Hurt Or Jealousy

"I…" that was not the result he was expecting when his friends when to look for Lia.

He felt the pain in his gut and felt it was an injustice that he was questioned instead of Damien. What was wrong with using the name "Welenshire"? It belongs to him now.

"Lia, I thought.."

"We will discuss this in the carriage." she looked back at Damien, ignoring Micheal again which made his chest tighten.

"I apologize for what happened, Sir Damien. I will fix an official meeting with my father for the same. I hope you will heal soon to attend it." Lia's eyes lingered on the wound for a few more seconds before she turned and followed her husband out of the room.

Nicole and Karren smiled with their beaming eyes as they waited for the promised reward.

"We have told the truth to the lady as you have asked Sir Damien." Karren could not hide the excitement in his voice as his hands clasped in front of his chest.

"Yes, the lady would only blame Sir Micheal. We did as you promised, Sir Damien." Nicole nodded his head like a rattle drum until Damil smiled.

The twisted smile did not reach his eyes but they did not care as long as he take them in.

He had found them looking for Michael's wife and offered a position in his order of knights in exchange for speaking the truth in front of her.

As long as Camelia would blame her husband for the duel, they will reserve a seat.

"Yes, meet me two days after. I have been asked to rest for three days. I will take you to my team and give you good posts when I return." They smiled with joy and nodded before leaving the room.

Damien shook his head smirking.

"How foolish."

—-

Mike was standing near the exit when Lia joined him. Her eyes gave one look to him before she walked past time and entered the carriage.

He opened his mouth and closed it again, swallowing the anger he was feeling. Did she think he would follow her everywhere because she held the power in this relationship?

Had she forgotten she was just a woman at the end of the day? A wife, whose duty is to take care of the needs of her husband and cherish her, revel in his happiness, and share his pain.

Yet she was giving him temper when he was injured. He felt unjustified.

Taking a deep breath and hiding his anger behind that sweet smile on his face, he followed her to the carriage.

But just when he was going to enter, he saw Nicole and Karren leaving too. Both of them were smiling ear to ear and beaming in joy.

"I could not believe that we got a promotion just like that!" Karren laughed when Nicole spoke in a dreamy voice.

"Yes, after two days we will be part of the first order of knights and follow the crown prince." Nicole nodded with another smile.

They only noticed Mike staring at them when they reached closer. Their eyes widened and they swallowed the lump forming in their throat.

"I…"

"You betrayed me for a better position." Mike laughed as if he was as joyous as them, "Hope you will enjoy it." They evaded Mike's gaze and searched for excuses but the man did not linger there.

After saying his piece, he turned and entered the carriage waiting for him.

"What was that?" Karren felt the hair of his skin rising and it left a goosebump all over.

"He could do nothing." Nicole looked more confident as he patted his friend's shoulder. "The lady is already angry. If he made another mistake by hurting us, Sir Damien and Lady Camelia will not let him escape. I am sure Sir Michael would not make such a mistake."

"And he is leaving for his honeymoon anyways. When he would return, we would have joined the first order of knights. What could he do against us then?" Though not sure, Karren nodded and they started walking away.

Mike stared at them with narrowed eyes while sitting on their side of Lia in the luxurious carriage.

He waited for her to initiate the conversation but she did not. The carriage slowly started and drifted away from where Karren and Nicole were.

But if they think that they could join the first order of knights at his expense then they were so wrong. Mike's lips twisted sinisterly.

"Why are you smiling?" Only then did he realize the woman was still around him.

"Can I not even smile now?" he Spat back and finally looked at her, "give me a list of things I can not do after marrying you," he added when she squinted her eyes at him.

He must remind her she was not in charge or the foolish woman would continue to harass him in public.

"This is not how I have seen my future. Did marrying you take away my freedom or i am not allowed to take any decision because you hold the power in the family?" his voice grew pained as if he was hurt.

In the past, Lia would have felt guilty. She would have felt bad for hurting his ego. After all, he was the man yet she got all the power. She had always ignored the small mistakes he made, afraid that it would hurt his ego.

She wanted him to be free, happy, and confident but now that she looked at his face, she realized it was not hurt or aggrieved. But it was hatred and jealousy. He could not bear that she was stronger than him and held more authority.

"You are making claims like I am denying you things I do myself." she paused to gain his attention before continuing, "Even you know that we do not use our names against our vassal families. We are here to support each other, not stand against them. And since you have gotten the position of count not marquis, you are very well aware you can not use my name, Michael."