Kallian spoke with a stern expression. 

Elliope looked down hastily at her body. 

“Ah.” 

Only then did she notice that the fabric of her dress had been torn in a long gash along her thigh. 

‘I didn’t notice it before – I was too distracted.’ 

It made sense. Moments ago she had barely escaped with her life alongside Kallian. The adrenaline that had surged through her during their desperate flight from death had finally subsided, leaving her acutely aware of the stinging sensation that followed. 

‘An arrow.’ 

It seemed that one of the arrows aimed at her earlier had grazed her. 

Still, it wasn’t a serious wound. Most of the deadly arrows had been blocked by Kallian. 

Nearby, the large shield Kallian had carelessly thrown to the ground was riddled with what appeared to be dozens of arrows. The sheer weight of the embedded arrows was staggering. 

‘At least it didn’t pierce or cut deeply.’ 

The wound was more like a sharp, shallow scratch, like the sensation of being nicked by the edge of a piece of paper. 

Despite its small size, the wound made its presence known, demanding attention far beyond what would be expected for such a minor injury. 

Though it wasn’t serious enough to stop her walking, Elliope just shook her head. 

“I’m fine…” 

Before she could even finish her sentence, Kallian suddenly closed the distance between them. 

“…Your Grace!” 

Without warning, he slid his thick arm under her knees and lifted her effortlessly into his arms. 

“Wait – Your Grace!” 

Elliope, now cradled in Kallian’s embrace, kicked her legs in protest. But he paid no heed to her struggles, striding forward with firm determination. 

“I can walk by myself!”

“Stay still.” 

“Your Grace, stop this and put me down…” 

“Seor sometimes uses poisoned arrows.”

At Kallian’s words, Elliope stopped struggling. 

‘Poison.’ 

If that was true, she might die the same way she had barely escaped – barely a day after being revived. 

‘I once thought it might be better to die.’ 

It was with this thought that she had put on her black dress. But now, with the possibility of her death so close, an unexpected wave of resentment washed over her. 

Was she really going to die in vain again? 

‘So meaningless?’ 

A voice whispered in the deepest recesses of her mind. It was a thought that had been buried for a long time, kept deep and hidden. 

‘No.’ 

The fierce refusal startled her. The intensity of her own will to live surprised even herself. 

As if he could read her mind, Kallian murmured.

“The more you move, the faster the poison spreads.” 

“……” 

She already knew that. That was how she had died in her previous life. 

Suddenly she was aware of Kallian’s presence. She felt embarrassed, as if she was the only one replaying moments with him in her mind. 

Kallian’s unreadable gaze was fixed on her. It was impossible to tell if he was looking at her with contempt or kindness. 

‘Why doesn’t he look at me like he used to?’ 

If he had looked at her the way he used to – cold and indifferent, as if she were nothing – it would have been easier to understand. If he had looked at her like she was dirt, she would have known where she stood. 

Unaware of her inner turmoil, Kallian stretched his long strides forward and continued to speak. 

“I know this area well. Not far from here there’s a place in the Grand Duke’s domain where we can rest.”

“The more you move, the faster the poison spreads.” 

“…….” 

She already knew that. After all, that was exactly how she had died in her previous life. 

She became more and more aware of Kallian, embarrassed by the way her thoughts kept returning to the moments involving him, as if she were the only one who dwelt on such things. 

Kallian, meanwhile, looked down at her with eyes as unreadable as ever. She couldn’t tell if he despised her or treated her kindly. 

‘Why isn’t that the look I’m used to?’

If he had looked at her the way he used to – with cold indifference, leaving her abandoned and disregarded – it would have been easier to understand. If he had looked at her as if she were dirt, she might have understood. 

Unaware of her inner thoughts, Kallian stretched his long legs and continued walking, his voice calm. 

“I know this area well. The Grand Duke’s stronghold is not far from here.” 

“…….” 

“I’ll get you to a safe place and tend to your wound.” 

True to his word, Kallian navigated the barren, rugged mountain with ease, climbing quickly despite the steep and exposed terrain. 

Elliope, careful to keep her movements to a minimum, clung tightly to him, her arms wrapped around his neck. Her soft br*ast was pressed firmly against his solid one, but she couldn’t bring herself to pull away or push him aside. The last thing she wanted was to move unnecessarily and risk spreading any poison that might have seeped into her wound, just as Kallian had warned. 

Kallian carried her effortlessly up the mountain path, showing no signs of strain. However, when they reached a particularly bumpy part of the path, he adjusted his grip to make sure she didn’t slip, holding her even tighter. 

“Hold on tight.”

“I already am…”

“You need to hold on tighter. Interlocking your fingers is good too.”

Sometimes, when the path became particularly treacherous, Kallian would adjust his hold on Elliope, carrying her in a different way. Wrapping one arm tightly around her waist, he hoisted her over his shoulder as if she were a sack of grain. 

The position, which resembled a kidnapping, created a strange, indescribable feeling in Elliope’s chest. 

When the rough terrain ended, Kallian moved her again, this time cradling her in his arms like a princess. Each time the well-defined muscles of his arms flexed beneath her thighs and around her back, Elliope had to fight the urge to shrink away. 

—

“We’re here.” 

After a rather long climb, the two arrived at a small hut halfway up the mountain. 

The weathered hut showed clear signs of wear from years of use. Outside, large animal hides and strips of jerky hung from drying racks, swaying slightly in the breeze. Nearby, what appeared to be a work area was cluttered with items such as daggers and small axes. 

The hut’s chimney was covered with thick pine branches, cleverly concealing any smoke that might escape. 

Thud. 

Still holding Elliope in his arms, Kallian kicked the door open gently. He stepped inside and set her down gently. 

“…Ah.” 

Elliope shivered slightly. Until now she hadn’t noticed the cold, wrapped in the warmth of Kallian’s body. But once inside the cool interior of the hut, the sudden contrast made her acutely aware of the cold. The sweat she had shed earlier began to cool on her skin, intensifying the chill. 

“…….” 

Kallian noticed without a word. Instead of commenting, he reached for a fur hanging on the wall and handed it to her. 

It was a white fur, though Elliope couldn’t tell what animal it was from. The soft fur was thick and warm, a stark contrast to the cold hut. 

Tick, tick. 

Kallian moved naturally around the hut, carefully looking for a place to set her down and then lighting the fireplace with flint. Watching him, Elliope got the feeling that this was a place he was familiar with – perhaps a hunter’s hut he used regularly. 

Her mind drifted back to the rumours about him. They claimed that he only felt excitement at acts of slaughter, that he not only enjoyed killing people, but also hunting animals. 

“Stay here for a moment.” 

As Elliope thought about these rumours, Kallian quickly stepped outside. 

She sat dazed, almost collapsing into a seat by the fireplace, her gaze fixed on the flickering flames. The yellow light cast by the fire seeped into the worn, creaky interior of the hut, chasing away the shadows that had lingered in every corner. 

The soft texture of the fur she was wrapped in matched the feel of the carpet beneath her. The chill that had lingered in the air began to dissipate. 

“Ha…”

She let out a faint, wry laugh, her thoughts wandering in the warmth that was slowly enveloping her. 

As her body grew more comfortable, a wave of drowsiness crept over Elliope and she let out a faint, self-deprecating chuckle. 

‘Look at you, Elliope, acting like this after all.’ 

Earlier, Kallian had mentioned that the Grand Duke’s stronghold was nearby. It was clear that he hadn’t brought her here to run away with her, but to get her safely to the fortress. 

She looked at the disappointment in her heart and smiled bitterly. 

Perhaps, deep down, she had secretly wished for something else. That Kallian – the man whose feelings towards her were frustratingly ambiguous, whom she couldn’t tell whether he hated her or tolerated her – might… 

That he might just abduct her, take her somewhere far away from everything. 

‘What a ridiculous dream.’

“Damn it, why couldn’t it have been me instead of that wretched Theodor of Ilmos…”

Her thoughts trailed off, frustration and longing tangling inside her like a cruel joke. 

Perhaps it was the words he had whispered in her ear when he had held her in her previous life. 

Those words had led Elliope to a foolish misunderstanding – that perhaps he wanted her, that perhaps he wanted this as much as she did. 

‘…Well, his body certainly responded honestly.’

Elliope shuddered briefly as she remembered the intimidating size of Kallian’s *rousal earlier. Even through his clothes it had been shamelessly obvious, almost excessive. 

The thought that something like that had once entered her body, torn through her most vulnerable places, felt surreal. 

And that she had cried out in ecstasy during such an act – 

‘Good heavens.’ 

The memory left her with a strange mixture of shock and disbelief. 

‘Is this what they mean when they say that the sins we learn late are the most dangerous?’

The old saying echoed in her mind, somehow fitting her current predicament. 

Still, in spite of herself, she had harboured a faint hope – though now the thought of being dragged all the way to the Grand Duke’s estate left her feeling utterly powerless. 

‘Is there really no way out?’ 

The thoughts she had had earlier in the carriage resurfaced, but there was nothing she could do at the moment. She hated the idea of being taken away, but she hated the idea of dying from the poison even more. 

‘There must be some way…’

As she lay frozen in place, lost in her futile thoughts, her body grew increasingly heavy with fatigue. 

‘I must think… I must…’

Her exhausted body, worn out from everything that had happened, was begging for rest. On top of that, she had woken up early this morning because of the commander, leaving her utterly drained.

The warmth from the fire added to her fatigue, and Elliope soon drifted into a light sleep. 

Crack. 

The faint sound of the door opening woke her from her slumber.

The ancient door of the hut creaked once more. 

Even with her eyes closed, Elliope could sense the heavy presence that filled the room – a man whose very existence seemed to add warmth to the room. She could feel him approaching, his steady footsteps coming closer. 

Splash, splash. 

The faint sound of water suggested a stream nearby. She also heard the dull clatter of metal against metal, as if some kind of containers with liquid inside were being banged together. 

“…something.”

Kallian said, his voice low as he addressed her. 

Elliope wanted to lift her head to look at him, but the overwhelming sleepiness pressing down on her eyelids was too strong to resist.

‘Just for a moment…’ 

Her body’s instinct to rest, even for a few minutes, held her in place. 

In the haze of her fading consciousness, she felt the soft fur draped over her being gently removed.

“…Please.” 

Kallian said again, his deep voice breaking the silence. Elliope strained her ears to catch his words, barely clinging to consciousness. 

Rip. 

“……!” 

Her eyes snapped open at the sudden sound. 

“…Your Grace?” 

Kallian held a dagger to her dress, slicing through the fabric near her thigh and tearing it apart.