Side Story - Chapter 11

Prillance was much more nervous than usual. It was because of Ralph, who seemed more on edge than usual. The smile that was seen yesterday, was gone. She had timed it so that she wouldn’t meet him.

Ben’s story was true. When he came to the secret place again, everything was gone. Ralph, who had lost it, was in a foul mood. He felt as if he were playing into Ben’s hands. Even if what he had done was wrong.

“I think I’d better go now.” said Prillance. As usual, her tone was reserved. Yesterday, he could have smiled at her, but today, Ralph was not so sure. Her innocent behaviour was such that he could not bear to run away from her in fear. It was impossible to imitate a gentleman.

“Have I ever told you that I like brown hair?” She was puzzled. Ralph laughed. “I like brown hair,” he said, putting his hand in to see if it would touch her head. She recoiled away from the movement.Then he moved closer, as far as he could. He looked different from before.

“I like the heat in your eyes,” he said, but he didn’t really touch her this time. He leaned and took a step forward.

“Baron,” She noticed instinctively. She called to him to stop his actions and his steps.

“Heat is when the eyes shine in the light,” she said, but he did not listen.

“It seems to me that you are crying.”

It took Prillance a little while to understand Ralph’s strange words.

“I like a woman who cries in my presence.”

She got goosebumps when she understood what this man was saying.

“Then I guess I’m not to the Baron’s liking.”

Her soft words were barely audible with that shaky voice. She was able to hold on because she had faith in her escort to protect her.

“Do you know how bright your eyes are? And how at times they seem to be pleading to me.”

He multiplied her fears like a tiger running after its prey. Fear makes you stop thinking and slows down your actions. He knew how to act well. He threw off the mask of a gentleman who would not be accepted anyway. The frightened look on her face aroused him. Satisfaction and pleasure came at once.

“I wish to see more.” He laughed. He felt his mood, which had been low all morning, improve. What if she had no connection to the royal family? She would be his now. That was enough.

He took a step closer to her.

“I must have misunderstood you, Baron. I guess I’ll never see you again.”

However, Ralph was faster than Prillance, who attempted to escape. He grabbed her by the wrist. She could feel her voice trembling with fear. At the same time, drunk with the feeling of her tender skin touching his, Ralph ran his hand over her soft skin.

‘How come the escort never came?’ She looked around hastily while goosebumps rose on her skin.

“If you’re waiting for your escort, he won’t come.”

He spoke as if he already knew. “What have you done to my escort?”

“I didn’t do anything. I just interfered a little and gave him a warning.”

There was a lot of commotion with several battles. So at this moment, there was no one listening to them.

“Now let’s have a really long talk,” said Ralph, pulling Prillance’s hand. But she, who should have been in his arms right away, did not come. Her hand, which had been held by him, had disappeared. Prillance started to run, and soon disappeared from his sight.

Ralph’s laughter rang out. She was not an easy woman to deal with. He would have to catch her and teach her a lesson. Contrary to the idea that she was a headache to tame, she was still a woman who stimulated his fancy. Everything about her that wasn’t easily caught was stimulating his monopoly desire.

The self-defence skills she had learnt from Ver were always put to decent use in the right places. Ralph was able to pursue her because he was always on his guard. Prillance grabbed her dress and ran to get as far away from Ralph as possible. It was pretty amusing to him.

“My Lady, you’ll hurt your ankle running like that.”

He enjoyed the situation with a leisurely walk. Just as he was about to corner her, Ralph approached her, keeping his distance. Ralph narrowly escaped an unexpected kill strike; a flying sword. He wouldn’t have been unharmed now had he not foreseen the danger which he had survived so many times from death. A man was staring at him with a fury of rage in his eyes.

“Escort….”

It was incomparable to the deadly atmosphere he had felt before. Ralph stepped back by himself. He knew the man in front of him well.

“Are you alright?”

Prillance also knew whose familiar and the gentle voice belonged to.

“Stay behind me.”

He could feel her hand trembling faintly. Ver’s anger flared even more. The day before, he had followed Ralph as he left Prillance. The powerful man who had attacked Marquis Weiand. That fact alone was reason enough to go after him. He wasn’t sure if he should be happy that he had got him by the tail, or angry that Prillance was meeting him. He waited until Ralph had parted to meet Prillance in the square, and then he followed him. He acted like a gentleman when he was with her, but as soon as they parted he showed his true nature.

The clothes he wore seemed inconvenient, and he seemed unaccustomed to dressing himself. If he had been a nobleman for a long time and was not accustomed to dress, it meant that he was either a man who had nothing to wear, or a man engaged in an occupation which was not good. Ver observed him carefully and followed him. And, it wasn’t until Ralph went somewhere, Ver left quietly.

“So, this is where he went?” Ver looked strangely at the documents Albert had given him. Albert could understand Ver’s sentiment.

“I have looked around,” he said, “and it seems to be the place where they prepare special articles for the nobles only.”