Chapter 1 (Part 8)

When she returned home, her shoulders were slumped, and she had no strength. Feeling the dress clinging to her sweat, she went into the bathroom. Drip, drip, water fell from the faucet. Burning her father’s letter hadn’t relieved her suffocation. As she blankly watched the dripping water, tears suddenly flowed down her cheeks. She wasn’t particularly sad, but tears came out strangely. Perhaps it was from the injustice and the agony of being left alone. Finally, she buried her face in her hands.

‘I resent him.’

Cardin’s presence had slightly changed her mood, but now she was back to the way she was. To a damp, dark, hopeless life. The brief happiness seemed futile, and her heart became desolate. Tears continued to fall. No matter how much she wiped them, they flowed with the sweat. The damp, oppressive atmosphere suffocated her.

Eventually, she turned the water on full blast. Washing her face with cold water somewhat calmed her mind. 

When she left the bathroom, the bed was the first thing she noticed. Cardin was sitting on it, shirtless, applying herbs to his right arm. She sat silently beside him. She felt Cardin’s gaze before a gentle breeze blew. As she slowly turned her head, she saw a fan in his hand. He smiled brightly. For a moment, her mind went blank. For that moment, she thought of nothing, not even her father. A tear fell. Cardin seemed to furrow his eyebrows before suddenly moving next to her.

“Are you okay?”

Without thinking, she leaned against his chest. Anyway, Cardin would leave forever once he regained his memory. At this moment, she wanted to lean on him. Feeling the sense of stability she had felt earlier. She could feel Cardin inhaling. His chest noticeably rose.

“What happened?”

His voice was low. As if he was holding something back.

“I hate my father.”

She looked up at him. Tears flowed down her cheeks, but she spoke anyway.

“I wish my father didn’t exist in this world at all.”

He seemed to harden his gaze before calmly responding.

“Me too.”

Their eyes met, and for a moment, their breaths intertwined. Cardin’s scent stirred her heart. It smelled like the forest, like the scent trees emit in the late evening darkness. She wanted to lean on him like a tree, to entrust herself to his body. She wished he could completely calm her chaotic heart. 

As she watched silently, his breath became slightly rougher. As his exhale faltered slightly, Cardin’s lips touched hers in an instant. His large hand brushed her ear and completely enveloped her cheek. His soft lips nibbled on her upper lip, and Cardin’s tongue slipped between her parted lips. 

Experiencing such a sensation for the first time, she tried to turn her head, but his hand stopped her. Cardin’s tongue touched deeply and then slowly withdrew. As she heard his rough breathing, his tongue explored her mouth. His tongue moved violently, wrapping around the base of her tongue. His persistent breath spread around. Excitement gradually rose. Her chest heaved, and a strange sensation spread below. His breath also became increasingly rough. 

Each time their lips met, his firm body naturally pressed against hers, pushing her back. She was becoming breathless. His body enveloping hers, the sudden kiss—everything was new. What comes next? Suddenly frightened, she pushed against Cardin’s shoulder. He slowly withdrew his lips. Amidst the heated breaths, tears flowed. Why on earth had he kissed her? Cardin calmly watched her and wiped her tears with his thumb.

“Was I too hasty?”

His voice was unusually low. She shook her head. Perhaps the problem was her feelings. No, it was the incident her father caused that was the fundamental issue. Cardin said nothing more and hugged her. His gently enveloping body was warm, as if it was comforting her heart. Leaning on his shoulder for a long time, she finally spoke.

“I don’t dislike you. It’s just….”

She was about to say she was afraid, but Cardin continued.

“As long as you don’t dislike me, that’s enough.”

“…….”

“For now, that’s enough.”

She didn’t dare ask what he meant. The hot breath on her neck, the strength of his arms around her, the firmness against her thigh already told her. Perhaps she had anticipated it since their lips met, but she couldn’t believe this reality and only exhaled for a long time.

*   *   *

Cardin looked around at the sword engraved with a dragon emblem. It was from the black vest lined with iron.

“Young Master, it’s too much to handle alone.”

“If too many people move, they’ll notice. Besides, I want to punish the Hurrick family with my own hands.”

A memory suddenly surfaced, lodged in his mind like a fragment. The Hurrick family. It seemed it wasn’t Brienne’s fault since he hadn’t mentioned her by name.

‘Was it really her father’s fault?’

Cardin looked down at Brienne with a firm gaze. Her clear lips stood out. The kiss they shared was enchanting, and the heat rising in his heart hadn’t subsided. When Brienne said she didn’t dislike him, he even felt relieved. Kill. That’s what was written on the paper. Perhaps he had come here intending to punish them himself. That’s why he felt Brienne was hiding something in a strange way. Cardin gently brushed aside the hair slightly covering her forehead and looked down at her face intently. Her pure and clear face showed no signs of vile evil.

‘The father must have done wrong.’

He was almost certain now. He thought Brienne’s hatred for her father was because of such things. As soon as he thought that, a smile naturally formed on his lips. He gently kissed Brienne’s cheek. As he lifted his head, a shadow passed by the kitchen window. The shadow stopped at the window near the door. Cardin picked up the sword and went outside. It was quiet outside. There was no one visible near the kitchen window. Then a rustling sound echoed. Cardin immediately threw the sword in that direction.

“Ugh.”

With a short scream, the sound of someone quickly fleeing was heard. He tried to catch them, but the person seemed to know the mountain paths well and had already disappeared without a trace. Cardin picked up the sword that had fallen to the ground. Blood stained the tip of the sword. He wiped the blood on a nearby tree and looked at the dark forest. It felt as if an intruder had entered his space, leaving him with a foul mood.

*   *   *

Romseed Village. 

Luten gritted his teeth as he listened to Dottis’s words. Still, his anger didn’t subside. He punched the pile of herbs in front of him. With a strong impact, the herbs scattered and were crushed. Luten didn’t care, trembling his fist.

“She even slept with a man?”

Dottis had said. Brienne was on the bed with a tall man. Then the sound of a door creaking open echoed. Without even looking at the door, Luten irritably shouted.

“The shop is closed, please leave!”

But there was no sound of the door or footsteps. Unable to contain his anger, Luten turned around and shouted.

“I said go…!”

His voice crumbled weakly at the end. A well-dressed person was standing there. The person was dressed entirely in black, and even at a glance, their clothes shone. Moreover, an emblem of a family crest was visible on their arm. A dragon holding an emerald—an emblem not seen in such a place. Luten swallowed hard. The man’s gaze was firm, clearly indicating he was not someone Luten could deal with.

“What brings you here?”

His voice trembled slightly. The man looked around before slowly speaking.

“I’m looking for someone.”

The man showed him a picture. The person was strikingly handsome, to the point where even Luten thought he looked manly.

“Have you seen this person?”

Luten shook his head but then narrowed his eyes. It was the same person who had choked him before. Green eyes and black hair. The man quickly realized and spoke.

“Where is he?”

Luten looked up in surprise. As he remained speechless, the man pulled a pouch from his pocket and tossed it.

“If you tell me where he lives, I’ll pay you more than that.”

Luten’s eyes widened as he hurriedly examined the pouch. It was money he could only earn after working here for three months.

“This, this….”

As Luten stammered in shock, the man spoke calmly.

“Tell me accurately. Then you’ll receive the exact value.”

His mind raced quickly. If he revealed Brienne’s house, he could receive a huge amount of money. Besides, it was clear from looking at this man that the other man would soon leave with them. In that case, Brienne would soon part with the man and be alone. Luten already disliked that man. He had tried to kill him and even slept with Brienne. And judging by the man in front of him, the person with Brienne was undoubtedly from a noble family.

‘Brienne is making a foolish mistake.’

A vile smile spread across his lips. Just then, the man in black turned around. Luten quickly spoke up.

“I know where he is.”

The man in black turned back. Luten smiled greedily.