EIITAB - 8 < You Must Hate Me >
Even If It Is Trampled And Broken
Lion. If you were to define the man named Aslan in one word, you wouldn't find a word that fits better
He was always referred to by a nickname instead of Aslan Kalati. The northern savage, Ellsworth's guard dog...
Most of them were titles of contempt. But, there was just one other thing, just the Black Lion. It was a reputation rather than a nickname, and it was usually called that by knights who respected Aslan's martial arts and temperament rather than socialites.
Even Aslan, even if it was his symbol, drew a black lion on his flag and carried it high. The reason he was called the Black Lion was not grandiose. It was because his hair was pitch-black, like a starless winter night. However, his eyes were the opposite.
The moment his vivid golden eyes popped into her mind, Hestia felt as if she were looking into Aslan's eyes.
"It is beautiful."
Hestia, who inadvertently muttered her heart, was startled by her own voice and put her hands on her lips. '
I was looking at that man like that?'
She was unconscious about what she thought of him. With this sudden realization, Hestia felt that her face was getting hot for some reason, so she fanned her hands lightly. Of course, it was true that she was surprised, but it was not a lie.
His eyes caught and held on to her gaze as if she were bewitched, and did not let go. But while it was beautiful, it was also terrifying.
If you melt the hot sun, maybe the same color will come out. When he stares at her with those burning, seething eyes....... Her legs trembled and her mouth went dry. It was to the point where Hestia felt that it was quite an ordeal for Hestia to look at him casually and then look at him as if nothing had happened.
Even Aslan was taller than any of Ellsworth's knights and had a good physique. His forearms are thicker than Hestia's thighs, so what can she say? Even from a distance, she could feel his intimidation, so she didn't come close to him as much as possible. As if her actions were very obvious, Aslan used to glare at her with eyes growing fiercer each time she moved away.
She said, 'It was still the hateful look in my eyes.'
It seemed that she wouldn't dare to keep her teeth out of his sight, but Aslan was tenaciously keeping her in his field of vision. She is still afraid to face him. However, Hestia couldn't give up on him, who was the only person in Ellsworth who was out of reach of the royal family, the temple, Anessa, and.......
She kept ringing in her ears.
"I didn't want this. So hurry up and open your eyes..."
The last thing she heard before she died... Aslan's hoarse voice, as if he was about to cry...
'I'm curious. What did you say to me and what did you promise to do for me when I was dying? If I stay by his side, will I be able to hear those last words again?'
Or can she even guess? Hestia let out a long wet sigh, trying to control her emotions.
As she took a deep breath, she recalled that she had no way to back down anyway, and she made up her mind alone. However, she soon ran into difficulties.
'But what should I do to meet the Duke of Kalati?'
The middle of the eyebrows naturally narrowed, and the tips of the eyebrows turned downward. Aslan was basically a man who lived outside the long wall that stretched across the north and south. There was no way for Hestia to get out of the South.
'I am a Saintess and a Princess, but I don't have any power given to me.'
All that was left was her name, and her current life, in which even her actions could be decided only with the permission of others, felt like a shackle.
They won't be allowed to go to the North because they're concerned about safety. It was probably not just Hestia, but most of the people living here, in the South, were like that. Blocking traffic like that spread the perception that the northern part was a very scary place, and everyone didn't even want to turn in that direction.
Currently, the Kingdom of Ellsworth is divided into north and south with a long wall at the center, and everyone calls that wall the 'unsurmountable wall'. It wasn't that they were separated by fighting against each other, it was just a situation that had no choice but to do so due to external circumstances. It is because of the anomaly that started in the north.
"...Winter."
It was 14 years already. Another season hadn't come to the North for over ten years. As if trapped in ice caps, endless winter continued in the northern lands.
"What the hell is the reason?"
Hestia muttered to herself, swallowing her sigh. The phenomenon was gradually coming down south, and with it, the place called the North was getting wider and wider. So now, almost half of the land of the Ellsworth Kingdom was tied up in the name of the North. In places where winter continued, demonic beasts constantly came out.
Fortunately, after the Great Wave a few years ago, the winter did not come down any longer. As winter seemed to be fixed, Southerners built a wall and cut themselves off completely from the North. That situation made Anestte more easily accepted into the temple. People living in the South have always had a fear of the growing territory of winter. That's why they welcomed Anette's supernatural ability, where grass grew and flowers bloomed wherever she passed, and they accepted her as a child of God.
The moment she fastened the lock on her bag with a sinking feeling. Something suddenly popped into Hestia's head.
'...... Ah!'
She immediately remembered how to meet Aslan.
'God, look at my mind. I completely forgot about that.'
Aslan Kalati came to the palace around this time every year. It was because the momentum of 'winter' was relatively quiet, so it was the only time to move. He informs Yorgos of the situation in the north and receives only verbal congratulations. At the shortest, ten days, at the longest, he would stay at the capital's mansion for about a month, and the time had come for him to come.
Of course, Aslan's attendance at social events was rare enough to count on one hand from his debut until now. When his royal audience was over, he shut himself up in his mansion and didn't budge.
"Still, it's much better to visit when he is in the capital than when he is in the vast north."
So, Hestia had only one conclusion.
"Anyway, if I want to meet Duke Kalati, I shouldn't be in the temple."
If there was one place in the capital he wouldn't even look at, it was right here, this temple.
"I want to get out of here as soon as possible."
In fact, the High Priests also hated the Duke of Kalati. It seemed that he was considered unclean because he directly dealt with the beast and drank its blood.
'But in case you don't know, let's check if it's right if he comes to the capital.'
Unlike in the past, she stopped Anette from doing what she had to do today. It seems trivial, but since she doesn't know what kind of butterfly effect it will bring, she thought she needed to move carefully. In the meantime, her thoughts of Aslan continued to follow her like a tail in one part of her head.
Putting her well-packed bag aside, she climbed back onto her bed and hugged her lap.
"By the way, that man."
She rested her chin on it and muttered quietly.
"He must hate me."
She immediately remembered what had happened right before she turned back time. Hestia can't remember exactly because all her senses are gone, but she knows that Aslan is holding her. He usually stares at her like that and treats her like he doesn't want to get involved... As if he couldn't let her go this way as she was about to cross the river of her death, his rough and rough hand holding her was very desperate.
"What did he say at the last minute?"
<Awaken. >
<......Do it. >
<... ... I will."
No matter how much Hestia tried to recollect her memories, she couldn't grasp the contents. So Hestia spent a long night alone. She couldn't sleep because she wondered what the guy who hated her was saying.
***
Hestia's chariot arrived in front of the palace. There was some noise before getting out of the temple, but she benefited from the envy. It was not easy to break Hestia's will to fulfill her duties as 'the Princess', so the High Priest had no choice but to let her go. As if the temple had already sent a message, Angela was out in front of the castle gate.
As Hestia got out of her carriage, she came and greeted her with her radiant face.
"Princess! Long time no see!"
Hestia greeted her as she hugged her.
"Long time no see, Angela. How have you been doing?"
"Sure!"
Hestia felt her heart warmed by Angela's warm welcome to her. She wanted to spend a little more time with her, but since she had an urgent business, she decided to postpone the pleasure.
"Angela, by the way, where is Your Majesty? I need to say hello,"
"He is in the office. Even if it's not, the King told me to bring you right away when she arrives at the palace."
Yorgos has always been a difficult person to deal with. Hestia curled her lips and held her breath for a moment.
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