Tangled By Fate

"...Didn't she die?" Arthur asked.

He was surprised that people were joyfully celebrating the blessed child when the entire world knew about her death.

The passer-by replied, "That's what we thought until Lord Alexander died. Later, the blessed child showed up in the palace and confessed that Lord Alexander imprisoned her to sit on the throne and faked her death.

"Since the body was hardly recognizable, the temple couldn't recognize her properly. The blessed child was missing and the dead body was slightly similar. The temple was deceived by that villainous Lord Alexander. After that, his whole family was executed."

"The blessed child confessed," Arthur repeated the passer-by's words. 

He was confused and in deep thought. With hundreds of thoughts in his head, he went back to his house.

By the time he reached, Veronica and Zinnia had already taken baths. Ironin was next.

Darius saw Arthur and grabbed the packets of food.

"Man, I'm starving. I'll eat first and then bathe." saying that he opened the packet.

"We can't let you eat with your stinky body. It's hard to be near you."

Zinnia snatched the food packet from him.

At that time, Ironin came down, totally refreshed.

"See? Ironin is done. Hurry up and bathe first," Zinnia urged Darius.

"Fine, fine, I'm going," Darius grumbled. 

After he left, Veronica glanced at Arthur. "Aren't you going to take a bath?"

Arthur calmly looked at her.

"There is a well outside. I will bathe there. Will you help me to scrub my back?" 

At his offer, Veronica's pale face tinted with a red hue.

"I… I will bring some extra sponge."

She quickly headed upstairs. Her heart was beating fast. Her thoughts were all jumbled up.

'Why did he have to say that in front of other people? Did he deliberately do it?'

She covered her heated face in embarrassment. 

She wanted to get mad at him for being so shameless and yet her heart leaned toward him. Her heart softened whenever she thought of his face.

In the meantime, Arthur was smirking as his eyes stayed on the back of the running Veronica.

'Ah, she fled. She doesn't even know where I keep the extra sponge.'

Thinking of her timid action made his heart grow warm. However, when he thought about the passer-by's words, his expression turned grim.

Ironin was quick to notice the sudden change in his expression. He was sitting in front of the fireplace.

"Did something happen?" he inquired.

Arthur nodded. He didn't say the rest.

If it was others, they would have died of waiting. They hated things being dragged on.

But for Ironin, he was quiet and patient. He was like - he could wait eight hundred years for anything without a worry.

Ironin didn't ask further. He knew Arthur would say when the time was right.

A few minutes later, Veronica came down. 

"I have found extra soap and sponge," she declared. "And I have brought some clothes."

Arthur turned toward her. He noticed that she was trying her best to act normal.

Amused, he stood up. He went to the kitchen where the backdoor was.

Veronica followed him, holding the candle, clothes, soap, and sponge.

Right beside the backdoor, there was a well and a wooden bucket. 

Veronica was surprised that she never noticed it before.

It was probably because this area was dark and the dim light in front of the door didn't light up the place properly.

Arthur took off his clothes and only his underwear was covering his secret part. He hung the clothes on the rope. 

Veronica helped him after putting down the candle and the rest.

After that, he tossed the bucket inside the well, collected water, and then pulled it up. 

Veronica saw him drenching his body with the cool water. 

Droplets of water rolled down his muscles. In his tan skin, the droplets of water were glittering in the candlelight. 

His black underwear clung to his secret place, making his bulge more visible. 

Veronica's throat was dry. Suddenly, her face felt hot. Her heart was racing. Despite feeling shame, she was unable to tear off her gaze from him.

Her eyes were especially glued to his bulging area. Remembering that the bulging part always entered her and pleasured her, her legs became numb.

Maybe her piercing gaze was too noticeable, Arthur opened his eyes and glanced at her.

With a teasing smile, he asked her, "Won't you scrub my back?"

With trembling legs and a flushed face, Veronica stepped forward. 

Without a word, she applied the soap to his body and then started to scrub. 

In the candlelight, she could see several old injuries on his back. 

She paused. Her fingers automatically touched his scars. He wondered how a magician got hurt like that.

For a powerful man whom everyone was scared of, she couldn't imagine him getting hurt.

Arthur noted that she stopped scrubbing his back. He turned his head slightly.

"What's wrong?"

"Does that hurt?" she asked him.

"You mean the injuries? Not at all. Why? Are you worried?"

"I didn't notice them before. I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault. You weren't there when I got injured. These are recent marks. The scars I had previously, they were healed by your power in the desert."

"Recent injuries?" Veronica frowned. "Weren't we always together after then? How did I not notice?"

"It happened when I was out with Felix. We took care of some bandits who caused trouble to innocent travelers. I got scratched while helping some children." 

"What medicine did you use to take care of these wounds?"

"We found some herbs in the forest. The wounds weren't deep. They healed soon. As I said, there is nothing to worry about."

Veronica let out a sigh and placed her head on his back. 

"If you keep facing danger, you should keep me close to you. This way, I can heal you quickly. It won't hurt anymore."

Her hands glowed and his scars were healed in a blink of an eye.

Arthur twisted his hands back and held her waist. 

"Fine, I will keep you close to me even when I'm in danger. I won't let you go no matter what.. Even if you cry and complain, it won't work."