Chapter 244: Chapter Two Hundred And Forty Three
Camilla slowly opened her fingers.
She dropped the whip. It fell from her hand and hit the table with a soft clack. She discarded the weapon.
"Please stand up, my lord," Camilla instructed him gently. Her voice was normal and calm. "I am not that kind of wife. I have no intentions of punishing you."
Damon took a slow, shaky breath. He uncurled his tight fists. He placed his large hands on his knees and pushed himself up from the floor.
He stood up to his full, towering height. Even without his military coat, he looked massive and imposing. But his face was still slightly flushed with red, and his eyes were full of deep regret.
Camilla looked up at him. She crossed her arms loosely over her white chemise.
"What really happened?" Camilla asked softly. She wanted to hear the truth from his own mouth. "Why did you suddenly attack Allen in the store?"
Damon looked down at her. He felt a deep sense of shame, but he knew he owed her an honest explanation.
"I received a letter," Damon began. His deep voice was rough and quiet. "An anonymous letter delivered to the camp. The letter stated clearly that you were having a secret rendezvous with another man in the lower city."
Camilla’s eyebrows pulled together in a frown. She listened carefully.
"When I arrived at the store," Damon continued, looking down at his bare hands, "I saw you laughing with a man. His back was turned to me. I could not see his face."
Damon paused. He swallowed hard, remembering the intense, burning jealousy that had completely blinded his mind.
"I thought it was the man from your dreams," Damon confessed softly, his voice full of quiet pain. "I thought it was Winston. My mind was completely clouded by anger. I jumped to terrible conclusions without verifying the facts. I thought my cousin was the man trying to take you away from me."
Damon looked into her hazel eyes. His expression was open, vulnerable, and totally sincere.
"I acted foolish and childish," Damon admitted firmly, criticizing his own behavior without any excuses. "I let my emotions override my logic. I know sorry won’t mend my mistakes, and it won’t erase the fear I caused you and Allen today."
He bowed his head very slightly, showing his true respect.
"But I am sincerely sorry, Camilla," Damon concluded, speaking her name softly. "I promise it will not happen again."
Camilla stood still. She looked at his honest, regretful face.
She was deeply surprised. Damon, a man known for his brutal pride, was openly admitting his foolishness and offering a completely sincere, ego-free apology. He was not blaming the spy. He was taking full responsibility for his own lack of control.
"He really is trying to be better," Camilla thought to herself, feeling a warm sense of respect for his honesty.
Before Camilla could say a word to accept his apology, a soft knocking sound echoed from the door of the bedroom.
Knock. Knock.
"My lady," a young maid’s voice called out respectfully from the dark hallway. "We are here to draw your bath."
Camilla turned her head toward the door. She dropped her arms to her sides.
"Come in," Camilla spoke loudly, giving them permission to enter.
The door pushed open slowly. Two young maids walked into the bedroom. They were carrying large wooden buckets filled to the brim with warm water.
As soon as the maids stepped into the room, they stopped walking.
Their eyes widened. They looked at the center of the bedroom.
They saw the General standing tall and broad, shirtless, his scarred skin glowing in the yellow lamplight. Then, they saw the Lady standing directly in front of him, wearing only a thin, chemise. The distance between the couple was very small, and the atmosphere in the room felt thick and intimate.
The two young maids immediately lowered their eyes to the floorboards. Their cheeks turned a bright shade of pink.
They quickly hurried across the bedroom, heading straight toward the open door of the attached washroom. As they walked quickly past the couple, they could not control themselves. They began giggling softly, whispering quietly to each other behind the large water buckets.
They hurried into the washroom, poured the water into the large copper tub, and quickly ran back out.
Camilla ordered. "The general and i will like to have our dinner in the room. Have it ready as soon as possible."
The maids bowed their heads low, trying to hide their bright smiles, and practically ran out of the bedroom, closing the door behind them.
The bedroom was quiet again. The faint, pleasant smell of sweet oils and warm steam drifted out from the open washroom door.
Camilla looked at the closed bedroom door, shaking her head slowly at the giggling maids. Then, she turned her attention back to Damon.
She looked at his serious face. She decided to set a very clear, strict rule for their relationship moving forward.
"I accept your apology, my lord," Camilla said softly, giving him a small, polite nod.
Damon felt a heavy weight lift off his shoulders. He let out a long, quiet breath of relief.
"But," Camilla added firmly, raising a delicate finger to emphasize her point. She looked into his dark brown eyes. "If you have any misunderstandings again in the future, please communicate with me. Do not jump to conclusions. Just ask me a simple question, and I will give you a simple answer."
Damon nodded his head firmly. He agreed with her terms.
"I understand," Damon promised smoothly. "I will ask."
Camilla smiled. It was a genuine, relaxed smile. She felt that they had finally resolved the terrible tension of the day. The air between them felt clear and peaceful again.
She turned her body slightly toward the open washroom door. The hot steam was very inviting, and her muscles ached from her long day of working at the fabric store.
She took one step toward the bath.
Then, an idea popped into her mind.
She stopped walking. She slowly turned her head back to look at him over her bare shoulder.
She batted her eyelashes and let a very sweet, suggestive smile curl her pink lips.
"Do you want to take a bath with me?" Camilla asked softly.
Damon was rooted to the floor.
His brain, which had just relaxed from the serious apology, completely short-circuited.
His eyes widened in shock. The image of his wife, stepping into the warm copper tub, inviting him to join her in the water, hit his mind with an overwhelming force. The intense heat instantly returned to his chest and his face.
His strict discipline, his panic about intimacy, and his sheer surprise all collided at the exact same second.
His first instinct—the deeply ingrained habit of running away from compromising intimate situations—took control of his physical body before his logical brain could even process the wonderful invitation.
Without thinking, Damon quickly shook his head from side to side.
"No," his fast, panicked head-shake communicated clearly.
Camilla saw his rapid head-shake. She saw the panic flashing in his wide, dark eyes.
She was not offended. She found his panicked reflex funny.
Camilla let out a soft amused chuckle. She smiled.
"It’s fine then," Camilla replied cheerfully, waving her hand casually. She turned her body toward the washroom. "More hot water for me."
She walked smoothly into the washroom, closing the door gently behind her.
Damon was left standing alone in the middle of the dim bedroom.
He stared blankly at the closed washroom door. The quiet sound of water splashing echoed softly from the other room.
The panic slowly faded away from his brain. The logic finally returned.
Damon slowly lowered his head. He looked down at his bare feet on the wooden floor. He realized exactly what had just happened. He realized exactly what she had offered him, and exactly what his stupid, panicked reflex had just rejected.
He had just turned down a direct, open invitation to share a warm bath with the woman of his dreams.
A wave of crushing regret washed over his entire body.
Damon closed his eyes tightly. He pinched the bridge of his nose with his hand. He let out a long defeated groan from the very bottom of his chest.
"You complete fool," Damon cursed himself harshly inside his own mind. His internal voice was filled with frustration. "Why did you shake your head? You are the most stupid, foolish man in the entire kingdom."
He stood there in the quiet bedroom, listening to the splashing water, realizing he had just wasted the greatest opportunity of his entire life.
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