“Greetings, Your Highness Nergal. It’s been a while.”

While Ir was momentarily lost in old memories, someone gathered their courage and stood before Nergal among the murmuring crowd.

It was a noble Ir knew well. This person would always make a show of covering their nose and mouth with a handkerchief whenever they saw her, complaining about something disgusting wandering around the palace.

Every time they met, their eyes were filled with undisguised contempt and revulsion.

Yet now, that same person wore a completely different expression. Even while greeting Nergal, their eyes were busy stealing glances at Ir. Sure enough, after finishing their greeting, they hastily opened their mouth.

“But this lady beside you…”

“Ah, my apologies. I forgot to introduce her.”

Nergal spoke in a casual voice, as if he hadn’t noticed anything.

“This is Ishtar.”

Ishtar.

At that name, Ir unconsciously held her breath. Ishtar was her childhood name.

It was the name of the goddess of war that her father, the Knight Commander, had given her when she lived in the Kingdom of Levant, hoping she would walk the path of the sword. Now it was a name known to no one except Nergal.

As he spoke, Nergal carefully took Ir’s hand and kissed her knuckles.

“I call her Ir… She’s the one staying with me now.”

“…!”

A soft murmur spread through the gathered crowd. Even the noble who had asked about her stood there gaping, staring blankly at the scene.

Such exchanges of greetings between men and women weren’t particularly surprising. However, this wasn’t during a banquet, and more importantly, such behavior was only appropriate between lovers who had publicly announced their relationship.

A red mark remained where his lips had touched. The women standing at a distance blushed at this trace that clearly showed this wasn’t just a casual gesture. Everyone was busy averting their eyes, feeling more embarrassed than if they had stumbled upon a secret rendezvous.

“Ah, um… I-I see she must be someone very close to you.”

“Indeed. Now, would you mind stepping aside? I’m in a bit of a hurry.”

As he said this, Nergal stroked Ir’s knuckles with his thumb. Though he wasn’t saying anything lewd or touching any intimate places, the observers’ faces flushed again.

That’s how much intense passion was contained in Nergal’s current touch.

“Ah, yes! YES! My apologies!”

As the man stepped back, Nergal immediately started walking. Unlike his usual composed demeanor, he seemed somewhat hurried, and people couldn’t take their eyes off the retreating couple. They could somewhat guess why Nergal was in such a rush.

Once the couple was out of sight, people finally released their held breaths and looked at each other.

“My goodness, what was that about?”

“I know. To think that the ever-proper Prince Nergal…”

Anyone could see the urgency in Nergal’s manner, his desire to quickly reach a private space.

People watched the retreating figures of Nergal and Ir, then hurriedly exchanged greetings and went their separate ways.

The palace would be buzzing with talk about that woman for quite some time.

***

At the sound of hurried footsteps, those in front of the office stepped back.

“Welcome, Your Highness Nergal.”

Ishin, Nergal’s aide, who had been standing in front of the office door, bowed his head. But Nergal didn’t even glance at him as he entered the office and forcefully closed the door.

BANG!

Ishin looked at the closed door with an unsurprised expression, as if he had expected this, then turned and ordered the startled staff.

“Everyone take your work and go downstairs.”

The staff hesitated momentarily but soon followed Ishin’s orders without a word.

As they gathered their documents, the staff recalled the scene they had just witnessed. Nergal’s urgent manner, which they had never seen before. And the woman whose hand he was holding.

Even without Ishin’s order, anyone with sense would know that until Nergal called for them, no one should enter or even lurk around this area.

Ir listened for the receding sounds outside, waiting for all traces of presence to disappear.

When complete silence finally fell, she tried to release her hand from Nergal’s grip.

But Nergal grabbed her other wrist as well, pushing her against the wall.

It wasn’t violent. Rather, it was a slow movement. But Ir couldn’t pull her hands free from him.

“…Lord Nergal?”

A flustered Ir belatedly tried to extract herself from between him and the wall, but the more she tried, the more Nergal pressed against her, trapping her.

Ir felt an unfamiliar sense of powerlessness. When was the last time someone had physically overpowered her like this?

But she wasn’t afraid. This was Nergal. He was someone she didn’t need to fear. Moreover….

When Ir moved her hands, seemingly asking to be released, Nergal stroked her wrists with his thumbs.

Ir held back a moan at the clearly felt tickling sensation. When Nergal stroked the inside of her wrists like this, it was a kind of signal.

A signal that he wanted to take her right now.

“Now, here?”

When Ir asked with wide eyes, Nergal responded by taking another step closer instead of answering.

The already close distance narrowed further until their bodies were pressed together without any gap. At the pressure against her chest, Ir unconsciously took a deep breath.

This kind of physical contact was something she could never get used to, no matter how hard she tried. Especially when it was with someone who had been desperate to devour her.

Through the thin spring fabric, she could clearly feel his arousal pressing against her.

But as always, Nergal didn’t rush in roughly.

He slowly, gradually ground against her while whispering.

“Ir. You must keep your promise.”

At those words, Ir’s eyes changed. The confusion in them was replaced by blue flames. Ir reached out and wrapped her arms around his neck. Nergal yielded to her touch as if he had been waiting for it.

Her legs, which had permitted him, spread wider, and his long, thick fingers slipped between the soft fabric. Feeling him enter with familiar ease, Ir threw her head back dizzily.

Nergal kissed her exposed neck. At the sticky warmth, Ir truly knew he would take her right here and now.

She didn’t feel any aversion. Nergal had diligently accustomed her body to his actions over the past few weeks, making sure she became properly wet, and he had become quite skilled at giving pleasure rather than pain. Above all, this was something she had to do.

‘If you make a contract, you must pay the price.’

This was a contract.

A contract where he would help with her revenge, and she would give her body to him.

Surrendering herself to him as he expertly explored her lower regions, Ir closed her eyes.

‘How did it come to this?’

Her comrades’ deaths, her completely changed appearance, making an unexpected contract with a prince who had disliked her for her comrades’ revenge.

All of this began when the Holy Sword appeared.

***

1. If You Have a Wish, Grasp That Sword

Footsteps echoed through the cave. The long cave amplified even the smallest sounds several times over and extended them. The person holding the lamp listened to the echoing sounds from the darkness beyond the lamplight and muttered.

“Just how much further do we have to go before we find the Holy Sword?”

The shepherd following behind answered with a frightened face.

“So-something’s wrong. It wasn’t this deep.”

The expressions of those walking together grew even more rigid at the shepherd’s words.

“Are you saying the cave you entered wasn’t like this?”

The shepherd nodded vigorously at the suspicious voice.

“Of course! How could I lie in front of the royal knights! Really, when I went in looking for my lamb, it wasn’t this deep…”

“Enough.”

When the shepherd’s voice started to rise, the person walking at the front turned around.

“Did you forget what I explained before we came? I clearly said the Holy Sword possessed mysterious powers.”

At the cold voice, the people around the shepherd answered with sheepish expressions.

“We thought that was just an old tale, Vice Captain.”

Ir, who had been called Vice Captain, narrowed her eyes at their words.

“Everything I told you about the Holy Sword was recorded from that time. While there might be some exaggerations, it’s not nonsense, so keep that in mind.”

“Yes!”

Ir, who had been speaking coldly to her subordinates, walked back and handed the thick cloth from her shoulders to the trembling shepherd.

“Use this if you’re cold.”

“Ah, yes… th-thank you.”

Though her attitude was much kinder than the other knights’, the shepherd trembled even more and averted his gaze. He hesitated to take the cloth Ir offered. It was obvious to anyone that he wanted to avoid her.

On Ir’s right hand, there was a clear burn scar that would shock anyone who saw it.

It wasn’t just a scar. The skin had melted, fusing her pinky and ring finger into one mass. Moreover, the difference in length between her left and right arms was obvious at a glance.

Ir raised her hand to touch her face. The skin was so numb that she had to press hard to feel anything at all. The burn scars remaining here were also terrible.