The Villianess story: A 100 ways to kill your husband-Chapter 434: Not the Cedric she wrote

The ship sailing for Zeravon had left the shores of Litoralia, and their journey had begun. Soon, the sun climbed higher, and the temperature grew warmer. They were to sail for nearly two weeks, and Abrielle could only pray they arrived safely.

The door to one of the cabins creaked open as Abrielle stepped in, carrying a tray with enough food for two. Her eyes landed on Cedric, who was sitting on the bed, trying to watch the ocean through the small, round window.

"I’m back," she announced, then gently closed the door behind her.

She was sharing the cabin with Cedric. Since the journey was long, and Cedric wanted to keep the true state of his health hidden from the rest, she had suggested booking three rooms.

Simple ones that didn’t cost much but were practical enough for their voyage. One room for herself and Cedric, and the other two were shared by gender, the knights in one, and Evelyn and the maids in another. Everyone seemed comfortable with the arrangement, and they had enough coin to afford it.

"The room was getting too quiet," Cedric said.

She nodded, walking over to him. The tray was placed on a nearby table. It held their meal, clean water, and fresh bandages she had managed to get for his wounds. The passenger ship offered a fair level of hospitality.

It wasn’t a grand ship, just something modest enough for them to travel unnoticed.

"Let me have a look at your injuries," she said.

He pulled off his shirt without protest. Even in his current state, he still looked perfect. The bloodstained bandages looked completely out of place on him.

His face was paler than usual, and he suffered from fever now and then, along with sudden bouts of pain. Still, it was nothing they couldn’t handle together. Cedric didn’t trust anyone else to care for him not just to keep his identity hidden, but because he couldn’t bear the thought of anyone else seeing him like this.

Abrielle carefully unwrapped the stained bandages and began cleaning the wound. Her touch was gentle. Even if it hurt, Cedric’s expression didn’t change. He watched her work, not wanting to worry her.

"Is it painful?" she asked, still focused on her task.

"Nothing worse than what I’ve been through," he replied.

She sighed, trying not to let her concern show. Once she finished tending to the deep cut on his stomach which didn’t look like it was healing anytime soon. She noticed something odd. Faint green veins had begun to spread from the wound.

Her stomach clenched. He wasn’t getting better. He was probably in more pain than he let on, and yet he kept a straight face.

Cedric sensed her shift in mood and reached up to place a hand on her head.

"You don’t have to cry. That’ll only make it worse for me," he said softly.

She nodded silently, wiping away the tears that threatened to fall.

"Once we get to Heliosa, we’ll find a solution," she said, standing to fetch fresh bandages for the wounds Lucian’s sword had left on his stomach and arm.

"Let me do it myself. You should eat something," Cedric said.

She wanted to refuse, but she sighed instead. "Don’t make your condition worse," she murmured, handing him the bandages.

Abrielle went to the table and washed her hands in a clean bowl of water. They’d paid extra for the water and bandages, and she was glad she’d taken enough jewellery with them when they left Vitalis. By the time she finished, Cedric had already wrapped his wounds.

They sat down for their meal together. It wasn’t anything fancy, but it was warm, and Cedric was grateful they could share something so normal again.

He paused, spoon halfway to his mouth, then slowly placed it back on the plate.

"Is something wrong with the meal?" Abrielle asked, noticing how distant his gaze had become.

"Abrielle," he said quietly. His voice was weaker than usual.

She placed her hand on his lap to reassure him. Her touch was warm, grounding.

"What’s bothering you?" She inquired.

Cedric exhaled, his gold eyes finally meeting her blue ones. She could tell his mind had been drifting lately. They were both carrying more than their fair share of burdens.

"If I die... will you move on?" he asked.

There was so much pain in his eyes that it tore her apart. He was beginning to accept the possibility that he might not survive. Abrielle placed her bowl aside and took his hand, doing her best not to appear overwhelmed.

"You are not going to die. Stop saying things like that. You are the First Prince of Dacronia, Cedric von Drakkar. The youngest person to become a general. This isn’t you, this is the man who made his enemies tremble at his name." she said firmly, reminding him of who he was.

The Cedric she had written, the one everyone feared, was never someone who gave up. But the man sitting in front of her... he looked so different. And her heart ached with a pain she couldn’t describe. It was a silent reminder he wasn’t that Cedric

"I know. But what if I do die?" he asked.

"In the past, when I thought of death, it never scared me. I didn’t care. It felt natural and inevitable. Not even the thought of dying could faze me. But now..." he paused, his fingers gently cupping her face. She felt the familiar tingling from his touch.

"That was in the past, I never knew I could ever say this but I am scared of death. I hate the idea of either of us dying, I don’t want to die. I wish for a future, no matter how out of reach it may be, where you love me wholeheartedly. Where we are truly happy together with a family of our own."

His voice broke, and he turned away from her. His hand dropped from her cheek, curling into a fist by his side.

She stood and walked around the bed to face him, not wanting him to hide from her. But when she reached him, her feet froze. She didn’t want him to look away but never imagined what she saw.

"Cedric..." she whispered. Her voice trembled.

He bowed his head. "I just want you to be happy."

Those words carried more meaning than she could bear.

Cedric, Dacronia’s feared prince, the so-called villain, was crying.

Even villains, it seemed, could bleed... and break.

The sourc𝗲 of this content is fre(e)novelkiss