Rolin had bathed, changed into a set of borrowed clothes that fit with suspicious precision, and eaten through most of what could generously be called a feast for one man by the time the sun started dipping low again. He looked, if not entirely at peace, at least considerably less like a man who’d had his ear removed in the middle of a public street a few hours earlier.
Outside the room, a guard leaned against the corridor wall near Reyna, watching the door.
"Captain." He said it carefully, like a man testing whether the observation was safe to make out loud. "Lord Rivelius isn’t what I expected. From the stories, I mean." A pause. "He’s a great deal different than what I’ve heard."
"I’ve been surprised at every turn myself," Reyna said, without elaborating further.
The guard considered that for a moment. "For what it’s worth, Captain, I’m glad to be serving under him. Whatever he actually is."
Rolin rose from the table, wincing slightly as he did, one hand instinctively drifting toward the bandaged side of his head before he caught himself.
Reyna stepped into the doorway before he reached it. "I’ve arranged an escort. A few men will see you back to your estate."
Rolin nodded, though his eyes lingered on her a moment too long, the memory of exactly how fast she’d moved still visibly working through him. He said nothing about it, and left without another word.
The rest of the evening passed quietly. Dinner came and went, ordinary in a way the day had otherwise refused to be, and by the time it ended, Rivelius found himself wheeling Cordelia toward their room the same way he had every night since the wedding.
The door had barely clicked shut behind them before she spoke.
"What did you talk about with Lord Rolin?"
He paused.
[Wife mood: Genuinely curious.]
[Marital Instinct — Lv. 4. EXP: 1,650/3,500 to Lv. 5.]
He let go of the handles, crossed to the window instead, and stood there a moment before answering.
"We came to an agreement," he said. "To work together, rather than fight."
Cordelia tilted her head, plainly unconvinced. "How? You were fighting in the street a few hours ago."
"He saw the House Kane banners. It changed his mind."
[10 EXP received.]
[Wife mood: Skeptical. She is absolutely not buying that.]
She studied him for a long moment, clearly deciding whether to press further.
He shifted the subject before she could. "We also discussed the permits. For the farm. He’s agreed to grant them."
Cordelia’s expression shifted entirely. "Really?"
[50 EXP received.]
[Wife mood: Rising. Ooh, nice move.]
He turned to face her, and found her expression had shifted entirely, none of the earlier skepticism left in it.
"Really?" she asked again, still visibly delighted.
"Yes," Rivelius said.
[20 EXP received.]
[Wife mood: Happy.]
He watched her a moment longer before continuing.
"We weren’t able to get everything settled today," he said. "The specifics for the farm. We’ll go back tomorrow instead. It’ll be safer this time."
Cordelia smiled at that, small and genuine.
[50 EXP received.]
He crossed to her, bent, and lifted her from the chair the same way he always did, carrying her the short distance to the bed. He set her down gently, and for a moment, didn’t quite pull back. His face was close enough to hers that neither of them moved right away.
Cordelia’s hand rose, unconsciously, to rest against her own chest. She held his gaze for a moment. Then her eyes dropped away, before flicking back up to his. Color rose faintly in her cheeks.
[New Task: Kiss your wife goodnight.]
[Reward: +200 Speed, +100 Vitality, +1,000 EXP.]
Rivelius went very still.
A thousand experience points, he thought, for that.
The System, for once, offered no commentary at all.
He let his gaze drop, briefly, to her lips, then back up to her eyes, still fixed on his face.
He leaned in, slowly, until barely an inch separated them.
Cordelia’s eyes fluttered shut.
He paused there, watching her closed eyes for a moment longer than the moment required.
Then he kissed her forehead instead.
Her eyes opened, startled, just as he pulled back.
"Goodnight," he said, and moved to his side of the bed, lying down with his back turned toward her.
[That was not what I meant.]
You said kiss, he thought back, flat. That was a kiss.
[Sigh.]
[Reward: +200 Speed, +100 Vitality, +1,000 EXP.]
[Speed (SPD): 2,438 → 2,638 ↑]
[Vitality (VIT): 701 → 801 ↑]
[Bloodline Awakening: 3% → 4% ↑]
[Marital Instinct — Lv. 4. EXP: 2,780/3,500 to Lv. 5.]
Behind him, Cordelia lay still for a moment, watching the line of his back.
Then she smiled and closed her eyes.