Saving The Villainous Monster From The Male Lead-Chapter 40 - 39: Villain’s Mad Love

Caelestis didn’t waste anymore time and hurried outside to Stella. Eleanore had to wait here for at least ten minutes before going back to them, but she couldn’t even stay away from them for two minutes. She feared that Caelestis might hurt Stella, if she said anything wrong.

She wrapped the shawl around her head to hide herself and sneaked out of the mansion before the agreed time. When she reached the end of the mansion, she hid behind a pole, carefully listening to the conversation those two were having.

"I don’t need your coat, Grand Duke. I have my shawl with me to keep me warm." Stella said rudely to Caelestis, who was trying to offer his coat to her.

"I see." He murmured, having no counter words for what she had just said. He wore back his coat and then stretched his hand to Stella.

Stella simply spared a gaze to his hand and then turned her head away from him.

Caelestis, caught by surprise, cleared his throat and explained why he had stretched out his hand. "Let me guide you to the Hidden Garden, Stella."

She glared at him for a while, but his hand remained as it was, as if he couldn’t understand that glare that Stella had shot at him. "It’s Baroness or My lady for you, Grand duke. We are no longer close enough to use our first names." She snapped.

"Stella!"

"- And Lady Eleanore will be here soon to guide me there. Thank you." Saying this, she started taking small steps ahead but Caelestis blocked her way.

"I apologise. It was my fault." Caelestis began, his hand reaching out to grab hers. "I shouldn’t have acted like that."

Stella shoved his hand away and shot a glare in his way. "I do not need your half hearted apology, Grand Duke."

"Stella! It’s not half hearted. I realised my mistake. Believe me."

"Believe you? You have always been a liar, Caelestis. You lied to me all along and I didn’t even know." Her heart throbbed as the realization hit her. She was in the dark all this time and didn’t know that he was in fact a monster.

"Stella!"

She simply raised her palm in the air, asking him to shut up and he did. He felt sad and angry at the same time. He knew he was at fault but at the same time didn’t want to accept it.

"I think I have heard enough. Amilia, we are leaving." She started back to the mansion and Amilia, her maid, followed her back.

Eleanore hid herself in the shadows to not be noticed by Stella. When the road was clear, she quickly made her way to Caelestis who was still standing there, alone in agony. Regretting every move he took and every word he listened to when taking this vile action.

"Grand Duke?!" She called him, who was spacing out.

"She is angry." He said, in a voice filled with pain. "It was my fault. I should have never taken such action." He added as his eyes stayed lock on the pathway in which Stella disappeared.

"Grand duke, what you did was wrong. But—" her reasoning caught his attention. "—I can see you love her a lot. This, I promise , I will help you as much as I can."

"Lady Eleanore, did she say anything about me in the last few days?"

Eleanore gulped at that question. The conversation they had in the afternoon flashed in front of her eyes.

"Grand Duke. She has said nothing since she left the side house." She lied. "She was quiet all along."

"She said she hates me right?" He started walking ahead at a speed unmatchable for Eleanore.

She raced ahead to answer his questions but instead tripped on a stone she couldn’t see in the dark.

Caelestis noticed her falling. His reflex took up his body first before his brain could even command them to.

He had caught her by her waist and she had caught him by his shoulders. Their eyes met and a cold freeze passed through the space between them.

Electric shocks passed down their spines and none of them were aware of the reason behind it. Was it because they were so close to each other or the cold winds that kept kissing their bare skin were to blame?

Caelestis pulled her up and brought her closer to him, reducing the space between them. The lips, just a few inches apart.

Eleanore hesitated, when his lips parted. Her eyes fell shut automatically, only to disappoint her.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

She flashed her eyes open, embarrassed at her stupidness. Her hands that had strongly caught his coat, went loose and were about to push him but his grip tightened on her waist.

"Lady Eleanore." He said, attracting her gaze back to him.

She could only see him and he could only see the calmness in her eyes.

"How did you do it?" He asked, his breath so cold that when it touched her face, she shivered.

"Did what?"

"Gave up on me. How did you—"

Eleanore interrupted him and replied to his question as she pushed herself out of his grasp. "I didn’t give up. I merely accepted my fate."

Caelestis frowned at that. He realised that she still loves him and that would never stop loving him. For some strange reason. He felt good to hear that.

"And— yes— she did say she hates you. But that’s not her fault, it’s the fault of your madness. Eventually, she will recognise your love and accept it." Saying this, she wrapped the shawl around her chest and started back to the mansion.

Caelestis followed her, a smile sprouting on his face as he walked. That was not intentional. He was just happy. A feeling had enveloped his heart, so strange that neither his heart or his mind could figure it out.

****

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