♦Chapter 129: An Escort's Outlook (2)♦
"I... desire for Lady Melissa, herself."
The unintentional phrase was enough for panic to befall in the middle of the situation, within the narrow carriage where the two of them sat still at that.
Just as much as Aiden internally urged to get flustered from what he murmured about all of a sudden, there was also an obvious reaction to be seen on the expression of the lady across his seat.
"—To swear that she'd always keep me by her side."
Before everything was too late to be corrected by the way that she was to widen her eyes greatly, he quickly spouted follow-ups which didn't change things as much in actuality.
Luckily for him during those moments, everything hadn't gone to the flow where he was misunderstood to have done something as bold and partially similar to a couple's oath.
Nevertheless, the next events never allowed him to rest assured, in a different meaning.
He was yet again reminded of the words that his mistress told him before, which regarded to how she'd eventually leave the Shevaria's mansion ultimately. And by those reasons, for better or for worse, the impulsive wish that he asked for has been thoroughly rejected.
He should've been happy that the conversation that they just had would soon be labelled as something of less importance within their memories as the years pass by. But for some reason, there was a taste of bitter disappointment left on the tip of his tongue at the same time.
No— It was greater than something as half-baked as disappointment.
It was a sense of an intensifying yearning that rebelled the decisions that was long finalized inside her ladyship's thoughts; A denial that lusted for her everlasting presence within the range that his hands could reach out to, forevermore.
And more than anything else, it was a sinful choice that uglily preferred to break her wings and restrain her with a new set of chains.
Only then did he have the thought of doubting the deeper side of his current feelings—
The emotions that signified what he truly felt toward the person in front of his eyes.
Truthfully, there had already been signs of the suspected condition, in which he often described to be rather questionable whenever it sprouted within his mind, from time to time.
Like a split personality that would occasionally ascend for a second or two and then subside, his way of thinking would sometimes get occupied by something identical to a devil's whisper, which slips out a brief, dubious and immoral part of his own nature.
Naturally, he also had wishes to confirm the cause when he felt like it by then. Thus, when the time came where he was led to the suspicions that ascended from his current situation, he found himself determined to recognize the conclusive results after having taken advantage of the opportunity.
Therefore, although it could've been an inappropriate course of action to take as it could likewise lead to misunderstandings once more, he was satisfied in his own way toward his resolve to overcome the means of drifting along his will.
Following the entry of the young maiden with the light green hair and the black-haired juvenile's feet by the grounds of the grand household of Shevaria, they finished their trivial exchanges to take a step onto the development that took the little bodyguard's initiative.
He quickly wrapped his arms over the warm and tender figure of his master, and made sure that he hadn't made her too uncomfortable by the way he embraced herself.
"Please allow me to do this for a while.", Aiden softly whispered before the lady's nearest ear.
Although he had his perceptions that she was attacked by surprise from the way that she flinched once and swiftly stiffened herself up till this point, he couldn't have dared to have a look at her expression, all because of the lingering fears that he could never have completely determined about if ever he was the him a few moments before the current occurrence happened.
Only that one experience was enough to have made all the useless presumptions disappear and connect to a single, firm answer.
He had literally and in no doubt, fell head over heels for the maiden that he locked within his arms.
'This should be an illness. No— It must be...!!'
Denials were inevitably created in a constant manner, as he found himself drowned with raging concerns on his way back to the event hosted at the Imperial grounds.
But such worries quelled and stood no chances with the evidences brought by his heartbeat, and the stimulation to his interests by the time that he's gone and tested himself.
All the more so, when he was already casted upon with a spell that could only make his concentration focus onto his lady's scent, and to the extreme refusal toward the person's eternal absence in the near future.
He could never regard such feelings to be rather admirable, during the beginning. For all because of that, he could only bear with the helplessness of enduring the contradictions that crossed out his master's wishes.
Although he was truly regrettable about having to admit his affection toward herself, he ended up making a choice of taking advantage of what he felt so he could gradually bear a greater hope for following his initial goal of doing the means of allowing her to attain her very own happiness.
With that, Aiden thought that he could infinitely stray himself from doing unacceptable things, which were led by the mentioned contradictions that would often appear in his mind, since then.
But unfortunately for him, life was something full of surprises.
He thoroughly underestimated the potential of his lingering emotions. As cruel as it has been, the love that he's chosen to exploit has devoured his whole instead.
At some point, he came to be in the verge of unleashing whatever it meant to be driven in a state of clinging onto his honest feelings. And that's when the day came, where he's made his confession in spite of the terror of yielding onto the subjection of this unconditional slavery.
"I hope you could swallow your foolishness by the next time I see that face of yours.", she replied.
Only a statement that stood a thicker wall between themselves has been generated by that night. Still, it wasn't that he didn't have the least idea that this would happen, at all.
He had been long aware of the consequences since the moment that he was done with the preparations of taking on the movement. Much less, could he not have known that this wouldn't bring about great changes within the progress of their previous relationship.
Nevertheless, there was no way that such reasons were enough to justify the pain that stung his heart upon the response that was given to him.
Therefore, he, along the small and unnecessary frustrations that slowly swelled around his chest, had played along the twists of events that unfolded thereafter.
But even then, the stubbornness couldn't also have possessed the authority to disable his affection toward the person that presently stood at the center of his life, as entirely. This made a clear representation of how he could never be capable of deeply resenting the person that he loved, known to be the lady that he served as well.
Which was why, he truthfully wasn't as angry as he thought he would be, based from whatever happened that ignited the awkward discord back then. Rather, he insisted on requiring a reconciliation, to face the current circumstances head on at the moment.
In the first place, he had his own mistakes to point out in their situation since he only did as he pleased without even considering however what he started would affect the concerns that possibly lied deep inside Melissa's personal spaces.
Even if it was but an impulsive decision of his, undoubtedly, he had his own mistakes to repent for. Thus of course, he further began to get determined about pulling his overall attention toward their reunion.
And that applied, even if things wouldn't get completely fixed as to how they were before the disagreement.
Just when he thought of the idea, the lady somehow took the lead to make an approach to himself.
For once, he one-sidedly assumed that her approach could have meant none other than to commence with the same notion as his wishes. But the misunderstandings soon dissolved with a single action that made his doubts arise.
'A wooden sword...?'
The green-haired maiden specifically brought two swords of the same kind while tossing one to his grasp, and keeping the other firmly within her dominant hand.
There were other possibilities to be brought to light, but somehow, his instincts told him that only the opposite face of the good would welcome him with open arms as they went through the occurrence that has passed.
And as if to respond to his spot-on intuition...
He was then struck by devastation whilst he stood before his master's eyes.
"Let's duel, Aiden."
Observing from the set of two words whereafter his name came to follow, he already knew to a certain point as to where the events were heading to.
There was more than enough to serve a definitive proof from the next exchanges that came right after, exclusive for the incitation of his internally roaring displeasure.
She was truly to end it all. Like a person who awoke in the taste of tyranny, it appeared as though she pledged to herself to seal the holes that'd trigger her empathetic flaws.
However, there was no way she could have known everything just by judging from the look on her escort's face to regard about the facts that stated differently from her very own understanding to his reaction.
Aiden wasn't displeased due to her mockery toward his feelings, nor was it because he couldn't suppress the urge to vent out the emotions that mixed well with the remnants of his stubbornness. In fact, he was okay with enduring his own pain, to highlight the matter of truth which stated how his suffering was nothing compared to the horrible, past experiences of the lady that he served.
His blatant anger merely revolved around his concerns toward the other person, herself, and only her.
Her actions dictated as if lightly throwing away the rest of her life according to the results of the bet regardless of her self-worth and will was what she foolishly thought to be the best option for her sake. He could never bring to forgive such a thing, no matter how much of a pushover he was to be called if ever there was an audience to their play.
Nevertheless, Melissa's eyes have spoken otherwise her external sentences as it passively wavered at the reflection of the black-haired bodyguard's figure.
And having good look at her gaze, Aiden loosened his grip which raged in passion, to engrave an expression that recognized it all—
Everything, by means of the creation of a new motive that focused to straighten and wake her up from the loss of her consciousness.