### Chapter 122: Whispers of the Dark Moon (Part Two)
“What a mess.”
The Duke chuckled wryly, gazing at Catherine, whose eyes were red and teary. He could guess that his increasingly sensitive wife’s mind had wandered off to some dark corner. He intended to offer comfort, but found himself at a loss for words. Finally, he could only helplessly say, “You clearly know what I’m thinking…”
As he pondered what else to say, his wife cut him off with a wave of force.
“Skarlij, let me tell you—”
Lady Catherine’s voice was hoarse, her hand trembling lightly on the table. She struggled to maintain her composure, inhaling deeply as if fighting back tears ready to overflow.
“From now on, no matter what happens, regardless of the enemies we face, our family… you, me, Lafael, Pasifal— we must face it all together. No matter the circumstances, not even if the Abyss comes knocking… No one is allowed to abandon another in any name or for any reason, then bear it all alone… Whether it’s bumps in the road or trials, we will not deceive one another, even for the sake of kindness… No heroics…”
“Skarlij, you promised me this two years ago…”
“I know…”
The northern king nodded, standing up from his chair to reach for his wife’s hand, only to have it dodged.
“You know? Then why do this…”
“I… what do you mean?”
The man could only continue to smile bitterly. In the last two years, his greatest fear was seeing his wife like this, which made the nearly eight-foot-tall duke feel like a child, stuck at the table unsure whether to stand or sit. Meanwhile, Hoover stood beside him with a serious expression, eyes fixed ahead, turning himself into an immovable pillar.
“You still want to argue? You’re about to send me out of the city… but you promised me…”
“I just…”
“Just what? Just wanted me to leave this wretched place? Are you saying nothing will happen? You only say those comforting words… it makes me so angry… and so sad… do you understand…”
“Lady.”
Hoover found he could no longer pretend not to hear anything and risked a meek defense for his master: “The Duke only wants what’s best for your safety…”
“But I don’t want this! I don’t want to be protected like this! Hoover, don’t speak for him!” To her surprise, this provoked Lady Catherine even more. She turned and glared at Hoover, gritting her teeth, “I never considered you an outsider, so if you’re not on my side, then keep your mouth shut!”
That fierce look frightened Hoover, making him flinch as he quickly lowered his head, mumbling, “Fine, fine, I’ll shut up… I didn’t consider myself an outsider anyway…”
“Skarlij, I don’t want to argue about this with you…”
Yet she had already redirected her focus back to the Duke: “We’ve been so tired lately… Let’s not waste our energy on these meaningless arguments. I don’t want to interfere with your decisions, anyway… when it comes to big matters… it’s always been you calling the shots. You always have your way… have you ever truly considered my feelings…?”
She inhaled deeply, tilting her head back slightly, afraid tears, which were swirling in her eyes, would spill over: “If you want me to go, then I will… I’ll listen to you. After all, I can’t go against you… but.”
Her bloodshot eyes locked onto her husband’s, holding a certain sadness.
“Skarlij, remember this… this is what you owe me… you owe me this… I need to make it clear… back then, you were the same, willful and stubborn… supporting her in whatever she wanted to do… you never considered my wishes… you taught her to fight, to master the Frost Order… you gave her the determination to face the Abyss…”
“Enough!”
Such words were painful, cutting to the bone, and finally provoked the Duke into a full-blown fury.
He slammed the table, sending a stack of books flying, they scattered across the floor with a crash, and the candleholder tipped, rolling towards the edge of the table. Hoover, startled, managed to catch it just in time, then hastily resumed his silence and slinked back to a safe distance.
On the other side of the table, even Lady Catherine was taken aback by her husband’s outburst, momentarily stunned.
She had seen him angry before…
But never like this— directed at her.
“You…”
The Duke pointed a finger at her, his face darkening, his eyes sharp, much like a lion about to bare its fangs. Even Catherine, who had shared a pillow with him for thirty years, felt herself instinctively shrink back a bit before the lion’s wrath.
However…
That fury never truly erupted.
“Very well…”
Duke Skarlij pointed at his wife for a moment, the words hanging on the tip of his tongue but ultimately swallowed down by reason. He knew she spoke with intent… but not purely with intent.
This woman, whom Skarlij had loved for most of his life, was ultimately just a reflection of regret and nostalgia, feeling more like a shadow of her former self.
And Duke Skarlij…
Was he not feeling the same way at this moment?
“You’re right…”
The lion-like man finally sank back into his chair, leaning softly against it. He no longer wore a smile, his face suddenly looking a decade older, rubbing his forehead, eyes filled with weariness.
“When it came to our daughter’s return, I was only filled with joy and fear… I was terrified of losing her again… I let her have her way too much…”
From afar, Hoover could only rub his own eyes, unable to hold back.
“Catherine…”
In the brightly lit room, the Duke murmured his wife’s name, making another effort to take her hand, and this time, Lady Catherine didn’t pull away.
“I understand how you feel… I’ve seen your struggles these past two years. Lafael knows too; we all feel bad watching you… trying so hard not to break apart. You’re stubborn, have been since you were young… but ever since you married me, you’ve always been so accommodating. When you were younger, you said you wanted to be the best wife in the world… and you’ve done wonderfully, Catherine, you’ve done great so far…”
“So I can’t let you suffer… even the slightest harm. You’re my beloved Skarlij, and I want to protect you… I know you don’t want me to do this. I once promised you I wouldn’t break my promise… I also don’t intend to hide anything from you; I just… I just hope you can think about me.”
“I once let my love run wild, respecting and supporting her wishes… I knew it was dangerous, yet I still let her go… I lost our daughter… I don’t want to make the same mistake again, Catherine, can you understand?”
Click—
The sound echoed as the door gently closed.
It was Hoover leaving.
“I… how could I not know…”
Inside the room, the sorrowful lady unconsciously grasped her husband’s warm hand tight, feeling its heat. Ultimately, she couldn’t hold back her tears any longer, which silently slid down her cheeks.
“I know…” she choked, “I know… that’s why I can’t… leave Baihao City alone while you face danger… I can’t do that…”
“……”
After those words, the room fell silent.
Except for the howling wind outside, illuminated by the moonlight, only Lady Catherine’s soft suppressed sobs remained.
Time passed.
“Very well, very well…”
Duke Skarlij sighed deeply, suddenly laughing, as if finally reaching a decision within.
“Ha, it’s not like we’re parting for life and d*ath, why does it feel like a funeral around here… Enough, enough, if you insist on staying, then stay… I, Skarlij, am not so weak that I can’t protect my own woman…”
Upon hearing this, Catherine looked at Skarlij’s helpless but comical face, blinked her eyes, swiped her tears away, and with a chuckle, broke into laughter.
“… Fine, let’s do it that way—”
“Duke!”
Before she could finish, a rush of footsteps from outside interrupted them. They turned to find Hoover, who had already slipped away, rushing back in, slamming the door with a grim look. “I’m sorry, Lady, I didn’t want to disturb you, but…” He quickly approached Skarlij, leaning in to whisper, “Sir, we have a situation…”
“I just received news that the troops stationed south of Moon Mountain Gorge, led by Paul, have taken action without orders…”
Outside, the cold wind howled fiercely.
