285: Proving trust (part 3)

Proving trust (part 3)

"Adelaide."0

Lady de Lanark von Conradie barely registered her husband's call as he settled down beside her. Her gaze remained fixated on Andreas.

"Why isn't my sister waking up? Andreas?"

The silence that followed was, in itself, an answer.

"She's just resting comfortably, in a deep sleep," Egon reassured her, his voice taking on a gentle tone.

In the dimly lit carriage, she shot her husband a glare, knowing well that his eyes could penetrate the darkness far better than hers. He was aware of how much she detested their mind games.

"Larissa is an extremely light sleeper, Egon. Would you care to explain what's going on?"

"She is indeed a light sleeper," Andreas breathed the words out, as if his voice alone could rouse Larissa from her slumber. His hand continued to gently stroke her fiery red hair.

Her glare then shifted to Andreas. "I demand that you release her mind immediately."

Andreas's blue eyes slowly met hers while her husband remained silent at her side.

"I assure you, I am not intruding into her mind right now. I've simply ensured she gets a good night's sleep, nothing more."

Adela found this explanation unacceptable.

"To call her character undeveloped while exerting this kind of control over her is nothing short of bullying."

"Adelaide!" Egon's reproachful tone cut through the air beside her.

She turned her glare to her husband, stifling the question of whether she would be the next to be silenced like her sister. But the last thing she wanted, especially without feeling their mate bond, was to create more distance between them.

"This is for her own well-being," Egon stated with an arrogant tone that grated on her ears.

Already regretting her disobedience of the Archduke's edict, Adela swallowed back tears and averted her gaze from her husband. Her fingers curled around the edge of her seat, holding on tightly as the carriage started moving. The swaying motion of the camels was something she doubted she would ever get used to.

"The coachman informed me that Rauul is at his brother's wedding ceremony."

Addressing Egon casually, Andreas seemed to ignore Adela's presence just as much as she ignored him.

"Raphael?" Egon asked.

"Yes."

She could sense Andreas's gaze on her, but she fought against noblewomen's savoir-vivre, refusing to meet his eyes.

"Rauul is actually the illegitimate child of the previous Duke," Andreas explained to her nevertheless. "When the Duke announced that he was passing on his title to his son, it triggered quite an internal conflict in Latora. Some tribes supported the legitimate heir, while others opposed him... Raphael isn't the most popular figure."

"He's a despicable man," Egon corrected heartlessly.

"That's when it became widely known that Rauul is a Healer, and no one dared to oppose the Duke's decision to pass on the title to the illegitimate son after that," Andreas concluded.

"We've arrived," the coachman announced from outside, his accent thick.

So soon?

"Adelaide, we're about to crash a wedding unannounced. We need to blend in until I locate Rauul."

"I understand," she murmured.

"No, you don't," Egon replied dryly. "Desert customs are quite different."

She shot him an exasperated look. "Latora is part of Emoria; I'm aware of the customs here." Her gaze shifted to Larissa. "What about my sister?"

"No one will discover the carriage once we disembark." Andreas said.

It was the perfect moment to lay some cards on the table. She fixed him with an emotionless expression.

"How exactly will you hide her in a place the locals know so well?" 

His blue eyes remained calm as serene lakes when he responded. "No one will find her," he reiterated, sidestepping her question directly but providing the answer she hadn't vocalized.

For once, Aldric hadn't deceived or manipulated her. Andreas had undoubtedly hidden his first mate in the Lanark mana mines. Did this imply that Emoria truly held a fortune of mana in Destan?

Could Adela finally put her father's debt behind her?

Her thoughts snapped back to the carriage as Egon's long fingers worked at the edges of her one-piece turban.

"This isn't the best time for my wife to be daydreaming."

With his elbow and hand, Egon pushed aside the thick fabric door and exited first, then assisted his wife out, followed by Andreas, who held a torch.

"It's so dark, Egon, I can't see anything," she whispered, holding onto his elbow.

"Look behind you; can you see that light over there? That's where the wedding ceremony is taking place,"

She nodded, her eyes adjusting to the night and following the small lights approaching them in two separate lines.

"You have to give them credit; they're swift," he acknowledged in a hushed tone.

As they neared, Adela's eyes made out the distinctions between the two lines. On the right, three men in blue robes, with only their eyes visible beneath their hoods, held torches like the one Andreas carried. On the left were three women in white robes, their faces fully exposed, revealing fair skin that contrasted with their dark eyes. The top of their heads was wrapped, their long brown hair swaying with their movements.

"Welcome, brothers," the man at the front greeted Egon. "I see you've arrived on foot; it must have been a tiresome journey."

Adela glanced back at the carriage they had left and found nothing but sand and sky. Her heart raced, and she couldn't help but be awed by Andreas's abilities. He was undoubtedly the most intimidating man she had ever met.

"It's the first night of a wedding ceremony. We'll provide you with tents and food for the night so you can rest, and you can introduce yourselves in the morning," the man explained.

"Sister," the woman at the front addressed Adela, her gaze locked onto her. "Come this way."

The custom of separating men and women during events like this was typical in Latora, but Adela's heart still felt heavy. She cast a glance up at Egon, wondering if he had some other plan in mind.

'I'll be close by.'

His voice echoed in her mind, even though his lips weren't moving. His face bore a smug expression, as if he were trying to make a point, but this only made her fists clench tighter at her sides.

These von Conradie men need to understand that invading a lady's thoughts without permission is unacceptable!

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