Life Becomes Duke's Beloved
Witch Notes

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Abela sits quietly as long as her hair is combed by Jane - the waiter at the Calix residence - who meticulously makes her hair look beautiful.

"You know, you don't have to try this hard." Abela laughed a little at Jane wiping the sweat on her forehead.

"Madam is so beautiful" Jane said excitedly.

"That's because you're Jane. Thank you," said Abela sincerely.

"Madam will be home tomorrow, I will definitely feel lonely." Jane stared silently at Abela long ago. "Did any madam ever meet the daughter of Wilhemn? Many say she's our master's bride-to-be appointed by the palace."

Abela thought again, for some reason she felt upset. Do not accept his descendants must marry such a woman. Even if it's just a political marriage.

"He's very arrogant and annoying," Abela replied honestly. Abela sighed softly. "But I only met him once. When invited to tea by the queen's majesty."

"It's a pity, even though our Master is a good person," Jane murmured with no meaning.

Abela watched Jane's face from the large mirror before her.

"Did the Estonian Duke not have someone close to him?" asked Abela curiously.

"I mean a young lady? I think not, but I'm not so sure. Duke spends a lot of his time in the capital."

"Forget over. Someone must've been really upset waiting to get in this room, Jane." Abela glanced at the door that opened a little. Armand seemed to be unable to knock on the door.

Jane, aware that Armand was at the door in a hurry to get out of Abela's room, bowed to her Master's guest before exiting and closing the door.

"Did I interrupt your conversation?" ask Armand.

"Not really .. So, we're really going to leave tomorrow?" Abela confirmed the information she heard from Armand this morning.

"Yes, the Duke of Estonia will also join our entourage" Armand replied, turning his back to Abela and undressing her. Abela could see Armand's back clearly in the large mirror before her. There were a lot of wounds there, there were some that looked deep.

"Abela?" Abela flinched as Armand called her name.

"Yes?"

"I thought you'd be interested when I told you that the Estonian Duke would join our party." Armand looked at Abela through the mirror. Abela had not looked at him.

"That's no surprise, this morning Calix said the king called him to the palace." Abela tried to dampen her nervousness with a voice she tried to sound calm.

"Calix?" Armand called out the man's name with his low and cold tone. "Since when have you felt close enough to call his name?"

Abela was made aware by Armand's statement. Fortunately, there was no one in the room except them.

"I called him that because there were only two of us here" Abela said.

"Despite that, you don't think I'd tolerate that, do you?" Armand said slowly.

"All right, forgive me." Abela answered slowly.

Armand did not argue with her anymore, he was just trying to quickly change his clothes. And lay in bed.

"The Estonian Duke wants to take note of the witch who is in Duchy." Armand explained. His eyes looked straight at the ceiling.

"Witch's note?"

"You remember what I offered before we got here" replied Armand.

"For what he read it" Abela murmured softly.

"That's none of our business. What's wrong with keeping something that our ancestors left behind?" Armand was a little confused by the way Abela reacted.

"I want to borrow it." Abela looked at Armand seriously. He walked over and sat down on the edge of the big bed.

"You said you weren't interested. I promised I would give it anyway. It would be strange if suddenly I couldn't keep my promise just because I lent it to you."

"But I want to know the note." Abela insists on persuading Armand.

"I'll tell you that, if you really want to know the contents." Armand grinned at Abela's reddened, annoyed face.

"I've already memorized the contents of the note, too," Armand said.

"No need" Abela replied quickly.

"You sure? It's quite interesting." Armand looked at Abela's face which somehow looked timid.

"I changed my mind again, I don't want to know the contents of that note." Abela avoided Armand's gaze and turned her face away.

Armand laughed softly in response. He looked at Abela's small-looking back. Her thin silk sleepwear made her skin visible as the candlelight hit her. Armand got up from his lying position, inched closer to the woman. Inhaling the scent of a rose that was sharp enough to fill his nose.

The addictive feeling and impatience that Armand always felt when their bodies were close together. Armand's gaze grew even more faint as his hand reached out to Abela's waist, wrapping her there. Feeling Abela's entire small body at the reach of her arms. Makes Abela's body more attached to her.

"Arabela meets Calisto on a snowy day. A witch who lived for more than a thousand years met someone who had appeared out of nowhere. Injured and covered in blood. In the snow, near Perr. Calisto was not alone, he was with someone who had dark hair, in contrast to Calisto's silver and shiny hair." Armand whispered the story close to Abela's ears.

Armand looked at Abela's face with the corner of his eyes, Abela bowed to the floor. Expressions do not look happy or curious.

"You don't want to hear it?" armand asked as he stroked Abela's stomach.

"I don't want to hear it with your voice." Abela answered just from the beginning.

Armand could not imagine what he was feeling. It feels here, in the castle he built with the one he loved first. The castle where she raised her children. And the place where he hugged Calisto for the last time.

For Abela, loving Calisto used to be like the punishment God gave for choosing to follow his greed for eternal life. As he watched the person he loved wholeheartedly, closed his eyes in his arms. Back then, for the first time Abela regretted her past deeds for defying the will of God.

It was then that he decided to leave here and never come back. Protect and watch over his descendants from a distance. Returning to this castle was enough for Abela to reminisce about all those things again. See Calix or the portrait of Calisto hanging side by side with him. Makes her happy and sad at the same time.

"All right." Armand was still resting his head on Abela's small shoulder.

"I won't talk about witches anymore. I'm sorry, Abela," whispered Armand quietly. Armand felt stupid, although Abela lost her memory of course she did not want to hear much about the witch. Armand forgot about that. She had been ignoring too many facts about her lover lately.

"I'll tell you about Abela's love story alone" Armand smiled, his hands hugging Abela even more tightly.

"I met Abela Isla two years ago, it was autumn. You were standing on a balcony in the royal hall during a celebration party to welcome me and my soldiers." Armand was silent for a moment. Feeling the tension from Abela's body reduced along with her voice.

"You're wearing a dress with a factory colored like a tree branch. Not black or brown, in stark contrast to the bright color of your eyes shining under the tile that covers half your face."

Armand inhaled the scent of roses from the nape of Abela before continuing his story.

"I remember your hands were busy tidying up your golden strands of hair that were carried away by the wind, but you didn't seem bothered by it. Behind the tile, you looked into the distance with a faint smile and red cheeks. So the first words I said at our first meeting ...." Armand smiled giving a pause.

And a petrified shock in her place as she heard Abela say, "You look happy."

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