Mysterious Husband [Vol 1-7] ✓

[Vol. 2] Chapter 45

I was waiting in our room and my mind was filled with questions. Questions as to why father forbade me to meet the emperor and while he was guilty of not taking good care of me, he was glad that Arashi was fulfilling his wishes. 

I felt my stomach tightening in a knot as heaviness took birth on my chest. I wanted to know. It might not be my place to know everything but Arashi and my father were my family and I believe I had the right to know.

The door slid open and I looked at Arashi. He entered and said, "We will leave tomorrow morning. Rest as much as possible." His demeanor had changed as if some heavy things were placed on his shoulders.

"Okay," I mumbled and took my corner on the futon. I wanted to ask him so many questions but I dared to do so. What if he wouldn't answer them and got angry. 

I turned my back on Arashi and heard him changing his clothes. My mind was still fuzzy with all of the incidents that happened today. First, his vows, then his conversation with father.

Quietness dominated us and each breath we took felt heavy. Both of us could feel the tension in the air.

He sat on the futon and asked, "How much did you hear?"

I froze. Did he know I was there? 

"Wh—what do you mean?" I said, not turning back as my heart started to beat loudly. 

"Bianka... You know I am so accustomed to your presence that it wouldn't take me time to know you were behind the door." He said, his voice was deep. 

"I— Just a little bit..." I mumbled. 

He took a breath and I felt his presence just behind me. I clenched my palms against the sheet as he said, "I know there are many questions you want to ask. But it is not the time for you to know them."

I huffed a breath as I sat and turned to him, my brows furrowed on my forehead and asked back, "Then when is the time?"

Arashi's eyes turned cold and I felt a little scared, however, I continued, "Tell me when is the right time? My father said he was guilty and thinks I must hate him yet he had never even taken a glance at me. Now I am confused why?"

My lips quivered but I held my tears as I added, "He even forbade me to meet the emperor. Why is that? He never took me anywhere yet he is feeling guilty?" And it felt so hypocritical but I didn't say that out loud. I knew Arashi respected my father. I respected him too but why was it so hard for him to tell me.

"I know for a fact that all he did was to protect you."

"From what?"

He pursed his lips and I saw the clench on his jaw muscles. "Sometimes it is better not knowing everything."

"Like the fact that you never told me you were a samurai?" I asked and instantly regretted it. 

I thought I was fine not knowing everything about him but I wanted to know about him. I had no idea where he came from. The people from the ceremony seemed to know him from the war which meant he was excellent in his position. Even Prince Takashi knew him yet I was his wife but had no knowledge. Was it so against the rule that I couldn't even know about his identity?

"The topic never came, that was why I never told you." Arashi said.

"Then tell me now." 

He looked at me for a moment and said, "Unfortunately, I can't tell you here."

Of course! He still won't tell me. I laid down again and turned my back on him as tears rumbled in my eyes. Everyone seemed to be hiding something from me. And it hurt. It was as if they wouldn't trust me.

Then he came closer and held my waist gently as I felt his warm breath on the back of my neck. "I will tell you everything once we reach Godoyama. Okay?"

I nodded as I sniffed. "Okay."

"I am sorry for not telling you but the situation is not that good right now."

I turned to him as he wrapped his hands around me and now I was looking into his eyes. He felt burdened and I felt bad for my behavior. He must be having so many responsibilities on him yet I wasn't considering it. 

"I am sorry. I was behaving like a child." I mumbled as I averted my eyes and a few drops of tear slid down.

"No. I know it is frustrating if people close to you start to hide things from you beside, it is not bad to act like a child sometimes," He said, giving me a gentle smile.

I shook my head. "It hurts but I will wait for you to tell me everything because I married you not knowing anything about you." I looked into his eyes and I felt this was the time for me to take my vows to him.

He was my husband and it was not only my duty but also my pride to have faith in him. "I haven't taken my vows to you yet, have I?"

He nodded as a small smile crept on his lips. His face became serene and I took a deep breath, throwing all those bad thoughts I had been having lately. I wasn't a child anymore. I was his wife and he needed me as much as I needed him. And for that I couldn't keep acting like a child.

I took his hands as my heart warmed up, "I will always stay loyal to you and I will not be your weakness, I will be your strength. If there is no one to support you, I will be there to support you with everything I've got. I will be your pride and my heart will always belong to you even after I die."

Many emotions came crashing on his face as his eyes looked intensely at me and my chest rose up and down as my eyes puffed. I meant every word I spoke and he knew it very well. 

And there was nothing more to say that I would wait for him. It didn't matter who he was. What mattered was he was true to me. 

He pulled me closer to him as our faces neared. We felt our warmth breaths falling on each other's skin as we lost ourselves in us, lips touching lips and moving in a rhythm as if we were the lost piece of a song.

"I love you." I mumbled against his lips as my eyes were closed, heart beating fast and my hairs stood tall on my skin. I didn't know what took over me as I confessed to him. My shyness perished and it felt as if we stepped on a new path of our relationship. 

And I was more than happy because I knew we trusted each other and that was what mattered the most that time.

He pulled away and said in a breathy voice, "If I reveal my identity, your family as well as those around you will be in great danger. Your father doesn't know it either. The only people who know about me wouldn't harm you."

"Mr Amane as well?"

He nodded as he let out a chuckle. "He may be a snarky old man but he is a good person."

"Then why did you give him a scar?" 

"I had to do it to save him and Prince Takashi." He said, "Takashi was a little boy who didn't know much about fighting. He was almost abducted and Mr Amane was saving him. By giving him a deadly scar, he fainted and I declared him dead."

"How did you save Prince Takashi?"

"I let him escape."

"From whom?"

"From me."

I looked at him with a pair of confused eyes. "What do you mean?"

He placed a small kiss on my forehead and said, "Will you wait for me a little? I will tell you everything. Just know that not every war story out there is true."

I nodded. Although I was curious, I had promised him I would wait. As we were exhausted from the whole day attending the rituals, it didn't take us long to fall asleep wrapping around in each other's embrace. 

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13th June, 22
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