A Caged Bird Doesn't Cry - Chapter 4 Part I
Chapter 4 Part I
Yuhar carefully observed his superior's expression. He couldn’t quite pinpoint what had upset him.
‘Is it because of Terloga?’
He managed to come up with a plausible reason, but Terloga Nuel was far too insignificant to affect someone like Andrea Kalidnas. Terloga wasn’t the kind of person who could influence Andrea’s mood. In fact, Andrea had even smiled—a rare sight—when Terloga introduced his fiancée. Andrea’s congratulatory gaze had been undeniably sincere. Terloga had been so taken aback by it.
‘Then what on earth is the reason?’
Even on days when Andrea’s condition wasn’t at its best, he usually had enough composure to exchange small talk about the weather. But now, Yuhar couldn’t even open his mouth without feeling the tension. He had been tiptoeing around, trying to read the situation, when suddenly his eyes widened in realization.
‘It’s his hand.’
Yuhar became certain as he watched Andrea slowly rub his thumb, index, and middle fingers together. His superior’s hand wasn’t in the right condition for shooting a bow. Just as Yuhar finally found a reason to feel relieved, a deer appeared in front of them.
"Ah!"
At Yuhar’s involuntary exclamation, the deer began to flee quickly.
‘Damn it!’
As Yuhar fumbled to draw his bow, the sharp sound of an arrow cutting through the air pierced the deer’s neck. The deer let out a desperate cry, leaped into the air, and then collapsed. Yuhar reflexively turned his head toward the direction the arrow had come from.
He didn’t have to look far. Right beside him, Andrea was already nocking another arrow. Yuhar’s eyes drooped in defeat. If it wasn’t his hand, then what was it?
"If your condition is off, you can take a break."
Seeing Yuhar’s dejected expression, Andrea actually expressed concern for him.
"That’s not it!"
Yuhar shouted with a burst of energy, then hesitated for a moment.
"I just..."
"Speak."
"Never mind."
The conversation ended flatly. Yuhar wasn’t the type to press for answers, nor did he have the right to do so. Perhaps the tension had momentarily eased as they rode side by side through the hunting grounds. Yuhar tightened his grip on the reins and steeled himself anew.
‘For now, I’ll just focus on the hunt.’
After all, with Andrea taking the lead, Yuhar’s self-imposed pressure didn’t hold much significance.
***
While the gentlemen participated in the hunting competition, the ladies enjoyed their tea time. Just as the variety of desserts prepared for the long hunting hours were diverse, so too were the stories exchanged. Among the names frequently mentioned, Andrea Kalidnas undoubtedly took the top spot.
Anyone with a tongue wanted to talk about Andrea Kalidnas, and anyone with ears wanted to hear about him in detail. While anyone could, in theory, enter his bedroom, no one had truly succeeded. Recently, even the path to his bedroom seemed to have been blocked, leading to rampant speculation about the reason.
“Isn’t it because of that sl@ve? I heard his gaze was quite unusual!”
Stupid bitch.
Olivia inwardly scoffed as she looked at Terloga Nuel’s fiancée. The woman had crawled into Andrea’s bedroom, only to return with nothing but a face full of his seed, yet here she was, bragging about it.
The fact that Terloga Nuel’s fiancée had left the Duke’s residence with her face covered in semen was something everyone at this tea time knew. Soon, the news would reach her fiancé, but no one pitied her. There was no reason to sympathize with a lady who couldn’t even control her own maid.
“It’s true, the atmosphere did feel different.”
Rose, with her blonde hair and green eyes, added credibility to the conversation. Introduced to Andrea by Olivia, Rose had shared his bed a few times before cleverly sidelining Olivia. Now, she acted as if she knew everything about him, her nose held high.
“Honestly, it’s worrying. Andrea wouldn’t do such a thing, but lowborn creatures don’t care about propriety.”
This, too, was complete nonsense. It was time to set the record straight. As Olivia approached Rose, who was looking down at her with a sly expression, the door opened, and everyone immediately bowed their heads in unison.
“It seems everyone is here. How lovely.”
It was Belliona Perletti, the princess.
The atmosphere shifted noticeably with the princess’s arrival. After all, Belliona was the true future mistress of the Kalidnas household. Rumors had been circulating openly that King Perletti himself would oversee her engagement on her birthday. Indeed, there was no family more suitable for the Kalidnas than the Perletti Royal Family.
Belliona’s long-standing crush on Andrea also played a part. Having grown up alongside her brother, Linerus, and Andrea, Belliona had known him since childhood. It was no exaggeration to say she had harbored feelings for him since she could barely walk.
Over the years, Belliona had watched Andrea’s countless romantic escapades and endured them without a word of complaint.
“Such a virtuous princess.”
Some of the elderly ladies praised Belliona. Most of the noble ladies also liked the Princess, who was modest and unassuming. They felt that even if they became Andrea’s mistress, having the princess as the main wife would be less burdensome. That’s why they could be so close.
“You look beautiful, Your Highness.”
Olivia sneered at the women flocking around the princess. To be honest, Belliona wasn’t exactly what one would call beautiful. While the Perletti royal family members all had blonde hair and light eyes, Belliona lacked any other distinguishing features of the Perletti lineage.
If only Prince Linerus had been born a princess, he might have captured Andrea’s heart in an instant.
Belliona was well aware of the public chatter about her. She knew exactly how she looked. After all, mirrors didn’t exist for no reason. Her accumulated inferiority complex was always ready to lash out at someone. For example, Olivia, who was shamelessly staring at the princess without even a greeting.
“It’s been a while, Olivia. How have you been?”
Olivia politely greeted the princess, who was marching toward her as if ready to slap her. Time and again, Belliona had tried to one-up Olivia, only to end up on the receiving end of her wit. It seemed the princess was lacking not only in looks but also in brains.
“Your Highness, you look... um, beautiful today.”
Olivia deliberately hesitated, and Belliona’s expression visibly twisted. The princess quickly composed herself and extended her hand for Olivia to kiss. Then she sat down beside her and began fanning herself.
So, she wants me to play the role of a maid? Is she trying to put me in my place?
At least her methods had improved since their last encounter, when Belliona had outright accused Olivia of behaving like a prostitute. Olivia had shamelessly retorted that if it weren’t for her, who else could handle Andrea? She had even mocked the princess, suggesting that the frail Belliona might one day need her help to endure the nights.
Flustered, Belliona had looked around for someone to back her up, but the room was filled with women who had shared Andrea’s bed, and her desperate plea for help was thoroughly ignored.
After a long silence, Belliona suddenly spoke up, as if she had just remembered something.
“Oh, Olivia. If it’s alright, I’d like to send a physician to see you.”
“I appreciate the concern, Your Highness, but I’m in perfect health.”
“Is that so? Then why did you do such a foolish thing?”
“A foolish thing?”
“The silver-haired woman you gifted to the Duke. After hearing about her, I thought you must have become... fragile.”
Belliona’s eyes gleamed with triumph. As the conversation took this turn, the women who had been scattered around began to gather in a circle. It was a good thing. Olivia could silence multiple mouths at once.
“First of all, Your Highness, I didn’t gift that woman to him. She just appeared in his bedroom one day. Oh, I’m so sorry. You’ve never even seen the inside of Kalidnas’s bedroom, have you?”
A stifled laugh was heard, and Belliona clenched her gloved hands. Seeing this, Olivia became even more ruthless. She was determined to squeeze every last drop of moisture from those dry gloves.
“But Your Highness, what does my supposed fragility have to do with that woman? Surely... you don’t think Andrea would roll around with her, do you? With that lowly sl@ve?”
“I...”
Finally realizing she had fallen into her own trap, Belliona looked around for support. Of course, everyone averted their eyes. Olivia smiled inwardly, feigning shock and pressing her hands to her chest.
“Your Highness, to insult your future husband like this... Duke Kalidnas doesn’t even accept assistance on the battlefield, no matter how harsh the conditions. The reason is...”
Here, Olivia glanced around the room.
“I believe you all know why.”
On the battlefield, it was common for women from nearby villages to come and tend to the soldiers’ needs. These women were all commoners, and Andrea detested their touch so much that he did everything himself. If Andrea had any special feelings for a sl@ve, Olivia was certain it would be disgust.
Olivia’s pointed remark visibly reddened the faces of the women who had been insisting that Andrea and the sl*ve had some kind of relationship. Belliona was no exception. Once again, she had been thoroughly defeated. She had foolishly insulted her own fiancé, and her mood sank. Even the news that the hunting party had returned couldn’t lift her spirits.
“This stag is truly magnificent.”
Olivia’s admiring voice broke the silence as she stepped forward without hesitation. Belliona weakly raised her head. Her idol, Andrea, stood there, his indifferent gaze surveying the hunt. The slight furrow in his brow and the firm set of his lips exuded strength, and Belliona’s heart swelled despite herself—until Olivia turned to her with a triumphant smile.
“When the competition is over, I’d like to request a bit of the hide. May I send someone? If it’s alright, I’d like to choose it myself.”
It was clear what Olivia intended to do during her visit to the Kalidnas residence. Andrea gave a brief nod to her meaningful request. Belliona’s heart, which had swelled with hope, plummeted into the abyss.
***
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