The End of Your Arrogance - Chapter 8.1

“What are you doing here? It’s late.” He tried to talk casually as he picked up the book next to her.

“Dark Illusion Magic.” Ilya was bothered. “You want to kill someone that badly? Is that someone… me?”

“What?! Of course not! Why would you even think that?” cried Evelyn in surprise. She tried to get up, but Ilya’s hands pressed down on her shoulders.

His hands entered the veil. His rough fingers gently touched her chin, cheeks, and her eyes. She was so stunned that she forgot to breathe.

“You’re not… crying today.” He withdrew his hands. “They said they’re going to come get you.”

“Who? Odin?”

“Yes, your brother. You knew about this?”

“No one told me… but I expected it.” Evelyn smiled sadly.

He should be sent to the East Coast instead of me…

Odin’s ego would not allow such a thing to happen. Imagining his arrogant face distorting in a grimace gave Evelyn a weird sense of satisfaction. Right then, a shadow fell in front of her.

Ilya was on his knees on the ground, and he looked up at her. He was unusually hesitant with his words.

“You… Has the Marquis…”

He silently cursed and pulled the veil over Evelyn’s head. She felt her heart shrink as she looked at her husband’s frown.

“Did you father…do something bad to you…again?”

“It’s…nothing like that.”

Ilya had to look away as eyes started watering. It was difficult to see her in pain. He then noticed her pale white hand that didn’t have a glove on. His brows furrowed. He grabbed her wrist.

“It’s a mess.”

Her white fingers were covered with thin lines of scars. There was a deep wound on her palm.

Evelyn panicked and made a fist to hide her fingers.

“It’s hideous… Isn’t it?”

The healing scars were probably from wounds that had been inflicted on her when she was young. The ones that hadn’t completely healed were most likely from that night. He found her foolish but brave for trying to perform illusion magic with those hands.

“You know… sometimes you seem braver than my soldiers.”

Evelyn smirked assuming that he was mocking her again. Ilya slowly lowered his head looking at her scars. Then he lowered his forehead onto her hands. His dark hair spread across her palms.

“Ilya.”

Evelyn reached out her other hand and placed it on the back of his head. Her fingers threading through his smooth hair. She smiled sadly as she remembered her old self who had longed so much for love.

Ilya lifted his head and got up. He reached for her. What is he going to do? She wondered, trying not to flinch.

“You’ve never been escorted before?” he asked.

Evelyn laughed at his blunt tone and didn’t hesitate to grab his big hands. The two walked out the chapel with their hands locked together like a married couple. The guards outside watched in disbelief.

“The weather is becoming warmer, isn’t it?”

“Yes, the winter is almost over.”

The two walked the path to the annex while holding hands. Evelyn stole a glance at Ilya by her side. She blushed. On the wedding day, she had first seen him through the white veil. He had been so tall that she had only seen his sharp jawline.

At that time, I had never seen anyone so beautiful. He hadn’t seemed human…

She had fallen in love that day. How she had wished to take a walk together like this with their baby while holding hands like a happy family…

Evelyn grabbed his hand a bit tighter. It felt like a dream to walk below the starry night sky with the man she fell in love with at first sight. But this was not a dream, nor an illusion that she had created. This was real.

This is good enough for me.

She thought that she would have this to look back on when the time came to leave the place with her child.

After a short while, they arrived at the annex. Ilya let her hand go. “It’s late. You should head to bed.”

“You’re not sleeping here?”

“There’s a conquest tomorrow. A group of orcs attacked the village.”

He was acting very strange tonight. He had never walked her to her door, or held hands…

“Is Sir Nazz going with you?”

“No, the knight general must stay and protect the castle.”

She knew the enormous responsibility he had. His office was always full of lieges, knights, advisors, master smiths, and all other important people. It was also his responsibility to inspect the land and train the soldiers to defend against potential attacks from barbarians. On top of that, he had to plan revenge against Marquis Maduse.

I would have given up my title a long time ago if I was him. Evelyn looked at him with awe.

“Why are you staring at me like that?”

“My Lord, when you return, I’ll make two whales for you…”

“What?” Ilya burst into laughter.

“You’ll get tired out there. You need rest when you come back… and you like whales.”

He leaned back as he laughed. Evelyn was surprised to see him so carefree for the first time. She found him fascinating. His eyes crinkled at the side when he laughed. His blue eyes glowed in joy.

“I’ll be waiting for the two whales.”

Evelyn watched him walk away and then ran inside.