Sullivan moved back after clearing his throat, averting his gaze to the window. Dahlia fanned her face with her hand, trying to calm the heat that had risen in her cheeks, before placing it on her flushed skin. They remained in an awkward silence, the tension existed between them, until the carriage finally came to a halt and the door was opened for them.
As Dahlia stepped out, she glanced around, taking in her surroundings. They were in a desolate area, surrounded by abandoned huts and a few dilapidated brick houses.
The eerie silence hung heavily in the air, broken only by the occasional rustle of leaves or distant creak of the old doors of the brick houses and the abandoned shops.
Dahlia's mind raced with questions, wondering what could have driven Sullivan to bring them to such a forlorn place. She could see the broken doors of some houses, making her wonder if someone attacked here.
"Why are we here? I thought we would be going on a date," Dahlia said, pouting her lips in confusion and disappointment.
"A date?" Sullivan frowned, the unfamiliar term causing him to pause.
"An outing," Dahlia clarified, switching to a word more common in their time.
"Isn't this a kind of outing? You would have complained the entire day or even night that I didn't take you out and left you alone in the palace to get bored," Sullivan remarked, his tone slightly teasing but earnest.
Dahlia glared at him and stormed ahead, but Sullivan quickly caught her arm and pulled her back. "There are landmines here," he stated calmly.
"What?" Dahlia exclaimed, her face blanching as she quickly hid behind him. "Why are we here then? We can't die this early," she murmured, her voice trembling with fear.
Sullivan had intentionally lied to test if Dahlia had truly lost her memories, and her reaction confirmed it once again.
The area they were in had been intentionally vacated a year ago after the King began investigating irregularities in the local cloth manufacturing. Initial findings were concerning, but before the investigation could proceed properly, the entire place had mysteriously exploded.
This sudden catastrophe left the place abandoned and shrouded, but Sullivan was eager to investigate as he was aware how higher ranked nobles were involved in this, including Dahlia's father. Now, being the 5th Military Commander, he wanted to show everyone how he would ruin their lives.
"Sullivan, did something happen here? It seems... Someone threw bombs here," Dahlia said with a worried tone.
"Indeed. Something like that has happened here. Explosives were used to destroy this place," Sullivan stated.
"Oh. Who dared to do that?" she asked with wide eyes.
"I don't know. However, we will investigate about it, Dahlia. Are you ready to join me in this? You won't feel bored then," Sullivan asserted with a glint in her eyes.
Dahlia promptly agreed to join hands with him.
'Dahlia, I wonder if your father be caught in such a fraud, will you run to save him or will you stand with me? So far, you've been quite nice to me. I would like to see the evil hidden inside you,' Sullivan thought while keeping his gaze fixed on Dahlia.
~~~~~
"Brother Daedric, why didn't you stop this appointment? You are one of the Generals in the military!" Ainsley said with a frustrating tone.
"Sullivan proved himself in the field. Even you've witnessed that, Ainsley," Daedric affirmed and brought the wine cup close to his mouth.
"Now, I realize why Sullivan used to go out early in the morning. He has been training secretly," Roswell stated and instructed the servant to fill the cup for him.
"Why didn't you ever tell us?" Ainsley annoyingly inquired.
"Who ever cared about him? I never saw Sullivan as a threat. If his mother weren't a courtesan, he would have been at a higher rank than us. Father's affection for Sullivan's mother shouldn't be forgotten," Roswell asserted.
"We need to stop Sullivan before he starts coming at us," Ainsley opined and glanced at Daedric. "Why doesn't the Crown Prince say something? Did he find out why Dahlia betrayed him?" he asked.
"Dahlia seems strange to me. Did you see her clothing designs? She doesn't look like a noble woman with grace anymore. And Sullivan's fate suddenly brightened because of her presence. Most importantly, she is clever. Brother Ainsley might have noticed that too," Roswell remarked.
"Yes, she is quite clever. The way she intricated a lie against our mother isn't hidden. But then, when she was with the Crown Prince, she used to tell us to get rid of Sullivan soon," Ainsley muttered.
"You two should stay quiet now. I don't wish to hear anything related to Dahlia," Daedric instructed and gulped the remaining wine from the cup. He plonked it on the table and wiped his lips from the back of his palm.
Ainsley and Roswell glanced at each other, realizing their elder brother was in pain.
"I feel the Crown Prince look for a better woman. There's no dearth of women for him," Roswell suggested.
"I liked Dahlia since my teenage days. We both were destined to marry each other. Looking at another woman won't resolve the problem of my heart, Roswell," Daedric proclaimed, his voice showed how hurt he was.
"Then, Sullivan has to die. That's the only way Dahlia will come back to you," Ainsley suggested. "However, I wonder if Dahlia would love you with the same way as she used to. Because now her attitude is completely different from what it used to be," he added.
"I've no intention to harm anyone. Sullivan is not wrong at the first place," Daedric stated. "He agreed to marry Dahlia because of his benefits. Dahlia is the reason he got such a military rank. And I'm not even sure if he will keep Dahlia safe in the future. What if he uses her against me? Dahlia's change is unbelievable for me, but it seems I've to accept this truth," he murmured with an upsetting tone.