276: Let's have a rational conversation (part 2)

Let's have a rational conversation (part 2)

2Perhaps it was because she knew she was guilty, anger welled up inside her, directed more at herself than anyone else. It seeped into the defensive tone of her voice as she spoke next.

"Yes, you told me not to approach him, but even if you didn't," She swallowed the bitterness that crept up her throat at the thought of Aldric, "I don't want to see him or hear his vile words. I was just forced to! I did what I had to do in that moment, plain and simple."

He narrowed his eyes at her.

"Try to put yourself in my shoes, even for a moment."

She bit her lip. His words struck true as an arrow through the heart; he was utterly right.

Egon sucked in a deep breath. "You must mend the fractures in the lives of those around you, only to hastily return to the arms of the person you love the most. But in your haste, you feel their struggles like a dagger to the chest... Panic sets in, and you abandon your incomplete tasks! Rushing to their side, only to find them..."

He trailed off, unable to articulate the thought's conclusion.

"Your reaction would have been far worse, Adelaide, of that I'm sure."

He turned abruptly and stormed back into their room, leaving her with no choice but to follow. Inside, he paced like a caged beast, on the brink of breaking free from the bars that barely contained his domineering aura.

"Why was his foul scent all over you?" he shouted.

"Something shields him from my abilities. I had to make physical contact to heal him," she replied calmly.

He raised his voice even louder. "He's no helpless innocent! Not like Nicolas or even the man who nearly met his end under the whip then was rushed to the commoners' infirmary! Have you forgotten that he coldly murdered Emanuel?" 

"Have you forgotten that he's a King? This is my father's Archduchy! I bear responsibilities that go beyond my own desires and what I consider just!"

"Responsibilities? Let's talk about responsibilities, the ones a wife has to her husband. I've asked you countless times to trust me. All you had to do was steer clear of him." His eyes blazed. "He assaulted you on his ship, then had the audacity to propose marriage! And here you stand, proud of the fact that you've ignored your responsibility as my wife for a worthless piece of shi* like him!"

She shook her head in disbelief.

"I can't believe you're disregarding the context of my actions," she said, holding herself defensively.

She needed her husband's support, needed to shield them both from Aldric's manipulation. Her nails dug into her arms.

"How can you push aside what's crucial and let jealousy consume you?"

"I despise that warlock. He's not even a rival; he's beneath that," he replied.

Both of them faced away from each other, consumed by frustration.

"My wife is strolling through a muddied day like this, and he just happens to be riding nearby and coincidentally has an accident, is that what you think?" He yelled again.

Her blood turned to ice.

"Are you implying..."

It couldn't be; Aldric couldn't have staged the accident.

"No... That would be too much," she dismissed the thought.

He snorted. "Well, look at you, trusting the warlock more than your own husband."

She closed the distance between them, staring up at him with all the anger that filled her.

"You know what, Egon? All that occupied me back then was you. All that I wanted was to be close and talk to you. But look at us now? Look at me, having to defend myself instead of reaching a solution with you!"

As the door to their house was knocked repeatedly, Egon seemed more confused than she was. He disappeared from her sight, and she strained to hear the door opening.

Calm down.

She rubbed her arms, trying to dispel the coldness that had settled into her bones while she argued with him, her ears and concentration focused on whoever was arriving at this hour.

"Stop me… You are the only one who can."

She heard the door clicking closed after that. Unable to leave her room or close the door, she leaned back and rested her weight against the wall, listening to them.

Who is this man?

"I told myself I could handle it. I said I would become her shadow. But for her to forget about me so easily, how could she do this to me? How could she do this to us?"

Andreas's voice trembled with hurt. Almost unrecognizable.

Adela placed a hand on her heart. Her wedding had overlapped her sister's engagement annulment, and now, once again, the issue of the next emperor of Kolhis had emerged alongside the revelation that the murderer's identity had come to light in an unexpected manner.

My sister and I seem to have the worst luck.

Larissa, too, was prioritizing her responsibilities as Lady de Lanark, but only Adela knew how much her heart burned because of Andreas and how well she could camouflage it.

"Andreas… You're starving," Egon remarked, a surprising comment that left Adela puzzled.

"I'll never forgive her for this," Andreas continued bitterly. "Was it so easy for her to replace me? She's my mate… How am I supposed to hold back and watch as she comforts another when I'm dying inside?"

None of this was fair. She couldn't keep quiet about it.

Bracing herself for whatever reaction the von Conradies might have, she left her room with her chin held high and descended the stairs, only to find the two of them standing in the middle of the living room. Egon looked pale and exhausted, while Andreas appeared disheveled, his clothes ragged and muddied, his eyes vacant until they met hers.

"Pardon my intrusion, but I would like to have a word with you regarding my sister. If you could spare me some time to talk about her."

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