Chapter 30: A Misunderstanding

As he stepped away from the quiet cemetery, Kael found himself exposed to a vast expanse of land that looked utterly dreadful.

Across the grassy ground, blackened bloodstains remained scattered about, while the faint stench of blood and metal still lingered in the air. This was where the war between the Leonheart and Vermilion Kingdoms had once taken place.

As he crossed the open field, Kael quickened his pace, racing against time to return to Vex City as soon as possible.

In truth, he had deliberately left without saying goodbye not because he didn’t care, but because he had wanted some time alone to reflect on the burdens of the past and the future he had just chosen while standing before the graves of his late companions.

His original plan had been to bring Lizzy to visit those graves another time, once the situation was completely safe.

"I just hope... she doesn’t go completely berserk because I suddenly disappeared without a word," Kael muttered inwardly, shuddering slightly as he imagined his wife’s fury.

For several days on his journey back, Kael walked tirelessly, allowing himself only brief rests at night in places he considered safe.

Finally, after a long journey that had exhausted him both mentally and physically, he found himself standing once more at the main gate of Vex City.

The city looked much calmer, more peaceful, and better organized. It seemed Princess Elara had completed the entire investigation and governmental transition with remarkable efficiency.

"I need to get back to the inn as soon as possible. For some reason, an unusual sense of unease is beginning to creep over me."

His anxiety was a tangled mixture of genuine concern for Lizzy’s condition and fear that she might have taken her anger out on herself, hurting herself because he had abandoned her.

When Kael arrived in front of the inn, his steps suddenly froze. Cherry and Loyd were standing there, both wearing expressions of extreme concern.

The moment they saw Kael appear around the corner, relief immediately shone across their faces.

"Where have you been, Kael?!" Cherry demanded without bothering with pleasantries, her breathing ragged. "Lizzy has locked herself in her room ever since you left... She’s been crying nonstop, blaming herself, and hurting her own hands because she thinks you’ve abandoned her!"

"Oh, damn it...! I should have considered the worst-case scenario from the beginning. I was so caught up in my own thoughts that I completely forgot about her feelings..." Kael hissed, guilt crashing over him.

Without wasting even a second, Kael sprinted up the wooden stairs, rushed toward their room, and gently knocked on the door.

"Lizzy... Please, open the door. It’s me, Kael."

An oppressive silence enveloped the corridor for several seconds. Then came the faint sound of a lock turning. The wooden door slowly swung open.

Lizzy stood in the doorway, presenting a heartbreaking sight. Her face was deathly pale, her eyes swollen and ringed with dark circles from days of crying without sleep, and her gaze had grown dull and lifeless.

Both of her hands were covered in bandages stained with dried blood, undeniable proof that she had hurt herself in a state of overwhelming despair.

A storm of complicated emotions raged inside Lizzy at that moment: burning anger, gnawing sorrow, and yet also unbearable happiness at seeing her husband standing before her again.

Her body trembled violently. Clear tears spilled down her cheeks once more. On one hand, she desperately wanted to plunge a dagger into her husband’s chest because of the unbearable pain he had caused by leaving her behind. On the other, her overwhelming longing made her want to throw her arms around him and hold him tightly.

Before Lizzy could utter a single word through her trembling lips, Kael had already stepped forward, opened his arms, and pulled her fragile body tightly into his embrace.

"Forgive me... I’m truly a foolish husband," Kael whispered remorsefully, burying his face in the woman’s white hair.

Kael gently guided Lizzy back into the room and slowly sat her down on the edge of the bed.

Cherry and Loyd, who had been peeking in from the doorway, exchanged glances. They chose to withdraw silently, closing the door gently and leaving the married couple alone to weather the storm between them.

As soon as the door was firmly shut, Lizzy’s defenses crumbled completely. Her sobs erupted into muffled cries.

"You... You just abandoned me!" Lizzy struck Kael’s chest lightly, her voice hoarse and trembling violently. "W-what... Was it because I can’t get pregnant and give you a child, so you secretly planned to leave me?! I hate you... but at the same time, I can’t erase my love for you or my dependence on you!"

The woman clawed at her own face roughly, causing her wounds to throb with pain once more.

Kael froze for a moment. Hearing the word "pregnant" escape Lizzy’s lips, the pieces of the puzzle surrounding his wife’s strange behavior in the days before his sudden departure finally fell into place in his mind.

He finally understood the root of all the fear and despair that had been tormenting her.

Without saying a word, Kael took Lizzy’s badly injured hands. With the utmost care and tenderness, he removed the old bandages, cleaned away the remaining blood, applied healing ointment, and wrapped her hands again in clean cloth.

"Pregnant, huh...?" Kael whispered gently, looking straight into Lizzy’s tear-filled eyes. "A child would indeed be a wonderful blessing in our lives someday, Lizzy... But... I would be far more devastated and tormented if my most beautiful wife kept hurting herself like this. Just stay by my side in peace. I already feel incredibly happy and complete simply because I have you in my life."

Lizzy sobbed even harder. The fear of being abandoned that had been choking her for so long gradually began to loosen its grip. She stared deeply into Kael’s eyes, searching for even the slightest hint of a lie, but all she found was his unreserved sincerity.

Kael’s gaze then swept across the messy bedroom floor. Near the wardrobe lay several beautiful, newly purchased dresses and women’s outfits scattered about. He was certain Lizzy had bought them especially for the moments they had planned to spend together.

After finishing the bandages, Kael climbed onto the bed, drew Lizzy into his warm embrace, and let her cry against his chest until exhaustion finally overtook her.

"Thank you... for trying so hard to make me happy," Kael whispered with profound meaning, kissing the crown of his wife’s head. "Those new clothes scattered across the floor... I’m absolutely one hundred percent certain they’ll look wonderful on you and make Lizzy the most beautiful woman in the world. But... even if you wore nothing but simple clothes, you’d still be the most captivating woman in my eyes. I swear... I will never leave you, not ever."

"Don’t leave me..." Lizzy murmured hoarsely between her breaths, which were slowly becoming steadier. She savored the warmth of his embrace as her fears gradually faded away.

"Yes... I’m right here. I’m not going anywhere anymore," Kael replied softly.

Several hours later, when Lizzy’s emotions had finally settled and she had regained her composure, Kael honestly explained the general reason behind his disappearance, framing it as though he had just completed an unexpected, highly paid job involving matters from his past.

"Just think of it as an important matter from my past that I finally managed to settle," Kael said with a faint smile. "The pay was pretty good, and... would you like to go on a honeymoon with me there sometime? I know a very beautiful place."

Hearing such a sweet invitation, happiness immediately returned to Lizzy’s eyes. She nodded enthusiastically.

"I want to... I really want to go with you, Kael."

They gazed into each other’s eyes amid the dimly lit room. Sincere smiles formed on their lips, wiping away the last traces of tears and pain.

The distance between them gradually closed until their lips finally met in a gentle, deep kiss filled with gratitude.

Kael’s hands began to move slowly, caressing Lizzy’s back and tracing the curves of her soft body. His touch was warm and tender, awakening the longing they had kept restrained for so long.

Beneath the faint glow of the lamp, their clothes gradually slipped off one by one. Their skin brushed together, radiating warmth, while their soft, pillow-like breasts gently pressed against each other atop the bedsheets.

Lizzy’s breathing grew more rapid, giving rise to soft, melodious sighs that sounded wonderfully sweet to Kael’s ears.

The man slowly laid his wife down, gazing at Lizzy’s now crimson-red face, which radiated an extraordinary feminine allure and complete surrender.

With movements filled with patience and tenderness, and wrapped in profound love, Kael guided their journey across the ocean of intimacy, allowing their souls to sail together in the silence of the night, where the dragon slowly entered the warm, secret cave, weaving an undeniable tapestry of heavenly pleasure.

However, just outside the inn room’s window, perched upon a lonely tree branch, Xavier sat in his wolf form, stunned, his aura dark and furious.

The mighty creature had never liked Kael’s presence from the very beginning.

Back when they were still living in the secluded cabin in the forest, he had accidentally overheard similar muffled sounds coming from behind the wooden walls on several occasions.

With the innocent instincts of a protector, Xavier had assumed that Lizzy was being hurt or tortured by that human man. As a result, he had planned to kill Kael without Lizzy ever finding out.

And tonight, he was hearing those strange, almost identical sounds once again.

Xavier growled inwardly, the fur along the back of his neck bristling with irritation.

"This human truly has no heart!" the wolf cursed in a deep inner murmur. "After making this woman sad, leaving her hysterical and crying, and nearly dying from being abandoned... now you’re making her let out those strange, exhausting moans of pain all over again?!"