Chapter 241: Chapter Two Hundred And Forty
The air inside the command tent felt very cold.
Kade looked at the dark, terrifying expression on the General’s face. He realized he had made a terrible, dangerous mistake by questioning the Lady’s identity. He had crossed a strict line.
Kade quickly went on his knees. His boots hit the floor with a loud thud. He bowed his head deeply, staring at the floor. A cold sweat broke out across his forehead.
"I dare not," Kade apologized quickly, his voice shaking with fear. "Forgive me, my lord. I spoke foolishly."
Damon looked down at his kneeling aide. His shoulders were tense, and his dark brown eyes were serious. He did not care if she had secrets. She was his wife, and he was fully determined to protect her from everyone, including his own trusted men.
Damon replied, his deep voice sounding like a low, strict warning.
"Don’t poke your nose in where it’s not needed," Damon commanded firmly. His tone left no room for any arguments. "I don’t want to hear anything suspicious about the lady again."
Kade swallowed hard. He kept his head bowed low to the floor. He understood the order perfectly. The General had drawn a clear line around his wife, keeping her safe from any doubts or investigations.
"As you wish," Kade nodded his head respectfully.
Damon let out a slow, quiet breath. He relaxed his shoulders slightly. The dark, dangerous anger slowly faded from his face, replaced by a look of deep, quiet frustration.
His mind went back to his biggest, most immediate problem. He still needed to apologize to Camilla for his terrible behavior at the fabric store.
He had already ruled out giving her gold. He knew she would see it as a cheap insult. He had also ruled out flowers, knowing she was too practical and tough to care about fragile red roses.
Damon looked down at Kade, who was slowly standing back up from his knees.
Damon continued his questions. His voice lost its strict tone. He sounded like a very tired, very confused man asking for honest help.
"What else can I use aside flowers?" Damon asked quietly.
Kade stood up straight. He brushed the dust off his dark trousers. He thought very hard. He tried to remember what made women happy. He thought about the stories he heard in the city, and he thought about the things the Lady had said recently.
Kade remembered the scene in the fabric store earlier that afternoon. He remembered Camilla speaking with so much love and sadness about her lost pet.
Kade replied. His face lit up with a helpful idea.
"You can get her another cat," Kade suggested smoothly. "She said she loved her tabby cat very much. If you buy her a beautiful, healthy new kitten, she will definitely appreciate your kind gesture. It will keep her company in the large mansion."
Damon listened to the suggestion. He pictured a small, fluffy cat walking around the bedroom.
But then, Damon remembered hearing Camilla crying in her deep sleep. He remembered her begging Winston not to push her away, and how her voice was broken with genuine, overwhelming sorrow. She did not just like the cat. She loved it deeply. It was her only family.
Damon slowly shook his head side to side.
"I don’t think she would want to replace Winston in her heart," Damon shook his head, his voice very soft and understanding. "She misses that specific cat too much. A new animal would just remind her of what she lost. It will not make her happy."
Kade nodded his head. He understood the General’s reasoning. A beloved pet could not be replaced so easily.
Kade crossed his arms, thinking deeply again. If they could not replace the cat, they had to find a way to honor its memory.
Kade’s face brightened with another, much better idea.
"What about a locket with a portrait of Winston," Kade replied quickly, his voice full of confident energy.
He stepped closer to the desk, explaining his plan.
"She gave a clear description of how Winston looked like," Kade reminded the General. "She said he was a fat, bright orange tabby cat with pure white paws that looked like small su...so..."
Damon noticed Kade’s inability to pronounce Camilla’s strange word. He completed the words. " Socks."
Kade nodded. " Yes socks. She described him perfectly."
He pointed a finger in the air, detailing the steps.
"If we give it to a renowned artist," Kade continued, "he will make a lifelike portrait based on her exact words. And a good goldsmith will make a beautiful locket to hold the painting. She can wear it around her neck and keep the memory of her cat close to her heart at all times."
Damon listened to Kade’s detailed suggestion. He pictured a small, shiny gold locket resting against Camilla’s collarbone. He pictured her opening it and smiling when she saw the painted picture of her beloved orange cat.
It was a very thoughtful, meaningful gift. It showed that he had listened to her words. It showed that he respected her feelings. It was much better than gold or fast-dying flowers.
Damon nodded his head slowly. He liked the idea very much.
"How long will it take?" Damon asked. He wanted to give it to her immediately.
Kade paused. He thought about the slow, careful work required to paint a tiny, detailed picture and forge a custom piece of gold jewelry. The best artists in the capital city always took their time to ensure absolute perfection.
"A month or more," Kade replied honestly, lowering his voice slightly.
Damon froze. His eyes showed deep disappointment.
A month was far too long. He needed an apology gift right now. He could not wait thirty days to say he was sorry. By next month, she would have completely forgotten the apology, or she would be even more angry with him for making her wait.
Damon murmured softly to himself, feeling a heavy weight of frustration settling back into his chest.
"It won’t be an apology gift anymore," Damon murmured quietly, his deep voice carrying a tone of quiet defeat.
He knew a late gift was sometimes worse than no gift at all. But he still thought the locket was a beautiful idea. Even if it could not fix today’s mistake, he still wanted her to have it. He wanted to see her smile when she looked at it.
He raised his head and looked at his aide.
He spoke to Kade. "Have it commissioned."
"As you wish," Kade replied respectfully, bowing his head. He made a mental note to visit the best goldsmith and the best artist in the capital city first thing tomorrow morning.
Damon turned away from his desk. He walked over to the chair and picked up his military coat. He pulled the coat over his broad shoulders and adjusted the collar.
He did not want to stay in the military camp tonight. The large, empty command tent felt very cold and lonely. He wanted to go back to the mansion. He needed to see her, even if she was going to yell at him or ignore him.
"Ready my horse," Damon spoke firmly, his voice returning to its normal, commanding tone. "I’m going home."
"Right away, General," Kade bowed again.
He dismissed Kade with a wave of his hand.
Kade quickly turned around and left the command tent to prepare the horse.
Damon was left alone in the quiet tent. The only sound was the soft flickering of the oil lamp on his desk.
He let out a long, heavy sigh. He rubbed his tired eyes with his fingers.
"What do I do now?" Damon thought to himself.
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