Forced Marriage: Thirteenth Wife
9. What Matters to Elios

Graean was silent, but then he smiled. "You're smart too."

In other words Roxanne's guess is correct.

All of this is not free. What he enjoys now is just the beginning. Just something visible on the surface.

One day, the pay will come and Roxanne will have to bear it.

"But," as Roxanne thought so, Graean suddenly touched her shoulder, bent over to the side of Roxanne's ear, "you misunderstood, Little Boy."

Whahuh?

"You seem to think of yourself as a little bit special. Gown expensive dresses, jewelry and eat good food. You consider it a luxury."

Roxanne was wide-eyed by that sharp whisper.

"It's all worthless" said the woman completely emotionless in her voice. "Young Master doesn't consider it valuable at all."

"What are your dresses and jewelry? Is it so valuable that you seem to have to do something to 'return it'?"

Graean stood up again, staring coldly at Roxanne.

"Son, it's cheap. It's not as expensive as your mind. But, even if you consider it expensive, Young Master's wealth makes it all seem cheap."

"After all, what if you have jewels and diamonds? You can't set foot out of this little house, so it's all just like doll jewelry in the palace. It still belongs to Young Master."

After saying that, First Madam looked like she was done with her affairs. The man left.

But Roxanne did not know where her next courage would come from until she said, "Even then, white rice with bland eggs also has a price."

Graean.

"Everything has a price. Even if it's just a little, there'll definitely be times I have to pay."

Graean smiled as he looked over. "Totally so."

The woman folded her hands. "Yes, that's right. Using logic is quite correct. It's possible that one day the Young Master would want to kill someone for no reason, so there we have become his favorite minced meat."

We were? Not you but us?

Why is he ....

"You speak as if you are of the same fate." Roxanne. "What makes you and I the same, when I run away from Young Master and you stand by his side?"

Right after saying that, Roxanne was shocked to see Graean's unexpected reaction.

The woman was not angry or said that Roxanne was presumptuous, but she actually laughed as if her words were funny.

What's so funny?

"I understand stupidity, Little Girl." Graean turned back around. "Unfortunately you and I are no different. Equally worthless in the eyes of the Young Master."

"Who then?"

This time Graean did not turn around to respond. But before the door was completely shut, Roxanne heard a whisper, "You're fine."

If not that person, then who? He was the only one who could walk by Elios' side.

Just her.

*

Elios was always afraid of his nightmares. Nightmares that strangle him in the middle of sleep to wake up drenched in sweat, then slowly cry in the silence of the night.

Night really became Elios' weakness. He felt like there was no strength in his body every time night came, and the silence from the darkness crept around him.

Disgusting.

Frighteningly.

Repugn.

"Elios." And every time he cried, Elios couldn't help but play back the memory of his woman.

Elios tears even more down like a pitiful man without self-respect.

"I don't like the night" the woman said one night in her arms.

"Why?" Elios still remembered the touch of his fingers on that beautiful face and how he smiled enjoying their warmth. "Because of dark? You are a coward and a crybaby."

"really. I'm a coward and a whiny." The woman laughed admitting it. "But being with you isn't scary."

"So that's why you always whine about sleeping together every night?"

"Pulse. I don't like it when there's no Eli. The night was scary and cold. It's always better to be together."

Elios gripped the rough of his hair, slowly feeling the emotions raging.

Then in some time, which even she was unaware of, the room had already fallen apart.

The whole thing broke out. Chairs and tables were broken, windows were smeared on the beach and blood fell from Elios' hands.

Across from Elios's room, Graean heard the rampage from her husband.

But the Graean could only move and stop at the door, without knocking.

"I'm special because of my first wife, huh?" Graean muttered wryly considering how Roxanne looked at him as if convinced Graean was the luckiest woman.

"If I can live to be a hundred years old and my age can be changed to a privileged position for Elios, I don't care if I'm only until tomorrow, Roxanne."

Unfortunately, the Graean age is not important.

All that mattered to Elios was him.

That honorable woman alone.

*