CHAPTER 249: THE MISUNDERSTANDING

"I only came out before the snows closed the mountain... but I didn’t expect to find myself a bride."

The strong arms caught him as his knees gave out and before he could understand what was happening, Shiao Yi’s consciousness went completely black.

...

Even when morning came, Shiao Yi did not wake up. He knew he was the one who had exhausted him so much the night before. Wanting not to disturb him, Dominic quietly slipped out of the bed and went downstairs.

While eating breakfast, he told the innkeeper that he wanted to learn about the nearby villages and the area’s conditions. The innkeeper patted his chest with confidence and promised to take care of it.

Before long, some elderly men with free time arrived. They sipped tea and shared old stories with him. Among their tales were ancient legends about a tribe said to live deep in the northern mountains.

Dominic listened the stories with interest and poured them more tea with a smile.

As noon approached, more men began to gather.

"Hey, handsome guy! They say if we talk with you, you’ll buy us lunch?"

"I’d rather have some wine instead!"

The innkeeper looked pleased as his sales increased and the men were happy just to have free drinks.

The talk drifted from gossip to local rumors, but among their chatter were small bits of useful information. There’s also details about hidden villages and paths leading deeper into the mountains.

As the crowd grew, people drew more people and before long, Dominic found himself surrounded by women.

The women were always the strongest in such gatherings. The men who is now holding their wine jars were pushed aside and sat at distant tables, they are watching this scene while starting their own little drinking party.

"My, my, you’re quite a handsome one," said a plump woman with brown hair and a full figure, her ample chest bouncing as she took a seat beside him. "Let me tell you something special, just between us."

"Oh no, my story is better," interrupted another woman with glossy blue hair. She folded her arms to lift her chest and looked up at him with heated eyes. "You really are breathtakingly good-looking guy, you know that?"

The women pressed in from all sides, front and back, leaving Dominic unable to move. To be honest, it was very suffocating. The thick scent of cheap perfume and makeup made him feel slightly sick. He was growing tired of their shameless attempts to force their attention on him.

Still, Dominic knew better than to underestimate women’s gossip networks.

Someone once said that among a hundred pieces of nonsense, there could be a single precious gem of truth hidden within.

So he endured their noisy chatter while lowering his eyes to hide his irritation.

He forced himself to listen patiently, all for Shiao Yi’s sake.

He wanted Shiao Yi to tell him later, with that gentle smile, "You did well finding all this out."

"You know, you’re not like the men around here. Are you really a prince? Or maybe a knight?" A beautiful red-haired woman with seductive eyes leaned close while resting her hand on Dominic’s shoulder. "Hey, Sir Knight, how about you and I have a little private talk?"

Dominic was about to raise his hand to politely refuse when a sudden voice cut through the noise.

"Dominic, you idiot!"

The unexpected shout shocked him. He turned toward the direction of the voice. The women around him also froze and looked up toward the stairs.

At the top stood Shiao Yi who is glaring with flushed cheeks. Before Dominic could react, Shiao Yi ran down the stairs, dashed across the room and stormed out the door with such force it nearly swung off its hinges.

"Shiao Yi!!"

Dominic quickly stood up, alarmed. The women who had been clinging to him tried to stop him, reaching for his arms, but he shook them off with one swift movement and ran after Shiao Yi.

He might have knocked a few of them off balance or angered them, but he didn’t care.

None of that mattered.

Shiao Yi was fast, faster than most people Dominic had ever known. It wasn’t just because of his light frame; his body moved with natural speed and power. Even for Dominic, keeping up with him in a full sprint was difficult.

The village’s streets were tangled and narrow and in seconds, Shiao Yi’s figure vanished from sight.

As Dominic ran through the winding alleys, regret filled his chest.

It didn’t matter that he had gone without touching Shiao Yi for ten days, what he had done last night was still inexcusable.

He had lost control, overcome by desire and taken him with a hunger that left Shiao Yi completely drained, unable even to stand afterward.

He had devoured him until every bit of reason was gone, consumed entirely by raw instinct.

And when the village finally came into view the next day, Dominic could hardly look him in the eye. The guilt of it all made his chest tighten. He didn’t know what kind of face he could possibly show to Shiao Yi after what he’d done.

What made it worse was that since entering these mountains, Shiao Yi had not been feeling well.

He had complained of headaches and a strange heaviness in his body. Yet even then, Dominic hadn’t been able to restrain himself.

He had seen Shiao Yi’s fatigue and ignored it, giving in completely to his own weakness.

It was only natural that Shiao Yi was angry.

After finally waking up, he must have realized again just how impatient Dominic had been and grown furious about it.

What if Shiao Yi was disgusted with him now? What if he hated him? The more Dominic thought about it, the stronger his panic became.

He came out into an open area near the center of the village.

It seemed to be a kind of plaza.

Around it, not only were there shops facing the square, but also merchants who had spread out cloths and boxes on the ground to display their goods.