Ch. 116
The Young Master I Carefully Raised Became ObsessiveThis chapter is broken. Please report this on discord.
Notes
T/N: Whatever happens to communication… just give Ardion the due explanation he deserves 😶
This chapter is broken. Please report this on discord.
T/N: Whatever happens to communication… just give Ardion the due explanation he deserves 😶
Chapter 116: Side Story 2
Back when Rowell's magical drag was in my wrist, I had once tried to attack him, but it had all come back to hit me instead. I had been in terrible pain, and the healer had told me I had been pregnant.
I’d forgotten about it until now. Maybe I wanted to forget; maybe it was too much of a shock. Besides, so much had happened since then that I hadn’t had the time to really think it through.
“But… I lost the baby because of Rowell.” My voice unexpectedly dropped low.
Ardion's grip on my hand tightened. “Even so, shouldn’t you have told me first? Do you know how shocked I was when I found out?”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t have the chance to say anything. Things were moving so fast back then.”
But Ardion’s expression didn’t soften. He still looked at me with a furrowed brow and a sharp gaze. I instinctively looked away.
“What upsets me is that you went through it all alone.”
“I’m okay now. I’m not in any pain anymore.”
His grip grew firmer. His hands were so warm that mine had started to sweat. When I tried to pull away, he refused to let go. I looked up, my eyes meeting his. His expression was still hard, unresolved.
“Laila, I only found out this morning. I had no idea that had happened to you.”
“I asked the healer not to tell you. I thought you'd be too worried.”
“Still, you could have told me yourself. I didn’t even know anything had happened until I read the healer’s notes this morning.”
“…”
“If I hadn’t checked carefully, I might’ve never known. Ever.”
He really was angry. Now that I thought about it, he’d been unusually quiet ever since we left. Even in the carriage, he hadn’t said much, just looked at me when I wasn’t looking.
I knew he must have felt hurt that I hadn’t told him, so I forced a small smile. “It’s all in the past. I’m really okay now.”
Even with those words, his expression remained unchanged. His brows knitted slightly as he asked, “Laila… are you taking medicine?”
“What kind of medicine?”
“Contraceptives.”
I had been taking them since Ardion didn’t seem like the type to be careful. I could feel his gaze on me when I didn’t answer right away.
I nodded. His face instantly darkened. I figured I should speak up. “I’m just… not ready yet. It feels too soon.”
Maybe it was selfish. After all, I was married to Ardion, and it was only natural that I’d eventually bear the next heir to the empire. But my life was still hectic, both physically and emotionally. I wanted to think about a child when things were calmer.
Ardion didn’t look pleased as he stared at me intensely. “Hearing that… makes me sound like some lust-driven animal.”
“Well, you kind of are.”
“Laila… I’ve been taking contraceptives too. I didn’t want you getting pregnant because of me before you were ready.”
His words caught me completely off guard. Ardion was taking contraceptives?
Then… how did I end up pregnant?
We had both been taking them, after all.
Seeing the confusion on my face, Ardion explained, “They said there’s about a one percent chance they can fail.”
One percent. Such a slim chance. It really hit me again. Rowell was truly unforgivable. The mood grew heavier.
I turned away, my expression hard. Everything Rowell had put me through, just remembering it was painful.
What a bastard. I cursed him silently as I stared out the window. Raindrops had started to fall against the carriage glass.
“It was clear when we left the palace…”
It was a sudden shower.
Ardion’s voice broke the silence. “Laila, sometimes… it feels like there’s a wall between us. Like when I try to get close, you just shut the door and drift further away.”
I didn’t know what to say. We had both been busy, and I hadn’t had time to really talk with him. I didn’t think he felt this strongly.
Seeing me stay quiet, Ardion continued, “Is it because I’m younger than you? Do you still see me as that young master you had to protect?”
“No. That’s not it.” I cut him off quickly.
He sighed. “Still, you’ve made me anxious. Saying things like you’re going to leave or that you want to die…”
“But you said you trust me.”
“I do. But when you’re hurting, I want you to tell me first. Don’t keep it all to yourself.”
“I won’t anymore. And nothing like that will happen again.”
Especially now that Rowell, who had been throwing our lives into chaos, was gone. Even Serina had changed her mind and was quietly serving her sentence in prison.
“Next time something’s wrong, tell me before you tell the healer.”
That seemed like an odd thing to say. I frowned. “You mean… even if I’m really sick, I should tell you first before getting treated?”
“Yes. That way I’ll know what’s going on with you before anyone else does.”
“Ardion, that’s a bit…”
“You should’ve just told me sooner. I don’t want to leave you to go through things alone.”
It felt like we were going in circles. Just as I opened my mouth to say something, the carriage jolted, and the door in the center of the carriage opened.
“Your Majesty, a storm is approaching. There’s an inn ahead. We recommend stopping there for the night instead of continuing.”
Ardion glanced out the window, frowning slightly. The rain had gotten heavier. The wind must have picked up too. The carriage was swaying a bit.
“It’ll be too dangerous to keep going. We’ll stop at the inn for the night.”
The carriage came to a full stop. Ardion’s words still weighed on me. He had a tendency to draw me into his world, to keep me close even when I thought I’d said enough.
I regretted not telling him sooner, but I did what I thought was best for him at the time.
The carriage door opened. Rain splashed through the gap, and the wind howled. A steward poked his head in. “Your Majesty, the inn is quite worn down, but it’s the only shelter from the storm nearby.”
“Have you made arrangements so that no other guests will stay here?”
“Yes, Your Majesty. We’ve reserved a room for you on the third floor, and the rest of us will stay on the second.”
Several attendants were traveling with us to the imperial villa, both for security and to assist us.
Ardion nodded and turned to me. “Laila, let’s get out for now.”
I wasn’t thrilled to stay with him, but I stepped out of the carriage anyway. When he reached out his hand, I shook my head and climbed down on my own.
“Laila,” Ardion called out softly.
“I want to be alone.”
“No. What if you catch a cold out here?” He pulled me close, wrapping my shoulders in his arms. I tried to pull away, but he only held me tighter.
“Ardion.”
“Don’t even think about running away from me, at least not here.” His green eyes gleamed coldly.
Around us, attendants hurried to cover us with umbrellas. I didn’t want to make them suffer by staying in the rain any longer, so I moved towards the inn.
The sign hanging by the door was falling apart, so faded I couldn’t read it. It looked like it might fall off completely if the door slammed shut.
Inside, the inn was just as run-down as it looked from the outside. The wallpaper was peeling, and the doors were stained with years of use. Only candles lit the room, casting a dim glow that made the already damp place feel even more dreary thanks to the storm.
There was a small desk, possibly for checking in, with a dusty sign that read ‘Palm Reading Available.’ The letters were so faint, it must have been years old. Beside it was an empty rocking chair, also showing its age.
Just then, the aide approached. “The innkeeper went to fetch clean bedding. As Your Majesty can see, this place may not meet your standards.”
“It’s fine. We’ll leave as soon as the storm clears.”
I agreed. The steward led us upstairs. The attendants had already unpacked everything. Still, I couldn’t shake the eerie feeling this place gave me.
The constant drip of rainwater somewhere above and the flickering candlelight all added to the unease.
Ardion, on the other hand, walked ahead as if nothing was wrong. Maybe I was the only one being overly sensitive.
The aide stopped in front of a room. When Ardion reached for the door, I hesitated. Both he and the aide looked at me.
“Would it be okay if I used a different room?”
There were a few rooms on the third floor. I passed at least two just now. The aide looked uncertainly at Ardion.
Ardion frowned at me. “Laila, don’t even think about taking another room. Come here.”
“No. I told you. I want to be alone.”
The inn gave me the creeps, sure, but sharing a room with Ardion wasn’t any better right now. Especially because, in times like this, he had a habit of trying to ‘talk things out’ physically. I didn’t want to argue with him any more. I just wanted space.