Free Web NovelChapter 65: Ace’s Erratic Behaviour
Ace closed his eyes in frustration when she started twirling. He didn’t know what to do with the woman, whether to be angry or just ignore her.
The former was going to lessen his lifespan because she angered him everyday, and the latter seemed impossible to him.
His eyes scanned her from head to toe. He wanted to say that he would invite the doctor but the look in her eyes told him that she would be displeased. The thing with the current Evelina was that she wanted things to go her way.
That is, if she said she was fine, he needed to respect her words and not try to defy.
Ace noticed that she seemed to be active and fine. But in his mind, he still made a mental note to have the doctors on standby later... secretly.
A hint of silence lingered between the both of them for some time and then, Ace reached into the breast pocket of his tunic. He pulled out a small box crafted from midnight-blue velvet, placing it deliberately on the dark wood between them.
Ace whispered, his eyes burning as he stared at her face, "This belongs to you. It has always belonged to the true Duchess of the North."
Evelina’s gaze dropped to the box. With a slow movement of her slender fingers, she flicked the silver latch and lifted the lid.
The room was instantly flooded with a brilliant light. Resting on a bed of pristine white silk lay the ’Star of the North’. It was a legendary heirloom necklace, passed down through five generations of the Alvarez lineage.
At its center sat a flawless diamond that seemed to trap the ethereal light of the aurora borealis. It was a priceless treasure, traditionally worn only during imperial coronations.
Evelina lifted the necklace, the heavy diamond catching the sunlight and casting beautiful rays across her porcelain skin and into her deep emerald eyes.
Then she looked up at smiled softly, "This is a good one," Evelina’s voice was devoid of any emotions like warmth or happiness, it seemed completely transaction instead, "The cut is exceptional, and the carat weight can survive any severe currency drops. I can even sell it and make a good investment while I can..."
Ace felt a prickling pain explode in his chest as the hope in his eyes dimmed.
[System Notification: Target Ace’s Heart-Break Status: 80% (CRITICAL ALERT)]
[Detection: High-intensity emotional despair detected]
[Heart-Wrecker Points accumulating at an accelerated rate: +15,000 Points generated!]
"It’s one of the last remaining things of my mother..." Ace whispered softly.
Evelina’s eyes widened slightly and the hand around the box tightened. She opened her mouth to say something but not a single word came out.
"I’m sorry," she softly whispered, "I respect the late duchess. It’s just that, in the current situation, ours is not a marriage build on love so naturally, my emotions are not overly invested on such things."
Later...
Evelina’s pace did not falter for a second as she crossed the long corridors back to her private wing.
The dull ache in her chest flared but she ignored it and walked straight to her room.
The doors of her private chambers had barely begun to swing open when there was a sudden movement.
Before Evelina could fully cross the threshold, a large, calloused hand shot out from the dimness of the entryway, wrapping firmly around her wrist.
The grip was unyielding. With a swift motion that knocked the breath right out of her lungs, she was pulled forward into the room.
The heavy oak door slammed shut behind them with a resounding boom that rattled the glass panes.
In the next heartbeat, her spine pressed firmly against the cold stone wall.
Evelina’s eyes widened, a rare flicker of surprise breaking her composure.
Ace completely engulfed her field of vision and she could barely see anything beyond him.
Ace looked terrifying in that moment. His silver-embroidered tunic was slightly disheveled, his broad shoulders heaved with ragged, uneven breaths, and his knuckles were white where his hands anchored themselves against the stone on either side of her head.
The distance between them was entirely gone.
He was so close she could feel the radiating, feverish heat of his body cutting through the chilly air of her chambers.
The masculine scent of cedar, worn leather, and the heavy winter rain clinging to his cloak flooded her senses, making the air in her lungs feel remarkably thin.
Evelina forced her chest to rise and fall evenly, refusing to give him the satisfaction of seeing her flustered, "This is highly improper. If a servant were to walk in—"
"Let them walk in," Ace growled, "Let the whole damn High Council walk in. Like I damn care about any of them. You are my rightful wife!"
Evelina tilted her head slightly, "If you are dissatisfied with my response to your mother’s heirloom, I have already apologized. And about our relationship... it’s a marriage of convenience, everybody in the Estate knows it more or less, even though they don’t show it..."
"Stop it!" Ace roared, the sound tearing from his throat like a wounded animal. freewēbnoveℓ.com
His right hand snapped down, his fingers locking around her jaw, it was not enough to hurt her but desperate pressure forced her head up, pinning her gaze completely to his.
[System Notification: Target Ace’s Emotional Volatility has exceeded standard parameters by 32%]
[Warning: Hostile physical proximity detected. High probability of erratic behavior.]
Evelina ignored the flashing blue text in her peripheral vision.
She kept her eyes locked on his, her lips curving into a mocking smile, "Why don’t you tell me what you prefer, Ace? Shall I weep? Shall I throw myself into your arms and beg the great God of War to protect me so nobody can ever harm me again? You chose to parade Isabella through this manor to provoke me. You chose to let the council diminish my authority. You made things difficult for me, and you are angry because I managed it all by myself without begging you for help!" freewёbnoνel.com
The accusation hit him like a blow.
