My wife, Mirxalyn Knightrose, the queen, was being annoyingly insufferable the way she speaks to me whenever we're alone. She teases at times and flaunts her smugness, which keeps me annoyingly entertained, but when she softens, she smiles with raw gentleness. It was a kind of smile that transformed her face, lighter, softer, and it surprised me. It was warming my heart, hoping to see that smile again. But I wished too early and jinxed it.
"Insufferable? You'll get used to it as I'm always around you." Her soft voice but annoying tease broke the spell between us. I shivered. I don't deny that, but I'm annoyed. She winked at me, making me annoyingly blush as her gaze sternly met my guardian, leaving a reminder, "Reaper, next time, call me before my family comes for her."
That confused me. I narrowed my eyes and was ready to question her, "Wait! Dammit." But again, she's a vampire popping in and out of nowhere. "What is she talking about? Did you call her?" I asked, forgetting the vulnerability Mirxalyn had witnessed after my relapse in the bathroom. But Reaper, my guardian pet, looked away and pretended to be asleep. "Reaper, look at me when I'm talking to you."
***
Ever since that night talk with my wife, I found myself noticing a bit of a shift around Mirxalyn whenever we bump into the hall. Previously, she would ignore my entire existence as if she didn't exchange rings and vows with me, but now, I existed. She was the same about how she carried herself with grace and beauty, but also intimidatingly terrifying. Her posture demanded respect, but as we met in the hall, she acknowledged my presence with a nod and never let her eyes wander to mine for longer than five seconds. It was countable, but it was an improvement between us. But some household members thought we had disagreements since we barely talked or smiled at each other.
"Are you okay, milady? People are talking," Allison asked softly as we finished my physical therapy session that I had been doing with her ever since the accident.
I frowned as I pushed myself doing a last Pilates before wondering, "Talking about what?"
"You and the queen had some misunderstandings." She answered, assisting me to my last push before I released a heavy sigh. I'm done with my session, and I know what she was talking about. I've heard them.
"Not much, but we compromise in some ways." I answered, catching my breath before drinking water to replenish my energy, and then added, "We just prioritized things, and they didn't need to know them."
"Hmm, okay." Allison nodded, grinning, liking my response before changing the subject, "You're doing great nowadays." She sounded proud of my physical improvement. It might be slow and stubborn, but I could see the changes in me. I'm gaining the right weight, my muscles were returning evenly, and my bones weren't jelly anymore. I smiled proudly at my improvement before she added, saying, "Let's wait for Dr. Mikyle's instruction if you're free from your physical therapy, or we have to move into an advanced session."
"I hope I'm free." I sighed, but my smile was still there, and she chuckled, glancing at the therapy room's digital wall clock.
"Well, I hate to break it to you, but you still have a training session with Lady Almira after lunch." She reminded teasingly, making me frown, and pouted a little.
"Please, don't remind me until it's time." I sighed grumpily, doing a little cooling-down stretch, dismissing her reminder before whining, admitting what I'm still not good at. "I still hate physical training."
"You'll get used to it." She laughed as we left the therapy room in the mansion's clinic.
My daily activities in the mansion were moving smoothly. I could be found around the clinic, assisting nurses with first aid, organizing patients' charts, or working with the kitchen's servants. Although they tried to kick me out for almost a month. But I'm stubborn enough to insist and learn how to cook. When the household found my cooking had improved, the family made sure I cooked for everyone at weekends. It made me happy, but my wife hasn't had them.
"Who's that for?" Almira's curious voice over my shoulder made me jump and hit her with a spatula. "That's close."
"Sorry." I mouthed my apologies before answering her, "My wife."
"Ohh, my sister will love it." She grinned teasingly as I finished decorating her kani salad, raw steak, and chopped fruits before pouring her favorite blood wine.
"Hope so." I said softly, smiling with hope, before I wondered about her whereabouts, "Where is she by the way?"
"In her office. She had a meeting with one of the school counselors," She answered, trying to steal one grape. But I quickly slapped it before she added, saying, "I think they were discussing the students' scholarship this coming month."
"Is it okay for me to drop this?" I asked carefully, wiping the stain on the side.
"Like you said, she's your wife. Of course, there's no harm done." She replied, grinning mischievously before winking, "Just don't do what I usually do."
I frowned before asking curiously, "What?"
"Bragging without knocking." She answered, laughing at her mischievousness.
"Totally you." I shook my head, amused, before taking the tray.
"I know. Let's go, I want to see my sister's reaction when her wife brings her food." She chuckled, leading the way for me.
By the hall, everyone who saw us paid their respect, but my heart was drumming against my chest. I am nervous. Almira patted my back encouragingly until we made it. As a decent and educated person, I knocked on the door before Almira could open the door with her childish manner at home. But, she still does by opening the door without waiting for Mirxalyn's response from the inside. I glared at her, shaking my head in disbelief, but when the door opened widely, something tugged at my chest from the sight I was witnessing. The stunning but unknown woman was too close to my wife, who was reading a paper in her hand.
This was the first time I saw her in her zone, mesmerizing until I heard her cold voice, addressing her sister without lifting her head from the papers. "Almira, can't you see I'm working?"
"And can't you see we brought you your food?" Almira refuted teasingly, making Mirxalyn slightly sigh but still looking at her paperwork, and the woman beside her hasn't left her side.
"I'll eat later." She replied coldly to her sister, but Almira was grinning, shrugging her shoulders before looking at me.
I didn't wait and moved closer to the table, placing a tray with her freshly made favorite food, making a little sound. "I made this for you," I said softly, but there was a sting in my tone that made her halt from working and glance at me. Again, it was just a few seconds before I gathered my strength, composing myself with a cold voice, I turned to the woman beside my wife, wondering, "And you are?"
I wasn't sure what the unknown woman heard when I asked her since she flinched at my firmness, but quickly stood straight. She turned polite and a composed woman as she introduced herself, "I'm Demi Wilson, one of the Blood Knight Rose Academy's councilors."
I don't know what came out of me, but I felt suddenly different. It might be something to do with Mirxalyn's presence, but I think it has something to do with a tug on my chest. It was burning, but I ignored it and stretched out my hand to shake hers. I don't feel nervous anymore. I smiled at the woman politely.
"Please to meet you, I'm Bernila Knightrose." I greeted and introduced her back, shaking her hands. I smiled genuinely after a quick assessment that I usually do to anyone who's getting close to my family. In my case, a wolfless being, it was more than a sniff to know one's identity. I didn't just learn the scent; I sensed the mood swings, feelings, emotions, and even the hidden intentions of a creature.
"You're a Knightrose? I haven't seen you before." Demi was surprised, but I could feel sudden agitation coming from her.
"I got married a few weeks ago." I clarified, giggling politely before turning serious at Mirxalyn, who has been quiet in her seat. Then I speak firmly, saying, "Anyway, go on with your meeting and please, Hon, eat."
"I will, later," Mirxalyn replied coldly, but there was a worry in her eyes that she quickly masked by looking away from me.
"Eat. Now." I demanded firmly, staring at my wife. It made her slightly agitated, but she didn't show it. I sighed, stepping a little closer to the desk with crossed arms, letting her know that I'm annoyed, saying, "Not unless you want Ms. Demi to feed you with my cooking?"
"Excuse me?" Demi was taken aback, but was quickly saved by Almira.
"Don't. Let them. This is fun." Almira said, stopping Demi from interrupting what amuses her. I didn't care.
"Almira," Mirxalyn warned, but I'm still holding my ground. Both of us looked at each other, then at the food, and back at each other. She sighed and took a bite. She might hide it, but I saw surprise pass her eyes before asking coldly, "Happy?"
I grinned with satisfaction. "Totally, and Ms. Demi, cookies were for you." I said, smiling genuinely, before reassuring her, "Don't worry, they weren't poisonous."
"Bernila," Mirxalyn warned, but Almira's amused laughter erupted while Demi snickered beside her.
"What? Just saying." I shrugged my shoulders before stepping toward the door. I stopped by the open door, winking at her, saying, "Anyway, enjoy your meeting, Honey."
I stepped outside her office, leaving her jaw clenching again while Almira's enormous laughter echoed around my ears. "HAHAHA! You're so dead to your wife."
"Almira, let's go," I told her because my afternoon belonged to my physical training.
***
The walk toward the training facility was thick and was burning. I was in the pit of fire. I was fueled up with annoyance, and it was not only because of my wife's unpredictable gestures, but because of the feeling that I felt back there. I'm annoyed because I know what it's called, but I'd rather not talk about it, and I ended up awakening my temper for the worse, and my mind drove me nuts.
By the time we arrived in the area, confused knights managed to greet us, but my temper was haywire. I didn't care. I was frowning, furiously annoyed, and Almira was totally enjoying my mood swings around her sister as she dismissed the knights to their workouts. As I grabbed whatever wooden weapon was lying around, I swung it with intensity. It scared the knights, worried that I might hurt myself, but I'm in full rage.
"Get going. I've got her." I heard Almira's assuring voice dismiss the knights and joined me by blocking my full swings with hers. "Whoa, chill your tits, Bernila." Almira teasingly stopped me before adding her worry, "I know you're jealous, but you might break your arms from swinging recklessly like that."
Jealousy is something I disregarded after what happened to me. But with her, my wife, Mirxalyn, my chest was burning with distaste. I groaned, stopping my reckless swing before grumpily admitting. "Your sister is being stoic but beautifully annoying without trying."
"Whoa, you're the first one who commented like that." She commented amusingly before adding her interest, asking, "What else?"
"That she's being stupid," I scoffed, annoyingly. "…enigmatic, unreadable…" not caring how furious I was, and swung the wooden sword multiple times. "…moody wife."
"Ohho, this is interesting." She chuckled amusingly, blocking my attempt before asking, sounding interested. "What else would you name my sister without her knowing it?"
"She's a goddess-like beauty but intimidatingly cold and – argh!" I answered with admiration in my tone.
"Everyone knows that. What else aside from it?" She said, making me groan, and glared at her, commenting. Something twisted in me when I heard it, but I didn't name it and just swung my wooden sword with power. Almira flinched at how strong it was, "Whoa."
I sighed, but my glare was still heated, and rolled my eyes, trying to calm myself, thinking, "What else could see in her?" I thought, wondering about something she had that nobody knows about. I was staring into nothingness, thinking about my wife's unpredictable façade before sighing. But I could feel my lip curved up, "She's cold and distant, but she cares deeply, which sometimes, most of the time, we read it wrong. She's carried herself strong and lethally dangerous, but somehow, she's empty. It was like she had been longing for something she couldn't grasp without fearing it would vanish."