When Shan became the second-in-command of the Baluar Army and Elze became the leader of the Elijah mercenary group, the two met again in the Shan-Eljah battle.
Shan had secretly hoped to meet him again. However, he could not find Elze before the battle began. He had no choice but to fight without seeing Elze.
Perhaps it was because Elze was so nervous that she couldn't concentrate as well as usual. Shan realized too late that she had fallen into a trap. And when she realized it, she was already surrounded by enemies.
Shan and Elijah were completely surrounded by Heglatan's legions. Heglatan offered Shan death and Elijah peace.
But Elze did not abandon Shan. She chose Shan again and spared Shan's life.
He couldn't understand. Shan asked Elze a question as he faced the oncoming Heglatan.
"Why did you do that?"
And just like before, Elze answered nonchalantly.
"Just like that."
But Shan could tell from Elze's eyes that the two of them felt similar feelings for each other.
It was an inexplicable attraction.
Joining hands with Elze, he cut off Heglatan's neck and crushed it. A strange sense of exaltation came over him as he was pushed to the physical limit. In it, Shan felt a completeness that he had never felt before.
It wasn't an emotion filled with useless things like women and murder. It was a true perfection that filled his heart to the point where there was no room for anything else as if it were going to burst.
The addictive, thrilling mental pleasure was deeply engraved into Shan's body and mind. He desperately realized that he needed Elze, whatever that meant.
After the Battle of Shan-Elijah, Shan consciously avoided Elze.
It was because he was afraid of the feelings he had realized. However, the two had not been communicating from the beginning, and he had been receiving reports about Elze's whereabouts, so avoiding her wouldn't have made much of a difference.
The only thing that had changed was Shan's heart.
The war continued tirelessly. In a place where killing was taken for granted as breathing, Shan continued to kill like a machine.
When all emotions except anger became dull and hardened like stone, he thought of Elze. Would everything be as fleeting as he was? Would it feel meaningless?
But the questions he pondered alone had no answers. It was around the time when he had decided on his own to go find Elze after the war was over.
"Cirxus, Elze is acting strangely. He was seen packing up and gathering with Elijah and the others to say goodbye."
Shan, who was alone in the barracks, planning the strategy for the battle the next day, jumped up from his seat as soon as he heard his subordinate's words.
Elze was leaving. Elze, with his hood, pulled down and his bundle draped over his head, quietly left the camp and walked along the path. Shan had gone ahead and waited at the crossroads where Elze would pass.
He had thought of all sorts of sweet talk to persuade him. But when he actually met Elze, none of those words came out. Shan unknowingly spoke bluntly.
"Where are you going? The war isn't over yet."
And as expected, Elze didn't let Shan catch up. He seemed like he would just disappear. In his impatience, Shan unknowingly said something awkward.
"Elijah is not important. What is important to me is you, Elze."
Elze laughed at Shan's words. His heart felt strange at the clear and bright laughter. It was both exciting and tense.
"I'll pay you back with interest later on my life debt."
Elze called Shan's name in a soft voice.
"So... don’t die, survive, Shan."
And Elze left. Shan couldn't hold on to Elze any longer. He realized that holding on to him wouldn't get him.
Instead, Shan attached someone to Elze's back. He wanted to know where he was going and what he was doing. He also wanted to know who was waiting for Elze.
However, the person Shan had attached to quickly lost sight of Elze. Elze was also being pursued by Baluar and Heglatan, so Elze moved irregularly to shake off his pursuers. Then, at one point, he suddenly disappeared as if a candle had been blown out.
Elsa of the Elijah Mercenary Corps... has completely disappeared as if he were dead.
And the boring Hundred Years' War ended.
Now Shan is a war hero and the Crown Prince's favored right-hand man, with hundreds of subordinates following him.
But Shan was empty. It seemed like he had nothing. The anger that had been suppressed by the blood on his hands began to surge again. Even when he hugged the woman, it was only for a moment. Shan’s heart was never filled, and instead, his anger burned even more fiercely.
There was nothing that could make Shan perfect. It was a time when he was withering away day by day in extreme emptiness and pain.
"Hey, aren't you thinking about getting married?"
Crown Prince Raymond was anxious about not being able to give Shan a high title. Not just for Shan's sake, but to establish Shan as a rallying point for his forces.
During the long war, the Baluar Empire had banded together to survive. But now that the war was over, the mood was very delicate.
The nobles who had been absolutely obedient to the imperial orders during the war were now starting to raise their voices and rebel little by little. In such a situation, Shan, the war hero, was a good shield and spear to deal with the nobles.
Raymond tried to somehow bring Shan into the capital's political arena, and the means he found to obtain a title was through marriage to Targayel.
There were instances where Targayel would renounce their right to succession, and it was rare for a son-in-law to inherit the title, so it was not against the law.
In order to push through Shan's marriage, Raymond persuaded the nobles by putting forward Duke Seraph, who could be considered the leader of the pro-royal faction.
Shan's popularity as a war hero was sky-high among the people of the empire, and the nobles who had already earned the hatred of the imperial family and the people of the empire for being hostile to Shan could not bring themselves to oppose the marriage.
So, the marriage of Shan was the suitable compromise reached by the royal family and the nobility. Shan, who had nothing to do with it, accepted the marriage.
And that was the day he first saw Erzenes Targayel.
Shan had never met a woman who treated him like this. Erzenes, with her sharp and blunt personality, was the kind of woman most men would not be able to handle.
Rather than falling for Shan, it was fun to see her questioning him with her bright blue eyes shining. Women are annoying, but it didn’t seem like marrying a woman like this would be a bad idea.
And more than anything, when he looks at her, he can't help but think of Elze. So much so that sometimes he feels like they're the same person.
After meeting Erzenes, Shan had his subordinates investigate her. Her activities overlapped with Elze's. Her exact whereabouts were unknown from the time Elze went to war until she disappeared.
His suspicions grew. At first, he even guessed that Astin, Erzenes’ younger brother, might be Elze, but after seeing it for himself, Shan was convinced that it absolutely could not be true. In fact, the more he watched, the more he thought that Erzenes was similar to Elze.
After visiting Erzenes, he also became somewhat bored with meeting women. Just thinking about Erzenes and Elze made his day busy. He didn't have time to really feel empty or angry.
It was a shame that he missed Elze at Master Harbin's weapon shop. He had missed the chance to reveal the truth.
But Shan decided to take it easy. Erzenes was now his wife and was destined to fall into his hands anyway.
For Shan, the wedding was just a procedure to have her. However, when he saw Erzenes on the wedding day, those thoughts disappeared.
"..."
The moment Shan pulled away the veil and faced her face, he felt a chill all over his body. Everything around him became invisible and unheard.
She was wearing a pure white dress and looking up at him. Her slightly parted lips and the pink heat floated on her white cheeks. Her large, beautiful blue eyes, were covered with dense ivory eyelashes. Everything was faintly engraved in his heart.
This person is mine now?
That fact was so stimulating that it made his hair stand on end. Shan had to try not to show the excitement that was running through his whole body. He couldn't help but end up kissing her more passionately than he had thought, even though he had only intended to lightly touch lips. Shan didn't even know why he was doing that.
It was on the first night that he clearly realized that he was acting strange in front of Erzenes.
In fact, Shan originally had no intention of touching her. He didn't feel the need to have sex with her. He just wanted to kill some time, and later on, he planned to have a mandatory relationship according to the terms of the contract.
"... You came?"
But when he actually saw Erzenes, his mind changed. There was not a hint of nervousness in the way she greeted him calmly. Not only that, hse was drinking wine and eating snacks by herself, and she was having a real party.
It made Shan angry to see her acting like his existence was nothing. So he pounced on Erzenes, wanting to surprise her for no reason, and pulled back her gown to see her embarrassed face.
It started out as a simple prank. But Shan soon regretted his actions. The moment he saw her white exposed chest, he became serious. Erzenes quickly opened her gown to hide her chest, but Shan had already seen everything.
His throat was dry. The image of Erzenes in a pure white dress and the kiss he had with her came to mind. It was only a moment before he became excited. Before Shan could even realize it, his body was hot.
Erzenes ran onto the bed. Shan pretended to be relaxed and chased after her. But his hands were already reaching out of their own accord. He whispered to her what he had been keeping inside.
Erzenes blushed. It was provocative to see her shy in front of Shan for the first time. His cold heart began to beat faster. Warm blood heated up his entire body.
In an unbearable excitement, Shan had Erzenes.
She was beautiful. Shan didn't know how else to describe her. Her flushed face, her hunched waist, and her soft moans, all made Shan's heart ache and yearn.
Before he could even come to his senses, Shan was already deeply in love with Erzenes. He was greedy, like pouring cool water into a parched throat, like gulping down food after starving for days.
He was so impatient and restless that it was ridiculous, even to his own mind. He was usually so relaxed when he was hugging women, and compared to that, women would get impatient, so it was completely terrifying.
Shan had no way of being attached to anything. He was like a wind that could leave at any time, an illusion that could not be caught. But the moment he touched Er\enes, Shan changed. She pulled Shan in as if by magic.
The moment he held her, Shan was perfect. Not just physically, but mentally as well...
Erzenes instantly filled the void that nothing could fill. He cooled the anger that nothing could quench.
In a pleasure that made every hair on his body stand on end, Shan buried his lips in the nape of her neck.
Erzenes was a very strange woman. Maybe she was Elze. But if she was there... it seemed like there was no need to look for Elze.
That day, for the first time, Shan didn't think of Elze.
***
The day after the first night. Elze thought that Shan would naturally not be there when she opened her eyes in the morning. So she opened her eyes with a very relaxed mind. However, Shan was sleeping right next to Elze.
“...!!”
Elze, who was so surprised that her hair stood on end, barely managed to hold back a scream.
Shan was sleeping with a very relaxed expression. His sleeping appearance was peaceful, with his breathing softly. It was much easier to look at him because his usual ferocity and murderousness were hidden.
He was really handsome. Shan's unique atmosphere had an irreplaceable charm. His purple eyes were especially mysterious. They were eyes that captivated people. When she looked at him, she felt like she was being sucked in.
As Elze was quietly observing his face, Shan's eyes opened slowly. Bright purple eyes were revealed.
He and Elze looked at each other for a moment without saying anything. They both felt awkward having someone next to them when they woke up in the morning. In the end, it was Elze who spoke first.
“...Did you sleep well?”
Shan smiled at Elze's greeting. His eyes widened, and he quickly got up. Then he brought his face closer to Elze's. Their noses barely brushed each other. Elze opened her eyes wide, and he kissed her on the lips with a soft sound.
“!!”
Shan smiled brightly and said to the surprised Elze.
“Good morning.”
“...”
No, why are you acting so friendly all of a sudden... Of course, they were a newlywed couple who had just had their first night together, but Shan’s friendly attitude was disconcerting. His eyes held soft feelings for Elze.
Elze followed Shan as she got out of bed, but her back was in so much pain that it felt like it was going to break. Not only her back, but her thighs were also sore, and her lower body was also aching.
Shan looked back at Elze, who had stopped trying to get out of bed. She couldn’t bring herself to tell him that she was feeling a little sick after last night’s intense night. Elze simply placed her hand on her waist. Shan came closer and examined Elze, asking.
“Are you sick?”
Elze answered Shan's question with a tone full of resentment.
“Thanks to whom.”
Shan answered leisurely, crossing his arms.
“I don’t think it was just pain.”
Elze said something because she found his easygoing attitude annoying.
“It wasn’t that good.”
But Shan fought back with a sly grin.
“Let me make sure the second one is done.”
Anyway, she can't say anything. Elze shook her head and held out her hand to him.
“Please help me up.”
Shan took Elze's hand obediently. Feeling his hand firmly grasping hers, she felt a sense of peace.
Unlike his sly manners, he actually hugged Elze and rubbed her back. His touch was filled with affection as well as a hint of regret. Feeling strange for no reason, Elze pushed him away.
“Just go out. The sun is already high in the sky.”
The couple who had just had their wedding night didn't come out of the bedroom until the sun had set, so it seemed like they could hear what the guests who had been enjoying the night-long banquet were talking about without even looking.
And as the new Count of Targayel, Shan had to at least say hello to the guests who were soon to be on their way home. Shan knew this too, so he put on his robe and prepared to go out.
“Get some rest. I’ll take care of it.”
The way he spoke was quite dignified. Elze smiled faintly without showing it because she found that funny. Shan said, lightly brushing his hair back.
“Let’s rest today. There are a lot of things to work on starting tomorrow.”
He looked at Elze for a moment with his arms crossed, then added one more thing.
“All the servants and maids are sent by the imperial family. Don’t give them too much attention.”
The imperial family sent servants and maids to the Targayel family for their convenience. All of those who had previously been employed were demoted to servants and maids who handled chores and chores, and their assignments were changed.
So from now on, all those who would serve Elze and Shan were from the Imperial Palace. Of course, she wasn't naive enough to think that the Imperial Palace would send them with pure hearts. They were just watchers. Elze muttered quietly.
“His Highness the Crown Prince doesn’t completely trust you.”
“Because he’s been living that way since he was born.”
Shan said it as if it was no big deal. Shan was right. Crown Prince Raymond did not act this way with any malicious intent. To him, this was as natural as breathing.
“Anyway...”
Shan's hand was placed on Elze's head. Elze looked up at him at the sudden touch. Shan said, stroking her gently.
“Let’s do better from now on, Errzenes.”
Shan said that and went out through the door leading to the bedroom. Elze tugged at the hair he had touched for no reason.
After Shan left, the head maid came in through another small door connected to the bedroom. She was Rosalie, who had been taking care of Elze for several days.
“Congratulations, Ma’am.”
She bowed politely and greeted her again.
“Let me formally introduce myself. I am Rosalie, who will be serving you from now on.”
“Please take care of me, Rosalie.”
She smiled faintly at Elze's greeting. As she had thought before, Rosalie felt like an old lady. They say the imperial maid doesn't hire just anyone, and Rosalie seemed to be one of those people.
She held out a flat, square box.
“This is a gift from His Highness the Crown Prince. He said it was to congratulate you on your new beginning.”
She didn't know what the gift was, but the box itself was extraordinary. The velvet wrapped around the box felt so good that it could be used on a dress right away. Elze opened the box.
“...!”
Inside was a diamond necklace. With one large diamond as the main piece, hundreds of small crystals were tightly wrapped around the chain and pendant. It was a necklace that could easily fit a decent mansion.
But Elze was not happy. She was grateful for the gift, but there was no such thing as a free lunch in this world. Elze felt uncomfortable receiving this diamond necklace. It felt like she had received a fancy chain instead of a necklace.
However, she could not dare to refuse the Crown Prince's gift, so she decided to accept it for now. Elze said as she closed the box and placed it aside.
“I should express my gratitude to His Highness.”
Rosalie's eyes were filled with doubt as Elze showed no sign of being pleased with the diamond necklace. However, the experienced woman quickly erased her emotions and regained her composure. Rosalie bowed again and said.
“Now that you are the mistress of House Targayel, it is only natural that you should attend the social functions.”
“Social party...”
As soon as she heard the word party, she felt dizzy. Elze had already debuted in the social world when she was young. However, no one welcomed the young lady of Targayel, whose family fortunes were declining.
The social circle was like a small society. Jealousy and envy among women were enormous. If they found even the slightest flaw, they would blow it out of proportion and humiliate each other, and they would gather together and badmouth each other.
That was not all. In it, women were always the objects of men's evaluation. Among them, sexual jokes and lewd experiences directed at women were considered to be a source of pride. Even if one had a wife, having one or two lovers was not considered a flaw.
Elze couldn't understand that kind of atmosphere at all, and she didn't want to understand it. Maybe it was because she had memories of Korea and her way of thinking was different, but in any case, she hated the social world.
For various reasons, she naturally avoided social gatherings. Of course, after Targayel fell, she had no time to attend such events and had to rush into battle.
But how could it be that, after returning from war, she was once again thrown into the battlefield of society, holding a fan instead of a sword? Elze could only sigh.
***
In the Baluar Empire, there were four founding families, including the royal family Baluar.
The Seraph family, which laid the foundations of politics and diplomacy, the Wade family, which created the rules of law and administration, and the Epernon family, which brought about the revival of culture and art.
And the sword of the Emperor who has fought countless wars, House Targayel.
However, as time passed, the families were shaken by the storms of decline and revival, and the honor of the meritorious retainers faded. Now, the status of each family has become considerably different.
In particular, in the case of Targayel, the family was driven to the brink of extinction because no successor with sword talent was born for several generations.
However, there was a family that had maintained a strong power that no one could deny since the founding of the country. That family was the Seraph Dukes.
The Seraph Dukes, rumored to have inherited the blood of angels, were famous for producing successors with beautiful appearances and extraordinary intelligence.
The Seraph Dukes were a family of people who were so inhuman that the word perfect was not enough to describe them.
The young Duke of Seraph, Enoch Seraph, was just as beautiful and perfect as the previous Seraph Dukes.
Enoch, leaning against the window, stared blankly out somewhere outside. Enoch's hair blew in the wind blowing from outside. His platinum-blond hair rustled and scattered. Enoch furrowed his brows slightly at the sensation of his cheek being tickled.
The light blue-gray eyes were even paler as they were filled with sunlight. The beautiful Duke, who seemed ready to spread his wings and disappear into the pouring light at any moment, was listening to his subordinate's report.
“Your Excellency, I hear that Targayel’s wedding is over.”
Enoch lowered his gaze. He muttered softly as if lamenting.
“In the end, the one without foundation bears the name of Targayel...”
Enoch's muttering made his subordinate swallow his saliva. The Seraph family had a lot of influence in helping Shan Cirxus become Count Targayel. Although he had moved at the request of Crown Prince Raymond, Enoch was not pleased with Shan.
To be exact, he was on the hate side.
Duke Seraph's support for Targayel's marriage was nothing more than an act of necessity to maintain trust with the royal family. However, even though he acted that way in front, Duke Seraph was acting as he pleased behind the scenes.
“All the major nobles attended the wedding.”
"Now?"
“They said they were on their way home after finishing the reception.”
"Yes..."
Enoch sighed. Then he whispered softly to his subordinate.
“I must send a wedding gift to Targayel.”
It was a round word, but the subordinate's face was tense. Cold sweat was beating down his forehead. It was because he knew what kind of gift Enoch was going to send. Enoch spoke leisurely, wiping the window frame with the white gloves on his hands.
“Make sure to choose the best one and send it.”
“...”
“Let’s just go out. I’m tired.”
“Yes, Your Excellency.”
The subordinate, with a pale face, greeted him as if his back was about to break and went outside. Enoch looked down at his gloves. There was a faint dust on his white gloves. Enoch’s face, which had been as clear as a glass doll until now, crumpled. He nervously took off his gloves and threw them in the trash can. Enoch muttered as he took out new gloves from his desk drawer and put them on.
“Noble, perfect, beautiful...”
He picked up a small bell on the desk and shook it. Then the maids came in hurriedly from the side door. They began to wipe the window frame with a clean cloth. Only then did Enoch look satisfied and mutter quietly to himself.
“Shan Cirxus is a being that belongs nowhere.”
***
After the wedding, Astin returned to Aquis College, but Targayel's mansion was more bustling than ever.
Originally, the mansion was managed by the minimum number of people hired by Elze. However, the mansion was full because the imperial palace sent a lot of servants and maids. In addition, Shan's followers were soon to come in as private soldiers. From now on, people would only continue to come in.
In the days immediately following the wedding, Shan and Elze were busy to the point of dizziness. Shan practically lived in the castle, reporting to the imperial court about the matters of taking over his former subordinates as private soldiers and attending various meetings as the new count.
Elze was also busy. Many noble families sent wedding gifts to Targayel. It was Elze's job to write letters in return. Elze had to write letters so hard that her hands were cramping.
In the meantime, a slightly tricky issue arose regarding the recruitment of private soldiers into Targayel and the merging of the two families' properties. It was not a problem with the royal family, but rather an issue that required Elze's understanding.
Surprisingly, Shan was very straightforward when it came to work-related matters. He would always inform Elze of any changes that had occurred in the agreement made in advance. He never pushed things his way, but respected Elze's opinions.
Elze was completely flustered, as it was completely different from her previous self-indulgent image. Thanks to this, all the problems were resolved neatly, and Shan and Elze were able to focus on their own work.
“Oh my...”
Elze sighed as she returned to her bedroom after writing a letter late into the night. The maids offered to take care of her bed, but she refused. She rubbed her aching hands a few times and then collapsed on the bed.
It was nice and spacious to lie down on the bed alone. Elze rolled around on the bed and muttered while wrapping the blanket around her body.
“Aren’t you coming today either...”
Shan had contacted her saying he would be home today, but it seemed like he would not come. He had been staying in the palace since the wedding. They had not seen each other since their first night together.
Elz'se mind was complicated. She wished he would not come, but she also thought it would be okay if he did. Elze herself was amused by her own ambiguous feelings.
Anyway, Shan's continued absence from home had a positive effect. She was able to sneak a bag containing a rapier and mangosh under her bed, allowing her to swing her sword easily before going to bed.
The bedroom was a place where no maids would come and go or wander around without permission until they were called. It was the perfect place for Elze to secretly play with her sword.
Elze, who had been lying like a corpse, jumped up from the bed. It seemed like Shan wouldn't be coming today either, so it seemed okay to touch the sword for a moment. The thought of holding the sword made her laugh already. Elze took out her bag with a broad smile. Then she whispered with an ecstatic face.
“Our beauties!”
The rapier and mangosh neatly arranged inside could not have been more beautiful. Elze held the swords in both hands with their scabbards. Her body tingled at the feeling of them wrapping around her hands.
Just a few years ago, she would hold a sword in her hand all day long. She would even sleep with it in my arms... Now, she barely have time to touch it for an hour a day.
Suddenly, she wanted to see Elijah and her friends. They had earned a lot of money from the Hundred Years' War, so they probably didn't have to worry about food, clothing, or shelter. But she wondered if they were eating well and if they were thinking about her.
Thinking that she would soon have to find a way to contact the maids without them knowing, Elze lightly swung her sword. Elze, who was trying out a few poses and swinging her sword, suddenly stopped.
“...?”
It was because she felt something strange. The presence of the group of people was suspicious. They were all very quiet, which was unusual for a group of maids. In addition, there was a murderous aura that was faintly visible, even though it was hidden.
"Assassin?"
And Elze was soon convinced that what she had said was correct. As soon as Elze spoke, black shadows began to fall all over the room.
They drew their swords at once. The iron objects gleamed in the room, dimly lit only by moonlight. The assassins, who aimed their swords with tense eyes, soon confirmed that Shan Cirxus was not in the bedroom and that only his wife was there.
With two swords in his hands.
“...”
Elze and the assassin were both taken aback by the completely unexpected development. They stared blankly at each other for a moment.
Elze felt dizzy. What should she do? Of course, beating up the assassins was easy, but what came next was the problem. She couldn't just leave the bodies lying around in the bedroom.
While Elze was seriously contemplating, the assassins exchanged glances with each other, and the one who seemed to be the leader nodded his head to give a signal. At that moment, the assassins were about to rush in at once at his signal.
"For a moment!"
The assassins stopped dead in their tracks at Elze's shout. Elze tried to negotiate with them.
“I’m in a bit of a difficult situation right now.”
“...”
“I’ll turn a blind eye to you for once, so why don’t you just step aside? I won’t even investigate who’s behind it.”
But as expected, the negotiations failed. Instead of answering, they pointed their swords.
There is nothing she can do. Elze sighed heavily and adjusted her grip on her rapier and mangosh. A cold aura began to linger over her blue eyes. Slowly scanning them, Elze opened her mouth.
“Because I don’t have time...”
Elze said, nodding her chin.
“Everyone, come at me.”
Support Novellate!
Comments
Post a Comment