3.3

The horse galloped as if it had wings on its legs. Leaving behind the sentry who shouted not to ride horses in the village, he passed the descending iron gate and crossed the drawbridge. Julian’s shadow on horseback shot across the surface of the moat.

Even though the wound in his abdomen burst and pain surged, he couldn’t slow down. His whole body was burning, and sweat poured like rain. Finally, he found Vanessa in front of the large river that ran through the Arenshen Earldom.

“Vanessa!”

Vanessa, who was crossing the middle of the arch bridge, stopped when she heard her name being called. The sight of Vanessa turning slowly was like time had stopped.

He was anxious that she might run away, so he slowly closed the distance. The sound of the horse’s labored breathing and hooves clashing against the cobblestones echoed coldly.

Vanessa greeted Julian with the same coldness as when they first met. Her wary face seemed to silently express that she no longer trusted him. Like he did with Earl Hendrick, he had to apologize to Vanessa first and persuade her to come back with him. But facing her cold face, strangely, he felt an overwhelming anger.

“After helping you, you betray me like this!”

So contrary to his true feelings, harsh words came out of his mouth. Vanessa blushed at the sudden verbal abuse.

“You broke your promise first! You betrayed my trust, yet you cowardly blame someone else?”

“You’re just as cowardly. How could you leave me with just a letter and run away? You abandoned your injured benefactor and fled when I said I couldn’t help you. Don’t you think you’re hypocritical?”

“Don’t make unreasonable arguments! If you hadn’t betrayed me, I wouldn’t have left!”

The tug-of-war of opinions was intense. Neither wanted to back down. He hadn’t intended to fight like this, but the violent impulse paralyzed his reason. Julian sneered at Vanessa, who glared fiercely.

“In the first place, it was your mistake to expect chivalry from a mere mercenary.”

“You shameless rogue!”

When others called him a trashy guy, it didn’t affect him, but the insult from Vanessa was different. It felt like a knife digging into a wound and sprinkling salt on it.

“I almost lost my life trying to save you once, and now you’re asking me to give up everything for your child? Why should I? You can always have more children. Your selfishness is putting us in danger!”

“Have more children? Where in the world is there such irresponsible talk? Robin can’t be replaced by anyone!”

At those words, Julian unknowingly felt a strong animosity toward a child he had never seen. They say the first thing a new leader of a pack does is kill the cubs that aren’t his own.

He knew telling her to forget her son was contradictory. But even if Robin was precious to Vanessa, to him, Robin was just an annoying hindrance.

In the twisted situation, his frustration and urgency grew. Their gazes at each other were no longer the same. After a cold silence, Vanessa spoke first.

“…You don’t understand because you don’t have children, but Robin is my heart. I can’t live without him!”

The moment he heard Vanessa’s cry, he realized the identity of the unpleasant emotion that had been choking him.

“If your child is your heart, then what am I to you!”

It wasn’t intentional, but a voice full of resentment burst out.

Vanessa couldn’t answer easily. Initially, their relationship was formed out of a clear purpose and mutual need. However, as time spent with Julian increased, the boundaries of her heart gradually crumbled.

Was it just affection due to the physical satisfaction he provided? Or was there something more? Vanessa had yet to define her feelings. She had never experienced it before, so she didn’t know how to explain it.

Julian’s face crumpled miserably as he interpreted the prolonged silence as rejection.

“Wahahahaha!”

Somehow, a sharp, mad laughter pierced the air. They were so engrossed in their argument that they hadn’t noticed anyone approaching. The two quickly turned toward the direction of the laughter. Five knights on horseback were approaching from the opposite end of the arch bridge.

As the horses moved, the chain mail over their quilted clothes clinked together. The breastplates, elbow guards, and open-cone helmets they wore shone brightly under the sun, oiled to a sheen. The longswords on their backs, the short daggers on their belts, and the surcoats adorned with the emblem of a coiled snake in a goblet hinted at their identity.

Among these people exuding a terrifying aura like reapers who had just crawled out of hell, only the young man with curly bobbed hair at the forefront laughed loudly inappropriately.

“My goodness! I didn’t mean to eavesdrop. Julian, your voice was so loud I heard everything! Hahaha!”

“Sven.”

A metallic voice mixed with gravel came from Julian’s throat. It was Viscount Sven, the mad dog Earl Plar had sent to capture Vanessa.

“Neigh!”

Startled by the threatening newcomers, Pumpkin reared its front legs and neighed loudly. Due to its excellent ability to empathize with its rider, Pumpkin felt Vanessa’s emotions directly. Pumpkin quickly retreated behind Julian, who had once saved it. Vanessa tried to calm her startled heart by stroking Pumpkin’s forehead.

“When I heard you were protecting Madame Cloet, I thought it was just a rumor. Seeing it with my own eyes, it’s quite a credible story. A heinous criminal and a tyrant mercenary, what a fitting pair!”

Though no one else laughed, Sven alone wore a broad smile.

“But since your feelings for each other aren’t mutual, heaven is indeed indifferent. How pitiful are you Julian, hanging on to an unachievable love!”

Sven spoke in an exaggerated voice like an actor.

They say you meet your enemy on a narrow bridge.

Hearing Sven’s mockery for the first time in a long while, Julian struggled to suppress his rising anger. Provoking the opponent to lose their composure was Sven’s classic tactic. Knowing this, he couldn’t help but feel his blood pressure rise.

Sven wiped the smile off his face and took a step closer.

“Unfortunately, I have no business with you today. Vanessa Cloet, you must come with me.”

Like inviting someone to dance, Sven made eye contact with Vanessa and extended his hand politely. His peculiar eyes were both eerie and somehow familiar. They were the eyes of a butcher. Someone with such eyes could kill without hesitation or conscience. Staring into the murky green irises like an old swamp, Vanessa trembled in fear.

Julian blocked Sven’s gaze and approached him closely enough for their horses’ heads to overlap. Then he grabbed Sven’s forearm firmly, which was frozen in midair. Sven rolled his eyes to look at Julian.

He seemed to have hurried over as soon as he woke up, wearing only a thin tunic. His emaciated body and face, marked with signs of illness, confirmed the rumors that he was severely injured were true. His predatory eyes, once filled with bloodlust, seemed somehow softer. A swordmaster should always be finely honed, but Julian seemed completely broken, both mentally and physically.

Sven pulled one corner of his mouth into a smirk.

“Are you saying you’ll fight us in that state? That’s a very novel way to commit suicide.”

“If you want to take Vanessa, you’ll have to defeat me first.”

“Why don’t you step aside before I chop your body into pieces and throw it into the river.”

Ignoring this, Julian tightened his grip on Sven’s forearm. Sven began to feel his arm go numb and started to get annoyed. He wanted to handle this quietly if possible, but Julian complicated matters. The knights behind him watched the standoff between Julian and Sven, ready to draw their swords at any moment.

At this rate, Julian would lose his life in vain. She was a life already destined to fade, so Vanessa had to save him at least.

Vanessa took Sven’s extended hand. It was as cool as touching a snake’s scales.

“Vanessa!”

“A wise decision. Please come with me. Earl Plar is waiting for your return.”

Sven’s cold, damp lips touched the back of Vanessa’s hand. Julian couldn’t stand it any longer and drew his sword in one swift motion, aiming it at Sven’s neck. As if waiting for this, the other four knights also drew their swords simultaneously. Even as Julian’s sword was about to pierce his neck, Sven remained completely composed.

“You’re still rushing in without thinking.”

“Take your filthy hands off her and go back to your master. Tell him that Earl Hendrick has requested a trial by combat from King Arno to prove Vanessa’s innocence. And I will fight as Vanessa’s champion in the trial by combat.”

“You, this woman’s champion? You were just quarreling fiercely, and now you lie so convincingly.”

“It’s not a lie. Earl Hendrick gave his permission this morning.”

It didn’t seem like Julian was lying to get out of the situation. While contemplating whether to cut Julian down and take Vanessa away, Vanessa shook off Sven’s hand in surprise.