Chapter 7: Chapter 6

Chapter 6

She spoke first, breaking the tension, “I think I can leave this castle peacefully now because of you.” At Adele’s words, a commotion began among the servants. She took the ring Enon had given her off her finger and placed it into the palms of Noah.

“My wish is to attend the burial, but it is not possible for me to climb.” Her voice was filled with grief and hurt. It was customary to bury the body in the mountain at night. So, only men and workers participated in the ceremony. “So instead, bury this ring with him inside his coffin.” Noah did not know how to reply, and he took the ring from her. “And I will leave as soon as I feel better. . . even if it’s tomorrow.

Noah frowned at the ring in his hand. “Hah, the burial is not even done yet, and you’re already planning your departure?”

Adele smiled softly at him.

“Now the master has changed, and there will be a new lady.” She responded in a low tone. “Now that you’ve become a master, you’ll have a new lady. It would be uncomfortable for her if I stay here.” Adele bowed her head to avoid his eyes that were staring at her.

“No.” He groaned in a loud voice.

“Sorry, what?” She was unable to understand the sudden change in his behavior. “You’re not leaving for that reason. You will not run away from me.”

‘What?’

Instead of answering, Adele opened her mouth and looked at him. She was rendered speechless.

“Why? Are you scared of getting married to me because of the law?” Noah smiled smugly. She knew he was right but this was not a decision she wanted to make. She did not wish to follow the law but instead of raising her voice, she tried to keep her voice low. “N-now I… am not Adellia Enon Maktus. I am Adellia Liliand.”

“No.” He said in an oddly cold voice. Her eyes widened. The ominous feeling brought goosebumps. His golden eyes were shining terrifyingly.

In the next second, he threw Adele’s ring out of the window. In no time, the ring she had worn for two years disappeared. Adele was furious but confused and terrified.

Noah beckoned towards James and demanded. “James, take it out.” James hurriedly pulled a small box and gave it to Noah. He opened the box and there was a ring with a 12-carat yellow diamond present in the box. Noah put on the ring on Adele’s ring finger without even asking her.

“You are not either Adellia Liliand, or Adellia Enon Maktus.” He stared into her eyes with a grim line on his lips. “Adellia Noah Maktus. It is your name from now on.”

In the kingdom of Astria, the woman took on the husband’s name after marriage. The middle name would always be the husband’s name. Taken aback at the middle name he said, Adele gasped with her mouth open. In the meantime, Noah stood up and looked down at her.

“The wedding will be held the day after tomorrow.”

“What do you mean?” She asked in distress.

“I don’t need a dowry. Oh, the dowry you brought here two years ago will be returned. Because that’s the dowry you brought when you married my brother.” Noah finished talking and stormed out of Adele’s bedroom. The servants quickly stepped aside to let him go. As he walked in angry steps, she followed behind him with staggering steps. In the hall, the sound of steps on the cold marble echoed.

“What are you talking about!” Noah turned his head at Adele’s words. Her face had turned red with anger. “Why should I be marrying you!”

“You… We need to obey the law. Can it be any different?”

***

Adele bit her lips at Noah’s sarcastic words. Mildly annoyed, she couldn’t help but say in a biting tone, “Isn’t it a nominal law? Who even keeps the law these days!”

“I do.” He retorted.

She ignored his words and continued, “The count’s wife, Orissa, also died. But even then, her name was only listed in the family register and was later returned to her family! The viscount’s wife, Catherine, is still staying as his wife in the annex!”

“Then you can live there too.” Noah replied simply.

The castle’s annex was right in front of the knights’ training ground. Adele shook her head, indicating she didn’t want to. “I will go back to my own house.”

“Do it, if you can.”

“Why are you even doing this?” She really couldn’t comprehend this man.

As Adele spoke loudly, a servant hurried up the stairs to the second floor.

“My lady, someone is searching for you.”

After speaking, the servant beckoned to the man coming up the stairs. He was someone Adele knew very well.

“Naon!”

“Miss!”

It was Naon, the son of a nanny who grew up with her since childhood. Adele walked past Noah and hurriedly approached him.

“You came at the right time, I have to go back to my family…”

“Miss—no, my lady, don’t be startled and hear me out first.” His voice was hesitant, wanting to prepare her for the news he was about to say. “The master, your father, is bedridden.”

“What? Oh, my father?” She was a bit confused, why would he pass out all of a sudden?

“In truth, there is something I haven’t been able to tell you. Because of the war, we lost more than half of our family members. The master was running around trying to save the lives that he could, but then, he was shot in the leg. Fortunately, his life was saved, otherwise…”

Adele was shocked when she heard the story and collapsed shortly after. Seeing her in this state, Naon bent his knees and held back his tears. He whispered softly so that only the two of them could hear.

“Lady Adele, the master is fine. He will be able to walk again after some time. However,” he paused and gazed back at her, “there is not enough money to save the family.”

“Oh, how much?”

“We need about sixty thousand.”

The dowry she brought with her to the wedding was only ten thousand. Perhaps she can convince Noah to give it to her, but even then, it’s still far from enough.

“Miss, why don’t you look so well? And why is everyone—” Naon looked around. There were weeping maids, servants dressed in black, and the black knight commander standing in place of Enon who always stayed near Adele…

Aghast, he made eye contact with Noah who was looking down at him with a cold, penetrating gaze.

“Give that person sixty thousand pesos. Also,” Adele, who was dazed by Noah’s words, turned and fixed her eyes on him. Noah glanced at her and beckoned to her maid, “move my wife to the bedroom.”

‘Wife? What do you mean, wife!’ The startled Adele abruptly stood up. She wanted to object, but her body couldn’t handle the sudden movement and staggered.

“Lady!”

Hearing the anxious voices of countless people, Adele closed her eyes, unaware of his golden eyes still staring at her unconscious figure.

Adele bit her lips at Noah’s sarcastic words. Mildly annoyed, she couldn’t help but say in a biting tone, “Isn’t it a nominal law? Who even keeps the law these days!”

“I do.” He retorted.

She ignored his words and continued, “The count’s wife, Orissa, also died. But even then, her name was only listed in the family register and was later returned to her family! The viscount’s wife, Catherine, is still staying as his wife in the annex!”

“Then you can live there too.” Noah replied simply.

The castle’s annex was right in front of the knights’ training ground. Adele shook her head, indicating she didn’t want to. “I will go back to my own house.”

“Do it, if you can.”

“Why are you even doing this?” She really couldn’t comprehend this man.

As Adele spoke loudly, a servant hurried up the stairs to the second floor.

“My lady, someone is searching for you.”

After speaking, the servant beckoned to the man coming up the stairs. He was someone Adele knew very well.

“Naon!”

“Miss!”

It was Naon, the son of a nanny who grew up with her since childhood. Adele walked past Noah and hurriedly approached him.

“You came at the right time, I have to go back to my family…”

“Miss—no, my lady, don’t be startled and hear me out first.” His voice was hesitant, wanting to prepare her for the news he was about to say. “The master, your father, is bedridden.”

“What? Oh, my father?” She was a bit confused, why would he pass out all of a sudden?

“In truth, there is something I haven’t been able to tell you. Because of the war, we lost more than half of our family members. The master was running around trying to save the lives that he could, but then, he was shot in the leg. Fortunately, his life was saved, otherwise…”

Adele was shocked when she heard the story and collapsed shortly after. Seeing her in this state, Naon bent his knees and held back his tears. He whispered softly so that only the two of them could hear.

“Lady Adele, the master is fine. He will be able to walk again after some time. However,” he paused and gazed back at her, “there is not enough money to save the family.”

“Oh, how much?”

“We need about sixty thousand.”

The dowry she brought with her to the wedding was only ten thousand. Perhaps she can convince Noah to give it to her, but even then, it’s still far from enough.

“Miss, why don’t you look so well? And why is everyone—” Naon looked around. There were weeping maids, servants dressed in black, and the black knight commander standing in place of Enon who always stayed near Adele…

Aghast, he made eye contact with Noah who was looking down at him with a cold, penetrating gaze.

“Give that person sixty thousand pesos. Also,” Adele, who was dazed by Noah’s words, turned and fixed her eyes on him. Noah glanced at her and beckoned to her maid, “move my wife to the bedroom.”

‘Wife? What do you mean, wife!’ The startled Adele abruptly stood up. She wanted to object, but her body couldn’t handle the sudden movement and staggered.

“Lady!”

Hearing the anxious voices of countless people, Adele closed her eyes, unaware of his golden eyes still staring at her unconscious figure.