Moonlight - Chapter 1


Prologue

It was beautiful.

Although I firmly believed that I would never use that word again in my life, I held my breath quietly, fascinated by beauty for the first time in my life.

If I were to exhale, this dreamlike beauty would shatter like a mirage.

My eyes were wide open in surprise and showed no sign of closing.

For a moment, I thought this moment would last forever.

But that was only for a moment, at that damn moment the blade aimed at my neck gleamed sharply in the sunlight.

I swallowed quietly at the sharp tip of the knife.

Shit.

The knife aimed at my neck was sharp.

The cold blade made my neck feel frozen.

This is not the land of northern ice, but a desert with blazing sun, and yet it feels this cold.

It was surprising, but I was foolish enough not to say it out loud.

I pondered whether it was a welcome or aggravating experience to encounter such chilling air on the filthy hot desert sand.

But the thought did not continue until the end, and soon my gaze was drawn to the sharp edge of the blade.

I stared at the blade, not hiding my discomfort.

If iy brush against that, I'll probably get hurt to some extent, right?

I took a slow breath and looked up again.

It was a struggle to regain my composure, but as soon as I looked up again, the composure was shattered in an instant.

Damn, that wasn't a dream.

Moreover, it was not a mirage.

I really wish it would just disappear like a mirage, but its beauty was still there.

The blade gleamed under the brilliant sun.

The scorching heat of the sun rose from the sandy ground below, but at that moment I didn't feel it at all.

The ends of the thick cloth turban wrapped around the man's head flowed down his shoulders.

I, whose gaze had been stolen by the movement, soon came to my senses.

Against the backdrop of the enormous sun, it was the first time that a human being appeared so insignificant.

No, rather, something approaching so intensely that it seemed as if it would swallow up the son.

I bit my lip without realizing it.

I just couldn't come to my senses.

A flowing shirt with baggy trousers worn by desert people.

An outfit I've never seen before.

His exotic attire made it clear that this was not my home country.

More than that, the hair covered by the turban was a shade of gray I had never seen before.

At first glance, it looked like silver, but seeing as it didn't shine in the sun, it was definitely gray.

I thought gray hair would be dark, but contrary to what I imagined, it wasn't dark at all.

How is that color possible?

It was the first time I felt that gray was beautiful.

It was so dull, that I actually wanted to touch it, it was so attractive.

It was the same with the strong arm muscles that were pointing the sword at me.

Dark, swarthy skin that was tanned under the hot desert sun, so different from one's own skin that one could not even call it white.

Just looking at it, I could tell that the muscles were well-toned and elastic.

I never understood why my friends would get excited when they saw a man's forearm, but now I understand their feelings in an instant.

"How different would it be if he were a Persian man?"

It was just a few weeks ago that I had to retract my words.

It was very different.

That too, is a lot.

His firm chest was visible through the gap in his open shirt.

I looked away for no reason and then held my breath for a moment.

Damn, there's no way a guy can be that attractive.

I wanted to keep looking at him, but my face was getting so hot that I couldn't control it, so I looked away.

But I looked at it the wrong way.

As soon as I turned my gaze to the man's face, I was truly lost in thought.

I'm truly speechless at the thought of a man who has not even the slightest bit of courtesy towards a lady but is so bad at it.

A beautiful face, a sharp jawline, and plump red lips.

His lips were unusually plump for a man.

Lips with a firm mouth and a slightly fuller lower lip that are strangely stimulating.

But it was kept coldly shut.

I don't know why, but I was really lucky.

Although I had never been intimidated by a man's good looks, I felt annoyed at that moment.

The man who was now threatening my life was so attractive that the word 'manly' instantly came to mind.

As a man.

No, putting all that aside, I quickly came to my senses at the sight of those murderous eyes that looked like they would devour me at any moment.

I thought I was going to be beaten by that intense gaze, but fortunately or unfortunately, seeing that gaze so cold, I felt like I was going to be sliced rather than eaten.

I feel a bit confused today.

Still, the eyes were so captivating that I really wanted to touch them.

I have never thought of someone's eyes as beautiful as his.

This was beyond shocking.

This could be called a revolution.

It was when I was trying to focus my thoughts again to my senses.

At that moment, the man's sensual lips twisted.

I bit my lower lips reflexively.

"Have you finished looking around?"

Fuck.

I barely managed to hold onto my senses, swallowing the swear words that were about to burst out.

I can't leave here!

I'm still in danger of dying!

I really wondered how he knew I was watching him, but I didn't do anything stupid like asking.

It was stranger that he didn't know while staring at him so openly as if he was in rapture.

I knew it was rude, but I wasn't in a good mood enough condition to care about manners.

"What are your final words?"

The slightly raised blade hovered strangely near my jawline.

It felt like the blade's sharp edge was cut through my delicate skin if it touched me even a little.

I swallowed hard, straightening my back as if I was about to be struck down at any moment.

The voice was annoyingly good too.

I had never hesitated to choose my father as the most handsome man ever, but at this moment, I was having a hard time deciding.

No matter how I thought about it, this man was a formidable opponent.

The low, mid-bass sounds strangely scratching at my insides.

I felt a sense of uneasiness at this feeling of not being able to reveal my identity.

At that moment, the man's sword moved.

"Ouch! I haven't said anything yet!"

I shouted in horror.

"Wait a minute, wait a minute!"

Fortunately, my words, which included holding out both hands and urging him, seemed to have taken effect, as the man's hands stopped in mid-air.

I felt strangely nervous at the sight of his long, thick, manly fingers, but fortunately, I was relieved to find that my words had resonated with me.

Oh, I'm really surprised!

Surprised, I opened my mount, satisfied that I had time to make my final argument.

In fact, I felt the worst because I kept worrying about the blade hanging around my neck.

It's like living with a fish bone in your mouth for the whole month.

I wanted to get rid of the annoying blade first.

"Put that away. You can't kill me."

"Why?"

The man asks without wasting a moment.

Those cold red eyes seemed to be mocking me, but I paid no attention.

I lost my composure for a moment, but I was used to this kind of situation.

I stubbornly explained why I should not be killed.

"Because I'm a pretty girl! Pretty girls are treasures that the country has to protect! Pretty and beautiful things should be protected and preserved by everyone!"

The man laughed without a moment's hesitation.

I remained silent, even though I was clearly outraged that my words had been laughed at.

The way he laughed was so confident that I didn't even feel like saying anything in return.

Still, pretty and beautiful things had to be protected.

Yeah, it's a treasure.

If it were in front of another person, I would have yelled at them with bloodshot eyes, but I just couldn't bring myself to do it.

That's understandable because he was the one who made me stare blankly for a long time.

Although my pride was dented, I only bit my lips and didn't make much of a protest.

The man looked straight down at me with eyes that had lost their smile.

Arrogant look.

For some reason, I straightened my body in response to that stinging gaze.

Every muscle was tense.

A gaze is so intense that it is difficult to breathe comfortably.

At first, his red eyes were so locked on me that it was impossible to even look away, and I wouldn't let go.

"Ha..."

Finally, his red lips opened and a breathtakingly beautiful low-mid range voice flowed out.

I swallowed without realizing it as I looked at his gaze that traced my neckline.

Why are that man's eyes so intense?

It's just like, it's just like the midsummer sun.

Dirty hot and extremely intense...

"What is beautiful about?"

Damn. Yeah, you're good, human.

I, who had been admiring him for a long time, frowned without hesitation at the words that broke my admiration.

You bad guy, how dare you call a woman ugly in front of her!

He really has the worst manners.

You really don't know how to be considerate, you filthy idiot.

Wow, are desert men really like that?

In an instant, the illusion is shattered.

I tried hard to chase after my fantasy,

No, that won't happen.

Don't be fooled, Ashina.

If you go to Kracha, you will definitely be surrounded by a well-mannered and handsome man.

Maybe.

After thinking for a moment, I frowned for no reason.

I was so dazzled by the beauty that suddenly appeared before my eyes that I forgot about it for a moment, after wandering around for a week, I finally met this person, and I felt a little wrong.

By the way, this man suddenly brandished a knife in response to my question, "Which way should I go from here to Kracha?"

Do you still have any grudge against Kracha?

Indeed, judging by his arrogance in pointing a sword at a person's neck and laughing at her, his enemy seemed to be all over the place.

That rotten bastard.

The sword aimed at me was terrifyingly sharp, even when viewed again.

I swallowed hard, fear of death creeping up on my face once again.

Ah, am I supposed to face the end of my life like this?

I really don't want to end my life like this.

That was the moment.

"Ugh!"

The blade flew so quietly that not even the sound of the wind could be heard.

In a split second, it came down so fast it hit the ground.

If I hadn't leaned back with only the instinct to survive, I would have been stabbed in the back and met a terrible end.

When I thought about that goosebumps suddenly appeared all over my body.

I shouted in anger.

"Where is the real way to swing it, really!"

My screams should have been enough to strike him, but the man, seemingly made of stone, pulled out the knife buried deep in the sand without any reaction.

A metallic sword that shines so brightly that it is almost dazzling.

I immediately shut my mouth as I saw the bright blue light rising again.

'Sir, you're not going to strike again, are you?'

I looked at the man, holding my breath.

Although the feeling of uneasiness did not go away, fortunately, the man put the knife away.

I was so lucky.

But the mockery that slightly twisted the corners of his lips was clearly engraved in my eyes.

"Where on earth are the rules and laws of killing humans?"

I bit my lower lip, licking my dry lips with my tongue.

"The only things left are the survivors and the dead."

His gaze, scanning me as if groping, sent shivers down my spine.

It feels cold even though the knife hasn't even touched the nap my neck.

The man chuckled again as if he had noticed my appearance.

"Just by letting you live like this."

At that moment, I realized the truth of life once again.

As expected, if you're handsome, your personality isn't good.

"Be thankful, woman."


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