Chapter 41
“Ah, please, don’t do that.”
The image of a deer bleeding before her eyes came to mind.
Floria’s lips trembled at the man’s words, so different from her own thoughts.
The deer was peacefully grazing, unaware of the imminent danger approaching.
Run away. Please!
If not careful, it would be caught by the beast and torn apart to death.
Floria tightly grasped the hand holding the bow.
“Your Grace, please······.”
Her voice trembled. His rough hands had only ever brought her pleasure and comfort.
But now, the hand she was gripping felt frightening.
She feared the arrowhead he held might pierce the delicate deer’s neck at any moment.
“Just seeing it from this distance is enough for me.”
“······.”
“Please don’t hunt the deer.”
At Floria’s plea, Aidan’s hand slowly lowered.
“As you wish, my lady.”
His lips twisted. The voice of the coachman seated in front was heard.
“Your Grace, shall we wait longer?”
Aidan slightly narrowed his eyes and looked down at Floria.
She didn’t want to see any more.
Watching the deer made her fear he might raise his bow toward it again.
“Let’s go to the castle.”
“······.”
“Let’s go to the castle right now.”
With Floria’s final words, the carriage, filled with silence, headed back to the castle.
The joyful day vanished like a dream.
The fear Floria felt when she first met Aidan had gradually faded over time.
They had shared physical intimacy, meals, and outings to the village together.
Though he was much larger in build, with calloused hands and scars on his body, she thought he was still human like her.
Even if he was blunt, he was a man who cared for and considered others.
That’s why Floria no longer feared him.
Seeing him made her heart flutter, not with discomfort, but with excitement.
However······.
Sitting in his bedroom, Floria’s heart felt unstable.
He was someone so different from her.
“Your expression is dark.”
Aidan approached Floria, who was sitting by the window, gazing into the darkness outside.
His shadow, cast by the candlelight, stretched and shaded Floria’s face.
Aidan reached out and lifted Floria’s chin.
“What are you thinking about?”
“Nothing······.”
Floria paused briefly before continuing.
“It’s nothing.”
“You’ve had that expression since seeing the deer earlier.”
“······.”
She couldn’t bring herself to speak.
Floria had no interest in things like hunting.
Yet, the man before her was someone who would aim his bow at a delicate deer just because the person with him wanted to see it.
The sudden realization of that fact made her feel afraid.
Aidan quietly observed Floria’s face, where fear had surfaced.
“Doesn’t the king of Altomole hunt?”
She nodded in response to his question.
She had never seen her father go hunting.
Her father was more of a scholar type.
He preferred staying in the library and focused his efforts on territorial development.
He had no interest in hunting or war.
He didn’t enjoy horseback riding either, so it was rare to see him riding a horse instead of a carriage.
“Come to think of it, he didn’t lead battles either.”
At Aidan’s words, Floria lowered her gaze.
Altomole had no separate commander to lead the army; instead, there was only the royal guard, and her father entrusted all responsibilities and duties related to war and combat to the captain of the guard.
“A man with blood on his hands must be unsettling.”
Floria’s eyes widened at his unexpected remark.
His fingers brushed down Floria’s cheek. Her body, already accustomed to pleasure, shivered again at the slowly descending touch.
“Are you afraid of such a beast?”
“······.”
“You can’t help it, my lady. The man you married is that kind of person.”
Aidan roughly captured Floria’s lips.
Before she could even exhale, his blunt tongue invaded her mouth.
Unlike her trembling heart, her lips quickly warmed and embraced him.
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