Chapter 29

“Ugh… Mm…”

Once, twice, and then once more—each time deeper than the last—Karel devoured the woman with his lips.

Eventually, the man’s hand brushed away the splattered red spots on her cheek. The motion caused her lips to part slightly, and his tongue slipped into the small gap, filling the narrow space entirely. She coughed lightly, her throat constricted by the overwhelming sensation.

Saliva trickled down from the place where their lips met.

The hand gripping the back of her neck, the lips pressing against her own, and the man’s entire presence—all of it was ice-cold. The chill radiating from him testified to the fact that he had just escaped death. For her, it was proof that she was still alive. As she docilely accepted the freezing touch of his hands and lips, the emotional storm that had been tearing through her mind seemed to numb and subside.

Whooooooosh. The sound of the distant wind made her body tremble.

The man’s kiss was deep and relentless. His tongue filled the roof of her mouth, delved beneath her soft flesh, and drew her closer to him. Her mouth was so narrow that he explored every ridge and groove of her teeth and gums with his tongue, as if he were memorizing every detail of her mouth or staking his claim over this small, confined territory. His movements were almost obsessive.

Throughout, his tongue delved nearly to the base of her mouth. Though he avoided touching her throat, the sheer presence of his tongue within her was overwhelming. Tears welled at the tip of her nose, and she clung to her breath as his tongue invaded her mouth.

Despite choking slightly, she willingly accepted his intrusion. Escape never even crossed her mind. Instead, she entwined her tongue with his, scraped her weak tongue against his broad one, and sucked on his lips, desperately hoping he would want her even more.

If there was one thing she had truly desired amidst all that had happened to her, it was this.

She wanted him to hold her, to make her forget the brief terror and despair she had experienced. She wanted the ecstasy heating her body to melt away all her emotions. Her lips clung desperately to his rough movements, and the pain of her torn lips had long since been numbed.

The sound of their damp lips and tongues colliding echoed softly in the room.

Whoooooooosh. The faint sound of the snowstorm beyond the lower floor still raged on. As the two consumed each other with their lips and tongues, completely absorbed in exploring each other’s depths, they momentarily forgot that this storm signified Magiella’s night—a night so cold it could freeze the blood in one’s veins.

‘…This is madness.’

The accusatory howl of the wind brought Karel back to his senses.

This wasn’t the time for this. He didn’t know what sort of wicked spell this woman had cast on him to make him act so irrationally, but…

He had to regain control.

Even as he thought so, Karel reluctantly pulled away from her lips, licking them to the very end. It was a separation he found thoroughly displeasing.

The woman’s face, gazing up at him, was flushed. Her violet eyes appeared even hazier, likely due to the intense kiss that had stolen her breath.

Was she, like him, feeling regret?

Karel couldn’t tear his eyes away from her and stood frozen for a moment.

Whooooooosh. The high-pitched sound of the wind echoed once more from afar. It was a reminder that parts of the house were still exposed to the raging snowstorm. The wailing came from the front entrance on the first floor, where Karel had forcefully burst in.

“Wait here.” 

With a brief glance to convey his intent, Karel turned and hefted the corpse onto his shoulder. The body of the burly man slumped over his shoulder, blood dripping onto the floor as it pooled. The woman stifled a small scream, tightly shutting her eyes. She even turned her head away, trembling—a foolish reaction that stirred his desires once more.

Wasn’t that how she trembled when she was beneath me, enduring my thrusts? When I  greedily devoured her…

Beneath his armor, Karel’s arousal grew increasingly uncomfortable, hardening further. A deep frown formed on his face.

Even as he left the room entirely, his gaze didn’t leave her for a single moment.

***

Swish. As Karel stepped into the front hall on the first floor, the icy wind, laden with the fury of the Fairy Mother, howled through the torn doorframe. Thick, icy snowflakes swirled horizontally in the wind. The chill emanating from the open doorway felt sharp enough to freeze skin on contact.

With a thud, Karel tossed Randolph’s corpse outside, letting it sprawl across the stone path in the garden. In the brief moment it lay there, frost began to form on the lifeless flesh, its pallor turning an icy white that was visible even from a distance.

Even after throwing the body, Karel stood still for a while, staring blankly at the scene outside. The garden was shrouded in a deeper darkness than usual, the swirling snowflakes the only thing visible in the void.

The melted snow and sweat trickling down his temples cooled rapidly.

He had truly ridden as though his life depended on it.

When the expedition party reached the mountain lodge at the forest’s edge, it was just as the sun began to set. Reaching that point alone had been a miracle. By the time they arrived, every surviving member of the expedition collapsed in relief, finally able to let go of the tension they had carried for over a month.

The Light Dragon had, of course, been in deep slumber. The magical barrier cast by the Fairy Mother was intact, and there were no signs of its minions anywhere nearby.

From that point on, the entire expedition became obsessed with fulfilling the King’s decree: to confirm that the Light Dragon remained dormant.

If they could just find proof of that.

If they could just secure that evidence, then rush back the way they came, they could survive. The thrill of that hope invigorated the party. Even Winden, usually calm, became frantic with excitement. Though it caused some delays, they managed to reach the village before the blue moon fully rose.

Their speed had been extraordinary. What should have taken an hour on horseback took them half that time, faster than even the earth fairies could sense.

Awaiting them was the hospitality of the village militia, who had desperately prayed for their safe return. A roaring fireplace filled with firewood, generously stocked feed for their sturdy warhorses, and enough provisions to last through the three days of Magiella’s night.

It was a ritual of gratitude for those who had ventured into the northern mountains to vanquish the magical beasts. Unlike the cold demeanor of the village elders, who treated them as though they would never return, the young men of Oedel had been openly warm toward the knights of the royal capital.

And most importantly…

「I apologize for not being able to personally welcome the knights upon their return, as I had to return home early to prepare for Magiella’s Night. However, I must mention this: there is an elder who has his eyes on the woman bestowed with the captain’s token. If you are reading this, it means you have safely returned before Magiella’s Night arrives…」

The moment Karel read the militia member’s letter, he abandoned his plans to organize his equipment and rushed out of the cabin.

‘That old man dares…!’

The young men of the village watch knew all too well about the misdeeds of the Lord’s third son over the past month. While he may have pretended to be refined in Selmane, elsewhere, he had been abusing stray dogs and cats and striking the servants of the village chief’s household. Tales of his behavior had spread widely among the watchmen. Some of the young women working at other taverns had even reported being harassed or assaulted by him.

Although the captain of the watch prioritized maintaining peace with the village chief and relayed the reactions of the earth fairies, most of the watchmen harbored deep resentment toward both the Earl’s third son and the village chief who tolerated him.

The rumor that the Lord’s third son was now targeting the youngest maid in Selmane was even more outrageous. Among the watchmen, there were quite a few young men who revered the name of Karel Montferdia, a figure celebrated as a hero in the central regions.

「Until today, there has been no news of the knights, and rumors are spreading that the village chief plans to offer the young woman to the Earl’s son. If possible, do not remain at the lodge and instead come down to the village to show your well-being as a knight.」

Clatter, clatter. Clatter, clatter. Karel urged his warhorse forward again and again, the same horse that had crossed countless life-threatening situations with him. His teeth ground together in frustration.

A man who had returned alive. A man who had stubbornly survived and made it back.

And yet, to those high lords seated in the royal capital, this man who had crossed his thirteenth brush with death was… dead?

A sinister smile crept across Karel’s lips as he tightened his grip on the reins of his massive, jet-black warhorse.

In the end, he had lived. He had escaped even the mysterious northern phenomenon known as Magiella’s Night.

Who dared to call him dead?

He needed to ensure that no one, not a single soul, believed he was dead. His very survival had to change the fate of that woman.

Because he had lived.

Driving his horse to cover in half an hour what would normally take an hour, he arrived at the marketplace, now blanketed by night. Snowflakes drifted gently from the darkened sky, a forewarning of Magiella’s night.