The Inured Villainess

Chapter 22

I stomped back to our bedroom—I liked the sound of that. I need to see her face in order to wipe that bastard's face away.

Entering the room, I spot her on the bed, ready for sleep. In her delicate hands lay a book.

"Kyrell? You're back." She sets the book down next to her as she gives me her full attention.

She looked dazzling. Her fair skin balanced out her appearance. Those light purple eyes that I wanted to only look at me.

They were all right. I am in love with her.

"Why aren't you asleep?" I make my way to her.

"I was waiting for you." She then points towards the bathing room door. "The maids have already prepared a bath for you so you can wash up before sleep."

I give her a nod before walking into the other room.

Walking out thirty minutes later, I was clean. I rubbed a small towel to dry my wet hair. A white bathrobe wrapped around me, revealing a bit of my chest. Maybe not a bit, it was a little more. The v-shape exposed my muscular chest quite well.

I found her once again, reading her book.

"You should go to bed, it's late." I say, sitting next to her on my side of the bed.

"The book is too interesting to put down," she replies. "But I'll put it down for you." She places her bookmark inside the crease of the book and then moves it to her nightstand.

"How did everything go? Did you have a meeting?" She asks, folding her hands in her lap.

"No, it was too late so I sent everyone to their rooms."

"I see." She looks down at her hands, nervousness more likely.

"Caelus was the one who saved you from your brother, no?" I ask the question she dreaded.

"Yes, he is but that wasn't the first time I met him." She mumbles. "I met him the night of the Spring's ball. I had no way of coming back to the palace without anyone seeing me battered and bruised. He offered me a ride, but I didn't know who he was. From there he asked me for my name and so I just gave him a nickname to avoid suspicion. It seems her was far more intelligent than I thought."

"You got in a stranger's carriage?" My eyebrows crease.

"I didn't have a choice back then." She musters to defend herself.

"You could have come to me."

"I didn't trust you back then."

I turn away from her, something is still bothering me.

"He calls you by a nickname. I'm taking it." I say confidently, leaving her no room to refute. "Since I am your husband, only I can call you Esty."

Her eyes were wide, plump pink lips slightly parted.

"You can call me Ky, and I better not hear you calling anyone else by a nickname, especially another man." I felt proud at that moment.

"Good night, Esty," I say.

Only then does Estella finally speak. "Good night, Ky."

I could have sworn I saw tears in her eyes in the limited light. Whatever I do, I need to make her mine. To love me.

*****

Estella

When I woke up, my eyes were a little puffy.

'Since I am your husband, only I can call you Esty.'

His words stuck like glue.

My eyes couldn't help, but water at his words. It sounded as if he truly cared for me. That he didn't look at anyone but me.