Angelus Carduus

Chapter 33: Let's Do Everything Together

Valeria stared at him before bringing her gaze over to their hands. Carefully, she turned his palm over and began writing characters.

"I'm sorry."

It was the first thing she wrote. She cast him a glance, checking his expression before continuing to write.

"I didn't tell because I-"

Her finger stopped moving. She didn't know what to say. Why didn't she tell him? Because she didn't want him to get hurt? He was already hurt by her never telling the truth.

Valeria blinked her eyes, vision slowly becoming less blurry.

Was she scared to tell him?

The looks she would receive from him would be only sympathetic and guilty instead of his usual looks which she preferred very much. It was too late now since he will start looking at her that way from now on.

Aelius continued to stay quiet, watching her attentively. Valeria shook her head before changing her words.

"To be honest, I thought duke knew but chose to act like it was nothing."

Aelius quickly shook his head, "No! I never knew. When my family checked, there was nothing about you being ill."

Valeria frowned at his answer. It seemed that her gut feeling was right that her family had secretly omitted her illness just so they could still marry her off.

"My family must have taken that part out." she wrote, "Sorry, marrying someone with a fatal disease..."

Valeria couldn't continue the sentence. The more she tried, she felt unusual. Like she wanted to cry.

'Maybe he will want a divorce or something now... Nobody wants a sick person..'

"It doesn't matter. I will continue to be married to you." Aelius cut her train of thoughts, speaking in a firm tone.

Hearing his words, she couldn't help but grow puzzled. He won't gain anything from keeping her by his side. She will just be a burden to him.

Like how she has always been since the beginning.

"Why?" this time she questioned him.

Aelius stared at his palm, confused by her question. He brought his gaze up before answering,

"Why? Because we have been husband and wife since the moment we got married." he said, in an obvious tone, not understanding why she had questioned him.

A silence fell over them for a long time until,

"Pft.." Valeria nearly burst into laughter.

His answer was, for some reason, unexpected for her. Yet, she felt pleased by it. A full smile bloomed on her face, her eyes turning into crescents.

"I see." she wrote on his palm, the smile still plastered on her face.

She wondered to herself, how long has it been since she ever smiled genuinely to a person? She didn't dwell on it any longer and instead brought her gaze back on Aelius.

He had a stunned look on his face, staring at her, dumbfounded. He continued looking at her before snapping back to reality. He rubbed his eyes before blinking them, making sure he wasn't hallucinating.

Her facial expression returned to her usual look before writing something on his palm again,

"You will continue to take care of me?"

"Yes, of course. I will always take care of you." Aelius nodded.

Valeria felt her heart aching slightly. Caught off guard, she placed her hand against her heart.