Vikings: Nordic women

Chapter 9: A Sudden Showdown

In the room, the faint scent of chestnut flowers was intertwined with the smell of sweat and musk. Madame Yar hurriedly opened the window to let in fresh air.

"Kneel down quickly and slap yourself!" Seeing Holger trembling, Madame Jarre immediately reminded him.

A flash of understanding appeared in Holger's eyes, and he quickly knelt down in front of Madame Yar.

The slaps rang out, and he showed no mercy to himself. Every slap seemed to be hitting an enemy. Soon, his cheeks turned red.

"Rebecca, who's in the room?" Robert heard the noise and walked in with confusion. His eyes moved between his wife and the housekeeper who was kneeling on the ground and slapping himself. "Who allowed you to enter my room?"

Rebecca stared at Robert with anger on her face, like an enraged lioness, and bared her "fangs": "I want to ask him something. I heard that there will be another Lady of Yar in the territory. When do you plan to let me meet her?"

Robert's face darkened and he stared at Madame Rebecca of Jarre with an unfriendly look: "It's none of your business!" His nose twitched, as if he was puzzled by the smell in the room.

"Why don't you get out?" Madame Yar was startled. She turned her head and glared at Holger, making a crazy hint.

Holger hurriedly stood up and slipped past Robert like a gray shadow. He only wiped the sweat from his forehead after he walked out of the room.

Madame Jarre looked at Robert: "You haven't explained that to me yet!"

"What explanation do you want?"

"You have to ask yourself!"

The moment Holger stepped out of the room, listening to the quarrel behind him, his tense nerves were finally relaxed, as if he was in fresh air, breathing freely.

He took a deep breath, turned around and faced the two mighty Viking warriors. He coughed twice, then elegantly straightened his clothes, folded his hands in front of his bulging belly, and his chubby face was full of seriousness: "Where did Yar go just now?"

"Sir, Jarta..." The two men recounted in detail what had just happened, as well as the instructions left by Jarta, and reported to Holger one by one.

Holger nodded slightly, licked his lips gently, and a deep expression flashed across his face, as if he saw that he was about to go to Wushan together.

It seems that he hasn't had enough fun yet.

He said in a deep voice: "I understand. I will handle this matter properly."

He then signaled his men to take her to his residence so that they could discuss in detail the matters that Jarre had assigned to him.

"As you command, Your Excellency!"

……

Ouni was still unaware of the storm that was about to engulf her. She was in the warm atmosphere of her bedroom, guiding Hina and Vanessa as they skillfully weaved the dream of a large distillation plant, immersed in a vision of a beautiful future.

In order to impart knowledge more efficiently, the two girls have moved into Eunice's bedroom, as if they were regarded as her confidants and were receiving special training.

Ralph, O'Neal's right-hand man who was responsible for helping her manage the boys, pushed open the door and walked in hurriedly.

He pointed outside the door and said urgently, "Miss Eunice, there is a warrior outside who claims to have an agreement with you and is asking for an audience with you!"

Ouni, who was busy, raised her squatting body slightly, her eyes passed through Hina who was blocking her view, and looked at Ralph, and asked: "Who is he?"

"He said his name was Harold!" answered Ralph.

Ouni frowned slightly and asked in confusion: "Harold? What is he doing here?"

Ralph observed Ouni's reaction and confirmed, "It seems that you do know him!"

Ouni hesitated for a moment. Although she was very busy, she considered that refusal might damage her reputation, so she finally nodded and agreed to the meeting.

Under Ralph's guidance, Ounnie walked out of the house and saw Harold with his arms folded, like "Grandma Liu entering the Grand View Garden", curiously observing the burning furnace and trying to reach out to touch it.

It will take another six days for the furnace to completely solidify and transform into a solid brick structure under high temperature forging.

Therefore, at this moment it is still an unfinished masterpiece, not yet ready to fulfill its mission. Harold gazed at Owen deeply and affectionately, his eyes flashing with a glimmer of hope, and this strong emotion made Owen feel a little uneasy.

"Did he hurt you?"

She met Harold's gaze, shook her head gently, and said calmly: "No, thank you, Harold, I'm fine."

Ever since she heard Harold's declaration in the Lord's Hall, Ouni has made up her mind to stay away from the dispute between brothers and avoid becoming the "bowl" that is about to break in the vortex of their conflict.

However, recalling the intriguing words that Lord Robert said before he left, Ouni realized that the relationship between the two brothers might still be hiding unknown secrets.

Harold's words were full of affection and worry, as if driven by some strong emotion. He said: "Seeing that you are safe and sound, I feel relieved. If you are hurt in any way, I am afraid I will feel guilty for the rest of my life!"

Ouni felt a little uncomfortable with this sudden bluntness. She rubbed her left arm uncomfortably, as if she could feel the hairs on her skin standing up. A chill made her shiver and goose bumps appeared. She whispered in her heart: "Eh~ That's such a greasy thing to say."

Harold then made an invitation: "Can I ask you to go for a walk?"

Ouni watched him warily, wondering whether she should express her feelings directly. However, she hesitated again, considering that doing so might hurt Harold.

This is such a tricky question!
……

On the cliff, Owen, wearing headscarves, and Harold sat side by side on the cold hard stone, looking out at the vast ocean.

The waves rolled and roared below the cliff with such force that it seemed to swallow everything.

The cries of the Arctic terns echoed in the air, resounding through the clouds, but their figures were hidden in the vast sky and were difficult to find.

The sea breeze gently brushed across Ounnie's body, blowing away the hair that was fluttering in the wind behind her. Her whole body seemed to be filled with the fragrance of rosemary, which was intoxicating.

Harold squatted beside her. This burly man looked like a child who had suffered a lot of injustice, helpless and fragile.

Harold's voice seemed particularly heavy under the blowing of the sea breeze, and he slowly told his story.

"My father has two sons, Robert and me. As the eldest son in the family, Robert always seems to occupy his father's heart. No matter how hard I try, my father always only has his achievements in his eyes. Robert always takes everything away from me easily, but my father turns a blind eye to it. This partiality makes me feel extremely painful and angry. Under my father's cold eyes, I seem to become worthless, while Robert gets endless praise and favor from my father because of his 'success' - whether in fighting skills or other aspects."

As he narrated, the waves seemed to whisper in agreement, adding a touch of sadness to the bitter shadow of this childhood.

"As time went by, this contradiction gradually took root in my heart and became an insurmountable gap. I began to doubt whether I was really worthy of my father's love, and even doubted my own existence. Whenever Robert shined in front of his father, the jealousy and dissatisfaction in my heart surged like a tide. However, I never dared to express these feelings because I knew that would only bring more blame and disappointment."

Harold's voice trembled in the sea breeze, and his story was like the waves, turbulent and full of emotional twists and turns.

"Until one day when my father was fatally wounded, he revealed a secret to me before he died and begged for my forgiveness. It turned out that he had also experienced fights and conflicts between brothers. In order to protect me, he chose to hide his love because he was afraid that Robert would kill his brothers for power like he did in the past. He was afraid that I would become a victim of this brotherly fight."

Ounnie listened quietly, the sea breeze gently blowing her hair, and her heart rose and fell with it.

She smiled awkwardly but didn't respond.

She loves to hear other people tell their stories, but she herself never shares her emotions easily.

In her opinion, the relationship between people can never reach true equality, and opening one's heart to another means showing weakness like a wolf, exposing one's vulnerable belly.

"I've figured it out. Everything here belongs to Robert. I plan to leave. Being alone with you brings me peace of mind. Are you willing to give up everything you have and go with me?" Harold stretched out his hand to Eunice, his eyes filled with expectation and a hint of pity, as if he was a lonely stray dog, longing for companionship and acceptance.

When faced with the sudden confession and invitation to elope, Ounnie's face looked grim, as if a basin of cold water was poured on her face, and the sky instantly changed from sunny to cloudy.

This embarrassing situation is like an unexpected storm that catches people off guard.

Her expression revealed helplessness and confusion, as if she was asking the other person: Has the relationship really reached this point?
This awkward atmosphere was like an invisible wall that separated the relationship between the two people and made people feel suffocated.

"No, I refuse!"

The originally pleasant interaction turned stiff and she picked at her toes in her boots, feeling awkward and regretful for agreeing to come here.

(End of this chapter)