Tyranny Of Steel

Chapter 711 Who are you and what have you done with my wife?

Chapter 711 Who are you and what have you done with my wife?

As Berengar waited for his messenger to meet with the Monarch of the Kalmar Union, he was involved in the endless pile of paperwork that always seemed to find its way to his desk. The Kaiser signed away documents at an efficient rate while the sound of knocking appeared from the other side of his office's door. This halted his current actions as he called out to the intruder with an exasperated tone in his voice.

"It's open!"

With this said, the doors swung open to reveal the figure of someone that Berengar was not expecting. Adela had a stern expression on her face as she approached her husband and sat down on the chair across from his desk. The fact that she was even speaking to Berengar after what he had done was a good sign.

Berengar remained silent, as he had already spoken his piece about his affair with the woman's sister, and had nothing more to say to her. This only further agitated Adela, as she glared at the man intensely for several seconds before sighing heavily and speaking the exact words that her husband was expecting.

"I forgive you..."

A wry smile formed on Berengar's lips as he teased his pretty wife in a taunting manner.

"I'm sorry I didn't quite hear that. You what?"

Adela could feel the irritation rising in her soul as she stood up from her seat and shouted at the man she loved.

"I forgive you, okay!?!"

Berengar merely chuckled when he heard this before petting the young woman on her golden head. She pouted as he did so, which only made her seem cuter in the eyes of her husband. Berengar sighed heavily before retracting his hand. His expression turned stern as he addressed Adela's statement.

"So, what did we learn?"

The petite young blonde woman was practically scowling as she heard this. Did this man really have the nerve to lecture her after what he had done? However, she remembered the words Linde had spoken to her during her grief, and remembered her place as one of many partners of her husband. Adela made sure to enunciate every word clearly so that she would no longer be teased by the man sitting across from her.

"I shouldn't be jealous... You will probably have more mistresses in the future because you have multiple wives. I should have acted more calmly when I heard you had slept with my sister..."

Berengar smiled pleasantly and nodded his head before petting the girl's hair once more. This time she fought it off, as she was too embarrassed to endure the treatment. Seeing how cute she was being, Berengar could not stop himself from teasing his wife further.

"Good girl..."

When Adela heard this, she practically cursed her husband with her own mind. Seeing she was still rebellious, Berengar sighed before speaking about their relationship.

"You know, if you had just let go of your petty jealousy years ago, we could have moved past this whole mess. I understand it was difficult for you to do that, so I appreciate the effort you have gone through to make me happy. So I suppose the question is, what should be done about your sister?"

Adela was startled when she realized Berengar was asking for her input. She thought about it for several moments before bringing up the most important part of the equation.

"What happens to Wolfgang?"

In response to this, Berengar pulled out two chalices and poured some wine into them. He handed one off to his wife, while taking a sip from his own.

"I have given Wolfgang a stay of execution until I can consult with his brother Adelbrand about his punishment. Normally, the man and I would have spoken by now, but he is currently bogged down with affairs in Iberia. Apparently, he deems his brother's life as less important than his current campaign against the rebels. To quote the message I received:

Let the bastard rot in the dungeons. I will visit Kufstein when I have the time to discuss a more permanent solution to his crimes."

It shocked Adela to hear how little Adelbrand cared for his own flesh and blood, but after everything that happened during the Bavarian invasion of Austria years ago, it would be hard to forgive the man. She sighed heavily when she heard this. It sounded like Adelbrand was inclined to agree with Berengar's suggestion of execution.

After realizing that her sister would be a widow with four kids to feed, Adela felt pity for the woman. She did not know what exactly Berengar had done with her after the incident and quickly asked about her current condition.

"And my sister?"

Berengar took another drink from his wine before answering the question with a stoic expression on his face.

"For the time being, she is being looked after in the old castle, where she and her children are free to live as they please. I have informed her I won't be a father to her children, and that if I were to see her in the future, it would only occur if you accepted such an outcome."

Adela tapped her armrest nervously for several minutes. The truth of the matter was she did not want Berengar and Ava to be together, but she feared if she said that, then Berengar would assume she had not gotten over her previous jealousy.

Luckily, Ava held little meaning to Berengar, and he did not care if he continued an affair with her either way. Upon seeing the anxiety in Adela's eyes, Berengar grabbed hold of her dainty hand and smiled warmly as he informed her how he felt about the issue.

"You can be honest with me. The truth of the matter is, I do not care for your sister like I do you, or the others. If a relationship were to form between us, it would be purely sexual. If you do not desire such a thing, simply say it, and I will inform the woman."

Adela thought about the issue for several moments. It was one thing to selfishly keep Berengar and Ava apart, but the problem was her sister was a complete mess without the support of someone else to rely on. Thinking about this further, Ava was unlikely to remarry.

With all the young marriageable women flooding into the Empire from other countries, it would be rare for a man to marry a mother of four as one of his five wives, and look after her children as his own. Even Berengar did not desire to do such a thing. When Adela thought about such a horrible fate, she knew what the answer was in her heart. With a heavy sigh, she gave Berengar her honest opinion on the matter.

"This might be selfish of me to say, but I want you to continue your relationship with Ava..."

Berengar nearly choked on his wine when he heard this response. He had done the math in his head, and the probability of Adela accepting an affair with Ava was virtually nonexistent. Or so he thought. Before he could speak up, Adela wore a very serious expression as she continued on her previous statement.

"You're the uncle to her children, and they need a paternal figure in their life. At this point, my sister is unlikely to remarry, and even if she were to do such a thing, the man most likely won't be of high quality. For the sake of Ava's kids, I want you to be in her life, and a part of her kid's life as their uncle. You don't have to be their father, but you can be their father figure."

Berengar was truly shocked when he heard these words escape from Adela's mouth. She had always been the jealous type and had fought his harem every step of the way. Now she was saying that she not only wanted him to continue sleeping with her sister, but to be an active part of her life? It was too much for him to comprehend. He had to make sure the woman was not trolling him.

"Are you sure that this is what you want?"

Adela smiled as she nodded her head. She would be lying if she said the idea of Berengar and Ava being together did not cause her any pain. However, she was kindhearted enough to know that with Wolfgangs' death, Ava would need a proper man in her life, and she would not find anyone better than Berengar.

When Berengar saw the serious expression on his wife's pretty face, he could only scoff in disbelief. Since she had said a relationship with her sister was acceptable, he would not back down. He leaned over his desk and kissed the woman on the cheek before teasing her.

"Since you have accepted, there is no turning back. I'm going to have a lot of fun with Ava. Perhaps you could join us?"

Rather than flush in embarrassment, Adela nibbled on her husband's ear before taunting him herself.

"Be careful what you wish for. You just might get it!"

Berengar could not help but chuckle when he heard this. He immediately voiced his disbelief as he gazed upon Adela's coquettish expression.

"Who are you, and what have you done with my wife?"

It was at this moment that Berengar no longer regretted putting Adela through Linde's training. It would appear some of that vixen's mannerisms had rubbed off on the girl.