Heart Of Darkness

Chapter 69

Who was this man? Why was he suddenly behaving like this? Angelica didn't know whether to be comforted or confused. He called her beautiful and said people would envy him because she would be... his.

Would they? Suddenly she lost track of her thoughts. It became too much with all the feelings going through her, so she shut her eyes and took a deep breath, not caring what that would make her look like.

When she opened her eyes again, Lord Rayven was still watching her, as if afraid she would faint. Did he know how she was feeling?

"Shall we go back home?" He asked. .

Home? That would never be her home unless she were married to him.

She shook her head. "I am alright." She said.

They couldn't go back now. She had already damaged his reputation. For the wedding not to happen would make him look worse.

Releasing her hand, he leaned back. Angelica already missed the warmth and the comfort of holding onto something. But his gaze... this was the first time he had looked at her for so long. She wished she could know what was going through his mind.

"I will be fine once we arrive. Don't worry, My Lord." She couldn't let herself embarrass him and herself.

"I am not worried, but you seem to be." He said.

"I just haven't met people since I ..." Since she was branded. She didn't know how people would react to her presence.

His face tensed again. "They will judge you. Look at you incorrectly, whisper about you, call you names, make assumptions, and maybe even makeup stories about you." He tilted his head. "But it is all because they envy you. Women want to be like you, and men want to be with you. They won't admit it to themselves, of course. It will hurt their pride. So they will try to convince themselves that they don't by using your situation as an excuse not to want to be you or with you."

Angelica blinked, surprised. She was strangely comforted; this was the most he had ever said to her. People would try to look down on her because they envied her. Not because they were truly repulsed.

Suddenly he smiled and turned to look outside. It wasn't a smile of happiness. One corner of his mouth was more lifted than the other, and there was a slight shake of his head followed by it.

She would think it was disbelief, but she couldn't understand why it would be.

For the rest of the journey, they sat quietly. He watched the road, and she watched him. She realized that his scars looked more healed than she had ever seen. There were no open or fresh wounds. He had said that he had scarred himself. She wanted to ask more but didn't think it was a sensitive topic. She didn't know so much about this man—so much confusion about him.

Suddenly he shifted his gaze and met hers. She froze.

"You are staring." He stated.

"I am sorry." She said, averting her gaze at once.

"I don't mind." He went back to watch the road. "Look closely."

But Angelica didn't. She looked outside and watched the road instead. How far or close was she to arriving at the place where her life would change? Where was this road taking her? A good business or the wrong place? Or neither? Perhaps she would only be met with emptiness. Her existence only had meaning, and her heart only found joy when her brother was near. .

This was the life she saw for herself right now.

Abruptly, the carriage stopped, and Angelica's heart skipped a beat. They had arrived. With panic, she looked over at Lord Rayven. He said nothing, but the calm look in his eyes helped her calm down a little.