Survive As The Brute's Wife-Chapter 51: Tubby Is Here!

«After everything that happened in the past, he still has the nerves to be near me... Come at me...»

With the smirk still ruling his face, he looked at Felixa. She looked like she is trying to compose herself.

«Why aren’t you showing your true emotions to me? Why aren’t you asking me anything? Why don’t you trust me?»

His heart broke. When he was fighting with the monster, he could feel the pain she felt. Those voices of the monsters that he never heard before, he could hear them now because of his connection with her.

He looked at the parched land full of puddles now. The rain is letting up and the ground is soaked. This land was cursed and it is forbidden for him to enter. But he needed to be here. He had a reason he brought her here with him.

«I am sorry, Lexa... I am sorry for hurting you... I promise that everything will be better... You will be where you deserve to be...»

His hand reached for the hilt of his sword. He didn’t want to let Felixa meet with that guy now rummaging in the upper level. Like him, he too has come back for some reason. He’s been searching for that guy for years and now that he has a chance, he didn’t want to let him live anymore.

«He must die!»

"A couple of horsemen are approaching..."

Felixa’s soft voice made Maximus snap. He looked in the direction she pointed to see a couple of horsemen approaching them. Although they were hooded to shield them from rain, he identified them.

He was the one who sent them on a mission and asked them to meet him here today after all!

He didn’t want Felixa to meet that guy who is still inside the house. He looked up and that guy was still there seemingly searching for something. Closing his eyes he took a deep breath.

He knew that guy won’t hurt her and he didn’t want that guy to see his people more. But he didn’t want to leave her alone with him. He looked around and he was relieved to see Kefir there.

«Look after her, Kefir...»

He spoke to the beast in his mind.

{You’re leaving her again?}

The cat looked at him and Maximus bowed his head in shame. He didn’t want to but he needs to meet with those spies.

«I’ll be back soon»

Maximus said with determination. This time he is not going to let her go.

Felixa saw the ground now calm as if nothing happened before. She saw something wiggling on the wet ground and looked closer.

[Are those earthworms?]

She remembered earthworms coming out of their holes when it rains, in the past. She and Tubby would catch them and play with them. They’d bring them as baits for fishing. Tubby would say that they can get two worms if they cut a worm in half and...

Thinking about earthworms made her realize something.

[Those monsters... didn’t they look like worms? Is that why they looked familiar? But...]

As she was wondering, she felt a warmth on her shoulder and she turned to see Maximus’ face approaching her. Her first instinct was to step back but she didn’t.

He is hiding a lot and she didn’t want to be feeling the way she is feeling towards him anymore. She needs to be more proactive and find out what is happening around her.

"Stay here until I return, Lexa," he kissed her on the lips. "Don’t wander around... This house is old and you don’t know where something dangerous is at..." he said placing his hand on the top of her head.

She smiled.

Maximus nodded seeing that smile. The smile she is giving him now is the smile that is not truly her smile from the heart. It is the smile that hurts him.

But...

------

Felixa watched as Maximus walked out. She understood that he is meeting those guys and she wondered if that is the reason he came here. But she still couldn’t understand why he brought her here.

She walked closer to the window to have a good look at the earthworms. They all seemed to be looking in her direction and with their heads up the ground, they appeared to be bowing their head to her.

[This can’t be...]

She tried to climb over a big beam that blocked the way out to have a good look at the worms. She grabbed the beam with her hand and tried to place her foot on the beam, but she slipped. She quickly grabbed the beam and thankfully she didn’t kiss the floor.

She felt a shadow moving to her side in a hurry and her eyes ended up there. Standing under what used to be a luscious oak tree, Maximus was looking at her. She got down and stood on her feet and she saw the smile of relief on his face.

Seeing his silhouette under the tree triggered a memory from the past.

’It’s not Tubby! I am Tubby no more! It’s Maximillian! Maximillian Zoros! Or... you can call me Max!’

That shrill shout of Tubby as he stomped his feet when he was nine years old came to her memory. Standing right under the oak tree, he expressed his displeasure that she is not calling him by his given name.

But she never called him by his name even after he threw all sorts of tantrums. It’s not like she hated his name. Just because he hated it when she calls him Tubby, she would call him Tubby.

[Ah... Tubby...]

Without knowing, her lips curved to a big smile.

Maximus saw the smile from her heart this time and his heart filled with glee. Fixing his hood, he walked forward signaling the men to stay where they are.

Felixa could see the men at the distance. She could see that Maximus is wanting to speak with them. Those men looked like they traveled a long distance to be here. And if Maximus asked them to meet them here, they must be spies.

She didn’t want to think more about it since it is not her business. He is someone who wants to expand his Empire. It probably is some talk about the war.

She turned and took a look at the house once more. With no one near her and with nothing but the sound of the dripping rainwater she started to choke up.

She thought it was because of time’s cruelty that her home ended up in this state.

But it was because of Luke...

[What did I do to him? Why did he do this? Why did he hurt my grandfather? How dare he hurt my grandfather?]

The tears she didn’t let out when she was near Maximus burst out from her eyes. Holding back her urge to wail, she walked towards the stairs.

"Cat!"

She noticed the cat just then and the cat jumped up the stone stairs and reached the upper level. Felixa followed the cat. She got alert hearing a noise and squatted down.

She saw a tall, muscular man standing there holding something. He was having his hood on and she couldn’t see anything but his back. He blew on it and nothing happened. He then used his hand and dusted it off. There were thick layers of dust getting settled over the box and he gently wiped it with his hands.

He then opened the wooden box and trailed his finger over it as if he was reminiscing something of much importance to him.

[Who is he? What is he doing in my house?]

Felixa’s hands naturally went for her waist to grab her sword. But she is not having a sword and she sighed in her heart. The more she lives in this body, the more she craved for her old self who had the strength to carry a sword around and the freedom to do what she wanted.

Frail as she is, the one she is now is pretty much useless and very dependant on others for survival.

She is in more danger than her previous life but she has no means to get above it all.

[Or should I find a way? A way to escape..? Hmm...]

She looked at the white cat lying beside her with no care in the world. She didn’t know what or who this cat is.

[Could he be like the flying horse Maximus has? But he is seen by everyone... Or is it not the case? Did I out myself by letting Maximus know that I can see him? Was that a test I failed? But he didn’t say anything...]

As she was pondering, the man placed the box on the floor and walked towards the window. Felixa stood up and climbed up a stair thinking that man is leaving.

But standing by the window, that man pulled his hood down and turned. Felixa’s heart started to pound. She froze as the gloomy light showed her the image of the man looking at her.

"Tubby?" she asked. "Tubby, it is you, right?"

The branches of the oak tree shook by the gust of wind but her heart shook more. He stood there as if he was not sure where he is.

"Alexandra..." he said after a while, his lips trembling.

"It is you!" She shouted and darted at him.

"Tubby!"