left alone in the room, Kalix sat there with a blank mind as he listened to the footsteps of Amber getting further away.

His wife had a small frame and the sound of her footsteps were proportionately quiet. It was so quiet that Kalix had to fully concentrate to hear her footsteps all the way. Only after the sounds of her light steps fully disappeared did Kalix let out a deep sigh.

Kalix thought about the knights who would be desperately looking for him. And the breakfast meal on the dining table that had long cooled.

He hadn’t had a single spoonful of his breakfast as he had sat there waiting for Amber. When she didn’t arrive as breakfast came to an end, Kalix delayed his meeting and searched the castle for her. When he heard from Dennis that Amber was sighted near the laundry area. At his words, he had gone straight over and saw the commotion.

Kalix swept his hair aside and sighed again.