Chapter 3 Isn't This a Mistress

Because of their morning conversation, Arnell had already given up hope on Holden, but when she heard him say that Candini was the only love of his life, she still felt a slight sting in her chest.

This was the husband she had waited three years for...

She knew Candini was deliberately trying to provoke her anger. If she really went to confront them, no matter the outcome, she would be the one who looked bad.

Thinking of this, Arnell could only force down the anger in her heart and the unspeakable sadness, silently lowering the carriage curtain.

Not far away, Candini saw Arnell retreat into the carriage. Winning this first confrontation so easily, she couldn't help but smile.

What noble lady, what beauty - right now in the carriage where no one could see, her face was probably twisted with anger!

Seeing Candini's satisfied expression, Holden's anger also dissipated quite a bit.

While he was away from home, the people on the Titan family's land had become so vicious and narrow-minded. Thinking again of the news from home these past three years, how almost everything on the land had been handled by Arnell alone, he felt even more disgusted with this wife he hadn't seen in so long.

However, he didn't want to make things too ugly with his wife in name in front of others. He didn't directly expose Arnell's presence in public, but when he returned to his horse, he reached out and pulled Candini from the neighboring horse into a passionate public kiss.

Candini was obviously used to such occasions. Not only was she not shy, but she actually squeezed onto Holden's horse following the kiss, her tongue sliding in like a slippery snake, making loud sucking sounds.

The common people around, because of Holden's earlier outburst, didn't dare say anything, even though they found their behavior shameless.

What should have been a proper welcome for a returning warrior had been turned into something like a lewd parade.

Fortunately, the two had some sense left. After Holden left a string of red marks on Candini's slender neck, the two continued forward on the same horse, still unsatisfied.

From the looks of it, they were probably heading straight back to the Titan Manor.

Elisa watched the whole thing from the side, angry and furious, but more than anything, sad for her lady. "Lady Arnell, how could Lord Holden do this... And that female knight commander, how could she be so shameless, doing that kind of thing in the street..."

She couldn't continue. That straddling and grinding was just like two animals in heat.

If her Lady Arnell had to face such people after going back, how could she bear it?

Arnell's mind flashed back to the wedding three years ago, and to Holden's cold as ice look at her just now. A pain she couldn't quite describe welled up in her heart. "Let's go back."

She certainly wasn't the type to swallow her anger. These years playing the gentle and understanding lady in the Titan family, Arnell had long been fed up with it. She just couldn't tear off the mask so recklessly yet - at least not now.

Thinking about returning to the Titan family soon, and remembering the lewd sounds she had heard when the knight order passed by her carriage earlier...

Arnell suddenly had an idea. She was never some canary to be slaughtered at will!

After the excitement died down, the carriage headed straight back to the Titan Manor. Getting out of the carriage, the guard who had come with Arnell when she married into the Titan family stepped forward, looking somewhat awkward. "Mrs. Titan..."

"There's no Mrs. Titan here. Just call me Lady Arnell."

"What..."

Hearing this, the servant looked up at Arnell in confusion and, after confirming it wasn't said in anger, immediately changed the form of address.

"Lady Arnell."

"Yes, have Holden and the others returned?"

"Yes, yes, but Lord Holden didn't go to Lady Victoria Titan. He just took that... uh, that knight commander to the glass greenhouse on the east side. They probably won't come out for a while."

They really didn't know how to address Commander Candini. Even though rumor had it that His Majesty the King had also allowed her to become Holden's wife, with such status in front of everyone, there was only one phrase that came to mind.

Isn't that just a mistress?

It's just that, unlike other nobles who kept such things hidden, Holden insisted on bringing her back openly in the name of true love, completely disregarding how the nobles, because of his actions, had developed much exclusion and disgust toward the Titan family.

After all, no one would want their daughter's marriage partner to have such a scandal in the family.

Arnell was silent for a moment after hearing this. She suddenly remembered that there was only one glass greenhouse on the east side of the Titan family.

It was the very place where Holden had proposed to her!

That day, with her mother's and everyone's blessings, Holden knelt on one knee, surrounded by her favorite tulips. He held Arnell's hand affectionately, "My dear, the flowers I planted for you have finally all bloomed. Will you come here with me every year to remember our story?"

She had smiled. Smiled until tears appeared in her eyes.

After a long while, Arnell took a deep breath, suddenly thinking of Victoria still waiting for her son. She spoke as if casually, "I think mother would very much like to see her dear son."

Holden had come home without saying a word. As a good daughter-in-law, how could she not tell his mother, who was looking forward to their reunion, that her husband had returned home?

Although Victoria knew Holden would arrive today, since no one dared to report it, when she saw Arnell appear, she thought she had come to wait with her. "Usually too busy to be seen, don't you know your husband is coming home?"

In the room at the moment were also Holden's older brother Mephist and his wife, his third sister Nina, and others. Even Holden's uncle's wife, Lady Merry, was there. Everyone had gathered to welcome the Titan family's son of glory.

Arnell politely curtsied, avoiding Victoria's question, only smiling as she spoke, "Why is everyone waiting here? I heard Holden has been back for quite a while."

"What!?"

"When did this happen?"

"We haven't heard anything!"

Everyone was shocked. Victoria was the first to speak. Although she was dissatisfied with the change in Arnell's attitude toward her, she still pretended to be gracious on the surface.

"Coming back without knowing to see his mother first, really... What is he doing?"

Arnell innocently shook her head. "I just got back and heard from the guards at the gate that Holden went straight to the glass greenhouse on the east side when he returned. There must be something urgent?"

Victoria frowned. Before she could say anything, Lady Merry, sitting beside her with a mocking expression, spoke first. "I remember the east side is where Holden proposed to Arnell back then. Going straight to the greenhouse upon returning, it seems his wife is more important than you, his mother!"

Victoria hadn't expected her to provoke her like this. She snorted coldly, smoothed her skirt, and was about to stand up. "My son is a hero of the empire. How could he be as unfilial as you say!"

Nina obviously didn't like Lady Merry. She took Victoria's arm and said coquettishly, "Mother, why don't we go see Holden ourselves? We should have been waiting at the main gate to greet him anyway. It was Holden who was worried about your health and asked you to wait indoors. How could he specifically not come to see you?"

She glanced at Arnell and snorted disdainfully. She had long been unhappy with this outsider who controlled her family with one hand. Even though she had custom-made many gorgeous dresses for her, those noble sons would only ask about this married woman in various ways.

What was so good about her! Now that Holden wanted to marry someone else, she deserved it!

Thinking of this, Nina said loudly, "Besides, even if there's something, maybe it's a surprise prepared for you!"

Victoria was obviously moved by her words. She immediately led a group of people out the door in a grand procession, heading toward the glass greenhouse on the east side.

But the further they walked, the fewer servants there were around. Occasionally, they'd see one or two, with somewhat unnatural embarrassment on their faces. Although Victoria sensed something was wrong, since she wasn't the only one there, she could only bite the bullet and continue forward.

Walking past the low wall covered with vines, under the sunlight, the scene inside the greenhouse suddenly came into everyone's view.

Behind the transparent glass, Holden was already completely naked, his hands roughly grabbing and kneading a woman's fair and full breasts. Between the wide movements below, occasionally revealing where the two were connected, fine foam was being squeezed out from the gap and slowly flowing down the thighs.

"Ah!" Nina covered her eyes in shame and anger.

How could Holden mess around here in broad daylight, regardless of the place! And let mother see it!

Everyone was shocked and found it truly unbearable to watch.

"This..."

Lady Merry laughed coldly. "Hmph, who would have thought that the brave and mighty Commander Holden is now here, busy having an affair!?"