Capítulo 12: [S1] 012 Be Implicated

　　Orville was knocked off his feet by the slap, looked at Chad incredulously.

　　Chad stared back at him and sign language, "You bastard!"

　　That slap, enough to convict Chad of hurting a nobleman and die a hundred times over, while 　　Orville was now Hans, the Duke's secret guard, a commoner of the same status as Chad.

　　Orville leapt to his feet, a few strokes brought Chad down, then pinned her hands firmly to the bed. He grabbed her by the chin, gritting his teeth, and leaned in close to her, making gestures and says: "

　　"You've had your secret discovered by someone else, life has received a threat.

　　You should have recognised the situation, I mean....where I am and where you are ....Lord 　　Deputy Head, I think you should show more respect."

　　"Do you believe if I tell the whole secret about you? Will you still be alive?"

　　Chad's eyes fluttered, tried to speak, but her hands were tied. She could only shake her head slightly and gave him a pleading look.

　　Orville, as if he had been pleased by the look in his eyes, gathered her loose lapels carefully and then, like a snake watching its food. He was slowly contemplating how to punish the little mute in a way that would make him understand, the consequences of deceiving the Duke, but it also shoud be funny.

　　Suddenly, as if on a sudden whim, he raised an eyebrow and laughed very softly, "I've suddenly thought better of it now."

　　Orville rested his forehead against hers and said, "I was watching from the roof. It was so dark in the house that I couldn't really see, so It was probably a mistake, and I'm afraid wrongly labeling you as a sinner ..."

　　Chad listened to his words but eyes kept moving down and, while it's true that she was mute and seemed rather slow and introverted, but she's not stupid!

　　"So, I'm going to take a closer look," Orville smiled politely, "But I'm a very good and virtuous man. If you don't want to, I won't look, okay?"

　　Chad immediately struggled, Orville put one hand on her kicking leg and continued, "Come on" ,He continued: "Well, if you don't want to, just say the word.

Just say 'no' and I'll stop."

Chad couldn't move, and despite her desperate efforts, only a couple of "whimpers", the two out of tune syllables rolled out of her throat.

　　Seeing her eyes red with annoyance, Orville was helpless, but in his heart he gloated: "Well, if you don't say anything, I'll just take that as a yes."

　　Chad's cheeks flushed and her eyes widened, eyes followed the paraffin lamp that Orville was holding close to her body ....

　　"Hey, Chad," Enoch put away his lance and calling to her, "What have you been doing all morning?"

　　Chad was snapped back to attention by his shout, but she's still not feeling well, all she could think about was last night, couldn't even concentrate on her morning practice.

　　"Did you not sleep well last night?" Enoch looked closer at her with concern.

　　Chad heard the word "last night", the image of that man came back to him. It was a humiliating and shameful memory.

　　After the man clamped down on her hand, she struggled to no avail. And the man with a paraffin lamp, lifted her pajama trousers and jacket, one piece of clothing after another.

　　His eyes were playful and contemptuous, like a snake on its food.

　　The look was uncomfortable and tense, but felt like she had seen it before, while couldn't remember where she'd seen it before, because she humiliation and shyness made her head spin.

　　The man was holding her arm down, forced she to look inch by inch.

　　The oil lamp and the man's eyes were so close, so that he didn't know whether she was afraid of the fire or of being watched.

　　Her eyes were red with anger, but in the face of Enoch's concern, she didn't dare to say anything, just pursed her lips and spoke in sign language: "I had a nightmare and woke up, so I couldn't sleep."

　　Enoch heard that Chad was having a nightmare, said: "I have a string of turquoise crosses that The Bishop gave me when he officiated at the Great Holy Week. I'll bring it to you after work, and you can hang it over your bed to ward off evil spirits."

　　"Don't bother," Chad smiled bitterly, the cross string will ward off evil spirits, but it won't stop a bad man with a bad heart: "I'm not a child, don't have nightmares a few times a year, I'm not afraid."

　　Enoch gently took him by the shoulders from behind, saw she didn't resist, he took him firmly: "What's the trouble? I sleep soundly, my brother, and I don't have half a dream all night. But you live alone, the house is cold and empty, It's good to have something with a holy scent in it."

　　Chad's nose was sore, Both because of her grievance and also because of Enoch's deep affection for her. She had lost her mother when she was young, and her father sold her in exchange for money to buy wine. No one loved her, and Enoch was the only brother who cared for her, so Chad is very grateful.

　　She did not dare to say thank you, because of the fear of the senior brother feel that they are too raw, so she had to keep it inside.

　　The two of them were walking side by side, but then Enoch suddenly said, "Bro, i`m going to leave."

　　Chad tilted his head, "Where to?"

　　"Adlerberg," Enoch said. "There's been a drought in Duke Marquis's Adlerberg territory this summer, and several forest fires. The civilians in the territory have been suffering until this winter, and the containers for flour in their homes are empty, and there was not enough wood and kerosene to warm. Frozen and died, countless."

　　After a pause, he said: "At such a time, there is a riot among the civilians in the territory, into solidarity societies, even colluded with pirates to rob money. The amount of Duke Marquis's knights is too little, in addition, he recently lost his son. He was caught off guard by this riot and was unable to suppress it. So the Duke asked me to lead some knights to support Duke Marquis the next week."

　　Chad didn't blink, just stared at him. The sword on the battlefield is blind, unimaginably dangerous. This time, to quell the unrest, the sword pointed at not only pirates, but also a group of ordinary civilians. The success of the pacification may not be a hero, if the failure of the pacification, may be cut off the head.

　　And the only people in the territory are Lionel, the Knight Commander, and his old men have experience of going to the real battlefield. While their new group of knights, had always fought against the knights of the nobility, either in the territory or in the royal city, had never fought in the battlefield.

　　How to think about this is not a good job. If placed in ordinary times, Orville will not take the initiative to let their own knights to go. This sent Enoch, Chad was afraid it's because the last time Enoch tried to save himself and disobeyed the Duke's orders, this upset the Duke.

　　Chad thought Orville might not know that at that time. Now, after hearing Enoch's words, it became clear to him, the Duke knew everything and must have harbored a grudge, while didn't show it at the time, though.

　　Chad knew he was being punished by the Duke because of himself, felt so guilty that signaled anxiously: "I'll beg Lord Duke to go in your place!"

　　Enoch hastily pulled her back: "Have you forgotten the beating you received last time? The flesh on your back has just recover, and you've forgotten the pain?"

　　Chad looked at him stubbornly, She was clearly not going to change her mind.

　　Enoch knew her temper, she seemed so gentle and easy to get along with, but when it comes to what she's determined to do. But if she was determined, she even can't be pulled back by nine strong horses.

　　So had to coldly face and said harsh words: "What do you think you are? You have served the Duke for ten years, so you think you have the power to speak? Though a dozen years of service to him, but the Duke almost killed you for the sake of a maid!"

　　"I made a mistake and disobeyed His Highness's order. I deserve to be punished, no need for your motherly nagging."

　　He lowered his voice and whispered in Chad's ear: "The Duke's eccentric temper.

If you go and intercede for me, you're disobeying his orders. We'll both be punished a hundred times worse than we are now. Do you know that?"

　　Chad was clearly hurt by his words, but she knew that Enoch had said those harsh words on purpose for her own good. Enoch's saying wasn't wrong. She was nothing in the Duke's heart, now the Duke left her alive, and has not even demote his job title, he was already kind. How could she be qualified to plead for others?

　She sullenly, with her head bowed: "You'll go, then I have no one to talk to in this manor."

"I told Ray that this boy is outgoing and he knows sign language. He'll be there to relieve you of your boredom," Enoch patted the back of his hand soothingly, "I won't be gone long. I'll be back next spring."

　She was suddenly summoned by the Duke at the beginning of seven in the afternoon, Chad was almost uncontrollably weak on his feet. She suddenly thought of the deal Hans had made with her yesterday, and hoped in her heart that the man would really keep her secret.

　　"Did the Duke say what he wanted me to do?" Chad raised his hand and gestured at the strange servant, she had served in the Duke's chambers before, so he was probably new.

　　The servant, with a cold gaze, saw her gesture in sign language and shook his head: "Don't gesture, I can't understand... The Duke only instructed me to take you there, nothing else was said."

　　He could not read the sign language, but still happened to answer Chad's question correctly.

Chad then put on her knight robe and followed the servant fearfully into His Highness Orville's chambers.

　　The fire in the hall was burning freshly cut pine wood, the smell of incense, mixed with a little musk, was strong. Chad is accustomed to the smell of soft wood in Duke's room, it smelled lazy. But now Chad is not relaxed at all, the further she went in, the faster her heart beat.

The moment she saw Orville's figure, Chad suspected that her heart was about to burst out of her throat.

　　If Hans had denounced herself, perhaps the next moment, Orville would order her robe to be stripped, then her secret would be exposed for all to see.

　　She felt on the verge of tears just thinking about it.

　　At the same time, the Duke, who was being surrounded by a group of servants and changing his clothes, suddenly turned his head, long, platinum-colored, silky hair slid down his shoulders, like a painted beauty, expressionless, indifferent beautiful gray-blue pupils looked at Chad, while his gaze fell on her for only a moment, faintly: "Chad."

　　Chad was pulled back from his nightmare by this sound, She replied in sign language: "Lord Orville."