The rotten beef within the two squadrons disappeared as soon as Mona healed the fort knights' chief. She wasn't entirely sure if it was truly discarded or just kept in their pocket, since the division is still visible.
Knights who insulted her did not even bother to apologize directly and just let their chief take the responsibility. It's like they just swept it under the rug and continued their routines. Which greatly annoyed her companions, probably one reason why even after the truce, they still did not get along with them.
It's not like it is necessary anyway, so they just ignore each other sides and only speak when needed.
But Luven seems to not forget the fact that his sister was scorned.
"Such haughty and insolent knights you have here, Grand Duke." Said Luven with a sneer. He was seated on a single sofa facing the Grand Duke behind his table. "Do you even know what your knights have been doing?"
He made such a comment, since the moment they arrived at the fort, the Grand Duke had been busy with his tasks again. Makes him wonder how the hell he was always doing something, while even he, a marquess, got to travel for months without bagging his duties.
Is the duty of a Grand Duke way heavier than a marquess? He wondered. Yet he clearly knew how huge the gap in priorities and duties between them was. Just the lands and the people they manage each on their own tell him the difference already.
Kyden lifted his head after stamping the last document with force. He just finished stamping the permits to continue with the new magical devices to be installed in the territory's perimeter, beginning the construction at the fort.
As soon as the ink on the seal was dry, he threw the paper above the pile of documents and stood.
Without even glancing at the single sofa that carries such a loudmouth individual glaring at him with disdain, he strode past the door and walked towards the path to the kitchen.
"Hey! Can't you see I'm still talking to you?" Yelled Luven and followed him abruptly. "Tsk. I guess, like master, like servants."
Kyden's brow twitched at the marquess's words. He growled at him, telling him to shut up instantly. But when he remembered the event that took place yesterday at noon and the reasons behind it, his face darkened as he continued to walk, scaring every knight he passed by with his looks.
Back then, he was busy visiting the sites where their new projects would be built and checking personally the equipment and materials alone. It was his habit to inspect when no one was around, to see any possible faults and corruptions that may be happening behind his back.
Although he has vassals that take care of that jurisdiction, he thought of checking them himself since he was already there. But while he was busy doing their jobs, his own people had been mistreating his woman. Again.
He felt dejected and ashamed because of their behavior, yet felt so proud of Mona for taking them head-on. Still, he went mad as soon as he heard it and made their work heavier. If Mona wanted to punish them more severely, then he would allow her to do so.
The chattering noises from the direction he was headed caught his attention and brought him to the present. He immediately noticed a particular laugh filled with genuine merriment. His darkened face subsided, and he fixed his creased forehead before showing in the entrance.
There in the middle of the crowd, was the woman whom he already admitted to himself as more than just a mere duty or a friend, but someone very important.
Her laughter brought smiles to everyone who looked at her, her cheerfulness was contagious. The first time they met, she struck like someone as shameless and a glutton to him, but her innocence about everything was amusing.
When she came back from the Holy Nation, she became polite yet guarded, and she often cried. There were only a few occasions where he saw her laugh without restraint.
He stepped in and found out she was laughing over a dessert. It was glazed sweet potatoes, which appeared like brown shiny stones glued on its plate. She was laughing at Sandra who kept spinning the plate on the tip of her index finger, yet the glazed potatoes weren't scattering anywhere.
The maid even knocked it upside down, still, the poor dessert did not fall.
"...hahaha... stop...", Said Mona while trying to hold back her laughter. "Ahem.... so it can't be eaten?"
Sandra shook her head and flipped the plate in the air, then answered in words after catching it back. "It's too sweet and hard. The caramel was too much and it hardened. It will only hurt your teeth, my lady."
"Oh...what a waste." Replied Mona and reached for the plate from Sandra. She took it and fanned herself.
"Oh? You made it useful though, Miss." Lucaz commented while grinning. Staring fondly at her.
Kyden witnessed their conversation and saw his knight's tender expression toward Mona. In an instant, his mood became sour.
"If the glazed softened, those potatoes will slap your face."
Everyone present shifted their gazes on him. But Kyden only focused his eyes on Mona, who looked surprised seeing him in the kitchen.
"Your grace!" Called out by the knights stuffing their mouths with snacks.
"My lord! You're alive!"
Kyden had no intention of noticing them, but his ears caught that phrase and he glared in its direction, where Pierre hurriedly took cover behind Lionel's back.
He took Mona's side and looked down at her. Mona met his eyes, with hers wondering why he was there.
"Come with me." Said him after staring at her, ignoring the people around them. He did not even wait for an answer and grabbed her hand.
But as soon as he noticed her knight straightened his posture and was ready to follow them, he whirled around and said in a dangerous tone, "There's no need to follow her. She's with me."
He made sure to emphasize the word 'with', as a way to tell Lucaz to back off unintentionally. He turned away and pulled Mona closer to him, then they continued on their way.
"Where are we going?"
Kyden heard her ask. But honestly, he had no idea where to take her. He just suddenly had the urge to pull her out from them and wanted her to focus only on him.
He likes her laughing wholeheartedly, yet somehow gets irked at the thought of someone witnessing her endearing face. He hates it when he's being ignored and avoided over something or someone.
And he doesn't like someone getting to know her better than him.
"Your grace?" She inclined her head and looked up at him. Her rounded eyes of black were filled with worry.
Right then and there, he wanted to feel those lips on his own.
"Are you o--"
"Where do you want to go?" Kyden shot the question quickly, to clear his mind from his malicious thoughts. He inhaled deeply and exhaled every crazy idea that swirling in his mind.
But his effort was in vain when he felt a gentle squeeze on his hand. Realizing that he'd been holding her hands from the beginning, his ears felt hot. Even though, he already held her more than just her hands, admitting and accepting his feelings to himself felt different.
"Let's sit over there." Mona pointed at a bench on the side of a paved pathway, beside where a street lamp post.
Kyden followed silently. Not letting go of her hand. They sat together and Mona tried to take her hand back, but his grip only tightened around hers. He intertwined their fingers and brought them to his lap.
With his other hand, he drew circles on the back of her hand. Fascinated at how pale and soft the skin was, he watched as his index finger's traces reddened.
Thinking it may bruise if he continued, he stopped and started throwing her questions, "Why aren't you complaining about the fort knights? What do you want me to do with them? Should I punish all who mistreated you?"
But even after a few minutes, Kyden did not hear an answer. He looked beside him and found Mona's head bowed to her chest. Her hair fell from her sides covering her face from him.
Kyden panicked. Is she crying? He wondered. He immediately crouched down on her front and peeked at her face.
But he went speechless after witnessing how her face became so flushed. It was so red that Kyden could even compare her face to a freshly picked tomato.
As soon as Mona realized that she was being stared at, her embarrassment skyrocketed and she blushed more.
She immediately covered her face with both of her hands, yet after remembering the sensation of the Grand Duke's finger caressing the back of her hand, she felt even more ashamed from being excited.
But then, her hands got pulled away from her face. And the next thing she knew, soft lips touched hers.