MASKS TO UNVEIL! CHAPTER 22: Feeling Hopeless
"...."
Naxzi was speechless and stared into her eyes. Sencha was also staring back at him but her hand, which was grabbing his leg, was shaking. Why is she shaking? He couldn't understand. Why did he see through him that fast when all the people in the palace, who sees him often and it has been years never thought nor said that his actions were suspicious or he was the obvious. He squinted his eyes and the nervousness in his heart turned sour.
Just what kind of woman is Sencha? She claimed that she was frequently beaten up by her dad or the knights who were guarding the Zyndellia's residence. And so, how is she so brave? It can't be because she was lying and that she wanted to show off her title as the crown princess after being looked down upon and trampled down.
What is it that she wants that she is doing all of this? She made Loushin lose temper, and she made his parents baffled and dumbfounded.
Was it because she wants to prove that all along, people who looked down on her were wrong?
Why did she pretend that she liked him just to get to the point of him confessing the fact that no one had ever asked him for almost his entire life. If she was truly beaten up, and it was every day, why did she have the guts to talk back to the majesties? But in front of her dad, she was a helpless, weak, and eyesore young lady Sencha Zyndellia?
Was she also pretending like him? Pretending that she was tough but all along she was weak? Given the shaking of her hands and the sweats that formed on her forehead, her throat which constantly moved up and down and her face which was paling. Why is it so hard to get through her?
"Tell me, Husband. Are you paralyzed or not?"
She was frustrated. She doesn't know why.
"... Why are you asking me when you already knew?"
Her eyes shook and her lashes fluttered. There was a creepy silence between them.
She felt betrayed. She felt used. She thought that he was really like this. She thought that maybe, even if she was incredibly scared and petrified, maybe his reputation would soar up to the sky. And with that, people won't point their nasty mouths at her, they won't be able to say anything and everyone will bow down to her.
She thought that at last, there was one person who would understand her situation. Naxzi and her were strangely similar. Their parents hated them and the people that really loved them could be counted by their hands.
So then, why did he pretend that he was like her? Why?!! Was it fun playing around with her?
She didn't care about her trauma. Every time he touched her hand or face, she would flinch and the fear in her heart feels so real. She would sweat so much that she wanted to die and hide. She doesn't want to show her weak side to him because he was fairly hapless like her.
She thought that maybe, perhaps helping him even with the circumstances would turn out great. Her future would probably be better than her past was. She pictured herself being happy without anything to fear beside him. Even if it was a fleeting time, she thought that her husband would also think like that. But why does she feel betrayed?
"... Why? Why did you do that?"
Suddenly, she became emotional and her tears dripped down. Naxzi blinked and dumfoundedly stared at her. Why is she crying? What did he do wrong? He merely pretended to be weak and paralyzed because that is how it is. It was his fate so why did she make it look like he did something so bad to her?
"I never did anything to you, wife. Please stop crying. You're breaking my heart."
Her tears didn't stop and it continued to flow down. She was helpless. She doesn't know why.
"Breaking your heart? Who did it first? Why? Just why didn't you tell me?"
She couldn't understand him.
"... Wife, haa, that's not like that." On the other hand, he doesn't know what to do. How did she find out? Has she seen him on the day they got married? Then why did she act like she liked him?
She snickered and roughly wiped her face, "Yeah, right… I am sure that was the reason. What could be the reason you would tell me something controversial?"
"Wife, why are you overthinking?"
She turned away from him as she said annoyedly, "Hah! Overthinking? Yes, I know. I must be overthinking."
Naxzi pressed his temples. Talking to her won't make changes. She must have been surprised and felt betrayed. Right now, her mental state isn't that rational. She must have felt connived. What she needs now is to be left alone.
"Let's talk later, wife."
He meaningfully looked at her before turning to Sanc, opening the window.
"Sanc, let's return first."
"Your Highness, what should we do about the bodies?"
"Throw them off the cliff."
As they were conversing about the lives of the men that were lost, Sencha felt funny. If she died in front of him, would he also emotionlessly throw her off the cliff? She didn't know how heartless her husband was until this incident happened.
Just what happened?
She trembled when she felt that her husband was exactly just like her father. A man that is heartless and insensitive. Someone who thinks killing eases his stress. A psychopath. She thought that finally something was perfect in her life, but the perfect she imagined was this twisted.
Naxzi looked at her and saw that she was trembling. He narrowed her eyes and felt ridiculous. Up until now the traumatic experience she had would have a great toll to her, but up until now, he never noticed those little things.
That she always trembles whenever he grabs her hand and touches her face. Why didn't he notice it before? The word 'killed bodies' must have terrified, adding the trauma she had, she would be more than scared right now.
He stretched his hand and held her hand. She gasped and stopped breathing when their hands intertwined.
"I won't hurt you, don't worry."
It was such a gentle voice that the deep frown on her face slightly smoothed out. She tried taking her hand off his but his grasp was tight. She can't deny that even if she trembled and flinched by his touch, she would feel this indescribable comforting feeling.
He slightly smiled at her with his sweet gaze. She blushed and bashfully turned away.
"Later, let's talk. Can we?"
"..."
"I'll take that as a yes."