Regan abruptly stood up, causing the chair to almost topple over. He stormed towards the door, attempting to open it in a threatening manner. He cursed under his breath and took a few steps back. There was nothing he could do about it, and even if there was, nobody would listen to him. He took a deep breath and returned to the chair, carefully examining the note. The emperor was undoubtedly sending him on a suicide mission. He already had enough problems to deal with, and now the emperor wanted him to go to the border alone? He couldn't do that. Not now, when he didn't even understand himself anymore. The beast inside him was crawling under his skin, more enraged than ever. He didn't even realize when he had hurt his wife.
He looked at the note again. What was his father planning this time? Was he trying to get rid of him, just like he always did? His father was always trying to eliminate him, sending him to wars with only a few men, hoping he would die. But he was always surprised when he returned with his men unscathed. And now, this was just another attempt to get rid of him, but he was sorry to disappoint them once again. He would go to the border alone.
His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the door opening. The door revealed the commander's daughter standing there. She stood in front of the closed door for a moment before walking towards him and sitting on the chair facing him.
Silence filled the room, and soon Regan stood up to leave, but Ellena stopped him.
"Just a moment... Please..." she pleaded.
Regan turned his head to the side, raising an eyebrow. "What?" he asked.
"Please sit first," she insisted. He reluctantly moved back to the chair and sat down.
Ellena coughed softly after he sat down. "I heard you got whipped," she paused and looked at him. When he didn't respond, she continued, "Are... you okay?"
"Yes, I'm fine," he replied, and she nodded.
She looked down at her hand and smiled. "I brought this for you." She handed him a small jar. "It's an ointment for your wounds. It will help ease the pain," she said, batting her eyelashes as Regan stared at the jar in her hand.
"Thank you, but I don't need it," he said, a half-smile forming on his lips. She withdrew her hand and put the jar away, disappointment evident on her face. However, she quickly forced a smile at him as silence once again enveloped the room.
Regan glanced at her. She seemed like she wanted to say something, and he wondered what it could be. He averted his gaze and stood up. Just sitting in the same room with her was making him angry.
Ellena looked up, and before she could speak, Regan was already at the door. "Prince... Reg..." she paused as the door closed shut. He had left. She bit her lower lip, tears of disappointment welling up in her eyes. He still couldn't give her a single moment.
****
Regan entered their chamber and Nora was still asleep. Not wanting to wake her up, he moved to the garden and sat down. After some time, a maid brought him some wine and served it.
He raised the glass of wine to his lips and drank it all in one gulp, then poured himself another glass. He hoped that getting drunk might help him clear his mind.
He had hurt his wife, and he wondered what she would think of him now. She didn't seem to think much of it earlier, but he knew that once she woke up, everything would start replaying in her mind. Maybe he should erase her memories, just like he had done on their wedding night. However, he worried that it would be too overwhelming for her if she eventually regained those memories.
He took a sip from the glass of wine. He was scared, truly scared that she would hate him again, or even worse, be afraid of him. He enjoyed it when others feared and hated him, but the thought of his wife being scared of him made him angry and frustrated. It was something he despised more than anything else.
He let out a heavy sigh and finished the wine in his glass. Nothing was working. He poured himself more wine and brought the glass to his lips, but then he sensed a presence.
****
When I woke up, it was already dark. A few candles were lit in the room, but there was no sign of Regan. I sat up and scanned my surroundings, feeling the emptiness in my stomach as it growled. I had missed lunch and dinner, and I was starving. I got out of bed and headed to the bathroom, taking a bath without the help of my maid. Afterward, I slipped into a beautiful pink silk nightgown.
Sitting back down on the bed, my mind filled with thoughts. It was late at night, and I wondered where Regan was. Was he not going to come tonight? And what about his wound... Goodness, I hope he hasn't gone back to his brothers.
I let out a deep sigh and heard some movement in the garden. "Is anyone there?" I questioned rhetorically.
Standing up, I walked towards the door that led to the garden and opened it. From where I stood, I could see someone sitting in the garden. As I walked closer, it became clear. It was Regan.
He sat alone in the darkness, his alluring features were quite different tonight. I wondered if he was in a good mood.
"Nora..." I heard his voice near me. I was so preoccupied with the thought of his mood that I didn't know I was already standing in front of him.
"You're awake," he said, making space for me to sit down, and I joined him.
"Yeah... I'm awake and hungry," I replied, adjusting my nightgown.
He looked at me and swallowed. "It's late now. Do you want to eat something?" he asked.
Eating late at night wasn't a good habit, but I didn't think I could make it through the night on an empty stomach. Well, I've gone days without eating, so one night shouldn't be a problem.
"No, I think I'm okay," I said. He nodded slightly and remained silent for a moment.
"Nora... About earlier, I'm sorry... I didn't..."
"It's okay," I interrupted him and smiled. I didn't want to dwell on that.
"Hmm," was his brief response as he gazed down at the drink on the table. Had he been drinking?
My eyes followed his face. Yes, he had been drinking, his lips slightly reddened. Suddenly, I found myself wondering how it would feel for him to kiss me with those seductive lips of his. Then I heard him chuckle silently.
The way he always knew what I was thinking was strange. His silent reactions always seemed perfectly timed. Could he read my mind? No, humans can't read minds. But it was a bit suspicious. My gaze shifted to his face; he still wore his mask, even at this late hour.
"You don't usually remove your mask, do you?" I asked, and he looked directly at me, making me feel uneasy.
"Do you want me to take it off?" he replied, and my heart skipped a beat.
"No... I was just curious," I quickly said, but he wasn't listening. His hands moved to the back of his long hair. He was taking off his mask.
"No... no... wait. I didn't mean for you to take your mask off," I nervously exclaimed. I wasn't prepared for this.
He stopped and looked at me. "There's no need for me to wear a mask when I'm with my wife," he said in a low tone, and my heart melted.
Yet, that didn't mean he should remove his mask. I still felt a bit scared of him. What if he did something to me if I saw his face without the mask?
His hands dropped as he gazed at me, the half smile on his lips vanished. Did I anger him?
"Trust me, Nora, will you?" he asked softly, and I simply nodded, my mind elsewhere.
"Good." Before I could comprehend what was happening, he unhooked the mask and removed it from his face. And my eyes widened.