“Did you believe those rumors?”
That couldn’t be true.
When did he start to care about Claudel? It was from the very day they spent their first night in the bedroom where she had trembled.
If she had feelings for him, she wouldn’t have thought of dying.
Claudel was going to die before Kaian could get the medicine to cure Herzol.
So she couldn’t have liked him more than he did.
And yet, Claudel’s few words seemed to pierce his heart and leave a mark.
“You can monopolize me as much as you want.”
He wouldn’t let anyone else have her.
Kaian roughly hugged her as she rushed into his arms.
“Let’s go back. Claudel.”
To our treasure trove.
To Rowen.
The village on the foothills closest to Plogne had been the same for over ten years, as if time had stopped. It was the edge of the Valmonde territory.
Furthermore, it was a rough and undeveloped mountainous area, so it was only the border between territories.
To get to the village that even the upper class visited regularly from the territory beyond the mountain range, it was impossible to cross the mountain, so they had to go around to the central road where Kaian and Claudel had parted ways, and then follow the border inside the Valmonde territory to get there.
“Can you find your way?”
When he lived there, he could find his way to the village with his eyes closed, even if others didn’t know.
But since no one was passing by, the path in the forest had become overgrown with vines and bushes, and it wasn’t easy to find his way to the village of Plogne.
“There are still marks on the trees.”
Evan found the bark of the trees here and there that had been peeled off like landmarks and searched for the way.
After a whole day of toiling in the forest, they found traces of the former village of Plogne.
How much rain had fallen on this land in the meantime, and how many plants had grown and animals had lived there?
There was less of the ruined village site left than expected.
“It seems like Temnes has done a good job of erasing the traces of the village.”
People had artificially compacted the ground, erected pillars, made floors inside houses, dug up the places where they had been, or knocked down pillars and buried them in the ground.
Perhaps because of that, there were traces of burning here and there, or perhaps they had been washed away by the rain, but nothing particularly stood out.
Even so, the burnt traces of the giant tree that connected the earth and the sky could not be completely erased.
Discovering the remains of the sacred tree Arbor, Leonie diligently walked toward it.
“It’s here.”
Seeing the stump that could have been a house, Leonie approached it and closed her eyes for a moment. She could not hear the tree speaking.
“What does Arbor say?”
Evan asked, and Leonie shook her head.
“I can’t hear anything.”
“...”
Claudel gaped at him blankly.
‘The rumors aren’t true?’
If so, she had made a huge mistake.
Embarrassed, Claudel hurriedly made excuses.
“You’re such a cool and wonderful person. I thought there would be a lot of women who would want to meet you.”
“Do I meet all of them if they want to?”
“But...”
“You thought that even though we shared a bedroom every day?”
“Oh, because Hannah told me she saw Antjone coming out of your bedroom on the last day of the wedding party.”
As she continued, her tone became somewhat awkward.
“So that happened.”
Kaian frowned and placed his hand on his forehead.
He sighed deeply and, not knowing what to do, untied her hands from his grasp and caressed them in the middle of the table.
“Holding a woman’s hand. You’re the first since my mother passed away.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
Kaian seemed offended, but he gently stroked her small hand and acted as if he was comforting her.
“There have been many women who have come into my bedroom, but they have all been kicked out.”
“Why?”
“Why?”
Claudel asked foolishly, and he flared up.
“You're such a picky eater, don’t you know that? Do you accept anything you don’t like when I feed you something?”
He had nothing to say. Ever since Kaian had caught a wild buffalo calf, she had thought he would mix some kind of medicine in it and feed it to her, so she had refused to eat anything that seemed even slightly strange.
“Then...You couldn’t possibly...”
“Why would you say ‘can’t possibly’ in that context? Of course, the first woman I held on the night of our first night together sat in the Duchess’s seat.”
“That’s ridiculous.”
Kaian glared at her as she blurted out the words without realizing it.
“You... That... It’s not like the first time...”
However, the more she spoke, the more her face flushed. It would have been better if she had had a little alcohol, but why on earth did she bring up such a topic when she was sober?
“Oh. Was that the problem?”
Claudel’s voice gradually became smaller and smaller.
“I thought you had a lot of experience.”
“Thank you for the compliment.”
Kaian answered shamelessly.
As the silence passed for a moment, Claudel felt like she was sitting on a bed of thorns.
‘How did this happen?’
She wanted to tell Madame Marcel about her apology and to apologize to Kaian.
It was true that she had misunderstood him and been swayed by rumors and not trusted him at that time.
But what should she do when she suddenly felt as if her body was shrinking?
It felt like a fundamental problem of trust between a couple had been exposed, more than what she had wanted to say.
“I don’t feel like eating out.”
Claudel heard her heart pounding.
Kaian dragged her hand, which he had been holding onto, out of the restaurant.
When the people who had just brought out their orders looked flustered, he told them to pay in gold coins and eat whatever they wanted.
Unlike when he came, he pushed her into a cart that was standing on the side of the road.
I felt like I had made a big mistake. I felt like I had done something that deserved a big scolding.
'I don't think it's polite. Can I say something like that? I've thought about it so many times.'
If it was something that would make him worry that much, I shouldn't say it.
However, I had always had a lack of conversation with Kaian, and looking back, the things I hesitated and didn't say properly piled up misunderstandings and shook our relationship. I didn't want that to happen again, so I wanted to say something.
In fact, I had been feeling complicated all along because of his visit to the palace, so I also wanted to let go of one of the old stories.
'We've been on good terms lately.'
It seemed like Kaian was trying to show his affection and express it as much as he could. I thought I could really trust him after he saved me from freezing to death in the lake.
But I didn't want to bring up the old story.
"Kaian. Hey... uh."
When I hesitated and tried to speak, Kaian pressed his body and lips against mine.
Crunch.
As the carriage bounced up and down, perhaps hitting a bump in the road, Kaian lifted me from the seat next to him and sat me on his lap as he continued his indulgence.
“Claudel.”
My lips, heated from the rubbing of our lips while kissing for a long time touched his forehead with moisture.
“You really make me antsy.”
I kissed his chin.
“Are you angry?”
“Do I look angry?”
“I think you’re not feeling well.”
Kaian frowned habitually.
“I kept my duty to a wife who came from an enemy’s family, but it can’t be good to be treated like I'm playing around with a different woman every night.”
“I’m sorry.”
However, I didn’t know that Kaian was going crazy inside, seeing him looking sullen and depressed.
‘She was the first.’
It wasn’t the kind of marriage he had hoped for, a forced marriage by royal command.
Usually, in marriages between families or by royal command, the private lives before marriage weren’t particularly an issue.
The fact that the person was getting married was important.
The bride and groom who set foot in the wedding hall were like a living seal that the vows were still intact.
Nevertheless, the dark greed of possessing Claudel completely filled his stomach.
Kaian felt a sense of satisfaction that he could live off Claudel for the rest of his life.
'Besides, what Antjone did was a problem.'
In addition, the incident with Madame Marcel was also a misunderstanding that had piled up because Kaian had ordered her to keep quiet to surprise Claudel.
And yet, she was apologizing as if she had done something wrong.
He was crazy about Claudel, so he wanted to see her small face brighten like a full moon and then fade into a thin and faint waning moon.
After seeing Claudel struggling as if she had found a weakness in him, he felt sorry for the woman who still had such a hard time with him, and he also wanted to see her smiling face while being held so tenderly.
Either way.
"If you want it,"
Kaian said, suppressing his boiling greed.
"I will never look at anyone else in my life."
Choosing words that would sound like a vow to her, he took Claudel's hand and pressed it firmly to his heart.
"I will never spend the night with anyone but you."
He had hoped for a moment like this someday.
The moment he shared his heart with her and promised her, Claudel would also be burdened with the same obligation he had.
Claudel trembled in excitement, not knowing that it was a trap he had set with expectations.
“Can I monopolize you?”
Claudel gaped at him blankly.
‘The rumors aren’t true?’
If so, she had made a huge mistake.
Embarrassed, Claudel hurriedly made excuses.
“You’re such a cool and wonderful person. I thought there would be a lot of women who would want to meet you.”
“Do I meet all of them if they want to?”
“But...”
“You thought that even though we shared a bedroom every day?”
“Oh, because Hannah told me she saw Antjone coming out of your bedroom on the last day of the wedding party.”
As she continued, her tone became somewhat awkward.
“So that happened.”
Kaian frowned and placed his hand on his forehead.
He sighed deeply and, not knowing what to do, untied her hands from his grasp and caressed them in the middle of the table.
“Holding a woman’s hand. You’re the first since my mother passed away.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
Kaian seemed offended, but he gently stroked her small hand and acted as if he was comforting her.
“There have been many women who have come into my bedroom, but they have all been kicked out.”
“Why?”
“Why?”
Claudel asked foolishly, and he flared up.
“You're such a picky eater, don’t you know that? Do you accept anything you don’t like when I feed you something?”
He had nothing to say. Ever since Kaian had caught a wild buffalo calf, she had thought he would mix some kind of medicine in it and feed it to her, so she had refused to eat anything that seemed even slightly strange.
“Then...You couldn’t possibly...”
“Why would you say ‘can’t possibly’ in that context? Of course, the first woman I held on the night of our first night together sat in the Duchess’s seat.”
“That’s ridiculous.”
Kaian glared at her as she blurted out the words without realizing it.
“You... That... It’s not like the first time...”
However, the more she spoke, the more her face flushed. It would have been better if she had had a little alcohol, but why on earth did she bring up such a topic when she was sober?
“Oh. Was that the problem?”
Claudel’s voice gradually became smaller and smaller.
“I thought you had a lot of experience.”
“Thank you for the compliment.”
Kaian answered shamelessly.
As the silence passed for a moment, Claudel felt like she was sitting on a bed of thorns.
‘How did this happen?’
She wanted to tell Madame Marcel about her apology and to apologize to Kaian.
It was true that she had misunderstood him and been swayed by rumors and not trusted him at that time.
But what should she do when she suddenly felt as if her body was shrinking?
It felt like a fundamental problem of trust between a couple had been exposed, more than what she had wanted to say.
“I don’t feel like eating out.”
Claudel heard her heart pounding.
Kaian dragged her hand, which he had been holding onto, out of the restaurant.
When the people who had just brought out their orders looked flustered, he told them to pay in gold coins and eat whatever they wanted.
Unlike when he came, he pushed her into a cart that was standing on the side of the road.
I felt like I had made a big mistake. I felt like I had done something that deserved a big scolding.
'I don't think it's polite. Can I say something like that? I've thought about it so many times.'
If it was something that would make him worry that much, I shouldn't say it.
However, I had always had a lack of conversation with Kaian, and looking back, the things I hesitated and didn't say properly piled up misunderstandings and shook our relationship. I didn't want that to happen again, so I wanted to say something.
In fact, I had been feeling complicated all along because of his visit to the palace, so I also wanted to let go of one of the old stories.
'We've been on good terms lately.'
It seemed like Kaian was trying to show his affection and express it as much as he could. I thought I could really trust him after he saved me from freezing to death in the lake.
But I didn't want to bring up the old story.
"Kaian. Hey... uh."
When I hesitated and tried to speak, Kaian pressed his body and lips against mine.
Crunch.
As the carriage bounced up and down, perhaps hitting a bump in the road, Kaian lifted me from the seat next to him and sat me on his lap as he continued his indulgence.
“Claudel.”
My lips, heated from the rubbing of our lips while kissing for a long time touched his forehead with moisture.
“You really make me antsy.”
I kissed his chin.
“Are you angry?”
“Do I look angry?”
“I think you’re not feeling well.”
Kaian frowned habitually.
“I kept my duty to a wife who came from an enemy’s family, but it can’t be good to be treated like I'm playing around with a different woman every night.”
“I’m sorry.”
However, I didn’t know that Kaian was going crazy inside, seeing him looking sullen and depressed.
‘She was the first.’
It wasn’t the kind of marriage he had hoped for, a forced marriage by royal command.
Usually, in marriages between families or by royal command, the private lives before marriage weren’t particularly an issue.
The fact that the person was getting married was important.
The bride and groom who set foot in the wedding hall were like a living seal that the vows were still intact.
Nevertheless, the dark greed of possessing Claudel completely filled his stomach.
Kaian felt a sense of satisfaction that he could live off Claudel for the rest of his life.
'Besides, what Antjone did was a problem.'
In addition, the incident with Madame Marcel was also a misunderstanding that had piled up because Kaian had ordered her to keep quiet to surprise Claudel.
And yet, she was apologizing as if she had done something wrong.
He was crazy about Claudel, so he wanted to see her small face brighten like a full moon and then fade into a thin and faint waning moon.
After seeing Claudel struggling as if she had found a weakness in him, he felt sorry for the woman who still had such a hard time with him, and he also wanted to see her smiling face while being held so tenderly.
Either way.
"If you want it,"
Kaian said, suppressing his boiling greed.
"I will never look at anyone else in my life."
Choosing words that would sound like a vow to her, he took Claudel's hand and pressed it firmly to his heart.
"I will never spend the night with anyone but you."
He had hoped for a moment like this someday.
The moment he shared his heart with her and promised her, Claudel would also be burdened with the same obligation he had.
Claudel trembled in excitement, not knowing that it was a trap he had set with expectations.
“Can I monopolize you?”
She carefully checked if what he said meant what he meant.
“Yes.”
Claudel covered her cheeks with both hands as if she didn’t know what to do with her joy, then wrapped her arms around his neck and hung on, leaving small kiss marks on his cheek, ear, and nape.
“I’m so happy. How many times have I thought that I shouldn’t really want that?”
“Why?”
“Because I like you first and more.”
Kaian stared at Claudel’s face, which was shaking darkly.
“Yes.”
Claudel covered her cheeks with both hands as if she didn’t know what to do with her joy, then wrapped her arms around his neck and hung on, leaving small kiss marks on his cheek, ear, and nape.
“I’m so happy. How many times have I thought that I shouldn’t really want that?”
“Why?”
“Because I like you first and more.”
Kaian stared at Claudel’s face, which was shaking darkly.
That couldn’t be true.
When did he start to care about Claudel? It was from the very day they spent their first night in the bedroom where she had trembled.
If she had feelings for him, she wouldn’t have thought of dying.
Claudel was going to die before Kaian could get the medicine to cure Herzol.
So she couldn’t have liked him more than he did.
And yet, Claudel’s few words seemed to pierce his heart and leave a mark.
“You can monopolize me as much as you want.”
He wouldn’t let anyone else have her.
Kaian roughly hugged her as she rushed into his arms.
“Let’s go back. Claudel.”
To our treasure trove.
To Rowen.
***
The village on the foothills closest to Plogne had been the same for over ten years, as if time had stopped. It was the edge of the Valmonde territory.
Furthermore, it was a rough and undeveloped mountainous area, so it was only the border between territories.
To get to the village that even the upper class visited regularly from the territory beyond the mountain range, it was impossible to cross the mountain, so they had to go around to the central road where Kaian and Claudel had parted ways, and then follow the border inside the Valmonde territory to get there.
“Can you find your way?”
When he lived there, he could find his way to the village with his eyes closed, even if others didn’t know.
But since no one was passing by, the path in the forest had become overgrown with vines and bushes, and it wasn’t easy to find his way to the village of Plogne.
“There are still marks on the trees.”
Evan found the bark of the trees here and there that had been peeled off like landmarks and searched for the way.
After a whole day of toiling in the forest, they found traces of the former village of Plogne.
How much rain had fallen on this land in the meantime, and how many plants had grown and animals had lived there?
There was less of the ruined village site left than expected.
“It seems like Temnes has done a good job of erasing the traces of the village.”
People had artificially compacted the ground, erected pillars, made floors inside houses, dug up the places where they had been, or knocked down pillars and buried them in the ground.
Perhaps because of that, there were traces of burning here and there, or perhaps they had been washed away by the rain, but nothing particularly stood out.
Even so, the burnt traces of the giant tree that connected the earth and the sky could not be completely erased.
Discovering the remains of the sacred tree Arbor, Leonie diligently walked toward it.
“It’s here.”
Seeing the stump that could have been a house, Leonie approached it and closed her eyes for a moment. She could not hear the tree speaking.
“What does Arbor say?”
Evan asked, and Leonie shook her head.
“I can’t hear anything.”
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