Chapter 22

"I am so sorry! Oh my God!"

Fortunately it wasn't a heavy package but as if things couldn't get any worse, the lingerie flew out and was spreading itself at the knight's feet. The latter didn't look very happy, understandably. He incredibly quickly got over the surprise of seeing lingerie and looked up with a scowl. He looked ready to murder someone. When our eyes met, however, he immediately recognized me. That made him lose his frown and he jumped up to bow:

"I apologize, Duke Consort. I seem to have been at the wrong place at the wrong time.

-Don't apologize! You didn't do anything wrong! I am so sorry! Are you okay? If you puke within two hours then you might have a concussion!"

The knight's head jerked up. He looked taken aback for a second. The Sliske before me was cold and self centered so his surprise was valid. I didn't want to pretend to be mean and selfish therefore I just went on:

"Stay there, I'll come down!"

I didn't give the knight time to answer and rushed as fast as possible to the door. I had to slow down both because of the packages and because of my painful ankle. Seeing me jumping on one leg, made Eulisses frown:

"Mister Sliske, you should slow down. What if your injury worsened?"

I completely ignored Eulisses and continued jumping closer to the door. I wasn't really athletic and was once again out of breath by the time I reached the door. Eulisses followed me worried and helped me open the door. I completely forgot that I was under close watch and got taken aback seeing the knights behind the door. They were towering over me the same way the packages were and I didn't like that at all.

I wanted to throw them out the window as well but that reminded me of the knight I had hurt. Eulisses passed one of my arms around his neck and helped me walk down. The knights didn't hold us back but they followed us closely. We just walked in silence, my panting the only noise breaking the silence. The knights did ask me if I needed help once but having ignored them, they just went back to silence.

It took us a very long time to get under my window and I was surprised to see that the knight had waited there. I just stopped for a second and just looked at him. He looked so displeased with life that I didn't think he would actually stay put. I shouldn't have been surprised knowing that he was a knight and that he had to follow my orders but I still was. Stopping gave me time to get my breathing back on track. Seeing me stare at him, the knight couldn't help but frown:

"Duke Consort? Do you perhaps need something?"

I came back to my senses and jumped closer to the knight. The latter did his best to stay put but I could see that he didn't like the idea of me coming any closer.

"Are you okay? Does your head hurt?"

The knights that had followed me looked down at the destroyed package and coughed awkwardly.

"Are you hurt anywhere?"

The knight quickly shook his head, still looking rather puzzled:

"I am grateful for your concern, Duke Consort. I am completely fine.

-Are you sure? I am so sorry.

-I'm fine."

The knight was looking me up and down as if wondering who I was but it seemed he chose that it wasn't important and just pinched his mouth. He looked back at the package and couldn't hold back a grimace:

"However, it seems your package wasn't as lucky."

I shook my head, not even looking down at the package:

"You should go see a doctor. I should have checked that there wasn't anyone under the window. Once again I am so sorry.

-Why were you throwing my gifts out the window?"

I didn't even jump. By that point I was used to seeing Ephraim appear out of thin air anywhere I went. The knights on the other hand flinched, immediately bowing to their master. Ephraim slowly walked closer to us, as if appreciating all eyes on him. He looked down at the broken package. His eyes traveled to the red fabric, before looking back at me with a smirk.

"Did you hate my gifts that much?"

My first reflex was to play dumb. After all, I couldn't just admit in front of the knight I almost killed that I did it on purpose. That would have been very awkward.

"I don't know what happened. One second the package was up and the next it was down. Who knew how fast gravity worked?"

Ephraim tilted his head:

"And how did my precious gift find itself on the window?"

Ephraim didn't stop walking closer and by then he was a step away from me. Not liking his proximity, I stepped back while pointing at his chest:

"It's your fault. I put it where there was space. You sent me way too many gifts. I didn't have any space left.

-My sweet wife... There can't possibly be something like too many gifts when it comes to you. I just gave you as much as I could. You deserve way more than that."

I could already see my room getting filled to the brim by a second crowd of gifts and I quickly shook my head:

"No! I don't want more! You said that I should rest but I couldn't sit down anywhere! You are exhausting me! Do you know how tired I was because I had to jump down here?"

Ephraim tilted his head, pretending to be innocent:

"Why would you come down here? The doctor said that you should rest as much as possible.

-You think I wasn't trying to? There were packages everywhere! I couldn't even see the furniture anymore!

-I don't understand why you are getting so mad... This is proof of how much I love you."

Both the knights and I shuttered. The young man I had almost killed looked around him, trying to figure out if he was dreaming. I completely understood his unease and sighed:

"Sending me lingerie is proof of how much you love me? You are just a pervert."

Ephraim laughed while the knights looked more and more uncomfortable. Eulisses was looking at me as if I should be the one uncomfortable but I had no reason to. Ephraim was the one who sent me lingerie. I didn't buy it. Why should I be ashamed? I really wanted to rip that smile off of that man's face and feed it back to him.

"Wouldn't it be normal for a husband to dream about his wife in such clothing?"

My goosebumps were so strong that I almost fell.

"Ew! Don't say that!"

Ephraim took a step closer to me which made my goosebumps worse:

"Why are you acting all shy? Don't tell me that you aren't thinking about the ame things I am.

-I am not! I would by far prefer drinking bleach!

-Strong denial is an affirmation.

-Don't come any closer or I'm going to puke!"

Ephraim laughed even more:

"That's not very nice of you, darling. Is this what I get for sending you so many nice things?

-Who asked you to send anything? I don't want your gifts! I don't want anything from you! Go away! If it wasn't for you, this man wouldn't have been hurt!

-But, sweety, you said that it was an accident. How could it have been my fault?

-Of course it was! If you didn't send me such a dirty gift, I wouldn't have tried to get rid of it through the window!"

I froze.

"I mean..."

Seeing Ephraim's victorious smile was making me sick.

"It seems it wasn't an accident after all."

It was too late by then and I just continued screaming:

"You heard it right! I threw your gift out the window! And I didn't look down before I did! But it's all your fault!"

Before I went on, I turned to the knight again:

"Once again, I'm so sorry."

Then I turned back to Ephraim:

"The only reason you sent me those gifts was to piss me off! Admit it!"

He raised his hand to his heart, pretending to be hurt:

"To annoy you? Darling, I would never do such a thing. It seems you really aren't cured yet. You can't stop talking nonsense.

-Stop lying! For one second just tell the truth! You just want to make my life a living hell!"

Ephraim's eyes turned cold:

"Tell the truth? My dear wife accuses me of lying when he isn't being truthful in the first place?"

I swallowed loudly.