Survive As The Brute’s Wife - Chapter 99

Maximus handed Alexandra the plate of food and she accepted it with a smile. She’s been smiling at him and eating as she must. She has recovered completely and is filled with mana. The commingling process won’t do her any good and he’s stopped doing that.

That, and her blank eyes.

He shouldn’t be feeling this way, but whenever he looks at her eyes, he feels like he is staring inside the void. He doesn’t even get the urge to touch her, much less kiss her. She is the woman he loves to bits and even when she was skeletal,  he had this immense urge to submerge himself inside her, but now, he just feels distant.

He could understand that she is sick and he cannot treat her like this. It would hurt her if she knows that he is avoiding her. He still loves her,  but he cannot help but feel the need to keep away from her; as if someone is stopping him, whispering to him. He swore he heard someone say ‘Don’t smile for her’. And oddly, he wanted to listen to this whisper.

«Ah… I might be going crazy!»

He looked around. Julius was sneaking another bowl of Flavia’s favorite stew to her. Flavia was red to her ears seeing that two bowls filled to the brim and an extra loaf of bread. With a pleased smile, Julius sat beside his wife and started eating his supper.

Maximus smiled. Julius has been this way all his life. He would be Flavia’s husband first before he is anything else.

“Today would be his twenty-fifth birthday,” Flavia let out a sigh.

Julius stood up and sat close to her and wrapped his hand around her shoulder. He didn’t say anything. He didn’t know what to say. They say time heals every wound and your grief would lessen with every passing lunar cycle, but for them, the pain never reduces.

The loss of one’s child is not just a grieving process. It is a journey of survival. They held their baby only for a short time and they are still grieving for the lovely life that only had a short time on this earth.

“I can only wait for the day I would see him again,” Flavia leaned on Julius’ shoulder.

“Take me with you then,” he murmured. The only reason he is holding his life is for his wife. The day his wife leaves him, would be the day he would follow her.

“Who will look after Maximus then?” Flavia looked up at Julius and by then she had forced her tears back.

“I won’t. I don’t care for that bugger,” Julius’ lips curve up to a smile. The corners of his lips twitched as it was hard for him to hold the smile. “Stay here, and look after him. I will look after you.”

Flavia observed Julius. He is not bluffing, she knew. That is the reason she is holding on to her life.

“What would I do without you?” she smiled. She looked around and after ensuring that no one is looking, kissed his cheek.

She then bowed her head and covered her face with her hands. Julius smiled, this time from his heart seeing the blush on her face that couldn’t be hidden by the night.

His eyes ended up at Maximus. He doesn’t know much about the baby they lost but he was the reason his wife could keep her sanity. The Empress was looking for a wet nurse after the birth of the Prince, and his wife who was shutting herself in suffering in silence agreed to his request of becoming the wet nurse of the Prince. She got a little too attached to the boy who never will be their son, to his dismay. He knew it won’t end well, but the boy grew up showering love at Flavia. Even when the Prince was sent to live alone, Flavia was sent with him, and Maximus started accepting the motherly love of Flavia which wouldn’t be considered proper.

Flavia is a maid, and she can never become the mother of the Crown Prince even for namesake. It would be considered treachery. But both Flavia and Maximus didn’t care about this detail and continued to be each other’s support. And he is happy. That is until this woman came out of nowhere.

Julius looked at Alexandra silently eating. Maximus was looking at her not minding his food. They had a separate fire for them, and a tent with a fluffy bed. Maximus would sleep out in the open with the others in the past, but now he prefers sleeping with his wife, which is not a bad thing in itself.

But that woman… She picked up that sword!

Or so it is believed. But no one has seen that sword. And that already weird woman has turned weirder. Just yesterday, everyone was taking a rest, when she disappeared. Flavia was horrified and frantically searched for her and she was found in this river bed seemingly foraging for food. Flavia didn’t elaborate, but it appeared as if that woman was blankly collecting food not minding her dress getting dirty.

She doesn’t have to do that… It’s not like she would ever go hungry.

He decided to keep an eye on that woman.

Maximus felt a stare and turned to look at Julius. With a nod, he turned away. Maximus immediately turned to look at Alexandra to see if she had noticed it. Thankfully she didn’t. Otherwise, Julius’ glare would have scared her. He could only sigh.

—–

Pricilla looked up at the clear sky that had millions of stars and let out a sigh. A smoky mist came out of her mouth and she held the hot bowl in her hand closer. She had no idea why she is feeling this cold. The temperature is not that low and she is not sick either. The rock she is sitting on got very uncomfortable suddenly as she had nothing to lean on.

Maybe because the yearning in her heart seeing the couples pampered by their husbands is causing something… Can jealousy induce a lack of warmth?

She looked at the far end of the camp where her husband was sitting with his peers. But she couldn’t locate him. It’s not like she expects him to sit with her for each meal, but would it hurt him to join her once in a while?

The Brute is not allowing her near Alexandra. And she could see that Alexandra is acting differently these days. Their first meeting was very good but today she tried to start a conversation with her but she looked at her like she didn’t know who she is. And then the Brute came there and she ran away.

She sighed once more. Being alone is no fun.

She almost screamed when she felt warmth around her shoulders. She clenched the bowl closer to her chest. She is familiar with the scent that engulfed her. It is her husband’s scent and his coat is always warm. But she must save her dinner before it gets snatched by her cruel husband who likes to tease her.

“Ah, if looks could kill, our Empress would be dead by now pinned by a thousand daggers,” Elrich sat beside Pricilla and she relaxed as he is not here for her food.

But why is he here now?

“You could have joined Flavia and sat by the fire,” he said bending his knees. His eyebrows furrowed as he tried to figure out a way to sit on flat ground.

“What can I say? I like my own company better,” Pricilla scooted a little to the side to leave someplace for Elrich to sit. “And… they… I think they wanted privacy.” She dipped the bread in the stew and took a bite.

“Hmm,” Elrich said nothing and sat beside her. “Do you want us to have privacy?” she whispered in her ear.

*Cough*

Pricilla ended up in a coughing fit for she swallowed through the windpipe. Thankfully,  she was able to spit it before she swallowed more and so she wasn’t affected seriously.

What a ruffian!

“You could have said no,” Elrich patted her back and with a scoff, Pricilla tried to stand up.

“No, sit,” he patted her shoulder and smoothly grabbed her bowl, and took a sip of her stew. “Hmm, yummy!” he grinned happily rubbing his belly.

“How dare you!” Pricilla stood up and salvaged her bowl. Half of the stew has disappeared although Elrich appeared to have taken only one sip. “Didn’t you already have your dinner? Why did you steal mine?” she asked with a pout.

She wanted to cry, but she held back her tears. He just takes advantages of her without ever returning anything. Well, he does. He keeps her warm, he has arranged a decent bed for her and he always gets her the best share of food. He walks with her and stands guard when she uses the bathroom …

Well, that still doesn’t give him the right to steal her food.

“Your bowl always tastes better than mine,” he grinned. He even poked her nose startling her. “Tell me… You add secret spices to it, right?”

“Get lost,” she turned away from him with a pout.

The only thing he knows is to tease her.