Every time, my vision flashed with the sight of his muscular torso and the countless scars from the battlefield engraved upon it.
I didn't know where to look, so I kept looking in the opposite direction of where Julian was moving.
"Say it."
His feet stopped a few inches in front of me as he watched me roll my eyes, avoiding him.
"What have you done to my precious nanny?"
In my downcast eyes, the wine in his hand sloshed as if it was about to overflow.
There were many things I wanted to say to Julian when I met him.
But when we actually met like this, I didn't know what to say first, so I couldn't move my lips easily.
I struggled to calm my racing heart and managed to get one sentence out.
"I wanted to meet you. Your Majesty."
I wanted to tell you that I missed you.
But as I let out my overwhelming emotions, what came out of my mouth was a monotonous greeting that sounded stiffer than I had thought.
Julian frowned when he heard that.
"Your Majesty?"
He chuckled with a frown.
"Hearing that title from your own lips, it finally feels real that I am now King."
He, whose judgment was twisted, stabbed me in the chest with a sharp blow.
"If you hadn't sold me to Josephine, I would have died without knowing the thrill of ripping open the chest of my half-brother who had seized the throne and pulled out his throbbing heart. So I guess it's all thanks to you."
"..."
Josephine was the name of the deposed Queen consort, the mother of the former King whom Julian had killed.
She was the one who made several assassination attempts on Julian, the illegitimate son of the previous King, to solidify her son's claim to the throne.
Josephine was afraid of Julian.
This was because he was born with a rare ability that was inherited by those of royal blood.
She had long been plotting Julian's life, believing that he would use his powers to gain the throne.
The last time she sent an assassin to Julian was on the day he had promised to meet me.
That date, that place, that only I knew.
There Julian almost died...
And soon It was discovered that a large sum of money had been flowing into my family from Josephine, Julian was furious.
He could no longer tolerate Josephine, who had extended her evil hand to his lover and tried to kill him.
That's why Julian rebelled and took the throne he had no interest in.
Only after Josephine was killed and the hastily organized rebellion was over did Julian begin to feel betrayed and bereft by Bme.
I was in terrible pain.
"I never thought the day would come when you and I would meet face to face in this hellish palace."
Julian, who was approaching with a slight stagger, took one step, then two, and his magical energy emanated from him in a way that seemed dangerous.
I reflexively took a step back.
The thick magi energy felt like it was suffocating me.
"It's funny, isn't it?"
My back was against the wall.
"Ugh..."
I took a deep breath, my breathing becoming labored.
Julian, who had come close to me as if to confine me, roughly lifted my chin and met my gaze.
His bloodshot eyes looked dangerous. I saw the anger surging from him.
"It was the mercy that was earned with great difficulty, by scraping everything from the bottom, that kept you alive."
The wound on my lip, which had been slightly closed under his fingers, split open and began to bleed.
"It wasn't easy."
My blood spread through his eyes, which had lost their original color forever due to his power and turned blood red.
It was a bitter and sour color.
"But you kicked that away and are hanging around me. You dare approach Millea? Did you think I was as clueless as you, or something?"
The hand that had been holding my chin now grabbed my neck.
"Did you want to die?"
I realized how Julian had saved me the night before.
Even though he pretended not to care about anyone or be interested in anything, he must have been watching Millea's every move and person she met.
It is unclear whether this is because of the experience of betrayal he has been accustomed to since childhood, or because of his attachment to Millea, the only person he trusts.
He smiled bitterly as he watched me tremble in his grasp.
"Why, you must have known that if you saw me again you would die. Why is this so painful?"
Yeah, I thought I was going to die.
So I couldn't find him in my past life. I couldn't dare to do so.
But then he came.
He came to me when I was abandoned by everyone and was dying.
He threw away all his betrayal, anger, and pride and ran to me, crying, asking why I didn't come to him.
So I decided.
I will dedicate this life to him.
"Tell me. How did it feel to be sold out to some guy, then betrayed and sold out to him?"
His grip tightened.
"I'm such a dog."
I did not resist Julian.
I just relaxed my body, closed my eyes, and quietly accepted his anger.
My breathing became rapid and I was covered in a cold sweat because of the magi rushing towards me as if it was going to swallow me up.
"Beg for your life, Bridget."
Jullan gritted his teeth.
"..."
"I beg you. Please forgive me."
I opened my eyes slightly and looked at Julian.
I raised her hand and cupped his cheek.
"Don't cry, Julian."
You can't even hurt me. Like an idiot.
The hand that was holding my neck was so full of personal emotions that I couldn't feel any force. I just felt a rough magi energy.
"I missed you."
"..."
Julian glared at me.
Although his gaze was fierce, the tips of my fingers that stole his gaze were moist.
"I'm sorry for the misunderstanding. I didn't mean to be harsh on you."
"..."
"I didn't know if I could dare say that I wanted to see you."
The hand that had been grabbing my neck suddenly fell away.
"Get out."
He glared at me, roughly drained the glass he was holding and turned away.
"Because I don't even want to look at you."
***
At that time, Isaac was pacing around the study anxiously.
'Why haven't I heard anything yet?"
Bridget, who had been sent to the Count of Kensington until the sun rose, did not return. and there was no contact from the Count of Kensington.
At that time, the servant who had been sent to go near the Count's house to check on the situation came back. In a state of confusion and reported.
"There was a big incident at the Count of Kensington last night!"
The servant's face was pale.
He went near the Count of Kensington and told Isaac about the people who had gathered and were gossiping.
"Everyone in the mansion was killed. A young servant of the Count of Kensington, who escaped and survived, said that knights who looked neither alive nor dead ran through the mansion. Was it because he was a child? It seems that he was the only one who was left to escape."
Isaac opened his mouth wide when he heard the bad news that had befallen the Count of Kensington.
"If they are knights who are neither alive nor dead, then perhaps..."
The servant, who had the same thoughts as Isaac, nodded his head, not daring to speak carelessly, and observing the situation.
The unknown monsters are called Shadow Knights or Black Knights. There was only one person who could command them.
Julian Blake, the King of the Baltaq Kingdom, possesses the ability known as the 'Shadow Curse'.
In the past, during the Age of Darkness, the Blake royal family produced powerful black magicians and firmly protected the royal family, and even now, traces of black magic continue to run through their bloodline.
That was the 'shadow curse'.
The ability to summon monster knights.
Since they were not alive, they did not die, eat, or have intelligence.
Dark servants who absolutely obey their master's orders.
They were the perfect weapon that no one could match.
The reason such a great ability is called a curse is because the ability is guaranteed to last a lifetime.
Strong abilities drain life quickly. Julian, considered the strongest of all the royals born with the Shadow Curse, was already known to have little time left to live.
The reason no one steps forward to stop his tyranny and murder is because they are afraid of him, but also because there is no need to do so.
Why would you fight someone who is going to die anyway and bleed?
But why did he, who had been living in seclusion in the palace on the day of his death, suddenly visit the Kensington Earldom and personally destroy it?
"Ahhh... What is this?"
Isaac, who had sent away the servant, clutched his head.
"Bridget? What happened?"
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