"Hey old man, I am asking you something. Have you gone deaf from old age or what? Or have you forgotten who I am to you?"
Frustration welled up within Nelson, fueling his voice as he unleashed a roar that reverberated through the air. His words carried the weight of his vexation as he confronted the aging butler.
The disrespectful demeanor of the butler struck a blow to his dignity, a pang that stoked the flames of his anger. He demanded an answer, unwilling to accept any evasion or indifference.
The air crackled with tension, a clash between generations and authority, as Nelson's identity and his place within the family hierarchy were challenged by the butler's demeanor.
However, contrary to what he had expected, no matter how much he pressurized the latter or threatened him, the butler seemed intent on maintaining his silence.
"It seems like you don't have much value in your house.... Hahaha~"
Even Zach was beginning to grow interested in the drama. He wondered if the butler would break down under the irrational assault of the young master he served or if he would spill the secret he was guarding so vehemently.
The butler, a figure seasoned by a lifetime of servitude to the Hunters, bore no trace of timidity. Unfazed by Nelson's furious outburst, he carried himself with an air of unwavering authority.
Turning his attention to the two imposing guards flanking him, he issued an order with casual authority. His voice held a commanding tone that brooked no opposition.
"Bring her forward. Keep her hands tied up and prepare for the exchange."
Several guards around the butler broke into a frenzy of movements as they assumed positions between the two families as if guarding the path that would bring their young master home in exchange for the dark mage's wife.
Zach laughed a little at their antics, but he liked the idea a little bit. As such, instead of opposing them, he positioned his soldiers along the rest of the path as well to give a warm welcome to Diana who had spent a lot of time away from home due to his carelessness.
"Bring him forward as well." ordered Zach like an unfazed commander about to conclude a peace treaty with the opposing faction.
Two soldiers paid heed to his order and dragged Nelson forward swiftly.
Neither the butler nor the soldiers around him revealed any hint of joy or sadness after seeing their young master. Instead, their gaze became more focused like a guided missile that had locked onto its target.
"So, how are we going to do this?" asked Zach curiously as he stared at the old butler who was the decision maker of the Hunter family assigned for the hostage exchange.
"Our young master walks towards us and she walks towards you. Any party makes a move, the peaceful exchange turns into a bloodbath. The exchange will be over once we have our young master, and you have your woman." The old butler was quite straightforward as he didn't spout any bullshit and remained to the point.
Zach nodded as he said, "Sounds fair enough. It feels good dealing with intelligent people."
Both Zach and the old butler signaled their men at the same time. The soldiers on both fronts let go of the hostages at the same time.
Released from the chains that bound them, both the hostages began to walk in the direction of salvation in the form of their loved ones. There was no ambiguity in their gaze as to what they wanted. There was only pure joy at having attained their freedom once again.
But the spectators on the other hand, couldn't help but clench their fists in anticipation of an attack that may or may not arrive. They were all on edge as if waiting for that single spark of conflict that would allow them to let loose without taking any responsibility for initiating the conflict.
Both sides expected trouble from the other side as they couldn't believe that the other side would let it go just like that. The feud between the two families after all wasn't simple.
One of them had tried exterminating the other completely and had even kidnapped the wife of the enemy leader. This wasn't a feud one could casually forgive and forget, especially not a dark mage like Zach who considered human life more worthless than dog shit.
Since the soldiers on both sides had received severe instructions to not make any kind of stupid move, there were no signs of trouble from either party.
Diana looked slightly frail and had dark circles underneath her eyes as if she hadn't slept properly for a long time.
Zach sighed heavily as he noticed her condition. He knew that the Hunter family wouldn't have dared to treat her badly. Therefore, it was highly probable that her military training was the reason behind her pitiful state.
Knowing how religiously she took the military rules, he could guess how she ended up in such a frail and sleep deprived state. She might have done this to herself by refusing to eat and sleep unnecessarily so as to not be caught off guard by the enemy.
Zach didn't know what to say as it made him feel extremely guilty, both for educating her about the unspoken rules of incarceration and for not protecting her properly.
But Zach couldn't exactly change her stubborn nature.
While Diana walked towards Zach looking like a zombie coming back to life, Nelson also rushed towards his camp while holding in his fury regarding the old butler's insolence and his father's indifference to his wellbeing.
Unlike what most of the spectators had expected, the exchange went smoothly on both ends. There were no ulterior motives at the scene of exchange as Marico had warned him about so vehemently.
The exchange ended as soon as Nelson reached the other side of the camp and the soldiers of the Hunter family rushed forward to untie his hands from behind his back.
A similar scene repeated itself with Diana as the rope was pried apart from her. She had managed to keep a straight face through it all but the moment she saw Zach, her tears ran unhindered like a waterfall in rainy season.
She ran like the wind and slammed into Zach's chest and clung to him like a koala, hugging him tightly as if intent on never letting go of that particular embrace for the rest of her life.
Zach could feel it through the force of her hug, her pain and her suffering during the time she was being held by the Hunter family.
A protective instinct awakened inside of him as he vowed to himself not to let her experience such a fright ever again. He hugged her back and patted her back encouragingly like an elder would have done for a child in such a situation.
As if on cue, she began to bawl her eyes out. The unending ocean of tears wetted his chest, but Zach didn't pay it any heed and focused on comforting the lean figure in his arms.
While the Smith family felt warmth witnessing such a heartwarming scene, two women felt quite the opposite. Flames were raging inside their bodies instead.
Of course, the two women were none other than Christina and Clara who shared the same love interest as Diana but were powerless to stop her due to what she had been through. If any of them showed their jealousy at such a time, anyone would begin to hate them, let alone Zach who had been blaming himself for Diana's ordeal this whole time.
Therefore, they held in their righteous indignation as they unhappily scrunched up their noses at the sight of Zach comforting another woman right in front of them.
Both of them looked towards each other and nodded as if they had reached the same decision.
They pretended not to notice Diana getting physical with Zach as they gave her a one-time pass because of the hardships she had suffered on her own in enemy territory.
After Zach continuously patted her back encouragingly and whispered comforting words into her ear for a while, her wailing reduced to silent sobs that came and went. Every time she stopped crying, Clara and Christina barely held themselves back from prying her out of Zach's arms. Thankfully they didn't act on their instinct or Zach might not have forgiven them for their insensitivity.
"Are you feeling better now?" inquired Zach in a hushed whisper. His intention to spare her any potential embarrassment evident.
His tone carried a gentleness that acted as a soothing balm for Diana's emotional wounds.
In the wake of his words, she felt a surge of comfort wash over her, as if his concern had the power to mend the pieces of her shattered composure.
"Mmm...Mmm..."
The response came as a series of subdued, quivering sounds, the remnants of stifled sobs and uneven gulps. Despite the tumult within her, Diana's determination pushed her to nod in affirmation twice, a silent insistence that she was regaining her equilibrium even as her voice remained veiled in emotion.
"Since you are alright, then don't forget to give your big brother a bigger hug. He was probably the most worried about you out of all of us here. You need to comfort him as well or he might kill me in my sleep later on." joked Zach in a barely audible whisper that was only comprehended by Diana and himself.
Zach's words acted as a soothing breeze, gently coaxing Diana to release her grip on him.
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