30 Her Protector And Her Attraction

Felixa carefully walked to Pricilla. She saw Lucy's body laid on the ground and even her face wasn't covered yet. She didn't feel any pity for her. She walked as if she hasn't noticed the dead person.

She knew she has to hide her wound otherwise with how good Pricilla is, she will find out that she is connected to Lucy's death. But she didn't want to see Pricilla kneeling and crying.

[But I cannot do anything by talking to Pricilla! I cannot ask her to stand up. Max is the one with the highest authority here.]

"Max," she turned and walked back to him.

"Yes?" Maximus turned at her.

The dark shadow formed under his chin and his eyes lifted as his face brightened up.

«She is looking at me»

"Pricilla told me that she is not married," Felixa pointed at Pricilla.

For a moment there she forgot the words and she just said something randomely. She had no idea how she could help Pricilla and her husband she loves enough to take his blame.

"She did?" Maximus' face turned red out of anger. "She lied?"

«She dared to lie to my wife?»

"Do you want me to punish her?" he asked, placing his hand on her shoulders.

Elrick turned to look at Pricilla and she gulped. She didn't think that her simple words would create trouble for her now.

Felixa felt the air turning cold and heavy as it was before.

[No! This is not going the way I want it to…]

"Punish her?" Felixa raised her brows. "But we are friends," she said meeting his eyes.

"F- frien- friends?" Maximus couldn't believe what he is hearing.

«So she's made friends with Pricilla already. She is only scared of me? Is it because of my scary face? Did I scare her somehow?»

He thought because of the abuses she faced, she finds it hard to converse with others. But it seems like she has a hard time talking to him alone.

He did not feel good at all. He got mad at Pricilla for some reason but he controlled his anger lest he scares his wife some more.

Felixa didn't know that she has pushed the tyrant to despair. She thought he was curiously asking about her friendship with Pricilla.

"Yes," she smiled. "We promised to have tea together and chat. I reckon that makes her my first friend. I can say that, right, Pricilla?"

She looked at Pricilla with a curious smile. She wanted her to be her friend.

Pricilla couldn't believe the bind she's in. In a short time, her husband's been informed that she doesn't consider herself a married woman. Not only that, she could see the Brute is getting angry at her for no apparent reason.

He wants me to agree that I am Felixa's friend, right?

Looking at Felixa's expectant face, she nodded with a grimace. She does consider Felixa as a friend. She likes her and so it won't be a lie.

But why is the Brute turning redder now? Does he not want me to be friends with her? What should I do?

Pricilla felt like she is stuck between the devil and the deep blue sea.

"See!" Felixa's face brightened some more seeing Pricilla's nod. "She agrees, Max. So she did not lie about her marital status. She was just teasing to make me curious and she succeeded. Now I am curious."

Maximus saw a halo around his wife as she smiled brightly. Whenever she is with him, she only bows her head and mumbles most of the time. But she gets this happy talking about Pricilla.

«First friend? First? Then who am I?»

"If you are hungry, you can have tea with me," he held her hand and turned to leave.

"But my friend is crying," Felixa said. His hold on her hand was gentle although his hands were stiff as if he was controlling his strength.

"I should console her," Felixa said looking at Pricilla. Her feet stopped moving and although he had the strength to pull her along, he stopped, as he saw her unwillingness to walk with him.

Maximus knitted his brows.

Now his wife wants to spend time with Pricilla because she is crying? Although she is not saying it aloud, it appears as if he is getting blamed as the tyrant who makes a woman cry for no reason at all.

"Julius, make sure Elrick receives ten lashes for leaving his post," Maximus commanded Julius.

If his wife wants to stay with Pricilla to console her rather than be with him, he can make sure Pricilla does not need consolation.

Felixa turned back to see that Pricilla is relieved. And so was her husband although he still has to receive ten lashes.

The other man Maximus addressed as Julius stood up.

Meeting his eyes, she felt like he does not like her.

[Well, everyone does not like everyone!]

Her eyes ended up at Elrick and Pricilla with their face filled with happiness. And there was still a drop of tear at the corner of Pricilla's eyes.

[Ah... she's worried for her husband... And lashings... They are painful and it makes the skin peel and...]

Her fingers started to tremble and her eyes blackened. She experienced a sensation that she was somewhere else just like back then. She was in a familiar place that she loved.

The rain drops fell on her skin making her tingle. Her eyes started to sting as she watched without blinking her eyes. With every whooshing sound, she clutched her jaws and fisted her hands so tightly her fingernails sunk in her flesh.

In the training ground, with his hands tied to the front, a man was on his knees and getting lashed. His blonde hair had a grey tint as it reflected the gloomy sky. Strings of redness formed on his chiseled back every time the whip left his back.

[Tubby…]

She felt like someone was wringing her heart through a clothes wringer.

[He got punished for me…]

Some time ago, they were in a fight which was against the rules. Some boys in the academy who started to tease her because of her appearance that was close to a girl's. But she knew it was out of jealousy that she is better than them.

As the teasing and bullying continued, she – the tomboy, started a fight with them rather than letting it go as Tubby always advised her. She was winning but a couple of guys played dirty and subdued her. They were about to undress her because they've never seen her shirtless. She almost struggled out but Tubby- the skylark, made his entry right at that time and helped her out.

Both of them gave a nice beating to the bullies and taught them a lesson.

[But why was Tubby punished alone when I was the one who started the fight..?]

She remembered that dark-haired boy and his smirk.

[Luke…]