MAD - Chapter 68



Marriage and Sword 7

The jewelers of the Baluar Empire had first contact when they received high-quality blue gems: the Duke of Seraph.

This was because they paid the most for blue gems than anywhere else. Thanks to this, all the blue gems that were considered valuable ended up going to the Duke Seraph.

Sapphires, topaz, lapis lazuli, aquamarine, turquoise, and even blue spinel. The Duke Seraph's residence was overflowing with precious blue gems that would be worthy of an exhibition.

The blue diamond that the jeweler brought today was one of the best in Duke Seraph's jewel collection.

Enoch Seraph was wearing white gloves and handling a large blue diamond. He slowly exhaled as he watched the diamond radiate a splendid light.

The blue diamond is the rarest of all diamonds, the Emperor of gems. It is truly a gem worthy of being called the Emperor of Emperors. However, even if the blue diamond was the Emperor of Emperors, Enochs knew of a blue color that was even more beautiful.

It was something that money could not buy. It was something that even the powers that be could not grasp, and it made her heartache.

Enoch, who was thinking of her beautiful blue eyes, lowered his eyes. He would give anything to completely embrace her. That was why Enoch was playing the game with everything he had.

It was a game where if you won you got everything, and if you lost you lost everything.

“Your Excellency, I have something to report.”

At the secretary’s words, Enochs put the blue diamond he was holding back into the jewelry box. He then took out a new pair of gloves and nodded while putting them on. The secretary began to report in a calm voice, turning over the files.

“We are trying our best to contain the scandal, but it is not enough. We are tracking down the forces behind the manipulation, but it is not easy to obtain evidence.”

“...”

Enochs frowned slightly at the secretary's words. The sex scandal had already made things worse, and he was having trouble getting things under control.

Now everyone in high society knew about the scandal of the Duke of Seraph. It was annoying to see such a big crack drawn on his once-perfect reputation.

Among those who followed Enoch, many swore loyalty to the Duke Seraph, resembling an unapproachable figure.

The noble, angelic being that could not be approached easily has now become human.

Shan Cirxus opened the eyes of those who had blindly admired the Duke Seraph. They no longer blindly worshipped the Duke Seraph. They began to look at him coolly and objectively as if they were an ordinary human being.

It was really unpleasant to be treated like some foolish idiot.

Enochs tapped his fingers on the desk. The secretary flinched slightly at the sound of his well-shaped fingers. She knew that this was something he did when he was in a bad mood. Enochs, who had been tapping his fingers on the desk for a while without saying a word, slowly asked a question.

“Any word from Heglatan?”

“Not yet. However, I think you also know that Teslaon’s mansion was discovered and destroyed.”

“...I see.”

“I heard that the Crown Prince’s Palace was blown up in the Heglatan Palace, so I’m looking into it. It’s my personal opinion, but I think that might be the reason for the delay in contact.”

Enoch slowly frowned. His delicately distorted eyes were beautiful, but the light contained within them was not beautiful at all. The secretary waited for Enoch to speak, trembling. Enoch let out a deep breath and allowed him to submit his next report.

“Adam Gettune, the son of Marquis Gettune, has joined the Imperial Knights. As you have instructed, he will become the central force in gathering the power of the Imperial Knights.”

The secretary turned over a piece of paper he was holding and continued speaking.

“In addition, a new recruit named Catinson Lovell is said to be of outstanding skill.”

“Draw them towards us.”

“Yes, Your Excellency.”

After carefully writing down Enoch's orders, the secretary submitted his final report.

“And then I got word from Count Mapel. He said Targayel had entered his domain.”

Enoch's face brightened slightly at the secretary's words.

“Is this the good news that has finally come? Kill Shan Cirxus as planned, and bring Erzenes back alive.”

He added, gently running his hand over the jewelry box on the desk.

“...Tell Count Mapel not to do useless things.”

Of course, Duke Seraph didn't know. That Count Mapel had already done a lot of useless things.

***

The party ended in chaos thanks to Shan's faithful clowning around according to Count Mapel's words.

Shan and Elze did not know it, but the lion Count Mapel had prepared was the man-eating lion that had recently terrorized the border.

After much difficulty, he managed to capture the lion that had eaten over thirty people. However, Count Mapel's efforts were insignificant, as Shan killed the lion in just a few seconds. The movements of cutting off the back of its neck and kicking it away were so neat that it almost looked easy.

Count Mapel fiddled with his severed hair. His face looked as if his soul had left him. This was because he realized that if Shan had wanted to, he could have blown off his head instead of his hair.

Because the host was absent-minded, the guests had to stay in the bloody party hall for a long time, unable to do anything.

They couldn't just go home. The party was going to last until dawn, and the guests had planned to stay overnight at Count Mapel's house.

The one who took control of the situation was the butler of the Count of Mapel. He barely managed to step forward and command the maids to guide the guests. The guests all dispersed with dark faces to their respective bedrooms.

Elze and Shan were also shown to the bedroom. As soon as they entered the bedroom, Shan headed to the bathroom.

“I’ll go wash up and come back.”

Shan's whole body was soaked in blood. While Elze changed into comfortable clothes, Shan simply washed herself.

Soon after, he came out with a towel draped over his shoulders, his upper body completely exposed, and he was wearing only a pair of pants underneath.

Elze, who was sitting on the edge of the bed, naturally turned her gaze toward him. Feeling embarrassed by the sight of his firm chest muscles twitching, Elze rolled her eyes and looked elsewhere.

Shan looked at Elze as she wiped his hair with a towel. He must have realized that she was being rude, so he called her name.

“Elze.”

Elze looked at him for a moment, then moved her eyes to another direction. Shan walked towards Elze with a slow gait. His abdomen appeared before her eyes.

“Why are you avoiding eye contact?”

“No, what... Just...”

Every time Shan spoke, the shape of his muscles moving slightly was bothering her. In the end, Elze looked up at him and spoke honestly.

“Can you put on some clothes first?”

As soon as he heard Elze's words, Shan smiled mischievously. He brushed back his wet hair. His straight forehead was revealed.

“Why, I’m going to take it off soon anyway.”

“Are you going to do that... at someone else’s mansion?”

“There are many ways to enjoy it lightly without having to go all the way.”

“...”

Elze, unable to find a rebuttal to Shan's response, changed the subject to another instead.

“Count Mapel seems to have considerable hostility. If it had been anyone else but you today, he would have died.”

Taking out a lion... Anyway, it seemed like the area around the border was particularly prone to crazy people appearing. Blahar and Count Mapel weren’t in their right minds either.

Now that she thinks about it, she doesn't know what Blahar is up to these days. She wished she had hit his face a few more times, but Shan said,

“That’s right. Count Mapel must have thought I would be defeated by a lion.”

“Why on earth would that be? Haven’t he heard rumors about you..."

Everyone must have heard the story of Shan Cirxus, who won the Hundred Years' War, so many times that it was inaudible to them, but they could not understand why he was acting so rudely. Shan patted Elze's head as she grumbled.

“I thought it was exaggerated. And you can’t believe it until you see it with your own eyes.”

Elze nodded slowly. Shan patted Elze's head as if she thought she was cute, then put on some simple casual clothes.

“Huh? Are you getting dressed?”

Shan smiled at Elze's delight and pointed to a corner with his finger. There, Shan's blood-stained banquet gown was.

“I think I need to do some laundry.”

Normally, he would have just put it in the laundry basket and had the maids clean it up, but the smell of blood was so strong that he didn't want to leave it in the room.

He rang the bell to call the attendant, but there was no answer. It seemed like everyone was out of their minds because of what happened at the party today.

Shan was getting dressed, intending to hand over the laundry to the servant himself. He got up from his seat, holding the blood-stained banquet robe.

“I’ll be back in a bit. Should I bring you a snack on the way back?”

Elze, who was rolling around in bed, was delighted by Shan's words.

“The cookies I ate at the party were delicious! I want to eat them again.”

Elze, who was about to excitedly tell a story about cookies, stopped talking.

“But is it okay to freely go in and out of the kitchen in someone else’s mansion?”

“Ah. Since they can’t serve guests, we have to take care of it ourselves.”

Elze burst into laughter at Shan's words. Snacks were originally supposed to be prepared by the maids themselves, but there was no news of them either.

Anyway, thanks to her diligent husband, Elze was able to eat cookies. Elze explained to Shan about the cookies she wanted to eat.

“The one with macadamia nuts, raspberries, and white chocolate.”

“Yes. I’ll be back soon..."

He lightly kissed Elze's forehead and whispered with a wicked smile.

“If you sleep, I’ll wake you up.”

“Ugh...”

Elze blushed slightly. Anyway, Shan left the room, leaving Elze behind, grumbling about how lustful she was.

Shan had already figured out the layout of the mansion before coming here. Now, he was going to use the excuse of having clothes to wash as a way to look around the mansion and check out other areas.

He was planning to check the security part in particular. Since Count Mapel's hostility was much more severe than expected, there was a possibility that he would have to use force.

The hallway was quiet. After walking for a while, a hallway lined with large windows was revealed. Under the moonlight, a grid-like shadow stretched across the dark hallway. Shan took each step, then slowly stopped. Then he slowly opened his mouth.

“...Is there anything you need?”

Then, the person who had been hiding in the shadows of the hallway revealed herself.

“I’d like to talk to you for a moment.”

It was Cecilia. She glared at Shan with a face that looked as if she had been very angry. Shan chuckled and said.

“For something like that, the means used are truly coercive.”

“...”

A look of dismay crossed Cecilia's face. She had noticed the men hiding in the dark shadows behind her.

“You probably know me since you saw me at the party earlier.”

Shan sighed lazily and spoke to her.

“This doesn’t mean anything to me.”

There was no tension in Shan who said that. She was just waiting for Cecilia's answer. Cecilia, who was getting anxious, bit her lower lip. She was silent for a while, and then barely managed to say a word.

“But no matter how much you fly and crawl, this is my mansion. If something goes wrong here, it won’t be good for you either.”

Cecilia slowly took something out of her bosom. It was a small, short knife. The sharp blade of the knife gleamed sharply under the moonlight.

Shan frowned at the sight, and Cecilia smiled. She grabbed the neckline of the dress with her hand, holding the dagger. Then she ripped it open with the dagger.

The dress quickly became tattered, exposing even her underwear. As soon as Cecilia tore the dress, Shan let out a long sigh.

"Ha..."

Shan said, looking at Cecilla intently.

“You mean to say that Count Targayel raped Countess Mapel?”

The blunt language was truly insulting. But Cecilia was steadfast. She answered without a moment's hesitation.

“As much as you need.”

Cecilia said with a smug look on her face, sticking her upper body out.

“You don’t wish to turn all the lords of the border into enemies, do you, Shan Cirxus a winner, but the laughter that echoed through the empty hallway felt empty. Shan looked at Cecilia like that and thought.

Do you want to have me even at this cost? The desire to have me even if it means breaking and destroying yourself was truly deep and dark.

Suddenly Shan realized that his feelings were somehow familiar. Feelings similar to hers were not far away. They were feelings that existed in Shan.

Shan wondered what it would have been like if Elze had been taken away by someone else.

Just imagining Elze spending a day with someone else, smiling, whispering sweet nothings, and sleeping together... just a moment’s thought made the blood in his body run cold and then boil over.

If that had happened, he would have been mad and burning with murderous intent. He would have killed the man who had taken Elze's side and then held her in his arms with his bloody hands. He probably would not have let her go even if she had cried and begged him to let her go.

Even just imagining it up to this point, it wasn't much different from what Cecilia was doing now. However, unlike Cecilia who was only possessive, Shan's feelings were much darker and more maddening.

Unlike Cecilla, who didn't have much power, Shan had excellent swordsmanship and knights who followed him. If he were in the same situation as Cecilla... Shan would be even stronger, never less.

Ironically enough, after realizing everything, Cecilia's actions made sense, and Shan discovered new feelings.

A faint but clear emotion. It was sympathy.

Shan projected himself onto Cecilia, who didn't have what she wanted and sympathized with her feelings. And he felt sorry for her.

"Ha..."

Shan burst out laughing without realizing it. He felt Cecila's gaze strangely at him as he snickered. Even so, Shan couldn't stop laughing. He had never thought of feeling sorry for someone in his life, but now he felt that emotion.

All of this happened because of Elze.

Elze kept introducing new emotions to Shan, who had no idea about anything. She started adding colors to Shan, who had been dark. The changes Elze brought were unfamiliar, but it was good because it was from her.

How far can you change me?

A thrilling feeling spread through his whole body. Suddenly, he wanted to see Elze like crazy. He wanted to hug her right away and tell her what he had realized.

Thanks to you, I am changing like this, I am no longer a being made of nothingness...

Shan felt a tingling sensation in his fingertips, so he lightly clenched and unclenched his fists. Then he opened his mouth to Cecilla, who had been watching his emotional changes.

“Hey, Cecilia.”

Cecilia's eyes widened at the casual call, not the formal title. In an instant, all sorts of thoughts and emotions flashed through her eyes. There was hope hidden in them. Shan said to her.

“I couldn’t understand you before.”

Shan continued speaking in a much more relaxed voice.

“But I think I know now.”

“Shan...?”

It was a subtle tone. Cecilia called his name with an anxious heart.

“I think I know a little bit, if not everything because I’ve experienced love.”

A faint smile spread across Shan's lips.

“!!”

The moment she saw that smile, Cecilia shivered as if she had been struck by lightning. She froze and opened her eyes wide.

There was a loud noise as if something was breaking. It was the sound of Cecilia dropping the knife she was holding in her hand. Her breathing became ragged. Cecilia, who had been panting for a long time, clutched her chest.

"Lie..."

Cecilia's hands, with their blue veins rising up, were twitching.

“You’re not that kind of person... You don’t have any feelings... But why, why do you say you changed because of that girl...”

Cecilia, who had been stammering, finally burst into tears. She spoke with tears streaming down her face.

“Please don’t change. Instead, return to the icy Shan Cirxus. The Shan Cirxus that knew neither love nor sorrow.”

Cecilia pleaded desperately, not caring that her makeup was smudging.

“If I can’t have you, at least make sure no one else can have your heart..."

But Shan just shook his head. At his actions, Cecilia grabbed her clothes tightly, then, unable to control her anger, tore them off and screamed.

“Ahhhhhhh!!”

Cecilia shook her body madly. She felt the men waiting for her orders become agitated by her actions.

But Shan was still calm and unwavering. He just felt sorry for her. Cecilia was even more miserable because of that. She thought she was going crazy because he felt sorry for her. She wanted to die because it was not her but that bitch who had changed him.

Cecilia, who had been screaming, collapsed and fell to the floor. For a moment, silence fell. Cecilia’s body curled up on the floor, and shook silently. Then, at some point, she opened her mouth. A sharp voice, like scraping iron, flowed out.

“...I won’t leave you alone.”

Cecilia's hand moved slowly, feeling the floor, and she grabbed the dagger that had fallen.

“You and that girl...”

Cecilia raised her head in surprise. Her eyes opened wide enough to reveal the whites of her eyes, and she ran towards Shan, screaming loudly.

“I won’t let you all stay still, Shan Kiraxus!!”

At that moment, Cecilia truly wanted to kill Shan. She wanted to kill him and then die after him. So she put all her strength into stabbing him with the knife.

But Cecilia knew. He was a man of few words, even against a lion. A dagger wielded by a powerless woman like herself would be easily dodged by Shan Cirxus.

"Ah..."

But it was strange. Cecilla froze at the sensation of being poured into her own hands. The sensation of tearing flesh, digging deep... Shan didn’t dodge. He just took it all in.

“!!”

Cecilia fell down in panic. The knife was deeply embedded in Shan’s shoulder. Blood quickly soaked through his clothes and a strong smell of blood spread.

“Blood, blood!!”

Cecilia was at a loss and just pointed her finger. Although it must have been painful, Shan didn't show it at all. Instead, Cecilia, who had stabbed him with the knife, was even more frightened and screamed. Shan calmly opened his mouth as if nothing had happened.

“I'm sorry to you.”

“...!”

It was an apology that came at a completely unexpected moment. Cecilla forgot her surprise and stared blankly at Shan. Shan continued speaking calmly.

“If this is the only way you can feel better, I would like to atone for my sins even a little.”

“...”

“So even if you stab me with a knife...”

Shan said softly.

“Don't touch her.”

His words ended firmly. There was no room to dig in there. Cecilia was in despair. She wanted to deny reality.

“...There’s no need to say sorry. All I need is you, and... why did you change like this?”

He who stood before Cecilia was Shan Cirxus, but he was not Shan Cirxus.

“You’re not the kind of person who would sacrifice and give your all for just one person. Why are you like this...?”

Cecilia muttered in vain, realizing that no matter how hard she tried, she would never be chosen.

“What is it that I lack, that I am inferior to that girl...”

Shan grabbed the dagger stuck in his shoulder. He pulled it out expressionlessly and threw it at Cecilia's feet. Cecilia looked down at Shan's bloody dagger. She didn't dare to look him in the eye right now. Shan pressed hard on the wound and stopped the bleeding.

“I don’t care if you break me or kill me.”

He took a step. His footsteps continued, and he approached Cecilla. But he did not stop. Shan passed Cecilla and said.

“But she can’t.”

And Shan left her behind and walked forward through the dark hallway.

“...”

Now, only Cecilia was left in the darkness.

Cecilia stared at Shan's back without stopping. Even after he disappeared, she stared at the empty space for a long time.

But Shan didn't come back. No matter how long she waits, he won't come back. Cecilia finally accepted the reality and muttered to herself.

“...I can’t be left alone in this darkness.”

Her gaze became even more poisonous. Cecilla ground her molars and whispered ominously.

“You’re going to get thrown in too, Shan Cirxus.”

***

Are you lost?

Elze, who was doing light stretching to loosen up her body, sat down on the bed. Then she looked toward the door. He said he would drop off the laundry and bring cookies, but it took longer than expected. Elze was worried that something might have happened again.

He was about to get up, concluding that he had to go out and look for it when he heard a knock on the door and a voice.

“It’s me, Elze. I’m going in.”

Shan opened the door and came in. And Elze screamed his name.

“Shan!!”

Shan was covered in blood. This time, it wasn't someone else's blood, it was his. Elze, who had checked the wound on his shoulder, reached for a bandage before asking what had happened. She had to stop the bleeding first, and then take him to a doctor right away. But Shan grabbed Elze's arm.

“Elze.”

And he held something out. Elze accepted it absentmindedly.

"You...."

Wrapped in a small paper bag were cookies. They were exactly the macadamia cookies Elze had asked for and cookies with white chocolate and raspberry. There were also a variety of other cookies that looked delicious, all crammed together.

Her heart ached. This foolish man was covered in blood and still brought cookies. Elze looked at Shan, holding the bloody paper bag in his hand. She should have cursed him for his foolish behavior, but strangely, she felt like crying.

Shan slowly reached out his hand to Elze, who was speechless. Then he cupped Elje's cheek and whispered.

“I just have something to tell you right now...”

A large, warm hand brushed her cheek. A tickling whisper flowed out along with it.

“Thank you for being by my side, Elze.”

There was no pain in his eyes. With eyes full of joy, Shan confessed.

"I love you."

Elze almost fell for Shan's words for a moment. As he looked at her with eyes full of affection and whispered words of love, nothing else seemed important. However, Elze soon came to her senses and rebuked Shan.

“...Don’t try to get away with that.”

Elze held the bag of cookies tightly in her hand. She could hear the paper bag rustling in her hands.

“What the hell is the big deal about cookies! Your arms look like this...”

Elze said, placing the bag of cookies on the table and Shan sitting on the bed.

“Let’s start with first aid. Then go see a doctor and get treatment! After that, I’ll listen to the whole story, in great detail, about what happened.”

But unlike the impatient Elze, Shan was very relaxed. He shrugged his shoulders and said,

“I don’t think it’s necessary to go see a doctor.”

Elze, sensing something odd in Shan's attitude, lifted the blood-soaked cloth slightly and blinked.

“...!”

Elze couldn't believe it even as she watched. Shan's wounds were slowly healing. When Elze couldn't bring herself to say anything, Shan raised his eyebrows slightly and said.

“I haven’t told you, but it’s been like this for a while now.”

“Since when...?”

“After I came back from Inesian.”

If it was Inesian, it was the place where they first met Ilwooz. Even as they talked, the wounds slowly healed.

Elze glanced back at her left arm. Elze's left arm was being healed by Ilwooz with his divine power.

However, Shan's recovery was a bit different from Ilwooz's divine power. While Ilwooz's divine power completely regenerated the wound as if it had never been there, Shan's recovery power was that the wound healed at a faster rate.

While Elze watched, the wound completely healed. However, a scar remained on his copper-colored skin. Elze stared at the large scar and said.

“Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”

"Well."

Shan smiled and said playfully.

“I have a feeling that if I tell you this, I’ll distance myself from you.”

But the words that followed were a little bitter.

“This kind of thing isn’t normal.”

But before the bitterness could fade away, Shan immediately hugged Elze. He buried his face in Elze's neck and whispered.

“Let’s not talk about this right now... I just want to be with you.”

"But!"

“I’ll explain the whole story later.”

Shan kissed Elze's neck. It was a simple kiss, not a wet one. He took a deep breath and said,

“I won’t do anything, so just hold on for a little while.”

“...”

When Elze didn't answer, Shan lifted his head slightly. Then, he met Elze's gaze and smiled and said.

“Huh? Elze.”

Elze barely managed to suppress her trembling hands. She wanted to grab him by the collar and shake him, asking what was wrong. But she couldn’t bring herself to do that. It wasn’t just because he was being unbecoming and coquettish.

Shan, who was standing in front of Elze now, looked truly happy. She didn't want to break the smile on his face, which seemed like the happiest person in the world. In the end, Elze decided to join in on his happiness. Elze pouted her lips for a moment and then hugged Shan.

“...I’ll just hold you for a moment.”

Shan laughed out loud as she hugged his waist. Elze could feel the low vibrations that followed his laughter. It was a very warm and pleasant sound.


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