The Amorous Mate

Chapter 9: Quarrel

“Lord Matthew! What are you doing here?” Chelsea-s***h-Princess Demeter was shocked upon seeing the Baron Lord standing in her front. His face, horrible as it was, were drawn with lines of fresh blood running from his cheek, to his neck, and to his suit. Busy sensing other possible dangers, his hand was gripping a small sharp weapon similar to the size of a knife.

Lord Matthew stared at her. The way the Lord gazes with his dark-shaded eye, Chelsea held her breath from its intensity. It was an eye that can both bewitch and frighten.

“L-Lord Matthew?” Chelsea called his escaping attention.

She could not look back to the Lord’s ardent gazes. She can, but somehow, she could never last for a long time. It was stealing her breath away—not knowing what was the reason if it was about her fear, or, attraction to him.

That is why, to assassinate the unease feelings fooling them around, she called for the attention of the lord once again.

She did not receive any answer from him. Instead, she was unexpectedly stupefied when the lord turned his back, and walked. He attempted to leave Chelsea without her knowing the reason why.

Sooner, she come up to a conclusion that if the lord was walking away from her presence, then that originally means he was leaving her alone inside the dark, dangerous forest. Shiver ran down on her spine as she started to imagine frightening creatures looking at her back, waiting for their time to lunge their attacks. She panicked.

“L-Lord Matthew, hey, wait for me. Damn it!”

She frazzled. She ran towards him, fearing that he would indeed leave her alone in the woods.

Burn fast and Raging. Lord Matthew's walk were too fast that his single steps would need two from Chelsea just so she can catch up with his speed. Sure, she may have managed to keep up with the lord’s pace, but she was a half running, half walking lady.

“Hey, Lord Matthew, you haven’t answered me yet. How come you are here in the forest outside Saxton that it seemed a good time for you to save me?” Chelsea again asked. She was trying her hard only to keep up with the rapid pace of the Lord’s walking.

However, it seemed that the lord’s decision of not bothering to answer her, was firm. He did not even flinch. He pretended as if he was hearing nothing. Whatever the reason was, Chelsea had no clue.

“Lord Matthew, I am talking to you!”

Because Chelsea did not receive any reply from him, she started to become irritated. She fumed in anger.

From that rage, she managed to catch the lord’s attention. His eyes travelled towards her, but then, quickly, he pulled it back after a split second.

Chelsea was both shocked and filled with disbelief. “What is the matter with you, huh, Matthew? Do you think it makes you handsome if you act like you’re a one trying hard snob? No, you are just making yourself looking like an i***t!”

She could not control her swirling emotions anymore. She threw childish tantrums to him only because of the fact that the lord was ignoring him without knowing the reason why.

“Then would I not look like an i***t if I am but a fool to ignore your immaturity, your Grace?” suddenly, Lord Matthew asked.

“What? Me, immature?” Chelsea replied. She could not believe how the lord was making her blood boil in frustration. “What made me immature then, huh?”

With face of disbelief and an ounce of anger, Lord Matthew scoffed and stared at her. “You are not just an immature, but a well-pretend lady too.”

After, the Lord walked even faster.

“What?! Hey, Matthew guy, watch those stupid words slipping out of your mouth, ‘aight?!” She chased after him. She tried her best to keep up from the lord's long striding legs, but all she have was a hard time.

“I should have not come and dared saving you,” Lord Matthew replied back.

“Can you just please tell me what is the matter with you? Why are you acting like an irritated sass?”

“How about a word of gratitude? A simple thank you for saving your precious life, my dear Princess? Have you had tried thanking someone because they had willingly helped you out of a dire situation?”

“Of course, I did!” Chelsea fumed back.

From that, she saw how the lord rolled his eyes in frustration. He shook his head and made a disappointed smirk. Yet, by the way he smirked, Chelsea was distracted for a minute. She could not help herself but to admit that the way the Lord has smirked was definitely attractive—he is handsome.

“Then why have I ever not heard it from you yet?” Lord Matthew again asked. He stopped. He stared at her. His breathing was hard and deep.

“Huh? W-What do you mean?” Chelsea was confused. But then, when she finally realized the whole reason why Lord Matthew was acting in that manner, her body froze in embarrassment. “I … uhm …” she stammered.

Indeed, she committed to a very wrong act. Even if, perhaps, she was in the position of the lord, she would be mad to her own self too.

Imagine how the lord has come and rescued her, and did his best to help a miserable princess be gone from her demise. He had done his biggest effort to save the princess. But when he succeeded, he had sadly not received anything in return— not even a mere thank you. Not that he wants anything in return for his help, but, a thank you would suffice.

“Uhm, Lord Matthew, I did not mean to—”

“Princess Demeter!”

“Your Grace!”

What Chelsea about to say was disrupted when there were two familiar voice suddenly blasting in the surrounding, calling her seemingly unfamiliar name.

Chelsea hastily searched for its source and saw that those were from Venida and Vennett. They were fine. They were safe.

They were running towards her while waving their hands, and showing their most joyed, scatheless smiles. On their back, few royal Guards were following them, perhaps joining the V-maids in search for the princess.

Because Lord Matthew has been walking fast, and Chelsea stumbled her way just to follow the lord, it was late when she realized that they were already near to the exit of the woods. They were only about a few distance away from the place where the bandits have ambushed them.

“How are you, your Grace?”

“Are you fine, Princess Demeter?”

“Have you had any wounds perhaps?”

“Have you had cuts? Body pain? Dislocated joints? Oh my heavenly God! Help the princess recover from this nightmare!”

“Venida, Vennett, calm down. I am okay. As you can see, I am fine. Do not over-react, will you?” Chelsea said, trying to calm the raging fear felt by the V-maids.

And then, she continued her conversation to Lord Matthew. “As I was saying, my Lord—” she stopped.

She was left hanging when she realized that Lord Matthew was not in her front anymore. He was already far from her, riding a white horse, and talking to two other new men that she had not seen earlier. All of them were dashingly preparing for their horse to work for their long travel. All of them were wearing an exceptionally tailored gentleman’s suit, making them handsome and admirable.

As if they were knights—or maybe just a gentleman—charmingly riding their brave horses.

“What’s the matter, your Grace?” Venida asked.

Chelsea shook her head. “N-Nothing. It’s nothing.”

“Is it about Lord Matthew? Oh, my Princess! What a lovely gentleman that Baron Lord is! He and his friends had an instinct that bandits would surely attack our carriage, and so they have secretly followed us with only nothing but their horses. When we attempted to run to the woods, they have arrived at the scene, and effortlessly defeated the hundred numbers of bandits surrounding the Royal guards. If not for them, we would have been dead by now,” Vennett explained.

Chelsea did not reply. Her attention was only focused at Lord Matthew. He was now maneuvering his horse for his ride.

“If only you saw how terrifyingly good they were in the battlefield, even the Royal guards were mesmerized!”

Lord Matthew made a quick glance towards where Princess Demeter was standing. Venida and Vennett waived their hands to the Baron Lord, but when Lord Matthew saw that Chelsea was also staring at him, he quickly removed his gaze. Then, he pulled the rope on his horse, signaling it to start running. He continued his travel along with the other two gentlemen.

“He said that they too would be going to the Chesterfield city. That’s where we are going too, your Grace, if you daresay you forgot. It is where the palace could be found.”

“I-Is it?”

“Indeed, your Grace,” Vennett assured.

‘Then I would find him in the city. That’s where I would personally thank him for his help. Gosh! Why did I even forgot about thanking him? It’s embarrassing to know!’ Chelsea thought.