Married To A Savage Duke - Chapter 74.2

“As Axel said, you’re putting unnecessary tension on your shoulders. Relax and lower your right arm a bit.” After hearing his words, Cherryl became aware of how tightly she had tensed her right arm. If she had shot arrows with such a ridiculous posture, grazing the doll would have been a stroke of luck. Cade looked at her small hand firmly gripping the crossbow’s body and chuckled. He used his fingers to adjust the position slightly. While Cade was personally correcting her posture, Axel had a worried expression as he stared into space. Not only had he teased and picked on the boss’ girl, but now his antics during the match, where he didn’t give her a chance and relentlessly pushed her, were exposed. He feared the consequences. What if the chief asked him to clean the training ground for a week or appoint him as a subordinate to the nagging Schiff and Hawk or have him engage in menial tasks and chores?

Even as he imagined the punishment that would befall him, Axel suddenly realized how vastly different he had been from Cherryl. Despite living her whole life as a high-ranking noblewoman, she never displayed the manners and attitudes that the Balkan tribe usually observed. He had thought all nobles were snobbish and only cared about appearances, but when he saw her, it wasn’t quite the case. Perhaps it was because of her lively personality that he could comfortably interact with Cherryl. With that thought, Axel secretly transferred his responsibility to her.

Unaware of the storm raging within Axel, Cherryl diligently followed Cade’s instructions. She awkwardly held the crossbow and looked up at Cade.

“Is it like this?”

“It’s okay to lower your elbow even more. The crossbow has a stabilizing mechanism so as long as you support it properly, it won’t shake. Try focusing on releasing tension and aiming at a different spot.”

“It feels a bit uncomfortable, but it feels more stable. How is it now?”

“It’s much better. Now try pulling the trigger. Instead of making big movements, only move your fingers.”

With a poised posture, Cherrul exerted a slight force on her index finger and pressed the firing mechanism.

Strangely enough, at that moment, she had a good feeling. It felt different from before when she hit the owner’s forehead. The rubber arrow shot out like a slingshot and hit the right eye of the donkey doll. Cherryl suppressed the urge to jump around to observe Cade’s reaction. He looked down at her with an admiring gaze.

“Well done, Cherryl. You’re quick to learn anything.” In response to the gentle compliment delivered in a low tone, she flashed a bashful smile.

“I have a great teacher.”

“People who listen to a few words of advice and achieve good results have talent.”

The men of the Balkan Tribe surrounding the two of them had a sense of what it meant to be in love and secretly sighed. The moment couldn’t have gotten any better. They had just celebrated their wedding so it was truly a honeymoon period. Knowing that even the most affectionate couples could unexpectedly clash, they were prepared to look the other way if necessary. Axel wanted to tease Cade and Cherryl, who were getting along so well. Of course, he didn’t want to die, so he kept it to thoughts alone. Cade placed his hand on Cherryl’s waist and stared calmly at Axel.

“If you do well, you might win.”

Feeling the sharp gaze piercing him like a knife, Axel showed a sheepish expression. Now it seemed he was in for a defeat and everyone present thought the same. Cherryl smirked, tapping her chin playfully.

“But why ‘anything’? Did I quickly learn something else?” As Cade slowly raised the corner of his mouth, she instinctively nudged him. “Never mind. Don’t tell me.”

“Aren’t you curious?”

“I think it’s better not to know.”

Finally, he lowered his upper body and whispered something in Cherryl’s ear. “In bed.”

Her eyes widened like a startled rabbit as she listened. She hastily grabbed Cade’s hand. “Shh!”

Even though they were in a lively festival street, if someone were to overhear such an inappropriate conversation, who knew what would happen? Cade held her hand tightly while wearing a cheerful expression. Then, he spoke playfully. “It’s rewarding to teach when you absorb it as instructed. It’s amazing to see you follow my words so accurately even without physical demonstration.” He reached out his free hand and brushed it against Cherryl’s lips. “I want to see if you’re good at other things too.”

Although he was probably referring to her hitting the target with a crossbow, it could be interpreted in various ways thanks to the previous whisper. Cherry was caught by the impulse to pinch Cade. He dared to speak such words that could be interpreted in countless ways. Trying to maintain composure, Cherryl opened her mouth.

“You’re exaggerating. You guided me through the stance and showed me how to do it with your hands. I would be foolish not to figure it out. I mean, we’re still talking about the crossbow——” Her attempt to casually continue the conversation was overshadowed by her confusion. She was desperately trying to recover from her own words. Cade raised one eyebrow and chuckled mischievously.

“Did it have any other meaning? You must have had a few things in your mind.”

“No! No!”

She blushed as if her cheeks were on fire. Flustered, Cherryl tried to divert the topic while grabbing the crossbow.

“Now, if I knock down four dolls in a row, I can win.”

“You’re overflowing with confidence, Miss.” Axel, who slipped in unnoticed, interjected. “Unless you’re a natural, archery doesn’t improve quickly in a short period.”

“Well, maybe I have a little talent.”

“Well, feel free to delude yourself. Ahem! Anyway, it’s my turn now.”

Axel glanced at Cade discreetly. Cade, who had quickly regained his composure, sent a stern gaze once again.

There was no way Axel could miss the unspoken command in that fleeting eye contact.

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