Life Becomes Duke's Beloved
Armand on Arabela

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Armand was still hugging Abela even as he knew the woman's tears were wetting her shoulders. Armand was sure what he was doing was not due to spontaneity or anything. He had thought of this a thousand times to say behind the mask of his high ego.

Slowly Armand gave some distance between them. He looked at Abela who was avoiding the look in her eyes. The tears had not stopped flowing at the corner of Abela's eyes.

Armand touched his cheek slowly, waiting for the rejection Abela might make. Smiled faintly as Abela did nothing to reject him.

"You can get out of the way" Abela murmured with the corner of her lips. Armand laughed before taking off his embrace.

"You think I'm funny?" ask Abela.

"No, it's not that. I'm just glad you're back on you." Armand straightened his body and took the spoon from Abela's hand. He was lucky that his movements had not spilled the soup that was in front of Abela.

"You know I'm not your girlfriend?" abela asked as she saw Armand thrust a spoon in front of her mouth.

"Yes I know ... You're my savior, how about we start with that." Armand did not feel the slightest hesitation when he said that.

"And? Why if I'm your savior?" Abela hasn't opened her mouth yet. He had not allowed Armand to bribe him.

"My hands are getting sore," complained Armand quietly.

Abela raised next to her eyebrows. "You're sure you're Duke Armand de Rhodes?"

"Yes, it's me."

"You turned soft after seeing me cry? I didn't know you were that weak" said Abela, she didn't mean to be sarcastic. But maybe that's what Armand heard.

"I'm just weak on that face," Armand replied unwilling to lose.

"Of course, I get it. Are you afraid I'm ruining this body?" Abela looked at Armand with a grin. It was quite a wide grin with a trace of tears on its face.

"You understand me very well" Armand said, holding back his smile.

"Now open your mouth" Armand ordered softly.

"I can eat by myself" Abela replied.

"All right," said Armand without arguing again. He put the spoon he was holding back to where he came from.

"You can go back to your seat" Abela said.

"I'll stay here. So eat it." Armand crossed his arms in front of his chest.

"You gonna watch me eat?" ask Abela.

"Yes, I just said it," Armand replied as he closed his eyes.

"What's got into you?" abela asked a little skeptically.

"Nothing," replied Armand briefly.

Abela glared at Armand before scooping her soup. The taste of the soup was tasteless, probably because he ate it in a bad body condition.

Armand did not move in the slightest on his seat. Makes Abela wonder what the man was thinking with his eyes closed.

"How's the crown prince doing?" ask Abela at last. He just felt like he wanted to talk a lot.

"Just like you, he's getting better."

"What about Orlando? Have you talked to him or comforted him?" asked Abela curiously.

"I haven't seen him yet, so I don't know the answer. And yes, I've talked to him before going on the expedition." Armand was honest. Not overstated or reduced.

"She must not be okay" Abela murmured softly.

"Who will be fine when he loses his mother" Armand replied. His eyes opened again to see the corner of Abela's lips curving downward.

Armand smiled faintly, which was exactly what he had expected. She knew Abela must be sorry for what she said to her children.

"You know ... It's hard to forgive me, right?" asked Armand who had straightened his back again.

"You were a scary moment back then" Abela murmured, recalling the day she told Armand the truth.

"I won't argue with that." Armand stared at the floor under his feet. That day he was drunk and had a hard time controlling his emotions. Especially when she found out Abela was gone.

"I won't ask you to understand my situation" Armand said. His eyes were still staring at Abela's pale face.

"But I hope you understand my situation, Armand." Abela said that straightforwardly. Making Armand feel guilty many times.

"Can I do that from today?" ask Armand again.

"What makes you want to do it?" Abela took a short breath and exhaled slowly.

"You. Sure oes. Because you're."

"I don't understand," Abela glanced over again and began stuffing the tasteless soup into her mouth.

"That .. because .. you ... Arabela," said Armand slowly.

"Why?" Abela was still confused as to the direction of Armand's conversation.

"Two years ago when a wicked woman was feeling lonely, the clear sky turned red. No one walks out of their house." Armand begins the story.

"Isn't that weird? If indeed that woman intended to hunt everyone down, what was she signaling for?" Armand stared right into Abela's eyes.

"Why do you think?" ask Armand again.

Abela was speechless, Armand was clearly talking about her. He is still a Ghotel. Why was it that he always spent his manna just to make a signal in the sky. When the clear sky suddenly turned red. It was a mark Abela made to tell people that she was going to release many monsters. It was also a sign for people who might be able to kill Abela.

"What do you want to hear?" abela asked as she raised her eyebrows.

"I'm not sure what I want to hear" said Armand, another smile on his handsome face.

"There was a time when a village that was neglected because the village leader baron was corrupt and arbitrary. Then the wicked woman terrorized the village every day. Until we got there, we knew what the baron was doing" Armand Long said.

Armand stared at Abela's unchanging countenance. He still bribed his soup with a flat face. Seems uninterested.

"What do you think ... That woman was on purpose?" ask Armand again.

"Dan ... Why is he on purpose?" Abela answered Armand's question with another one. Finally looking at Armand straight into his eyes. His blue eyes flashed like the afternoon sky.

"Then ... Isn't it natural that many secretly admire him?" reply Armand. His eyes were still fixed on Abela's blue eyes.

"Yes ... Although such a thing is always realized when the person is no longer there," Armand said again, eventually turning his gaze away.

"You want to tell me that you admire me?"

"You're right. I hope I didn't kill you then. I wish I could talk to you." Dejavu, Armand once said that too.

"I told you, just die my wish for that moment." Abela said flatly. There was no doubt in his eyeballs.

"Why? If you're lonely, you can easily make friends" Armand said.

"You think ... Watching valuable people leave you one by one is fun?" Abela smiled smirkingly.

"That hurts Armand ..." said Abela Lirih.

"You've just experienced it, lost your lover. Imagine I've experienced it over and over again." Abela could no longer look at Armand.

"Worse than that, I can't blame anyone. It was my fault that made me live forever."

"You're right" muttered Armand softly.

"Yes I am guilty," said Abela somewhat annoyed.

Should Armand say that lightly?

"No. I mean you were right about losing it. Believe it or not isn't the first time I've lost a lover." Armand forced his smile.

"You don't expect me to comfort you, do you?" abela asked, raising one eyebrow.

Armand laughed at that. His laughter stopped when he saw Abela's smile.

"I'm sorry for never trying to understand you" Armand said sincerely.

"No problem, I don't really want to be understood either" Abela replied flatly.

"Come don't do that, you're making me feel even more guilty" Armand forced his smile.

"That's good then." Abela grinned again. It's pretty convenient to have a normal break like this.

"Rest me, I'll get things done one by one." Armand got up from his seat and took out a bowl of soup and offered a glass of water. Waiting for Abela to drink before taking it too.

"Your acting is very good" Abela said.

"We aristocrats are very good at it" Armand said.

"I believe that." Abela smiled, she leaned her back against the soft pillow.

"What's the first thing you're gonna do?" asked Abela curiously.

"Calix gets a big catch, they're on their way home. So I'll take care of that" replied Armand.

Armand paused for a moment, thinking of something. Then a glimpse of the gaze Calix gave Abela on the last expedition.

"She must have come straight here when she got there." Armand sounded annoyed.

"Why?" ask Abela.

"You don't know?" armand asked still in his regretful tone.

"To be precise, I'm not sure." Abela smiled again.

"No one can resist this face" Abela murmured softly.

Armand did not answer him, he hid his facial expression from Abela. Armand walked up to his dining table and ate a little before tidying up his clothes and preparing to leave.

"Light the bell if you need anything" Armand said before leaving.

Abela looked at the closed door. Put his finger on the blanket. Too bad, I want to talk more. Abela smiled with her thoughts. He sighed trying to control the heat on his face.

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