Lean Season

*Chapter 64*

Time quickly passed by and the lean season had come. I have become busy with my succession classes in the Wall Burgundy pack, handling pack affairs as the Luna, being the owner of the Argerich Consulting, and lastly, handling the invitations and preparations for Reginald and I's fourth wedding anniversary.

I inhaled and exhaled seeing the vast area of Crescent Moon Sea as we were riding on a ship along with my employees from Argerich Consulting.

The salty breeze that brushed through my skin... The seabirds that were joining in the ship's journey... The bright sky indicated that today was a great day...

Everything was settled and... perfect.

I turned my head when Frederick settled beside me. "I've been looking for you, my goddess. So, here is where I must find you," he uttered after a moment.

Cackling, I leaned my back to the railings of the ship. "Are you really frightened if ever I lose from your sight, darling? How clingy you must be for a slave..." I jested.

He glanced at me and stretched out a charming smile. "So what if I am, my goddess? Are you going to take accountability for what I feel?"

I arched my eyebrow at his arrogant tone. And his words... He meant that if I would reciprocate his feelings for me as his mate.

But despite that, my heart was erratically beating so fast. Those flowery words he uttered were making me feel skittish and my hands felt like they were fidgeting. Ah... I wonder how I must cease this. It was still really annoying me... How must I put this into words?

Perhaps, the mate bond must be blamed for this, right?

I placed my hand on top of his hair and petted it. "Your blabbermouth is always full of flamboyant words, darling. You must cease that immediately."

Frederick closed his eyes and took my hand to kiss my wrist before he slowly peeled his eyes open to gaze at my hazel orbs. That made me feel uneasy somehow as I shuddered from that sensual kiss on my wrist. "How many times must I tell you, my goddess, that I am only telling the truth to you?" he asked in an earnest tone.

"You are just being heavily influenced by our mate bond," I stated in the same tone as his. "No one has ever trusted me unless they work for me and I paid for them using money and my body, darling. I am not a fool at your behavior. This mate bond we have is making you—"

"No matter what you say, I trust you and my words are coated with the truth. I may misbehave at your sight but I know my loyalty reserves to you only. You must not doubt it, my goddess." He drew closer to suffocate me with his presence. "You can also trust me that I am not going to hurt you. I only want your happiness... and finally, accept our mate bond."

I scoffed and grinned, averting my gaze from him. "Right... You even dare to threaten your master. How atrocious you must be." I rolled my eyes. He was spouting words that would make me excited about what kind of attitude he was going to show. However, I mustn't entertain this kind of action from Frederick.

I stiffened when Frederick hugged me. My eyes widened, too.

"Because there is no way I must allow that you will break our mate bond. Please do not even think of doing that, my goddess. I have been loyal to you so the only thing you can do for me is not to break our bond." His hug tightened. "I have been praying to the Moon Goddess to have you. For thirty-four years, I waited so I can finally be with you."

I gasped when hearing what he said. Thirty-four years? "So, you are nine years older than me?" I distanced myself as I chuckled.

"Huh?" He blinked.

"You know your age but you do not know when your birthday is?"

With my statement, Frederick stiffened on his ground. I could hear how his heart was reacting so fast like it was a beat of a drum.

"Um..." He gulped as he chuckled nervously. "Pardon me, my goddess. I indeed know my age but my birthday isn't. I only assumed how years go by because... Um... That's all." He gulped one more time. "It is not important for a slave like me to have a birthday..."

I arched my eyebrow. It was a plausible reason but why did I doubt him?

"Alright," I only said, not wanting to make this a big deal. "Well, I did not expect that you will be nine years older than me. I expect that we are just a few years ahead." I smiled sheepishly.

But with this nine-year gap, I was somehow reminded of Prince Atticus. It meant that Frederick had the same age as that bastard prince.

Drat! That was unexpected yet... annoying.

Frederick only smiled and didn't say anything anymore. It seemed that it bothered him that he knew our age gap. It didn't matter to me though.

Reginald and I's age gap was five years so this was just a trifling matter. The nine-year gap with Frederick was just the same thing as this.

"Lady Novalie."

I spun around upon hearing Ouncy's voice. "Ouncy," I said when she was walking in our direction. Beside her was Julia. They curtsied before me as soon as they halted in front of me. "Julia." I acknowledged them by nodding my head.

"My lady, Captain Ricci informed us that we will set in the dock soon," Ouncy said.

"How much time do we have until we get to the island?"

"Within thirty minutes."

Julia stepped forward and curtsied. "My lady, a few of our employees saw Lord Westervelt jump to our Proud Doom," she said. She was indicating the name of this ship which came from Captain Ricci himself. "He came from the ship that is following us behind. The name of the ship is Colac."

My face darkened. I could already assume that Reginald was wreaking havoc right now. "Where is he?" I asked.

"At the lounge, Lady Novalie," Julia answered.

"That son of a bitch..." I murmured before I went inside to check it myself. If in case he was going to wreak havoc here, I am going to throw him where he came from.

I was already fine that we were on a separate ship as he entertained the guests who were invited for our wedding anniversary which would be held only for two days and one night while my employees and I were going to stay here for three days and two nights.

I squinted my eyes when I spotted Reginald who was being served by my employees with refreshments and snacks while my employees' faces looked frightened. "That bastard..." I said through gritted teeth before I inhaled and exhaled so I could calm myself. "Darling, come here."

"Yes, my goddess." Frederick offered his arm so I could clutch it. He knew very well what I was going to do before we made an appearance.

"Well, well, Regy... It seems the rumors are right. You dared to jump here from the Colac, huh?" I said as Frederick and I sauntered our way in his direction.

The smiling Reginald suddenly changed into a smirk when he spotted us. "I got bored of entertaining our guests. It is quite unfair that you are enjoying yourself here while I was there on that ship suffering from socializing." He raised his glass as if he was making a toast before he drank it.

I left Frederick and went straight in Reginald's direction. Then I raised my foot so I could stomp his crotch but Reginald immediately spread his legs and reclined to his seat while gasping in horror.

"You're sick, Novalie!" Reginald said in annoyance. His expression was visible and he was frightened by my actions.

"It is not as if I am going to hit it, Regy," I said, grinning. But he growled and was about to remove the foot near to the apex of his thighs when I immediately choked him. "Go back to Colac before I change my mind and throw you to the sea," I said, threatening him. "There is no place for you here. Go and entertain our guests just as you plan. You are the one who rented that ship, right?"

I released him from choking his neck. He coughed and massaged his neck. "Bitch... You always know how to put me in an embarrassing state..." He gritted his teeth while sending me a death glare. Then his eyes roamed around to my employees who were watching us. "What are you all looking at?!" He barked.

I just shook my head. "You only have five minutes to leave my ship, Reginald. Make chaos here again and I swear, I will tie you up in a steel chair. Then I shall throw you off to the sea," I said, smiling sweetly before I left the lounge while Frederick was following me.

I went to the main deck to see Lewis Ricci holding a monocular telescope. He turned in my direction when he saw me and immediately bowed his head before me.

"Ahoy, Viscountess Argerich!"

"Hello to you, too, Captain Ricci." I nodded, acknowledging his informal greetings and looked at the sea. "Are we there yet?"

"I already see the island, Your Ladyship." He bestowed me his telescope. "We will be there in less than ten minutes."

I used it and saw it for myself. I smiled seeing the vacation house that was standing there on that private island. We had been traveling for more than five hours already and it was worth it to be on this journey.

"I didn't expect that we would have a companion. Of all the ships His Lordship, Viscount Westervelt rented, why would he choose that Lange man?" Ricci asked with a huge frown sitting on his face.

Ricci was talking about the captain of Colac, Martin Lange. Lange was his foe when it came to leading the journey in the sea.

I chuckled when I returned his telescope. "That bastard Reginald knows how to annoy both of us."

Ricci laughed. "You really know how to make everything laughable, Your Ladyship." He was about to say more when one of the crews called his attention. "I must go now, Your Ladyship. My presence is needed in the navigation room," he said, bowing his head a little.

"Alright." I dismissed him and watched him leave along with his crew. "Frederick."

"Yes, my goddess?" Frederick stepped forward and bowed his head a little.

I looked at him intently before I spoke earnestly. "I haven't told you about this but you are not going to stay in my chamber."

His eyes widened in horror. "W-Why?" His tone sounded like he was panicking.

I released a loud sigh, feeling my heart being pricked right now because of his expression. I really hated this part whenever Frederick was acting like this. My wolf was so eager to protect him from me.

"Reginald and I talked that we have to stay in one chamber." His eyebrows furrowed. I crossed my arms over my chest before I would break out the news to him. "We would need to properly consummate our marriage."

"W-What...?" His shoulders slumped before he smiled bitterly. "W-What does this mean? A-Are you two trying to c-c-conceive?" He stepped backward. I could hear the sound of breaking his heart with the question he uttered.

I averted my gaze so I could pay heed to the sound of little waves of the sea. I even watched some marine creatures swimming and joining the ship sailing.

"Reginald managed to convince Father last week to add a condition of passing Father's title to me," I said as I inhaled sharply before I glanced at Frederick. "Reginald wants me to bear his pup. It means... I must cease taking fertility control."

I watched Frederick suddenly knelt on the floor. I could already tell that my news was shattering him. Because of the mate bond... This was going to hurt us both.

I was angry when I heard this from Reginald. I even confirmed this from Father to which I earned a disappointment at him.

"Reginald wanted that the pup I just am going to bear would also have the right to inherit the marquis title. Reginald needs to secure first that I am pregnant with his pup before Father would pass down the title," I added.

It would also mean that I must halt from fooling around.

I just found out that Reginald wanted us to stay here for two weeks. I still needed to take fertility control for the first week to ensure that I wasn't bearing any man's essence inside me. Then the last week was to properly consummate our marriage.

"Why..." I snapped back when I heard Frederick's voice croak. "Why did you only tell me this now, my goddess? I thought... I thought I was your ally?"

When Frederick looked up, I knew that it would also break my heart. I averted my gaze so I didn't have to suffer seeing that painful expression he had.

"Because... I am a selfish person, Frederick," I said in my cold, fathomless tone. "I want to deal with this alone."

"But how about me? A-Are you going to discard me soon?"

"No, darling." I looked up in the sky when I felt the corner of my eyes stung a little. "You are still my knight so you will have to fulfill your duty. You are still a slave under me."

He stayed silent. But moments later, I could hear him sniffing. I closed my eyes, not wanting to turn my head because I already knew that Frederick was sobbing.

"Why did you not appeal to your father, my goddess?" he asked, sobbing softly.

"He was convinced. He also made his decision," I stated. I also remembered Father said that it was the only way to make Reginald at ease for the inheritance of our future pup. Reginald wanted the security of it. "Making an appeal is futile once those two already met their minds, Frederick. I have no power to even amend that even if I say that I would rebel against this."

It was true. It was why I hated when Father and Reginald would be in one way of thinking. If one agrees, the other one would do so.

Then I was left there having to follow them again—acting like a marionette even if Novalie Argerich has the power to wreak havoc. They would never change their minds.

Heaving out a sigh, I chose to crouch down so I could pet Frederick's head. He looked at me with his puffy red eyes. He looked so broken at my news.

"Hush now, darling." I gently wiped the tears from his eyes. "My goal to divorce our marriage shall never dissolve. I still have my will to do that. I just need to endure this unexpected course," I said softly to calm him down. "

If he didn't expect Reginald's plan, so I was. This was one of the things I did not foresee after all. I thought I could outsmart Reginald but I was wrong.

Frederick took my hand and kissed it. "You are going to bear that man's pup which... I hated the idea. It is as if you are already implicitly saying that you no longer need me..." He held my hand tightly. "My goddess, please... You can just revoke that you do not want to be the head of the Argerich Family. I can't... I can't afford to see you bearing that man's pup."

I remained stoic and muttered, "I'm sorry." Then I stood up and left him.

As soon as I was in my cabin, I closed the door and couldn't hold the tears forming in the corners of my eyes.

I'm sorry, Frederick... I should've told you sooner...