Free Web NovelChapter 219: Chapter Two Hundred And Eighteen
The bright morning sun shone clearly through the large glass windows of the Benson family mansion. The golden light warmed the cold stone floors of the long hallways. Inside the master bedroom, the air was quiet and peaceful.
Damon was sitting up in the large, soft bed. He was resting his back against the headboard. His bandaged shoulder was covered with a clean shirt. He felt a deep, warm sense of victory in his chest. His plan from the previous night had worked perfectly. He had finally gotten his wife to stay close, to touch him gently, and to show real concern for his well-being.
Damon looked at the empty space beside him on the mattress. Camilla had woken up very early. The sheets on her side of the bed were already cold.
"Where did she go?" Damon thought to himself, his dark eyebrows pulling together slightly. "Is she doing more business today? Or is she just avoiding me again?"
Suddenly, the sound of heavy, fast footsteps echoed in the quiet hallway outside the bedroom door.
Damon recognized the heavy rhythm of those military boots immediately. It was his loyal aide, Lieutenant Kade.
A loud, firm knock hit the door.
Knock, knock, knock.
Damon sat up a little straighter. He cleared his throat and adjusted his clean white shirt over his bandages.
"Enter," Damon commanded, his deep voice carrying its usual firm, strict tone.
The brass door handle turned, and the door opened. Kade stepped into the large bedroom. He wore his crisp military uniform. His sword hung neatly at his side, and his face was set in a look of deep, serious concern.
Kade quickly walked to the side of the bed. He immediately dropped down onto one knee, bowing his head respectfully to his commander.
"Greetings, General," Kade spoke clearly. He looked up at Damon’s face, his eyes searching for signs of severe illness or terrible injury. "I did not see you at the military camp this morning during the daily inspection. I came to the mansion immediately to see if everything is alright. Are you unwell, My Lord?"
Damon looked at his worried lieutenant. He felt a tiny bit of guilt for skipping his duties, but his desire to follow Syrus’s advice and win Camilla’s attention was much stronger.
Damon leaned back against the headboard. He tried to make his face look slightly tired, playing the part of an injured man.
"Everything is fine, Kade," Damon replied smoothly. His voice was calm. "The lady of the house forbade me from going to the military camp today. She told me I must stay home until my shoulder injury heals a little more. I am simply following my wife’s strict orders."
Kade slowly stood up from his knee. He looked at Damon with confusion.
Kade’s mind could not process this information. He had served under the General for many years. He knew Damon’s physical strength better than anyone else.
Kade frowned deeply. He pointed a finger at Damon’s bandaged shoulder.
"But, General," Kade spoke, his voice full of honest, blunt confusion. "The injury is not serious at all. It is barely a scratch. You have sustained injuries far more severe than this in the past. I have seen you take an arrow to the leg and still ride your horse to the camp the very next morning. Why would a small scratch keep you in bed?"
Damon’s heart gave a sudden, panicked jump.
He immediately looked past Kade. Through the open bedroom doorway, down the long hallway, Damon saw a familiar figure walking toward the room.
It was Camilla.
She was carrying a silver wooden tray in her hands. A hot bowl of food rested on the tray. She was walking closer, and she was well within hearing distance. If Kade continued talking about how small the injury was, Camilla would hear him. She would immediately know that Damon was faking the severity of his pain just to get her attention. She would know he was a liar.
Damon reacted with desperate instinct.
He lunged forward from the bed with lightning speed. He ignored the slight pull on his shoulder. He reached out his large right hand and slapped his palm directly over Kade’s mouth.
Smack.
Damon clamped his sthand tightly over the lower half of his lieutenant’s face, completely shutting him up.
Kade’s eyes went wide with shock. He let out a muffled, confused grunt against Damon’s palm.
Mmph!
He did not know what was happening. His hands instinctively reached up to grab Damon’s wrist, his military training preparing him for an attack, but he quickly stopped himself when he remembered it was his commander.
Just at that exact moment, Camilla stepped through the open doorway and walked into the bedroom.
She stopped in the middle of the room. She stood still, holding the silver tray in her hands.
She looked at the bed. She saw her tall, terrifying husband leaning forward, his hand clamped securely over the mouth of his trusted military aide. Kade looked like a trapped animal, and Damon looked completely panicked.
The room fell into a heavy, incredibly awkward silence.
Camilla stared at them. Her hazel eyes blinked slowly. frёeweɓηovel.coɱ
Inside her mind, her internal voice was perfectly calm and uninterested.
"What in the world are they doing?" Camilla thought to herself. She observed their strange, frozen posture. "Are they practicing a new assassination technique? Are they fighting? Or is this some kind of secret military greeting? Whatever it is, I do not care. It is absolutely none of my business."
Damon’s face turned a very bright, hot shade of red. He felt really embarrassed to be caught in such a ridiculous position by the woman he was trying to impress.
He quickly snatched his hand away from Kade’s mouth. He sat back against the headboard as fast as he could, trying to look normal and relaxed.
"Ah," Damon chuckled. It was a very dry, forced awkward sound. "We were just... discussing military tactics."
Kade let out a loud gasp of air, finally able to breathe normally. He turned his body around to see what had caused the General’s sudden panic.
Kade saw Camilla standing in the room. He immediately straightened his posture and bowed respectfully from his waist.
"Good morning, My Lady," Kade greeted her politely.
As Kade straightened up, he finally looked directly at Camilla’s outfit.
Camilla was not wearing her usual heavy silk dresses or elegant corsets. She was wearing tight, dark black trousers that hugged her slim legs perfectly. She wore a simple, loose white linen shirt, tucked neatly into a thick leather belt at her waist. Her beautiful red curls were pulled entirely off her face and tied into a high ponytail. She wore soft, flat leather boots instead of the short heels she normally wears.
She looked exactly like a skilled, dangerous fighter preparing for a training session in the courtyard.
Kade stared at her for a brief second, still surprised by the practical un-noble attire.
Damon saw Kade looking at his wife’s tight trousers.
Instantly, a dark,wave of possessive jealousy flared inside Damon’s chest. His eyes darkened dangerously. He did not want any other man looking at her body, especially not his own lieutenant.
Damon cleared his throat very loudly.
Ahem!
The sound was sharp, deep, and carried a clear, undeniable warning. It was a strict order disguised as a cough.
Kade’s survival instincts kicked in immediately. He recognized the terrifying tone of his commander. Kade quickly dropped his gaze to the floorboards, staring intently at his own leather boots. He did not dare to look up at the lady of the house again.
Camilla ignored their silent communication. She was not interested in their strange behavior. She had a strict workout routine to complete.
She walked forward smoothly. She stopped beside the small table near the bed and gently placed the silver tray down.
A small, ceramic bowl rested on the tray. It was filled with thick, warm, sweet-smelling oats and honey. Soft white steam rose from the bowl into the cool morning air.
Camilla looked at Damon. Her face was calm.
"Uncle Murry made this porridge for you," Camilla spoke. Her voice was clear and simple. "He was pacing around the kitchen and worrying about your health all through the night. I have assured him that you are perfectly fine and that your injury is not life-threatening. You should eat it while it is warm so he stops stressing."
Damon looked at the warm bowl of porridge. He felt a soft, genuine warmth spread through his chest. She had brought it to him herself. She had carried the tray all the way up the stairs and did not fill the porridge with salt this time.
A very gentle smile appeared on Damon’s face. His dark eyes softened completely as he looked at her.
"Thank you, My Lady," Damon said softly. His voice was full of deep appreciation.
Camilla looked at the warm smile on his face. She felt a tiny, unexpected flutter in her stomach, but she quickly ignored it. She turned her head and looked at Kade, who was still staring rigidly at the floor. She looked back at Damon, gave a small, polite nod, and then turned around.
She walked out of the bedroom smoothly, her red ponytail swinging gently behind her as she headed to Damon’s study, to his hidden training arena to begin her physical training.
