Trang!
Surprisingly, Matthew managed to surpass Marquess Barnette's speed and restrained the wolf's jaws with his sword.
Now Matthew was standing between the raging wolf and Ruby. If Matthew was late even for a second, Ruby's neck might have been bitten off by her father.
"Milady, are you all right?" Matthew asked as he looked back.
After awakening from her shock, Ruby immediately nodded. However, the look on her relieved face turned to worry when she saw blood dripping from Matthew's left arm.
It seems that to protect Ruby, Matthew used his body as a shield so that Marquess Barnette's claws couldn't injure Ruby.
Ruby then pointed her finger at the drop of blood in Matthew's arm because she wanted to tell Matthew he was hurt.
But the injured person didn't seem to care. Matthew only looked at the wound for a moment, then said casually, "It's just a small wound."
[Does it look like a minor wound to you?! The blood is even dripping non-stop!] Ruby exclaimed in her mind.
"Grrrr!!"
The werewolf growled louder and louder, even starting to bite Matthew's sword and try to snatch it from Matthew's hand.
"You're just wasting my time," said Matthew.
Crash!
Matthew kicked the wolf in front of him so hard that the wolf got away from him and Ruby. Dark elements appeared from under Matthew's feet, then moved into Marquess Barnette's shadow.
However, before the dark element could touch Marquess Barnette's shadow, iron chains suddenly appeared and bound Marquess Barnette's entire body so the werewolf couldn't move.
"Forgive for my father's impoliteness, Your Majesty."
A dark-haired man suddenly appeared from inside the mansion. His hands held the chains that bound Marquess Barnette's body while his eyes turned to Ruby behind Matthew's back.
That man was Lucas Barnette, the second son of the Barnette Family.
"Your father attacked a king and nearly killed my future queen, so how could I forgive him?" Matthew replied.
Matthew's expression was as cold as the snow that could freeze the green plains. The blade tip was still pointed at Marquess Barnette, indicating that he wanted to vent his anger by injuring that bastard werewolf.
"My father is indeed at fault, but didn't Your Majesty also attack him first?"
Lucas walked over to Matthew, then bowed his head in a respectful greeting. "This issue can be solved easily if both sides are willing to make peace."
Matthew snorted, then lowered his sword. "All right, I'll consider the two of us even. But is your father willing to make peace?"
The werewolf growled at Matthew, indicating that Marquess Barnette didn't want to make peace with the man who humiliated him. However, Lucas immediately tightened the chains on his father's body, causing Marquess Barnette to lose focus on Matthew and groan in pain.
"I will take care of my father. Your Majesty didn't have to worry." Lucas replied with a smile.
[That guy's behavior is indeed bizarre.] Ruby thought.
As long as Ruby lived in the Barnette Family's mansion, only Lucas had never bothered her, or rather, maybe Lucas saw Ruby as wind and thought she didn't exist.
However, Ruby never held a grudge against Lucas, as she thought it was better to be invisible than to be bothered.
But Ruby didn't expect Lucas to step in today and fight their father. And Marquess Barnette couldn't do much to fight his son because his strength couldn't surpass Lucas.
Lucas Barnette is a general who leads a military group in the Wridal Kingdom, so he has the most power among the Barnette Family.
"Ruby, do you want to leave this family?" Lucas asked suddenly.
Ruby was a little surprised when she heard Lucas speak to her, but she immediately nodded in response.
Lucas smiled. "Then be careful. I hope your life will become better in the Veritas Kingdom."
Lucas then took a few steps back while pulling Marquess Barnette. He gave way for Matthew and Ruby to leave.
Matthew, who was in a bad mood, didn't say anything to Lucas as he walked toward the carriage.
The man just wanted to talk when he saw Ruby. "Come here, Milady. Let's leave this horrible place."
Without wasting any time, Ruby immediately brought Helena to the carriage. She briefly smiled at Lucas as an expression of gratitude before finally getting into the carriage.
After Matthew got into the carriage, Alger immediately closed the carriage door and greeted Lucas. "We'll take our leave. Thanks for the help, Milord."
Lucas, "No need to thank me."
Alger smiled briefly before finally sitting beside the coachman and giving the order to move the carriage.
Inside the carriage, Ruby saw the Barnette Family mansion through the window. Since she was little, Ruby has always seen the mansion as something luxurious, extensive, and scary at the same time. The mansion had been her house for years, but never once had Ruby considered it as home.
The mansion was just a residence, nothing less and nothing more.
The mansion gradually became smaller as the horse carriage started to move further and further away. The massive building that had been frightening and making her feel powerless for so long had finally disappeared untill she couldn't see it anymore.
Unfortunately, even though Ruby had left the place that as awful as hell, her memory from the mansion never disappeared, still engraved in her mind like a nail driven into a rock.
"Oscar, where are we going? Are we going to a good place?" Helena's voice snapped Ruby out of her daydream.
Ruby took a deep breath, then wrote the sentence in Helena's hand. "Mother, I am Ruby, and yes, we are going to a good place."
[I hope so.] Ruby said in her heart.
The woman wasn't sure if the place she and Helena would live in would be better than where she was. Because even though Matthew had helped her today, it was possible that the man would show his ruthlessness later.
Although Ruby rarely left the house, she could still listen to the nasty rumors circulating about Matthew, especially the story about Matthew, that had lived for fifty years. During that time, he had never once had a mate.
Not because Matthew was picky, nor because the Moon Goddess hadn't destined a mate for him.
Matthew never had a mate because all the women destined to be his mate died before marrying him.
People say that the women didn't die of natural causes but by killing themselves.
Yes, all those women would rather die than tie their lives to Matthew.
As a result of knowing the rumors, Ruby had been worried and stricken with fear ever since she boarded the horse carriage.
[What if he pretends to be good today?]
[Am I going to be killed after giving birth to an heir for him?]
[Are the rumors about the women committing suicide true?]
All the horrible questions started running around in Ruby's mind and trapped Ruby in meaningless fear.
[Never mind, it's okay.] she thought.
Whatever Matthew's attitude would be, Ruby couldn't escape because she had already signed a contract with Matthew.
"Milady, are you not willing to leave with me?" Matthew finally spoke up after seeing Ruby keep her head down since they left.
• • • • • • • • • • •
From the author :
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