BLOODY LOVE'S
Episode 163

Lady Chantall hoped she would bring a pocket watch to estimate the time. Cold feet. He could have reentered the hall and huddled among the warm guests, but he rarely got the chance to stand still with Marco as he is now. For a second it will not be wasted.

He had never felt this way before, and although this feeling gave off a pleasant sensation, he also became irritated because it was difficult to keep his heart calm.

Lady Chantall was previously married, a political marriage lasting five years. At that time he was sixteen years old. His mother married him to a minister in the hope that it would strengthen their family position in Scotland. But the game in the palace is not the same as the game in the streets. Once misstepped, the dynasty members themselves who would swing their hands, ordered the execution. And that's how her husband ended. Her young and ambitious husband, a husband she does not love.

Lady Chantall likes a strong man, who has high charisma and integrity, the same man looks like— will not let others force him to his knees. And he found that ideal figure in Marco Argent. According to her, the man would not lose in the gamble of fate as easily as his late husband. At first Lady Chantall just admired him with respect, but the longer he was more interested in everything in Marco. Both his boyish nature which sometimes arises when not to be outdone in the debate, on his stubbornness, also on his obsession makes Bjork better than Aston even though the city does not belong to Argent.

Many say the obsession began with Marco's bet with the Queen herself, but no one can be sure. Lady Chantall doesn't even know what the Argent Family has to do with the Queen. All things are just rumors, the truth is closed tightly by Marco. And he just realized that he fell in love when the man disappeared.

Lady Chantall glanced over, having just discovered a new topic to fill the silence. His eyes bought wide to see the state of Marco. "You should sit down" he sighed in surprise. Both of his hands touched Marco's arms, pressing him down. "You're sweating, your face is pale! Are your wounds open?"

"I think yes," Marco admitted, showing his palms drenched in blood. The dark color soaked the side of the waistcoat he was wearing.

Lady Chantall believes her eyes are now almost out of sight. He pulled out a handkerchief to wipe the blood away, but Marco clenched his fingers and crossed them back.

"The stitches may be off. But I can still walk."

"Of course you can swing that wild axe! Don't be stubborn, no one will mock you for sitting down for a while! You are injured ... "

Marco shook his head, carefully brushing the woman's hand with his clean fingertips. "If I sit down now, I won't be able to get up again" he said. He smiled a faint smile and whispered lowly, "And if I were to be swept back like a sick man, my enemies at Bjork would know that they had hurt me. This cowardly way will prove effective. In the future they will use the same way in the hope that I will weaken and fall. As long as the situation is still uncertain, no one should know I can be subverted."

Lady Chantall gaped. He wanted to say something, but canceled it. His lips clenched back. "sorry. I thought you were just in style," she said softly, squeezing her handkerchief tightly. "I forgot that every action of yours must have been justified."

"Oh, but you're right, too" said Marco lightly, sticking the tip of his tongue to the inner side of the cheek. "I like the stylish arrival, so as much as possible always dandy appear."

Lady Chantall wanted to laugh, but she tried hard to frown and still looked angry. It cannot soften. But in the end he lost and laughed too. "Alright, Argent," he said amusedly. "As far as you are. But if it hurts unbearably, you'll tell me, won't you?"

"I'll tell Rolan." Marco nodded forward, towards the torches that were marching closer like snakes. Rolan was there, waving happily at him while embracing Jose's arm.

***

Mary opened her eyes and was fully awake.

Strange, he thought. Turning around in confusion, sweeping every corner of the room with a glance. It felt like Jose was in that room.

Stupidly, Maria thought embarrassedly as she patted her cheek. Where could he be here.

The clock ticked loudly at Maria's ear, the needle showing eight o'clock exactly. He gently unfolded the blanket, taking care not to wake Susan up. Now it wasn't too late, but everything was quiet as if someone turned off the sound button on earth.

Mary sat on the lip of the bed for a long time, thinking about what made things so quiet. He tilted his head to listen more clearly, then understood what was missing: the voice of another being. There was no animal sound. No crickets, no dog howling in the distance, no owl's whiskers. Even the rustling of the cloth felt so weak that Maria hit the side of her head slowly to make sure her ears were not clogged. If she had not heard the ticking of the clock, Mary would have been convinced that her ears were deaf.

She tidied up her messy hair, considering waking Susan up to accompany her to chat.

As soon as she stepped outside the room, Maria was gripped by a great horror. It felt as if he was thrown into an unknown world. He felt a lot of eyes watching him, rendering him paralyzed.

The ends of the hallway of his house were like spinning in a slow rotation, locking him in place. Everything suddenly felt so foreign. Maria looked at the edges of her own hands, horrified even though everything looked normal.

Am I having a fever? He placed his palm on his forehead to measure the temperature. Not hot.

Maria wanted to go back to her room, but something encouraged her to keep going even though even the walls of this house were terrorizing.

I felt like the girl, thought Maria astonished as she continued walking, the girl chasing after the rabbit and mired in a hole in the ground. The girl was also in a strange room, and her body could shrink or enlarge.

Mary reached the last step of the stairs leading to the main hall. He crossed the room, still not fully aware of what he was doing. Everything feels like a dream.

But I, he thought again, what am I chasing?

He opened the door chain and turned the handle. The night air ambushed him in a soft caress. Maria closed for a moment, breathing in the cold. When he opened his eyes, he saw a man standing in front of him, outside the gate. The man's hand clutched the gate trellis, looking like he was waiting for something. Awaiting.

Jose's? Maria tilted her head, wondering why it was the first name that came to her mind when clearly the shape of the figure did not look like Jose.

Instead of being aware of the existence of the stranger, Maria stepped onto the porch of the house. Tiles made of black granite felt cold on its bare soles. He forgot to wear footwear, but footwear was not important. Mary felt that everything was meaningless now. The guy was there, waiting for him, and that was all that mattered.

Mary walked faster as she went down the steps of the terrace. Smile at her red lips. He held his hands forward as if he were hugging.

"In a moment," the man in front of the gate said. It was just a whisper, but it was so clear in Mary's ears, it made her so sad that she wanted to cry. "We can be together soon."

There were only a few steps left to get to the main gate and they could meet, he could see the man's face more clearly. The night breeze blew, making her nightgown stick to the skin, fluttering behind her feet every time she stepped. His heart was racing with enthusiasm, his entire body was like it was ready to explode.

"Miss!"

Someone pulled Maria's wrist and twisted her body backwards. Maria was shocked. Both of his eyes opened wide.

"Sue?" he wondered, as if unsure. All sounds came back, even the whirring of the wind that passed by was rumbling softly in his ears. Night insects crinkled in the corners of the courtyard, so crowded.

Susan looks scared. Lips trembling. "Miss, let's go in. It's night." It's night."

Maria nodded obediently, letting herself be herded back into the house. He looked back, but the man was gone.

Am I really dreaming? Maria is confused. It looked like Sir William.

***