We're Married, After All - Chapter 5
*Thunk.*
Another spear lodged itself into the center of the target, splitting the one already embedded there in half with a vicious sound. It was an impressive throw.
But it didn’t make me feel any better. Instead, I gripped the next spear tighter, putting even more force into the throw.
Was it because I was thinking about Petios? Or was it the memories of the wedding? Either way, both were equally dreadful.
As soon as the wedding was over, Danel and I secluded ourselves in Lapezia Castle. It was a suffocatingly awkward time.
I didn’t know Danel well. As a child, he had locked himself away in his room to pray alone. By the time I started spending holidays at the Veloce estate, he had already joined the monastery. After that, he only left the monastery for family events.
If he had entered the monastery like other noble second sons, seeking power as a clergyman, things might have been different. But Danel had genuinely become a monk out of faith.
Because of that, despite the time we had spent knowing *of* each other, we knew almost nothing about one another. I only recently learned that he was a decent horseman and preferred the library over the office.
…And that he possessed an enormous manhood that could make someone faint if taken to the root, as well as a tongue so thick it felt like three fingers stacked together.
“Huh…”
Suddenly, a tingling sensation shot through my fingertips. Without realizing it, my body flinched.
At that moment, a droplet of water fell on my forehead. I tilted my head back to look at the sky. Raindrops began to fall in a rapid pattern.
There hadn’t been any rain clouds—was it a sudden shower?
Clicking my tongue briefly, I bent to pick up the spear that had fallen to the ground. With no maid fussing over me, I leisurely gathered my things. While I was still adjusting to the idea of having my fiancé replaced, I wasn’t about to leave behind a long-used possession to be ruined in the rain.
The heavy rain washed away the sweat on my body. It was oddly refreshing.
As I carried an armful of practice spears and headed back to the manor, I spotted someone in the distance walking toward me with an umbrella.
I quickly recognized the figure. After all, there was only one man that tall in this castle.
Danel swiftly closed the distance. Once he reached me, he held the umbrella over my head.
Instead of taking the umbrella, I stood beside him with the spears still cradled in my arms. Realizing my intention, Danel adjusted the umbrella properly.
His violet eyes brushed over me. Only after confirming that my shoulders were fully covered by the umbrella did Danel begin to walk slowly.
I watched his strides carefully. Perhaps because I had seen how quickly he had walked to reach me, it felt a little odd that he was now matching his pace to mine.
“How did you know I was here?”
“I saw you.”
I nodded lightly. That made sense. The library where Danel often spent his time had six windows. Two of them faced the backyard, so it wouldn’t have been difficult for him to spot me.
“Why didn’t you just send a maid? You looked really busy.”
“There was no need for that.”
After a brief silence, Danel replied.
I debated whether to point out that his personally coming to fetch me seemed far more like a “needless” effort.
Of course, I didn’t dwell on it for long. I kept my mouth shut, and with that, the conversation ended. We walked through the rain-soaked path in a familiar silence.
*…Maybe I should’ve just said thank you first.*
This was how things had been for the past six months. Unsure of what was acceptable or how far I could go, I hesitated, and that hesitation always led to stifling silence. Even after half a year of marriage, I still didn’t know how to approach Danel.
Fortunately, today, I had something to talk about.
“When did you get back?”
At my question, Danel’s shoulders flinched noticeably. Wondering what was wrong, I turned to look up at him. Danel blatantly avoided my gaze.
“…Didn’t you say you were leaving at dawn? If you were home in time for breakfast, you must’ve left earlier than planned.”
“There was someone who wanted to return early.”
“At that hour? Did they have something urgent to deal with?”
Danel didn’t answer. Instead, he tilted the umbrella more toward my side and put a little more distance between us.
Finally, unable to hold back, I threw the spear I was carrying to the ground. Startled, Danel turned back to look at me. I grabbed his shoulder, forcing him to face me. Only then did he meet my eyes.
“Did something happen? You can tell me about these things, you know. No matter how much I…”
*…ruined your life.*
The words that rose to my throat never made it out. That’s when I noticed Danel’s eyes, and what they were looking at.
