Chapter 20: The Real Angelina

Sophia was unaware that her entire conversation with the red-robed figure had been overheard by Ethan.

As he paced the hallway, a chill ran down his spine, like a bucket of ice water poured over his back on a hot summer day. He didn't understand why, but merely talking with that woman had left him feeling more exhausted than a battle lasting several days.

Dragging his weary body, Ethan followed a maid to the room prepared for him by the family. Upon opening the door, he saw Angelina sitting quietly by the bed, seemingly waiting for him.

"Dear, you're back!" Angelina exclaimed, jumping up to greet him as soon as she saw him.

At that moment, Ethan felt an overwhelming sense of relief. Having someone waiting for him, even a woman with a questionable reputation, who showed genuine joy at his return, made him feel at ease. It was akin to coming home after a long day and being met at the door by a woman who lovingly offered to change his shoes. It was a warm, indescribable feeling.

"What are you doing here?" Ethan asked softly, his eyes gentle.

"You said you wanted to make me proud and shut up those old men, didn't you?" Angelina's face blossomed with a smile as she took Ethan's arm. "I'm so happy, I want to reward you!"

Ethan smiled back, thinking, "How can two sisters, born of the same parents, be so different? One is terrifyingly shrewd, the other childishly innocent, believing even the most casual joke."

In an instant, memories of Angelina flashed through his mind like a slideshow, and Ethan suddenly understood everything about her.

In a family with a prodigious talent, such a child would be doted upon, while her siblings would likely suffer neglect. Especially in a world that values strength and in a noble family driven by profit, a girl with average talent would undoubtedly be overlooked next to a genius.

With this realization, Ethan suddenly understood why Angelina sought out strong men. Perhaps she was just looking for protection and a sense of security, someone who would hold her tightly and make her feel safe. She desperately needed that security—literally.

Her behavior might seem promiscuous, but it stemmed from a deep-seated insecurity, likely to the point of being pathological. But it wasn't her fault. She was a victim, an appendage to others' ambitions.

Many people don't grasp how profoundly a dysfunctional family can affect a child. No matter how good the external conditions are, a child raised in such an environment will lack inner strength. Fear, inferiority, sensitivity, and fragility would mark her life.

But Ethan understood because he had lived through a similar family tragedy.

The memories from before he was eight were all about his younger brother. If his brother fell, Ethan would be punished for not taking care of him. If his brother didn't eat, Ethan would go hungry for three days because how could he eat if his brother wasn't eating? If his brother cried, Ethan had to comfort him immediately, or the maids would beat him even more harshly than his father did. Yes, even the maids. Whatever his brother wanted, Ethan had to give it to him and follow his brother's whims, no matter how unreasonable.

Once, his brother's toy fell into a pond, and despite many adults around, his brother insisted Ethan retrieve it. Though the pond was small, it was deep, and Ethan, who could swim, risked his life to fetch the toy. While trying to retrieve it, his brother threw stones at him, hitting his head and knocking him unconscious. He nearly drowned, and though many adults watched, none helped until the old butler, who had served the estate for 30 years, arrived to pull his near-lifeless body from the water.

This background of fear, hunger, and constant appeasement left Ethan with no memories of his mother's face. These memories haunted him, causing him to wake up screaming from nightmares. He spent years trying to find inner strength and rebuild his external world, but it seemed futile.

Until one day, he realized he shouldn't fight these memories but accept them as part of himself. He couldn't change the past or others, only himself. Accepting reality and continually striving to improve was the way forward.

Having experienced such a family tragedy, Ethan felt deep empathy for Angelina.

"No wonder a knight dared to command her in front of others. Even when bullied, she sought to please him, offering her body because she feared losing her only source of security."

"No wonder a seemingly promiscuous woman could appear so cold one moment and childishly innocent the next. Her body had grown, but her heart had not. She was likely stuck at a moment of profound loss, like Ethan, forever reliving the despair of nearly drowning."

Understanding this, Ethan forced a smile and hugged Angelina tightly. The unexpected embrace startled her.

"Ethan, what's gotten into you? Why so passionate all of a sudden? Do you need me to serve you?" she teased, trying to guess his intentions.

Ethan's eyes moistened for reasons he couldn't explain. In that moment, he made a decision.

Releasing the hug but still holding her shoulders, he pressed his forehead to hers and spoke gently, "Alright, my dear fiancée, you don't need to please anyone, including me. Listen carefully to what I'm about to say. It's very important."

"What's wrong?" Angelina asked, her laughter turning to bewilderment, like a startled fawn.

Ethan continued softly but firmly, "You want to shut up those who look down on you, don't you? I promise you, I'll do just that. This time, it's not a joke."

Angelina's eyes reddened, tears welling up as she stared at him, biting her lip.

Ethan went on, "Anyone who dares to insult you publicly, whether a duke or an emperor, I'll behead them and kick their heads like a ball for you! Because you are my fiancée, soon to be my wife. Insulting you is like insulting me, and I don't take kindly to that. If someone wants to pick a fight, they should be ready to lose their head. And if you don't like kicking heads, we'll just throw them into the sewer because that's where trash belongs."

Angelina, eyes red with tears, couldn't help but laugh through her sobs.

"And remember," Ethan continued, "as I said before, you're my fiancée, and we've had our ceremony. You will be my only legitimate wife. I don't want you to please anyone else. Let's forget about that 'playing around' nonsense. I can overlook your past, but please forgive me for any hurt I've caused. I promise that from now on, no matter the danger or powerful enemies we face, I'll stand in front of you, shielding you from every storm. And those who've hurt you, I'll make them pay, one by one. Just promise me you won't cheat on me."

Sobbing uncontrollably, Angelina buried her face in Ethan's shoulder. He gently patted her back, his resolve as unyielding as the sword he bore—the Champion's Blade of Fidelity.