Chapter 3.2
“Livie, what did you say?”
He tilted his head, looking completely confused. In the end, Livie raised her head and shouted.
“I’m exhausted! I want to rest! You beast-like… Do you think I’m like you? My back hurts, my hips hurt, my head hurts!”
Livie suddenly poured out her pent-up frustrations. As she spoke, she realized that riding an unfamiliar horse and going through various events, coupled with her tension, had left her back, hips, and entire body aching.
“Sorry. Does it hurt a lot?”
Boris’s face quickly filled with shock. He then removed his gloves and began gently rubbing Livie’s waist with his hand.
As his large, warm hands moved over her, Livie let out groans of pain. No matter how accustomed she was to running around like a wild foal, today’s events had already exceeded her physical limits.
“And… and.”
Livie, her face red, struggled to continue her words, finally mustering the courage to speak.
“I need to go to the bathroom.”
Boris miraculously understood her tiny whisper. He pulled the reins, and the horse, which had been galloping quickly, stopped abruptly.
“Ugh.”
Due to the sudden halt, Livie’s body was thrown toward Boris by the momentum.
“Ouch.”
Livie let out a small cry as she collided with Boris’s steel-like body.
“Sorry, Livie.”
Boris hurriedly rubbed her cheek, checking to see if she was hurt.
“I’m fine.”
When Livie shook her head, he smiled in relief.
“We’ll rest here. Set up camp.”
Watching Boris raise his hand and give orders, Livie let out an invisible sigh of relief.
***
In an instant, firewood was gathered, flames were lit, and tents were pitched. Watching the scene, Livie darted her eyes around diligently.
After relieving herself and sitting near the campfire to soak in the warmth, she finally felt a bit better. The spot Boris had prepared for her in the campsite was far cozier than she had imagined. The soft blanket laid over a pile of grass allowed her to rest her sore hips after enduring the hard saddle. Just that was enough to make her feel slightly alive again.
But her appearance was a mess.
Her pale cream-colored hair, which had been neatly braided and pinned up in the morning, was now tangled beyond repair. The pins that had held her hair in place were nowhere to be seen, leaving her hair disheveled and wild. It was due to the wind she faced while riding the galloping horse and the various events she had gone through with Boris.
She tried running her fingers through her hair, but they got stuck halfway through, refusing to move any further.
Her face must have been a wreck too. She didn’t need a mirror to know—she felt as though she had aged ten years overnight.
The situation below her face wasn’t much better.
The wedding dress she wore beneath the cloak Boris had draped over her had lost its fullness after he tore it apart, but its original grandeur remained. The elaborate embroidery and jewels adorning the chest and cuffs of the ceremonial attire seemed laughable in this situation. Combined with her bird’s nest-like hair, she truly looked like a madwoman.
Livie rolled up the long, dangling sleeves and let out a deep sigh.
Her clothes felt unbearably heavy. They weren’t exactly practical for the current circumstances. If she were to try escaping, it would be impossible to do so in this dress.
The same went for her shoes. Instead of her original heels, she now wore oversized leather boots that were far too big for her feet. Livie wiggled her toes hidden inside the large boots. If she tried running in these, she’d trip and fall within a few steps, dragging the cumbersome dress along with her.
Livie reached out and touched the long hem of her dress. Even though Boris had torn off nearly half of it, the dress still had an excessive amount of unnecessary embellishments. It wasn’t designed for running through forests, after all.
Lace, frills, and intricate gold embroidery adorned the dress. As a ceremonial outfit, the fabric itself was heavy, and the multiple layers added to its weight. It was cumbersome even for the wearer, let alone the person who had carried her effortlessly.
‘How strong is he?’
He had lifted her with one arm. It wasn’t as if he had exerted all his strength. It was a simple, easy gesture, like turning a page in a book. Remembering how Boris had walked effortlessly with her slung over his shoulder, Livie felt her vision blur again.
What if he came after me if I managed to escape?
‘Would I be crushed like a bug?’
Somehow, she felt he was capable of doing just that. The thought sent shivers down her spine.
‘Am I really going to be dragged away like this?’
The situation was dire for her to attempt escaping on foot. Earlier, when she had ventured into the forest to relieve herself, she had scanned the surroundings. But the idea of running away through this dark forest, wearing this dress and these shoes, was unimaginable.
Livie sighed deeply again, letting her forehead rest on her knees.
“……”
Feeling a gaze on her, Livie cautiously lifted her head. She saw knights moving around, their movements swift and precise.
As the knights removed their dark helmets one by one, their faces were revealed. Contrary to her expectations of rugged and burly appearances, there were youthful and delicate faces among them. They seemed to be relatively young knights.
The knights glanced at her as they passed by. Livie could sense the deep curiosity in their eyes.
Although Boris’s orders prevented them from speaking to her or approaching her, their curiosity was hard to conceal entirely.
Livie didn’t need to ask to know how she appeared in their eyes.
A bride kidnapped by their knight commander on her wedding day. Practically his property now.
She assumed they were looking at her with clear mockery. But the glances she caught from the knights were slightly different.
They looked at her as if she were some strange, fascinating creature. Wondering if her appearance was really that amusing, Livie raised her long sleeves to wipe her face.
As time passed, the smell of meat skewered on sticks and dripping with oil filled the air around them.
Worried that the scent might attract wild animals, the knights took turns standing guard.
Livie observed the knights more closely. Among them were knights with delicate features, but there were also those whose scars told stories of their battles.
One knight, whose scar stretched from the corner of his eye to his lips, seemed to be Boris’s close aide. His expressionless face exuded a chilling aura, yet he was endlessly respectful toward Boris.
Even though he appeared older than Boris, he addressed him with honorifics and called him “Commander.”
Livie shifted her gaze to Boris, watching him anew.
Boris was moving around the campsite, issuing various orders. Livie found his demeanor both unfamiliar and intriguing.
Most of all, what stood out was his expressionless face—a stark contrast to the one that had been crying or grinning at her just moments ago. Now, he looked entirely unrecognizable.
His previously moist eyes had turned emotionless, and the smile that had adorned his face was gone, replaced by a stoic countenance.
Moments ago, when they had been on the horse together, she had thought he hadn’t changed much from his childhood, despite his larger frame. But now, it was clear he had become an entirely different person.
Livie curled up tightly, continuing to observe him. Perhaps sensing her gaze, Boris suddenly turned around.
“……”
Startled, Livie quickly looked away. She didn’t know why, but the thought of meeting his gaze frightened her. Boris no longer felt like the person she once knew.
“Livie?”
The sound of footsteps approached, growing louder. Boris walked toward her with long strides, quickly closing the distance she thought was far.
Livie found even that surprising.
He had been shorter than her once.
Now, he was a man with broad shoulders and solid muscles, seemingly three times her size.
If there was anything that hadn’t changed since his childhood, it was his delicate features.
As he came closer, his dark shadow engulfed her completely. He stood there for a while. Livie, who had been avoiding his gaze all along, finally lifted her head slowly.
He stood there, looking down at her silently.
Boris’s expression had returned to the boyish face she was familiar with. The transformation was so extreme it was almost shocking.
Which face was his true self?
Livie unconsciously scooted back in her seat. Boris’s gaze followed her movement slowly.
“Are you hungry?”
At his low question, she said nothing, only hugging her knees closer.
“Eat.”
Boris plopped down next to Livie and handed her a roasted leg of an animal cooked over the campfire. Judging by its shape, it looked like rabbit, but Livie wasn’t in the mood to grab it and eat enthusiastically.
He opened a leather pouch and took out jerky, dried fruits, and other snacks, placing them in front of her. Livie stared at them quietly and shook her head.
For some reason, it felt wrong to accept such things and eat ravenously in this situation.
After all, she was a kidnapped bride.
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Aelthia
Why is she so upset about being kidnapped? She didn’t want to marry the guy? Does she think she alone can prevent a war? She is beginning to frustrate me, she should at least communicate to him her concerns, afterall, he’s a friend she spent a lot of time with.