Jian Qiao struggled to keep his brain alert, but the image of Hallās shoulder stained with blood and his cracked-open skull was firmly entrenched like a demon in his memory.
The bright red blood terrified him and made him lightheaded.
He opened his mouth to ask the manservant to hurry and take him away, but he couldnāt make a sound, and the gift box in his hand fell to the ground.
He wanted to bend down and pick it up, but was afraid he wouldnāt be able to stand up again if he dove after it. The street was full of people, he couldnāt lose face for Desolette.
During this struggle, Rege strode over to him.
The original passersby who were clustered at the gate scattered in all directions, including high and powerful nobles. No one dared to cross Regeās path. Even though the old Duke was still alive, in a practical sense Rege had already become the ruler of Grande.
āYou seem very weak,ā Regeās low, mellow voice reverberated in Jian Qiaoās ears.
āNo, Iām fine, Iām perfectly all right.ā Jian Qiao managed to straighten up and responded in a muted voice.
āLiar.ā Rege stared at the beads of sweat on the tip of his nose and the face that was so pale it was almost transparent, and let out a snort of laughter.
When Jian Qiao tried to retort, the sudden urge to vomit surged into his throat, because Regeās body was covered with the strong odor of blood, and this odor was like a key that unlocked the enchanted box hidden deep inside in his heart.
Those terrifying and hopeless memories were like a deep spring in the ground, and once they found a fissure theyād gush out.
Although heād only been standing upright for a short time, Jian Qiaoās body couldnāt help but sway. Originally his lips still had a bit of color in them, but now they were completely ashen.
Rege looked up and down at this Earl of Flowervale and spoke with certainty, āYouāre afraid of blood.ā
After years of experience in the killing fields heād seen too many of these cowards.
āNo, Iām not!ā Jian Qiao shook his head and resolutely denied it.
Assassination was a major cause of death for nobles, and if people with ulterior motives were to learn of this failing, his situation would become extremely dangerous. He couldnāt count how many people wanted to put him to death for the sake of Desoletteās wealth.
Regeās low laughter resounded through the heavy fog. Obviously, once he grasped his preyās weak point he would bite them to death.
He took out a handkerchief from his trouser pocket and slowly unfolded it under Jian Qiaoās eyes. This handkerchief was the same one heād used to wipe the blood from his fist before. It was stained with bright red splotches and exuded a strong fishy smell.
āWhat do you think this is?ā he teased, leaning over to stare directly at Jian Qiaoās cold, sweating face.
Jian Qiao closed his eyes tightly, not daring to look at the blood-soaked handkerchief. Heād only caught a fleeting glimpse, but the scarlet color was deeply engraved in his mind, and he couldnāt fight the dizziness. He finally lost control of his body, staggered, and fell.
And Rege was standing in front of him.
When he fell, he fell into Regeās arms, and his forehead hit the other manās hard chest.
Rege was dumbfounded.
He obviously hadnāt expected this Earl of Flowervale to pass out all of a sudden.
The manās body was soft and frail, while his forehead burned hot enough to scald. And this bit of roiling heat, pressed just now against Regeās left chest, made his heart beat wildly, like the blood was flowing backwards.
He stood rigidly in place, weirdly unsure of what to do with his hands. His body began to burn because of the heat against his chest, like a spark falling into straw, instantly igniting a blaze of prairie fire.
Jian Qiao desperately struggled in the darkness because he knew that fainting in front of a lion would kill him!
Therefore he stretched out his hands to brace himself against Regeās chest, trying to push himself away. But he was about to lose consciousness, and he didnāt realize the so-called ābraceā, in Regeās eyes, was the same as gently pressing a pair of soft, boneless hands against his chest.
The move wasnāt a rejection, it was more like clinging.
Regeās mind was immediately awakened from the burning heat. When women threw themselves at him they often put their hands on his strong pectoral muscles, and heād gotten tired of such badgering long ago. He could refuse even the most beautiful woman in Tortus, how could he tolerate the approach of a man heād just met?
He should have coldly pushed the Earl of Flowervale away, ridiculed and insulted him.
But as his lips parted, he found his mouth was so dry he couldnāt say a word. When he lifted his hand, he actually took the initiative to wrap his arms around the other manās waist in case he slid and fell with the pull of gravity.
āYouāre really afraid of blood,ā Rege whispered in a hoarse voice.
āNo, Iām not. I just had a serious illness.ā As Jian Qiao cycled between clearheadedness and dizziness, his instinct for self-preservation forced out these words in a frail voice.
His voice was clear and melodious at first, then developed a slight quiver, like the pitiful whimper of a kitten.
Rege suddenly laughed. At the same time, he threw away the smelly handkerchief and trod it into a mud puddle, letting the dirty water cover up the bright red blood.
With his forehead against the other manās chest, Jian Qiao immediately perceived the vibration of his strong muscles and the thumping of his heart. For some reason, this vibration and thumping reassured him despite his anxious struggle.
Rege had one arm around the Earl of Flowervaleās waist while the other hand softly kneaded the back of his neck. It was the same thing he did when the cat he was raising jumped into his arms.
āYou know, if I wanted to kill you, I could break your neck just by gently closing my five fingers. But I wouldnāt do that. I wouldnāt hurt a fragile little creature.ā Rege lowered his head and whispered in Jian Qiaoās ear.
He knew he was strong, but he never abused his strength.
Hearing these words, Jian Qiao, whoād closed his eyes to fight his lightheadedness, couldnāt help but think of Regeās pure blue eyes. With keen intuition, he knew he could trust the owner of those eyes.
As a result all his anxiety and resistance disappeared. Just like that, he completely relaxed his body and hands, and without a trace of worry, fit himself against this broad chest.
Before he fainted, he entreated in an almost inaudible whisper, āPlease help me to the carriage.ā
Rege felt him sink against his chest, then a soft body collapsed in his arms.
This gentleman Earl was so fragile and helpless, even the breath from his nostrils sometimes paused, as if it were about to cease. If he didnāt agree to the other partyās plea, Rege would actually feel guilty. But ordinarily, he could shake off the women who threw themselves at him and order them to never pester him again.
He hated clingy people and things.
The Earl of Flowervale who swooned at the sight of blood was the exact type he hated most.
Rege wanted to sneer and ruthlessly shove the other person away, but when he raised his hand, the motion turned into a hug.
Although not certain why, he embraced the gentleman Earl and placed his arm under the other manās armpit. He supported the manās body and walked step by step towards the carriage parked on the side of the road.
The driver hurriedly opened the carriage door.
Rege effortlessly carried the person up.
The driver immediately closed the door.
Rege pulled the curtains with a sweep of his hand, isolating them from the prying eyes of the outside world.
In this short period, Jian Qiao had regained consciousness. He vaguely knew he was safe and made an effort to open his eyes.
Regeās sharp gaze immediately locked onto his face.
Only then did Rege discover the gentleman Earlās eyelashes were surprisingly long and thick, casting two shadows below his eyelids. They trembled slightly, as fragile as butterfly wings.
Every inch of this man was full of fragility. Too pale cheeks, too melancholy eyes, too thin lips. He was like his family crest, an anemone in full bloom. Although it looked gorgeous, it was withering.
Rege propped his hand on his forehead and stared at the man for a moment.
He didnāt know why it came to mind, but he suddenly reached out and untied the other manās collar, gently drawing away the black ribbon tied into a bow.
Then he saw the slightly trembling Adamās apple in the manās throat.
For a prey animal, it was undoubtedly the most vulnerable part.
As Rege stared at the small and delicate knot in this throat, a little spark ignited in his blue eyes. His heart beat wildly, and the feeling of blood flowing backwards came again.
He was like a fierce beast that had found its quarry, and in an instant his already focused gaze became unbearably intimidating. Then, he reflexively moved away from the carriage window and leaned back in the seat, hiding his taut face in the shadows where the light couldnāt reach.
It was the instinct of a beast to lurk and wait for the opportunity to strike, even if he didnāt know why he wanted to.
Just then, two of Jian Qiaoās servants opened the carriage door. Seeing Regeās eyes flash with a dangerous light, they stiffened in place and their tongues tied in knots.
āMyā¦ my lord, hereās the gift box.ā The two men were holding a filth-stained box, the very same one Jian Qiao had dropped earlier.
Rege had a sudden thought, and didnāt seem to mind how dirty the box was, but immediately took it over.
āClose the door and donāt disturb us,ā he ordered in a deep voice.
The two manservants dutifully delivered the box, then closed the carriage door.
While removing the ribbon from the gift box, Rege secretly observed Jian Qiao, whose eyes were tightly closed.
The Earl of Flowervale was conscious, but his body was debilitated and lacked strength. He rested against the seat with his collar slightly open, his Adamās apple twitching up and down, and beads of sweat flowing freely on his skin. As a flush of blood crept slowly into his lips, cheeks, and the corners of his eyes, he had no idea how fragile he looked, or how fascinating.
He was like an anemone blooming quietly in the darkness, so pure and beautiful that one couldnāt restrain the desire to pluck him.
Rege averted his gaze with all his might, then very impatiently broke open the gift box in his hand.
āIs it the Angelās Tear? Are you going to present it to Helen? So itās not that youāre incapable of flattery, you just donāt know how to choose the right person. But you wonāt bother to curry favor with me, the second son who wonāt inherit, is that it?ā His tone was coldly mocking.
Apparently, when Helen had been extorting gifts from Jian Qiao last night, Rege had listened to the entire conversation.
Jian Qiao shook his head and struggled to wake up. The dizziness hadnāt completely subsided, he had to hold his forehead with his hand as he answered seriously, āNo, I never intended to give the Angelās Tear to Helen Grande, youāre mistaken.ā
Rege sneered and didnāt seem to believe what he was saying.
However, after the gift box was opened, he was surprised. There was really no Angelās Tear inside. Lying there quietly was only a bottle of amber perfume.
This gift was not just inexpensive, it was also very shabby.
The man only rejected his own solicitation, heād also prepared to humiliate Helen and Hall to their faces, this Earl of Flowervale had a lot of guts!
TL Notes:
In this chapter the word āčå¼±ā (weak, frail) appeared six times. (ļ¾ā ā ā)ļ¾*:ļ½„ļ¾ā§
ęęéę± ā to throw oneself in someoneās arms to gain their favor/affection
Transliterated names, titles, and placesānew in this chapter:
"
"
ä¼Æēµå ē ā gentleman Earl. Alternatively: Mr. Earl, this Earl. Rege previously used it as a form of address in Ch 5, where it was translated as āmy lord Earlā.