Chapter 21: Chapter 21

KAMORA

After leaving the Goddess’s grove, they took a detour to the bakery where Kamora once worked.

Jarosh waved to the owner, who smiled at him warmly.

“Thank you,” Kamora said, diverting the owner’s attention back to her. “We’re grateful.”

“Oh, please,” the owner said, waving his hands. “I should be thanking you. Thanks to you, I can go home early, and my sales today were significantly higher.”

Kamora blushed slightly and grinned. “We’ll be on our way, then.”

She bowed one final time and, while holding Jarosh with one hand and a bag of snacks in the other, they headed toward the carriage.

Lord Maroke had chosen to remain inside the carriage, and although Kamora didn’t know why, she was grateful for it.

Especially after what Gwen had told her.

~He is the cause of everything that happened to you!~

Gwen hadn’t provided many details, only leaving her with a warning.

~You should quit and leave. Luckily, he doesn’t seem to remember you. I can’t guarantee your safety if he ever regains his memory.~

The warning had left her shaken with fear.

~Who exactly is Lord Maroke?~ she wondered.

She might not have believed Gwen if it weren’t for the fact that, whenever she managed to catch even a sliver of sleep, she always heard his voice calling out to her.

But there was also another voice, one filled with anger and malice, which sent shivers down her spine.

Was Lord Maroke somehow connected to the person behind that voice?

The closer they got to the carriage, the more a feeling of dread enveloped her.

When they finally arrived, she helped Jarosh enter. Then she climbed in after him.

Lord Maroke sat with a pensive expression, gazing out of the window.

The carriage began moving shortly after Kamora settled in.

She couldn’t help sneaking glances at Lord Maroke, her mind racing with possibilities about her relationship with him.

Why had he forgotten her? Did he truly forget her?

What exactly had happened to place both of them in this situation?

Gwen had a reason for her warning, no matter what she thought.

And even though it wasn’t wise to trust someone she had just met, Gwen knew things about her that no one else did.

~Let’s go back home, to our parents.~

And then there was the overwhelming news.

A dull pressure bloomed at her temples, and she curled her fingers into tight fists, resisting the urge to press them against her forehead.

The ride back home was stifling and quiet.

Only Jarosh seemed unaffected, happily munching on the snacks they had bought.

Kamora smiled warmly as she watched him.

Strangely, he was the only one capable of dispersing any gloom that surrounded her.

Once they arrived back home, they got down from the carriage and walked toward the manor.

Claudia was waiting at the entrance with two maids behind her, their heads bowed.

“Welcome back, my lord,” Claudia greeted.

Lord Maroke replied with a simple nod.

“Kamora, I want to go to my room,” Jarosh said.

She nodded, smiling.

“Of course, my lord,” she replied.

Hand in hand, they stepped into the manor, but Kamora could feel Lord Maroke’s piercing gaze burning into her back.

She didn’t look back, choosing instead to walk straight down the hall toward the staircase leading upstairs.

“Is something going on between you and my dad?” Jarosh asked.

Kamora stumbled, nearly losing her footing.

Jarosh caught her hand, tightening his grip as concern flickered in his eyes.

“Are you okay?” he asked gently.

Kamora forced a smile and gave a small nod.

“I’m fine. Why such a strange question though?”

“Is it really that strange?” he asked.

“It’s absurd!” Kamora exclaimed. “What could possibly be going on between me and Lord Maroke? Me, of all people? I’m honored by how highly you think of me, my lord, but Lord Maroke surely doesn’t share the same thoughts or feelings as you.”

They arrived at Jarosh’s room and entered it.

Kamora placed all the snacks they had bought on his small desk and began to help Jarosh out of his clothes.

“Why do you think you’re not worth my father’s attention?” Jarosh pressed on, causing Kamora to redden with embarrassment.

“My lord, I dare not even entertain such thoughts,” she said, removing Jarosh’s outer coat and loosening his inner shirt from his trousers.

“If I were caught thinking such things, no matter how small, it could cost me my job, or worse, my head!”

Jarosh huffed and remained silent, not saying anything else.

Once they were finished, Kamora stood up and sighed.

“You should rest now, my lord. You’ve had a long day,” she said.

“But it’s still early!” Jarosh whined.

Kamora couldn’t help but grin. “When you wake up, we can try out the snacks we brought back,” she said conspiratorially.

Jarosh grinned. “All of them?”

“Unless you don’t mind getting rotten teeth, then sure.” Kamora shrugged.

Jarosh frowned slightly, then made his way to his bed.

“Fine, I’ll rest.”

Kamora followed him to his bed, helped him lie down, and tucked him in gently.

“I’ll be back soon, my lord,” she whispered, smiling softly, and then left the room.

Once outside, her thoughts instantly returned to what Gwen had told her in the Goddess’s grove.

~He was obsessed with you. He took you to his mansion against your will and locked you in there. He didn’t even allow me to see you. I had to sneak into the mansion several times to do so!~ Gwen had sighed, running a hand through her hair.

~The last time we met, we had a fight, and since then, I never saw you. I heard of your disappearance months later, and for eight years, eight long years, I searched for you. Now that I’ve found you, imagine my shock at seeing you work for him! Fate has a peculiar way of doing things.~

~She leaned forward, her gaze serious and full of warning. “You should quit and leave. Luckily, he doesn’t seem to remember you. I can’t guarantee your safety if he ever regains his memory.”~