Barbaric Spouse, Descry the Night's Lure-Chapter 96: Scene XCVI — Unthought Feast.

Kind in her tone and gaze, her thumbs caressed his ears and cheeks as he also glared at her pause.

"... My energy should be guarded."

"I won’t touch as much."

"... I cannot let you. Our people cannot meet their Leader’s wife with a weaker appearance."

"Ewelina."

"I am not allowing our share of waters. Husband’s glare will not change my mind."

"... Darn woman." — Relasing her waist, Aslak rolled to lay on the bed, scowling at her decision.

"! Excuse me?"

"I’m annoyed. Why can’t I touch you or bathe with you? It’s annoying."

Watching him from her place with wide eyes, Ewelina stayed silent as she kept herself covered. Feeling conflicted by how even when his words were brutish, the man beside her appeared adorable to her sight.

"Husband..." — Turning to place her hand on his abdomen, Ewelina spoke softly. — "You are always allowed... Yet not today."

"It’s not always then."

Bluntly he replied. Peeking at her sorry eyes that weren’t looking at him anymore. Ewelina wished to please the man. However, as their duties demanded, the wise youth was conscious of the correct procedure and appearance she should provide to their people.

"..."

Silence was kept, yet the man’s eyes lowered from the visage that wouldn’t look at him, catching sight again of the gift she had been wearing every day even while nude.

"Let’s soak together... I won’t take you this time." — Stroking her arm, Aslak softly requested. Meeting her eyes as she pondered on her answer. — "I won’t be inconsiderate."

"... I will be the one upset if do not honour your words."

"Grrmm yes, alright." — Purring to her permission the man raised to nuzzle Ewelina again, truly aiming to honour the promise, although hiding wicked intentions once bellow the crag.

A peaceful soak on shared waters, where his fingers played with the curls of the woman wishing to aid their cleansing and care. A silent and now quotidian ambience while they dressed... With an Archduke whose hands wouldn’t stop showing affection in manners he had never contemplated showing to others.

"Mhrrm... Are you not ready yet? Are you wearing my gift over the sleeve?"

"Yes... Only the tinted oil on my lips is left..." — Happy to feel his nose on her nape as she prepared, Ewelina shyly told him. Causing him to lift his head to peek at her visage.

"Why do you use that? It smells odd and has a different colour."

"... I– I am a woman and... Husband’s wife..."

"That’s simple oil. What does it have to do with you being mine?"

"!... I..." — His wording made her flutter and swallow as she glanced gracefully at the attentive gaze of the man. Wishing to maintain composure even though her enamoured heart desired to paint a smile on her corners. — "For I am your wife, I am to take care of my humble appearance... So I will not cause disgrace to fall on you with my lacking features..."

"... What?"

"... It is so I will not look dull. Husband."

"Dull?" — His eyes stared at her, dubious of what she told with severity. Giving birth to honest thoughts as his gaze fell on many places he could not agree with her statement. — ’What is this woman saying?’

"What’s dull?"

"I mean that my appearance is not remarkable nor interesting–"

"Who said such a waste of words?" — Growling at her upset explanation, Aslak interrupted Ewelina, infuriated by the meaning behind it. — "My wife is not dull. Tell me who said that. I’ll take their head for lying."

"! It is obvious–"

"Obvious to who?" — Fiercely glaring into her eyes, Aslak hissed in displeasure. — "My Fatædi isn’t dull. Who the fuck on this earth spouted such nonsense."

Turning away from the surprised brown of her wide eyes, Aslak cursed as he threw his cloak with rage, kicking any near furniture he could find at the thought of his wife hearing the lies of the ignorant.

"Tsk. Fucking imp. I’ll castrate the unwanted soul." — He mumbled, wishing for violence. Unaware that... Ewelina’s answer would come to show him wrong.

"... Umh... N-Nobody truly has... I- I have always believed such was the case..."

The timid voice of the woman made his eye peek behind and find a blushing Ewelina, lowering her head as she recalled how from before gaining the wiseness of a long past she already believed her appearance was not one the people would define as beautiful.

’H-Have I made a mistake?.....! He seems so upset!’

She indeed liked herself... Yet definitions hindered her notions believing the beauty she portrayed was not one recognized by the standards in her lifes.

Aslak’s eyes softened the rage and picked up the cloak he had thrown, only to tell the woman his thoughts. — "Finish preparing. Don’t ever say that again... It maddens me."

"... I... I am ready..."

"... What about the oil for the lips."

"I–..... I will not wear it today."

"... Alright."

Deciding to not use the tint for her edges at the rage its use had brought to her husband, Ewelina announced immediately that no further preparation was needed. However, she stayed seated, pondering on how to ask what her heart ached to inquire the fierce man giving her his back.

"Umh, Husband..."

"What is it."

"I-If this belief I had upsets you... Er..."

"... What is it."

"Does... Does husband think otherwise? About my appearance... Wh–What does husband... Th-think of me..?"

"......"

A long silence followed to her nervous question that summoned strong blush on her cheeks which hid under the loose curls of her fur. As she couldn’t bare to meet her spouse’s gaze, ashamed to ask such a thing she deemed as useless and unimportant.

’... Maybe I shouldn’t have asked...’ — Tightening her eyelids to the continuous silence, Ewelina regretted her actions. Missing with the lower of her head, how the man took such silence to ponder on what to say.

"... I do feel otherwise. Wife’s not dull... I like your appearance."

Ultimately, his answer came. Primitive, as he did not know how to express elaborately his notions.

"!... I-I see..."

"... If you’re finished let’s go." — Aslak declared after observing the bashful woman during his pause. Stranged by the sensation of telling his like for the woman, to then lead their way out of her chamber, where he once again came to retrieve her before falling to the village.

They had convened they would use the rope at his excuse that convinced the woman she needed to get used to such activity... Nonetheless, he was sly. And wanted the frail woman to hold onto his body as she did on their very first visit.

That... Was what he aimed for. However, the answer to her question kept roaming his head. Taking away his focus as he felt odd and upset by it since he took a long pause before telling such a short and dissatisfying response.