The Grand Duchess Escape - Chapter 62

Calix looked down at Asella, who was crouching.

He dropped to one knee and lowered himself to the floor, but her gaze was even lower than that. When she raised her gaze a bit to look at him while she was holding her sister protectively, her face was completely pale.

Perhaps it was because of the great shock, but her light blue eyes swayed from place to place, unable to focus on him.

‘I’m in trouble.’

He wanted to say something to her, but he couldn’t think of anything appropriate to say.

He had never comforted anyone before. He had never said warm words of consolation or soothing to anyone.

He never had to.

Until now.

“Am I late?”

In the end, this was the only thing he could finally utter in a calmly dry voice.

At the same time, Calix realized that the words he had just said might not be the right ones in this situation.

It was not like he spat poison with his words, but that one question, for some reason, made Asella shudder.

It would have been better if that did that…

“Hey-“

Just like a high tide, tears began slowly to form in Asella’s eyes as she raised her head slightly.

He was bewildered by the unexpected reaction.

‘Should I have said something else? But is there anything, in particular, I could say in these circumstances?’

Calix’s thoughts were interrupted as the small figure in front of him started trembling.

Tears began to spill from her eyes like a river that overflowed. Tears streamed down her white cheeks and down to her chin before falling to the ground.

“No, no…”

She shook her head from left to right as if she was attempting to answer his earlier question even in such a situation.

Calix couldn’t help but reach out his hand toward her.

His large warm hand gently caressed her cheek.

The touch of his hand was so warm that Asella opened her eyes wide in surprise, despite her vision being clouded with tears.

His hand, which had held the sword for so long, was firm. But the hand that stroked her cheek and wiped away her tears was too delicate and cautious.

He stood there, waiting silently until she stopped crying.

“Were you scared?”

He asked, showing apparent concern about her but didn’t she know how to answer the question.

‘Calix Benvito worrying about someone other than himself? Absolutely not. It can’t be.’

Her mind was so confused that she forgot to answer.

Calix’s gaze, which had been fixed on Asella for some time, moved downward to ensure she was unharmed, but a frown appeared on his face when he looked down. 

The hem of her long sleeves, which had been down to her wrists, had been completely ripped off to the elbows and were now in shreds. Her arm that was revealed between the unrecognizable sleeves was covered in scars.

Right next to him, he could see a shelf that had been shattered and scattered on the ground. When he saw the blue bloodstains of the beast dotted all over the shelf, he started to get an idea of what went on.

“Can you show me your hands?”

“What?”

Not knowing Calix’s intentions, Asella flinched and stammered. There was still a faint trace of tears in her eyes.

“Just a second.”

After brief hesitation, Asella loosened her arms that were embracing Mariel, then cautiously held out her hand.

Calix’s face instantly became distorted.

Her beautiful white hands were cruelly messed up.

All her nails were broken, and the back of her hands and arms were deeply scratched and still bleeding. Fine pieces of wood were stuck in her palm like a thorn, most likely caused by the broken wooden shelf.

It was no exaggeration to say that there was not a single unharmed place from her hand up to her elbow.

The rough fur of a magical beast could easily damage her hand just by brushing against her soft skin.

“…I’m fine.” She said in a hushed voice.

She pulled her hands from him awkwardly and hid them behind her back.

Calix raised his eyebrows.

This was by no means a wound that could be described as fine.

“Give me the medicine, and I’ll apply it myself. I’ll make sure it doesn’t bother you…”

“What?”

Calix could not believe his ears when he heard the words she had just said.

“…You’ll do it on your own?”

With a chilling voice, his face hardened.

Asella suddenly became afraid.

She was already frightened with what she’s just been through, and him now interrogating her with the look in his eyes? she shuddered in fear…

‘What’s going on with him?’

Asella bit her lip in frustration. What could have upset him?

After a short pause for thought, her eyes fell upon the utterly wrecked carriage which collided with the image of him ordering for the preparation to return to the Duchy immediately when they were back at her home.

He must have intended to move as quickly as possible, and now he was angry that his schedule had been disrupted because of her.

Her body involuntarily shrank under the man’s gaze, who was staring at her with an utterly stiff face.

‘I must make an excuse… Otherwise …’

Asella managed to open her lips.

“I’m sorry, My Lord.”

“Sorry?”

As Calix’s brow furrowed, Asella hurriedly continued her words.

“The carriage is destroyed.”

“…”

She continued, “As a child, I’ve ridden horses before. I will manage to keep up with you and stay out of your way. If you give us a few moments, we will be ready to leave immediately…”

“Stop.”

Calix interrupted Asella.