37. For my love
Ricardo didn't hesitate long and immediately offered her a carriage.
“I hope everything works out well.”
A King who hid his identity and went into hiding in a country with a bad diplomatic situation, his wife, who was believed to be dead, and a tutor with a vague past could only mean one thing.
But the reason Ricardo spared no support for her was not only because he happened to see a picture of the King of a neighboring country in a newspaper. The fact that Chloe was the Queen was shocking enough, but it was nothing compared to the confirmation that Sophie had returned alive and safe.
“Be careful, Claire...”
Stella trailed off, wrapping Sophie in the hem of her skirt.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you the truth.”
Stella nodded with an expression of understanding at Chloe's words.
“Take care.”
“Goodbye, teacher.”
“See you again, Sophie.”
After finally saying goodbye to Ricardo, Stella, and Sophie, who were being held by Stella, Chloe held onto the carriage wall and climbed in herself. Ricardo's coachman drove the carriage to Frome, the nearest train station to Guinevis. Chloe barely managed to get on the first-class train to Trivani, the capital of the principality, holding the ticket given to her by Lawrence Taylor.
“Trivani, the train to Trivani will be leaving soon!”
Lawrence Taylor, who had just arrived at his room after sending a letter at the post office in front of the station, was out of breath.
“Oh, you were very... surprised.”
In the carriage, Chloe kept her mouth shut and deep in thought, holding her blood-stained gloves tightly in her hands. Because of that, he didn’t even have a chance to talk to her. Chloe raised her head when Lawrence, who had been watching her closely, scratched his red beard and spoke with difficulty.
“Can you tell me everything you know about what happened?”
As warm brown eyes stared straight at him, Lawrence straightened his back, which had been hunched over with tension, without him realizing it.
“Of course.”
He began to tell Chloe everything that had happened. He told her everything, including how Damien had risked coming here without an army, knowing that Johannes was hiding here with the help of the duchy's King, and how he had prepared a second escape route just in case.
Perhaps because of Chloe's calm gaze that prevented the other person from lying, the story went back in time to his and Damien's first meeting.
“It was at that time that His Majesty had suppressed the protests in the capital and was certain to ascend to the throne, but he hid his identity and boarded a shabby third-class train bound for Tisse. I saw that the fine gentleman, who was a good man, took out a letter from his bosom all the way to Tisse, and looked at it again and again, and I knew that this gentleman must be running to his eagerly awaited lover! Even though it was hidden by his hat, you could not hide the smile on his fine lips. And then it was His Majesty. I can’t tell you how surprised I was when I received the check.”
Chloe bit her lip because she had a feeling that she knew what day Lawrence was talking about.
“People told me that I would live a life steeped in romance and not be able to put food on the table, but thanks to His Majesty, who foresees situations a few steps ahead of ordinary people, believing in me and giving me courage...”
“Mr. Taylor.”
"Yes."
Lawrence clenched his fists in his lap, worried that his praise might have sounded half-baked.
“Have you been shot?”
Only then did Lawrence realize that Chloe's eyes were fixed on the bullet hole in his jacket. He quickly waved both his hands to reassure her.
“Oh, no. I’m fine.”
Lawrence took out a small, leather-bound book from inside his jacket and wiped the sweat from his nose.
“This is a checkbook that His Majesty gave me to use when something urgent comes up. The bullet is stuck right here, so I can’t help but think His Majesty is carrying good luck around with him.”
“Where... did you get shot?”
Lawrence Taylor opened his mouth and scratched his temple in embarrassment.
“Just in case, I was keeping watch in front of Mr. Ricardo’s mansion, and when I saw someone suspicious, I screamed...”
He continued hurriedly, watching Chloe's face turn pale.
“The sound of the gunshot allowed Mr. Ricardo’s entire family to take refuge in the shelter they had built in the basement.”
“Are you talking about the wine cellar in the mansion? It’s old and usually locked.”
“I heard that His Majesty spoke to the gentleman of that house a few days ago. He asked what would happen if war broke out with Swanton and an emergency situation arose. Hearing that, he remembered that he had cleaned up that place for the first time in a long while, and he wrote this.”
Chloe took a deep breath. She had thought that her husband would not come here without any preparation. But when she realized that behind his relaxed face, he had taken great care to avoid danger, she realized how serious the situation was.
“Are... are you okay?”
"It's okay."
Chloe nodded, trying to keep her expression straight as she looked at Lawrence, but she couldn't hide the trembling in her hands. The drops of blood that Damien had shed were still fresh and stained her delicate fingers. She pressed her lips with her tightly clenched, gloved hands.
Chloe didn't know why Damien didn't dodge and was shot. She couldn't help but know why he stood in front of the display case without moving an inch. If he had only his own body to protect, Damien would never have failed.
... Damien.
Chloe clenched her fists as the last image of him being dragged to the floor, bleeding, came back to her mind. It was when her breath was hot and wet. There was an urgent knock on the guest room door.
As Chloe looked up, the door opened and a familiar face appeared. Before a startled Lawrence Taylor could pull a gun out of his bag, Chloe spoke up to stop him.
"...Count Cromwell?”
“It is late, Your Majesty.”
Cromwell took off his sailor's hat and looked grim.
“What happened?”
“I was waiting for Your Majesties on board the ship, which was about to set sail. The ship was in trouble due to the storm, and I was delayed while I was focused solely on repairing the ship so that it could return to Swanton.”
Chloe swallowed hard as she looked at those standing behind Cromwell, then raised his hand and signaled for everyone to come into the room.
“...I am ashamed to have disappointed Your Majesty in so many ways.”
Cromwell's face, which was bowed, was deeply filled with guilt. It must have been even more difficult for him to face Chloe, considering his past of intentionally approaching Alice. Chloe shook her head as if she knew his feelings and opened her mouth.
“Everyone here is a great source of strength for me.”
Her brown eyes were wet with blood, but the gaze she met with each person was sincere and unwavering. Now that she knew that Damien had gone to such lengths to take her to safety, she couldn't give up.
I am not my husband's weakness.
“Everyone here knows that my husband is not the kind of person to die such a miserable death in a foreign country.”
A heavy tension hung over the crowded first-class cabin. Her voice, which broke the silence repeatedly, was not loud, but it held an unrivaled power.
“The reason my husband was able to reach the top is not only because of his hard work and obsession.”
Someone swallowed dryly at the words that accurately defined Damien in one word. Chloe spat out, looking directly at someone who was looking at her with a face that asked if there was anything more to it.
“I think the greatest blessing God gave him was the people who were by his side. He can choose his own path, but not others. No matter how great he is, the efforts of those who believed in him and took risks cannot be taken for granted.”
Cromwell knelt before Chloe, who continued speaking with the aforementioned face.
“I will definitely save him with you all. The Swanton sun cannot set this early.”
The others, who were looking at her with somewhat blank expressions, and even Lawrence Taylor, who had a blank expression on his face, got down from their chairs and knelt down to pay homage.
“Will you help me?”
“Just do as you say, Your Majesty.”
Their attitude was reverence, even though they could not raise their voices, and their heads were bowed to the ground. It was a moment when she finally understood why Damien had loved her, who seemed insignificant, with his life. Their King recognized her, and the world did not.
A strong spirit was felt from the frail and delicate woman. The way she could calmly persuade and lead people without panicking in a crisis was similar to Damien's, but a little softer, and she had the qualities of a leader. It was a force that was not easy to take lightly, but was affectionate and never soft. Everyone present realized that the greatest fortune Damien had ever had was right before their eyes.
“I plan to ask the King of the Duchy about Johannes’ whereabouts.”
They were once again shocked and speechless at the plan that came out of Chloe's mouth.
“...Do you mean to say that you would like to meet Erno in person?”
Cromwell furrowed his brows with a serious expression. Chloe nodded at him.
“That’s the only way to find out where Johannes is within the Duchy.”
“I know a few places where Johannes could hide. Even if Your Majesty doesn’t insist on it...”
“His Majesty is currently injured.”
Chloe's voice was small but firm. It meant there was no time.
“But... that man is the one who put Your Majesty, the Queen, in danger.”
Cromwell gritted his teeth. The story he had heard from Ricardo's young daughter before he rode here was enough to make him feel ashamed.
What was more unbelievable than the fact that Johannes shot Damien and insulted the Queen was the fact that Erno had fully anticipated all this and yet had assigned Johannes to a man.
A fire rose in his chest as he remembered that some of the bodies he had found in Ricardo's villa had been Carters, bearing the seal of the duchy's military on their forearms.
“No, he never put me in danger.”
People looked at Chloe with questioning expressions at her words.
“Because I’ve never written my real name here.”
Until now.
“The life or death of the tutor in Guinevis is of no importance to Erno. Nor is the life or death of the wealthy businessman from Swanton.”
But if she gets her name back, it's a different story.
“I have requested an audience with him in the name of Chloe von Tisse, Queen of Swanton.”
Lawrence Taylor's eyes widened as he realized the significance of the letter he had sent.
“His Majesty the King cannot refuse an audience with Queen Swanton, who has personally requested it in her capacity as Acting King.”
The sun sparkled as the train passed quickly through the forest. Amid the greenery shining everywhere, the brightest thing was Chloe's eyes, finally realizing her place.
In the magnificent reception room, a slender woman sat erect, like a painting. She had been waiting for the King for two hours without moving, and she called herself the Queen of Swanton. Her off-the-rack dress was made of poor quality fabric, and her legs, which were clearly uncomfortable when she walked, seemed far removed from the Swanton royal family, which placed the highest priority on visible formality.
Still, the duchy's servants could not dare to treat her carelessly. This was not only because her guards were lined up outside the palace, preventing her from entering.
“The tea has cooled down again. You can change it again.”
She felt authoritative in her tone as she changed the tea for the fourth time without even touching it. Even in an insulting situation that would have made any other noble blush, Chloe was unwavering. Rather, she maintained her composure in this situation and pointed out the rudeness of the other person, which rarely appeared.
“Can you bring me some too?”
The one who had made her wait without any promise finally opened the door to the reception room and appeared. Chloe slowly got up from her seat while looking at Erno, Alice's lover and the King of the duchy. Even though it was past noon, he was only wearing a black gown.
“What brings you here so early in the morning?”
Erno's husky voice, half an octave higher than that of most men, was heard leisurely. He spoke naturally, as if he were meeting someone he had just parted ways with yesterday. Chloe stood upright in front of him and held out her hand.
“This is the first time we’ve met in an official capacity.”
Erno's eyes narrowed with interest as he watched Chloe calmly speak. It was because her attitude had completely changed from when he first met her after she fled from Swanton to the Duchy. Erno looked at the back of Chloe's slender hand extended to him and swept back his voluminous hair.
“Yes, welcome to the Carter Duchy.”
Chloe pursed her lips as Erno kissed her cheeks loudly instead of kissing her hand. It was a polite greeting, but she couldn't help but feel stiff.
Chloe didn't have a very close relationship with Erno, and it would be better to say that it was the worst relationship. It's not for nothing that Cromwell was angry that he sent Johannes away, knowing that she would be in danger. If it weren't for Erno, Damien wouldn't have been dragged around like that.
“It is an honor to be welcomed here.”
Erno shrugged his shoulders with a joyful expression, as if he knew her feelings, which were barely maintained by holding back her emotions.
“If you had told me in advance, I wouldn’t have had to wait. I received the message just before I got here, so this is what it looks like. I’m sorry.”
There was no apology in Erno's expression, who looked like he had just rolled out of bed, but his rudeness was not something that happened just a day or two ago. Chloe opened her mouth with a serious expression towards Erno, who was laughing at her.
“I am not very neat either. I knew that His Majesty would not care about formal attire more than the weight of the work, so I omitted the formal attire.”
Chloe tried not to look at the nail marks that could be seen between Erno’s robes as she picked up her teacup. This was not the time to worry about Alice and his marriage. There was no taste in the tea that touched her tongue. The only sound she could hear was the ticking of the second hand on the ornate clock on the wall.
“Yes, what is so urgent that you are interrupting my sweet honeymoon?”
Erno took a letter out of his robe pocket, dropped it on the table, and sat back in his luxurious chair. The luxurious ring on his interlocked fingers glittered in the chandelier light.
Chloe von Tisse.
Chloe, who had been staring at the name she had signed at the very end of the letter, raised her head and looked straight at Erno.
“Please tell me the whereabouts of the traitor Johannes.”
Erno rested his chin on the armrest with his elbows, frowning slightly. He was smiling playfully, but the words coming out of his mouth were not.
“Um... wasn’t there a separate traitor? For example, someone with a dark mind who hit his cousin in the back of the head and took his place?”
Chloe's heart began to beat faster at Erno's voice, which was slightly higher-pitched with excitement. Without avoiding his eyes, she opened her mouth, trying to control her trembling voice.
“I think you have misunderstood the situation. A traitor is a title that would be appropriate for someone who fled to save his own life while the entire country was suffering from an epidemic. Not someone who placated the angry people, negotiated with them, and inherited the throne according to the proper procedure.”
“Well, if you only look at the results, then yes, that would be true, right?”
Erno shrugged his shoulders, still smiling. Chloe bit the inside of her lip and tried to keep herself from getting caught up in his tricks. If she got excited and lost her senses, everything would go down the drain. She had to think only of the most effective way to persuade Erno.
“Yesterday afternoon, the missing Johannes attacked me and His Majesty while I was staying in Guinevis. I barely escaped harm, but His Majesty is currently being held captive by him.”
“Oh, like that.”
Erno clicked his tongue lightly as he listened to the story he already knew. Chloe continued to speak firmly to Erno, who was absentmindedly looking down at the tips of his well-manicured fingernails.
“Even if Johannes harms His Majesty, he will never be able to return to Swanton and reclaim the throne.”
“Why is that?”
Chloe raised her eyebrows at Erno, who finally looked up and glanced at her.
“Because a second Damien will appear and pull him down from the throne.”
“Who is that?”
“It could be anyone.”
Chloe's brown eyes sparkled. She continued to speak clearly to Erno, who seemed not to understand her words.
“He could be one of the many subordinates who have followed him and acted according to his convictions, or he could be a capable intellectual who has received enormous support from him regardless of his status, gender, or physical limitations.”
Erno, who had been keeping his mouth shut for the first time, lifted his lips wryly. Chloe's trembling voice, hiding her excitement, echoed through the spacious meeting room.
“Tisse believes that whoever is the most excellent is qualified to rule the country. If someone better than him appears, my husband will swallow bitter water and admit it. That is his pride.”
“The Queen of Swanton has great respect for the King.”
Chloe suppressed the anger rising deep in her chest as she watched Erno sneer. She even felt like snapping at him, saying that the Queen here was not like that, and that was why she was acting so evil. However, now was not the time to be proud.
“Every couple has problems. If you know my past history, you can guess.”
Erno smiled slightly as he watched Chloe take a step back. There was no seriousness in the way he scratched his eyebrows with his long fingers, but in fact, he was seeing Chloe as a real human being for the first time. It was impressive that a boring woman who was restrained in her emotions and only put on airs came all the way here to find him, but he still didn't feel like helping her.
“So?”
“If trade with Swanton is normalized, it won’t be a bad situation for the Duchy either. Even if Johannes ascends to the throne, he will soon step down, and if relations between the two countries worsen, the people of both countries will suffer.”
“Well, I acknowledge the validity of everything you’ve said so far.”
Chloe gasped and clasped her cold hands together. Tears welled up in her eyes at the thought that she could finally run to save Damien with those waiting outside the palace.
“Still, I can’t answer your question about Johannes’ whereabouts.”
“Why is that?”
Chloe's moist, brown eyes trembled silently.
“The humans in Swanton are just so, so unlucky.”
One by one, her elegantly curled eyelashes fluttered and fell down. Erno smiled and got up from his seat.
“...Yes, I understand.”
“Is that all you have to say?”
Chloe bit her lips, feeling the contempt piercing through her polite tone. She couldn't let him go like this. In this situation where Damien was suffering, she was ready to kneel before Erno, even if it meant getting on her sore knees.
“Then that’s it.”
"Wait a minute."
She can do it.
She clutched the hem of her skirt tightly and thought of Damien. The moment her wet, hot eyes met Damien’s face, she even had the illusion of hearing his voice.
“No. That’s not it, Chloe.”
Chloe stared at Erno with her eyes wide open. Damien would never kneel in this situation. He would not tolerate her, his wife and the Queen of a country, kneeling. What would Damien do in this situation?
“You have to find the weak point and strangle it, Chloe.”
She knew from the beginning what Erno's weakness was. She just had a hard time using this card.
“I want to meet Alice.”
He stopped walking as he turned toward the bedroom, his sleek black robe billowing.
“Unfortunately, my wife is not feeling well.”
Chloe immediately read the displeasure in his voice, but she had no intention of backing down.
“I want to meet Alice, not as a Queen, but as a daughter of the Verdiers and as a member of her family.”
Erno raised his eyebrows, which looked like they had been painted black.
“She is the one who abandoned her family and chose me. Why should I make her meet someone who has nothing to do with her?”
It was then that the door to the visiting room opened so roughly that it banged against the wall.
“Erno!!!”
Chloe gasped as she saw Alice appear in her see-through nightgown, her hair still tangled in a mess. While the attendant standing next to her was at a loss, Erno spoke coldly.
“I definitely told you to lock the door.”
“I broke it, so don’t even think about catching random people.”
Alice, not caring about the frozen atmosphere, strode over to Chloe and grabbed her hand.
“Sister.”
Erno, who was not happy about the sister's reunion, grabbed Alice's other arm. A sweet voice, dripping with honey, followed.
“I didn’t wake you up because you were sleeping soundly, but should I have made it so you couldn’t get out of bed at all?”
“Stop talking nonsense and get out.”
“Your precious mouth is so dirty, I must cleanse it with a kiss.”
Alice glared at Erno, hiding her sister from him as he lowered his head to kiss her.
“Please let me talk to her alone.”
“Can’t you please be more polite?”
Chloe watched Alice tremble and bow her head to him, and then Erno nodded and smiled before leaving, saying he would wait in the bedroom.
“...I’m sorry for showing you this, sis.”
Finally, in the space where the two were left alone, Alice opened her mouth with trembling eyes. Chloe silently got up, tidied up her clothes, and combed Alice's voluminous blond hair with her hand. Tears fell from Alice's eyes as she entrusted her hair to her like when she was young.
After she had neatly braided her hair to one side, Chloe wiped away her tears with her hand. Alice was still dazzlingly beautiful, and she looked as if she might run away at any moment.
“Smile, Alice.”
As Chloe whispered, Alice tried to smile despite her tears. She still had that fairy-like face that made everyone in the world fall in love. Erno's weakness was Alice. The only person who could leave long claw marks on the tyrant's chest and still be fine.
“I can’t tell you how surprised I was when I heard that my sister had come to see me. What on earth happened?”
Chloe's heart pounded hard, unable to open her mouth easily. What stopped her hesitation was the sound of the second hand, which was getting louder and louder. It was clear that Damien was suffering even at this moment.
“My pretty sister. You said that once. You said you would definitely help me in a dangerous situation.”
“Yeah, of course.”
“I’ll ask you this for the first and last time.”
Chloe's voice trembled as she whispered.
“Save my husband. No, I’ll save him. Just find out where he is.”
Chloe's eyes and the tip of her nose turned red. It was natural that Alice's lips opened silently. She had never seen Chloe cry since she had grown up. Even when her mother passed away, Chloe had held back her tears. Instead of her father, who was speechless from shock and locked himself in his room, and Alice, who had cried too much and was exhausted, Chloe had to handle everything by herself, including the funeral.
“Damien said that my family wants my happiness more than my sacrifice.”
Alice nodded vigorously, unable to speak.
“Can you make me believe that?”
Chloe's brown eyes were wide and round with tears. Her trembling voice became a little higher in excitement. Chloe, who never lost her senses no matter what happened, was like the little heroine of the Verdiers, crying, shedding big tears.
“I love him, Alice. As much as I love my life... no, I think I love him more than my life.”
“Ah, Sister...”
Alice hugged her tightly.
“Ugh... Help me, Alice. Save me, please.”
Chloe's hot sobs, pouring out her heart in front of her for the first time in her life, were vividly transmitted through the thin pajamas. Alice, who had been listening to Chloe's explanation of the incident until the end, held onto her delicate arm and finally opened her mouth.
“I’ll figure it out, no matter what. Just wait a little.”
Alice stood up, straightened her clothes, and clenched her fists. Chloe took a deep breath as she watched her back without hesitation. The image of Alice and Erno, who seemed to be in a sharp confrontation at first glance, came to mind. When she thought about how much Alice would have to bend herself to get what she wanted from him, a corner of her heart felt as if it had been stabbed.
“Alice.”
Alice turned around as Chloe called out to her without realizing it.
"Yes?"
She smiled at Chloe, who was unable to hold Alice back and was trembling with her lips.
“Sister, I’ve been living a reckless and troublesome life up until now...”
Alice continued, as if she knew exactly what Chloe was thinking.
“That was because the eldest daughter of our family, Chloe Verdier, was by my side. No matter how well I did, I could never surpass my older sister, so it was easier to just live as a reckless tomboy.”
“...Alice.”
“I’m so glad you asked me for help.”
The door closed, and Chloe, finally left alone in the visiting room, bowed her waist as if praying, her whole body drained of strength. Asking for help from Alice was something she had put off as the last option. However, when she actually asked for help, Alice did not hesitate to help. Perhaps if it were Chloe, she would have done the same. She couldn’t turn away her sister, who was crying and clinging to her, wanting to be happy.
Maybe Chloe hadn't even given Alice a chance to help her until now.
“Ha... Alice...”
But even if she felt sorry and grateful to Alice later, she couldn't get rid of her anxiety. Alice's promise to help and whether she would get the answer she wanted were two separate issues. Alice could at least hold Erno's hand and run away, but Chloe was completely alone now.
Left alone, Chloe finally took out the pendant she had kept inside her dress with hands that were beginning to tremble noticeably.
As the lid, which had been opened and closed several times and loosened, opened silently, his smiling face appeared.
"My love."
Damien's voice rang in her ears. His eyes, looking at her, seemed to be telling her that she was not alone.
“Good job, Chloe.”
“I don’t know why I always realize the most important things last.”
Chloe whispered in a wet voice. She didn't realize that stubbornness had sprouted inside her since her pace had slowed, and she had begun to look around several times to see if there were any rocks around her.
If it was going to be like this, she should have told him she loved him, without holding back. She should have kissed him to her heart's content, even if it felt like it was a little embarrassing.
“It’s okay. There are still plenty of opportunities.”
Damien's face, still smiling with a confident expression, barely calmed her down. Chloe held the pendant tightly and held it against her heart, catching her breath. She reminded herself that no matter how far apart they were physically, it was no barrier to Damien. He was the one who had defied even her death.
Well then, she guessed she should do that too.
Damien. Please. Be safe for me. Damien.
Chloe whispered with difficulty through her swollen throat.
“I... can’t break up with you.”
After confessing as if he were in front of her, Chloe realized one thing: some feelings become more certain after they are expressed in words.
“Damien.”
“Damien.”
The soft sunlight tickled his eyelids. The shadows cast by the leaves caressed his face moment by moment. Damien deliberately kept his eyes closed. He wanted to hear Chloe's voice calling him in a small voice.
“Wake up quickly, Your Highness.”
It was a summer day, and he was in the carriage returning from his first walk through the streets of Tisse with her as a Duchess. After stopping at the post office and the coffee house in succession, she must have relaxed and fallen fast asleep. She didn’t open her eyes even when the carriage arrived at the castle.
Damien was looking at her after ordering the coachman to move the carriage towards the back.
After hearing that she would share ownership of the mines with the Count, Chloe had cried and seemed to have relaxed, but she didn't even think about getting up until the handbag she was holding fell off, finally waking her up.
Now it was Chloe's turn to wait. Her eyes were closed, and she let out a small sigh of embarrassment as she watched him not move.
The summer sun of Tisse was not hot. The coachman had parked the carriage in the shade of the trees, so a gentle breeze blew through the open window. Chloe hesitated for a moment, but seemed to have decided not to disturb his nap. Damien watched Chloe take a book out of her small handbag and read it with her narrowed eyes.
It was a peaceful afternoon, with only the faint chirping of birds and the lush leaves rustling in the wind. Damien was very satisfied with the sight of Chloe in the place where he was born and raised. The sun was slowly setting.
Damien closed his eyes again as he watched the books on the bookshelf flip over and the sun hat lift up. He expected her to call his name, but contrary to his expectations, Chloe did not wake him. Damien pretended to sleep and watched her quietly, even though he felt her slowly approaching him.
His wife was born to be the Duchess of Tisse, and she was as flawless as anyone could be, but when she was alone, she had a ridiculous side, such as turning over her husband's portrait to hide his face.
He felt a shadow waving its hand over his face. Was she trying to show off her boldness by kissing his sleeping lips? The sunlight was completely blocked, but the sensation he wanted did not come easily. It was when Damien, whose patience had disappeared, slowly opened his eyes.
"Uh..."
In front of her eyes was Chloe, frozen, holding a stamp with her own face on it to the tip of her tongue.
"What are you doing?"
“I, I just...”
His woman was about to dare to prank him by sticking a stamp on his face. Damien reached out and snatched the stamp from her, then licked the mark off her body.
“It’s almost dinner time, Mom will be waiting...”
Chloe's cheeks turned bright red as Damien returned the prank she had been trying to pull.
“Pretty. More.”
Damien smiled faintly as he looked at Chloe, who had a small portrait of himself stuck on her cheek. He thought it would be nice to stick stamps with his face all over her delicate body, not just her face. As if she knew his thoughts were running wild with vulgar imagination, his wife’s hands quickly removed the stamps from her cheek and put them in a paper envelope.
“You can do it, but I can’t?”
“I didn’t say anything.”
Chloe tried to get up from her seat, her expression faltering. He wasn't going to just let her go. Chloe narrowed her eyes as he wrapped his arms around her waist and made her sit on top of him.
“This is not the time, Damien.”
“You hate me?”
Something felt off as he tried to kiss Chloe, leaving her speechless.
What.
Damien's eyebrows twitched as he chuckled.
He didn't feel heavy. There was nothing in his hands, so she frowned, and now Chloe's appearance was becoming increasingly blurred.
“Damien.”
He could hear her voice whispering, but even then, her body seemed to be disappearing into thin air.
“Wake up, Damien.”
Her image was blurry, but her voice was becoming clearer. Damien’s body trembled. He couldn’t move, as if his body had been crushed by a huge rock. He had to yell at Chloe to ask where she was going, but instead of a proper voice, only a moan came out of his vocal cords. Finally, Chloe’s image completely disappeared, and only her sobbing voice dominated his mind.
“Damien.”
“Damien.”
“Please, Damien...!”
Damien opened his eyes sharply, breathing heavily, but they were so bright that he had to close them tightly. Long beads of sweat ran down his temples from his forehead.
Clank.
It took time for both eyes to adjust to the pouring light. The first thing that came back was a different feeling. Damien felt the heavy chains binding his arms and stopped moving. As he slowly opened his cold eyes, the blue pupils returned to their original state, and his tightly closed pupils slowly opened. The intense sunlight was pouring down from a very small crack in the rock in the high ceiling. Damien moistened his lips and slowly turned his head.
Damien realized that he had been transported to the deepest part of a large rock cavern. Judging from the terrain, it seemed to be the Trilobi Mountains, located in the central part of the principality. The terrain was rugged and deep, so no one would know if anything happened here.
Damien was lying on a flat, wide rock with his arms and feet tied. When he regained consciousness, the two wounds where he had been shot began to ache deep in his bones. It was a good thing that his mind was quickly clearing up. The anesthetic that someone had poured on him in the carriage was wearing off.
His eyes, which were getting brighter, began to clearly see the inside of the cave. The murals on the walls were bizarre. Someone in priestly attire was standing next to someone else lying on the altar, holding a red heart. The picture was vivid red, as if it had been painted not long ago.
The sacrificial offering, with its ribs cut open and its heart ripped out, looked as if it was experiencing the ultimate peace, and it was clearly the work of John, who had fallen into paganism. Damien licked his dry lips with his tongue, thinking that if he had painted in a place where no one was around, he would have become a praised artist.
If he couldn't get out of here, he would have to recreate the mural with John. As soon as he thought about himself as a sacrifice, bitter water ran down his mouth.
"Shit..."
He had applied a styptic and wrapped it tightly with a bandage to block the gunshot wound, but to be blunt, if he couldn't quickly treat the wound, his chances of surviving for more than three days were slim. John would know that too, so he couldn't waste time.
As his thoughts reached that point, Damien began to hear footsteps from afar. Judging by the fact that even the smallest sound resonated and echoed, the inside of the cave was quite deep.
There were two footsteps.
Only a very small number of people would be present during the ritual, probably just John and the old pagan woman he carries around in secret, or one of his attendants to guard him in case of an emergency.
Damien gasped as he looked at the handcuffs chained to the iron stakes, restraining his wrists. As if it had not been prepared in a day or two, the space was dramatic, as if it had been created for a perfect ritual. The statues, each with their body parts cut off, lined up in front of the bloody mural, were shaped like pentagrams, symbolizing the stars in the sky, and the center of it was the sanctuary where he lay.
The unnecessary sophistication made him feel disgusted. Damien swore that if it was true that the leader of the Carters had conspired with Johannes, he would definitely cut off the head of the madman to prevent the deterioration of civilization. To do that, he had to get out of here first.
But how?
The sound of footsteps echoing through the cave was getting closer and closer. Damien chewed his lip and thought about it. He remembered how he had helped Weiss escape from the enemy barracks during the war, when he was almost shot. He had set fire to the barracks and taken advantage of the chaos to get himself out, but now it was impossible.
Damien had never been a prisoner. It was not uncommon for men of the Tisse family, who had been soldiers for generations, to be wounded and captured while fighting on the front lines. But not a single one of them had ever returned alive. They had all chosen a glorious death over negotiation, fearing the harm they would do to their country if they were taken hostage. Damien could have bet his entire family that his father, William, would have taken his own life, no matter what, before the enemy beheaded him.
He doesn't want to slander their glorious deaths. But... let's be blunt and say that they died because they failed to escape. They just wrapped up their failure, or defeat, as cleanly as possible.
Damien closed his eyes and slowly frowned. He slowly took a deep breath, erasing the sound of footsteps that were becoming slower and slower but clearer, and the voice of Johannes that he could hear from time to time. His anxious mind began to calm down, and his tangled thoughts began to slowly unravel.
In this situation, calculating the probability of survival is meaningless.
Live or die.
Everything was a 50/50 probabilistic thing, and he had always lived his life betting all his losses on the winning side.
“Damien! It’s time to end it now.”
Damien always wanted to be excellent. He dreamed of surpassing others in everything. It must have been when he saw a blue butterfly with crumpled wings in his hand as a child. When he faced the fact that no beautiful creature in this world could escape 'death', he was shocked as a child, and then realized it.
If he had to live a finite life that would rush toward death anyway, he wanted to live a wonderful life and end it beautifully. He refined himself by tempering the sadistic tendencies he had been born with with reason. Realizing that it was much harder to do good than to commit evil, he suppressed his violent nature and hoped to become a Saint. Rather than destroying beautiful things, he wanted to create more splendid and orderly things.
He wanted to rise to the top through his own excellence, and he eventually did. God proved to be on his side by finding his soulmate.
...Chloe.
When he thought of her, the wound from the gunshot stung, and a sharp pain surged into his heart. He had a sweet and thrilling love with the beautiful woman who first captivated him. He had also experienced being swept up in a storm of emotions for a woman, breaking himself again, thinking that he would never be satisfied with honor, power, or anything more.
“I love you, Damien.”
The words he had doubted many times in his heart. When he finally recalled her clean face, with eyes filled with confidence, his heart began to beat hot. More than the miserable suffering of being tied up, the fact that he could not hold her in his arms right now made him dizzy. The iron chains on his wrists rattled roughly, but he could not raise his body.
Damien took a deep breath and sorted out his complicated thoughts. He reminded himself that his choice to protect Chloe and take himself hostage to hasten Johann’s departure from Guinevis was not a mistake.
Chloe, my love. She will be safe. Cromwell, who is waiting on the ship, will risk his life to take her to Swanton. If he does not return from here, Weiss will have no choice but to break the seal on the will he has revised, and Swanton will have its first Queen according to the proper procedure of succession.
Whether he lives or dies, whichever way the coin is tossed, the outcome is all according to his plan. Whatever it is, it's better than Chloe dying.
“Doesn’t it look good? Damien.”
Finally, Damien slowly opened his eyes. Johannes, dressed in white, was standing right next to him, lying on a flat rock. The stone knife in his hand seemed dull, but it was obvious that it would cause him even more pain. Johannes, excited by the thought of breaking his shattered ribs and taking out his heart, narrowed his eyes at him.
“Say something.”
As Damien stared at Johannes without moving, he opened his mouth, licking his lips.
“Why, when it’s time to die, do you feel like you’re going to pee yourself? The sight of the world’s best Tisse being scared is truly the best.”
He took a step closer to Damien, who paid no attention to the sarcasm. Behind Johannes, the attendant he had brought spoke softly.
“Keep your distance, Your Majesty. It’s dangerous.”
A laugh finally burst from Damien's dry lips as he watched Johannes hesitate. Damien opened his mouth to look at Johannes, who was glaring.
“I think it’s not me who’s scared, it’s you, Johan.”
Johannes's throat rippled. He straightened his expression and laughed at Damien.
“Do you know how funny it is to be tied up half-naked and show off?”
“That’s right. You should have just taken it all off.”
Damien looked at him with a blue gaze, his eyes shining.
“I know you hate seeing with your own eyes that there’s nothing you can do to beat me.”
“Shall I cut off that proud penis?”
Johannes raised his lips, taking Damien's provocation head-on. Damien, whose hands and feet were tied with restraints, could do nothing anyway.
“You have to take it out from the heart first. It won’t work if you get your hands dirty.”
However, what made Johan's heart boil was Damien, who didn't even blink an eye, even though death was right before his eyes.
“After digging out your heart and performing a ritual, I will tear your body to pieces as you wish.”
“Then I just have to smile beautifully like the offering in that mural?”
Johannes can't stand it anymore. He'll burst his heart, write his name in blood, and then tear his handsome body to pieces.
“Let’s see if it’s possible even after your heart bursts.”
Johannes gritted his teeth and muttered.
“I was as good and glamorous a person as you are.”
There was a time when he, too, was a beloved Prince. That was certainly the case until Damien fiercely sought to usurp his place.
“But I’m being overshadowed by you. You, a man obsessed with power and fame, keep interfering with me in every little thing, so there’s no place for me to stand.”
Damien had been like that since he was young. Even when everyone was trying to please him, he held up the shield of kinship and said only the right things to Johannes. He never lost when they competed, and in the horse race held at their coming of age ceremony, he even threw himself off his horse in a spectacular way, making him a laughing stock. At some point, he bowed down and pretended to support him, but that was also a smokescreen to hit him in the back of the head.
The pouring wind blew against her wet cheeks, her hair sticking messily to her face. A murmur continued from Chloe's lips.
“You can wait for me.”
Damien leaving her was unthinkable. Chloe realized anew what she had done to him. Damien had not questioned her for faking her death and leaving him, but she felt she could not.
Chloe swallowed the words that were like a groan bursting from her heart. It shouldn't be a confession that was secretly whispered to the wind. She had to say it directly to him, looking at him.
If I really hated you, I probably wouldn't have married you in the first place.
Chloe Verdier took a deep breath after admitting her feelings for the first time. She was not the lady with a clean and noble heart, as the world had said, although she was physically uncomfortable.
She was stubborn about her old ways, had a strong sense of pride that made her unable to stand criticism from others, and was merciless to the point of cruelty. Leaving Damien in the most terrifying way in the world was also a side that showed her hidden personality.
But Damien loved her like that. She, too, couldn't help but love the one man in the world to whom she could reveal everything.
She had learned many times before that even moments that seemed like they would last forever had an end. She felt foolish for not realizing the most important fact after losing her mother and the child in her womb.
Why couldn't I treat him like every moment was my last, and why did I insist on being proud?
Chloe squinted her eyes through her windblown, messy hair.
She wanted to tell Damien, who was trapped somewhere in this mountain, when she met him again.
Chloe Verdier is now dead.
She can never go back to the old Chloe who didn't know him, so takes responsibility for her forever.
Looking at her like that, she just wanted to see Damien with his breathtakingly beautiful smile right in front of her eyes.
Pop!
The ground-shaking roar shook the sky at dusk. Chloe’s body trembled as she barely managed to calm her horse, which raised its head in surprise. The forest on the top of the mountain was so thick that it was almost gloomy, and at the end of it, a sharp spire could be seen. Perhaps the people in the castle had discovered Cromwell’s group and fired their cannons.
Bang! Bang!
Cromwell, who split into several groups to avoid the attack, first sniped the guards in front of the castle and the sentries on the walls. The reason Damien brought Cromwell instead of his closest right-hand man, Weiss, as a standby was that he was the best marksman in Swanton. It was no coincidence that Damien, who could not bring an army, adopted Cromwell and other snipers as his bodyguards.
“What, what are those things!”
Following the sound of gunfire, those guarding the castle fell one after another. They were all former royal family members who had gone missing and were underlings of Johannes.
“Entering the castle!”
As Cromwell shouted, his men, armed with guns and bombs, quickly followed him. Chloe stopped in her tracks, unable to move forward any further.
“His Majesty will be safe.”
Lawrence, who had come to Chloe’s side without her knowing, wiped the sweat from his nose with the back of his hand and spat out. Chloe nodded clearly in response to him, but in reality, she was just too nervous to open her mouth.
Boom!
The sound of bombs exploding could be heard here and there. There seemed to be a considerable number of guards stationed in the castle. The sentries fired again at Cromwell’s men, who were entering the back of the castle. The ground shook as the shells struck the huge boulders. The rocks broke apart, and huge boulders were thrown in all directions.
“After rescuing His Majesty, we will burn this place down and leave.”
Chloe bit her pale lips hard at the sound of gunfire and screams coming from inside the castle. Those who had entered the castle gate finally came running out one by one, but Damien was nowhere to be seen. Chloe's fists, which were gripping the reins tightly, trembled bloodlessly.
Finally, Chloe opened her eyes wide at the moment when she saw Cromwell. She tried to hold back her heart that was beating hard from nervousness, but he was alone. Cromwell appeared with blood splattered here and there, biting his lip and speaking to Chloe in a guilt-filled voice.
“I apologize, Your Majesty.”
“Where is he... His Majesty?”
Chloe barely opened her lips. His men were setting fire to the castle.
“He was not here. All of Johannes’s belongings were still there, but His Majesty and his appearance were nowhere to be found...”
Cromwell's words rang in her ears. Chloe shook her head sharply, her eyes watering.
“Damien is here.”
"Your Majesty."
Cromwell, who had searched the castle thoroughly, furrowed his brows, not hiding his regret. But Chloe did not back down. She was not just being stubborn and talking nonsense.
“Otherwise, Johannes would not have stationed his troops here!”
Cromwell, too, was convinced that Damien was there the moment he discovered the castle ready for attack. However, Johannes was one step ahead. The castle was full of traces of his stay here, and there were no important figures.
“It’s dangerous to stay here. First, go down the mountain...”
“Damien!!!”
It was then that Chloe began to ride her horse around the castle, through the flames burning everywhere.
“Your Majesty, the Queen!”
Cromwell caught sight of her and shot someone in the head with his gun before chasing Chloe as she rode around the crumbling castle. Chloe’s body shook as the burning castle crumbled in the red sunset, and each time the structure fell around her, she didn’t stop. He was definitely here. Johannes couldn’t have gotten far with him injured.
“Damirn!!!”
Her screaming voice echoed across the twilight sky.
When he went to war, soldiers who were injured and on the verge of death all said the same thing. They said that at the moment of death, their lives flashed before their eyes. Even the little memories that they had forgotten.
Bang!
Damien gasped as he felt the rock shatter next to him. Outside, it was as if a war had broken out. Someone might have come to rescue him, but it was too late to find him. All they would find was his body, trapped in a stone tomb.
Damien gasped for breath through his teeth. If the falling rock from above had hit him directly, he would have died instantly. But...
“Damien!”
Chloe. An unbearable fever filled Damien's mind as he thought of someone who would have to see his grisly remains. He squirmed, avoiding the falling rocks as he imagined her screaming at the sight of his corpse.
Damien closed his eyes, spread his arms, and gathered his thoughts. If those who followed him were sensible, they would not show the Queen a scene that could shock her after losing her husband. For now, he had no choice but to trust the judgment of his subordinates.
“Ugh... Ugh... Damien...!”
It was no wonder that he could hear her voice sobbing so vividly. How many times had he not already fallen from reality by relying on her hallucinations?
Okay, so my love.
Help me die smiling.
Damien's blue eyes were filled with the sun shining through the wide open sky. He has no regrets in this life. At least he protected his woman.
“Damien...!!!”
It was then that his eyebrows furrowed sharply. The voice calling his name from far above seemed too close to be an auditory hallucination. Damien's lips trembled silently. His broken fingers gripped the sharp rocks that had fallen to the ground.
“Chloe.”
The moment he heard a voice calling out to him, crying, Damien laughed.
My love. You came all the way here? To find me?
He laughed out loud, loving the woman who couldn't even kill him. Damien stared at the short iron chain that was connected to the shackles that bound his ankles. The iron stake that the rusted iron chain hung on was clearly made by someone long ago for some purpose.
This kind of thing won't bother him. It was he who habitually said, "If my right arm breaks, I'll use my left arm; if my legs break, I'll crawl to fight the enemy." He had to take responsibility for his own words.
“Damien... Ugh, Damian...!!!”
Damien gritted his teeth, resisting the urge to scream Chloe's name. He had to get her out of this dangerous place as soon as possible.
He swung his arms, his blue eyes flashing, sparks flying from the rocks he struck against the chains. The chains were solid, but not as strong as he had expected. Damien’s lips twisted upward. This was too boring. After all, he still had a lot to do to wait for death here. He wanted to live and spend his short life with her, rather than die and live forever in a woman’s memories.
Yeah, Chloe.
I am coming to you now.
Behind the castle, at the end of the forest, was a steep cliff. She fell off her horse, tearing her clothes and scraping her elbows. Chloe wiped the heavy tears streaming down her dusty cheeks with her palm and stood up on her own.
Lawrence Taylor, who ran after her, gasped for breath and clutched his chest. Chloe was limping towards the edge of the cliff.
“Wow, Your Majesty. If you go any further, it will be dangerous...”
“Damien!!!”
Lawrence tightened his lips as he watched Chloe screaming. He could no longer stop her. It was dusk, and her voice, desperately calling out to Damien, echoed and resonated from the top of the mountain.
“Damien...! Ugh...!”
The sobs that could not be suppressed and leaked out engulfed the entire mountain. Chloe clenched her teeth and gasped for breath as she heard her own cries coming back. She did not want Damien, who was somewhere on this mountain, to hear her crying. She had not found her husband’s body, so when she thought about it, there was nothing to cry about. Chloe put both hands to her mouth and confessed loudly.
“I’m waiting...!!!”
...I'm waiting.
......I'm waiting.
The desperate cry echoed back to her. The echo seemed to ask if she was really waiting for him, whose life or death was unknown, and if she could do that, so she burst out crying helplessly. She suppressed her sobs and shouted even louder. She cursed as if she were trying to drive away the fear that was surging into her heart.
“Yes!!! I’m waiting for you...! I’ll wait forever. Forever...! Forever...!!!”
Tears fell down Chloe's face. Chloe cried out for Damien for a long time until her throat became choked and she gasped for breath. It was then that someone passed by Lwurence Taylor, who was looking at her from behind, unable to approach her.
Just before the sun set, the sky was red, engulfed in a fiery sunset. Under the sky that resembled a blood-red sea, Chloe's black shadow turned around, and another's was added to it.
“He’s not dead.”
Chloe whispered hoarsely, staring straight ahead. Tears fell from her bloodshot eyes, dripping down her chin without stopping.
“Yeah. I'm not dead.”
Chloe's delicate shoulders flinched silently because it wasn't the voice she had expected.
“But why are you crying?”
The question carried by the wind was vivid, but Chloe couldn’t turn her head. She was afraid that she had misunderstood. As if he had read her frozen mind, he continued speaking clearly.
“I asked you, my love, why you were crying so pitifully as if you had seen your husband’s body.”
Chloe's wet eyes shook wildly. She knew of only one person who would casually spit out cruel and mean words as if they were jokes. And yet, he was the only person she could not hate.
Chloe turned her head and finally faced him. His blue eyes, still bright, were staring straight at her from a face covered in blood and dirt.
“I heard your confession, Chloe.”
Damien, bleeding from various parts of his body, frowned. He tilted his head and met her eyes, his gaze terribly profound.
“You shouted so loudly that it could be heard across the ocean to Swanton.”
“...Are you really Damien...?”
Chloe took a step toward him, tears falling from her long eyelashes. It was a stupid thing to say, but she wanted to confirm it through his mouth. The whole place was red as if on fire, with black birds flying in a line, and it was hard to tell if this was reality, a dream, or hell.
“Doesn’t it feel real?”
Damien, who had been staring at her like that, whispered in a low voice.
“Yes...”
Damien smiled slightly as he watched the tears streaming down Chloe's dirt-stained cheeks.
“Did you really think your husband died, leaving you behind?”
"No...!!!"
Damien bit his lip as he looked at Chloe's face, who was glaring and raising her voice only then. His heart pounded in his chest, sending hot blood throughout his body. With every breath, the pain from his wounds multiplied, and with every step he took, his bones felt like they were twisting, but that made him feel alive.
Damien slowly opened his arms toward her. His body and face were flushed from the burning sun. Even though the light wind blew his blond hair that was stained with blood here and there, and even though his entire body was covered in wounds, Damien remained unchanged. His lips, gently drawn in a curve, rose, and his unique, cool, and clear tone of speech flowed out.
“But why aren’t you hugging me right now?”
Chloe, who had been just looking at him with wavering eyes, finally burst into tears. Damien, who ran towards her on limping legs and almost fell over, hugged her tightly in his arms and gave her a deep kiss on the lips.
“From the moment I first saw you, sob... I... prayed, and couldn’t sleep.”
"Yes."
“I broke my cane in the forest, and, oh, I hated it so much, and also, I hated my heart beating so much...”
Chloe sobbed and continued to pour out her confession in an incoherent and unorganized manner. And Damien listened to her stammering words, kissing her eyes and cheeks.
“I see, my love.”
Chloe was even more annoyed by Damien's reaction, which seemed to ignore her words.
“Ugh... But I was the one who got married. If I didn’t like you, I would’ve run away.”
Damien wiped the tears from her eyes with his lips. He leaned in and pressed his hand against the small, pretty bridge of her nose as she spoke, “I’m serious.”
"I know."
Damien whispered with a breathtaking smile.
“Even if you ran away, you would have ended up loving me.”
It was a time when the whole place was dyed in deep sunset. Chloe finally smiled with her face covered in tears.
"No?"
Unable to deny what he said, she kissed him instead of answering.
“...Are you thinking the same thing as me?”
Cromwell, who had been watching the two from afar, suddenly asked Lawrence, who was standing next to him.
“Well, I don’t know what the higher-ups are thinking...”
“Do you really have to do that on a cliff?”
Cromwell, who had been scratching his eyebrows, finally began to trudge through the rising dust to stop them. Behind him, Lawrence Taylor buried his face in his shirt collar and secretly wiped away his tears. Lawrence, who had unintentionally witnessed all the moments of the King’s historic love from the train to Tisse until now, now sincerely wished for his happiness. It seemed that if the King were with the Queen he loved so much, romance could bloom again in this country.
Rattling.
Rattling.
Damien frowned and smiled from the old cart.
“Why are you laughing?”
“It just makes me laugh.”
“If other people saw you, they would say you were crazy.”
After crying her eyes out, Chloe returned to her original form as if nothing had happened and silently poured medicine on his wounds. However, unlike her calm voice, her hands were shaking slightly. Damien felt the urge to kiss her frowning eyelids and licked her lips with his tongue.
“I can’t believe you brought that all the way here.”
“Do you understand now that everything has a use?”
Chloe let out a small gasp as she pressed hard against his wound with a bandage she had taken out of the first aid kit. Damien endured the pain well while she extracted the bullet from the wound twice. Chloe acted even more calmly, recalling what Dr. Wharton had said about not panicking or showing concern in front of a patient in any serious condition.
Damien was more nonchalant than she was. Chloe didn't even notice that his ankle was bleeding from the broken chain, or that three fingers were broken on one side, until they were sitting across from each other in the wagon.
“Do I really need to put a splint on my hand?”
As Chloe glared at him silently, Damien meekly held out his hand and shrugged.
“If you will become my servant, I will gladly do so.”
“I will do my best, so just keep quiet.”
In contrast to her unwavering voice, Chloe's hand that was wrapping the bandage on his hand was shaking silently. Damien watched her quietly and then opened his mouth softly.
“Chloe.”
Chloe didn't raise her head easily. She was pretending that nothing had happened, but Damien knew that the ends of her gaze that scanned his wounded body were shaking painfully.
"Yes...?"
Lawrence, who was riding a horse, blurted out. Damien and Chloe turned their heads and saw the back of someone running away hurriedly into the forest.
“It doesn’t seem like they’re on our side... Who are they?”
“Can they chase after us?”
Lawrence's expression, which had been muttering calmly at Damien's cool voice, became military.
“Just leave it to me!”
Damien narrowed his eyes as he watched the figure running away in a hurry through the forest where darkness was quickly falling. His instincts were whispering to him. The last problem he could not deal with was running away.
Even his subordinates who had supported him until the end were nowhere to be found, leaving Johannes alone. Damien felt only one thing as he watched the miserable end of the one who had lost the throne.
How can I kill more people, more miserably?
Those who evade responsibility are the kind of people he originally despised. On top of that, Johan added one more unforgivable crime. Damien, who was holding the gun, clenched his teeth against the pain in his shoulder.
“Damien, are you okay?”
“Chloe.”
"Yes."
It was a crime to dare insult his woman.
“I have to kill Johan, but I can’t aim properly because of the splint.”
"...Ah."
As soon as she heard Johannes' name, the color drained from Chloe's pale face.
“Can you help me?”
Her lips were parched, and her heart was pounding, but she didn't hesitate for long. She had already hesitated enough, worried about the consequences in advance, and regretted it later.
“Give it to me.”
Chloe held the long gun with her cold hands, which felt even colder. It was the first time she felt so grateful to the Stella couple for letting her join them on their hunt. Damien paused for a moment as Chloe swallowed dryly and placed the gun next to her temple.
He had been about to ask her to take off the splint, but he hadn't expected her to grab the gun. Damien suppressed the smile that was forming on his lips. Chloe Verdier was a woman who knew how to hit him in the back of the head.
“If it seems like too much, then stop.”
Damien came up behind Chloe and whispered, but she couldn't hear him. Only the sound of his heartbeat as she slowly aimed the gun could be heard vividly on Chloe's tense back.
She almost lost this warmth, this breath, this sound of his heart beating hard. Because of a cowardly man who abandoned his duty, abandoned his country, and ran away, useless as a fly swarming over shit!
“No need to rush, Chloe. Just focus on the target and hold your breath...”
Damien continued talking as he watched Johan's trajectory getting further and further away, but he was unable to finish his training.
blbang!
It was Chloe who had clenched her teeth, and her eyes sparkled as she pulled the trigger. Chloe’s eyes froze for a moment, then blinked rapidly.
What did I just do...?
No matter how many times she opened her eyes, the scenery in her field of vision did not change. Almost at the same time as the gunshot, the person who had fallen down showed no sign of getting up.
“Wow... You are amazing!!! Your Majesty, the Queen!!!”
Chloe dropped her gun and gasped for breath as Lawrence, who was leading the carriage, opened his eyes wide and shouted loudly. Other subordinates, including Cromwell, followed suit, taking stock of the situation and riding their horses.
“Ah... haha...”
Damien buried his face in the nape of her neck, so hard that his nose was pressed against it, and laughed out loud. Who would have thought that she would knock Johannes, who had insulted her so viciously, and shoot him down with a bullet hole? Damien, who had been shaking his shoulders, finally lifted his face and bit his lips with a satisfied expression. Chloe’s trembling appearance was clearly captured in his shining blue eyes.
“Is this how you confirm that you couldn’t give me a gift?”
Damien whispered to her with a sweet, honey-dripping gaze, frowning nicely. He acknowledged that the greatest fortune he had ever had was that the woman in front of him was his woman.
“I, I...”
Chloe couldn't continue her words. She tried to say something, but her voice wouldn't come out anymore. Finally, all the tension disappeared, and her eyes closed. Damien's voice, whispering as he held her in his arms as she collapsed, echoed through her ears and into her heart.
“I love you, Chloe.”
I love you with all my soul.
Epilogue. Prisoner of Love
"To my beloved sister Chloe
It's been three months since my sister returned to Swanton. I couldn't help but laugh when I saw the photo that was featured in the newspaper. I think there's probably only one King in the history of the kingdom of Swanton who showed his affection so openly to his wife at her coronation.
My sister tried to smile, but I could feel the panic in your eyes through the photo, and I could guess exactly what the situation was.
And what about the title that is written large in the center?
'Queen Swanton, who was thought to be dead, served as a bridge for diplomacy with the principality for two years.'
Erno crumpled the newspaper on the spot, but who knows? He must have felt so good about suing.
The horror stories from Mount Trilobi have all come to me from my secret sources here.
I'm careful to tell my sister, but it's true that my husband hid Johannes. Erno was sure he would ruin Swanton. But he said he couldn't forgive him for doing something "crazy" (excuse me for slightly softening Erno's words) on his sacred ground.
I think it's probably not a lie, since he's a person with considerable pride in his territory. Even so, I can't forgive him for putting your sister and brother-in-law in danger in Guinevis... If you accept it, I will also humbly apologize as the Queen of the duchy.
Dear Chloe, I just want to add this in case you worry too much about me. We fight like fire, but we can't stand each other without each other, so don't worry too much about my marriage.
Sometimes I wonder if God is showing me an example in return for my dreams of passionate and fateful love.
Now that my story is over, I'll tell you about my father, who arrived here not long ago.
With both of her daughters now Queens, her shoulders were full of strength, and he was so happy. I could clearly see my father shedding tears at my older sister's coronation.
What about Mrs. Talbot, who came on the trip with us? My aunt always looked down on my father, saying he was incompetent. But now, seeing her keeping her mouth shut like a clam and watching my father's face, I think my sister must have laughed inside.
Of course, I laughed out loud.
My father said he would spend the rest of his life going back and forth between Swanton and here, enjoying the pleasure of seeing his grandchildren. It's a good thing he doesn't have to keep saying that he has to go to my mother's side whenever he gets a chance.
Oh, right. Mrs. Talbot said that my sister's mother-in-law, Princess Priscilla, is a bit... talkative. Are you okay?
I wonder if my sister will have to worry about explaining what happened. If I were you, I could either swear at Erno's family or turn my back on him, saying I'm tired and going to bed. But since my sister doesn't have that kind of personality, I'm worried that you might have a hard time with your in-laws.
I hope that His Majesty, who is very thorough, will use his wits to keep my sister as far away as possible. I will end here.
From Alice, who is gradually growing up"
Chloe smiled silently as she folded the letter from Alice and put it in the box. She felt like she would be sad if Alice really became wise.
“Hey, you don’t even show your nose when I tell you to come?”
Chloe blinked and quickly got up at the sound of Priscilla's voice coming from behind her. Priscilla, who was already ready to leave, strode across the room with her attendant.
“Mother, you said you were leaving in three days, right?”
Chloe was taken aback by the sudden news, but Priscilla paid no attention. She took out a jewel from the jewel box that the servant was holding and called her.
“Come here and take a look, Chloe.”
Chloe approached silently and stuck her face out. Priscilla continued speaking, alternately trying on the ornate diamond earrings and the blue sapphire earrings.
“Damien is so worried about the castle. Whenever I’m not around, he has a headache trying to find someone to properly manage the castle. So I guess I have to go. Damien said he’d definitely find a good butler because he was worried about me, but who in the world is more attached to the castle than its original mistress? I’ll probably have a mountain of chores to take care of when I go this time.”
“Shall I come with you and help you out a little?”
Chloe asked Priscilla, who had put on the diamond earrings. If the pile of chores at Tisse had piled up over the past two years, Chloe couldn’t just sit by and watch. Priscilla looked at her serious expression, sighed briefly, and waved her fingers sideways in the air.
“Can you please look to the left?”
When she turned her face, Priscilla nodded after finishing putting on a pair of gorgeous earrings.
“It suits you better than me.”
Priscilla let out a short sigh with a satisfied expression on her face.
“Take it.”
Chloe caught her with a flustered hand as she spun around like the wind.
“I have so many jewels from my mother.”
The precious jewels that filled Chloe's jewelry box were things that Priscilla cherished like her own children. Priscilla sighed as if she was frustrated, looking at Chloe, who was in a difficult position.
“There has never been a Queen as frugal as you in the history of the kingdom. The country also saves face. Your sister was wearing all kinds of good things from head to toe, but you don’t feel wronged. Yes? Since Swanton has less money in the treasury than the duchy, does that mean the King’s ability is different? It’s not like the Queen’s looks and brains are lacking either.”
As Priscilla spoke, she became more and more excited, and Chloe, not knowing what expression to make, simply kept her mouth shut. The subtle skill of making it impossible to accept a compliment as just a compliment seemed to be hereditary. Chloe decided to calm her down first and obediently tried to please her.
“Mother. There will be an event to commemorate the opening of the theater in two weeks. Should I wear this then?”
As Alice had feared, Priscilla was quite talkative. However, right after Chloe returned to Swanton, she hugged Chloe tightly with tears in her eyes, and did not ask her anything about the story that had been going on. At first, she thought someone had been keeping her quiet, but Priscilla was not the type to keep her mouth shut just because someone told her not to. Even if it was her son.
“That’s a good idea. There’s going to be a lot of crowds, you know. Have you decided on a dress?”
Priscilla's eyes sparkled with interest.
“I’m thinking about wearing the black dress that my mother said was pretty. I think I won’t look so pale if I wear a cream coat over it.”
“Pale, that’s not the right word to use. Your skin is just as transparent as milk.”
“Ah... Well, I guess I am a bit like that.”
When Priscilla became serious, Chloe smiled awkwardly. After confirming that she wasn’t denying it, Priscilla nodded with a satisfied expression and said goodbye to Chloe.
“It’s cold outside. Don’t come out.”
“Mother. I think I should go to Tisse Castle and stay there for a while to help you...”
Priscilla, who had been patting Chloe on the back, pulled away and looked at her blankly before shaking her head.
“You are really going to ruin my son’s life.”
No, Mother. Am I the one who is really rotten inside? Chloe barely managed to keep her words from rising to the tip of her tongue. Aside from the fact that her arms were bending inward, she still felt a great sense of guilt about leaving Priscilla without saying goodbye.
“I’m sorry, Mother.”
“You don’t have to apologize to your parents.”
Priscilla cut her off. Chloe swallowed dryly as her throat suddenly felt hot. If there was one other thing the elusive Princess had in common with Damien, it would be this.
“Isn’t it natural for children to cause trouble for their parents?”
The point is that because of her attitude of not doubting what she says, she unintentionally moves others. Priscilla continued, watching the area around her eyes turn red.
“Your mother and father would have said the same thing.”
The door opened wide, and the sound of familiar footsteps was heard, so Chloe quickly wiped away the tear stains.
“Did you come back again because you missed your mother?”
Damien smiled as he hugged Priscilla affectionately.
“Yes, Mother. I don’t think we had such a long goodbye, even when I went off to war. I’m a little jealous.”
“I was just trying to dissuade the Queen from going to Tisse Castle with me.”
“Why don’t you go together?”
Priscilla glared at Damien, who opened his mouth calmly, without any ill will.
“Your Majesty does not wish to abandon state affairs and go back and forth between Tisse, so I will leave alone.”
"Haha."
Damien laughed out loud. Priscilla, who still felt chills when she thought of her son when he lost Chloe, shivered involuntarily. She could say it was a joke now, but she never imagined that Damien would make her parents so upset all at once. Well, it can't be helped that he's sincere to a woman like his father.
“Are you cold, Mother?”
Chloe, who didn't know anything, quickly told the attendant to bring her the cape. Damien said as he escorted Priscilla out the door.
“I’ll be visiting Tisse soon with Chloe. We need to enjoy the winter festival together.”
“I think the Tisse people will really like it.”
“Yes. I think I’ll be very busy from now on, as I have a lot to do.”
Priscilla nodded as she looked at her son. Damien, standing next to his wife, certainly felt secure. She felt a sense of ease that even his parents could not give him.
“It’s good to be busy. You look so much better, Damien.”
After saying goodbye, Priscilla got into the carriage with the guidance of her servants and maids and left the castle with a relieved expression. Chloe felt a little strange as she watched the carriage powerfully exiting the long entrance of the Rose Castle.
“Why is your expression like that?”
“It’s just... something feels awkward.”
"What?"
Damien asked why as he walked with his arm around her shoulder. Chloe thought for a moment and then opened her mouth softly.
“It was the same at Verdier Castle and at Tisse Castle, I always played the role of welcoming and seeing off guests, but here, somehow, it was a bit more...”
It was because both her father, who had left not long ago, and Priscilla, who was leaving now, seemed to have a cautious attitude.
“Do people somehow act like guests?”
Chloe nodded, her lips still pressed together as Damien hit the nail on the head.
“Yes. It seems like they’re feeling a bit uncomfortable.”
“It’s natural to be polite to the Queen. And you’re the master of this place. Even if they’re your parents, it’s natural to be mindful of the lord’s feelings.”
“Strictly speaking, this is her castle.”
The small castle that Priscilla received when she was a Princess was renovated and transformed into a beautiful palace after it became Damien's property. Furthermore, every single item in the palace was owned by the King. It was Swanton's law.
“I dedicate this castle to you.”
Chloe paused for a moment at his addition, shaking her head.
“...When?”
“On paper, you abandoned me for a while, but I made up my mind long before that.”
Chloe stood on the steps, looking at the man whose appearance alone made it impossible to tell what was inside him. A few strands of her hair blew across her flushed cheeks in the blowing winter wind.
“Aren’t you going to ask me sometime?”
“...I think I know somehow.”
“When is that?”
“When you first invited me to the party here, wasn’t it?”
Damien smiled with satisfaction. His white breath was carried by the wind. When he sent her the invitation with the birch seal, he had already decided that she would be the master of this castle.
“Then do you know what I wanted to do at that time, in this place?”
It was a night when lanterns hung on the beech trees, sparkling everywhere. It was the night when Chloe Verdier was invited to a party for the first time in her life. Chloe nodded as she recalled the moment when she stopped walking down the endless stairs, arm in arm, just like now.
"Yes."
You would have wanted to kiss me.
“Do it. You.”
The world's cruelest romantic narrowed his eyes at her. As he descended the five steps, Chloe's gaze was now slightly above him. Chloe met his gaze without saying a word.
Beneath the blonde hair that seemed like it would slip through her fingers if she touched it, those mysterious blue eyes that made people fall for her were the same as back then, when they made Chloe's heart pound.
“Many eyes are watching.”
“So, I want more.”
Damien lifted his chin and smiled at Chloe. His lips were half-open and turned upwards, forming a curve. Chloe savored the tension of the moment for a moment. Everyone around him held their breath, so it was quiet. She could even feel the dilated pupils blinking as they watched the King, standing below the Queen, looking for a kiss.
Damien also enjoyed Chloe's little provocations. Maybe he had been waiting for this moment, the moment when he would come face to face with someone who could make him shed all his dignity.
Damien slowly closed his eyes. Chloe cutely didn’t come closer until he counted to five in his head. Just when he was about to feel his patience reach its limit, he felt warm body heat on his face. She cupped his cold cheek with her slender fingers and kissed him.
Damien let out a breath of laughter and excitement as their lips met. Contrary to his expectations that she would give him a careful, feather-like kiss, it was a deep, sweet kiss like chocolate that made his head spin.
The sound of her heart beating so fast that it felt like it was going to burst resonated through his body. Damien, as if encouraging her to muster up the greatest courage of her life, pressed her slender waist even closer to him and returned the kiss, making the eyes of those who saw it burn. Chloe’s cheeks, filled with a heat that even the cold wind could not cool down, turned a peach color.
When their lips finally parted, Damien lifted her up and hugged her gently. In the sky that had been warm for a moment, small ice crystals were falling. The first snow fluttered over Damien’s hair as he strode toward the castle, holding his wife in his arms.
The year has changed, and the social season has returned to the Kingdom of Swanton. It is early summer, and roses are in full bloom in the palace. Every night, the noble men and women of marriageable age dance until their shoes are worn out at parties.
Love was not the exclusive domain of the high and mighty. Every day, new lovers were born throughout the kingdom, creating their own secret history.
The love of the people for the royal couple, who were a typical example of a couple who overcame social differences, was special. The popular novel that someone with a bright mind adapted from their story sold out as fast as it appeared on the shelves of bookstores.
“There were not many women who could resist the flame of passion that burned in his eyes as he came through the window. Ayla barely resisted the urge to be warmly embraced by his arms, which seemed to be showering her with kisses with their eyes, and maintained her pride as a low-class noble. And she spat out words as thorny as a proud red rose. You will have to learn how to propose again, Duke.”
Chloe, who was reading a book on a boat that was gently rocking on the river, sighed and put the book down. She just didn't have the courage to read any more.
“Keep going.”
Damien's lips, lying long on her lap, gently turned upward.
"No, I do not want."
“Why, it’s funny.”
“After this, the Duke is acting like a scoundrel.”
The summer sunlight shone beautifully on the river. The sight of dozens of water birds leisurely grooming their feathers was peaceful. It was the royal couple’s vacation season.
“Ah. So you’re saying that it hurts your feelings because I’m portrayed as worse than I really am?”
Chloe evaded the ridiculous question by putting two grapes from the picnic basket in his mouth. In fact, there was another reason why she had stopped reading. The author, Madame Dutton, had passionately described their lovemaking, comparing it to food, and if she had read it out loud, it would have burned her whole body. Damien picked up the book beside her, enjoying the refreshing taste of grapes bursting in his mouth.
“Do you really want to know how I propose? The moment the Duke approached her, brushing his lips with his thumb, Ayla realized. She was going to be this man’s complete captive tonight.”
Chloe opened her eyes wide from eating grapes. She tried to snatch the book from Damien's hand, but he skillfully avoided her hand, so she was unable to win.
“Give it to me, quickly.”
As her face turned bright red, Damien's clear voice grew louder.
“Like a violin with a broken string, a sudden moan escaped her lips, haha... This is driving me crazy, Chloe.”
Chloe struggles to get the book from him and ends up dropping the kingdom's best-selling book, Prisoner of Love, into the river.
“Ah, what should I do...!”
Damien raised his upper body, crossed his arms, and took off his loose muslin shirt in one motion. He threw it into the boat like a man from the market, and quickly closed and opened one eye.
“Don’t do it, Damien...!”
Chloe, who had guessed what he was going to do, raised her voice, but it was already too late. Damien jumped into the river, threw the wet book onto the boat, and smiled at her while hanging his arms on the boat.
“Come up quickly.”
“Does this mean I should go back to the castle soaking wet, all by myself?”
Chloe furrowed her eyebrows and pretended to glare at him, but Damien only smiled even brighter.
“Don’t they think I got into a huge fight with the Queen and got pushed off the boat?”
That's ridiculous. A laugh escaped Chloe's lips.
“Come quickly. I feel good.”
She glanced around, then finally let out a deep breath. Damien whistled softly as she dropped her dress from under a large, rose-shaped, lace-trimmed umbrella.
Damien carefully removed the brace and set it aside, looking at Chloe, who was barely able to keep her balance on the rocking boat. When Chloe, who had been hesitant, pinched her nose and almost dove into the water, he was surprised and had to dive in quickly. Several water birds flapped their wings in surprise and flew away.
“Haa... Haa...”
Chloe, who had emerged from the water, was breathing heavily in Damien's arms, her mouth wide open.
“It really... really feels good.”
“I told you so.”
Damien's hands never stopped as they moved her wet hair over her round forehead.
“It’s really embarrassing to think what the guards might think.”
“I guess the royal couple couldn’t stand the heat.”
The blue eyes, which had been filled with light, completely captured Chloe, who was smiling faintly. No, perhaps it was she who was trapped. Damien cupped Chloe’s cheeks and opened his mouth as if whispering.
“Chloe.”
“I love you, too.”
Damien swallowed her lips, which were the first to speak. Today, it would be nice to just love without any plans. As the wet clothes flew away one by one and settled on the boat, the two became bolder and more honest. Damien and Chloe smiled, their foreheads touching, in front of each other, who had finally revealed themselves perfectly in their original form, throwing away their status and prestige.
It was a time when their secret stories grew as hot as the intense summer sunlight.
Ricardo didn't hesitate long and immediately offered her a carriage.
“I hope everything works out well.”
A King who hid his identity and went into hiding in a country with a bad diplomatic situation, his wife, who was believed to be dead, and a tutor with a vague past could only mean one thing.
But the reason Ricardo spared no support for her was not only because he happened to see a picture of the King of a neighboring country in a newspaper. The fact that Chloe was the Queen was shocking enough, but it was nothing compared to the confirmation that Sophie had returned alive and safe.
“Be careful, Claire...”
Stella trailed off, wrapping Sophie in the hem of her skirt.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you the truth.”
Stella nodded with an expression of understanding at Chloe's words.
“Take care.”
“Goodbye, teacher.”
“See you again, Sophie.”
After finally saying goodbye to Ricardo, Stella, and Sophie, who were being held by Stella, Chloe held onto the carriage wall and climbed in herself. Ricardo's coachman drove the carriage to Frome, the nearest train station to Guinevis. Chloe barely managed to get on the first-class train to Trivani, the capital of the principality, holding the ticket given to her by Lawrence Taylor.
“Trivani, the train to Trivani will be leaving soon!”
Lawrence Taylor, who had just arrived at his room after sending a letter at the post office in front of the station, was out of breath.
“Oh, you were very... surprised.”
In the carriage, Chloe kept her mouth shut and deep in thought, holding her blood-stained gloves tightly in her hands. Because of that, he didn’t even have a chance to talk to her. Chloe raised her head when Lawrence, who had been watching her closely, scratched his red beard and spoke with difficulty.
“Can you tell me everything you know about what happened?”
As warm brown eyes stared straight at him, Lawrence straightened his back, which had been hunched over with tension, without him realizing it.
“Of course.”
He began to tell Chloe everything that had happened. He told her everything, including how Damien had risked coming here without an army, knowing that Johannes was hiding here with the help of the duchy's King, and how he had prepared a second escape route just in case.
Perhaps because of Chloe's calm gaze that prevented the other person from lying, the story went back in time to his and Damien's first meeting.
“It was at that time that His Majesty had suppressed the protests in the capital and was certain to ascend to the throne, but he hid his identity and boarded a shabby third-class train bound for Tisse. I saw that the fine gentleman, who was a good man, took out a letter from his bosom all the way to Tisse, and looked at it again and again, and I knew that this gentleman must be running to his eagerly awaited lover! Even though it was hidden by his hat, you could not hide the smile on his fine lips. And then it was His Majesty. I can’t tell you how surprised I was when I received the check.”
Chloe bit her lip because she had a feeling that she knew what day Lawrence was talking about.
“People told me that I would live a life steeped in romance and not be able to put food on the table, but thanks to His Majesty, who foresees situations a few steps ahead of ordinary people, believing in me and giving me courage...”
“Mr. Taylor.”
"Yes."
Lawrence clenched his fists in his lap, worried that his praise might have sounded half-baked.
“Have you been shot?”
Only then did Lawrence realize that Chloe's eyes were fixed on the bullet hole in his jacket. He quickly waved both his hands to reassure her.
“Oh, no. I’m fine.”
Lawrence took out a small, leather-bound book from inside his jacket and wiped the sweat from his nose.
“This is a checkbook that His Majesty gave me to use when something urgent comes up. The bullet is stuck right here, so I can’t help but think His Majesty is carrying good luck around with him.”
“Where... did you get shot?”
Lawrence Taylor opened his mouth and scratched his temple in embarrassment.
“Just in case, I was keeping watch in front of Mr. Ricardo’s mansion, and when I saw someone suspicious, I screamed...”
He continued hurriedly, watching Chloe's face turn pale.
“The sound of the gunshot allowed Mr. Ricardo’s entire family to take refuge in the shelter they had built in the basement.”
“Are you talking about the wine cellar in the mansion? It’s old and usually locked.”
“I heard that His Majesty spoke to the gentleman of that house a few days ago. He asked what would happen if war broke out with Swanton and an emergency situation arose. Hearing that, he remembered that he had cleaned up that place for the first time in a long while, and he wrote this.”
Chloe took a deep breath. She had thought that her husband would not come here without any preparation. But when she realized that behind his relaxed face, he had taken great care to avoid danger, she realized how serious the situation was.
“Are... are you okay?”
"It's okay."
Chloe nodded, trying to keep her expression straight as she looked at Lawrence, but she couldn't hide the trembling in her hands. The drops of blood that Damien had shed were still fresh and stained her delicate fingers. She pressed her lips with her tightly clenched, gloved hands.
Chloe didn't know why Damien didn't dodge and was shot. She couldn't help but know why he stood in front of the display case without moving an inch. If he had only his own body to protect, Damien would never have failed.
... Damien.
Chloe clenched her fists as the last image of him being dragged to the floor, bleeding, came back to her mind. It was when her breath was hot and wet. There was an urgent knock on the guest room door.
As Chloe looked up, the door opened and a familiar face appeared. Before a startled Lawrence Taylor could pull a gun out of his bag, Chloe spoke up to stop him.
"...Count Cromwell?”
“It is late, Your Majesty.”
Cromwell took off his sailor's hat and looked grim.
“What happened?”
“I was waiting for Your Majesties on board the ship, which was about to set sail. The ship was in trouble due to the storm, and I was delayed while I was focused solely on repairing the ship so that it could return to Swanton.”
Chloe swallowed hard as she looked at those standing behind Cromwell, then raised his hand and signaled for everyone to come into the room.
“...I am ashamed to have disappointed Your Majesty in so many ways.”
Cromwell's face, which was bowed, was deeply filled with guilt. It must have been even more difficult for him to face Chloe, considering his past of intentionally approaching Alice. Chloe shook her head as if she knew his feelings and opened her mouth.
“Everyone here is a great source of strength for me.”
Her brown eyes were wet with blood, but the gaze she met with each person was sincere and unwavering. Now that she knew that Damien had gone to such lengths to take her to safety, she couldn't give up.
I am not my husband's weakness.
“Everyone here knows that my husband is not the kind of person to die such a miserable death in a foreign country.”
A heavy tension hung over the crowded first-class cabin. Her voice, which broke the silence repeatedly, was not loud, but it held an unrivaled power.
“The reason my husband was able to reach the top is not only because of his hard work and obsession.”
Someone swallowed dryly at the words that accurately defined Damien in one word. Chloe spat out, looking directly at someone who was looking at her with a face that asked if there was anything more to it.
“I think the greatest blessing God gave him was the people who were by his side. He can choose his own path, but not others. No matter how great he is, the efforts of those who believed in him and took risks cannot be taken for granted.”
Cromwell knelt before Chloe, who continued speaking with the aforementioned face.
“I will definitely save him with you all. The Swanton sun cannot set this early.”
The others, who were looking at her with somewhat blank expressions, and even Lawrence Taylor, who had a blank expression on his face, got down from their chairs and knelt down to pay homage.
“Will you help me?”
“Just do as you say, Your Majesty.”
Their attitude was reverence, even though they could not raise their voices, and their heads were bowed to the ground. It was a moment when she finally understood why Damien had loved her, who seemed insignificant, with his life. Their King recognized her, and the world did not.
A strong spirit was felt from the frail and delicate woman. The way she could calmly persuade and lead people without panicking in a crisis was similar to Damien's, but a little softer, and she had the qualities of a leader. It was a force that was not easy to take lightly, but was affectionate and never soft. Everyone present realized that the greatest fortune Damien had ever had was right before their eyes.
“I plan to ask the King of the Duchy about Johannes’ whereabouts.”
They were once again shocked and speechless at the plan that came out of Chloe's mouth.
“...Do you mean to say that you would like to meet Erno in person?”
Cromwell furrowed his brows with a serious expression. Chloe nodded at him.
“That’s the only way to find out where Johannes is within the Duchy.”
“I know a few places where Johannes could hide. Even if Your Majesty doesn’t insist on it...”
“His Majesty is currently injured.”
Chloe's voice was small but firm. It meant there was no time.
“But... that man is the one who put Your Majesty, the Queen, in danger.”
Cromwell gritted his teeth. The story he had heard from Ricardo's young daughter before he rode here was enough to make him feel ashamed.
What was more unbelievable than the fact that Johannes shot Damien and insulted the Queen was the fact that Erno had fully anticipated all this and yet had assigned Johannes to a man.
A fire rose in his chest as he remembered that some of the bodies he had found in Ricardo's villa had been Carters, bearing the seal of the duchy's military on their forearms.
“No, he never put me in danger.”
People looked at Chloe with questioning expressions at her words.
“Because I’ve never written my real name here.”
Until now.
“The life or death of the tutor in Guinevis is of no importance to Erno. Nor is the life or death of the wealthy businessman from Swanton.”
But if she gets her name back, it's a different story.
“I have requested an audience with him in the name of Chloe von Tisse, Queen of Swanton.”
Lawrence Taylor's eyes widened as he realized the significance of the letter he had sent.
“His Majesty the King cannot refuse an audience with Queen Swanton, who has personally requested it in her capacity as Acting King.”
The sun sparkled as the train passed quickly through the forest. Amid the greenery shining everywhere, the brightest thing was Chloe's eyes, finally realizing her place.
***
In the magnificent reception room, a slender woman sat erect, like a painting. She had been waiting for the King for two hours without moving, and she called herself the Queen of Swanton. Her off-the-rack dress was made of poor quality fabric, and her legs, which were clearly uncomfortable when she walked, seemed far removed from the Swanton royal family, which placed the highest priority on visible formality.
Still, the duchy's servants could not dare to treat her carelessly. This was not only because her guards were lined up outside the palace, preventing her from entering.
“The tea has cooled down again. You can change it again.”
She felt authoritative in her tone as she changed the tea for the fourth time without even touching it. Even in an insulting situation that would have made any other noble blush, Chloe was unwavering. Rather, she maintained her composure in this situation and pointed out the rudeness of the other person, which rarely appeared.
“Can you bring me some too?”
The one who had made her wait without any promise finally opened the door to the reception room and appeared. Chloe slowly got up from her seat while looking at Erno, Alice's lover and the King of the duchy. Even though it was past noon, he was only wearing a black gown.
“What brings you here so early in the morning?”
Erno's husky voice, half an octave higher than that of most men, was heard leisurely. He spoke naturally, as if he were meeting someone he had just parted ways with yesterday. Chloe stood upright in front of him and held out her hand.
“This is the first time we’ve met in an official capacity.”
Erno's eyes narrowed with interest as he watched Chloe calmly speak. It was because her attitude had completely changed from when he first met her after she fled from Swanton to the Duchy. Erno looked at the back of Chloe's slender hand extended to him and swept back his voluminous hair.
“Yes, welcome to the Carter Duchy.”
Chloe pursed her lips as Erno kissed her cheeks loudly instead of kissing her hand. It was a polite greeting, but she couldn't help but feel stiff.
Chloe didn't have a very close relationship with Erno, and it would be better to say that it was the worst relationship. It's not for nothing that Cromwell was angry that he sent Johannes away, knowing that she would be in danger. If it weren't for Erno, Damien wouldn't have been dragged around like that.
“It is an honor to be welcomed here.”
Erno shrugged his shoulders with a joyful expression, as if he knew her feelings, which were barely maintained by holding back her emotions.
“If you had told me in advance, I wouldn’t have had to wait. I received the message just before I got here, so this is what it looks like. I’m sorry.”
There was no apology in Erno's expression, who looked like he had just rolled out of bed, but his rudeness was not something that happened just a day or two ago. Chloe opened her mouth with a serious expression towards Erno, who was laughing at her.
“I am not very neat either. I knew that His Majesty would not care about formal attire more than the weight of the work, so I omitted the formal attire.”
Chloe tried not to look at the nail marks that could be seen between Erno’s robes as she picked up her teacup. This was not the time to worry about Alice and his marriage. There was no taste in the tea that touched her tongue. The only sound she could hear was the ticking of the second hand on the ornate clock on the wall.
“Yes, what is so urgent that you are interrupting my sweet honeymoon?”
Erno took a letter out of his robe pocket, dropped it on the table, and sat back in his luxurious chair. The luxurious ring on his interlocked fingers glittered in the chandelier light.
Chloe von Tisse.
Chloe, who had been staring at the name she had signed at the very end of the letter, raised her head and looked straight at Erno.
“Please tell me the whereabouts of the traitor Johannes.”
Erno rested his chin on the armrest with his elbows, frowning slightly. He was smiling playfully, but the words coming out of his mouth were not.
“Um... wasn’t there a separate traitor? For example, someone with a dark mind who hit his cousin in the back of the head and took his place?”
Chloe's heart began to beat faster at Erno's voice, which was slightly higher-pitched with excitement. Without avoiding his eyes, she opened her mouth, trying to control her trembling voice.
“I think you have misunderstood the situation. A traitor is a title that would be appropriate for someone who fled to save his own life while the entire country was suffering from an epidemic. Not someone who placated the angry people, negotiated with them, and inherited the throne according to the proper procedure.”
“Well, if you only look at the results, then yes, that would be true, right?”
Erno shrugged his shoulders, still smiling. Chloe bit the inside of her lip and tried to keep herself from getting caught up in his tricks. If she got excited and lost her senses, everything would go down the drain. She had to think only of the most effective way to persuade Erno.
“Yesterday afternoon, the missing Johannes attacked me and His Majesty while I was staying in Guinevis. I barely escaped harm, but His Majesty is currently being held captive by him.”
“Oh, like that.”
Erno clicked his tongue lightly as he listened to the story he already knew. Chloe continued to speak firmly to Erno, who was absentmindedly looking down at the tips of his well-manicured fingernails.
“Even if Johannes harms His Majesty, he will never be able to return to Swanton and reclaim the throne.”
“Why is that?”
Chloe raised her eyebrows at Erno, who finally looked up and glanced at her.
“Because a second Damien will appear and pull him down from the throne.”
“Who is that?”
“It could be anyone.”
Chloe's brown eyes sparkled. She continued to speak clearly to Erno, who seemed not to understand her words.
“He could be one of the many subordinates who have followed him and acted according to his convictions, or he could be a capable intellectual who has received enormous support from him regardless of his status, gender, or physical limitations.”
Erno, who had been keeping his mouth shut for the first time, lifted his lips wryly. Chloe's trembling voice, hiding her excitement, echoed through the spacious meeting room.
“Tisse believes that whoever is the most excellent is qualified to rule the country. If someone better than him appears, my husband will swallow bitter water and admit it. That is his pride.”
“The Queen of Swanton has great respect for the King.”
Chloe suppressed the anger rising deep in her chest as she watched Erno sneer. She even felt like snapping at him, saying that the Queen here was not like that, and that was why she was acting so evil. However, now was not the time to be proud.
“Every couple has problems. If you know my past history, you can guess.”
Erno smiled slightly as he watched Chloe take a step back. There was no seriousness in the way he scratched his eyebrows with his long fingers, but in fact, he was seeing Chloe as a real human being for the first time. It was impressive that a boring woman who was restrained in her emotions and only put on airs came all the way here to find him, but he still didn't feel like helping her.
“So?”
“If trade with Swanton is normalized, it won’t be a bad situation for the Duchy either. Even if Johannes ascends to the throne, he will soon step down, and if relations between the two countries worsen, the people of both countries will suffer.”
“Well, I acknowledge the validity of everything you’ve said so far.”
Chloe gasped and clasped her cold hands together. Tears welled up in her eyes at the thought that she could finally run to save Damien with those waiting outside the palace.
“Still, I can’t answer your question about Johannes’ whereabouts.”
“Why is that?”
Chloe's moist, brown eyes trembled silently.
“The humans in Swanton are just so, so unlucky.”
One by one, her elegantly curled eyelashes fluttered and fell down. Erno smiled and got up from his seat.
“...Yes, I understand.”
“Is that all you have to say?”
Chloe bit her lips, feeling the contempt piercing through her polite tone. She couldn't let him go like this. In this situation where Damien was suffering, she was ready to kneel before Erno, even if it meant getting on her sore knees.
“Then that’s it.”
"Wait a minute."
She can do it.
She clutched the hem of her skirt tightly and thought of Damien. The moment her wet, hot eyes met Damien’s face, she even had the illusion of hearing his voice.
“No. That’s not it, Chloe.”
Chloe stared at Erno with her eyes wide open. Damien would never kneel in this situation. He would not tolerate her, his wife and the Queen of a country, kneeling. What would Damien do in this situation?
“You have to find the weak point and strangle it, Chloe.”
She knew from the beginning what Erno's weakness was. She just had a hard time using this card.
“I want to meet Alice.”
He stopped walking as he turned toward the bedroom, his sleek black robe billowing.
“Unfortunately, my wife is not feeling well.”
Chloe immediately read the displeasure in his voice, but she had no intention of backing down.
“I want to meet Alice, not as a Queen, but as a daughter of the Verdiers and as a member of her family.”
Erno raised his eyebrows, which looked like they had been painted black.
“She is the one who abandoned her family and chose me. Why should I make her meet someone who has nothing to do with her?”
It was then that the door to the visiting room opened so roughly that it banged against the wall.
“Erno!!!”
Chloe gasped as she saw Alice appear in her see-through nightgown, her hair still tangled in a mess. While the attendant standing next to her was at a loss, Erno spoke coldly.
“I definitely told you to lock the door.”
“I broke it, so don’t even think about catching random people.”
Alice, not caring about the frozen atmosphere, strode over to Chloe and grabbed her hand.
“Sister.”
Erno, who was not happy about the sister's reunion, grabbed Alice's other arm. A sweet voice, dripping with honey, followed.
“I didn’t wake you up because you were sleeping soundly, but should I have made it so you couldn’t get out of bed at all?”
“Stop talking nonsense and get out.”
“Your precious mouth is so dirty, I must cleanse it with a kiss.”
Alice glared at Erno, hiding her sister from him as he lowered his head to kiss her.
“Please let me talk to her alone.”
“Can’t you please be more polite?”
Chloe watched Alice tremble and bow her head to him, and then Erno nodded and smiled before leaving, saying he would wait in the bedroom.
“...I’m sorry for showing you this, sis.”
Finally, in the space where the two were left alone, Alice opened her mouth with trembling eyes. Chloe silently got up, tidied up her clothes, and combed Alice's voluminous blond hair with her hand. Tears fell from Alice's eyes as she entrusted her hair to her like when she was young.
After she had neatly braided her hair to one side, Chloe wiped away her tears with her hand. Alice was still dazzlingly beautiful, and she looked as if she might run away at any moment.
“Smile, Alice.”
As Chloe whispered, Alice tried to smile despite her tears. She still had that fairy-like face that made everyone in the world fall in love. Erno's weakness was Alice. The only person who could leave long claw marks on the tyrant's chest and still be fine.
“I can’t tell you how surprised I was when I heard that my sister had come to see me. What on earth happened?”
Chloe's heart pounded hard, unable to open her mouth easily. What stopped her hesitation was the sound of the second hand, which was getting louder and louder. It was clear that Damien was suffering even at this moment.
“My pretty sister. You said that once. You said you would definitely help me in a dangerous situation.”
“Yeah, of course.”
“I’ll ask you this for the first and last time.”
Chloe's voice trembled as she whispered.
“Save my husband. No, I’ll save him. Just find out where he is.”
Chloe's eyes and the tip of her nose turned red. It was natural that Alice's lips opened silently. She had never seen Chloe cry since she had grown up. Even when her mother passed away, Chloe had held back her tears. Instead of her father, who was speechless from shock and locked himself in his room, and Alice, who had cried too much and was exhausted, Chloe had to handle everything by herself, including the funeral.
“Damien said that my family wants my happiness more than my sacrifice.”
Alice nodded vigorously, unable to speak.
“Can you make me believe that?”
Chloe's brown eyes were wide and round with tears. Her trembling voice became a little higher in excitement. Chloe, who never lost her senses no matter what happened, was like the little heroine of the Verdiers, crying, shedding big tears.
“I love him, Alice. As much as I love my life... no, I think I love him more than my life.”
“Ah, Sister...”
Alice hugged her tightly.
“Ugh... Help me, Alice. Save me, please.”
Chloe's hot sobs, pouring out her heart in front of her for the first time in her life, were vividly transmitted through the thin pajamas. Alice, who had been listening to Chloe's explanation of the incident until the end, held onto her delicate arm and finally opened her mouth.
“I’ll figure it out, no matter what. Just wait a little.”
Alice stood up, straightened her clothes, and clenched her fists. Chloe took a deep breath as she watched her back without hesitation. The image of Alice and Erno, who seemed to be in a sharp confrontation at first glance, came to mind. When she thought about how much Alice would have to bend herself to get what she wanted from him, a corner of her heart felt as if it had been stabbed.
“Alice.”
Alice turned around as Chloe called out to her without realizing it.
"Yes?"
She smiled at Chloe, who was unable to hold Alice back and was trembling with her lips.
“Sister, I’ve been living a reckless and troublesome life up until now...”
Alice continued, as if she knew exactly what Chloe was thinking.
“That was because the eldest daughter of our family, Chloe Verdier, was by my side. No matter how well I did, I could never surpass my older sister, so it was easier to just live as a reckless tomboy.”
“...Alice.”
“I’m so glad you asked me for help.”
The door closed, and Chloe, finally left alone in the visiting room, bowed her waist as if praying, her whole body drained of strength. Asking for help from Alice was something she had put off as the last option. However, when she actually asked for help, Alice did not hesitate to help. Perhaps if it were Chloe, she would have done the same. She couldn’t turn away her sister, who was crying and clinging to her, wanting to be happy.
Maybe Chloe hadn't even given Alice a chance to help her until now.
“Ha... Alice...”
But even if she felt sorry and grateful to Alice later, she couldn't get rid of her anxiety. Alice's promise to help and whether she would get the answer she wanted were two separate issues. Alice could at least hold Erno's hand and run away, but Chloe was completely alone now.
Left alone, Chloe finally took out the pendant she had kept inside her dress with hands that were beginning to tremble noticeably.
As the lid, which had been opened and closed several times and loosened, opened silently, his smiling face appeared.
"My love."
Damien's voice rang in her ears. His eyes, looking at her, seemed to be telling her that she was not alone.
“Good job, Chloe.”
“I don’t know why I always realize the most important things last.”
Chloe whispered in a wet voice. She didn't realize that stubbornness had sprouted inside her since her pace had slowed, and she had begun to look around several times to see if there were any rocks around her.
If it was going to be like this, she should have told him she loved him, without holding back. She should have kissed him to her heart's content, even if it felt like it was a little embarrassing.
“It’s okay. There are still plenty of opportunities.”
Damien's face, still smiling with a confident expression, barely calmed her down. Chloe held the pendant tightly and held it against her heart, catching her breath. She reminded herself that no matter how far apart they were physically, it was no barrier to Damien. He was the one who had defied even her death.
Well then, she guessed she should do that too.
Damien. Please. Be safe for me. Damien.
Chloe whispered with difficulty through her swollen throat.
“I... can’t break up with you.”
After confessing as if he were in front of her, Chloe realized one thing: some feelings become more certain after they are expressed in words.
***
“Damien.”
“Damien.”
The soft sunlight tickled his eyelids. The shadows cast by the leaves caressed his face moment by moment. Damien deliberately kept his eyes closed. He wanted to hear Chloe's voice calling him in a small voice.
“Wake up quickly, Your Highness.”
It was a summer day, and he was in the carriage returning from his first walk through the streets of Tisse with her as a Duchess. After stopping at the post office and the coffee house in succession, she must have relaxed and fallen fast asleep. She didn’t open her eyes even when the carriage arrived at the castle.
Damien was looking at her after ordering the coachman to move the carriage towards the back.
After hearing that she would share ownership of the mines with the Count, Chloe had cried and seemed to have relaxed, but she didn't even think about getting up until the handbag she was holding fell off, finally waking her up.
Now it was Chloe's turn to wait. Her eyes were closed, and she let out a small sigh of embarrassment as she watched him not move.
The summer sun of Tisse was not hot. The coachman had parked the carriage in the shade of the trees, so a gentle breeze blew through the open window. Chloe hesitated for a moment, but seemed to have decided not to disturb his nap. Damien watched Chloe take a book out of her small handbag and read it with her narrowed eyes.
It was a peaceful afternoon, with only the faint chirping of birds and the lush leaves rustling in the wind. Damien was very satisfied with the sight of Chloe in the place where he was born and raised. The sun was slowly setting.
Damien closed his eyes again as he watched the books on the bookshelf flip over and the sun hat lift up. He expected her to call his name, but contrary to his expectations, Chloe did not wake him. Damien pretended to sleep and watched her quietly, even though he felt her slowly approaching him.
His wife was born to be the Duchess of Tisse, and she was as flawless as anyone could be, but when she was alone, she had a ridiculous side, such as turning over her husband's portrait to hide his face.
He felt a shadow waving its hand over his face. Was she trying to show off her boldness by kissing his sleeping lips? The sunlight was completely blocked, but the sensation he wanted did not come easily. It was when Damien, whose patience had disappeared, slowly opened his eyes.
"Uh..."
In front of her eyes was Chloe, frozen, holding a stamp with her own face on it to the tip of her tongue.
"What are you doing?"
“I, I just...”
His woman was about to dare to prank him by sticking a stamp on his face. Damien reached out and snatched the stamp from her, then licked the mark off her body.
“It’s almost dinner time, Mom will be waiting...”
Chloe's cheeks turned bright red as Damien returned the prank she had been trying to pull.
“Pretty. More.”
Damien smiled faintly as he looked at Chloe, who had a small portrait of himself stuck on her cheek. He thought it would be nice to stick stamps with his face all over her delicate body, not just her face. As if she knew his thoughts were running wild with vulgar imagination, his wife’s hands quickly removed the stamps from her cheek and put them in a paper envelope.
“You can do it, but I can’t?”
“I didn’t say anything.”
Chloe tried to get up from her seat, her expression faltering. He wasn't going to just let her go. Chloe narrowed her eyes as he wrapped his arms around her waist and made her sit on top of him.
“This is not the time, Damien.”
“You hate me?”
Something felt off as he tried to kiss Chloe, leaving her speechless.
What.
Damien's eyebrows twitched as he chuckled.
He didn't feel heavy. There was nothing in his hands, so she frowned, and now Chloe's appearance was becoming increasingly blurred.
“Damien.”
He could hear her voice whispering, but even then, her body seemed to be disappearing into thin air.
“Wake up, Damien.”
Her image was blurry, but her voice was becoming clearer. Damien’s body trembled. He couldn’t move, as if his body had been crushed by a huge rock. He had to yell at Chloe to ask where she was going, but instead of a proper voice, only a moan came out of his vocal cords. Finally, Chloe’s image completely disappeared, and only her sobbing voice dominated his mind.
“Damien.”
“Damien.”
“Please, Damien...!”
Damien opened his eyes sharply, breathing heavily, but they were so bright that he had to close them tightly. Long beads of sweat ran down his temples from his forehead.
Clank.
It took time for both eyes to adjust to the pouring light. The first thing that came back was a different feeling. Damien felt the heavy chains binding his arms and stopped moving. As he slowly opened his cold eyes, the blue pupils returned to their original state, and his tightly closed pupils slowly opened. The intense sunlight was pouring down from a very small crack in the rock in the high ceiling. Damien moistened his lips and slowly turned his head.
Damien realized that he had been transported to the deepest part of a large rock cavern. Judging from the terrain, it seemed to be the Trilobi Mountains, located in the central part of the principality. The terrain was rugged and deep, so no one would know if anything happened here.
Damien was lying on a flat, wide rock with his arms and feet tied. When he regained consciousness, the two wounds where he had been shot began to ache deep in his bones. It was a good thing that his mind was quickly clearing up. The anesthetic that someone had poured on him in the carriage was wearing off.
His eyes, which were getting brighter, began to clearly see the inside of the cave. The murals on the walls were bizarre. Someone in priestly attire was standing next to someone else lying on the altar, holding a red heart. The picture was vivid red, as if it had been painted not long ago.
The sacrificial offering, with its ribs cut open and its heart ripped out, looked as if it was experiencing the ultimate peace, and it was clearly the work of John, who had fallen into paganism. Damien licked his dry lips with his tongue, thinking that if he had painted in a place where no one was around, he would have become a praised artist.
If he couldn't get out of here, he would have to recreate the mural with John. As soon as he thought about himself as a sacrifice, bitter water ran down his mouth.
"Shit..."
He had applied a styptic and wrapped it tightly with a bandage to block the gunshot wound, but to be blunt, if he couldn't quickly treat the wound, his chances of surviving for more than three days were slim. John would know that too, so he couldn't waste time.
As his thoughts reached that point, Damien began to hear footsteps from afar. Judging by the fact that even the smallest sound resonated and echoed, the inside of the cave was quite deep.
There were two footsteps.
Only a very small number of people would be present during the ritual, probably just John and the old pagan woman he carries around in secret, or one of his attendants to guard him in case of an emergency.
Damien gasped as he looked at the handcuffs chained to the iron stakes, restraining his wrists. As if it had not been prepared in a day or two, the space was dramatic, as if it had been created for a perfect ritual. The statues, each with their body parts cut off, lined up in front of the bloody mural, were shaped like pentagrams, symbolizing the stars in the sky, and the center of it was the sanctuary where he lay.
The unnecessary sophistication made him feel disgusted. Damien swore that if it was true that the leader of the Carters had conspired with Johannes, he would definitely cut off the head of the madman to prevent the deterioration of civilization. To do that, he had to get out of here first.
But how?
The sound of footsteps echoing through the cave was getting closer and closer. Damien chewed his lip and thought about it. He remembered how he had helped Weiss escape from the enemy barracks during the war, when he was almost shot. He had set fire to the barracks and taken advantage of the chaos to get himself out, but now it was impossible.
Damien had never been a prisoner. It was not uncommon for men of the Tisse family, who had been soldiers for generations, to be wounded and captured while fighting on the front lines. But not a single one of them had ever returned alive. They had all chosen a glorious death over negotiation, fearing the harm they would do to their country if they were taken hostage. Damien could have bet his entire family that his father, William, would have taken his own life, no matter what, before the enemy beheaded him.
He doesn't want to slander their glorious deaths. But... let's be blunt and say that they died because they failed to escape. They just wrapped up their failure, or defeat, as cleanly as possible.
Damien closed his eyes and slowly frowned. He slowly took a deep breath, erasing the sound of footsteps that were becoming slower and slower but clearer, and the voice of Johannes that he could hear from time to time. His anxious mind began to calm down, and his tangled thoughts began to slowly unravel.
In this situation, calculating the probability of survival is meaningless.
Live or die.
Everything was a 50/50 probabilistic thing, and he had always lived his life betting all his losses on the winning side.
“Damien! It’s time to end it now.”
Damien always wanted to be excellent. He dreamed of surpassing others in everything. It must have been when he saw a blue butterfly with crumpled wings in his hand as a child. When he faced the fact that no beautiful creature in this world could escape 'death', he was shocked as a child, and then realized it.
If he had to live a finite life that would rush toward death anyway, he wanted to live a wonderful life and end it beautifully. He refined himself by tempering the sadistic tendencies he had been born with with reason. Realizing that it was much harder to do good than to commit evil, he suppressed his violent nature and hoped to become a Saint. Rather than destroying beautiful things, he wanted to create more splendid and orderly things.
He wanted to rise to the top through his own excellence, and he eventually did. God proved to be on his side by finding his soulmate.
...Chloe.
When he thought of her, the wound from the gunshot stung, and a sharp pain surged into his heart. He had a sweet and thrilling love with the beautiful woman who first captivated him. He had also experienced being swept up in a storm of emotions for a woman, breaking himself again, thinking that he would never be satisfied with honor, power, or anything more.
“I love you, Damien.”
The words he had doubted many times in his heart. When he finally recalled her clean face, with eyes filled with confidence, his heart began to beat hot. More than the miserable suffering of being tied up, the fact that he could not hold her in his arms right now made him dizzy. The iron chains on his wrists rattled roughly, but he could not raise his body.
Damien took a deep breath and sorted out his complicated thoughts. He reminded himself that his choice to protect Chloe and take himself hostage to hasten Johann’s departure from Guinevis was not a mistake.
Chloe, my love. She will be safe. Cromwell, who is waiting on the ship, will risk his life to take her to Swanton. If he does not return from here, Weiss will have no choice but to break the seal on the will he has revised, and Swanton will have its first Queen according to the proper procedure of succession.
Whether he lives or dies, whichever way the coin is tossed, the outcome is all according to his plan. Whatever it is, it's better than Chloe dying.
“Doesn’t it look good? Damien.”
Finally, Damien slowly opened his eyes. Johannes, dressed in white, was standing right next to him, lying on a flat rock. The stone knife in his hand seemed dull, but it was obvious that it would cause him even more pain. Johannes, excited by the thought of breaking his shattered ribs and taking out his heart, narrowed his eyes at him.
“Say something.”
As Damien stared at Johannes without moving, he opened his mouth, licking his lips.
“Why, when it’s time to die, do you feel like you’re going to pee yourself? The sight of the world’s best Tisse being scared is truly the best.”
He took a step closer to Damien, who paid no attention to the sarcasm. Behind Johannes, the attendant he had brought spoke softly.
“Keep your distance, Your Majesty. It’s dangerous.”
A laugh finally burst from Damien's dry lips as he watched Johannes hesitate. Damien opened his mouth to look at Johannes, who was glaring.
“I think it’s not me who’s scared, it’s you, Johan.”
Johannes's throat rippled. He straightened his expression and laughed at Damien.
“Do you know how funny it is to be tied up half-naked and show off?”
“That’s right. You should have just taken it all off.”
Damien looked at him with a blue gaze, his eyes shining.
“I know you hate seeing with your own eyes that there’s nothing you can do to beat me.”
“Shall I cut off that proud penis?”
Johannes raised his lips, taking Damien's provocation head-on. Damien, whose hands and feet were tied with restraints, could do nothing anyway.
“You have to take it out from the heart first. It won’t work if you get your hands dirty.”
However, what made Johan's heart boil was Damien, who didn't even blink an eye, even though death was right before his eyes.
“After digging out your heart and performing a ritual, I will tear your body to pieces as you wish.”
“Then I just have to smile beautifully like the offering in that mural?”
Johannes can't stand it anymore. He'll burst his heart, write his name in blood, and then tear his handsome body to pieces.
“Let’s see if it’s possible even after your heart bursts.”
Johannes gritted his teeth and muttered.
“I was as good and glamorous a person as you are.”
There was a time when he, too, was a beloved Prince. That was certainly the case until Damien fiercely sought to usurp his place.
“But I’m being overshadowed by you. You, a man obsessed with power and fame, keep interfering with me in every little thing, so there’s no place for me to stand.”
Damien had been like that since he was young. Even when everyone was trying to please him, he held up the shield of kinship and said only the right things to Johannes. He never lost when they competed, and in the horse race held at their coming of age ceremony, he even threw himself off his horse in a spectacular way, making him a laughing stock. At some point, he bowed down and pretended to support him, but that was also a smokescreen to hit him in the back of the head.
Damien opened his mouth as he watched Johan, who was overcome with a sense of defeat.
“Are you looking to me for the cause of the anxiety that is eating away at your mind?”
"Shut up."
“So you can’t do it.”
As Damien clicked his tongue, Johannes raised his hand holding the stone knife. Damien, whose arms and legs were completely tied, could never escape. Even in a situation where he was on the verge of death, Damien was smiling brightly as he said, which drove Johannes even crazier.
“You wouldn’t have been able to keep the throne even without me.”
“I’ll cut that clever tongue into pieces first.”
“Admit it. You had your moments of brilliance.”
Damien whispered softly, as if telling a secret, so Johannes had to move closer to him.
“But, all that glitters isn’t gold, Johan.”
Johannes trembled all over and finally brought down the stone sword he had raised above his head.
"Die...!!!"
When the attendant standing behind frowned, the situation had already occurred. The stone knife that John was holding had somehow fallen limply on the altar next to Damien’s chest.
Damien, who broke his fingers and freed his hands from the handcuffs, held Johan's wrists with one arm and gasped for breath. Johannes, who was frozen in shock and thought, rolled down the altar as Damien struck him in the side with a stone knife.
"This...!"
The bewildered attendant hurriedly took out his gun without even having time to look at Johannes. That was why he kept his distance from him. Even though Damien's entire body was tied up, Johannes felt fear because he unconsciously thought that nothing was impossible for him, and the attendant felt the same. However, even the greatest Tisse in the world could not avoid a bullet if both feet were tied.
“Give me the gun and I will spare your life.”
Damien ordered him with his eyes shining. The attendant flinched involuntarily, but aimed his gun more firmly at his heart. Blood gushed from Damien’s wound, which was wrapped in bandages. He swallowed dryly, reminding himself once again that if he left it like this, he would die even without being shot.
“I refuse.”
It was then that a huge bomb sound was heard from somewhere. The attendant's legs, which had reflexively turned their heads, snapped. It was because Damien had struck Johan's knee with a strong swing of his stone knife.
“Ugh...!!!”
The gun he had let go of, his knee joint completely shattered, slipped onto the altar. Damien stretched out his arm with all his might and barely managed to grab the gun.
Bang!
Bang!
After dealing with the opponent whose center of gravity was shaken, Damien took a deep breath. Sweat dripped down his wide-open eyes and stung. He had wasted precious bullets, but he was fortunate that he still had a few good fingers left to pull the trigger.
He shot the chain that bound his leg with his trembling thumb. He heard gunshots outside, where the sound of the bomb had come from, but he couldn't judge the situation.
Bang!
"Shit..."
The bullet missed, so he couldn't break the chain on his right ankle. Damien gasped as he watched Johannes, who had fallen, rise up, bleeding from his head. If he had been closer, he could have hit him, but that was impossible. Johannes was laughing, his bloody face widening the distance between him and his.
“You’re going to die there, Damien.”
“Don’t you have the courage to face me to the end?”
Although Damien provoked him until the end, Johannes was not easily swayed. It was the survival instinct of someone who was on the verge of death.
“You know what a wise decision is in a situation like this.”
As Johannes exited the cave, there was a boom! boom! The sound of a shell exploding was heard. Damien looked up at the ceiling with his beastly instinct, bit his lips hard, and twisted his body into a crouch. A huge boulder had fallen where his head had just been, and he saw the altar shattered. He exhaled heavily through his teeth, checked the distant view once more, and clenched his broken hands into fists.
The rocks were collapsing deep into the cave.
Mount Trilobi was located to the west of the principality's capital, Trivani. The mountain, made of rock, looked like a triangle with a high peak when viewed from a distance, and its rugged terrain made it difficult to access.
The small pebbles kicked by the hooves of the fast-running horse fell down the steep cliff without a sound. It was a winding mountain path that made it seem as if you let your guard down even for a moment, you would fall down the cliff along with your horse.
“Are you okay?”
In response to Lawrence's question as he ran ahead, holding the reins, Chloe, who was following behind, raised her voice at the top of her lungs.
“I’m fine, don’t slow down!”
After leaving Erno's palace, Chloe's legs were already numb from riding for three hours without stopping. Her throat was stinging from the dust, and her vision was blurry, but she did not loosen her grip on the reins.
Because once was enough to hold Damien back.
That's why Chloe rode alone. Cromwell and the others must not lose sight of the person they are supposed to save while trying to protect her.
Please, please be safe, Damien.
Chloe bit her lip and lowered her posture even further. She looked forward, her body pressed against the beast, as if she had become one with it, just like when she had ridden with Damien that day.
“There is a place of exile for the old royals on top of Mount Trilobi. That is where Johannes hid. There was only so much I could do. I am sorry, Sister.”
Alice, who had returned after meeting Erno, had an apologetic expression on her face with red eyes and mouth. Chloe hugged her tightly and left the palace in a hurry. It was not that she did not know that Alice wanted to help more, but the fact that she had found out where Damien was was enough to make her legs lose their strength.
In the last conversation between Damien and Johannes, they clearly talked about pagan rituals. The ritual of sacrificing a living sacrifice and taking out a heart was usually performed on the highest point. The height had both a geographical and conceptual meaning. In Swanton, it was the royal palace where Johannes resided, but in the duchy where Erno was King, it was not possible, so it was natural to choose the highest mountain there.
After hearing her words, Cromwell carried out the rescue operation for Damien without hesitation. Chloe's wisdom, who had taught Sophie, helped them by knowing the terrain of the duchy in detail. In the mountains, where there were many cliffs and the forest was thick and difficult to enter, mobility was the most important thing, and this actually reduced their options for those who did not have large weapons.
“You said it, Damien. No commander is better than you. That’s your pride.”
Chloe muttered quickly as she stood on her galloping horse, looking straight ahead. If what he said was true, then all those who fought with him were also great men. Chloe gasped for breath and opened her reddened eyes wide. She glanced behind her and shouted at the top of her lungs at Lawrence, who was concerned about her safety.
“Go quickly! Go quickly to my husband!!!”
The distance that had been shortened for a moment began to grow wider again. Tears welled up in Chloe's eyes and fell without her knowing. There had never been a time when she felt more frustrated and disgusted than at this moment, when her body got in the way of her movements, but she still had to go.
I'm going, Damien.
I'm... running to you.
“Because you have a lot of patience...”
“Are you looking to me for the cause of the anxiety that is eating away at your mind?”
"Shut up."
“So you can’t do it.”
As Damien clicked his tongue, Johannes raised his hand holding the stone knife. Damien, whose arms and legs were completely tied, could never escape. Even in a situation where he was on the verge of death, Damien was smiling brightly as he said, which drove Johannes even crazier.
“You wouldn’t have been able to keep the throne even without me.”
“I’ll cut that clever tongue into pieces first.”
“Admit it. You had your moments of brilliance.”
Damien whispered softly, as if telling a secret, so Johannes had to move closer to him.
“But, all that glitters isn’t gold, Johan.”
Johannes trembled all over and finally brought down the stone sword he had raised above his head.
"Die...!!!"
When the attendant standing behind frowned, the situation had already occurred. The stone knife that John was holding had somehow fallen limply on the altar next to Damien’s chest.
Damien, who broke his fingers and freed his hands from the handcuffs, held Johan's wrists with one arm and gasped for breath. Johannes, who was frozen in shock and thought, rolled down the altar as Damien struck him in the side with a stone knife.
"This...!"
The bewildered attendant hurriedly took out his gun without even having time to look at Johannes. That was why he kept his distance from him. Even though Damien's entire body was tied up, Johannes felt fear because he unconsciously thought that nothing was impossible for him, and the attendant felt the same. However, even the greatest Tisse in the world could not avoid a bullet if both feet were tied.
“Give me the gun and I will spare your life.”
Damien ordered him with his eyes shining. The attendant flinched involuntarily, but aimed his gun more firmly at his heart. Blood gushed from Damien’s wound, which was wrapped in bandages. He swallowed dryly, reminding himself once again that if he left it like this, he would die even without being shot.
“I refuse.”
It was then that a huge bomb sound was heard from somewhere. The attendant's legs, which had reflexively turned their heads, snapped. It was because Damien had struck Johan's knee with a strong swing of his stone knife.
“Ugh...!!!”
The gun he had let go of, his knee joint completely shattered, slipped onto the altar. Damien stretched out his arm with all his might and barely managed to grab the gun.
Bang!
Bang!
After dealing with the opponent whose center of gravity was shaken, Damien took a deep breath. Sweat dripped down his wide-open eyes and stung. He had wasted precious bullets, but he was fortunate that he still had a few good fingers left to pull the trigger.
He shot the chain that bound his leg with his trembling thumb. He heard gunshots outside, where the sound of the bomb had come from, but he couldn't judge the situation.
Bang!
"Shit..."
The bullet missed, so he couldn't break the chain on his right ankle. Damien gasped as he watched Johannes, who had fallen, rise up, bleeding from his head. If he had been closer, he could have hit him, but that was impossible. Johannes was laughing, his bloody face widening the distance between him and his.
“You’re going to die there, Damien.”
“Don’t you have the courage to face me to the end?”
Although Damien provoked him until the end, Johannes was not easily swayed. It was the survival instinct of someone who was on the verge of death.
“You know what a wise decision is in a situation like this.”
As Johannes exited the cave, there was a boom! boom! The sound of a shell exploding was heard. Damien looked up at the ceiling with his beastly instinct, bit his lips hard, and twisted his body into a crouch. A huge boulder had fallen where his head had just been, and he saw the altar shattered. He exhaled heavily through his teeth, checked the distant view once more, and clenched his broken hands into fists.
The rocks were collapsing deep into the cave.
***
Mount Trilobi was located to the west of the principality's capital, Trivani. The mountain, made of rock, looked like a triangle with a high peak when viewed from a distance, and its rugged terrain made it difficult to access.
The small pebbles kicked by the hooves of the fast-running horse fell down the steep cliff without a sound. It was a winding mountain path that made it seem as if you let your guard down even for a moment, you would fall down the cliff along with your horse.
“Are you okay?”
In response to Lawrence's question as he ran ahead, holding the reins, Chloe, who was following behind, raised her voice at the top of her lungs.
“I’m fine, don’t slow down!”
After leaving Erno's palace, Chloe's legs were already numb from riding for three hours without stopping. Her throat was stinging from the dust, and her vision was blurry, but she did not loosen her grip on the reins.
Because once was enough to hold Damien back.
That's why Chloe rode alone. Cromwell and the others must not lose sight of the person they are supposed to save while trying to protect her.
Please, please be safe, Damien.
Chloe bit her lip and lowered her posture even further. She looked forward, her body pressed against the beast, as if she had become one with it, just like when she had ridden with Damien that day.
“There is a place of exile for the old royals on top of Mount Trilobi. That is where Johannes hid. There was only so much I could do. I am sorry, Sister.”
Alice, who had returned after meeting Erno, had an apologetic expression on her face with red eyes and mouth. Chloe hugged her tightly and left the palace in a hurry. It was not that she did not know that Alice wanted to help more, but the fact that she had found out where Damien was was enough to make her legs lose their strength.
In the last conversation between Damien and Johannes, they clearly talked about pagan rituals. The ritual of sacrificing a living sacrifice and taking out a heart was usually performed on the highest point. The height had both a geographical and conceptual meaning. In Swanton, it was the royal palace where Johannes resided, but in the duchy where Erno was King, it was not possible, so it was natural to choose the highest mountain there.
After hearing her words, Cromwell carried out the rescue operation for Damien without hesitation. Chloe's wisdom, who had taught Sophie, helped them by knowing the terrain of the duchy in detail. In the mountains, where there were many cliffs and the forest was thick and difficult to enter, mobility was the most important thing, and this actually reduced their options for those who did not have large weapons.
“You said it, Damien. No commander is better than you. That’s your pride.”
Chloe muttered quickly as she stood on her galloping horse, looking straight ahead. If what he said was true, then all those who fought with him were also great men. Chloe gasped for breath and opened her reddened eyes wide. She glanced behind her and shouted at the top of her lungs at Lawrence, who was concerned about her safety.
“Go quickly! Go quickly to my husband!!!”
The distance that had been shortened for a moment began to grow wider again. Tears welled up in Chloe's eyes and fell without her knowing. There had never been a time when she felt more frustrated and disgusted than at this moment, when her body got in the way of her movements, but she still had to go.
I'm going, Damien.
I'm... running to you.
“Because you have a lot of patience...”
The pouring wind blew against her wet cheeks, her hair sticking messily to her face. A murmur continued from Chloe's lips.
“You can wait for me.”
Damien leaving her was unthinkable. Chloe realized anew what she had done to him. Damien had not questioned her for faking her death and leaving him, but she felt she could not.
Chloe swallowed the words that were like a groan bursting from her heart. It shouldn't be a confession that was secretly whispered to the wind. She had to say it directly to him, looking at him.
If I really hated you, I probably wouldn't have married you in the first place.
Chloe Verdier took a deep breath after admitting her feelings for the first time. She was not the lady with a clean and noble heart, as the world had said, although she was physically uncomfortable.
She was stubborn about her old ways, had a strong sense of pride that made her unable to stand criticism from others, and was merciless to the point of cruelty. Leaving Damien in the most terrifying way in the world was also a side that showed her hidden personality.
But Damien loved her like that. She, too, couldn't help but love the one man in the world to whom she could reveal everything.
She had learned many times before that even moments that seemed like they would last forever had an end. She felt foolish for not realizing the most important fact after losing her mother and the child in her womb.
Why couldn't I treat him like every moment was my last, and why did I insist on being proud?
Chloe squinted her eyes through her windblown, messy hair.
She wanted to tell Damien, who was trapped somewhere in this mountain, when she met him again.
Chloe Verdier is now dead.
She can never go back to the old Chloe who didn't know him, so takes responsibility for her forever.
Looking at her like that, she just wanted to see Damien with his breathtakingly beautiful smile right in front of her eyes.
Pop!
The ground-shaking roar shook the sky at dusk. Chloe’s body trembled as she barely managed to calm her horse, which raised its head in surprise. The forest on the top of the mountain was so thick that it was almost gloomy, and at the end of it, a sharp spire could be seen. Perhaps the people in the castle had discovered Cromwell’s group and fired their cannons.
Bang! Bang!
Cromwell, who split into several groups to avoid the attack, first sniped the guards in front of the castle and the sentries on the walls. The reason Damien brought Cromwell instead of his closest right-hand man, Weiss, as a standby was that he was the best marksman in Swanton. It was no coincidence that Damien, who could not bring an army, adopted Cromwell and other snipers as his bodyguards.
“What, what are those things!”
Following the sound of gunfire, those guarding the castle fell one after another. They were all former royal family members who had gone missing and were underlings of Johannes.
“Entering the castle!”
As Cromwell shouted, his men, armed with guns and bombs, quickly followed him. Chloe stopped in her tracks, unable to move forward any further.
“His Majesty will be safe.”
Lawrence, who had come to Chloe’s side without her knowing, wiped the sweat from his nose with the back of his hand and spat out. Chloe nodded clearly in response to him, but in reality, she was just too nervous to open her mouth.
Boom!
The sound of bombs exploding could be heard here and there. There seemed to be a considerable number of guards stationed in the castle. The sentries fired again at Cromwell’s men, who were entering the back of the castle. The ground shook as the shells struck the huge boulders. The rocks broke apart, and huge boulders were thrown in all directions.
“After rescuing His Majesty, we will burn this place down and leave.”
Chloe bit her pale lips hard at the sound of gunfire and screams coming from inside the castle. Those who had entered the castle gate finally came running out one by one, but Damien was nowhere to be seen. Chloe's fists, which were gripping the reins tightly, trembled bloodlessly.
Finally, Chloe opened her eyes wide at the moment when she saw Cromwell. She tried to hold back her heart that was beating hard from nervousness, but he was alone. Cromwell appeared with blood splattered here and there, biting his lip and speaking to Chloe in a guilt-filled voice.
“I apologize, Your Majesty.”
“Where is he... His Majesty?”
Chloe barely opened her lips. His men were setting fire to the castle.
“He was not here. All of Johannes’s belongings were still there, but His Majesty and his appearance were nowhere to be found...”
Cromwell's words rang in her ears. Chloe shook her head sharply, her eyes watering.
“Damien is here.”
"Your Majesty."
Cromwell, who had searched the castle thoroughly, furrowed his brows, not hiding his regret. But Chloe did not back down. She was not just being stubborn and talking nonsense.
“Otherwise, Johannes would not have stationed his troops here!”
Cromwell, too, was convinced that Damien was there the moment he discovered the castle ready for attack. However, Johannes was one step ahead. The castle was full of traces of his stay here, and there were no important figures.
“It’s dangerous to stay here. First, go down the mountain...”
“Damien!!!”
It was then that Chloe began to ride her horse around the castle, through the flames burning everywhere.
“Your Majesty, the Queen!”
Cromwell caught sight of her and shot someone in the head with his gun before chasing Chloe as she rode around the crumbling castle. Chloe’s body shook as the burning castle crumbled in the red sunset, and each time the structure fell around her, she didn’t stop. He was definitely here. Johannes couldn’t have gotten far with him injured.
“Damirn!!!”
Her screaming voice echoed across the twilight sky.
***
When he went to war, soldiers who were injured and on the verge of death all said the same thing. They said that at the moment of death, their lives flashed before their eyes. Even the little memories that they had forgotten.
Bang!
Damien gasped as he felt the rock shatter next to him. Outside, it was as if a war had broken out. Someone might have come to rescue him, but it was too late to find him. All they would find was his body, trapped in a stone tomb.
Damien gasped for breath through his teeth. If the falling rock from above had hit him directly, he would have died instantly. But...
“Damien!”
Chloe. An unbearable fever filled Damien's mind as he thought of someone who would have to see his grisly remains. He squirmed, avoiding the falling rocks as he imagined her screaming at the sight of his corpse.
Damien closed his eyes, spread his arms, and gathered his thoughts. If those who followed him were sensible, they would not show the Queen a scene that could shock her after losing her husband. For now, he had no choice but to trust the judgment of his subordinates.
“Ugh... Ugh... Damien...!”
It was no wonder that he could hear her voice sobbing so vividly. How many times had he not already fallen from reality by relying on her hallucinations?
Okay, so my love.
Help me die smiling.
Damien's blue eyes were filled with the sun shining through the wide open sky. He has no regrets in this life. At least he protected his woman.
“Damien...!!!”
It was then that his eyebrows furrowed sharply. The voice calling his name from far above seemed too close to be an auditory hallucination. Damien's lips trembled silently. His broken fingers gripped the sharp rocks that had fallen to the ground.
“Chloe.”
The moment he heard a voice calling out to him, crying, Damien laughed.
My love. You came all the way here? To find me?
He laughed out loud, loving the woman who couldn't even kill him. Damien stared at the short iron chain that was connected to the shackles that bound his ankles. The iron stake that the rusted iron chain hung on was clearly made by someone long ago for some purpose.
This kind of thing won't bother him. It was he who habitually said, "If my right arm breaks, I'll use my left arm; if my legs break, I'll crawl to fight the enemy." He had to take responsibility for his own words.
“Damien... Ugh, Damian...!!!”
Damien gritted his teeth, resisting the urge to scream Chloe's name. He had to get her out of this dangerous place as soon as possible.
He swung his arms, his blue eyes flashing, sparks flying from the rocks he struck against the chains. The chains were solid, but not as strong as he had expected. Damien’s lips twisted upward. This was too boring. After all, he still had a lot to do to wait for death here. He wanted to live and spend his short life with her, rather than die and live forever in a woman’s memories.
Yeah, Chloe.
I am coming to you now.
***
Behind the castle, at the end of the forest, was a steep cliff. She fell off her horse, tearing her clothes and scraping her elbows. Chloe wiped the heavy tears streaming down her dusty cheeks with her palm and stood up on her own.
Lawrence Taylor, who ran after her, gasped for breath and clutched his chest. Chloe was limping towards the edge of the cliff.
“Wow, Your Majesty. If you go any further, it will be dangerous...”
“Damien!!!”
Lawrence tightened his lips as he watched Chloe screaming. He could no longer stop her. It was dusk, and her voice, desperately calling out to Damien, echoed and resonated from the top of the mountain.
“Damien...! Ugh...!”
The sobs that could not be suppressed and leaked out engulfed the entire mountain. Chloe clenched her teeth and gasped for breath as she heard her own cries coming back. She did not want Damien, who was somewhere on this mountain, to hear her crying. She had not found her husband’s body, so when she thought about it, there was nothing to cry about. Chloe put both hands to her mouth and confessed loudly.
“I’m waiting...!!!”
...I'm waiting.
......I'm waiting.
The desperate cry echoed back to her. The echo seemed to ask if she was really waiting for him, whose life or death was unknown, and if she could do that, so she burst out crying helplessly. She suppressed her sobs and shouted even louder. She cursed as if she were trying to drive away the fear that was surging into her heart.
“Yes!!! I’m waiting for you...! I’ll wait forever. Forever...! Forever...!!!”
Tears fell down Chloe's face. Chloe cried out for Damien for a long time until her throat became choked and she gasped for breath. It was then that someone passed by Lwurence Taylor, who was looking at her from behind, unable to approach her.
Just before the sun set, the sky was red, engulfed in a fiery sunset. Under the sky that resembled a blood-red sea, Chloe's black shadow turned around, and another's was added to it.
“He’s not dead.”
Chloe whispered hoarsely, staring straight ahead. Tears fell from her bloodshot eyes, dripping down her chin without stopping.
“Yeah. I'm not dead.”
Chloe's delicate shoulders flinched silently because it wasn't the voice she had expected.
“But why are you crying?”
The question carried by the wind was vivid, but Chloe couldn’t turn her head. She was afraid that she had misunderstood. As if he had read her frozen mind, he continued speaking clearly.
“I asked you, my love, why you were crying so pitifully as if you had seen your husband’s body.”
Chloe's wet eyes shook wildly. She knew of only one person who would casually spit out cruel and mean words as if they were jokes. And yet, he was the only person she could not hate.
Chloe turned her head and finally faced him. His blue eyes, still bright, were staring straight at her from a face covered in blood and dirt.
“I heard your confession, Chloe.”
Damien, bleeding from various parts of his body, frowned. He tilted his head and met her eyes, his gaze terribly profound.
“You shouted so loudly that it could be heard across the ocean to Swanton.”
“...Are you really Damien...?”
Chloe took a step toward him, tears falling from her long eyelashes. It was a stupid thing to say, but she wanted to confirm it through his mouth. The whole place was red as if on fire, with black birds flying in a line, and it was hard to tell if this was reality, a dream, or hell.
“Doesn’t it feel real?”
Damien, who had been staring at her like that, whispered in a low voice.
“Yes...”
Damien smiled slightly as he watched the tears streaming down Chloe's dirt-stained cheeks.
“Did you really think your husband died, leaving you behind?”
"No...!!!"
Damien bit his lip as he looked at Chloe's face, who was glaring and raising her voice only then. His heart pounded in his chest, sending hot blood throughout his body. With every breath, the pain from his wounds multiplied, and with every step he took, his bones felt like they were twisting, but that made him feel alive.
Damien slowly opened his arms toward her. His body and face were flushed from the burning sun. Even though the light wind blew his blond hair that was stained with blood here and there, and even though his entire body was covered in wounds, Damien remained unchanged. His lips, gently drawn in a curve, rose, and his unique, cool, and clear tone of speech flowed out.
“But why aren’t you hugging me right now?”
Chloe, who had been just looking at him with wavering eyes, finally burst into tears. Damien, who ran towards her on limping legs and almost fell over, hugged her tightly in his arms and gave her a deep kiss on the lips.
“From the moment I first saw you, sob... I... prayed, and couldn’t sleep.”
"Yes."
“I broke my cane in the forest, and, oh, I hated it so much, and also, I hated my heart beating so much...”
Chloe sobbed and continued to pour out her confession in an incoherent and unorganized manner. And Damien listened to her stammering words, kissing her eyes and cheeks.
“I see, my love.”
Chloe was even more annoyed by Damien's reaction, which seemed to ignore her words.
“Ugh... But I was the one who got married. If I didn’t like you, I would’ve run away.”
Damien wiped the tears from her eyes with his lips. He leaned in and pressed his hand against the small, pretty bridge of her nose as she spoke, “I’m serious.”
"I know."
Damien whispered with a breathtaking smile.
“Even if you ran away, you would have ended up loving me.”
It was a time when the whole place was dyed in deep sunset. Chloe finally smiled with her face covered in tears.
"No?"
Unable to deny what he said, she kissed him instead of answering.
“...Are you thinking the same thing as me?”
Cromwell, who had been watching the two from afar, suddenly asked Lawrence, who was standing next to him.
“Well, I don’t know what the higher-ups are thinking...”
“Do you really have to do that on a cliff?”
Cromwell, who had been scratching his eyebrows, finally began to trudge through the rising dust to stop them. Behind him, Lawrence Taylor buried his face in his shirt collar and secretly wiped away his tears. Lawrence, who had unintentionally witnessed all the moments of the King’s historic love from the train to Tisse until now, now sincerely wished for his happiness. It seemed that if the King were with the Queen he loved so much, romance could bloom again in this country.
Rattling.
Rattling.
Damien frowned and smiled from the old cart.
“Why are you laughing?”
“It just makes me laugh.”
“If other people saw you, they would say you were crazy.”
After crying her eyes out, Chloe returned to her original form as if nothing had happened and silently poured medicine on his wounds. However, unlike her calm voice, her hands were shaking slightly. Damien felt the urge to kiss her frowning eyelids and licked her lips with his tongue.
“I can’t believe you brought that all the way here.”
“Do you understand now that everything has a use?”
Chloe let out a small gasp as she pressed hard against his wound with a bandage she had taken out of the first aid kit. Damien endured the pain well while she extracted the bullet from the wound twice. Chloe acted even more calmly, recalling what Dr. Wharton had said about not panicking or showing concern in front of a patient in any serious condition.
Damien was more nonchalant than she was. Chloe didn't even notice that his ankle was bleeding from the broken chain, or that three fingers were broken on one side, until they were sitting across from each other in the wagon.
“Do I really need to put a splint on my hand?”
As Chloe glared at him silently, Damien meekly held out his hand and shrugged.
“If you will become my servant, I will gladly do so.”
“I will do my best, so just keep quiet.”
In contrast to her unwavering voice, Chloe's hand that was wrapping the bandage on his hand was shaking silently. Damien watched her quietly and then opened his mouth softly.
“Chloe.”
Chloe didn't raise her head easily. She was pretending that nothing had happened, but Damien knew that the ends of her gaze that scanned his wounded body were shaking painfully.
"Yes...?"
Lawrence, who was riding a horse, blurted out. Damien and Chloe turned their heads and saw the back of someone running away hurriedly into the forest.
“It doesn’t seem like they’re on our side... Who are they?”
“Can they chase after us?”
Lawrence's expression, which had been muttering calmly at Damien's cool voice, became military.
“Just leave it to me!”
Damien narrowed his eyes as he watched the figure running away in a hurry through the forest where darkness was quickly falling. His instincts were whispering to him. The last problem he could not deal with was running away.
Even his subordinates who had supported him until the end were nowhere to be found, leaving Johannes alone. Damien felt only one thing as he watched the miserable end of the one who had lost the throne.
How can I kill more people, more miserably?
Those who evade responsibility are the kind of people he originally despised. On top of that, Johan added one more unforgivable crime. Damien, who was holding the gun, clenched his teeth against the pain in his shoulder.
“Damien, are you okay?”
“Chloe.”
"Yes."
It was a crime to dare insult his woman.
“I have to kill Johan, but I can’t aim properly because of the splint.”
"...Ah."
As soon as she heard Johannes' name, the color drained from Chloe's pale face.
“Can you help me?”
Her lips were parched, and her heart was pounding, but she didn't hesitate for long. She had already hesitated enough, worried about the consequences in advance, and regretted it later.
“Give it to me.”
Chloe held the long gun with her cold hands, which felt even colder. It was the first time she felt so grateful to the Stella couple for letting her join them on their hunt. Damien paused for a moment as Chloe swallowed dryly and placed the gun next to her temple.
He had been about to ask her to take off the splint, but he hadn't expected her to grab the gun. Damien suppressed the smile that was forming on his lips. Chloe Verdier was a woman who knew how to hit him in the back of the head.
“If it seems like too much, then stop.”
Damien came up behind Chloe and whispered, but she couldn't hear him. Only the sound of his heartbeat as she slowly aimed the gun could be heard vividly on Chloe's tense back.
She almost lost this warmth, this breath, this sound of his heart beating hard. Because of a cowardly man who abandoned his duty, abandoned his country, and ran away, useless as a fly swarming over shit!
“No need to rush, Chloe. Just focus on the target and hold your breath...”
Damien continued talking as he watched Johan's trajectory getting further and further away, but he was unable to finish his training.
blbang!
It was Chloe who had clenched her teeth, and her eyes sparkled as she pulled the trigger. Chloe’s eyes froze for a moment, then blinked rapidly.
What did I just do...?
No matter how many times she opened her eyes, the scenery in her field of vision did not change. Almost at the same time as the gunshot, the person who had fallen down showed no sign of getting up.
“Wow... You are amazing!!! Your Majesty, the Queen!!!”
Chloe dropped her gun and gasped for breath as Lawrence, who was leading the carriage, opened his eyes wide and shouted loudly. Other subordinates, including Cromwell, followed suit, taking stock of the situation and riding their horses.
“Ah... haha...”
Damien buried his face in the nape of her neck, so hard that his nose was pressed against it, and laughed out loud. Who would have thought that she would knock Johannes, who had insulted her so viciously, and shoot him down with a bullet hole? Damien, who had been shaking his shoulders, finally lifted his face and bit his lips with a satisfied expression. Chloe’s trembling appearance was clearly captured in his shining blue eyes.
“Is this how you confirm that you couldn’t give me a gift?”
Damien whispered to her with a sweet, honey-dripping gaze, frowning nicely. He acknowledged that the greatest fortune he had ever had was that the woman in front of him was his woman.
“I, I...”
Chloe couldn't continue her words. She tried to say something, but her voice wouldn't come out anymore. Finally, all the tension disappeared, and her eyes closed. Damien's voice, whispering as he held her in his arms as she collapsed, echoed through her ears and into her heart.
“I love you, Chloe.”
I love you with all my soul.
***
Epilogue. Prisoner of Love
"To my beloved sister Chloe
It's been three months since my sister returned to Swanton. I couldn't help but laugh when I saw the photo that was featured in the newspaper. I think there's probably only one King in the history of the kingdom of Swanton who showed his affection so openly to his wife at her coronation.
My sister tried to smile, but I could feel the panic in your eyes through the photo, and I could guess exactly what the situation was.
And what about the title that is written large in the center?
'Queen Swanton, who was thought to be dead, served as a bridge for diplomacy with the principality for two years.'
Erno crumpled the newspaper on the spot, but who knows? He must have felt so good about suing.
The horror stories from Mount Trilobi have all come to me from my secret sources here.
I'm careful to tell my sister, but it's true that my husband hid Johannes. Erno was sure he would ruin Swanton. But he said he couldn't forgive him for doing something "crazy" (excuse me for slightly softening Erno's words) on his sacred ground.
I think it's probably not a lie, since he's a person with considerable pride in his territory. Even so, I can't forgive him for putting your sister and brother-in-law in danger in Guinevis... If you accept it, I will also humbly apologize as the Queen of the duchy.
Dear Chloe, I just want to add this in case you worry too much about me. We fight like fire, but we can't stand each other without each other, so don't worry too much about my marriage.
Sometimes I wonder if God is showing me an example in return for my dreams of passionate and fateful love.
Now that my story is over, I'll tell you about my father, who arrived here not long ago.
With both of her daughters now Queens, her shoulders were full of strength, and he was so happy. I could clearly see my father shedding tears at my older sister's coronation.
What about Mrs. Talbot, who came on the trip with us? My aunt always looked down on my father, saying he was incompetent. But now, seeing her keeping her mouth shut like a clam and watching my father's face, I think my sister must have laughed inside.
Of course, I laughed out loud.
My father said he would spend the rest of his life going back and forth between Swanton and here, enjoying the pleasure of seeing his grandchildren. It's a good thing he doesn't have to keep saying that he has to go to my mother's side whenever he gets a chance.
Oh, right. Mrs. Talbot said that my sister's mother-in-law, Princess Priscilla, is a bit... talkative. Are you okay?
I wonder if my sister will have to worry about explaining what happened. If I were you, I could either swear at Erno's family or turn my back on him, saying I'm tired and going to bed. But since my sister doesn't have that kind of personality, I'm worried that you might have a hard time with your in-laws.
I hope that His Majesty, who is very thorough, will use his wits to keep my sister as far away as possible. I will end here.
From Alice, who is gradually growing up"
Chloe smiled silently as she folded the letter from Alice and put it in the box. She felt like she would be sad if Alice really became wise.
“Hey, you don’t even show your nose when I tell you to come?”
Chloe blinked and quickly got up at the sound of Priscilla's voice coming from behind her. Priscilla, who was already ready to leave, strode across the room with her attendant.
“Mother, you said you were leaving in three days, right?”
Chloe was taken aback by the sudden news, but Priscilla paid no attention. She took out a jewel from the jewel box that the servant was holding and called her.
“Come here and take a look, Chloe.”
Chloe approached silently and stuck her face out. Priscilla continued speaking, alternately trying on the ornate diamond earrings and the blue sapphire earrings.
“Damien is so worried about the castle. Whenever I’m not around, he has a headache trying to find someone to properly manage the castle. So I guess I have to go. Damien said he’d definitely find a good butler because he was worried about me, but who in the world is more attached to the castle than its original mistress? I’ll probably have a mountain of chores to take care of when I go this time.”
“Shall I come with you and help you out a little?”
Chloe asked Priscilla, who had put on the diamond earrings. If the pile of chores at Tisse had piled up over the past two years, Chloe couldn’t just sit by and watch. Priscilla looked at her serious expression, sighed briefly, and waved her fingers sideways in the air.
“Can you please look to the left?”
When she turned her face, Priscilla nodded after finishing putting on a pair of gorgeous earrings.
“It suits you better than me.”
Priscilla let out a short sigh with a satisfied expression on her face.
“Take it.”
Chloe caught her with a flustered hand as she spun around like the wind.
“I have so many jewels from my mother.”
The precious jewels that filled Chloe's jewelry box were things that Priscilla cherished like her own children. Priscilla sighed as if she was frustrated, looking at Chloe, who was in a difficult position.
“There has never been a Queen as frugal as you in the history of the kingdom. The country also saves face. Your sister was wearing all kinds of good things from head to toe, but you don’t feel wronged. Yes? Since Swanton has less money in the treasury than the duchy, does that mean the King’s ability is different? It’s not like the Queen’s looks and brains are lacking either.”
As Priscilla spoke, she became more and more excited, and Chloe, not knowing what expression to make, simply kept her mouth shut. The subtle skill of making it impossible to accept a compliment as just a compliment seemed to be hereditary. Chloe decided to calm her down first and obediently tried to please her.
“Mother. There will be an event to commemorate the opening of the theater in two weeks. Should I wear this then?”
As Alice had feared, Priscilla was quite talkative. However, right after Chloe returned to Swanton, she hugged Chloe tightly with tears in her eyes, and did not ask her anything about the story that had been going on. At first, she thought someone had been keeping her quiet, but Priscilla was not the type to keep her mouth shut just because someone told her not to. Even if it was her son.
“That’s a good idea. There’s going to be a lot of crowds, you know. Have you decided on a dress?”
Priscilla's eyes sparkled with interest.
“I’m thinking about wearing the black dress that my mother said was pretty. I think I won’t look so pale if I wear a cream coat over it.”
“Pale, that’s not the right word to use. Your skin is just as transparent as milk.”
“Ah... Well, I guess I am a bit like that.”
When Priscilla became serious, Chloe smiled awkwardly. After confirming that she wasn’t denying it, Priscilla nodded with a satisfied expression and said goodbye to Chloe.
“It’s cold outside. Don’t come out.”
“Mother. I think I should go to Tisse Castle and stay there for a while to help you...”
Priscilla, who had been patting Chloe on the back, pulled away and looked at her blankly before shaking her head.
“You are really going to ruin my son’s life.”
No, Mother. Am I the one who is really rotten inside? Chloe barely managed to keep her words from rising to the tip of her tongue. Aside from the fact that her arms were bending inward, she still felt a great sense of guilt about leaving Priscilla without saying goodbye.
“I’m sorry, Mother.”
“You don’t have to apologize to your parents.”
Priscilla cut her off. Chloe swallowed dryly as her throat suddenly felt hot. If there was one other thing the elusive Princess had in common with Damien, it would be this.
“Isn’t it natural for children to cause trouble for their parents?”
The point is that because of her attitude of not doubting what she says, she unintentionally moves others. Priscilla continued, watching the area around her eyes turn red.
“Your mother and father would have said the same thing.”
The door opened wide, and the sound of familiar footsteps was heard, so Chloe quickly wiped away the tear stains.
“Did you come back again because you missed your mother?”
Damien smiled as he hugged Priscilla affectionately.
“Yes, Mother. I don’t think we had such a long goodbye, even when I went off to war. I’m a little jealous.”
“I was just trying to dissuade the Queen from going to Tisse Castle with me.”
“Why don’t you go together?”
Priscilla glared at Damien, who opened his mouth calmly, without any ill will.
“Your Majesty does not wish to abandon state affairs and go back and forth between Tisse, so I will leave alone.”
"Haha."
Damien laughed out loud. Priscilla, who still felt chills when she thought of her son when he lost Chloe, shivered involuntarily. She could say it was a joke now, but she never imagined that Damien would make her parents so upset all at once. Well, it can't be helped that he's sincere to a woman like his father.
“Are you cold, Mother?”
Chloe, who didn't know anything, quickly told the attendant to bring her the cape. Damien said as he escorted Priscilla out the door.
“I’ll be visiting Tisse soon with Chloe. We need to enjoy the winter festival together.”
“I think the Tisse people will really like it.”
“Yes. I think I’ll be very busy from now on, as I have a lot to do.”
Priscilla nodded as she looked at her son. Damien, standing next to his wife, certainly felt secure. She felt a sense of ease that even his parents could not give him.
“It’s good to be busy. You look so much better, Damien.”
After saying goodbye, Priscilla got into the carriage with the guidance of her servants and maids and left the castle with a relieved expression. Chloe felt a little strange as she watched the carriage powerfully exiting the long entrance of the Rose Castle.
“Why is your expression like that?”
“It’s just... something feels awkward.”
"What?"
Damien asked why as he walked with his arm around her shoulder. Chloe thought for a moment and then opened her mouth softly.
“It was the same at Verdier Castle and at Tisse Castle, I always played the role of welcoming and seeing off guests, but here, somehow, it was a bit more...”
It was because both her father, who had left not long ago, and Priscilla, who was leaving now, seemed to have a cautious attitude.
“Do people somehow act like guests?”
Chloe nodded, her lips still pressed together as Damien hit the nail on the head.
“Yes. It seems like they’re feeling a bit uncomfortable.”
“It’s natural to be polite to the Queen. And you’re the master of this place. Even if they’re your parents, it’s natural to be mindful of the lord’s feelings.”
“Strictly speaking, this is her castle.”
The small castle that Priscilla received when she was a Princess was renovated and transformed into a beautiful palace after it became Damien's property. Furthermore, every single item in the palace was owned by the King. It was Swanton's law.
“I dedicate this castle to you.”
Chloe paused for a moment at his addition, shaking her head.
“...When?”
“On paper, you abandoned me for a while, but I made up my mind long before that.”
Chloe stood on the steps, looking at the man whose appearance alone made it impossible to tell what was inside him. A few strands of her hair blew across her flushed cheeks in the blowing winter wind.
“Aren’t you going to ask me sometime?”
“...I think I know somehow.”
“When is that?”
“When you first invited me to the party here, wasn’t it?”
Damien smiled with satisfaction. His white breath was carried by the wind. When he sent her the invitation with the birch seal, he had already decided that she would be the master of this castle.
“Then do you know what I wanted to do at that time, in this place?”
It was a night when lanterns hung on the beech trees, sparkling everywhere. It was the night when Chloe Verdier was invited to a party for the first time in her life. Chloe nodded as she recalled the moment when she stopped walking down the endless stairs, arm in arm, just like now.
"Yes."
You would have wanted to kiss me.
“Do it. You.”
The world's cruelest romantic narrowed his eyes at her. As he descended the five steps, Chloe's gaze was now slightly above him. Chloe met his gaze without saying a word.
Beneath the blonde hair that seemed like it would slip through her fingers if she touched it, those mysterious blue eyes that made people fall for her were the same as back then, when they made Chloe's heart pound.
“Many eyes are watching.”
“So, I want more.”
Damien lifted his chin and smiled at Chloe. His lips were half-open and turned upwards, forming a curve. Chloe savored the tension of the moment for a moment. Everyone around him held their breath, so it was quiet. She could even feel the dilated pupils blinking as they watched the King, standing below the Queen, looking for a kiss.
Damien also enjoyed Chloe's little provocations. Maybe he had been waiting for this moment, the moment when he would come face to face with someone who could make him shed all his dignity.
Damien slowly closed his eyes. Chloe cutely didn’t come closer until he counted to five in his head. Just when he was about to feel his patience reach its limit, he felt warm body heat on his face. She cupped his cold cheek with her slender fingers and kissed him.
Damien let out a breath of laughter and excitement as their lips met. Contrary to his expectations that she would give him a careful, feather-like kiss, it was a deep, sweet kiss like chocolate that made his head spin.
The sound of her heart beating so fast that it felt like it was going to burst resonated through his body. Damien, as if encouraging her to muster up the greatest courage of her life, pressed her slender waist even closer to him and returned the kiss, making the eyes of those who saw it burn. Chloe’s cheeks, filled with a heat that even the cold wind could not cool down, turned a peach color.
When their lips finally parted, Damien lifted her up and hugged her gently. In the sky that had been warm for a moment, small ice crystals were falling. The first snow fluttered over Damien’s hair as he strode toward the castle, holding his wife in his arms.
***
The year has changed, and the social season has returned to the Kingdom of Swanton. It is early summer, and roses are in full bloom in the palace. Every night, the noble men and women of marriageable age dance until their shoes are worn out at parties.
Love was not the exclusive domain of the high and mighty. Every day, new lovers were born throughout the kingdom, creating their own secret history.
The love of the people for the royal couple, who were a typical example of a couple who overcame social differences, was special. The popular novel that someone with a bright mind adapted from their story sold out as fast as it appeared on the shelves of bookstores.
“There were not many women who could resist the flame of passion that burned in his eyes as he came through the window. Ayla barely resisted the urge to be warmly embraced by his arms, which seemed to be showering her with kisses with their eyes, and maintained her pride as a low-class noble. And she spat out words as thorny as a proud red rose. You will have to learn how to propose again, Duke.”
Chloe, who was reading a book on a boat that was gently rocking on the river, sighed and put the book down. She just didn't have the courage to read any more.
“Keep going.”
Damien's lips, lying long on her lap, gently turned upward.
"No, I do not want."
“Why, it’s funny.”
“After this, the Duke is acting like a scoundrel.”
The summer sunlight shone beautifully on the river. The sight of dozens of water birds leisurely grooming their feathers was peaceful. It was the royal couple’s vacation season.
“Ah. So you’re saying that it hurts your feelings because I’m portrayed as worse than I really am?”
Chloe evaded the ridiculous question by putting two grapes from the picnic basket in his mouth. In fact, there was another reason why she had stopped reading. The author, Madame Dutton, had passionately described their lovemaking, comparing it to food, and if she had read it out loud, it would have burned her whole body. Damien picked up the book beside her, enjoying the refreshing taste of grapes bursting in his mouth.
“Do you really want to know how I propose? The moment the Duke approached her, brushing his lips with his thumb, Ayla realized. She was going to be this man’s complete captive tonight.”
Chloe opened her eyes wide from eating grapes. She tried to snatch the book from Damien's hand, but he skillfully avoided her hand, so she was unable to win.
“Give it to me, quickly.”
As her face turned bright red, Damien's clear voice grew louder.
“Like a violin with a broken string, a sudden moan escaped her lips, haha... This is driving me crazy, Chloe.”
Chloe struggles to get the book from him and ends up dropping the kingdom's best-selling book, Prisoner of Love, into the river.
“Ah, what should I do...!”
Damien raised his upper body, crossed his arms, and took off his loose muslin shirt in one motion. He threw it into the boat like a man from the market, and quickly closed and opened one eye.
“Don’t do it, Damien...!”
Chloe, who had guessed what he was going to do, raised her voice, but it was already too late. Damien jumped into the river, threw the wet book onto the boat, and smiled at her while hanging his arms on the boat.
“Come up quickly.”
“Does this mean I should go back to the castle soaking wet, all by myself?”
Chloe furrowed her eyebrows and pretended to glare at him, but Damien only smiled even brighter.
“Don’t they think I got into a huge fight with the Queen and got pushed off the boat?”
That's ridiculous. A laugh escaped Chloe's lips.
“Come quickly. I feel good.”
She glanced around, then finally let out a deep breath. Damien whistled softly as she dropped her dress from under a large, rose-shaped, lace-trimmed umbrella.
Damien carefully removed the brace and set it aside, looking at Chloe, who was barely able to keep her balance on the rocking boat. When Chloe, who had been hesitant, pinched her nose and almost dove into the water, he was surprised and had to dive in quickly. Several water birds flapped their wings in surprise and flew away.
“Haa... Haa...”
Chloe, who had emerged from the water, was breathing heavily in Damien's arms, her mouth wide open.
“It really... really feels good.”
“I told you so.”
Damien's hands never stopped as they moved her wet hair over her round forehead.
“It’s really embarrassing to think what the guards might think.”
“I guess the royal couple couldn’t stand the heat.”
The blue eyes, which had been filled with light, completely captured Chloe, who was smiling faintly. No, perhaps it was she who was trapped. Damien cupped Chloe’s cheeks and opened his mouth as if whispering.
“Chloe.”
“I love you, too.”
Damien swallowed her lips, which were the first to speak. Today, it would be nice to just love without any plans. As the wet clothes flew away one by one and settled on the boat, the two became bolder and more honest. Damien and Chloe smiled, their foreheads touching, in front of each other, who had finally revealed themselves perfectly in their original form, throwing away their status and prestige.
It was a time when their secret stories grew as hot as the intense summer sunlight.
<The main story is complete, to be continued in the side story>
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