March 4, 2021
"The Grand Duke’s pursuit is far fiercer than I expected. One wrong move, and we would have been dead."
Fenril laughed melodiously as he pulled back the hood he had been wearing.
"Do you really find this funny right now?"
"We were lucky. That’s worth celebrating, don’t you think?"
"Lucky? You call this lucky?"
James gritted his teeth and thrust out his left arm. An arrow was deeply embedded in his flesh, but Fenril’s expression remained perfectly composed as he looked at it. If anything, he seemed to be in a particularly good mood.
"Of course. A life is worth more than an arm, isn’t it? If losing an arm is the price for survival, I’d say that’s a bargain."
"A bargain? You think this is the time for jokes?"
"Oh, don’t get so worked up. You need to get treated anyway, right? One more wound won’t make much of a difference. Though, I suppose we should remove the arrow before we meet a priest."
"Remove it? How? There’s no doctor here!"
"That’s fine. Fortunately, I happen to be quite skilled at this sort of thing."
Fenril winked and pulled a dagger from his coat. James glanced between Fenril and his own wound, his face growing pale.
"You’re going to treat me?"
"It’s just an arrow removal. Nothing too complicated."
Still smiling, Fenril grabbed James’s arm. James struggled, trying to pull away, but he couldn’t escape the firm grip.
"At least... sterilize it first...!"
"There’s no antiseptic out here. The priest will patch you up later anyway, so for now, we just need to take it out."
"We could build a fire, at least!"
"The Grand Duke’s men might be nearby. We can’t afford to do anything that will draw attention."
"You could just pull it out as it is!"
"I noticed something last time—the arrows used by Schwarhan’s soldiers have a unique design. If you yank it out recklessly, it’ll tear the flesh along with it."
Fenril spoke nonchalantly as he pinned James down.
"Aargh!"
"You’re shaking over something so trivial? You really are a coward."
"Shut... up...!"
"Bear with it. You can’t exactly walk around with an arrow sticking out of you, can you? We’re fugitives, after all."
Fenril chuckled at James’s reddened face and finished removing the arrow. He had done this plenty of times before, so it wasn’t difficult. The only thing he wasn’t used to was the ear-piercing screams.
"If there had been one more arrow, I might’ve gone deaf."
"......."
"Back when I was in Schwarhan, I thought it was just a silly rumor, but it seems it’s true—the empire’s men really are pale and fragile, hardly worth fighting."
"Are you picking a fight with me right now?"
"Of course not. You looked like you were about to freeze up, so I was just trying to lighten the mood."
Fenril shrugged and casually tossed the arrow to the ground. He was still grinning from ear to ear.
"...Aren’t you afraid of the Grand Duke?"
"I know his secret."
"...His secret?"
"Why? Are you curious?"
Fenril’s eyes curved into a soft smile. James merely glared in response. That was all he could do. The bright, cheerful face before him remained an enigma, unreadable.
***
"You can’t do this to me, Your Grace! I am a guest—"
"A guest is welcomed. A fugitive is pursued."
At Cabelenus’s gesture, the soldiers’ blades pressed against Cher’s neck. He clenched his teeth, unable to utter another word.
"Choose. That foolish young lord of yours, or the safety of Roakin."
"I..."
"I should warn you—I’m not a patient man."
Cabelenus took a step closer. Cher instinctively swallowed dryly. He had always considered himself a seasoned warrior, but standing before the Grand Duke of Schwarhan, he felt utterly powerless. Like a child.
"...I will handle it myself."
"Handle it? How?"
"I will capture Fenril Roakin with my own hands and deliver him to Your Grace."
"That hardly sounds like a fair deal. What’s stopping you from running away just like that brat?"
"I will not betray Roakin."
"Words are cheap."
Cabelenus took another step forward. Cher lifted his gaze to meet the gleaming golden eyes in the shadow cast over him. The thin, beast-like pupils only served to reinforce the Grand Duke’s infamous reputation.
"Then what is it that Your Grace wants me to do?"
"Your son is a general of Roakin, is he not? Have him hunt down that foolish young lord."
"I have no son..."
"Trying to hide something only makes it more obvious. Especially when someone enjoys special treatment despite lacking any real backing."
"......."
Cher squeezed his eyes shut under the weight of that piercing gaze. Cold sweat trickled down /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ his spine.
"In the end, the blood of the Roakin lineage runs through his veins as well."
"...You know far too much."
Cher slowly opened his eyes. Cabelenus was already smiling—like a predator eyeing its prey.
"Don’t think of it as a burden. Think of it as an opportunity. You were torn about it anyway, weren’t you?"
"......."
"A child you raised as your own, and the real son who appeared later. Two sons, but only one seat at the table."
"Watch your words."
"Don’t act so noble. You knew you’d have to make a choice eventually."
This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.
Cabelenus turned to Gajev. Without a word, Gajev nodded once before tossing the documents he had been holding directly in front of Cher.
"You’ve done quite a lot behind that young lord’s back ever since you found out who your real son was."
"......."
"Choose wisely. We don’t care about Roakin’s internal disputes. We only take what we need, nothing more."
"......."
"As long as you fulfill our demands, we won’t care if the contract holder changes."
Cher stared blankly at the scattered documents on the floor. Every single thing he had done was written in those pages.
***
Alicia carefully tucked Mikael into bed, making sure he was comfortable before sitting down at the table beside his bed. She had already translated all the writings in the hidden room and compiled them into a book, yet it still wasn’t enough. There were still too many parts she couldn’t fully understand just by reading.
‘It would be faster to meet them in person, but...’
Alicia swallowed dryly and fiddled with the pages of the book. Even Cabelenus had told her it was fine. She even had proof now that the monsters might not be their enemies. Yet, she couldn’t muster the courage to face them. The possibility that they could ruin Mikael’s life had always been her worst fear.
More than anything, Alicia desperately wanted Mikael to live as an ordinary human. But she could no longer afford to cling to desperate wishes. Her body was growing weaker. She had been blacking out more frequently, and her legs often gave out beneath her. She was terrified that someone would notice her condition, so even walking had become a cautious endeavor.
‘Maybe I should at least free him before I die.’
If she grew any weaker, she might not even be able to release Cabelenus’s shackles. Perhaps it was time to abandon false hope and make a practical choice.
‘...But I don’t want to die. I want to live.’
Alicia buried her face in her hands. It felt as if she might break down in tears at any moment, but she refused to cry. She feared that shedding tears would mean accepting defeat, that it would mean she had given up on everything.
‘No. It’s not that I want to live—I will live. No matter what, I will survive.’
The veins on her hands stood out. Even if it was just a sliver of hope, it was enough. If she could survive—if she could stay by the people she loved—then she would do anything.
[...We have finally reached you.]
It was then that a familiar sound of weeping reached her ears. Alicia instinctively raised her head and scanned the room. Then, she froze as she locked eyes with a pair of golden irises.
"No. Don’t touch my child."
[We will not harm. There is no reason to. Only a need. A passage.]
It was Mikael—no, the monster possessing his body. Its voice was sluggish, as though recalling an ancient memory, yet at the same time, it grated like the sound of metal scraping against metal. Alicia bit her lip and slowly stepped toward Mikael.
"Get out of him. Now—"
[Do not. Command.]
"What?"
[We cannot reach. Not unless you will it.]
"What are you talking about? Get out of my son this instant—"
Alicia halted mid-sentence. Thinking back, something similar had happened before. When Mikael had been in her womb, the child had hidden himself because his mother had rejected him.
"...You mean, you couldn’t manifest all this time because I didn’t allow it?"
[We cannot disobey. Your will. We swore it.]
"......."
[This child carries our blood. That is why it is possible. But we still follow your will. If you do not wish it, we cannot reach him.]
"I don’t understand what you’re saying."
Alicia scowled. Even as she spoke, the monster simply gazed at her, unblinking. As if it didn’t want to let her out of its sight for even a moment. Its stare was relentless—obsessive, even. And at the same time, it reminded her of someone.
Alicia clenched her teeth.
***
"...Alicia?"
"......."
"Why are you sleeping out here like this?"
A warm hand brushed against her cheek. Out of habit, Alicia instinctively leaned into the touch. Despite its roughness, the warmth was just as gentle as ever.
"I’ll carry you to bed. You should get more rest if you’re tired."
"I’m fine...."
She murmured in a hoarse voice, burying her face in Cabelenus’s neck. Strangely, sleep was almost impossible to fight off. Her body felt as if she had been working tirelessly all day—utterly exhausted, her eyelids unbearably heavy.
"Don’t push yourself. Sleep with Mikael."
"...Mikael?"
The familiar name jolted her mind awake. Alicia quickly shoved Cabelenus away and looked for Mikael. He was sound asleep in bed, breathing softly.
"......."
"What’s wrong? Did something happen?"
"I... I don’t know if it was a dream or reality...."
Alicia trailed off, her words catching in her throat as she met his golden eyes. She didn’t want to believe it, but the way his irises gleamed—so eerily similar to that of the monster—left her frozen in place.
"Alicia."
"......."
"Tell me. What happened?"
"It’s just..."
Her fingertips trembled. She needed to tell him. She had encountered a monster. But for some reason, the words wouldn’t come out.
His gaze was filled with concern. His touch was cautious, his warmth genuine. There was no reason to doubt his sincerity. And yet, the thought that had crossed her mind when she had faced the monster refused to leave her.
If Cabelenus had been losing his emotions because of the monster’s blood, then maybe...
Maybe it was also because of that same blood that he was capable of feeling anything at all.
And perhaps...
Perhaps Cabelenus didn’t love her.
