I will not spare him!

Minutes after the man had left—and she had made sure he was completely out of sight—Adelia's frustration became even more palpable, causing her to hastily put on the rest of her clothes, almost tearing one in the process.

With trembling fingers, she finished putting on her undergarments and picked up her sleek white gown.

Her eyes caught the spot where she had tightly held the dress just moments ago, her brows furrowed as she noticed the area had become wrinkled and unsightly, a little more and it would have ripped.

Adelia held the dress up, anger burned in her emerald eyes. "Just look at what he made me do!" She quivered visibly. "My lovely dress... so help me God I find him, a single hair will not be left on his head!"

Still seething, she wore the dress, her hands shaking as she fastened the corset around her belly. As she did, she couldn't help but recall the pervert's earlier words.

'You must have been delusional. Why on earth would a man like myself watch you dress?'

'So you say, but there is nothing particularly appealing in watching a fellow man clothe himself, is there?'

Gritting her teeth and clenching her fists around the corset strings, Adelia fought back the moisture welling up in her eyes. "The gall of that peasant... I won't spare him, I swear I won't!"

She was aware of how small she looked and she always felt self-conscious about it. To think he would go to that extent, was it not polite for a man to say nothing of it?

Adelia wiped at her eyes furiously and gathered her belongings. She slung her quiver full of arrows aggressively over her shoulder.

She had had enough of this place, staying here longer would only sour her mood.

As her hand reached for her bow, she froze; the part of the slender wood she had gripped so tightly had snapped off completely.

Adelia stared at the broken bow, her mind in a daze. She knew her own strength, so she wasn't too surprised. She must have held it too tightly, causing it to crack. When she threw it down to protect herself, it must have snapped.

Biting her lip and trembling, Adelia muttered to herself, "First how I look, then my dress and now my bow..."

She silently quivered for a while longer before she took a deep breath in an effort to calm herself.

"Now, Delia, you mustn't fret." She told herself. "When the time comes, you'll beam with satisfaction at the sight of him getting what he deserves."

She picked up her broken weapon and headed toward where she had tied her horse, her resolve firm. However, her ears caught vivid shuffling sounds a few paces away from her.

Gripping the broken bow tightly, she wondered if it was him again. Just as that thought crossed her mind, Meryl emerged from the foliage, wearing what Adelia could immediately discern as a meek expression.

Upon seeing Meryl, Adelia scoffed and turned away, heading toward her horse without sparing a glance back at her.

Meryl quietly followed behind her with the full knowledge that her owner was provoked.

They walked in absolute silence for a few moments before Adelia's irritation got the best of her. She shifted her gaze to the canine trailing behind her, her eyes filled with annoyance.

"I thought you only cared about your stomach," she snapped. "Why are you following me now?"

Meryl's ears drooped in response, and she looked up at her owner with pleading eyes.

"Oh, so you know what you did…" Adelia muttered. "You abandoned me, you… you…" She quickly stopped herself and turned away. "Hmph." She scoffed again. "It's going to take more than an adorable face to placate me, you selfish wolf."

Adelia continued walking without uttering another word. Meryl did not follow her any longer but she wasn't worried, the canine knew her way back, after all.

Reaching her horse, Adelia released it from the tree and effortlessly mounted it. Her gaze fell on the broken bow she carried, a pang of regret tinged with anger coursed through her.

Returning to the castle with the damaged bow and her quiver was sure to bring trouble, but at that moment, she really couldn't bring herself to care.

What could be worse than what she had just faced?

Though the bow was now useless, she couldn't possibly rid herself of it. It held sentimental value—it was the first weapon her overprotective Father allowed her use.

Adelia secured the broken bow in front of her, positioning it with care, before urging her horse forward and steering it in the direction of Veldon Castle.

****

Forty minutes later, Adelia passed through the castle gates at full gallop, only slowing to a trot upon reaching the stables. Dismounting swiftly, she led the horse inside and toward the stable entrance.

Vincent, the stable master, noticed her arrival and turned to greet her, but the words died in his throat when he took in her disheveled appearance.

She was utterly disarrayed, with her hair looking as if it had been drenched just moments ago and it stood in an absolute mess. A part of her dress appeared on the verge of ripping, in her possession was a broken bow and quiver and her sour mood was palpable.

"My Lady…" Vincent managed to utter. "What on earth—"

"Hello, Vincent," Adelia interrupted curtly. "Take care of Salvia; I have brought her back."

"Of—of—of course," the stable master stammered, his confusion and bewilderment etched on his visage as he watched her leave the stable.

Adelia strode firmly into the castle's interior, discarding her quiver full of arrows along the way as she took to the stairs toward her chambers. The servants she passed turned their heads in her direction, their expressions a mix of confusion and curiosity.

Before Adelia reached the door to her bedroom chambers, she collided with a woman in the corridor, causing her to stumble back in surprise.

"Honestly," Adelia began, her tone less than polite. "Who—" Her words trailed off abruptly as she caught sight of the person. "...Lyra?"

Rubbing her nose with a groan, Lyra looked up at her young mistress, who had called her name. "Yes, My—"

She paused, her brown eyes widening as she took in Adelia's disheveled appearance. "My Lady!" she hissed, quickly taking Adelia by the arm and dragging her into the chambers.

Confusion clouded Adelia's expression as she observed her maid's urgency, watching as Lyra shut the door behind them. When Lyra turned to face her, Adelia's brow furrowed.

"My goodness…!" Lyra exclaimed, appalled. "Do you have any idea how you look?!"

"Ho—how I look?" Adelia stuttered, uncertainly.

Lyra took her by the arm again and guided her toward a large mirror hanging on the wall. She positioned Adelia in front of it.

"Do you see what I see, My lady?" Lyra asked.

Adelia studied her reflection in silence, her eyes widening in realization. "I… I see." She answered in a small voice.

Nodding in agreement, Lyra gently turned Adelia around to face her.

"Please… don't tell me you walked through the entire castle like this…?"