Sold to My Killer Husband: His Concubine's Dilemma
Chapter 166: This changes everything..

Chapter 166: This changes everything..

The journey back was brutal and Rowan had secured horses from a hidden glade nearby, but the added weight of a weakened Scarlet meant they moved slower. Norra kept watch from the rear, blades ready. Liora rode with Scarlet behind her, the former princess barely able to hold on. Her breath was shallow, her pulse fluttering. Whatever she’d endured in the outpost had drained her nearly to the bone.

The silence between them was thick, but it wasn’t Scarlet Liora kept glancing at, it was Rowan. He hadn’t spoken since they’d fled the outpost, his jaw set hard. His posture was tense, as if he were bracing for a blow.

"You’re angry," Liora said quietly.

"I’m thinking," Rowan replied without turning. "About why no one confirmed her death. About why Cassien lied."

Norra hissed from the back, "Not the time for brooding. We’re being followed."

Liora turned sharply. "How many?"

"Three riders and they were not guards." Rowan made a quick call. "We split. Regroup at the watchtower near the riverbed. Norra, take Scarlet."

Norra caught Scarlet’s limp form without protest and wheeled off the trail. Rowan grabbed Liora’s reins and kicked into a faster pace.

"Why am I not going with them?" she asked breathlessly.

"Because I need someone I trust if they corner me."

Liora glanced behind them. "They’re gaining."

Rowan threw a dagger behind without looking. A metallic clang rang out, followed by a shout.

"Not fast enough," Liora muttered. "Hold on, cut left!"

At the Watchtower

Night had fallen by the time the group reunited. Norra had arrived early and started a fire under a low canopy of trees. Scarlet lay wrapped in a cloak, shivering but alive.

Lucien arrived not long after, alerted by one of Rowan’s hawks. His arrival was soundless, only the sudden silence of the forest marked his presence.

When he stepped into the clearing and saw her...

Everything stopped. and Scarlet didn’t look up.

Lucien’s eyes locked on her face as if trying to disbelieve the ghost in front of him.

"...Scarlet?"

She turned her head. Slowly. Like every movement hurt.

Her lips curved in a shadow of the smile she once wore.

"Hello, husband."

Rowan took a step back.

and Liora didn’t move at all.

Lucien went to his knees before her. "You... I saw your chamber burn. They said..."

"They lied," she whispered. "Cassien lied."

Liora turned away, her heart pounding.

She shouldn’t feel this. Jealousy. Grief. Fear.

But she did.

Lucien reached forward, brushing a lock of matted hair from Scarlet’s face. "You’re alive."

"Barely."

"Why didn’t you..."

"I tried. They kept me caged. Tortured me for the tapestry."

He turned to Liora, as if needing to explain something..or anything.

But Liora looked past him.

"Then you’ll want to know what else she brought back," she said quietly.

She held out the blood-marked tapestry fragment.

Lucien’s hands trembled as he took it.

That Night Liora sat alone near the fire. Norra had taken first watch. Rowan hadn’t said a word since Scarlet was revealed. And Lucien...he hadn’t come back from tending to her.

She clenched her fists, She wasn’t angry at Scarlet.

She wasn’t angry at Lucien. But the pit in her stomach felt a lot like being forgotten.

When she rose to leave, Rowan was waiting.

"I was wrong," he said quietly. "Scarlet’s return changes things." Liora nodded.

"She’s not what I fear," Rowan continued. "You are."

She blinked. "What?"

"You feel too much. That makes you brave. And dangerous." Liora’s breath caught.

"But you won’t leave him, will you?" Rowan asked.

"No," she said, steady. "Even if he forgets me for a while, I won’t forget why I’m here."

And as she turned toward the tent Lucien had taken Scarlet to...

Her steps were slow.

But they didn’t stop....

Liora had barely stepped out of the healer’s quarters when she saw Lucien standing near the training grounds, his arms folded, watching a few of his men sparring under the sun. His shirt sleeves were rolled to his elbows, and the light caught the faint sheen of sweat along his temple. He hadn’t noticed her yet.

She hesitated after everything that had happened the past few days, her collapse, the incident with Arin, the whispered tension in the halls, part of her wanted to return to her chambers and hide.

But the other part... the louder part... wanted to go to him.

Liora stepped forward.

Lucien turned as if sensing her presence. For a brief moment, his eyes softened, the hardness melting away as he took her in. "You’re awake," he said.

"I am," she answered.

There was an awkward pause. She tried to find the words, but all she could focus on was how tired he looked.

"You should rest," he added before she could speak. "You’ve barely recovered."

"I’m not here to spar," she said gently. "I just... wanted to see how you were."

Lucien looked back at the field. "They’re not ready. Not for what’s coming."

"Then train them."

"I am," he replied. "But I’m only one man."

"You’re more than that to them," Liora said quietly.

He turned to her again. "And what about you?"

She blinked. "What?"

"To you," he said, eyes holding hers. "What am I?"

The question hung in the air like a held breath. Too honest and too raw.

Liora stepped closer. "Someone I trust."

Lucien’s lips twitched, almost a smile. "That’s dangerous, Liora."

"Not as dangerous as pushing people away."

Before he could reply, a loud commotion erupted near the courtyard gates.

Both turned, tense. One of the guards came running, his voice loud. "Commander! A rider just arrived from the capital. Says he carries a sealed letter. Urgent."

Lucien didn’t waste time. "Bring him here."

Moments later, a dusty, mud-splattered rider was escorted forward, holding out a sealed scroll wrapped in red wax bearing the royal emblem Alden’s seal.

Lucien broke it open, eyes scanning the message and his jaw clenched.

"What is it?" Liora asked.

He handed her the scroll.

The message was brief.

"You asked for truth. You were right.

There is a shadow in my court.

Someone betrayed us both.

Come at once. Discreetly."

Lucien’s gaze turned hard again. "We leave tonight."

The morning sun filtered through the thick canopy above, casting golden rays across the dirt path. Birds chirped lazily, their songs woven between the rhythm of hooves and the creak of worn leather. Lucien rode at the front, a silent figure in black, with Rowan and All ne following closely behind. Liora remained nestled inside the carriage, the curtains drawn partly open. Her eyes caught glimpses of the landscape, a blur of trees, distant fields, and occasional stone markers that hinted at forgotten borders.

Beside the carriage, a certain clumsy figure trotted awkwardly on her speckled mare. Rinna, with her loosely tied braid already falling apart, glanced up at the trees with a mixture of curiosity and unease.

"Do you think there are bandits here?" she whispered to no one in particular, nudging her mare forward when it lagged behind.

Rowan chuckled from ahead. "Not unless you count squirrels and overgrown ferns as dangerous."

"I wasn’t talking to you!" she huffed, though a smile crept onto her lips.

Lucien didn’t turn but his voice carried over, "Keep your eyes open regardless. There are worse things than bandits in this kingdom."

That silenced Rinna for a while.

Later, as they stopped near a brook to water the horses and stretch, Liora stepped out. Her legs ached slightly from sitting, and she welcomed the cool splash of the wind. She wandered a little down the bank, watching the ripples move like silver threads across the surface.

Rinna ambled over and knelt down beside her, trying to collect water in a flask but spilling it twice before managing.

"You’re Liora, right?" she asked, voice bright. "I’m Rinna. I sort of came with the horses... and stayed."

Liora gave her a soft smile. "Thank you for helping."

Rinna grinned. "I help where I can. I’m not great with swords or maps, but I can make a fire that doesn’t go out in five minutes. That’s something, right?"

Liora looked at her, intrigued by her cheerful honesty. "That’s everything when you’re cold."

Behind them, Lucien stood with Rowan, watching the exchange. Rowan murmured, "She’s already part of the group."

Lucien replied without emotion, "Let’s see if she can keep up."

As the group resumed their journey, the road curved toward the wooded outskirts of a village Lucien once knew a place where secrets lay buried and old alliances may still smolder.

Lucien’s voice dropped low, his fingers drumming thoughtfully against the armrest of his chair. "We move before the sun sets," he said. "No banners. No names."

Rowan nodded but leaned forward slightly. "You’re not going to tell Liora?"

Lucien’s lips pressed into a thin line. "She doesn’t need to know. Not yet. If anything happens, it’s better if she’s not linked to this."

Rowan hesitated but didn’t press the matter further.

Meanwhile, in another wing of the estate, Liora stood beside the clumsy new maid, Nessa, who had nearly dropped an entire tray of polished silverware. Liora bit back a smile as the girl scrambled to catch the last spoon before it clattered to the floor.

"Sorry! I’m so sorry, Lady Liora...I swear my hands have minds of their own..." Nessa stammered, brushing her flour-dusted skirt.

Liora chuckled softly. "You’ve apologized more than I’ve spoken today."

Nessa’s cheeks turned crimson. "I just don’t want to ruin things. I’ve never worked in a place this grand, and Master Vale...he watches like a hawk."

"He has no patience for clumsiness," Liora said with a shrug, then paused. "But... he does have a strange loyalty to Lucien. That says something."

Nessa leaned in slightly, whispering, "Do you know where he’s going today?"

Liora’s smile faded. "He didn’t say."

Both women turned as a courier stepped into the hallway, holding a sealed letter marked with a black insignia....a hawk clutching a dagger. Liora’s gaze narrowed.

"That’s not one of ours," she murmured.

The courier stopped before her, bowing. "For the Lord Blackthorne. Urgent."

Liora accepted the scroll, watching the man retreat as quickly as he had arrived. She turned the seal in her fingers, unsettled by the emblem.

"Should I tell someone?" Nessa asked nervously.

"No," Liora said quietly. "I’ll handle it."

The forest cleared slightly, revealing the edge of a wide ravine. A bridge of worn planks stretched across it, swaying gently in the wind. Rowan held the reins, glancing at Lucien for direction, while Scarlet still catching her breath pointed toward the other side.

"That bridge leads to an abandoned signal outpost," she said, brushing leaves from her hair. "No one dares use it anymore... but it’s the fastest way to cut through into Valemont territory without passing the royal checkpoints."

Lucien studied the distance. "And the guards?"

Scarlet shook her head. "None. The place is considered haunted."

Rowan exhaled. "Of course it is."

Liora stepped forward, her voice clear. "We’ll take it. Haunted or not."

Lucien gave a small nod. "Everyone cross one by one. Rowan, you first. Then Scarlet. I’ll follow with Liora."

The wind howled as the group began crossing, the creaking wood groaning under each step. Liora’s fingers brushed the side rope tightly, but she kept her eyes on Lucien ahead. Halfway through, a sound cracked low and muffled, but distinct.

A snap of a bowstring.

Lucien spun on instinct, shielding Liora just as an arrow embedded itself in the plank between them.