How many women had he accompanied in the past to polish his skills to this level?
“Thank you,” Byletta said.
Arnald had taken a glass of wine for himself. The deep-red liquid was smooth and alluring. Every time he tipped the glass and took a sip, the sight was erotic. As this was a military victory party, the venue was supposed to be bright, but Byletta found her mind wandering back to the captivating sights she’d witnessed during her and her husband’s most recent nights together. Even though she could hear voices talking excitedly here and there around them, she couldn’t stop her mind from wandering. How had she managed to end up with such a handsome husband?
One of the reasons she wondered as much was because all the stares around her had turned hostile, just as they always did at parties. The rumors were baseless, but they always managed to pull the carpet out from underneath her.
As Byletta relived flashbacks of her painful past, she thought about the kinds of looks she was receiving. If they were filled with contempt or envy, they would be easy enough to deal with, but some felt oddly vulgar.
As she pondered them and took a sip of the fizzy liquid in her glass, Arnald suddenly looked her in the eye.
“Is the drink to your taste?”
“What?”
“I’ve heard that women tend to like sweeter drinks, but you don’t seem fond of those flavors, so I chose this for you instead. Do you like it?”
“Yes, it’s lovely.”
“Good.”
Arnald broke into a smile.
It was a sweet expression, just like usual, but Byletta felt all the gazes upon her suddenly transform. The feeling was the same as if everyone had gasped, unable to believe their eyes.
In the blink of an eye, all the scorn and suspicion had turned into a sea of astonishment.
Arnald had his uses, even if he wasn’t being the coolheaded and emotionless lieutenant colonel she’d first met. For the first time in her life, Byletta felt grateful for that bothersome smile of his.
“What a surprise… Who knew you could even make a face like that?” a casual voice asked, breaking through the frozen crowd of onlookers.
Arnald returned the salute of the brunet approaching him. He didn’t even seem to notice the beautiful woman on the man’s arm. The women who accompanied men to these types of events were usually nothing more than eye candy. Spouses might get a greeting, but luxury escorts and the like were usually ignored. Even so, given that Arnald didn’t even pay her a single glance, he must have been somewhat blind to the appearance of others.
“It’s too bad… I was looking forward to teasing you a bit.”
“Good tidings, General, sir.”
The man was Lieutenant General Movris Dreslan. Or, rather, General Dreslan, as he’d been promoted during the commemorative celebration earlier in the day. Movris wrinkled his gentle face and began to speak with distaste.
“Aww, you know I dislike all those stuffy formalities, and yet you persist with them anyway. You’re a horrible man. You should be more grateful to your generous superior. Anyway, let me change the subject for a moment. I had every intention of pulling you up behind me, but there weren’t any posts available. You’ll just have to settle for some medals and bonuses today. I’ll have you promoted another two or three ranks before you know it!”
“On my deathbed, you mean?”
“Surely not. Anyway, you wouldn’t go leaving this amusing wife of yours behind, would you?”
What about me does he find “amusing,” exactly? Byletta wondered. He could have at least called her beautiful. Then she could have at least retaliated in her usual way. Not that receiving a compliment from that man had ever made Byletta happy.
Still, Arnald seemed to be friendly with Movris. Back when Byletta had first learned of her betrothal, her father had referred to her husband as Movris’s “dear subordinate,” but seeing them side by side really cemented how comfortable they were with each other. At first glance, her husband seemed unapproachable, and his superior seemed quite congenial, but underneath, they were two of a kind.
“I think you’ll agree that I went above and beyond your expectations when I fulfilled those curious requirements of yours. You don’t have any complaints, do you?”
“No, I’m very grateful.”
Arnald nodded triumphantly at the self-assured Movris.
It sounded like the wish list that could have been mistaken for a soldier recruitment notice had come straight from Arnald after all. But it also seemed as if he’d based his requirements for a wife on something he found humorous, which Byletta had complicated feelings about.
I wish they wouldn’t amuse themselves at my expense.
“I was worried about you at first, but here you two are, getting along wonderfully. Just like I said you would.”
“I had no idea I’d given you cause for such concern.”
“Well, I did set you up, remember? And after that serious conversation we had, of course I was concerned.”
Byletta had no idea what Arnald had spoken to Movris about, but she was most skeptical about his friendly concern. She gave him a clear sidelong glance, and her husband appeared to do the same. It was a bit of a surprise to find they were on the same page, as if they were an old married couple, but Byletta found it didn’t make her feel any better.
A normal matchmaker wouldn’t have offered Byletta’s name as a match for that absurd list of demands. They’d probably have just told Arnald to reconsider.
She still held a grudge over that.
“Byletta, I saw your father over there. You might want to go see him later. After he heard all the talk about you two, the color all but drained from his face.”
What could he have been told to react in such a way? Byletta wondered.