3.4

Could Julian’s words be true, that Earl Arenshen had changed his mind to help? 

Even when she tearfully pleaded for help, he had been as cold as frost. But escaping from Viscount Sven was the priority, so she had no choice but to believe Julian for now.

“Don’t forget who owns the land you stand on. If a murder occurs here, Earl Arenshen has the right to summarily execute the murderer. If you harm Julian, you’ll all end up on the gallows.”

Vanessa said, glaring at Sven with a pale face. Pointing out the reason they hesitated to draw their swords, Sven’s brows furrowed slightly. She had evaded the pursuit and somehow managed to win over not only Julian but also the notoriously merciless Earl Arenshen. She was indeed an annoying woman.

Sven raised his hands in a gesture of surrender and stepped back. Julian withdrew his sword from him but did not sheath it.

“Sven, we’ll meet again at the trial by combat. Don’t run away, wait for me.”

“Ha, who are you to talk? Julian, take care of yourself before then. I don’t want to stab a walking corpse.”

Sven chuckled, pointing at Julian’s abdomen, where blood had started to seep through.

“Winning too easily isn’t fun. Let’s go!”

Sven and his group rode off. Julian stared long in the direction Sven had disappeared.

Vanessa, relieved of tension, felt all her strength drain away and thought she might collapse. Feeling dizzy, she glanced at Julian. She had never seen him hate someone so much. If Julian hadn’t been injured, he might have fought Sven in a bloody duel. A fight that could only end with one of them dead. 

What deep-seated grudge bound the two together?

When their eyes met, the murderous intent in Julian’s eyes vanished as if washed away. However, his gaze was not as clear as usual. The air around them felt heavy and unpleasant, like wearing wet clothes.

Nevertheless, there was an important issue that needed to be addressed.

“Earl Hendrick clearly said he wouldn’t help me. Is it true that he’s changed his mind? If it’s a lie, the Earl will be furious.”

“It’s not a lie. The Earl has agreed to act as a guarantor for the trial by combat. And I will fight as the champion.”

Until yesterday, Julian had refused to fight as the champion. So she didn’t want to owe him any more. If the Earl was willing to act as a guarantor, it seemed better to request one of the Earl’s knights to be the champion instead of Julian.

“Julian, there’s no need for you to sacrifice yourself for me. What you’ve done so far is enough.”

Julian misunderstood Vanessa’s intention with her oddly detached words.

Is she saying she doesn’t need my help anymore? Or does she mean she no longer wants to be involved with me?

Earl Hendrick wasn’t a scoundrel who would lust after her body in exchange for help, so receiving the Earl’s assistance would protect her honor and prevent further defilement.

Is she discarding me because I’m no longer useful, like someone who ran away with money?

The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. Julian’s face turned red with fury as he roughly reached for Vanessa’s belt.

He searched her body and retrieved his money pouch. Vanessa, startled by the sudden theft, looked up at Julian. A cruel smile played on Julian’s lips.

“Now that you’re penniless, how will you find a champion? Oh, I suppose you could spread your legs for another man and beg him to be your champion. Go ahead and try. But there aren’t many fools like me willing to risk their lives for a wh*re.”

Julian’s insults felt like filth being poured over her, making her nauseous.

Slap!

Furious to the core, Vanessa slapped Julian across the face. At that moment, Julian recalled the day Vanessa had slapped him for the first time. It felt like everything had returned to square one.

“No matter how much you try to run, you’ll never escape me!”

Julian shouted, pulling Vanessa’s horse’s reins forward. The bit in its mouth pulled tight, causing Pumpkin to cry out in pain. As Pumpkin’s back heaved, Vanessa’s body shook violently. It felt like she might lose her mind in the chaos.

“I’ll go with you willingly, so let go! Let go! The horse is suffering!”

He didn’t want Vanessa to fall and get hurt. Reluctantly, Julian released the reins, and Pumpkin snorted in displeasure.

“Lead the way.”

Julian’s cold command made her breath catch and her heart pound. She swallowed her humiliation and walked ahead as he instructed. The horse carrying Vanessa looked back anxiously but soon calmed and began to walk lightly.

However, Vanessa’s heart did not regain its peace. Eventually, she couldn’t hold back her tears any longer.

She didn’t want Julian to see her crying. She tried to recall happy moments to stop the tears. But she hadn’t felt happy lately, and thinking of her son made her want to cry.

The tears that soaked her cheeks trickled down her jaw and dripped onto her chest. No matter how much she cried, the miserable and sorrowful feelings didn’t go away.

Watching Vanessa’s shoulders tremble as she silently wept, Julian felt uncomfortable but didn’t comfort her.

He knew he had overreacted, but he couldn’t forgive Vanessa for trying to leave him. There might have been other ways besides leaving, but she didn’t attempt anything and gave up. She had severed ties because he was no longer useful. To her, their connection wasn’t precious.

He thought he was finally seeing her smile, but once again, he had made her angry and cry. The sacrifices he had made for Vanessa felt utterly useless. His mouth tasted bitter.

Before they reached the castle, Vanessa finally stopped crying. To an outsider who didn’t know the circumstances, it would seem as if they had gone for a morning ride together.

Vanessa should have gone to thank Earl Hendrick, who had decided to help her, but instead, she handed Pumpkin over to the stable master and shut herself in her room. Of course, she didn’t look at Julian even once as she left.

Alone in the silent room, the urge to cry rose again. She lay face down on the bed, burying her face in the pillow. The pillowcase grew damp as she cried until her eyes were sore. She hadn’t cried this much even when she lost her husband.

She had endured her hardships internally, and once her composure broke, she couldn’t stop it.

If she hadn’t expected anything from Julian, his harsh words wouldn’t have hurt so much. She knew Julian had a violent temper, but she thought he would be different with her.

Julian had never confessed his feelings, but Vanessa believed she was special to him. No man would risk his life for a woman he felt nothing for. So she believed that no matter what adversity came, Julian would always save her.

But now, she couldn’t be sure of anything.

Reflecting on Julian’s words, she pondered what he meant to her.

Contrary to his suspicions, Vanessa had no intention of offering herself to another man to find a champion. She didn’t want to share a bed with anyone but Julian.

Of course, she was angry at him for breaking his promise, but she also felt a twinge of guilt for dragging him into her troubles. She had received enough help from him and didn’t want to ask for more sacrifices. Yet she still needed Julian and wanted him to be by her side.

If the Earl hadn’t ruthlessly cast her out, she wouldn’t have hastily left after arguing with Julian. Did he misunderstand and get angry because he thought she had abandoned him? The sadness etched on his twisted face lingered in her mind.

That evening, she woke with difficulty at the sound of someone knocking on the door. She thought she had only dozed off after crying, but it was already this late.

Knock, knock. The door was knocked again after a pause.

“It’s Earl Arenshen.”

“Please wait a moment.”

Vanessa hurriedly washed away the dried tear stains and looked in the mirror. Her swollen eyes were bloodshot. She pulled a hood over her head to hide her haggard face as much as possible.

“Come in.”

A hoarse voice escaped her. Vanessa’s sorrowful face was enough to make any man’s heart ache. However, it wasn’t enough to earn Earl Hendrick’s sympathy.

“I will have my agent submit the indictment to the King’s court. And I will send a letter to the King’s aide, asking to postpone the trial summons to next spring. With the royal family busy preparing for war, they won’t refuse. By then, Julian will have fully recovered, so wait patiently. I’ll let you know when a reply arrives.”

Hendrick skipped the usual pleasantries and only said what he wanted. She was relieved he didn’t comment on her appearance. But she was curious why Hendrick had suddenly decided to help overnight.

“What made you change your mind overnight?”