《Dry Drowning》 Chapter 1 *** The blade struck the hard flesh, embedding deeply inside. The opponent no longer made any noise as tears and blood flowed like a rivulet. Nevertheless, the blade, which was raised high once again, shone bright in the dark. I have waited for this moment for a very, very long time. Yes, it was something that he had been preparing for a very long time. As I was bowing to the man who had already stopped breathing, I could not tell whether I was laughing or crying. Are my emotions fading away? There was nothing left for him to say. I still have my reputation to keep. I opened my eyes slightly while dragging back the feeling of entanglement like a spider¡¯s web. It was obvious that the man¡¯s body temperature, which is warm, was slowly getting cold quickly. Even if he held his breath and listened carefully, he couldn¡¯t hear a living person¡¯s heartbeat. I couldn¡¯t believe it, so I checked several times more, but nothing changed. He¡¯s really dead. When I finally engraved the reality that resonated in my mind, nothing came out of my mouth. I was pale with a mixture of feelings. I didn¡¯t know whether it was relief, contempt, or guilt. I rubbed the back of my hand against my wet eyes as I watched the lonely world crumble down. I thought tears would ooze out, but strangely enough, the back of my hand was dry with blood marks. I¡¯m the cause of your death. He murmured, groping the cheeks of a man he had never touched before, and a light flashed out from below. There was not a single number stored in the old 2G phone that you could throw right away. It was only natural that they disposed of it as soon as they finished their work. ¡°¡­¡­¡± It was just like me. Nothing was saved, no meaningful number pops up even when a call comes. So he moved his feet without even looking at it. There was a plop and the thing that was tucked under the bed would no longer be used. Not knowing what expression he had made, he hesitated, spat on the man, and turned away. Because that¡¯s the greatest insult he can afford to show. Leaving the blood and the weapon that was littered with fingerprints behind, he left the disgusting place. The morning air was still chilly, the sickening noise above the dirty streets¡­ It felt like a quiet town might have been killed by someone, unlike the morning. The tight shoes left a red mark for a while. The people walking around at this hour have no facial expression as usual. Is it because all men are of the same race, that a blood-soaked man wanders the streets and the others pretend not to know? I don¡¯t want to think about it any more. With a feeling of near exhaustion, all the strength trickled down his fingertips. Like a fairy tale, if you look back on the past, it seems that you have left traces behind. Walk along the narrow, foul-smelling alley and you¡¯ll see the crossroads. The street lights that went out are still not fixed even after a year. There was no hesitation in his walking pace even though it was a place he hadn¡¯t come to for a long time. It was natural to hide in a dark corner when you see a building under human control. I walked a little more, reached a familiar place, and finally quietly climbed over the high wall. Landing without a sound,he approached the entrance and searched around his neck. When he pulled the chain around his neck, a key hidden inside the T-shirt came out. It was quite awkward to open the door slowly while looking at the silvery-white, glossy surface. He pulled out the door-knob and slipped inside without saying a word. The interior without a single piece of furniture or a single ray of light looked more dreary than the darkness outside. But he didn¡¯t turn on the lights. Passing through the living room, he stopped in front of the door of the innermost room, opened the door slowly, and a smell of oil drifted up his nose. Something is wrong, he walked in thinking it was a strange idea. He lightly stroked the paint on the table. It was dusty and rough, but everything seemed serene. Finally, fatigue came to him at a rapid rate. He looked around the poorly outlined studio, barely enduring the drooping down of his body as if his whole body was a sponge, soaked with water. I finally found the canvas knife through a high-quality raw wood easel, a dry palette of paint, an empty canvas and a wooden drawing board that had not yet been primed with gesso. [T/N ¨C Canvas knife: A thin blade of varying flexibility set in a handle and used for mixing colors or applying them to a canvas] The canvas knife that I used was quite sharp. It bends well, although the material is poor but this is sufficient. Sit in a nearby armchair and hold it slowly. I have no regrets about the hand I raised. Take a breath, close your eyes and just do it. Just grab the blade and put it in¡­. ¡°Ah.¡± Without a moment¡¯s hesitation, he stabbed his neck and looked vaguely at the distant landscape by the window. The sound of longing came from somewhere. The body fluid that flows along the spread of the meat quickly gauges the sins that one has committed. I promised not to forget those because there were too many. Then it suddenly dawned on me that life was hard. It was hard to breathe as if someone has been looking at this side without closing their red eyes . Sorry, I realized I didn¡¯t apologize today, so I moved my lips but only a scream came out. Every time he breathes, he loses oxygen and collapses. At the end, he rummaged in his pocket, but his body, which had already weakened, was unable to function properly. After a few futile attempts, he looked down and couldn¡¯t see anything. But it was still fine. Even if I can¡¯t see it, I¡¯ll still remember everything. This is the only way to atone my sins. The man smiled briefly at the frayed, tangled end. It was like recalling buried memories, the view was endless. However, his stuttering eyes closed like curtains, expressing that he would never regret it. Chapter 2 *** One day, a white snake coiled its huge body on a vast land, curled its tail, and begged a couple who was passing by him, ¡°I can¡¯t find my brother, so can you find him and bring him here for me?¡± The couple nodded at the request of the serpent whose eyes were glistening like platinum. After asking for the name and appearance of the brother, they set out to search for the black snake. They had searched for so long that the seasons changed three times. At last, they approached a black snake which they found in some forest in the north and said, ¡°I heard your brother is looking for you.¡± On a cold winter day, the white snake, who was waiting for them to come back with his tail coiled around itself, could see them approaching very slowly from afar when the seasons had already changed for the fourth time. The woman was staggering on both feet, and the man was crawling on the road like a snake. Wondering what happened, the white snake asked them after they arrived in front of him three days later. The girlfriend had red eyes and her body was trembling when she said she met a black snake in the forest in the north. The snake had shiny dark scales and flashing eyes. ¡°When I told him about you, he bit my lover and crawled away with haste.¡± She said. ¡°Tell him, you won¡¯t kill him. So hurry up and go. Go to my brother.¡± The woman who delivered the message gritted her teeth as hard as she could. ¡°Don¡¯t ever try to look for me!!¡± The woman who listened to the serpent¡¯s request, finally exclaimed with a face like a madman. ¡°But my lover is dead! The man who promised to share all his joy and sorrow with me, and was like my alter ego.¡± Unable to control her sorrow, the woman buried her face in her dead lover¡¯s body crying like there was no tomorrow. The woman, who had dragged her dying lover barefooted for a long distance, had all her nails missing. ¡°As I scratched the floor in longing, my nails fell out with time. The beast without hands and feet dared not fathom its mind.¡± *** I feel like I¡¯m getting thirsty. Whenever Ian breathed, he felt his esophagus scratching, forcing his eyes to open. I felt like I was dreaming, but the hazy, spinning vision made me feel sick. He blinked several times in a delirious state and was able to look straight at the distant ceiling. ¡°¡­..¡± Why is the ceiling so high? The high ceiling was a privilege that was not available for everyone in a city where population density is severe and land prices are absurd. If that¡¯s the case, he would rather have another floor and get a tenant. Nevertheless, the people who did such ignorant things were mostly the upper class, who were among the 1% of the population or the grandparents who came to possess a lot of money since a long time ago. To support this hypothesis, the elaborate tables, with the gorgeous chandeliers and craftsmen spreading below, looked like very expensive antique furniture. He saw it right away. He looked around quickly and grasped the atmosphere, but he didn¡¯t know why he woke up in that place. After following sporadic thoughts, Ian realized at one point that his whole body was throbbing as if he had been beaten for several days. What is this? I didn¡¯t even dare to get up, I was buried in a fluffy bed, trying to figure out what the date is. Oh, by the way, when was it..¡­ ¡°You¡¯re finally awake.¡± Disrupting his train of thoughts, the door opened and someone came into the room. Neatly arranged and combed-back white hair and silver monochromatic monocles. Ian¡¯s heart smacked at the sight of a middle-aged man dressed like a butler in a well-fitting, beautifully groomed scarf. I don¡¯t know who you are, but you have great taste. ¡°You didn¡¯t regain your consciousness for two weeks. It was such a big accident that it is only natural. Is your throat okay?¡± Come to think of it, I think I woke up with a sore throat. It¡¯s been that long. I have many questions in my head, but I think I should ask where I am first. Fortunately, it is not an atmosphere where guns can be pointed at immediately. However. ¡°Oh, my God.¡± What he said was not a pleasant voice, but an unpleasant stabbing one. As if the wind were leaking, great pain came with a whooshing sound. A sharp blade seemed to pick the esophagus without hesitation. I clenched my teeth and held my breath until I saw the man looking down at me with a frowning face. ¡°Don¡¯t push yourself too hard. Your vocal cords are so damaged that it will be difficult for you to talk right away. It is a great pity that the wagon was attacked. It happened before we entered our territory.¡± Wagon? He didn¡¯t know where to start, but there were many incongruous words everywhere. In today¡¯s world, only Disneyland or famous tourist attractions have wagons, and they have no scruples about saying things like ¡°attack¡±. My voice became like this for other reasons. ¡°¡­..!¡± Ian frowned as he recalled his vague memories. It wasn¡¯t a long time ago, but it was a long way off. That¡¯s not the reason but because I strangled myself¡­ Ian quickly grabbed his throat, only then did something come to his mind. He felt goosebumps with the sensation of being wrapped carefully in a bandage. Although the pain was severe, the memory of cutting open his airway and pushing the canvas knife in is still vivid. Even if it wasn¡¯t for excessive bleeding, it would have been polite to have tetanus on a day when you got rust and paint everywhere. [T/N ¨C Canvas knife: A thin blade of varying flexibility set in a handle and used for mixing colors or applying them to a canvas] It was even more noticeable when I remembered the red puddles on the ground. First aid was also impossible. I calculated up to that time, and then I went there. Then how on earth did I live after what had happened? When I stared at the man in front of me with a blank expression, I wondered what he meant by this smile. It was an ideal smile that would only appear in movies, but I instinctively felt that it was only natural for his appearance. ¡°Oh, I greeted you lately.¡± The man with his head down introduced himself as Edward. He is the butler of this mansion, so it is okay to call him ¡°Ed¡±, and what should I say to the person who speaks his duty as a butler? In the first place, I was not cut out for the role-playing of chaebols. Or is this a dream? [T/N ¨C Chaebol: (in South Korea) a large family-owned business conglomerate.] It was strangely devoid of a sense of reality. It was the first time I had such a dream, I am not an imaginative person. Since I had never slept comfortably, I never dreamt. It would be different if I had slept forever. My head was a little dizzy. Come to think of it, I had a dream before I woke up. A very bright white snake appeared¡­ ¡°The Lord is out of the office at the moment because we cannot delay the schedule any longer.¡± When the man noticed the employer¡¯s title, he smiled gently and lowered his voice as if to tell a story that would be a problem if anyone heard it. ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for you to wake up. It is also the master, who gave you the holy water which is hard to get. Without it, it would probably be difficult for you to wake up as you are now.¡± Every tone of his voice had a note of concern for me. I seem to have identified that in words. Are you Catholic? I pondered if the holy water is the one I know of, but then I shook my head right after. I think it¡¯s terrible to spray holy water on people who are dying. It is not known how he accepted Ian¡¯s unresponsive behavior. After a while, someone came into the room with a knock. It was a woman with orange hair that was tied up beautifully, wearing a maid¡¯s uniform. Such noble interests. ¡°It will relieve the sore throat a little.¡± There was a tea set beautifully carved with unnamed flowers on the tray. Ian was just staring at the man, pouring something into the cup with his elegant movements. He doesn¡¯t eat or drink what others give him. He shook his head as he reached the cup in front of him, then stopped and looked down. He was still smiling but something seemed off. As he looked at the man with a fixed expression and a steady mouth, Ian continued to think bitterly. It can¡¯t be helped if I am forced to eat this. The windows were covered with opaque curtains so I couldn¡¯t see outside but I could feel a crowd near the door. There seems to be no one near the window. I don¡¯t know which floor this is so it will probably not be a good attempt. In the first place, it is reckless to break out of an unknown place. It was after some time that Ian stopped thinking, whether it was better to obey calmly or get out quickly. ¡°¡­..¡± What¡¯s the use of all this trouble? I used a knife to slit my throat to die. Once again the throbbing pain suddenly dissipated. Still looking at the cup in front of him, Ian decided to stop thinking. It¡¯s a dream anyway. It¡¯s even more ridiculous that he has been trying so hard to live. When he was handed the tea cup, he could feel the man¡¯s gaze. He nonchalantly drank a sip of the tea which was cooled down. The bitter and sweet taste stirred his tongue at the same time. It certainly wasn¡¯t a healthy taste. ¡°Try to get some sleep. Well then¡­¡± He seemed to add something else in a friendly tone, but I couldn¡¯t hear it well. All I remember was tiredness that came like a flood and I closed my eyes without realizing it. In fact, it doesn¡¯t matter what happens. This time Ian closed his halting eyes again, hoping it would all be over. *** A lot of people work hard on every novel and comic, to bring you timely releases, It will help us to keep the website running and continue to provide you with many more great projects. Chapter 3 While staring at Ed, the butler, who was putting a wooden tray on his lap, Ian couldn¡¯t hide his doubts about the absurdity of the situation. It was a scene that had been repeating for almost two weeks. Ed¡¯s appearance is very friendly when he serves the warm soup and stew made with finely chopped dried vegetables at the exact time every day, but that¡¯s the only expression he ever showed. He was the same when he heard from the doctor that my vocal cords are so damaged that I cannot speak. Even fools can understand when someone says ¡°It¡¯s too bad¡± with an expression that doesn¡¯t look like he is sorry at all. Indeed, Ian, who was around when the doctor announced his condition, had the same expression without any interest, so maybe it¡¯s the same. It was the doctor who was flustered as Ian looked so calm for a person who was diagnosed with a disability. Perhaps the shock was unacceptable. On the first day, I wanted all of this to be over, but when I opened my eyes again, I was still in the room. As the high ceiling was the same as the chandelier hanging from it, Ian rose from his bed feeling half puzzled. If you wake up in the same place again and again, does that mean it¡¯s the reality? As I took a step down from the bed, the pain was everywhere and it was certainly vivid. First of all, I have to know where I am. And if they really tried to save me, I have to know the reason for it too. After confirming that no one was in the room, he drew up the layers of curtains. The glass windows, large enough to exceed the height, led to the small terrace. Ian opened the door without hesitation, took a step, and looked forward. The cold air swept across his cheeks and laid out the scene clearly before him. There¡¯s nothing over there. It¡¯s just a dark-leaved forest, forest, forest¡­¡­ ¡°¡­¡­?¡± Can trees be so dark? Ian kept his mouth shut at the sight of the scene and blinked again. It was not simply an illusion caused by light reflection. If that was the case, it should have been around sunset or midnight. But it was noon, full of sunshine. Contrary to the bright sky, darkness fell, and the foresforest-coveredwhole area endlessly, like a black sea. I was expecting a desolate cityscape when I opened the window, but when I did, I didn¡¯t know how to explain the sight. Surprised by the fresh visuals, I tried to focus on the mansion, but in fact, the view of the mansion I looked down on was also difficult to see. There was a stable that looked almost like a castle. Not only the spacious grounds but also the walls surrounding the estate were mysteriously at a far distance. No matter how many times I look at it, it feels so far away from where I am that I have to narrow my eyebrows to see. When Ian bowed his head to the blatant gaze, his eyes met with the person below him. The general public would never be able to jump, but the opponent seemed to affirm that Ian would jump at any moment. ¡°The wind is cold, so please go back in.¡± The sentence itself was polite, but there was a clear hostility in the cold gaze. But what bothered Ian more than that was the outfit that the man was wearing. If his eyesight is normal, that was definitely armor. In the 21st century, when he saw several people wearing those clothes casually and holding spears, there was only one conclusion that Ian could make. As expected, you¡¯re still dreaming. In addition, it was unnecessarily delicate and ridiculous. I opened the door to the hallway just in case, but there were also people there. The way they told me to go into the room without expression was not much different from the ones I saw earlier. ¡°You need to take a rest.¡± Ed, who brought the meal soon after, added on like a broken machine. It was a good choice of words, a rest, a virtual confinement. ¡°¡­¡­¡± It was a spacious room, but Ian didn¡¯t have much to do in a room without anything much there. It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve ever had a good rest in such a luxurious place without working, so I think I slept soundly for a few days. When was the last time I took a good rest without caring about anything? I gathered my thoughts, but I couldn¡¯t remember anything. My mind was blank. Sometimes, when I wake up at dawn, I hear strange noises from afar. I thought it wasn¡¯t a big deal because it was windy, but it wasn¡¯t long before I realised it wasn¡¯t. Bang! One night, I was awakened by a loud, teary noise in the window. I blinked hard because I couldn¡¯t catch the blurred spirit properly, the ¡°sound¡± leaked in again, squeezing through the window. It was the first time I heard it. I opened my eyelids that kept closing, again and again, confused whether it was a dream or not. ¡­¡­I hardly woke up. Ian, who came out of bed shaking his heavily sunken head, took a step closer to the window where the curtains had fallen. Squeak, a torsion came from a neatly finished window frame. Maybe it broke because of the wind. What was that noise? It seemed to come from the forest, but it wasn¡¯t accurate. It¡¯s a place surrounded by nature, so anything strange can live there. There may be bears, foxes, or even larger animals living there. But it¡¯s different from animal voices. Ian muttered to himself, raising his hand slowly. Rather than that, it¡¯s a little bit more¡­ ¡°Ian-nim.¡± Even in my dream, my name was Ian. After hearing the voice coming from behind, Ian stopped trying to open the window and turned back. Ed was smiling gently as he came in without knocking. ¡°The lord will be back soon.¡± It¡¯s the same thing again. Ian¡¯s lips were trembling with a slight frown on the corners of his eyes as he had heard it several times already. However, it was impossible to ask questions with the damaged vocal cords. He shut his mouth and stared at him blankly, and in turn, Ed advised him to go back to bed. Standing upright, Ed did not look away until Ian returned to bed and covered himself with a futon. He smiled motionlessly even when the shadow shook from the swaying candlelight. I could feel the gaze for a while even when I closed my eyes. After controlling his breathing and pretending to be asleep, he heard the door close a few minutes later. So Ian lived like a shadow for the next two weeks. The fact was that he acted like he really didn¡¯t exist because he didn¡¯t treat anyone as if they were there. However, as time went by, the certainty of whether this was really a dream became blurred. Perhaps, all the thoughts that came to his mind were nonsense, but there was no way to explain the reality that didn¡¯t change no matter how much he slept and woke up. There was no mirror and the face reflected in the window remained the same. If my growing hair is different, am I still the same? It was soft and shiny as if it had been well maintained, but it was just troublesome for Ian, who had never grown his hair under his shoulders before. Even if he wanted to cut it, the tools in the room were not enough. I thought I¡¯d hurt myself, but all the sharp tools had been cleared away. Ripping the curtains and hanging myself was enough, but the next day, Ed, who brought his meal, murmured, ¡°The pins are loose.¡± Of course, the window has been empty ever since. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Looking at Ed acting as if nothing had happened, Ian gradually began to have a pile of questions. It was not frustrating that he was not able to communicate because he was not talkative, but he also wanted to ask how long he would have to keep playing as the unbothered captive. And that¡¯s what he was thinking in the evening. It was exactly in the afternoon 15 days later. The quiet mansion became strangely noisy, the window frames were forced open and there was a large crowd. Ian, who was half asleep, at the sound of the trumpet was forced to open his eyes. When I turned my head to see what the sound was, I saw vaguely that the tightly closed castle gate was open, through the curtainless window. What could it be? Ian, being surprised, dispelled his sleep and approached the window. Before I knew it, there was foggy dust rising along with the overgrown trees, behind the open gates. I have never seen that gate open before. The distance made it impossible for him to see, but the dust suddenly penetrated and dozens of horses flew into the house. When he opened the window, there were loud noises of hoofs. The people in black Armor rode the horse shaking the ground. At that moment the silent mansion was as if livened up like a lie. Chapter 4 I haven¡¯t seen people coming out of the house and talking peacefully like this in the past two weeks. As soon as the castle gate opened, a loud cheer broke out. I didn¡¯t even realise at what point the deafening sound of the trumpet stopped. It felt like a scene from an old medieval movie. Despite the heavy wind, Ian reached the balcony to watch the parade. His hands were resting on the railings. As the crowd got closer to the mansion, a foul smell was brought by the wind. Even if his sense of smell was very sensitive, the fact that he could smell it from the fourth floor, there was no doubt of what he had been doing. Swords and spears rattled on their waist and behind their back. Ian was looking at the reflecting sunlight blankly when the crowd arrived at the mansion¡¯s yard, holding tightly onto their reins. The people who were near stopped cheering and looked pleased for some reason. As I watched such an atmosphere for the first time, I heard a loud voice coming from somewhere. ¡°You¡¯re alive!¡± At the same time, all attention fell on Ian. For a brief moment of silence, he wondered where the cheerful atmosphere from before got sold off to. Dozens of faces looked that way, but Ian, who got the real attention, turned his head slightly in the direction of the sound of the voice without even moving his eyebrows. ¡°¡­¡­¡± What are you looking at? He wanted to ask that, but unfortunately he couldn¡¯t speak. As they walked along the street, they relaxed their arms, with a feeling of a passerby who was tied to a dispute, and suddenly the loud voices were heard. As usual, the men who were guarding below raised their heads and shouted, but were moderately ignored by others. Their expression cannot be seen well because of the distance, but it certainly wasn¡¯t a friendly atmosphere. I couldn¡¯t even hear a single word. Sometimes the word ¡°Rox¡± came back in succession, but I didn¡¯t know what it meant. It¡¯s a strangely familiar word, I¡¯ve heard that word a few times in the mansion. However there was nothing else to watch. I couldn¡¯t find any more reason to watch, so I was about to turn around to go back to my room. At that moment someone jumped off a black horse in the forefront. It was only a gentle step on the ground, but everything became quiet. Unlike others in Armor, it was a man in a cloth uniform who looked tall even from a distance. I cannot see his face due to the angle, but it¡¯s clear that everyone¡¯s attention is focused on that one person. Ian finally realized. The master Ed talked about, he¡¯s back. ¡°You¡¯ve had a hard journey, you¡¯ll be able to meet the master sometime tomorrow.¡± After a while, Ed came into the room, put the food on the table and gave the news. He was always smiling, though I couldn¡¯t read his feelings at all, I felt he was in a good mood today. I wonder if it¡¯s that good. He looked up, perhaps because he felt the obvious gaze. While Ian was locked up for two weeks, he had something similar to a conversation with him. No, don¡¯t know if he could but it was this old butler whom he met the most. Ian could not speak even if he wanted to know how things were going, so he knew very little information and the butler did not say anything unnecessary. Until now, I¡¯ve thought everything as a dream and had passed everything lightly, but the moment I saw the man, a sudden feeling of anxiety crawled up to my ankle. The feeling was so rare that Ian wanted to talk to someone since he woke up. All he did was flick his finger. The action was almost like a riddle, but Ed, who had a ghostly sense, seemed to understand it at a glance and then asking for a moment, he went out. He came a little while later with a fountain pen, an ink bottle and some paper and placed onto the tray in his hand. ¡°You can write it down here.¡± I just need a pen and a notebook, it was just an exaggeration. However I couldn¡¯t complain about it, so I opened the ink bottle which was handed over to me gently and dipped the pen into the ink. What should I ask first? The questions are never-ending, but I decided to start with the most important question. ¡°Umm¡­.¡± Ed¡¯s expression was very subtle when he received the paper from Ian with the question about where he was. After several careful observations, Ed opened his mouth to Ian. ¡°Excuse me, could you write it in Shetier?¡± [T/N- Shetier is the language of their land.] What are you talking about? When I turned my head to the words I heard for the first time, he replied that he didn¡¯t know Rox¡¯s language well. When I realised that he couldn¡¯t read English written in cursive on white paper at all, so I tried writing Spanish, but he couldn¡¯t even read that. As I had to receive requests because of my work, I could at least have a simple conversation in other languages. I rewrote a lot of different things, but none of the words were recognised by Ed. Just in case, I even wrote Korean at the end but only a troubled groan was heard. I can interpret his words perfectly so what is all this? He was unable to express himself properly, but there was nothing more to try. Ed, who seemed to have grasped the situation roughly, spoke after a brief silence. ¡°We will find a way. You¡¯d better rest and eat first today.¡± Edward was linguistically gifted, and as long as he hadn¡¯t mastered a foreign language in just one day, there seemed to be no good solution. However, Ian, who had already given up on the situation itself, nodded blankly and raised his spoon. It wasn¡¯t until half the seasoned potato soup was emptied, that the spoon was lowered. He shook his head and tapped on the table when he was told to eat a little more. I meant to eat it after a while, but Ed, who noticed it right away, said that he knew and left the tray there. With such a quick wit, it was clear that he never felt the lack of communication. It was not until the door was closed and the sound of the distant footsteps started to fade away that Ian pushed his finger into his mouth. He skillfully touched his esophagus a few times and was able to throw up what he had consumed. After throwing up about a half of the soup into the bowl, he spilled everything onto the floor. When he dropped the bowl as if it was a mistake, he heard a sharp shattering sound. Surprisingly, the door opened and the maid came in to clean the broken pieces after a while. Seeing that Ed didn¡¯t come, he seems to have gone to his master. Ian had to make a sleepy face as the maid was staring at him even after cleaning. After he got back to bed and closed his eyes, he heard the door close. ¡°¡­¡­..¡± I realized that there is medicine in my meals a long time ago. It wasn¡¯t a normal physical condition to sleep so little, and the medicines managed to get past the first few days, but that¡¯s it. Due to his work, Ian often stayed up all night. He slept only four hours at the longest even when he was forced to. So it didn¡¯t make sense to spend more than half of the day in bed for more than a few days. When he realised that once he fell asleep, it was hard to wake him up, he found Ed checking on his meal. The reason why I didn¡¯t say anything even though I knew was because I don¡¯t have the power to do anything. Rather than responding to the footsteps, it¡¯s better to just take the medications like an obedient puppy. In the past, Ian had never dreamt of doing this, but after he woke up he has been mired in extreme lethargy. Is this dream or reality? When I got out of bed, I saw the empty terrace. I have no choice but to check now. Confirming that the corridor was empty, Ian slowly approached the terrace without a sound. The darkness outside was as dark as a remote island. Ian, having an expressionless face, opened the door with a click and took a step forward. ¡°Hi.¡± I heard a voice from behind me. I turned my head slowly and saw a young man smiling neatly. It was quite unfamiliar to see him stepping carefully on the stone wall by the window, resting his chin and smiling. ¡°Please say something nice and go back in.¡± It was a dark night, but the hair reflected in the moonlight was almost purple. It was a color that was hard to see in reality, but what stood out more than that was the man¡¯s face. There¡¯s black letters engraved in the skin. They filled the man¡¯s left cheek and continued under his neck, as if he had been scribbled with sharp objects. I could not read the words here, but I understood that it was not an elegant sentence like a passage from the Bible. The corner of the man¡¯s mouth raised as if he knew where Ian¡¯s gaze was. ?????????????????? Stay safe and healthy along with your loved ones. And have a good day! Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Stay tuned for more. ~Dazzel.D~ Chapter 5 ¡°As you can see from my impression, I¡¯m not good at saying bad things because I have a good personality.¡± He certainly seemed to be good at lying. As if this reaction was quite familiar, I casually tapped my cheek with the tip of my hand. Nevertheless, when Ian didn¡¯t answer back, the man tilted his head downwards and jumped onto the terrace. ¡°You don¡¯t believe me, do you? It¡¯s the first time our prince has seen something like this, isn¡¯t it? I heard that even the lower class people in Rox have good skin?¡± ¡­..Prince? I frowned at his choice of words, it made me have goosebumps. ¡°Hahaha¡±, the man laughed loudly and went on talking about things he didn¡¯t even ask. ¡°But you have to thank me for coming. I volunteered to come with Claude. You don¡¯t know how fastidious he is, do you? As soon as you open the window, you¡¯re the one who¡¯s going to put the sword at the neck, yes?¡± He didn¡¯t know who Claude was, but he shook his head as if it didn¡¯t matter. ¡°A man should be a little flexible, right? Just like me, who came right away because I was worried about how lonely and scared my poor, little prince would be. Oh, I¡¯m glad you are alive. I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d survive though.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I mean. When I saw our prince bleeding a lot in that carriage, I thought, oh, this is wrong. No, but it¡¯s just! As soon as I thought of it, I was like, gulp! You know, breathing? Sigh. People say it usually works. Huh? No?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Hey, are you even listening to me? Or you¡¯d rather not talk to a low ranking b*st*rd?¡± He was speaking with such speed that it was doubtful whether he was breathing or not. Perhaps even if he had not hurt his throat, he would not have responded to that question properly. Ian, who was a little tired of that man¡¯s face, took a step closer to him. I couldn¡¯t answer that nonsense, and I didn¡¯t have to. The reason I came out to the terrace even though I knew there was someone in the first place was not because I wanted to talk to them. It was the moment when the man opened his mouth once again, saying, ¡°Huh?¡±. After a brief gap, he reached for the dagger at the man¡¯s waist. He immediately noticed and raised his hand, but Ian, who had retreated, acted faster. The man noticed what Ian had taken, and hardened his mouth. ¡°No, you can¡¯t kill me here to solve one problem¡­.¡± The man shook his head like an innocent young master and stretched out his hand. He also asked to return it because it was dangerous, and he even persuaded him that he¡¯d ignore what had happened if he returned it now. But Ian, who had no intention of doing so, lifted the dagger high in his hand. The pale daylight cut through the sky in no time, and the man¡¯s face looked puzzled. ¡°It¡¯s not gonna work if you kill me. I don¡¯t know why all the aristocrats are so impatient.¡± Ian thought it would be better to knock him out by jabbing the back of his head while he was running. The man, who thought the prince was running towards him, stood where he was. ¡°¡­Eh?¡± Thud! The man who stopped with his hand raised up at the drops of blood on the floor laughed bitterly, perhaps because he felt absurd. ¡°You weren¡¯t stabbing me?¡± Looking at Ian¡¯s own wrist, which had been cut deep and bleeding, he remembered the day again. There was no time to mark unexpected scenarios with question marks. Ian, who cut off his wrist without hesitation this time, looked indifferent to the man. The blood on the ground instantly flowed and the pain was bright and realistic. ¡°Ha.¡± Ian had to admit that he had been worried for the past two weeks. This sensation that flows through the skin cannot be a dream. He thought it was ridiculous, but the reality was that no matter how much he tries to wake up from his sleep, nothing would change. Ian, who didn¡¯t really care at first, had no choice but to notice as the day went by. I was obviously dead, but I still remember it vividly, at that time the blood was still fresh. When he was lost in his thoughts, the man, who was watching Ian¡¯s actions blankly, suddenly shouted in surprise, as if he had realized something. ¡°Wait. Wait, wait! No, you could have done it secretly. Why are you doing it with my dagger? It¡¯s like I did it.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Are you going to take responsibility if I get dragged away with such an unfair misunderstanding and get punished? You¡¯ve never been whipped with a stick on your back, right? Oh, that hurts a lot, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Then blame your reputation that caused no one to trust you. ¡°All I did was say what I had in mind, but it was a plausible assumption. I thought most of the people would understand that misunderstanding.¡± But these kinds of people originally know themselves the least. There was a voice that was growing louder and louder complaining about the injustice that he¡¯d face. The mumbling was quite an irritating noise, so Ian, who couldn¡¯t stand it, turned around with his wrinkled eyes. As he strode into the room and flung open the door leading to the hallway, a surprised voice followed. ¡°What, What is it!¡± The men who were guarding the hallway with a bored look turned their heads. I thought they were sleeping quietly, but the door suddenly opened and they seemed surprised. Regardless, however, Ian lifted the dagger he was holding. The man, who was close to the weapon, took a step back immediately. ¡°Put that dagger down right now¡­¡± But this time again, there was a certain place for the blade to turn. As I slit my already scarred wrist, red blood flowed to the floor on the third engraved stab wound. ¡°Huh?¡± For a moment, the men who opened their mouths as if they couldn¡¯t understand the situation let out a surprised roar. Surely anyone would be surprised if a man who looked dead for two weeks suddenly opened the door and put on a show. ¡°Hemostasis, hemostasis¡­¡± ¡°Hurry and send Ed over here!¡± As I turned around looking at the hallway, which was a mess in an instant, the man who was approaching me opened his mouth and laughed. ¡°Aha, you¡¯re just crazy.¡± Ian didn¡¯t expect it at all. The day after he opened his eyes after receiving treatment, he was calm when the drivers who came into the room grabbed him and dragged him away. There were many people in the hallway where he first walked. Most of them didn¡¯t know each other, but the expression of looking at this side is cold. It didn¡¯t matter because it was a familiar look. I don¡¯t know why, but I didn¡¯t even think of hospitality when I was locked up. The still burning wrist clung hard and blood leaked out over the white bandage. I knew I did it on purpose, so I walked silently out of the long hallway. ¡°Oh, you really opened your eyes?¡± ¡°Yes. I was afraid that you were going to die.¡± The murmur grew even worse as he entered the spacious venue. Unlike the terrace, which was far away, all the sounds definitely came into his ears this time. A giggling sneer returned at someone¡¯s whispered words. He immediately understood that he was like a monkey in a zoo, and nothing else. When I looked up, the man I saw on the terrace yesterday was also standing there far away. It was funny that he waved his hand and paled, but he had only said hello. I now know that Rox is the name of a country. And that people here are very hostile to Rox. Even if I fall into a place where I don¡¯t know what to say, I feel too dirty about being a racist. If you peel off a layer of the skin with a knife, it¡¯s all the same meat. That is only my opinion though. The people who stared at me and said something turned their heads towards the entrance in an instant. Naturally, my shoulders were pulled and I saw someone walking from afar as I turned away. As soon as he saw the face of the person getting closer, Ian froze as if time had stopped. It can¡¯t be. I muttered with the tip of my tongue, but there was no reply coming back. Anxiety, which had been haunting him since yesterday, crawled up his ankle again and to his head. His pulse was beating so fast that his whole body felt numb. The man who approached me with relaxed steps looked down at me. His eyes were like flashes of light, and his slightly disheveled hair was as black as night. Tall, dark skin, long eyes, and a sensitive atmosphere. ¡°It¡¯s my first time saying hello with your eyes open.¡± Ah, you¡¯re the man I¡¯ve already killed. ?????????????????? Chapter 6 The surrounding area was calm even though it was once quite noisy. Dozens of eyes stared at only one place as if they knew what was about to happen. It was about a month ago that the Prince of Rox came here to Shertian. If everything was on schedule, the ¡°matrix¡± should have already been finished. [T/N- Here, Ian is referred as the ¡°Prince of Rox¡± and the place where he is right now is ¡°Shertian¡±] The prince¡¯s carriage was attacked when he had just crossed the border through the western Shuyen bureau. The Grand duchy of Hyer and Rox was closer than the Imperial Royal Road. But now the entire border is blocked by walls, making it impossible to travel. Also, everyone knew that it was safest to travel through the neighboring country of Shuyen because they had to come across the black forest. The Knights of Shertian decided to lead the wagon from the Lebanese estate which was not far from the border. It was an appropriate choice because it was a heavily guarded area due to its contact with other countries. However, just before entering the Lebanese estate, the wagon was attacked by strangers in a vast pasture. It was a terrible incident in which not only the attendants and escorts who followed from Rox, but also the imperial army were decapitated and killed. The prince, who was the only one to escape by hiding in the corner of the carriage, was also heavily injured. When more knights arrived at the scene of the attack in a hurry after sensing something strange, the man was already on the verge of dying. Although they poured precious holy water due to the deep stab wounds on his neck, they eventually witnessed his arms drooping as if he had already taken his last breath. It happened across the border of the Hyer estate. If the people of Rox learnt that the prince had been murdered, he didn¡¯t know what he would have done. What was even more terrifying than that was Prince Hyer¡¯s command which he added before they left to bring him. He didn¡¯t mean to say that. When one of the knights tried to check his pulse by holding his stretched arms, he had a face as if he had been decapitated. Flinch. The man¡¯s body briefly twitched with a faint groan. Those shivering eyes and the sudden breath, made everyone panic. The remaining Seongsu, too, fell down, and when they returned to the mansion they were barely breathing in fear. However, the Grand Duke who walked to the entrance was silent. [T/N- Seongsu: Holy Water] The blood-soaked man breathed shallowly. No one could open his mouth because their face, which quietly looked at the person who was about to die without making a sound, seemed to appreciate the dead body of an animal. *** ¡°When they brought you back, you were covered with blood, so I was very worried.¡± Everyone in the mansion witnessed it, but no one dared to point it out right then. It was rather creepy to talk in a sensitive tone like someone who was really worried. The eyes, which seem to have been delicately drawn with a brush, were curved like a crescent moon. There was definitely someone who was nervous about that appearance that seemed to pop out of a famous painting. ¡°It¡¯s good to see you breathing like this.¡± However, there was no response from the counterpart to whom the Great Duke spoke. The Prince of Rox, whose arms were seized by knights, looked as if he had lost his mind. He was beautiful enough for someone to look back at least once when their eyes met, but rumour has it that his vocal cords were severely damaged and he couldn¡¯t speak. ¡°¡­¡­..¡± It was not unreasonable to treat such a man like a rare animal and to brighten his eyes. There was some exchange between the two countries before the war stained the two countries with blood. But now there was a large wall built between the borders and the connections had been cut off. Most of them present there saw Prince of Rox for the first time, so they looked curious. Clean, white skin like snow and waist-long black hair was something that could not be seen in Shertian. They saw no achromatic hair except for Prince Hyer and the prince in front of him. ¡°What clean skin he has there.¡± Unlike themselves who had marks on their bodies since they were born, the back of his hands was clean. Perhaps even if you peel off all the clothes he¡¯s wearing, you¡¯ll only see a pure white body. As if he had imagined it, a strange look lingered on for a moment. There is a saying that in Rox a body without a scratch would strive to the top. It is a symbol of aristocracy to consider a scratch as a shame and grow a hair without letting it get damaged. But the man¡¯s wrist was a mess. At a glance, it was clear that the red blood bandages were traces of self-harm. ¡°You must be scared.¡± Even idiots would have noticed how he would be treated here in the future. The prince of Rox who was standing in front of Logan Hyer who was famous for being notorious. The people agreed that it was natural for his hands and feet to freeze. ¡°Ack, grab him!¡± In an instant the man who stood absentmindedly with an expression of meeting a dead person again, shook off two knights who were holding him back and ran forward. As he pulled down the uniform collar embroidered with gold leaves, their eyes met. There was no time to be captivated by the unexpected circumstances. The swords of the men, which stood like ornaments a little far away, turned his direction all at once, but he couldn¡¯t see any of that. ¡®Obviously I killed him, but why is he alive?¡¯ Ian couldn¡¯t believe it even when he saw him right in front of him, so he gave more strength to the fingertips he was holding, and pulled him. Logan, who easily narrowed the height gap, didn¡¯t seem too surprised by Ian¡¯s sudden behavior. Well, nobody knows if anyone saw that guy surprised. It was rather the other side that was shocked beyond surprise. Not only the servants and knights at the meeting, but also the nobles of Shertian, who had been brought to greet the Prince of Rox, opened their mouths blankly at Ian, who had touched Logan¡¯s body recklessly without fear. ¡®Who is Logan Hyer?¡¯ He is the current duke of the Hyer family, called the Imperial Sword, cousin of Emperor Roselia, and the only legitimate bloodline of the royal family. He was the only successor of the shortest lived Grand Duke, who lost both of his parents at 15 years old and was succeeded by his title. The public¡¯s comments toward this beautiful man with a blessed as well as a cursed birth, were extreme. There were half of those who worshiped and supported the spirit, and the rest of them put their tongues out at the cruel spirit and hid themselves as unnoticed as possible. To put it mildly, he seemed to have not learned respect for life, and he was a man who thought that slaughtering others were it very easy and simple. When he was a minor, he just couldn¡¯t figure out what he was thinking, but since he became an adult, an eerie corner opened within him. And no one wants to think about what happened in the last year. It was only the beginning of the year that he split the nobleman¡¯s belly, who fawned on himself in order to make amends. He didn¡¯t know what offended him, but he killed the noble in the banquet hall while everyone was watching. He had to be held in custody immediately and they tried, but they couldn¡¯t. The whole nation knew the reason, and no one could speak recklessly in front of Logan. Instead, from mouth to mouth, rumors were spread that the Grand Duke¡¯s residence was lined with corpses and that he actually had blue blood flowing through him. In short, Logan was not a man to put up with this kind of rudeness. ¡°Please step back.¡± It was the Knights underneath him who knew it better than anyone else. The man behind Logan warned Ian, without scaring him by the knife that he pulled out of his waistline. It was difficult in many ways to kill what was barely alive. The aristocrats of their own country and princes of other countries had different textures. He was about to take a step closer to the Grand Duke. Logan willingly bent down to the man who dared to pull his uniform collar with his bare hands, and spoke with delight. ¡°You are so curious about my face.¡± [T/N ¨C Who wouldn¡¯t be curious about your face??!!?( ?¡ã ?? ?¡ã)] There was something sweet in his voice that seemed to melt people away. Logan smiled at Ian, who looked closely at his face, lowered his head a little more, and the aristocrats around him closed their eyes. He behaved like that the last time when he split open the novel¡¯s belly. They didn¡¯t want to see that scene of blood spilling on the floor like a glass of champagne was being spilled. In fact, they didn¡¯t even want to come near the duke. ¡°If you hadn¡¯t hurt your throat, I would have heard each of your thoughts one by one.¡± As the distance, which remained about a span, got a little closer, his golden eyes that looked like a well crafted gemstone strikingly stood out. In the highly chromatic iris, a vertical slit pupil stood out under the light . Ian, who discovered the only difference in his frightening resemblance, was out of breath as if he had been rescued from the water. I could feel my eyes looking down, but I was distracted by the fast paced heartbeat. It¡¯s a distinctively different characteristic from the general public but even that was still hard to find a flaw in a man who matched without any sense of incompatibility. ¡®However, there was only one difference.¡¯ Ian muttered stubbornly in his heart, even though he could not deny that even his voice was familiar. ¡®Yes. I am sure he¡¯s dead. Close enough to reach the tip of my nose, I, then¡­.¡¯ ¡°¡­..?¡± ¡®When was that?¡¯ When the accident stopped and subsided again, a great sense of incongruity swept through his body. Looking forward, he saw the face of a still alive man. Noticing that his expression was confused, Ian narrowed his eyes slightly. It was certain that he had killed him. I can¡¯t forget that face even if I dream or even if I die. ¡®However, I could not seem to recall neither the name nor the reason why I killed him.¡¯ ?????????????????? Chapter 7 It was as if someone bleached my memory. I remember everything clearly that has ever happened to me since a very young age except for the memory of that man which is completely murky. ¡®What is this?¡¯ Come to think of it, everything was blurred just before I woke up here. There was a sense that time had passed, but I couldn¡¯t recall what had happened. ¡®Does that make sense?¡¯ It seemed like he was almost going to laugh bitterly, but realising that he couldn¡¯t even remember why he died, Ian tightened his lips into a thin line. Even though it suddenly occurred to me, if I hadn¡¯t had any doubts, I might have lived unknowingly for a long time. I even remember stabbing myself on the neck with a canvas knife. The problem is that it¡¯s unclear why. Despite being lost in thoughts for the past two weeks, Ian had never thought of such important things. It¡¯s strange that he hasn¡¯t been interested in it. Even though there was a strange emptiness in his head, he never cared about it before. What the butler was feeding him was just a sleeping pill, so the fact that he cannot remember those important things could not be a side effect of the medicine. In the first place, I had never heard of a drug that only makes you forget a certain person. All my efforts were in vain. I was commissioned. I killed anyone if the money was deposited. He may be one of them because I have killed countless people. Ian¡¯s occupation in modern times was like that. Ian has lived a life hurting someone ever since his childhood. The reason why I didn¡¯t feel a single guilt about taking other people¡¯s lives maybe is because I thought my life was cheap. So it wasn¡¯t a big deal. *** Ian realised that the distance between him and the man was too close, so he released his strength from the tip of his fingers which were gripping his collar. It had wrinkles that didn¡¯t match the hard pressed uniform, but he didn¡¯t have time to worry. He was in a mess because the meaningless emotions were tangled. If this was the place where he originally lived, he would have booked a psychiatrist, but it was something he could not dream of among the people wearing a sword in their waist, an armor, and walking around casually in a dress fully covering the lower body. Even those who can¡¯t use their wits for medicine would know that this is wrong from a medicinal point of view. It was likely to happen only in the movies. However, the complete silence doesn¡¯t feel right at all , the man in front of Ian pulls him back into reality. They stared closely and maintained eye contact with each other. Ian, who had been distracted for a while, felt Logan¡¯s stare, who had been silently standing there. ¡°Agh.¡± In the background multiple screams broke out.. The ladies, whose cheeks had turned pale, covered their eyes with their fans without seeing anything, perhaps because they thought they would draw out their swords. He is a terrible man that attacks people casually after waiting for a while. In the first place he might have accepted Rox¡¯s proposal simply because he wanted to see the blood of a foreigner. However, opposed to everyone¡¯s fear, nothing happened in the hall. Ian, who didn¡¯t know what he was in, only looked at the man¡¯s hand rubbing his wrinkled collar lightly. ¡°Lord.¡± Looking at the person who called me, I opened my mouth and realized it was a title for me. It was an unfamiliar word, but it didn¡¯t matter because everything was unfamiliar to Ian. But everyone in the hall knew that the one word Logan uttered softly was an insult. He took a knight¡¯s vow hurriedly just before he came here. He didn¡¯t have any title, so he was trying to get his a$$ together. However, nominally, he came here as a member of the royal family of a country for a cultural exchange. Despite Logan¡¯s trampling, Rox¡¯s prince didn¡¯t even become flustered. Was he prepared to be treated like this or is this just his personality? Contrary to the aristocracy¡¯s assertion that it was not easy to touch Logan. Ian didn¡¯t have any ideas. ¡°It might be wrong to force a man who has spent his whole life wandering on the outskirts.¡± He heard he was the 12th prince from the lowest concubine. The present Ian pushed himself into the deepest part of the palace, fearing that he might want the throne, and didn¡¯t even look at it. It was hilarious to see him dressed like that and come but Logan swallowed his words. ¡°I think you are not at peace, both physically and mentally, because you had a terrible experience right after you crossed the border.¡± His tone of voice was stained with frustration as he wrinkled his eyebrows. Had it not been for the following words, the Arch Duke might have thought that he had genuine sympathy for the Prince. It was something that might have been considered by many. Of course those who knew the reality, would stick out their tongues. ¡°One, this is the northern part of which your country first stumbled.¡± In the territorial dispute 50 years ago, Rox first attacked the area where the Archduke was located. Even a child knew that they had a lot of intentions. The imperial people must have thought that the blind faith should be overthrown first. The timing was very good as the previous generation¡¯s chronic illness got worse. Most of the Archduke¡¯s knights had gone west because of the suspicious atmosphere of the Shuyen kingdom. Those who never imagined they would march across the black forest, figured out the situation only after the enemy¡¯s horses were just around the corner. The village which remained snow-covered all season was burning on fire. Logan said softly, recalling the time when blood formed a river with innocent screams, ¡°Your white body will be stripped naked and put atop a horse. And like that you¡¯ll get dragged to the streets, where the people will pelt you with stones and will hit you every other hour.¡± Everyone knew that the prince who had come here would receive all the anger that had arisen. That¡¯s why Logan cared for him so that he couldn¡¯t kill himself. A life that doesn¡¯t kill, but doesn¡¯t die either. ¡°¡­¡­¡­.¡± Ian retreated a little, but he didn¡¯t say anything. Apart from his inability to say anything, he seemed to realize that his situation was far more unanswered than he had expected. Logan¡¯s fingertips touched his cheek as he tilted his head sideways. The texture of the smooth gloves tickled his smooth skin. Logan was even careful about the way he brushed Ian¡¯s flowing hair behind his ears. It¡¯s as if the scary words he said earlier were a hallucination. ¡°But what can I do to you, my dear.¡± Lies, I could tell without having to go through the fact that a man looking down this way was a man who could do much more than that without a hitch. Logan led out a small laugh as if he had found a little distrust in his expression. Now I could see who the butler¡¯s smile, which was mechanically distorted, imitated. ¡°So thank you, for your name,¡± It was a long time after Ian was able to understand the word correctly. Looking at him with an incomprehensible look on his face, Logan added, ¡°You¡¯d better get some rest today.¡± He gracefully uttered the word ¡°disappear¡± in front of him. The knights, who understood the meaning contained behind those sweet caring words, hurriedly tried to capture Ian again, but they couldn¡¯t touch him recklessly because Logan was staring at him. As they walked Ian out of the room, there was a strange silence that followed in the hall. When the protagonist who was in curiosity disappeared, he finally realized who was left behind. It was the second son of the family, the noble lady who was looked down upon by her husband, or those who had been brought in by the Imperial command. It was no exaggeration to say that there were people who could not say anything even if they were killed by the Grand Duke. Whether or not the atmosphere of the party was ruined, Logan, who was looking at Ian¡¯s disappearance, took off his gloves. ¡°Bring me a new one.¡± Black gloves fell on the floor as if something dirty was on it. He looked cool as if it was a lie that he was smiling like a spring day until just now. There were countless teeth marks on Logan¡¯s exposed fingers. Ed, who handed over a new glove as if he was waiting by his side, immediately hid them, but everyone in the Empire knew that they were evidence of old blessings. Logan, who was not far away, opened his mouth with a glass of champagne as if he knew where their eyes were. ¡°By the way.¡± The glass was lit with a chandelier decorated with dozens of crystals, and the champagne swayed like a shower of glittering gold. An unintentionally nearby baron held his breath. He had no idea when, where or what he would do. ¡°How long are you going to stay without notice?¡± He looked at the cup and said, but it was clear who he was talking to. It was them who were going crazy about going home, but no one answered cheerfully. It was originally scheduled to only stay for a few days and then disappear like a wind. Two weeks passed because the prince didn¡¯t wake up, and after that two weeks passed because the Archduke went out on an expedition. If they knew they would be stranded in this creepy place for over a month, they wouldn¡¯t have come at any cost. But they didn¡¯t dare to open the gate. Each thought filled the hall and the glass of champagne in Logan¡¯s hand fell to the floor. A sharp ¡°whiz¡± burst out and screamed that they couldn¡¯t swallow. They know what the champagne on the floor reminds them of. ¡°I¡¯ll give the Knights.¡± They¡¯ve been waiting for these words to be said for a month now. Each of them nodded in tears and the next day a fight broke out about who would leave first. It took less than a day for the people who went to the Royal Road to spit out everything they saw and heard. The whole empire was shaken by the story of the prince of Rox, who had been on the verge of his death for being rude and the story of Archduke who laughed at him, insulted him and threw away his gloves. He was, both in a good and a bad way, the most interesting man in this country. No one wanted to go against his will because there were countless lives to die according to his intentions. That¡¯s why they couldn¡¯t say anything at that time. Later, the Prince of Rox, who they looked down on, would grab the uncontrollable Logan¡¯s collar. And because of that, a lot of things will change in the near future. ?????????????????? Chapter 8 Unlike before, when he was dragged like a dog, the corridor where he had to walk on both feet was quite long. I felt the knights closely following me as I moved on meaninglessly looking through unnamed artworks and antique ornaments. I guess, I must have looked as if I had seen a ghost. Even as he recalled his somewhat imaginative image, Ian did not turn his head. Unexpected situations suddenly happened all at once, so I couldn¡¯t come to my senses for a moment. I met him there with a blank in my memory. It was quite unexpected. But empty memories are unavoidable for now. It was ridiculous that I couldn¡¯t even think of a reason for my death, but it¡¯s important to get my priorities straight. Bang! As soon as I arrived, I was pushed inside and the door was instantly closed. Looking around the room that he returned to, Ian decided to summarize his situation first. Well, in fact, if I combine what I¡¯ve been through so far with what I¡¯ve just heard, it¡¯s not difficult to come to a conclusion. There¡¯s no need to use my brain much. The knights who stood up were using honorifics consistently. That tattoo man I met on the terrace, and the man whom I just met, all called me with the same title. ¡°¡­¡­¡­.¡± As I sat on the bed and rubbed the futon with my palm, I could feel the softness of it. Well, it is an overly luxurious room to imprison a criminal. The act of bringing every meal and giving me only sleeping pills is just too polite. It¡¯s like a medieval setting, so it wouldn¡¯t be strange to put someone in a dungeon and give him pork porridge. Recalling the moment when he was treated like a monkey at a zoo, Ian slowly closed his eyes. To say that it did not mean a few things. It was said that the Northern part of my country was the first to be disturbed, but the people in the hall were too busy speaking to each other in whispers, saying they had never seen a Roxian before, with a face too carefree for wartime. Was Rox defeated in the war? So I am like a hostage for a war that ended a long time ago and was sent to this country as a tribute? However, as a prince of a vassal state, he was treated a little differently. Apart from the resentment he had, Ian knew that he was still concerned that he might die. Given that he had been on the periphery all his life, he was probably a low ranking prince. When I opened my closed eyes and lowered my head, the back of my white hand caught my eye. It was only then that I realised it was clean without any sort of scratches. Smooth hair, well-managed nails, smooth skin. It was different from my original body, which had many scars. Ian rolled up the sleeves of the clothes he was wearing, not knowing that he was the first to recognize the parts he had not paid much attention to. The sense of incongruity became a little more intense as he swept his hair down the side of his cheek. I eliminated the probabilities of having long hair as it may catch people¡¯s attention. Ian¡¯s specialty was to make few signs, because he was often assigned to follow targets and monitor every move. It was rather cute to get hurt and broken. The skin, which was full of stitches and burned marks, would not have looked good no matter how well you tried to wrap it up. As the body remembered what it had been through, the fingernails that had been pulled out and broken many times did not return to their beautiful shape even when they grew back. There was a time when I thought that it was normal even though I was groping around the corner. There was a suitable wound on the broken one. No matter how much you try to hide it, there will be traces. Although it was not necessarily engraved on the body, there was inertia in the unfortunate memories. Ian has seen countless people who tried to overcome their innate misfortunes by dragging their feet back to the starting point even if they struggle to escape. In the end, the ending is far behind the starting point. So what is that man? Ian broke out of the past before he finally stopped again after taking a detour. I felt a sense of reality, when I stared at the blood-stained bandage which was oozing out blood and stained bare. His reaction was too intense to be met with the person who accepted the request and handled it. It wasn¡¯t common for the killer to come back alive, but it was a little different. When I checked his face and realized who was standing in front of me, it¡¯s like¡­.. Knock, knock, knock. It was when I frowned reflecting on my emotions that I couldn¡¯t even read properly. I could feel the presence of other people, so I looked back and saw a man who had been knocking. I stared at him without saying anything, and opened the door to the terrace with my hands. The man who stepped into the room looked very excited. ¡°Did I interrupt your emotional moment?¡± Even if I saw him yesterday, he was a person who couldn¡¯t be forgotten easily, so I couldn¡¯t help sighing. When Ian turned his head while looking at the tattoo engraved on the man¡¯s cheek, he noticed such an ideology and strode towards his bed. ¡°No, I knew our prince wasn¡¯t normal, but haha, I didn¡¯t know it would be this much.¡± There was no hesitation in the tone of his voice who began to squirm with squinting eyes. Ian just looked at the man who chatted friendly and was flirting as if he had known him for a long time. It was even more crazy to see it in the daytime when the sun was setting. ¡°What Roxian has 30 lives? Or try a new way to commit suicide? What, you don¡¯t want to live like that?¡± What was even more insane than that, was that mouth. ¡°How surprised must¡¯ve you been to run right away? I sent the guy who was on duty to dreamland. Come on, nothing will change even if you look dead like that. Ah! If you left your liver in Rox, should I go fetch it for you? Huh?¡± If Ian did, he would really run to the country of Rox. When the man looked at him with an expressionless face, he suddenly shook his head to correct himself. ¡°No, no, no. Let¡¯s just forget about it. It¡¯s much more fun now. By the way, did you see the faces of the aristocrats earlier? You scared the sh*t out of everyone!¡± ¡°Hahaha.¡± It was not normal to laugh out of breath. I think he¡¯s a knight, too, but is he really okay? He seemed to be in charge of monitoring himself, but he didn¡¯t seem to care about it. Maybe it¡¯s a personality that doesn¡¯t matter if it¡¯s interesting to you or not. When I blinked thinking it was a work assignment that didn¡¯t suit such a human being, the man who had been talking suddenly said, ¡°Ah!¡± and put his face right in front of my face. ¡°By the way, did I introduce myself?¡± I wasn¡¯t interested. ¡°Kyle, there¡¯s no last name, so you can just call me Kyle. I look forward to your kind cooperation, Prince.¡± However, regardless of my intentions, the statement was made, and Kyle, who introduced himself in a flash, seemed to have come to his own room. As if it was the last time I put my face close, he stepped back casually, and then approached the table, swooped down on a chair, all movements were as natural as flowing water. The mouth is still talking nonstop. It was only a few minutes later that Ian, who would never let someone like Kyle stay by his side, discovered the value of Kyle. I don¡¯t think he¡¯s in his right mind, so I think he¡¯s going to answer questions without thinking much. The problem was that I couldn¡¯t speak. Feeling the disconnection in communication, a chronic disease of modern people, Ian tapped the decorative part of the wooden bed with his fingernails. ¡°Huh?¡± Even though it was a light sound Kyle immediately noticed, and turned his head. He was in the middle of complaining how he was about to die last night because of the knife being stolen, but Ian acted as if it was none of his business. I called you, but how should I ask you a question? I don¡¯t think you can interpret it even if I write it. Kyle, who blinked a few times as he paused to recall yesterday¡¯s disaster, spoke as if he had heard the voice of his heart. ¡°Why? Do you have any questions?¡± That was the answer he had wanted to hear. When Ian nodded, Kyle smiled and squinted his eyes as if he knew Ian was going to say yes. Ian, who was looking at Kyle¡¯s purple eyes that was similar to his hair, finally decided to use his stuttering hands. Ian, who pointed at the door once, tapped his own chest with his fingertips and grabbed his collar slightly. I wanted to say, ¡°earlier there, the man I held on to¡± but it was a poor expression compared to the serious attitude. If it was a game like talking with your body, it would have ended in a time-out without mercy, but fortunately, Kyle was a man with a perfect sense of understanding even if he expressed it like a dog. Biting his molars tightly, as if he was holding back his laughter, and cleverly opening his mouth were the ones he understood. ¡°Ah~ I get it.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Do it again. I¡¯ll interpret it.¡± He wasn¡¯t disappointed at all since Kyle was willing to try and understand him. Once again, he pointed his hand at the door and tried again with a serious look on his face. ¡°Before, there.¡± That¡¯s right. When Ian, who didn¡¯t expect much from him, nodded with a surprised look, Kyle urged him to continue. ¡°Our prince.¡± I taped my chest, and he understood it like a ghost. I didn¡¯t like that crappy title, but I can¡¯t help it now. Ian, who corrected Kyle¡¯s evaluation from an annoying person to quite tactful one, grabbed his collar for the last time. Kyle, who smiled confidently, opened his mouth, frowning his eyes as if this was just his cup of tea. ¡°Holding by the collar.¡± ¡°Captured¡­¡± ¡°B*st*rd?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­..¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­..¡± I thought he was just talkative, but he was actually a b*st*er with a talent for crafting. ?????????????????? Stay safe and healthy along with your loved ones. And have a good day! Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Stay tuned for more. ~Dazzel.D~ Chapter 9 ¡°Hey, that¡¯s harsh. He is the person I am serving after all, how can you call His Highness, the Grand Duke, a b*st*rd.¡± ¡°¡­¡­..¡± ¡°No matter how bad the other person is, to call him a b*st*rd is too much. The prince shouldn¡¯t use such vulgar words, Hah¡­. Haha.¡± He started laughing as he said it. Ian¡¯s cold expression was not visible to him as he kept giggling and banging on the table. I thought it would work out. Depending on the person¡¯s point of view, I could have thought so, but I could tell that it was intentional just by hearing the words that followed. I should really stab him in the neck this time. Looking at the dagger that was in the same position as yesterday, Ian quickly planned on how to kill him. It would not be surprising to be found dead because it seemed like a rip-off that would leak from outside. However, a few minutes later, Kyle, who had been mired in the game of framing for a long time, raised his head and opened his mouth, as if he had discovered his future, which would have been discovered with his own cold corpse. ¡°I mean, are you curious about our Archduke?¡± Strangely enough, it was more annoying that I could understand what he was saying. ¡°What are you more curious about? You heard only notoriety. Is that because it¡¯s the first time you¡¯ve actually seen him? Certainly, if you see our grand Duke in person, the reaction would be the polar opposite. Especially if they are foreigners, they treat him like some other kind. The Hyers were originally famous, but after the war 50 years ago, the story of the Hyer family started to spread from the mouth of a person to another and then to other countries. It was ridiculous how they were talking about him being over 3 meters tall and how his face was covered with snake scales. The rumor says, they slaughter people and take a shower with blood, and when the piled-up snow in the forest is removed, several frozen bodies can be found lined up. The more details someone added, the more bizarre the story became. In addition, the atmosphere became even more frightening as Prince Hyer was accompanied by rumors. Those who had never seen the Archduke in person believed the false rumors. Kyle has been constantly reminded of the moments where the people who never saw him trembled like a mouse and then became mesmerized by Logan¡¯s face when they actually saw him. ¡°Aye, he is not as bad as the rumors say.¡± Of course, it was true that there were corpses in the forest. A few other truths were mixed in, but Kyle, who lightly ignored them, ran his head fiercely to find the goodness about the Prince. He threw the temperament out of the window of executing nobles or whatever. It was also said that if his stomach is punctured, he will recover in one day. Kyle, who bent his head with one hand, barely slept and even had a seizure-like madness. He rolled his eyes, looked into the forest, and managed to find some good pointers. ¡°It¡¯s true that the Archdukes are all short-lived.¡± Fortunately, most of them died early. Ian tilted his head, puzzled as to why such a story was being told here when Kyle suddenly brought up the family history of Hyer¡¯s, who mostly died in their 30s. ¡°The longest predecessor who lived was 41 years old. Usually they suddenly die in their early to mid-30s. Should I say they were weak when I saw that? Hahaha.¡± Weakness was a b*tch. It was true that they were short-lived, but everyone who heard Hyer¡¯s name knew that they would never die easily. Kyle, who showed off his high-level jokes, grinned at Ian, who was looking at him with a strange expression. How are they the same as humans? ¡°Even if you kill him, he will survive, but he¡¯s still human, he has to die in the end, haha.¡± ¡°¡­¡­..¡± But the other party was Ian, who had no knowledge of this place. He isn¡¯t physically weak. It does not match the descriptions at all when I recall what I had seen earlier, but just by looking at it from the outside, I didn¡¯t know it. In other words, there may be unknown diseases, there may be other reasons too. Anyway, the man here is going to die soon. It was very natural for a person to die, but my heart was still pounding. Without knowing that the joke was considered as a documentary, Kyle repeatedly emphasized the Archduke¡¯s weakness. He seemed to get amused with Ian¡¯s attitude of rarely nodding his head, but he seemed eager to appeal to the greatest strength of the Grand Duke he had chosen to serve. In the end, he will die early. If Claude had seen it, he would have punched Kyle in the face, but unfortunately, there were only two people in the room. Misunderstandings were piling up like snow, but no one noticed. Kyle, who had been talking a lot, smiled and added a word when it became noisy outside the window. ¡°But it was a good choice.¡± It was out of the blue. Kyle, who was silent for a moment, whispered, wondering if he realized as he couldn¡¯t ask back what he meant. ¡°I mean, Rox. I wanted to serve a low-ranking prince who is fearless and has no mood swings.¡± Abandoned to the enemy¡¯s land as the noblest. Usually you¡¯ll be in a bad mood every day or wet the sheets with tears. You would at least get cold feet. Desperate at the situation of being unable to even speak. However, the prince of this foreign country was as easy going as if he had come on a trip. The way he accepted everything so naturally was more of a three-way attitude despite the situation. I wondered if it would be okay, but Kyle, who watched for a few days, quickly came to a conclusion. It was a good choice. ¡°I think it¡¯s going to get cold here tomorrow.¡± It was chilly but not cold. Recalling the constant temperature for the past few weeks, he raised his head. Kyle waved his hand as he headed to the terrace without notice, just like he did when he came in without notice. ¡°You are going to catch a cold, cover yourself up, my prince.¡± He said in a tone of real concern. *** When I opened my eyes the next day, the outside of the window had turned white. It wasn¡¯t cold because it wasn¡¯t a drafty room, but as I came out of the blanket and stood near the window, the coldness permeated through my skin. When the maid, who came in at dawn, put firewood in the fireplace, which had been placed like decoration, and lit it up, I had no idea that it would snow like this. He didn¡¯t know that snow would pile up this much in a day, so Ian, who was looking outside, suddenly remembered Kyle¡¯s words that he heard yesterday. It will get cold tomorrow. Did he mean this? It¡¯s not even the Korean Meteorological Agency, but it¡¯s a big coincidence, I put my hands on the fogging glass. The cold wind rattled the window like a clap. ¡°You¡¯re up.¡± When my entire palm became tingling, Ed came in with a knock. Still neatly dressed, the old butler gently spoke, putting down the tray in his hand on the table. ¡°You are here, and the expedition is also over, so it¡¯s covered with snow again. The weather of the Grand Duchess is harsher than in Rox.¡± It was a nuance that the weather changed depending on the situation. Due to the nonsense, I took a step back from the window to the table. There was a meat dish that was grilled in a delicious way. The sauce was coated and the luster was flowing, similar to chicken. The stew, which had little to chew on, was nowhere to be seen. ¡°The master told me to pay attention to your meal. Your throat has been healed, so you should be able to swallow soft meat.¡± Basically, I liked meat dishes the most. Knife and fork appeared as I sat down for the food that I haven¡¯t seen in a long time. Of course, I will retrieve it after the meal, but I have no regrets. When the meat, which is gently separated by pulling it with a fork, is put into the mouth, it is mixed with the juicy sauce and soaked with gravy. Ed took a step back and burst into laughter at the sight of Ian, who was actively moving the tableware, unlike everyday he wasn¡¯t eating mechanically. I thought I had a small mouth. Maybe the food I¡¯ve been eating didn¡¯t suit my taste¡­. ¡°¡­¡­you don¡¯t want to have any more?¡± I thought so, but I don¡¯t think I would. Contrary to moving the fork quickly, Ian, who ate only five pieces, did not raise his hand any further. As if the meal was over, he slowly nodded when asked curiously about the fork on the table. ¡°If the food doesn¡¯t suit your taste, tell me.¡± This time he immediately shook his head. Seeing that he looked at the meat that was still left for a long time, Ed, who couldn¡¯t ask for a specific reason because Ian couldn¡¯t talk, waited another beat and approached the table. If he doesn¡¯t want to eat more, there¡¯s no reason to comment more on it. ¡°There will be a procession in a few days.¡± As he moved the plate back to the tray and notified it casually, his eyes followed. He looked like he didn¡¯t know what it was, so Ed, who finally collected the knife, decided to add a more straightforward explanation. ¡°You would have to ride a horse and show your face to the Shertians who live here.¡± Ian slightly nodded at those words, as if he remembered something. Riding on a horse naked. It¡¯s like he said he will tie a leash and beat me every hour. I looked at the plate once again, recalling the voice of the man who was kindly reciting it. Half of the steaming meat was not yet empty. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡± Even though he knew what it was, he didn¡¯t seem to mind. Ed, who had expected to see at least an uneasy sign, was at a loss of words for a moment, he stared curiously at Ian, who was looking at the plate. It¡¯s definitely not a normal reaction. But most of his actions were enough to lose one¡¯s mind. Excessively. As Logan had said, Ed, who thought it would be better to wait a little longer, left the room with a brief greeting. That night I didn¡¯t fall asleep like I was fainting, maybe because I wasn¡¯t taking medicine anymore with my food. The wind swayed near the window, and at first glance, it seemed that I heard a cry, but only a couple of times. Buried in the mourning eyes, I tried to listen, but I couldn¡¯t hear anymore. It¡¯s been such a quiet few days. Originally, Kyle, who was supposed to appear giggling, did not come, so Ian, who was lying in the room as if he were dead, felt as peaceful as on the eve of the storm. If he goes out naked in this kind of weather, he¡¯ll be dead when he comes back. Even though he was stuck in a situation, he didn¡¯t forget to look out of the window. And finally, the day of the procession arrived. Ian, who was still touching the snowy window despite Ed¡¯s words the day before, turned his head to the sound of the door opening. ¡°¡­¡­..¡± And after a while, looking at the white veil in his hand, Ian swallowed a curse he couldn¡¯t pour out of his mouth. ?????????????????? Stay safe and healthy along with your loved ones. And have a good day! Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Stay tuned for more. ~Dazzel.D~ Chapter 10 A white cloth was held in the butler¡¯s hand who was smiling along with the knights who burst into the room through the door. I thought I was going to be dragged along like the last time by those people in tight armour. But what I heard from Ed, who came forward, was out of the blue. ¡°The master sent this.¡± This wad of cloth? Ed gracefully unfolding the cloth that he was holding. I had no idea about his intentions so I just looked at him as if I had expected it just by looking at him. When he heard Ed¡¯s explanation that he had to cover his face and ride on a horse, he realized that the translucent fabric that flowed down without any pattern was a veil. I am not some May bride. And without a chance to ask what this bizarre thing was, Ian was dragged outside with the veil on. How many stairs and corridors did he pass with his arms clasped? Walking through the spectacular hall outside the entrance, someone was standing with dozens of horses. It was the first time he saw the scenery with his bare eyes, so Ian, who had cold eyes for a moment, frowned and looked forward again. Dark hair, dark skin. ¡°You look good.¡± The men were the only ones in uniform like they were then. Maybe it¡¯s not that cold, and I¡¯m the only one feeling this cold because even the men did not have a fur cape. He stopped still without realising that he was no less dressed than him, a man who was standing a little far. The man came in front of Ian. It is the first time I am seeing him since that day. It was natural because he couldn¡¯t go out of the room, but Ian, who noticed the moment, shut up. The man bowed his head a handful away as if he didn¡¯t care about the distance. His hand, which pulled the fluttering veil from the eyebrow to the chin, was soft. ¡°I prepared it because it seemed cold.¡± A few days ago, when I went out to the terrace in light clothes, the temperature was like a lie. Everyone there knew that Ian¡¯s clothes, which were dragged out of the room, were not warm enough with a veil. A thin tunic and a pair of pants. The white skin was already reddish even though it had a long way to go. On the way back, when the thought of freezing to death crossed everyone¡¯s mind, Logan, who was standing in front of Ian, slowly leaned down. ¡°Grand Duke!¡± Someone shouted in surprise, but Logan¡¯s movements were not slowing down at all. The movement of the kneeling and wrapping one hand around the ankle was that of a servant. Ian had no expression even though he saw a man big enough to raise his head and look down to his feet. In an instant, his toes froze. It wasn¡¯t a metaphorical expression, it really wasn¡¯t. As he looked at the man who was taking off his shoes, he was grabbed by the ankle on the other side. The man looked at the barefooted white instep. It was freezing even when he stood armed, with the eyes meeting each other. Nevertheless, it was hard to read what Ian was thinking on the surface. Dozens of people stood, but a brief silence ensued. They often witnessed Logan¡¯s eccentricities, but this was the first time this kind of thing had happened, so they didn¡¯t know how to react. If he had wanted to cut off his ankle, he would have done so. However, he could not understand why he was staring at his opponent who was taking off his shoes. In the end, even the act of smiling and turning around without saying a word with the shoes seemed to be neatly arranged. Logan moved toward his horse and as if he had waited, the prepared shackles were fastened to Ian¡¯s wrists and necks. I couldn¡¯t speak anyway, so the muzzle seemed to have been omitted. When a driver grabbed the long chain that was wandering on the floor, the people waiting behind it also moved. When the bare feet touched the white snow, it felt like they were becoming numb. As the chain was pulled in a funny way, he walked a few more steps and stopped in front of a white horse. He was standing blankly when the knight beside him spoke up. ¡°You can ride this.¡± Ian¡¯s head creaked when he said that. Ride a horse? I was confused by the look he had on his face. Then how can I get to the village without riding a horse? The driver¡¯s face was distorted, wondering if he wanted to prepare a carriage. I couldn¡¯t get my act together even in this situation. That¡¯s why the nobles¡­ ¡°There are no wagons.¡± Ian shook his head in that stiff voice. The carriage was not the problem. How many people in modern society have ridden horses except for those who enjoy horseback riding? I¡¯ve heard the procession and horse talk several times, but I didn¡¯t even think I had to ride it alone. ¡°¡­¡­¡­..¡± I¡¯ve ridden a motorcycle, but I don¡¯t remember riding a living creature. Unfortunately, however, there was no way to explain it. Ian sighed quietly when he noticed that the knight¡¯s eyes looking at him were like the common people looking at the spoilt chaebol. If you were a royal, it was automatically thought you could ride a horse. Then at least loosen your wrist. He muttered in his mouth, saying, ¡®How can I ride a horse while tied like that?¡¯ But Ian moved his body. Holding the reins and mane, I put my foot on the stirrup and climbed on the rebound, and I felt my field of vision doubled compared to before. Unlike lumps of scrap metal, breathing was strange under the saddle. But that was it. It was good to sit on a horse because of its light body, but it was the first time for this rider to ride anywhere, holding reins and looking awkward, so it was balanced, but it was not possible to deceive the eyes of so many people who walked with the horses. Someone muttered as if it were understandable. ¡°You¡¯ve grown up nicely.¡± I didn¡¯t. Looking back on his messed-up childhood, Ian had cloudy eyes, but he couldn¡¯t be more retarded here. In many ways, it was difficult to secure visibility in the forest when it was dark. It was then that a calm voice flowed clearly from the cluttered articles. ¡°I¡¯ll be with you until the front of the village. Get the saddle, you bring my horse, Yubel¡± ¡°Mr. Claude!¡± When I turned my head to the name I¡¯ve heard several times, someone walked from the crowd ahead. It was a man who stood out from afar because he tied his long blue hair high. Unlike his neat and cool face, the cross sign on his forehead was rather impressive. Claude, when I remembered where I heard the name, the guy already was near me. I thought it would be a tattoo like everyone else with a lot of this and that on their bodies, but I realised it wasn¡¯t when I closely came across it. The deep marks on the flesh horizontally and vertically were close to signs. ¡°Wagons are a luxury. Hurry up, the day is short.¡± As if his position was quite high, the line was quickly cleared by the words of the man named Claude. As soon as the auxiliary saddle was filled, Claude, who climbed quickly behind Ian, grabbed the reins and shouted. ¡°Open the gates and secure the way! The Grand Duke is with us. Don¡¯t disappoint us.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± The horse began to move in a disciplined manner. Grabbing the rake increases the speed a little bit. Oh, that¡¯s the guy Kyle told me a few times. When I thought about it, the tightly closed gate was opening. The white black forest appeared like a picture. It was just a different feeling from when I watched it from afar. It was like a scene from a movie when old trees that were several times taller than ordinary people hung on both sides. Although the spectacular scenery was amazing, unfortunately, Ian had no time to appreciate it. It was cold even when I stood still. I felt for the first time that this was what freezing to death was like when I started riding on the horse. I stuck with someone behind my back, but it didn¡¯t help because the black armour made of metal couldn¡¯t convey body heat. ¡°Straighten your waist and put your legs next to the saddle.¡± A blunt word came from behind and I moved my legs as much as possible. I didn¡¯t know if it was the right posture. Every time I breathed, I could see white snow under my feet with a foggy breath. I would rather close my eyes to my numb and feverish skin. The flapping of the veil hanging to the tip of the chin was even more annoying. I think I can die easily if I fall asleep now. It was so cold as I had been buried in the snow, so when I tried to let go of consciousness for a while, the reins were pulled strongly like a demon. When he woke up more than three times with the cry of the horse, Ian realized that it was intentional. How long did he run like that? As the endless black forest began to end, a high wall appeared again. As the two leading knights blew the trumpets high, the door seemed to open faintly as if they had been waiting. After running nonstop, the speed slowed down slowly. ¡°It¡¯s just around the corner.¡± As the noise of the hooves subsided, Claude, who was riding behind, jumped off the horse. Ian, who came to his senses with difficulty because he was running ahead of anyone else, looked ahead. The Knights who came along stood still behind Ian. The clatter of the chain echoed quietly. Beyond the open door, there were many people waiting. With an absolutely fearsome face. ¡°The Prince of Rox.¡± Then, with that remark, the squash flew in. ?????????????????? Stay safe and healthy along with your loved ones. And have a good day! Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Stay tuned for more. ~Dazzel.D~ Chapter 11 *** TL: Dazzel.D ED: Taochaidee *** A stone with a rough surface rubbed against the frozen skin. Most of them fell to the ground without being able to reach because they were still quite far away but their faces staring at me were stiff. Blood-stained hatred was deep-rooted within. The northern sector of the country, which borders Rox, was particularly enraged, so everyone looked forward to this procession that was assigned for today. The procession, which was an act of riding a sinner on horseback and circling the streets, allowed the people of the Empire to throw stones at them. Although it was an enemy country, there was no chance to throw stones at the royal family again. Perhaps everyone felt the same way, so many had gathered near the gate since this morning. The sound of the trumpet was the signal. The gate opened, and the man entered, covered in a white veil, riding alone on the white horse. The flowing chain dragged along the floor. At the sight of the knight, Prince of Rox, each individual threw the stone they were holding with all their might. Despite the unexpected violence, the man did not budge. Even though he got injured by a stone on his cheek, he didn¡¯t even raise his hand to wipe away the blood. Rather, the white horse, surprised by the pouring stones, rolled its front hooves and screamed loudly. The man almost fell but managed to grab the reins and hold on. As the strange confrontation continued without being able to go inside, Claude, who couldn¡¯t see it, came out. ¡°First of all, make way. I won¡¯t go around until dark.¡± The crowd split reluctantly at the words. Claude, who grabbed the chain that swept around the floor, barely managed to follow the true white horse as he moved on. Only then, Ian realized why he had been tied to the unnecessarily long chain, and holding back the bitter smile he looked forward. The chain connected to the leash was long enough to walk at arm¡¯s length. You¡¯re going to sit back and watch. It was easy to be dragged along. As if it was the answer, a stone flew from a close distance, hit his shoulder and fell off. He barely passed the gates, but the number of eyes staring at him increased as the sun went down. Should I be thankful that I¡¯m not naked? Once again, a flying stone hit his thigh. Voices of trembling teeth flew in from all over the place. ¡°F*cking Rox!¡± ¡°You know how many people are dead!¡± ¡°Oh, my God, look at the back of your hand. It¡¯s white and clean.¡± ¡°Look at this!¡± A young man standing nearby shouted, raising the back of his hand. On the back of the hand was a snake-like pattern. It was the same for the middle-aged woman and the child standing next to him. When I turned to the other side there was the same tattoo on the back of everyone¡¯s hand, and they shouted with a face full of anger. ¡°We¡¯re branded here like this!¡± This was why anger in the north was more dramatic. The fear of war was located at the forefront and not knowing when it will break out again played a part, but the old practice of stigmatizing them by branding the backs of both of their hands as soon as one was born so that one could not migrate recklessly, was the main reason. Most of the time, even after barely escaping out of town, the Imperial Patrol inspected the back of their hands and they were taken back. In the end, the only way out was to cut off both wrists, but there was no way for ordinary people to live normally without using their hands. Therefore, everyone in Shertian called it a swamp. If the war with Rox breaks out again, they will be the first victim. Although they were under the same empire, they had no issues in sacrificing a few for the sake of the majority. Especially if the majority include nobles. As time went by, such anxiety had disappeared since the walls were built on the border, but more terrible things awaited them. ¡°You set this place on fire, and now you¡¯re asking me to do that!¡± This time again, it was an incomprehensible sound. The criticism snowballed when Ian, who chose to grab the reins tightly instead of rolling his head tactfully, said nothing. ¡°Murderer!¡± Ian suddenly raised his head at the old man¡¯s rant. As the eyes met through the translucent veil, the trembling old man shouted once again. ¡°Murderer, murderer, murderer! Give me Ollia back!¡± Probably lost his lover or brother in the war. The wind, which was so cold that it bit the flesh through the thin fabric, brushed through. It was so cold that I felt numb. It¡¯s so ridiculous that it¡¯s not unfair. ¡°¡­¡­..¡± Ian was far from agreeing because he had no relation with Rox or the war situation. He simply failed to commit suicide and entered an unknown body. He was imprisoned for no apparent reasons. And after being a hostage to the enemy¡¯s country, he was now being thrown stones at in a veil over the freezing snow. It was not just unfair but an extremely unfair situation. Strangely, however, Ian didn¡¯t feel anything. Maybe it was because the criticisms seemed strangely right. His face was different, but the gaze was permeated with resentment. Those red eyes. When I remembered that I had seen it somewhere, many faces came to mind in an instant. All the faces of those I killed. Thud! A stone flew in and hit his head. His cheek and back of his hand were bruised, but Ian did not make excuses. There was nothing to say. It was an inexcusable life. When I realized I hadn¡¯t apologized today, not knowing who to apologize to, I frowned. I haven¡¯t repented yet. ¡°Hck¡­!¡± It was then that I heard a small frightening sound. A little later, Ian, who was looking down at the horse¡¯s rake that was disturbed by the wind, turned his head when he felt that the stone was no longer flying. The white breath dissipated through the middle. When my eyes met those brightly shining eyes even though there was no light, something inside me trembled. Whenever Claude was walking apart, it was this man who held my chain, right next to him. ¡°Grand¡­ Grand Duke!¡± Even the people who followed the procession couldn¡¯t recognise him. And those who recognised Logan¡¯s face turned pale one by one and stepped back, there was a gap between the bustling spaces. ¡°No way¡­¡± ¡°Great to see you, your Highness!¡± It was Prince Hyer, who did not come down to the village. When the lord, who thought the commander of the Knights was coming, ran from afar with a blue face, everyone began to lie flat on the ground, perhaps they couldn¡¯t understand the situation. When the knights arrived, they couldn¡¯t be seen at all, so Ian couldn¡¯t imagine they were here. They couldn¡¯t figure out why he came down this far, and so their backs trembled like a tree. It was more out of fear than respect. ¡°Sir.¡± Logan, however, didn¡¯t pay attention to such things. He called Ian and said that it didn¡¯t matter if he made a fuss or was in a panic, but of course, he didn¡¯t hear a reply. Unlike when I left the mansion, I looked around the mess. I noticed that the veil became red everywhere. The fabric, which had been fixed so tightly that it did not slip down, was already almost ragged, and it wrapped around the skin that was beginning to turn purple. The frosty abrasions on his whole body were painful to look at. But he didn¡¯t seem to be able to feel that way. ¡°How can I do this to you?¡± Logan¡¯s face had a look of regret when he took off his shoes and brought them back himself. Unlike the noisy surroundings, when he listened to Ian¡¯s quiet reaction and moved his steps, the sound of the hoof rang. It looked like something more than a parade to carry a person in a white veil between people lying on their stomach without looking up, but Ian didn¡¯t respond once even when he went around the street. Not even an idiot pretends to be an idiot. ¡°Shall we go back?¡± The procession started in the morning and lasted until just before sunset. It¡¯s nice to say that it was just the beginning after going just one lap. But the Grand Duke¡¯s order changed the story. Before he knew it, Claude, who followed him, bowed his head and turned right back to give the orders, without complaining. ¡°All knights must assemble. We¡¯ll be returning.¡± Logan¡¯s horse, who was walking around the entrance, came along with a team of knights who quickly lined up according to their ranks. Logan briefly watched Claude climb behind Ian, and then he climbed onto his horse. The closed gate slowly opened. They retread the path they came, stepping on the snow where the footprints remained. Halfway through the forest, I heard a vague cry from afar. At the same time, some who were sensitive to the surroundings scattered to the side, sending small signals. There was someone following them across the forest. It was a priority to check whether it was human or not, so everyone looked at Logan, but no significant figures were dropped. That was the answer itself. As he grabbed the reins and pulled out the sword, an arrow flew through the tree as if they had been waiting. ¡°Don¡¯t go into the woods! It¡¯ll crawl out on its own!¡± As soon as Claude¡¯s words were over, people covering their faces rushed out. It was usual to be attacked, but this time the number of people was quite high. The white snowfield was covered with blood. When Logan, who stopped the horse and turned back he saw Ian, who was left on the horse in the mess, not reacting much. ¡°¡­¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Do you just want to die?¡± It may be so seeing that he didn¡¯t cry, beg, or resent. Logan turned his head and cut someone¡¯s neck right in front of him just before the sword hit him, but he still held onto the reins. It wouldn¡¯t be a bad idea to let him die here. Logan wasn¡¯t interested in things that didn¡¯t have the will to live. He didn¡¯t know what Rox was going to ask for, but whatever they ask, they have to comply. Logan slashed a nearby knight and blankly stared at the man running towards him. The blade flashed sharply as if he was about to poke his stomach. It was a time when he knew it was meaningless, but he didn¡¯t get tired of it and thought he was doing well. The sound of metal scratching vibrated in the air. Looking at the back of the man who was standing in front of him, Logan blinked twice. ?????????????????? T/N: What do you guys think about the guy, Logan Hyer? (Yes that sharp Jawed guy in the cover ?¡ã ?? ?¡ã) I am confused if he¡¯s a good or bad guy(¦È?¦È). Let me know what do you guys think about him and also tell me what do you guys think will be happening in the next chapters. (. ? ? ?.) Stay safe and healthy along with your loved ones. And have a good day! Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Stay tuned for more. ~Dazzel.D~ Chapter 12 The man who attempted to pierce the Grand Duke¡¯s stomach suddenly flinched. The long sword trapped in the chain trembled and reflexively tried to swing once more, but he instantly pushed in and wrapped the chain around the man¡¯s neck. It all happened in less than a second. It was only at that time when the man wondered who the hell the white skin man was. He was wearing a veil, but his indistinguishable appearance was foreign. Then, the man noticed that he was the prince of Rox, but at that moment, Ian, who grabbed the chain, moved behind the man¡¯s back. ¡°Kuhk¡­¡± The purple barefoot leaned back pressing the man¡¯s back. The weight added to the chain that was wrapped like a circle around his airway, and the man couldn¡¯t breathe. He whimpered and scratched his neck with his hand that didn¡¯t hold the sword. He tried to grab the chain with his fingernails, but it didn¡¯t work. He swung his arm, but it only waved in the air. ¡°Kuh, Ugh.¡± Ian, who was holding the chain, put a little more strength into it. He felt like his joints were freezing, but he didn¡¯t care. When he heard a strangled groan, Ian didn¡¯t think much about it in his head. Why did you come running? That¡¯s the only thing Logan ever wondered in a hectic moment. Ian was sitting still on the horse, standing in the middle of the blood splashing. He had no emotion, even though a man was beheaded right in front of him. But he was unable to stand by and watch a man approaching Logan from afar. Despite being in a high position, no one was willing to protect the man. He saw that Logan was exposed defenselessly when someone approached him quickly and knowing where the sharp sword was headed, Ian jumped off the horse. Something dripped down Logan¡¯s ragged palms. Even the chain was slippery as if it had been torn by the friction of the frozen skin with metal. He felt someone¡¯s suffocated breathing. When he turned to see, he felt a small presence. The skinny man, who was sneaking up from behind slashed a dagger towards Logan, but it was not him who vomited blood, but the body with a neck tightened with a chain. Logan, who quickly turned around and found himself shielded by his companion, gritted his teeth. ¡°You son of a b*tch!¡± Ian already pulled out the long sword from the corpse¡¯s hand. Although he felt it was quite heavy, there was no hesitation in the swinging arm. ¡°Ah, Ack!¡± He was able to draw a dagger, and the man was stabbed threw up a handful of blood. When the blade of the sword was twisted without stopping, a terrible pain came as if the internal organs were stirred. ¡°Aah!¡± The screams of the man who couldn¡¯t stand it drew the attention of the knights behind him. They thought the Archduke did it, but it was a completely different person standing with a sword. Although most of the elite personnel were missing, they were all members of the Northern Knights, which were considered the most difficult to join in the empire. Compared to the opposition, such attacks were ridiculous. They were already quickly sorting out the situation and arresting those who couldn¡¯t commit suicide and still breathing. But what kind of situation was this? I just checked that he was riding a horse, but I couldn¡¯t tell when he had moved there. ¡°Why the hell is he killing the assassins?¡± ¡°How did you manage to kill him?¡± Ian, who killed two people in an instant, was still shackled. When I pulled out the sword I put in his stomach, hot blood poured over my eyes. It was the next moment that the Knights learned the reason. Because Ian moved at the same time as Salze, who was carefully watching the situation in the forest on the right, appeared behind the Grand Duke. When he immediately noticed the movement of the man from the other side, he ran away even before the blade reached the Grand Duke. Looking at Ian, who wielded his sword without hesitation, the knights were immersed in the chaos. ¡°You protected Archduke Hyer¡­.?¡± Would that man who would be in good spirits the next day, would have stabbed the crazy man so many times for no reason? ¡°Huh¡± No one escorted Logan because they knew he wasn¡¯t going to die over this. Instead of wandering around, there was a high possibility of being slashed! They didn¡¯t want to die like a dog, so when this happened, the Knights were the first to fall far away from the Grand Duke. The actions of Ian, which killed all the Salze near the Grand Duke, were obvious. I can¡¯t believe I tried to protect a man like that. I was definitely out of my mind. For some moment the knights stared at Ian with a mixture of wonder and astonishment and saw the unknown sword in his hand. Come to think of it, what is this? I heard you were only given formal knighthood oaths. A calloused hand belonged to a man who had never held a knife. But the move earlier said something completely different. It was not an elegant sword art that nobles learned like culture. No matter how many times they see it¡­ ¡°When the capture is over, I¡¯m going back. The trial will take place at the mansion. Don¡¯t get yourself killed.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± They forgot what they were doing and were absorbed in their own thoughts. As they quickly turned to face the cold voice from behind, they saw Claude¡¯s cold and depressed face. It was the deputy leader who was scarier than the leader. They didn¡¯t want to be caught even if they died, so they moved quickly as if it was the last time they were mesmerized. Claude, who glanced at the knights returning to their posts, stared forward for a moment. Ian, who was covered in blood, tossed the sword to the ground and turned his head. ¡°¡­¡­¡­.¡± There was silence between everybody. Ian, who took a short breath, turned his body and lowered his eyes straight down. It was a forest road covered with snow but not maintained. I thought it was hard to move, but it seemed like I had torn the soles of my feet. As I lifted my left foot slightly, I could see red blood on the floor. But I didn¡¯t feel much pain. His feet stained with purple like frostbite were now numb. There was a clatter of chains from my badly broken wrist. Turning around, I made eye contact with the man still on the horse. Ian took a step closer to the appearance of the man who didn¡¯t take out his sword, perhaps because he was surprised and stiff. There was blood splashing over the neat uniform. I wanted to ask him if he was okay, but I didn¡¯t even know his name. Only then did I realize that. Yeah, I didn¡¯t even know the name. He knew nothing but his position as the Grand Duke. Although Ian was mistaken, he took a step back from saying what he didn¡¯t even know. The man was looking at the red mark on every step, silently. Except for the splashing of blood, it looked the same as before. When I realized that there was no injury, I felt a faint sense of relief. Feeling the fatigue that had been delayed was coming back as if it had been waiting for him, Ian thought of this morning. The man who stood on the porch like the spring waiting at the door. It¡¯s been a long time since I saw that face, and that step that always comes first. There¡¯s nothing to be pleased about. I was the one who killed him. I almost burst out laughing at the inconsistent irony. What happened to my head when I fell into an unknown world? I don¡¯t want to see you die. It was a thought that didn¡¯t go too far with someone like himself who had killed all his life. A faint smile came out between the lips. I don¡¯t know what kind of expression I had. ¡°Phew¡­¡± That was the last memory. My body collapsed as if I closed my eyes to the darkening field of vision. The snow piled on top of the fallen back didn¡¯t melt. I heard some knights running to see me fall down without holding up. Logan was still gazing at Ian. As if to witness something very curious and very strange. *** ¡­.A fine object was held in my hand. I closed my eyes and concentrated on the sound, holding my breath as low as I could. I could¡¯ve just gone out again. The damn papers are in the other room, and there¡¯s nothing in this room. However, contrary to the thought of trying to be positive, the sound of the door opening sounded loud. I¡¯ve been watching for a couple of months, but I¡¯ve never encountered him this close. First of all, I hid in the closet in an urgent manner but he was a very sensitive man. When he heard that he was supposed to meet the King at 9 o¡¯clock, he broke into the waiting car after checking in. He was a man who was morbidly reluctant to break his original appointment. I expected him to be away for about an hour, but within five minutes, I heard a voice from below. I tried to go out through the window when I heard a voice saying that he had left the document. God damn it. Nothing was working out today. His cheeks, which had been beaten since dawn, were throbbing, but it was important to get out without being caught. I wanted to take a deep breath and just go out looking for the papers, but unfortunately, his step turned to me. Three steps. I opened my eyes. Outside the door, there will be a lot of people who claim to be performance secretaries. Two steps. I pointed the gun I was holding. I could not put the silencer on, so it was obvious that I would be discovered as soon as I shot the man on the head. But I still couldn¡¯t get caught. One step. The moment I felt like he was approaching me, my vision brightened up. He reached the door of the closet and touched the tip of the gun. Ian aimed exactly at the man¡¯s neck, and the man hissed quietly. ¡° ¡­..It¡¯s my first time saying hello.¡± But even with a gun pointed at his neck, the man talked calmly. ¡°Where did you hear that?¡± I was strangely accustomed to the way he spoke. As soon as I thought so, I heard a sharp crackling sound. The beautiful scene distorted like a crack. Ah. Only then did Ian¡¯s expression become clouded as if he realized something. As I relaxed my fingertips on the trigger, the field of vision was greatly reduced as if there were no signal. It¡¯s a dream. The moment I was awake, our eyes met. His straight arms fell down and his large hand covered my cheek. I felt like I was going to get burned by the hot body temperature. I wish I hadn¡¯t met you. It was the beginning of dozens of regrets. ??????????????????? [T/N: Did you guys guessed something? I feel like it¡¯s kind of a flashback. And I THINK, I am not sure, but I THINK, that Jawed man was Ian¡¯s boyfriend in previous life and basically Ian killed his own lover. And that¡¯s why mainly he did the suicide. Well¡­ I am still not sure. I just think this might be it.] Stay safe and healthy along with your loved ones. And have a good day! Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Stay tuned for more. ~Dazzel.D~ Chapter 13 When I woke up, I saw a familiar ceiling. I think I had a dream. I just can¡¯t remember anything except for a vague feeling. My throbbing head felt like it was going to break. So I clenched my teeth and took a short breath. I only felt better after a couple of repetitions. I was the only one in the spacious room. Tadak! Ian, who barely came to his senses, raised himself at the sound of firewood burning. Why am I here? As I fumbled through my dizzy mind, something came to mind immediately. I¡¯m pretty sure I fell down in the snow. He thought, but something was wrong and he flinched. Ian slowly unfolded his hands, but all he saw was his smooth skin without any scars. His palms that were supposed to have been torn had a sensation of blood dripping. He frowned at the corners of his eyes and lifted up the thick futon which had been covering him in a hurry. The feet on the sheet were no different. It was as if it had been stained with paint and what was blue from the cold was now white and clean. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡± There were two things that one can assume from this situation. One, he has been lying down for months. Two, there is more advanced medicine here than in modern times. Of course, he knew both didn¡¯t make sense. Because he would have healed right after he hurt his neck. More than a month later, Ian still had a scar on his neck. I didn¡¯t know until I took a closer look at it. I mean, there wasn¡¯t any reason to be able to explain my condition anyway. It was time for him to stare at his hand with that thought. The door opened with a knock. It was obvious who it was. ¡°You always fall down.¡± It was a scolding administration, but on the contrary, he looked cheerful. He nodded moderately, wondering if something had happened. Edward, who came near the bed, bowed his head. ¡°You must be tired, but you slept well for a day.¡± The first guess was also a failure. While he was drawing a big X in his heart, he noticed that Ed¡¯s gaze was directed towards his hand. He tapped his finger quickly as if asking for an explanation, but Ed only smiled and said nothing. [T/N: Here it¡¯s not the letter ¡°X¡±. It means the cross sign ¡°X¡±. Because his guesses were wrong he was as if drawing a cross sign in his heart.] He understood everything. He was very quick-witted like a monster, so it was clear that he was doing it on purpose. I got more and more annoyed because I couldn¡¯t speak. ¡°Ian-nim.¡± I heard a gentle voice. Ian blinked his eyes, shrewdly figuring out that something else was mixed in that smiling face. If he was asked whom he had met most since he woke up here, he would point to Edward without hesitation. Every little thing went through him. However, Ian has never felt friendly to him. Even though he was using honorifics, eating meals, and made every convenience possible. But now it¡¯s a little different. Ed opened his mouth as his handsomely wrinkled eyes curved once again. I kept my mouth shut because I felt like he was trying to bring up something important. Bang! Suddenly, Ian and Ed¡¯s eyes turned at the same time towards the sudden noise from the door. The woman who appeared and received the attention of the two, was bleeding from her head and acted as if she came to the right place. ¡­.Blood? ¡°There you are.¡± ¡°Ailee?¡± ¡°I can tell from your fair skin. No wonder nobody came out even after searching all the underground prisons.¡± It was a nuance that seemed to have wandered for a long time, but that was not the problem. The blood dripping from her forehead, wetting her clothes, and entering the room with a calm face was obviously not normal. She also interpreted Ian¡¯s expression of looking at her with a hesitant face for about two seconds and her face blended with blood seemed grotesque. ¡°Ah, it wasn¡¯t a discriminatory remark. That is the most intuitive distinction. I apologize if I offended you.¡± That¡¯s not the problem. But even Ed, who trusted in her, grinned and said, ¡°Ian-nim, this is Ailee, the maid of honour.¡± What¡¯s the reason for a maid coming in bleeding from her head? Is this a routine situation here that I don¡¯t know of? Ian, who had already given up on common sense after several experiences, looked at her cloudy eyes as she calmly introduced herself. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s Ailee. It¡¯s my first time seeing you since I just got back. I would like to skip shaking hands and say hello, and I want to start with the main point. Is that okay?¡± There was no reason not to. When he nodded, Ailee, who took a beat off out of courtesy, immediately brought up the main point. ¡°From tomorrow, I would like to inform you that you will be a member of the knights.¡± That was a problem because the main point was so out of the blue. ¡°You¡¯re here in the name of cultural exchange, so it¡¯s not a bad idea to experience what¡¯s going on with the Knights of the Sheltians. Our Northern Knights will have a very good experience with systematic hit-and-run or a meritocratic evaluation system which will not be bound by training and status.¡± Apart from Ailee¡¯s precise explanation, I couldn¡¯t keep up with the progress. From what I have learned so far, I am the Prince of an enemy country. So why am I joining the knights? Ed, who was next to him, raised his eyebrows as if he had never heard it before. ¡°Your Royal Highness.¡± However, with that one word, all the questions seem to have been resolved, and Ed¡¯s face turns into a kind one again. Ian opened his mouth in an atmosphere that seemed to be concluded immediately. I wanted to ask what kind of nonsense it was, but all I could say was the sound of the wind blowing. Ah, it¡¯s annoying. ¡°Are you in trouble?¡± Ailee, who seemed to have read Ian¡¯s ridiculous expression, asked. Although he wasn¡¯t aware of it immediately since she was covered with blood, she was a beautiful woman with a thin chin and cool eyes. I nodded as it was only natural. Ailee, who shut her mouth, was speechless for a moment. ¡°Then you shouldn¡¯t have done anything noticeable.¡± The smile that was being laid down disappeared in an instant. One step closer, Ailee bowed her head and muttered quickly in a level less tone. Ian heard everything without difficulty and blinked even though it wasn¡¯t quite loud. A few seconds of silence. A moment later, Ailee, who sighed quietly, returned to her expression and continued. ¡°I¡¯ve heard everything since I came into the Grand Duchy. From the start of the self-harm exhibition to grabbing the sword to fight in the procession. Was it not enough to only grab the collar of the Grand Duke?¡± It was similar at first glance, but all points were far off. He didn¡¯t grab him by the collar, and the self-harm exhibition was like something else, but it was like she was talking about what he showed to the soldiers by cutting his wrist the first day he met Kyle. ¡°It¡¯s an act that I don¡¯t think matches a royal family of a country, but we all understand it considering you were unexpectedly brought to Sheltian. But Ian-nim, I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t know that the things you¡¯re enjoying are too much. You¡¯ll know when you see the dungeon.¡± After figuring out the situation, Ian was the first to think. Perhaps the calm response was a little surprising, Ailee stopped talking for a while and looked at Ian. She thought he would slap her in the face because she couldn¡¯t calm down. ¡°Let¡¯s stop there.¡± Ed, who had been standing without saying a word, finally opened his mouth as if he had decided that mediation was necessary from here on out. However, Ailee didn¡¯t even lift an eyebrow even at the words of Ed and continued what she was trying to say. The whole house was noisy because of this man who returned after hiding in a garbage dump for months. ¡°Looking at the situation, no one is talking directly, just from behind, so I¡¯ll draw my sword. Rox is Sheltian¡¯s enemy, and Ian-nim is a hostage from the enemy country.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Everyone here knows it doesn¡¯t matter what happens if you don¡¯t kill them.¡± Now Ian knows the objection. Ailee, who realized that silence was a positive thing, turned her eyes all the way into the room, saying that killing is not necessary. Expensive chandeliers, thick bedding that the common people couldn¡¯t even think of, a fireplace full of firewood. ¡°But I can¡¯t believe it¡¯s such a big room. It¡¯s natural for those words to come out. No one dares to comment on the Grand Duke, but instead, all the complaints will be directed to Ian-nim.¡± Now that the Grand Duke¡¯s favour is given, it will be treated lavishly, but if the favour is taken, it will be a different story. Logan Hyer was a more fickle man than the weather in Shuen. It was a sudden change in the dry weather, and as soon as there was a light rain, it turned into a rainy season. Even if it¡¯s a matter of life and death for others. ¡°Choose whether to live like an idiot who can¡¯t do anything as he¡¯s stuck in this room for the rest of his life, or to go out and live properly when you have a chance.¡± That¡¯s all Ailee could say. She had a hard time investigating the flow of funds in the Luchton mine, and she couldn¡¯t figure out what she was thinking about putting him in the Knights all of a sudden. He looked like a corpse and listened to the report with a bored expression. He doesn¡¯t know what intrigued him, but Ailee could do anything for the lord if he wished for it It was neither respect nor loyalty. It was just the taste of your own food. Fortunately, the prince, who understood what was said, looked lost in thought. It was a success just because there was no negative reaction. Of course, it¡¯s hell there. Not bound by status meant that there were also knights from commoners and slaves. Manners are wasted on stews, resistance to aristocrats is terrifying. Moreover, he was from Rox. In the future, which can be drawn without seeing, Ailee guaranteed that the white, soft prince would not last a week. She could bet her own three month¡¯s salary on this. Fortunately, he didn¡¯t bury his face in the pillow with a pool of tears. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± And exactly a week later. Ailee had to face the scene where her three-month worth salary disappeared. ?????????????????????????????????? [T/N: The last part is my favourite. Haha Ailee XD. I saw a reader saying how cute Ian¡¯s chibi will look. I got two pictures of some chibi merches from Author¡¯s official Twitter, so I wanted to show you all. THEY ARE SO CUTE XD] Stay safe and healthy along with your loved ones. And have a good day! Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Stay tuned for more. ~Dazzel.D~ Chapter 14 Rumble. Glancing at the smelly clothes pouring in front of him, Ian was convinced of what he had been thinking. It seems he was trying to make a hardship rather than a way to live. As he looked down, the laundry piled up one more time on the side as if there was no end. I knew it would be like this, but I didn¡¯t know it would be this way. There was a wry smile, but it was not the time to smile when I saw the clothes that began to pile up for the third time. When Ian didn¡¯t show any sign of movement, Fred shook his head and clicked his tongue as if he knew what was going on his mind. ¡°Hey, you¡¯re just gonna watch? If you¡¯re in the Knight, you have to do the laundry first.¡± It was obviously a rule that had just been made. What does a substitute knighthood have to do with laundry? But no one corrected it. It was an implicit agreement that he did not like the presence of Ian even if he didn¡¯t say it out loud. After all, it was the Knights Templar. I didn¡¯t like it from beginning to end anyway. Fred, who had been making a lot of noise since the morning, changed his mind as soon as he saw Ian following Ailee. Although he was not short, his skinny body and pale skin gave off a weak atmosphere. It was one thing that men, who had never seen Ian this close, thought of in common. This is also an article. They didn¡¯t think Rox would give a sword to such fine hands. Rather, embroidery seemed to suit him better. He had a typical aristocrat image that would be perfect for rummaging through books and having tea in the garden. Most of the people in the procession, including Fred laughed at these nonsense talks. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you killed three people with your wrists tied up.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad you didn¡¯t pee at the sight of a body.¡± I couldn¡¯t understand the topic. So I wanted to at least wash my eyes rather than look at them talking with their expressionless faces. But even after doing so, I couldn¡¯t find anything that I like. It¡¯s not a matter of kicking out one of these b*st*rds. No matter how powerful the Grand Duke¡¯s title is, what could he do if he gets locked up in a room? Fred, who shrugged confidently because he already had countless experiences, once again opened his mouth to Ian. ¡°You won¡¯t be treated like a prince here. We only divide the ranks thoroughly by skill. Well, we just do the laundry when we are new.¡± ¡°I know. He won¡¯t be able to finish it by evening if he starts now.¡± Daniel, who was wiping his sword with a cloth, also intervened. It was certainly too much to finish by evening. It was not difficult to make laundry because they always sweat while training even in this cold weather. The smell of sweat vibrating from the clothes was uncomfortable even for Fred, who was accustomed to this environment. These b*st*rds stink of training. Ian collected everything he had been wearing, so he added it to the pile. However, Ian, who stared at the mountain-like clothes, had a face that did not show his thoughts at all. Strangely enough, Fred approached with a twitching mouth. ¡°Ah, do I have to tell you what laundry is? The nobleman has never done it himself.¡± It was sarcastic no matter who heard it. When Ian took his eyes off the floor and raised his head, Fred stopped at a distance and started talking exaggeratedly as if he was teaching someone a little lacking. ¡°It¡¯s laundry. Washing your clothes. With your hands. Got it?¡± Are there any people who don¡¯t know that? Ian, wondering whether there would be anything like detergent here, glanced at Fred as if he were a local idiot. Ian, who nodded moderately without knowing the circumstances, turned away. ¡°¡­.You are going?¡± In fact, none of the maids in the mansion were responsible for laundry, so none of them got water on their hands. Fred imagined he was at loss, looking blankly at Ian¡¯s back as he walked out the door. He didn¡¯t look back even once at Fred¡¯s wild voice. But without stopping, Fred, who raised his hand, pressed Ian¡¯s shoulder and continued the rest of the speech. ¡°All the dirt can be removed with water.¡± Every time he accented his pronunciation, he deliberately put a lot of effort into it. He seemed to be trying to get a head start at the beginning, but unfortunately, this situation was a quite normal one for Ian. I¡¯m not angry about this. Ian, who lightly tapped Fred¡¯s finger with the back of his hand, bowed down. That curly hair was right. Even if I do it from now on, I can¡¯t finish it by evening. Fred, who was about to say something to his suddenly thrown hands, was speechless at the sight of Ian lifting up a bundle of clothes. ¡°Are you sure you want to¡­?¡± ¡°I was just going to do this, but I didn¡¯t mean to make you do the laundry, just to be silly.¡± Ian, who was unexpectedly strong enough to cover the front, looked at Hana, who was watching the situation right next to him. So where am I supposed to do it? When I wrinkled the laundry and frowned, the knight, who was spacing out for a moment, suddenly told me about the fountain outside the east porch. When the predecessor Hyer was alive, those who visited the Great Spirit must have visited the warm stream at least once, but no one is looking for it now. It was good to say that Hyer¡¯s pride was the warm stream of water that cut through the air every day without freezing despite the cold weather changing its shape. Many people still remembered the spectacular water stream flowing through the snowfield. But that¡¯s a long time ago. There has been no hot water since Logan was crowned Grand Duke. No one knew the principle, not the device. They just thought it was a symbol of blessing because it happened all at once. Now it has turned into an eyesore and is sometimes used when punishment is needed. It¡¯s not frozen, but the water is as cold as ice, so it was punishment just to let your hands in. The royal family can¡¯t do laundry. Even a baron who is not high in rank makes his subordinates do it. Moreover, Rox was a more conservative country than Shertian. ¡°I heard that you don¡¯t eat with your own hands!¡± Regardless of Fred¡¯s state of confusion, anger and bewilderment, Ian, who went out to the hallway, found the eastern porch after a little while of searching. There was no big reason for his decision to join the Knights. It was painful to just stay in the room like. Unlike modern times, when there were so many things to kill time, there was nothing here. Even though he tried to read books, he had to know how to write, Ian couldn¡¯t even write his own name. Well, maybe I¡¯ll see him again. I still remembered him stiffly sitting on a horse. It was not strange to suffer from assassination because of his high status. However, what bothered Ian was about the Knights, who could have killed the man, but no one came forward. Is there a different power structure? They may be threatening to oust him from his post just because they heard he was weak. The misunderstanding that Kyle raised was getting stronger within Ian over time. It was very different from the truth, but it was originally the misunderstanding which he believed. Arriving at the fountain, Ian stepped on the snow piled up and lowered his eyes. Inside the well-crafted decoration, there was really unfrozen water. That¡¯s why there¡¯s no detergent. I wondered if I could just use water, but I could see a wooden board sinking under the water. Ian, who rolled up his sleeves to his elbow for the rugged surface was similar to the laundry board. He tucked his arm into the fountain. Splash. It didn¡¯t freeze, but it naturally bit his molars at temperatures that match the sub-zero weather. The cloth I was wearing wasn¡¯t as thin as it was during the procession, but it didn¡¯t matter what you were wearing when you dipped your hands in water like this. It¡¯s so cold. It was only when his right arm was all wet that Ian, who safely took out the wooden board, picked up the clothes he had thrown on the ground. I knew it was simple bullying, but I was used to it. I did the same thing in the nursery before I was adopted. Ian, who had been dumped in a public toilet with only the umbilical cord cut off, spent his childhood there in a suburb of Seoul. The director, who is famous for nibbling away the subsidies, was the only person who could wash up with warm water because he was most reluctant to pay for heating costs in winter the day before the sponsor or welfare worker visited him. As a result, most of the children, who had always been sick, had to wash their clothes with cold water. The season when one child started coughing and then other children started coughing as if they had been waiting. Children were sick but had no one to take care of even if they seemed to have other diseases. That¡¯s the signal that winter has come. Amongst them, Ian, the oldest, always took care of his younger brothers¡¯ clothes and dipped his hands in ice water. There were so many young children that they couldn¡¯t do anything themselves, so the basin was often filled as it is. It wasn¡¯t hard though. It was better to have blisters on your hand than to be told outside that you didn¡¯t have a mother. Luckily, on the day Ian was adopted overseas, the director said, while staring into the balance of his bankbook with several zeros. ????Hey. Eat and live well there. It turned out to be a meaningless remark. It¡¯s rare that he said hello in a good mood. Knowing this, Ian had no choice but to nod. For Ian, who was quite too old to be adopted, this was a stroke of luck. That night, a smile came out even though he was sleeping under an old blanket. As he quickly covered his mouth with his hands, the child sleeping next to him tossed and turned. It was the first time that the small daycare felt nothing. The pounding heart seemed to be attached to the ear. It was like that, back then. Ian, who didn¡¯t know anything, finally thought he was going to have a family. He couldn¡¯t have imagined that in the future he would be the one to put a gun in his family¡¯s head. ??????????????????? Stay safe and healthy along with your loved ones. And have a good day! Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Stay tuned for more. ~Dazzel.D~ Chapter 15 A rusty, brown tunic was rubbed against a wooden board. I don¡¯t know why I thought back to my childhood while just doing the laundry. Slowly sifting through his rising thoughts, Ian moved his hand again. It was fortunate that the clothes were dark. If it was bright white clothes, he would have set it on fire somewhere. ¡°Oh, my!¡± As usual, a maid recognized Ian and shouted in surprise. The eastern porch was originally a quiet area, so only servants who came to collect wood or maids heading for the detached house passed by it. The situation was quickly understood as she had already heard the rumors that swept the mansion since the morning. Seeing Ian silently putting his hand into the fountain, even the maids who came late, gathered and whispered quietly. ¡°Oh, my God, who would do a job like that?¡± ¡°Fred, he¡¯s the only one who can think of such a thing.¡± ¡°Tch, he¡¯ll get kicked out like the new knight last time. If he gets caught by Claude, he can¡¯t calm down and be childish. How ugly!¡± The youngest-looking maid in the group mumbled, sticking out her mouth. They agreed, but it was also a word that needed to be pointed out, so another maid nearby opened her mouth. [T/N: By ¡°a word that needed to be pointed out¡± it means that as the youngest maid said ugly to Fred, the elder maids and servants thought that they should point out that it is not right to point out people¡¯s looks even if they agreed with it.] ¡°Baunie, you can¡¯t just point out how someone looks. Of course, he¡¯s ugly, but don¡¯t you know it¡¯s rude to point out the truth?¡± ¡°You¡¯re the most rude here.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s leave. He¡¯s a Roxian. It¡¯s better to leave him alone.¡± Someone hurried where she was going, ignoring the start of a quarrel beside him. She was the orange-haired maid who had entered Ian¡¯s room several times. She didn¡¯t think he was a bad guy, but he was Roxian anyway. You won¡¯t see anything good if you get tangled up with them. Nevertheless, the maid who first discovered Ian, looked worried. ¡°No, but he¡¯s still going to do laundry outside in this weather?¡± They knew best how hard it was. Unlike the Grand Duchy, which is largely generous except for a few things, the aristocracy that abuses servants is widespread. Even if they were of low-ranking, they would not be able to say anything if they have a job, but the commoners could not say anything either. It was also the first time that a servant could use lukewarm water. It caught her, but in the end, she couldn¡¯t get close. It was because she was afraid of what kind of sparks would come out from it. She felt sorry for the prince, who was openly hated, because the story of the enemy country or a war was a little far from those who were not from the northern region. ¡°Here¡­¡± So this should be okay. The maid brought a large wooden laundry basket from somewhere and placed it down next to Ian. As there was no place to put the washed clothes, she could see clothes roughly lying on the fountain. Then, they disappeared in a flash even before their eyes met. So when Ian belatedly raised his head, there were only footprints left on the white snow field. It was already evening when I lost sensation in my frozen hands. Ian, who never did anything else, dissolved all the sweat off his clothes with water, and looked back at the vast piles of clothes. It was a lot, too. Ian was lucky that it finished before it got even darker. He stood up and headed straight to the training ground. Fred stared at Ian like a madman with a pile of wet clothes. ¡°Did you really wash all of this?¡± Ian, who was expected to go out curiously and come back frightened. Fred thought that he would have ran away to his room and not be seen again even after lunch or dinner. This is why there¡¯s nothing you can do about things that have grown up precious! It was an appearance that overshadowed a moment ago when he jokingly quarrelled with fellow knights. Just in case, he looked at a few, but they were all washed clean. I didn¡¯t even think of a proposition to come back, but when Fred, who didn¡¯t expect it to be all the more, flustered, Ian turned his red hands around. I was hungry because I didn¡¯t eat, but fatigue came first. No one stopped Ian from heading to his room, regardless of the way he looked. It didn¡¯t take long to arrive since he had memorized the road ahead of time, following Ailee down. When I opened the door, the warmth of the room came rushing out. Ian, who had placed firewood in advance, walked to his bed after getting himself used to the room temperature that made him drowsy. At this point, it was not a difficult combination, but it seemed to have really eased his guard. Maybe it¡¯s because of the cold. Ian, who dug into the blanket, curled up. Maybe because I suddenly came into a warm place, I felt a sting in my fingers. Ian, who only confirmed that he could move, blinked slowly and tried to turn his head. I shouldn¡¯t have done such a childish thing. Knowing that it was unnecessary, it was clear that he would seek another way or give up. I¡¯ve dealt with people like that several times in my work. Whatever you do, if you listen and act silently, their interest will gradually fade away. ¡°What are you looking at? Aren¡¯t you going to come?¡± ¡°¡­¡­..¡± However, Ian, who entered the training ground the next day, was greeted with the same amount of clothes as yesterday. Is that the b*st*rd? It was a perfect word for that look of Fred twitching with a proud face. As if he took Ian¡¯s amazing reaction differently, Fred, who became as elated as yesterday, pushed him on his back and gave him arms full of clothes. Ian, who was then driven out to the fountain, stood still for a few minutes. I was hoping that I could get rid of the attention, but when I saw his face I felt like I was on fire. Let¡¯s do it. I poured clothes on a wooden board in the same position as yesterday. I can do it. f**k. What happened next was almost a war against laundry. Ian didn¡¯t even have enough time to dry his hands after he finished as Fred was kind enough to refill his clothes. They had a war, but they didn¡¯t know why they even had to participate. Fred seemed to be more frustrated with Ian, who had no particular action to take. You¡¯re a tough b*st*rd! Looking down at the clean clothes today, Fred shook his fist. ¡°You¡¯re saying let¡¯s do it, right?¡± It was no longer a matter of bullying. This was a matter of Shertians¡¯ honour! Ian was still in front of the fountain when Fred was throwing away the honour of the empire at will. I was getting tired of doing laundry in ice cold water for three days. Every time I breathed, white breath came out and I could see my fingertips dyed bright red. It was when I thought I might get frostbite by tomorrow. Thump, Thump, Thump. Contrary to Ian¡¯s expectation, the sound of someone stepping on the snow must be a servant passing by, the sound stopped right next to him. As I turned my head to the side, I saw a boy hugging a pile of clothes in his arms. Fluffy blonde hair and blue eyes. The boy with a young face, whom he thought, was about 15 years old, tilted his head when their eyes met. He blinked his eyes as if he had seen something strange and took a step closer, throwing the clothes in his arms to the floor. Looking closely, it was shabby everywhere. Eh, what is it? When he stopped what he was doing and looked at him curiously, the child who was spinning around and snooping around Ian, raised his head. Ian, who was strangely blinking, noticed his own hair and skin after a while. Ian¡¯s hair and skin is of a color that doesn¡¯t exist here. You must be surprised to see a foreigner for the first time. He realised the reason roughly, but the child, who hurriedly pulled Ian¡¯s clothes, moved his lips as if to say something. I wondered if he was imitating me because I couldn¡¯t speak, but when I looked at his sparkling eyes, I didn¡¯t think so. When there was no answer, the child, who was tilting once again, slapped his lips with his hand and shook his head. When Ian realised he had something in common, he sighed and moved his lips. I can¡¯t speak either. ¡°¡­¡­..!¡± I thought he wouldn¡¯t understand, but the child looked surprised. Ian, who really turned his head this time, thinking his expressions were unnecessarily diverse, moved his hands again. The sound of water splashing showed no sign of leaving the child. Ian¡¯s reaction to the boy, who seemed to be wanting attention, seemed unpleasant for a while. Then he shook his head as if he had thought of something. Only then did he realize the laundry on the floor. ¡°Ah, ah!¡± The child, who ran quickly with a perplexed face, hurriedly picked up the clothes. Fortunately, there was no dirt on the floor because it was piled up with snow. Whew. The child breathed a sigh of relief and turned his head away. He stared with a perfect puppy stare at Ian, who was still not looking at him, and then slowly approached him again. Bang. Ian felt curious eyes pouring from the side, but he didn¡¯t respond. He didn¡¯t like young children, and seeing servants avoiding the child like infectious disease, there seemed to be nothing good about being entangled with him. I don¡¯t think he¡¯s being treated like a precious person. I had a hunch that if I caught Fred¡¯s eye for nothing, something more troubling would happen. I¡¯m gonna have to ignore him. It was about 10 minutes after I made up my mind. Tramp*! [T/N ¨C *making a fuss or making a mess] Ian had to turn his head forcibly at the tremendous noise he heard from the side. ??????????????????? Stay safe and healthy along with your loved ones. And have a good day! Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Stay tuned for more. ~Dazzel.D~ Chapter 16 What the hell is he doing? Regardless of whether Ian felt absurd at the situation or not, the wooden board was drowning once again. The child tilted his head as if it was strange to be submerged in the water, and then he jumped in and put his hands in to rescue the wooden board. Then, he clumsily fixed it and drowned it in the water again, making a loud noise. Unbeknownst to him, Ian, who was unwittingly watching the child¡¯s behaviour was barely able to understand him shortly after. Ian had to fix the wooden board he had just managed to get on the chin of the fountain in order to rub his clothes on, but it kept slipping and falling into the fountain. He couldn¡¯t understand whether he was doing laundry or fighting a war. Ian noticed that the child was trying to imitate what he was doing, but the result was completely different. While he was trying to wash the clothes, Ian became speechless for some time as the kid got frustrated, causing the wooden board to slip once again. Even if it was messy, it was too sloppy. Looking at the stack of clothes in his arms, it seemed like someone ordered the child to wash them just like me, but no matter how much I looked at it, it didn¡¯t seem like I could finish it today. The child, who was covered in water, was looking down at the drowning wooden board again. It was understandable that nothing worked out the way I wanted, but I was just wondering. If he dresses like this in this weather, it¡¯s just right to catch a cold. Ian stopped watching and soon started his work. He didn¡¯t feel the need to help. It was his first time seeing him, and even it would have been the same if he hadn¡¯t seen him for the first time. It was an old habit not to be involved with others. Since no one knows if what you did as a favour will turn out well or not. It wasn¡¯t really uncommon to doubt even the favour that was being given to you. People used to be most wary of the reason for no reason. There is also unconditional altruism in the world. In the end, Ian couldn¡¯t give the dog a habit. I just couldn¡¯t afford to be responsible for anything. Ian had the chance of falling once out of five times, but if he fell into the mud, he would get dirty, so he stuck to the floor. A man who crawls on the floor not to fall, cannot shake hands with someone, so the best he could do was grab their ankle to show his courtesy. [T/N- Ian could have fallen 5 times but he stuck to the floor to not fall because he would get dirty. But according to him(or from a third person¡¯s POV) a man crawling on the floor to not fall is shameful (or something like that) and so as it¡¯s such a shameful thing, the only thing he can do is to grab others¡¯ ankles and show courtesy because he can¡¯t shake hands after doing such a shameful thing. I don¡¯t know why it¡¯s shameful but that is what they said ig(£À_£À;). (Hope this clears a little confusion (£»^¦Ø^))] It was still like that. He knew best that he wasn¡¯t in a good enough situation to help others. Looking down at his red fingers, new water flowed out of somewhere as if it recognized the yellowish water. Ian didn¡¯t know what system it was, but it was made for laundry, not fountains. By the time the sun began to set, everything calmed down as I decided not to pay attention to anything more. When Ian, who had finished all the laundry that had been multiplied, got up, the child who was still struggling with clothes was also seen standing up. ¡®Isn¡¯t it cold to look like a wet mouse? ¡® Ian glanced at the pile of ragged clothes unlike in the morning, sighed. If you take it as it is, you won¡¯t be able to see good things. The child, who smiled broadly as if he was excited to meet his eyes whether he knew it or not, poked his own lips. It was clear what he was trying to say, but Ian didn¡¯t mean to accept it. The child, who was flustered by the sight of Ian turning his back, immediately shook his hands diligently. ¡®Goodbye!¡¯ I said hello that I couldn¡¯t say, but I couldn¡¯t hear the answer. I thought I might turn around at least once, so I opened my eyes wide and walked with great strides like a busy person. The child, who had been staring at Ian¡¯s back disappearing in an instant, stuck out his head again. Feeling sorry, he looked around to see if he really had gone, but Ian, who had already returned to his room, never came back. Fred¡¯s idling continued the next day. Blankets were mixed in the pile of laundry thrown with a face even seen by the parents. Now that I¡¯ve washed it every day, I¡¯m almost done with the laundry. As I can see from the blanket that was rolling around in the corner. ¡®But what is that?¡¯ Fred, who was almost there, raised his chin, but the atmosphere was again silenced by Ian, who lifted a pile of clothes pretending as if nothing had happened. At this point, it was reasonably discouraging, but rather, it felt like Fred was attracting attention. Not knowing that sympathetic eyes were directed at him, Ian moderately ignored Fred, who was spewing out abusive words and left the door. He was a man who didn¡¯t like to talk much. Well, he can¡¯t even talk. As I stepped into the hallway that I was used to now, all of their gazes gathered. As the time to lock him up in his room and monitor him has ended, no one stopped him even though Ian was wandering from place to place. Even if he tried to escape, he couldn¡¯t, and even if he miraculously escaped, he could be found at any time if the Grand Duke wanted to, so he was almost eaten up by useless surveillance. Knowing that it was inevitable, knights from the north were busy stiffening their faces whenever they encountered Ian. This was all due to the Grand Duke, who suddenly made a ridiculous act on a whim. No one could understand the spirit of putting the prince of the enemy country in his own knighthood, but if they didn¡¯t understand it, he would recommend cutting off his head, so no one disagreed. However, Ian, who had no idea of such a situation, just headed to the fountain without looking around. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡± Ian was looking at the snow that was still piled up today when he took a few steps. Then, he stops for a moment to find someone wriggling in the distance, he turns his head that way, perhaps he felt a sign of people. Snow piled up on his fluffy hair. The child, who opened his eyes wide once without realising it, soon waved both hands. Ian looked expressionlessly at his smiling face with his puffy cheeks like custard cream, wondering from where he had been beaten. As Ian got closer, he saw that his condition was far worse. The back of his hand was scratched and all the wounds that could be seen here and there were fresh and new. The child followed him as he put the clothes he was holding down in the right place, even if he did not listen to his explanation. His expression was the same as yesterday. Even though the traces of being beaten remained as if they were not properly treated, he smiled without wrinkling and his mouth quivered. I turned my head away because I couldn¡¯t understand. The child rolled his eyes at the sight of Ian, who started working the same way as yesterday, fixing the plate, dipping his hands in ice water. You don¡¯t feel good? Why isn¡¯t it good? Before I knew it, I put off the laundry I received today and started thinking about it. Ian, who didn¡¯t seem interested in it, never looked back once. ¡°Hey, do this, too.¡± As lunch neared, Fred, who had finished training in the morning, appeared with another batch. He put down clothes stained with unknown things in front of Ian and opened his mouth when he saw a child next to him. ¡°What, why are you here?¡± Do you know each other? When I glanced at him, Fred looked into the face of the swollen child, and clicked his tongue as if he knew it. ¡°Did Turk beat you up again?¡± He saw Turk coming in with a leering face last night and understood it right away. He wondered who made the clothes rag, but Turk was the only one who could do such a foolish thing. He must have been heated up after ordering laundry to tease him. Ian had to do laundry because he let himself be bothered but on the contrary, he could have a fever. Fred, who once looked at Ian, who still didn¡¯t even look at him, twitched his lips. You¡¯re ignoring me, aren¡¯t you? [T/N: To clear a little confusion, the above line is said by the boy to Ian. Not technically ¡°said¡± by mouth, maybe it was just moving the lips or by doing some gesture. Both the boy and Ian cannot talk.] I was doing what I was told without saying anything, but it was clear that I was looking down on him. ¡°It¡¯s good that people who can¡¯t even talk get along well with each other.¡± Fred, who got half the answer, alternated between Ian and Shyu, who were side by side, and whispered sarcastically. [T/N: So the boy¡¯s name is ¡°Shyu¡±] Unlike Ian, Shyu, who was picked up by the Knights when he was very young, had a congenital disorder. Every year, children who were unlikely to be used as a labor force or were likely to be a burden were thrown away in the black forest. It was because of the weather in the north, which made it difficult for people to earn a living without working. They were surprised that he didn¡¯t die, so they brought him back to the mansion, but that was it. Unlike the jokes about raising him well and putting him in the knights, the kid hesitated about everything. Shyu, who is small in size and slow to learn, was not even in a position to hold a sword. Later when it was discovered that his intelligence was a little inferior, Shyu was already being regarded as a servant of several bad knights. There was no one to protect him anymore. The captain, Schwartz, peeped in from time to time and looked after the child, so they didn¡¯t hurt him, but he couldn¡¯t stop everything. The elite troops who received direct orders from the archduke were always busy. It was practically impossible to look into a child¡¯s daily life and take care of him. Moreover, it was Turk. Even the knights, who had a little sympathy and favour with little Shyu were of no help for the majority did not want to get tangled up. Like all bystanders, the little violence and irrationality were taking place and accumulated day by day. Fred, who knew it better than anyone else, turned his eyes away with a strange look. ???????????????????????? T/N: YESH! I AM BACK. Sorry for making you all wait so much. As some of you may know I had an exam (and it went for nearly a month???). But I am finally back!!! Enjoy this chapter and stay tuned for more!! Chapter 17 When Shyu first entered the mansion, he had no expression. Perhaps the shock of being abandoned by his parents was too big. Victoria, deputy leader at the time, played a big role in changing the child¡¯s inability to eat or sleep. Victoria¡¯s affectionate appearance changed the child¡¯s blank expression with her care and meals from time to time, teaching him how to grab a spoon, cutting his shaggy hair herself, and treating him like a little brother. Fred, who had just entered the knights, often witnessed it. Shyu had a lot of free time; he followed Victoria like a puppy, waiting for her, and never left the front door. Even if a screw comes off his head, he can tell who¡¯s good or bad. Fred didn¡¯t know if he should be impressed or vicious. He had no hobby of caring for others and was just awkward with the two of them being unnecessarily affectionate. But it didn¡¯t last for long. When the season when sugar was picked up came, Victoria didn¡¯t come back from the woods. The only thing that was found was a pendant that she always carried around. The child, who was alone again, stayed in the room without eating for a time. That was why Turk stared at him, and Fred, who knew why, remained on the sidelines as always. But what¡¯s wrong with him? It was as if he was looking back at the time when he had just joined the Knights. Fred glanced at Shyu¡¯s face, who looked like he wanted to talk to someone. He turned to Ian. However, Ian went on doing his job by ignoring it thoroughly. ¡®There¡¯s no way that je*k could¡¯ve been as nice as Victoria, so what¡¯s making him act like a local son of a bi*ch again?¡¯ [T/N: Fred probably meant Ian by ¡°je*k¡± and meant Shyu by ¡°son of a bi*ch¡±.] Fred narrowed his eyes at the unknown situation. In fact, even Ian did not know the reason. He has never helped him or treated him kindly. Since the only time he saw him was yesterday, he was even more confused than Fred. There was a moment of silence between the two who had the same question but could not form a consensus at all. Somehow Fred, who had long lost his fighting spirit, opened his mouth. ¡°You should be more careful.¡± Because that bas*erd got bad luck. [T/N: Talking about Shyu most probably.] Soon, only Shyu and Ian remained in the fountain again as Fred returned without further ado with a single word. Tramp! I¡¯m used to the loud noises every day without fail. However, I can clearly see that it¡¯s not normal for a child who still couldn¡¯t place woodblocks together properly. His cheeks, which used to look like custard cream, appear even worse. Even if you didn¡¯t want to know, you could instantly tell. But as soon as he saw me, he smiled. Looking at the stump, it looked like it was the ankle this time. Yesterday, he injured his wrist ligament. It was quite an unusual act to leave one place to repair properly a day. It was obvious that the guy, Turk, whom Fred was talking about, did it, but it wasn¡¯t his business. Unlike the first day, Ian, who was looking at a relatively small pile of clothes, felt a tingling sensation, paused for a moment, and slowly raised his hand. His hands, which had been overworked by ice water for days without a break, turned green as if he had been frostbitten. When he looked at the redness of the swollen joints, he finally realised the fundamental reality of what they did. It had already been a week. He did not enter the Knights with great ambition. He knew it would turn into a power struggle, but he couldn¡¯t figure out what to do there. Ian wasn¡¯t a friendly person in the first place. From the very beginning, he was not good enough to be kind to those who openly showed their dislike towards him. Nevertheless, the reason why they never confronted each other was simple. If you react first, you¡¯ll look shallow. Barking like a dog with a fur tail. Well, the next thing was obvious. Roxian, the Prince, and the noble, all the words that would be poured out from them were expected. I didn¡¯t ask for anything. Looking down at the frozen fingertips again, Ian blinked. I was just wondering if I¡¯d see that man again if I came in here. He seemed to have vaguely expected to meet him again because he heard Ailee¡¯s words of the Grand Duke¡¯s command. However, contrary to Ian¡¯s expectations, he had never encountered the man since that day. Sometimes it seemed like he¡¯d come out to coach once in a while. Ian didn¡¯t walk to the fountain far from the training ground. It was natural that they weren¡¯t close enough to oftenly see each other. But why is that upsetting? There was only one conclusion that Ian, who had been agonizing over his feelings that he couldn¡¯t understand at all, could make. After opening his eyes here, Ian felt like he was floating in the air the whole time. It was not clear why he was caught up in this situation, which was far from fantasy. However, since blood was flowing and he was breathing, he could have tried to commit suicide again like he originally intended. But he didn¡¯t do that and he couldn¡¯t figure out why. The reason why he took his own life after struggling desperately. Neither at the orphanage nor at his family house, even at the moment when he first killed a man, Ian had never thought of dying. He had no choice but to do so. It seemed like the world was telling him to die, so he somehow tried to survive. ¡°¡­¡­..¡± However, he eventually shoved a knife in his own throat. So, he wanted to at least know why. To do that, he had to run into that man once again. Because it was almost certain that the man had something to do with his empty memories. Splash! [T/N: I am sorry, I am bad with SFXs, but it¡¯s meant to be the sound of water.] The child who had been away for a while, approached him, perhaps because he couldn¡¯t hear the splash of the water. He glanced at him and smiled innocently with his usual swollen face. It wasn¡¯t pleasant to feel the sense of friendliness at their own discretion. The child¡¯s gaze moved downwards as if he had adapted to Ian, who had no particular response. The gaze of those softly coloured eyes moved to the back of Ian¡¯s hand. Ian thought he was just staring at him strangely, and not before long the kid suddenly stretched out his arms. It was obvious as to what he was going to do. Ian, with his eyes contorted, and shuddered at the body temperature he felt at the next moment. Slap! With the back of his hand, which became hot in an instant, the child took a step back. Looking at his surprised face, Ian didn¡¯t know what to do. He knew he didn¡¯t have to be this sensitive, but he couldn¡¯t help feeling depressed. Ian, who had a cold expression on his face, stared straight at the child. I just wanted you to know. That if another person is not worthy of your affection, you should turn your back without hesitation. Ian knew that no matter how ignorant he was. If he doesn¡¯t even greet the child who hanged around him for days, he wouldn¡¯t do it no matter how hard they try, regardless of the person. If you are starving for love and pour out your heart recklessly, only moments of regrets would come. The child took a step back as he read Ian¡¯s openly exposed expression, the boy looked at Ian with hesitation. His face, not knowing why Ian was angry, resembled a certain someone. Ian licked his lips which had not opened since the first time they met. ¡®Go.¡¯ He spoke so firmly that the boy had no choice but to understand. Seeing the hesitating child¡¯s eyes turning round, it seemed to have been conveyed properly. Maybe it was because he hadn¡¯t responded properly for days. Ian eventually sighed and patted his head at the sight of the child faltering as if he had heard something unexpected. I was just tired of everything. It was cold, I had a lot of work to do, and I couldn¡¯t think of a way to get my memories back. He had done a lot of things without any reason, but that didn¡¯t mean it was okay. It was now darker than when he used to drag people around and kill them. Unlike back then, when there was an abstract goal, there was nothing now. He was confused about whether he should live or to die. Ian felt like he was drifting as if he was being swept away by the lives of others. I couldn¡¯t read the child¡¯s expression properly. It wouldn¡¯t have been a very good expression to see if he came closer. He seemed to take his anger out on me, but it didn¡¯t matter. As soon as I turned my head, the child took another step back and turned around. Ian only heard the boy dragging his injured ankle along the floor and soon he disappeared near the front door. At last, Ian stood there next to the empty seat. This was the end. It was better to cut the buds from the beginning, even if you return the kindness, it had a clear ending. Ian, who turned around in a hurry, approached the fountain and pushed all the remaining clothes into the water. Again, his hand touched the ice water, but it never bothered him. Although, if he had to do this tomorrow, he would rather turn around and punch Fred. I wonder if it¡¯s been 30 minutes. As he was rinsing out the last few clothes, he heard the crunching of snow from behind. It wasn¡¯t strange for someone to pass by since it was a path used by the knights. However, Ian with his sharp ears, immediately noticed that the footsteps were heavy. Crunch. Unlike when he disappeared, the steps that followed were cautious. Ian didn¡¯t look back because he didn¡¯t rent* it here, and it was funny to yell at him to do this and that. Knowing that the person was getting closer, Ian continued on working as if he didn¡¯t hear a thing. [*T/N: Can be said as a saying¡­ Like he didn¡¯t rent it there that he have to pay attention to everything¡­ Like that] It was then he felt the body of the one approaching him, overshadowing him. Jul-Jul-Jul.* [*T/N: This is an SFX for pouring water, I don¡¯t know how to translate this so I just put the romanization of what was written in Korean (???.)] Ian didn¡¯t move his hands for some time. It was as if they were being broken down by the lukewarm water poured over his hands. In the lukewarm water poured over his hands, the Word could not move as if it had broken down for a while. ??????????????????????????? T/N: I don¡¯t know why this chapter took so much time to translate, sorry for the delay.(¡ä£»¦Ø£»£à) Chapter 18 It was cold but it was warm enough to warm up his frozen hands. Ian watched the steam scattering like a haze in the air, and then lowered his gaze. The small hand holding the cup was covered with wounds. He was staring at the swollen wrist, which was shaking so much that even the little water left in the cup was poured. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡± When Ian turned his head silently, his sparkling eyes turned towards him as if he had been waiting. The original him, which looked quite cute, was nowhere near as the face with bruises did not look good even with empty words. One cheek was swollen, the corner of the eye was torn, and overall, it was a mess, but he still smiled. He looked like a fool, but it seemed like he was asking if it was okay. There¡¯s nothing to not be okay. This wasn¡¯t even that much of an injury. It¡¯s not a matter of life or death, there was no cut anywhere, it was just a matter that his hands were cold. Ian didn¡¯t understand what was amazing about it. His smiling face, his limp leg, and sneaking back to his opponent was all pathetic and silly. Whether he knew Ian¡¯s thoughts or not, Shyu was excited to the fullest. Since there were no more words telling him to go, he smiled helplessly with the spirit of a puppy shaking his tail. He suddenly looked down at the cup he was holding. This was the amount he could secretly bring out. It was water that knights could use as much as they wanted, but if it got into Turk¡¯s ear, they¡¯d get in trouble again. However, he didn¡¯t think all of his hands had warmed up, so Shyu, who had been thinking hard, soon lowered his head and blew his breath. His pale fingertips flinched at the feeling of tickling, but Shyu, who had already made up his mind, clenched his lips diligently. Phoo. [T/N: This the sound of the little boy blowing on Ian¡¯s fingers.] This couldn¡¯t be warmed by something like this. Still, he blew his breath hard over his hand, and Ian watched for a while. I tried not to get entangled with this type of person as much as possible. **Because keeping on being deceived and losing out is the way¡­. **To die the fastest. [**T/N: These two sentences are kinda hard to translate, and are kinda hard to make meaningful, even though I tried what I could.] ¡°Hehe.¡± The child with his raised head smiled like a fool. He hurried to get up. Holding the cup skillfully and beckoning around seemed to mean to wait here. The child, who hesitated several times, limped and ran near the doorway, where he had disappeared earlier. Perhaps he thought it was too hot for Ian so he was getting water again. Ian, who had been looking at the completely disappeared back for some time, turned his head. Not far away, the clothes the child brought this morning were scattered. If he takes it like this, he¡¯ll get beaten up again today. He may not be able to walk tomorrow. ¡°¡­¡­..¡± It was still none of his business. Ian reached the same conclusion a few days ago, moved silently and bowed his back. The clothes that fell on the floor were picked up one by one, and the wooden board of the child that drowned in the fountain was also taken out and fixed. After a while, Shyu rushed over and was confused when he saw his cleanly rinsed laundry. Shyu, who was blinking his eyes, raised his head. Ian finished his duty for the day. Without looking at this side, he was organizing the surroundings. ¡°Ah, wu.¡± [T/N: As he cannot speak, what he is saying are coming out as just some sounds.] Shyu, who hurriedly approached his side as he was going to go away, as usual he held out his rumbling glass. Only then did Ian turn his head and look at him silently, and he moved his mouth eagerly. ¡®Laundry, thank you for doing it for me.¡¯ He spoke with his mouth open as wide as possible, but he didn¡¯t if he understood. It was around the time when Ian, who looked at him quietly without nodding or ignoring him, was considered strange. Shoot! With a loud sound, the water quickly soared into the air. The quiet fountain began to move. The water once again soared high in front of the eyes of Ian and Shyu, who turned their heads as if they were unexpectedly attacked. The cloudy steam is scattered over the cold air. When he stretched out his arms and put his fingertips on them, the warm temperature soaked his skin. ¡°Wah! Wa!¡± Shyu, who saw this for the first time in his life, opened his eyes wide and exclaimed. According to Ian, the stream of water was changing its shape from time to time rather than just spurting out. It was quite good to see. He thought it was broken because it was left unmaintained. The warm water pouring over the white snowy garden was just like a hot spring. Unlike Ian, who was a little far away because his body melted just by looking at it, Shyu went closer. What¡¯s interesting was that the child, who stretched out his arms and floundered, Splash! Falling into the fountain with this sound was probably predictable. ¡°Ugh!¡± If it was the usual ice water, it would have caused a heart attack. However, the child fell into the warm water and shook his head like a wet puppy. Silly. He smiled broadly when their eyes met, probably because he couldn¡¯t see the shape of Ian¡¯s mouth. The time for dinner was approaching. ¡°My my, I¡¯m seeing this again after 20 years.¡± Ed burst into laughter at the spectacular view that was clearly seen through the window. He could see people gathering one by one at the eastern entrance who noticed the unexpected event. It was a sight that had never been seen since the death of the previous Grand Duke. It was surprising to those who had just entered the mansion. Ed turned his head around in the noisy atmosphere. Logan, who was still looking through the window, was actually distracted by something else. It had already been an hour. Ed, who was following the gaze of his master who was looking out of the window without even moving, was soon able to find the figure of someone he had expected. It was an office located right in front of the eastern fountain. The distance was quite far, so it was blurry, but he could barely tell the difference because he knew Ian was present at the fountain every single day for the entire week. However, Logan was carefully scrutinizing it as if appreciating what was in front of him. The vertically divided pupils narrowed down, reminiscent of a different act. ¡°What about Schwartz?¡± Despite the sudden name of the knight general, Ed opened his mouth as if he had been waiting. ¡°He¡¯ll recover and return to the unit tomorrow. I was worried that the skin would continue to necrosis due to the symptoms of infection, but I was glad that holy water worked well.¡± Schwartz, who seriously injured his arm during the last expedition, has been absent from all events so far because his wound did not heal. The skin, which began necrosis as if it were infected with something, poured out blood and pain every day, and even the doctor in the mansion sweated quite a bit. Fortunately, the holy water was a good fit. Thanks to Logan, who approved the use, Schwartz was able to soak his arms in its precious holy water every day. Even the nobles of the royal capital found it difficult to obtain. Schwartz was reluctant to use it at first, but also shut his mouth when he saw that his wound had improved noticeably. ¡°Tell him to stop by after dinner.¡± At this time, Logan¡¯s intention to find him could be seen. Instead of answering by bowing his head slightly, Ed decided to ask a presumptuous question. ¡°Is it because of Ian?¡± At those words, his gaze, which hadn¡¯t yet got away from the window, moved slowly. The old butler showed no sign of trembling, even though he was face to face with Logan whose expression was as low as an ebb. Edward Hilter was one of the few people in this mansion that Logan did not kill. It wasn¡¯t just because he was born and raised here as a child and spent all his moments together. If death could be put off just by spending time together, all those who passed the three positions would have been alive. ¡°At most, it can be fixed, but it would be meaningless.¡± The sunset spread across Logan¡¯s cheek, gently tilting his head. It was a very picturesque scene in harmony with the light mixed with soft and scarlet colours. On that day, it was not he who treated Ian¡¯s hands and feet, who collapsed and moved to the mansion. Red, blue, torn wounds were common and severe. However, what is certain was that the situation was not so urgent that Logan had to resort to his own efforts. Ed was determined to give it meaning. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Not interested in what the old butler was thinking inside, Logan tapped the window with his fingers. Ed, who was looking around wondering what he was talking about, soon noticed that the subject was not an object but a person. ¡°Ah, he¡¯s a kid brought from the forest by the Knights a few years ago. It looked like he was abandoned in the village because he couldn¡¯t speak. At first, he belonged to the knights, but¡­. It¡¯s about remediation.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­.¡± In fact, it wasn¡¯t even collected enough, but no backstory was added. Ed opened his mouth as if he had just remembered what he was thinking. It was because he remembered Ailee¡¯s words that he encountered before entering the office. ¡°The people in the underground prison¡­¡± ¡°Kill them.¡± It wasn¡¯t even before the question was over that Logan cut off the conversation with a monotonous tone in an instant. He didn¡¯t persist, as it didn¡¯t matter for everything was already expected. Opportunities shine brightest when they are unique. If you don¡¯t open your mouth, you don¡¯t have to open it forever. Logan, who was staring down at the child crawling out of the fountain, soon turned to the endless black forest. As if he had heard something. ¡°I need a hound.¡± ¡°¡­¡­..¡± ¡°It should smell and hear well. I hope you don¡¯t exaggerate or play tricks.¡± Nothing was found in this expedition. Logan¡¯s eyes slowly fell down as he tapped on the window once more, saying he* was getting tricky. He noticed that his* presence was like a ghost, so he needed a dog faster than him*. [*T/N: Logan was most probably talking about Ian.] ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll exaggerate¡­¡± Ian¡¯s black hair was most vivid on the clear white snowfield. Logan followed Ian, who left earlier than usual, after finishing all his work. Then how about this? Watching at his back disappearing out the front door, the low murmur he uttered was close to a monologue. Logan didn¡¯t know why that man rushed bare-footed to protect him. The way he grabbed the knife and the exact timing of aiming for the vital point was all neat, making it obvious that he was well trained. Logan was sure he* can smell good too. There was no doubt that he heard it well, seeing that he noticed the slaughter approaching quietly and killed him like a miracle. The bright yellow eyes shone as if they were choosing high-quality objects. Then¡­ [*T/N: In the whole above paragraph Logan is talking about Ian. Probably, comparing Ian to a Hound or a hunting dog(?¦Ø?)] ¡°I wonder to what extent the hair can grow.¡± [T/N: Don¡¯t quite understand, but I am guessing it¡¯s a proverb meaning, Logan wants to see to what extent Ian can go or like how much capability does Ian have. He is probably comparing Ian with growing hair.] Logan was curious about that now. ?????????????????????????????????? ??????????????????? Chapter 19 When he arrived at the training ground the next day, the atmosphere was different than usual. Ian, who had made up his mind to hit at least one bag of laundry today, found Fred sitting on the floor with nothing piled on it. This Fred was not the Fred Ian knew. Normally, Fred would walk up and start a nonsensical quarrel as soon as he saw his face, but it didn¡¯t happen. In fact, he didn¡¯t even look at him. What are you up to? Fred, who felt Ian¡¯s sharp gaze, with his mouth protruded to the eastern entrance, did not respond. It was then, Daniel who approached Ian. ¡°Let¡¯s stop now.¡± He was a man who always hung out with Fred, but he never had a direct conversation with him. At first glance, he had a friendly smile and pretended to stop Fred from time to time, but then he realised that he was intentionally fanning him more. In the strange atmosphere, Ian took his eyes off the two and looked around once. Other knights who had been looking this way with a sideways glance, made awkward gestures while smirking. Daniel sighed exaggeratedly at Ian¡¯s behaviour. As if looking for something, he opened his mouth. ¡°If you keep doing this, you¡¯ll find someone walking around naked.¡± At first, he was just half-joking and half-serious. It was true that no one could stop Fred, who took the lead in excitement to tease the high-nosed prince and smash his nose onto the lawn. He was proud of himself for doing it openly. It didn¡¯t matter how the enemy country was, as this opponent came from a royal family, and because he entered under the orders of the Grand Duke, somehow he felt uncomfortable. The problem was that this prince did whatever he was told to. One day passed, two days passed. Even after a week had passed, seeing Ian doing laundry like a machine, the knights, who were watching, felt a strange eerie feeling. What¡­. is he? Otherwise, it couldn¡¯t have been like that. As Fred said in the first place, it was rare for someone from a royal family to get their hands wet. The more he remembered the words of those who had been to the procession* belatedly, the more uncomfortable it became. [T/N: *This procession is probably where Ian was thrown stones at.] However, unlike those who began to defend themselves, Fred, who risked the honor of the imperial people, did not stop. It was already late when some people, who didn¡¯t intend to do this, secretly began to distance themselves. Stop it, you idiot! The madness of Fred, who frantically searched for more laundry, led to a number of people who had no clothes to wear. They ended up walking naked while trying to make Ian do more laundry ¡°Fred, you should apologize, too. It¡¯s true that it was too much.¡± In fact, it was not that Ian was forced to come in. The Knights¡¯ Templar would have been the only place he had no choice but to agree to the command of the Grand Duke, but from the point of view of that prince, he would never want to come. Furthermore, today was the day when general manager Schwartz returned. Unlike Claude, who just ignored others whether they kill each other or not, Schwartz did not like to cause an unnecessary uproar. In particular, he thought it was not honorable to harass the weak, so it was clear that if this incident went into his ears, it would not end with only a simple scolding. Daniel, who quickly grasped the atmosphere, tried to deal with the situation by tapping Fred who didn¡¯t say anything, but it was rather counterproductive. This was because Fred, who was holding back his anger, jumped up and pointed at Ian. ¡°You! Are you crazy? Why did you wash them all?¡± He said a lot, saying if he didn¡¯t want to wash it, he wouldn¡¯t have to wash it. Ian, who was cursed at for doing what he was told to, looked at the shouting Fred. ¡°Why are you standing up to me if you don¡¯t mind complaining?¡± ¡°Fred!¡± ¡°Am I wrong? This punk keeps¡­!¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m saying¡­. Why is our prince so upright in everything? Tuk~ It makes me want to break it!¡± ¡­¡­.? Not only Daniel, who tried to stop Fred but everyone else around him looked questioningly at the sudden sound. It was such a familiar voice. So it was even scarier. But Kyle peeked out of Fred¡¯s back to see where the hell he came in. ¡°I heard you bullied my prince while I was away?¡± ¡°Argh!¡± Fred, who got goosebumps at his breath on his ear, screamed and jumped forward. ¡°What the f*ck?¡± As Ian looked back urgently, he saw a face that he had not seen for a while, shooting a wink at him. When did that b*stard come back? ¡°You didn¡¯t order him to do laundry in this cold weather and leave all the blankets that no one uses, did you?¡± He got it right. Fred was speechless for a moment at Kyle¡¯s words, who had not been in the mansion for weeks. Kyle shook his head as if he knew it, and approached Ian¡¯s side and frowned comedically. ¡°Look at how your beautiful hands are all ruined.¡± The last time I saw him was before it got cold. Since then, I haven¡¯t seen him once, so I thought he must have been stabbed in the back with a knife. Even though he managed to come back alive, Ian almost showed a tired face without knowing. But Kyle, who didn¡¯t care about that, stared at his swollen red fingers. Ian was wondering what was wrong when Kyle grabbed his wrist. While he was caught off guard Kyle put Ian¡¯s messed up hand in front of Fred. Let it go. ¡°Don¡¯t you know that a Roxian¡¯s skin is their life? God, you¡¯re like torturing the royal family, don¡¯t you know how scary this is? Why don¡¯t you date when you have so much gut?¡± ¡°Why all of a sudden¡­¡± ¡°Oh, don¡¯t be mad. I heard something. Is that true?¡± ¡°What¡­¡± ¡°That you purposely made people wash their clothes, so much so that they had nothing to wear.¡± There was obviously a conversation going on, but there was no context. Kyle suddenly turned serious, sighed and said, ¡°Fred, if you want to see your colleague¡¯s naked body, you have to be fair.¡± Kyle quickly turned Fred into an unscrupulous person, looking genuinely sorry. Even though everything he spat out was bullsh*t, he had a strange talent of attracting attention. Fred, face reddened by the ridiculous insult, opened his mouth. But it was interrupted by Kyle, who opened his mouth faster than that. ¡°Of course, what I miss the most is my perfect body. But Fred, I¡¯m not going to let go of those who show this kind of meanness to my prince.¡± ¡°Huh¡­.¡± ¡°Ask the maids.¡± In the end, it was said not to make him wash it himself. Ian couldn¡¯t understand if he was stunned by Kyle¡¯s audacity to proudly tell a story that had nothing to brag about, or was he speechless because he was so angry? By the time Fred, who had been silenced, barely began to spit out swear words, it was already when he was dragged out of the training ground by Daniel and other knights. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Something passed by. Ian, who only blinked his eyes at the situation that had ended in an instant, slowly turned his head. As he glanced at Kyle, who was waving his hand towards the outside, Kyle felt a gaze and immediately turned to this side. The smiling face was still clean. When their eyes met, the way he spoke as if he was waiting was a little different from before. ¡°Prince, I heard you¡¯ve been through a lot of hardships while I was away. If I had known this would happen, we would have stuck tight together. Right? Huh?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Um, you¡¯re really angry. I¡¯m sorry?¡± Also, he didn¡¯t just respond to his nonsense and ranting, but he seemed to think differently. He let go of his hand. When he shook his arm lightly because he was annoyed that it had been held for a while, he relaxed as if it was a pity. But was it because of the mood? I think the tattoo on the left cheek got darker¡­ ¡°Have you made any friends? Did you look around?¡± Ian, who was staring at Kyle¡¯s face, turned to a sudden whispering voice as if sharing a secret. He did it on purpose, he knew it couldn¡¯t be. After he had just said that he had been doing laundry the whole time, let alone making friends, it wasn¡¯t a comfortable situation to do that in the first place. Ian, who shook his head as if he didn¡¯t want to deal with him any longer, turned around. It seemed like everything was ruined anyway, so he was just going to go back to his room today. ¡°Ah, ah!¡± However, as soon as he turned around, what he could see was the frizzy hair. The child, who was running back and forth from afar, flapped his hands when he spotted Ian. Kyle, who approached him after seeing him, chuckled and added. ¡°Wow, you made friends.¡± ¡°¡­¡­..¡± ¡°Huh? It¡¯s cream puff.¡± Without knowing Ian¡¯s heart, who was worried about seeing his beaten up face because he was made fun of, Kyle recognised the child, waved and whispered to Shyu, who was gradually approaching. He looked at his hair and eyes. That¡¯s chocolate cream puff. He was crazy. ¡°Come to think of it, how do you two know each other? Do you know each other¡¯s names? You don¡¯t know, right? You probably don¡¯t know. Because both of you can¡¯t talk.¡± Kyle, who looked at Shyu and Ian, who were just around the corner, muttered as if he was curious. It was also an ability of his, to say rude things casually. Fortunately, the child who was busy breathing, didn¡¯t seem to have heard it. Good! Kyle clapped his hands as if he was determined, opened his mouth, pointing to Shyu with his fingertips. ¡°He¡¯s Shyu. You should know his name even if you¡¯re not interested.¡± He seemed to be determined to exchange names. It was useless meddling, but it didn¡¯t seem to be the case for Shyu, who shook his head while panting. It was a face full of anticipation. In fact, he was even more curious because he didn¡¯t know anything about Ian¡¯s name, age, or Ian himself. Kyle, who noticed that sparkling eyes were pouring on him, Kyle smiled affectionately and opened his mouth. This is our prince. What¡¯s your name? I wonder why I can¡¯t even call you?¡± ¡°¡­¡­..¡± ¡°¡­¡­..¡± [T/N: And awkward silence prevailed.(¨R¨Œ¨Q)] He was a talented person who could easily win the championship if he participated in a Nonsense Contest without malice. ??????????????????? Chapter 20 Kyle stopped smiling and made an unjust expression as Ian looked at him with suspicion. ¡°Our custard cream doesn¡¯t even know what Shetier* is.¡± [*T/N: Language spoken by the Shertians.] Ian looked at him as if it had nothing to do with him. Kyle moved to the next sentence as if he was waiting for him. ¡°All he can do is write his own name, but telling him how to write the prince¡¯s name is impossible. Don¡¯t you think so?¡± It sounded like a bullsh*t, but it was a statement close to the truth. Shyu couldn¡¯t speak, and the last attempt to teach him how to write had already ended with Victoria. Even those who treated him like a younger brother and cared about his everything neatly gave up within a mere month. Shyu, who couldn¡¯t even remember simple words even after repeating them several times, seemed to have no will to learn at all. Since all Shyu did was laugh when asked if he understood, many would burst into anger and give up. Shyu nodded, probably hearing Kyle¡¯s voice, and quickly picked up a branch near him. Still, if he barely memorized at least one letter of what Victoria had taught him then he should be able to write his name. Shyu squatted on the floor, and with the sound of soil scratching, began to write something down. A single syllable without a last name. ¡°Hmm!¡± Shyu was proud of the only name he could write, he turned his head toward Ian and smiled broadly. However, Ian, who couldn¡¯t even write his own name, stared at the sloppy writing that he couldn¡¯t even read. In the meantime, the word ¡®cream¡¯ was quickly added next to Shyu¡¯s name. Pretending as if nothing had happened, Kyle groaned as he turned his dirt-soaked hands. ¡°Look at this kid, who was satisfied with this. You doubted my broad heart for a moment because I didn¡¯t want to give you homework, right? Yeah?¡± He was just teasing and using only grandiose words. Unlike Ian, who looked away as if it was not worth responding to, Shyu listened intently to Kyle¡¯s sophistry and seemed to agree to some extent. That¡¯s why he was being treated like a fool. Shyu¡¯s eyes widened when he patted his forehead with his fingertips*. When he looked down to look at something, Shyu suddenly felt it was unfair and tilted his head. Kyle did not miss to interpret his appearance and gave Ian a branch. [*T/N: This is a gesture he did while thinking.] As if he was asking Kyle why he was giving this to him, Kyle smiled and opened his mouth. ¡°But what if we don¡¯t know each other¡¯s names? Tell me now. Name.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°The letters are not that difficult, so you can memorize cream puffs, Right?¡± The person concerned did not know that it was not that difficult.* [*T/N: It meant to say that to Ian it was a totally new language, so of course it was difficult for him. So it is said that Ian didn¡¯t know that it was ¡®not¡¯ difficult.(¨R¨Œ¨Q)] Ian was taking turns looking at the branches in his hands and Shyu¡¯s eyes that glistened at them. He spat out a sigh. What are you even doing here? He didn¡¯t want to get along with anything unpleasant, but Shyu¡¯s gaze was intense to a point that he couldn¡¯t ignore them. No matter how much he looked at it, there was no way he could think of a letter from a language that he didn¡¯t even know. He threw the branch and tried to turn around, but he changed his mind with the premonition that Kyle would follow after him. Anyways, he was a foreigner in this country. He was told to write down his name but wasn¡¯t told to write it in Shetier. Ian came to a conclusion, bowed down and drew a diagonal line just below Shu¡¯s name. It¡¯s up to me which language I¡¯m going to use. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± However, Ian, who was staring at the floor for a while without further crossing, drew a circle to the left of ¡°?¡±. One more circle next to it and a line sticking out to the side. Both of them stared at the branch that did not stop while drawing an angled line downward. ?? [T/N: He wrote ¡°Ian¡± in Korean. Actually what his name is written in Korean is pronounced as ¡°Eeon¡± or ¡°Ion¡±, but it doesn¡¯t sound too good, so I went with Ian.] Perhaps the name written in Korean was so amazing that Shyu remained crouched and kept studying it. As if to understand that the round and angular shape was Ian¡¯s name. Likewise, Kyle¡¯s expression looking down at the letters was somewhat subtle. It was when he tried to read it several times as if he had witnessed something very strange. His lips trembled at Ian. ¡°If you¡¯re back, report to the superiors first.¡± The three who were looking down at the ground naturally turned their eyes to the deep voice that emerged from behind. The man that had just arrived looked quite familiar. Blue hair tied high and cross* drawn on the forehead. [*T/N: It is written as ?? which probably means cross as in Churches (??).] Neat facial features and an expressionless expression that seemed like it wouldn¡¯t change even if he was being stabbed with a knife. On the day of the procession, it was Claude, the deputy general who accompanied Ian to the village on horseback. ¡°Oh, Claude! What, did you run out of morning training because you missed me? That¡¯s kinda creepy.¡± ¡°Should I respond?¡± ¡°Ah, won¡¯t you deny it anymore?¡± The conversation continued quickly, perhaps because they knew each other well. Claude, who walked slower than Kyle, replied calmly like a teacher compared to the joy-filled Kyle. ¡°The training starts at 8 o¡¯clock sharp, and I always arrive five minutes earlier. Regardless of you.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Even though he heard Claude¡¯s cold reply, he still had a smirk on his face. They knew each other, but they didn¡¯t seem to know each other in a good way. As if he was familiar with this situation, Shyu bowed his head toward Claude and pulled Ian¡¯s sleeve tightly. ¡®Let¡¯s write our names together!¡¯ It was a gaze that could be understood without saying, but the atmosphere of the two people next to them was cooling down rapidly. At first glance, he only heard him mention his name, but it was the first time he saw them together. ¡°Yeah. I think I¡¯ve already told you about a thousand times. Even that b*st*rd has a better memory than you.¡± In fact, except for Ian, who had just entered, the relationship between the two was already open within the Knights. Kyle, who acted only according to his mood, and Claude, a principlist with the tendency to follow like a tag, were contradictory. A former slave who was not sincere in anything and the second son of a noble family who had to take responsibility for everything he said, they were born differently. Even if both were elite members. They often had to carry out the instructions of the Grand Duke side by side, so they met whenever they ran into each other. Both were top-notch, so it was almost a hobby to make the entire Knights Templar* into thin ice sheets.** [*T/N: Knights Templar- The Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon, also known as the Order of Solomon¡¯s Temple, the Knights Templar or simply the Templars, was a Catholic military order founded in 1118.] [**T/N: Like thin ice is dangerous and hard to walk on, they made the Knights Templar a dangerous place or a strict place most probably.] ¡°What?¡± Kyle seemed to be in outrage by Claude¡¯s words. He was not the kind of a human being who would be hurt by such criticism. However, at the next moment, Kyle shouted indignantly, going along with Ian¡¯s guess of what he was going to say. ¡°Apologize to the puppy*!¡± [*T/N: So the ¡°b*st*rd¡± whom Claude was talking about is Shyu, because Shyu reacted like that when the atmosphere seemed familiarly cold, so Claude said that he had a better memory than Kyle. And Kyle understood whom Claude meant by the ¡°b*st*rd¡± so he asked Claude to apologize to Shyu, referring to him as a ¡°puppy¡±. (Truly I am hating every character except that kid and Kyle???)] He wondered what kind of bullsh*t it was, but the next words that came out were more spectacular. ¡°Claude, that¡¯s your problem. You should be more mindful of other people¡¯s feelings. How disappointed would they be if they were being compared to me? Alexander, who was raised in front of a tavern, is so smart but I can¡¯t believe he said that?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°What¡¯s with that expression? No way¡­¡± Kyle, who voluntarily changed Kiki¡¯s* name to Alexander in front of a tavern, covered his mouth with his hands. [*T/N: I have no idea who Kiki is¡­.???¡­Could be Claud¡¯s nickname¡­] ¡°Did I just touch your wound? By the way, I need a friend to go to a tavern¡­ Sorry. This was my mistake. You understand right Claude?¡± ¡°It¡¯s my fault for mixing things up.¡± It just seemed that the way he talked to everyone was consistent in that way. As if tired of Kyle¡¯s words, which were pouring out again, Claude walked to the side without regrets. If Kyle was born with a natural talent for overturning others¡¯ minds, Claude was a man who was good at ignoring other people¡¯s nonsense. No matter what he says behind the scenes, he walked towards Ian, who was watching the situation with an expression of disinterest. ¡°We received a report yesterday that there was a minor misunderstanding with our knights.¡± It didn¡¯t seem trivial, but there was a sense of vagueness even though it was large. In fact, Ian, who had nothing to do with either side, nodded moderately only after one beat had passed. He had no intention of asking. It would be the same in any era to reject those who didn¡¯t suit the group. ¡°It was something I should have cared about.¡± Lies. There was no way that he didn¡¯t know what Fred had done, who had been tumultuous for over a week. It was when Ian, who regarded it as a word of mouth, tried to nod once again. ¡°Honestly, I didn¡¯t write it.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Is he bragging? It was a questionable statement whether he was arguing or just being honest. Claude, who didn¡¯t lose a single expression from Ian¡¯s face, continued without delay. ¡°If you want to punish those knights, you can tell me. We will include all the instigators, including those who watched the situation.¡± If he nodded, the trial would be heated immediately. Ian couldn¡¯t find out the reason why he appeared and why he was doing this after a week. However, the answer to that question was already set. Ian slowly raised his arm, and Claude¡¯s eyes followed. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Claude was speechless for a moment as Ian¡¯s hand now pointed at him. It was because there was only one reason for pointing out him when asked if he wanted punishment. The tips of the neatly positioned eyebrows were raised, but it was just for a moment. The news that he had entered the Knights Templar and flirted with Fred and others was strange to begin with. He had a lot of nerves. Claude, who recalled what he had seen during the procession, spoke slowly. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll include myself.¡± It was the same with him who stood by. If punishment is imposed, it should be fair. Ian lowered his hand at Claude¡¯s attitude of accepting his mistakes without excuses and shut his mouth. He shook his head as he swallowed a sigh as he knew what kind of a person Claude was. He was not a child, and he didn¡¯t have any hobbies of talking behind people¡¯s backs. He shook his hand as if he didn¡¯t need it and turned around. Even if he was here, it seemed that he would never have met the man. In the beginning, his* purpose was considered a waste of time. Ian, ignoring Shyu, who stared at him, walked to the entrance. He thought it was better to go back to his own room. [*T/N: Talking about Ian.] ¡°Ian.¡± Come to think of it, Ian should have ran away at that time. No further questioning, no wanting to know anything. If he had run away without looking back at the man he killed, he would have been able to die peacefully that time as he had hoped. It was already enough to look through the memories that he lost. Ian, not realising it, was caught off-guard by the awkward voice. A few unreadable emotions passed through Claude¡¯s expressionless face. ¡°The captain wants to see you.¡± This was a mourning.* [*T/N: By mourning, it¡¯s like, it was a pain in the a** for Ian.(?¦Ø?)] ??????????????????? T/N: This chapter was a bit TOO long¡­. The other chapters are like 1500 words, and this chapter has more than 2000 words???. Probably the longest chapter I did till now. Probably, it¡¯s not very long for some people, but for a newbie translator like me, it¡¯s too long.? ? ? ?. Sorry for the late update again, alot of things happened, which includes my tablet going crazy??? and me being a bit busy with my studies( £»?£»). I would probably release 1 or 2 more chapters of Dry Drowning and then I will go on a looooong hiatus for 2 to 3 months. I have a very important exam coming up, so I need to prepare.(¡ä£»¦Ø£»£à)(??¦Ø£Ü?) Also guys, I you like this novel then please rate and review this novel in ¡°Novel Updates¡± website, as many rely on the ratings and reviews before reading a novel.(. ? ? ?.) Chapter 21 ¡°Nice to meet you!¡± Entering the neatly organized room, Ian blinked as he looked up towards his opponent who suddenly stood up. When their gaze met, he saw that the man who reached out and asked for a handshake was tall enough to be far superior to the people here, who seemed to have a good physique, regardless of age or gender. Would it* be well over 2m? [*T/N: talking about that man¡¯s height.] Ian wasn¡¯t that short either, but somehow he had to move his head up just to look at the man. Thinking that he had a voice that matched his size, Ian held that man¡¯s outstretched hand and loud laughter followed. ¡°I¡¯ve heard a lot about you.¡± The hand he held shook violently to the point that Ian thought that his arm was going to fall out. Instead of applying force, Ian let go as soon as it was already caught, and soon, the man let go of his hand slowly. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry.¡± It was a rare benevolent glance among those who covered up and treated others with hostility. No form of malice could be found on the face of the man. Who was looking down at Ian with a clear smile. Short hair swept across his wide shoulders. Tight muscles that stood out over the dark skin was daunting enough, but there was something else that stood out even more. It was as if a large beast had drawn on his entire face with its claws. Fumbling his gaze carefully over the face of the man who had the black eyepatch above his right eye, Ian tilted his head slightly. Was it a bear? To have a wound so big, it must have been.* [*T/N: He is saying that he thinks the wound must have been done by a bear.] Although it seemed like it was an old wound and looked like just a scar, it was certain that his face made a scary first impression, especially for young children who would burst into tears at the sight. ¡°I hurt my arm a little during the last expedition. The wound didn¡¯t heal even after treatment. That¡¯s why I¡¯ve been away from the Knights for quite a while. Claude worked hard but¡­, there must have been some parts I didn¡¯t pay attention to.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°No. You even took over my work. It was my fault that I let my guard down.¡± Claude, who was behind Ian, replied as if he was waiting, the man waved his hand and shook his head. There could have been additional infections, so he couldn¡¯t meet anyone other than the doctor or the Archduke for weeks. He shook his head because he knew that Claude, the deputy leader, had even taken over his job, and then looked at Ian with an apologetic expression. ¡°We have a guest. Let¡¯s sit down first.¡± When Ian approached the chair that looked like a reception desk, someone was already sitting on the other side. He didn¡¯t see her face earlier since he was focused on the man who had such a clear presence. As he sat down, he glanced up. Ian could see the neat fingertips lifting the teacup. Unlike last time, it was Ailee, who was wearing a neat outfit and sipping the tea. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Didn¡¯t they say she was a maid? She glanced over there, feeling Ian¡¯s gaze, confirming that the brown hair at the tip of his chin was not as bloody as it was last time. It was a very subtle and complex expression. ¡°Nice to see you again.¡± Ian didn¡¯t know, but it was Ailee, who bet her salary of three months that he wouldn¡¯t be able to last a week. It was a shame that she ended up thinking on her own and nearly lost all the money that she earned with her blood, sweat, and tears. If Ailee had to state the most important things in her life, the first, second, and thirty-fifth would be money, so her heart pounded. Ailee had to get rid of her habit of getting carried away with betting, but she wouldn¡¯t have thought about it if she had gotten rid of it easily. Who knew that the royal family could do laundry at the fountain for a week in such conditions? Ailee, who unknowingly sweated, recalling her foolishness, which she had judged only by Ian¡¯s soft appearance. She raised the corners of her mouth but Ian did not respond much to the neat business-like smile. ¡°But Kyle, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever called you.¡± The man, who confirmed that Ian was seated, was suddenly asked a question as he sat in the upper seat. It was because it was fun for Kyle, who quietly followed Ian since earlier, to take his place as if he was a lifeguard. Kyle stood behind Ian¡¯s chair like a shadow, and opened his mouth without panicking at the sudden attack. ¡°When Claude came back, he told me to report it first.¡± ¡°Haha. Since when have you been so obedient? Go, I¡¯m glad you look healthy.¡± ¡°I¡¯m nothing without my health, leader.¡± Winks provide information that you don¡¯t want to know. All four people except Kyle acted as if they had seen nothing, and the conversation continued. ¡°Are you surprised that I called you all of a sudden?¡± I wasn¡¯t, but I nodded. ¡°You joined the team without even realizing it. It is very interesting that no other than Prince of Rox entered the Shertian Knights. If the people of royal road , who like to make a fuss, find out, they will spend three days and three nights here.¡± They may already be doing so. The Grand Duchy was surrounded by woods and was not free to enter and exit, but the rumor was that he was not particular about such things. The nobles were always thirsty for gossip, and it is no exaggeration to say that all their eyes were on the center of the empire for Logan Hyer¡¯s story. ¡°By the way¡­¡± It was Ailee who carefully cut off the conversation with a smile on her face. She put down the cup on the table after seeing the cup of tea was already empty. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to intervene, but shouldn¡¯t we introduce ourselves first?¡± ¡°Oh, look at my mind.¡± Only then did he realize that he didn¡¯t even tell Ian his name. As if he was truly apologetic, the man with his lowered eyebrows hurriedly opened his mouth to Ian. ¡°I¡¯m Schwartz Homer, the head of the Northern Knights. It¡¯s great to meet you again.¡± ¡°Ian-nim, Schwartz is the most elite member of the team, he has been in the general¡¯s position for 10 years. In other words, it¡¯s already been dozens of times that he went on an expedition and returned without dying.¡± ¡°Is that a compliment?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Expedition? No wonder it seemed like an important word. Emphasizing that he didn¡¯t die seems to mean that he went to war, or maybe it was related to Rox. ¡°So speaking of which, it¡¯s about the expedition.¡± Schwartz, who lowered his voice, changing the moderately relaxed atmosphere. Reading signs of hesitation from even Kyle, who was standing behind him, Ian was convinced that this was the reason he was called here. ¡°You know that, too. The conditions that Rox suggested.¡± There was no way to know. However, it was a situation where Ian could not shake his head, so he affirmed silently. ¡°Actually, I saw something weird on the last expedition.¡± Schwartz, who sighed as if he was recalling the incident, stroked his chin. He frowned as he didn¡¯t know what exactly he saw. ¡°It was so fleeting that I¡¯m not sure. One knight was missing, so I went a little further north to find him and then I saw it. But¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s what they said.¡± ¡­.I couldn¡¯t understand at all. It was also ambiguous what he saw in the first place. Unlike Ian, who tilted his head at Schwartz¡¯s words that did not specify the subject precisely, others did not particularly complain. However, everyone seemed to understand except him. ¡°I was attacked from behind while I was trying to get closer. My arm almost got cut off. By the time the prince arrived, there was already nothing.¡± The long scar over Schwartz¡¯s sleeve barely healed. If Seongsu* had not been used, it might have rotted up to the shoulder area now. [*T/N: Seongsu- holy water] Schwartz, who patted his forearm once, muttered to himself, perhaps the big was stinging. ¡°Something is changing.¡± He felt the same way when he first witnessed it. He couldn¡¯t forget the goosebumps that came up on his flesh. Perhaps they all remembered the same thing, but for a moment they were silent, and Ian, the only one who was alienated by himself, swept his eyes with his fingertips. He didn¡¯t have any clue, so he pretended to know, but it was almost like a quiz show. Schwartz, who had been lost in other thoughts for a while, said, untying his stiff face. ¡°Well, I might have heard it wrong. As I am getting older, my hearing isn¡¯t the same as before. But it¡¯s a problem that cannot be overlooked. This is why I called you.¡± Until now, all I heard was unknown sounds, but I couldn¡¯t understand why they came to that conclusion. Schwartz burst into laughter and immediately brought up the subject. ¡°I heard about what happened during the parade. I heard that you killed three assassins in an instant, the Grand Duke doesn¡¯t want to spoil your talent.¡± It was only then that I remembered what happened a week ago. Was it three? I remember killing them, but I couldn¡¯t think of exactly how many it was. Mostly because it was not very important. ¡°So, I hope you¡¯ll join us in the next expedition as well.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°When he* put you in the Knights Templar, it was because he needed an excuse for that.¡± [*T/N: This ¡°he¡± is the Grand Duke.] In principle, only Northern Knights could enter the black forest. Ailee, who was sitting next to him, realized the dubious intentions of the Grand Duke only after hearing those words. She was wondering why he was suddenly putting Ian in the Knight. ¡°You may refuse but¡­¡± Schwartz scratched his chin, and added in a way that he was reluctant to say. As if they already know the answer to come out. ¡°You should think one more time because it¡¯s for Rox.¡± It sounded like an invitation, but it was more of a threat. Since he was caught as a hostage, it was a sentence that might have worked if he had been the real ¡°Ian¡± from Rox. If there really was a country or family to protect. ¡°¡­¡­ ¡± But there was a completely different human being in this body. I abandoned that* a long time ago and killed it*. [*T/N: Most probably he is talking about his family.] With the truth hidden in his heart, Ian slowly opened his mouth to the ones who were looking his way. ??????????????????? T/N: I AM SO SORRY FOR THIS LATE UPDATE. But I got really busy to even do a last update before going completely on hiatus. But I dragged myself to do a last chapter before completely going on hiatus, so here it is. Now, I will be back after 2 months with hopefully more updates. Pray for me so that I can come back alive.(¨i©n¨i) [And sorry for leaving you guys on a cliffhanger.(¡ä¡ã????????¦Ø¡ã????????£à)] Chapter 22 ¡®I¡¯ll do it.¡¯ There was no sound, but the mouth movements could be fully understood. Schwartz, who thought that he would have hesitation no matter how intimidating he was, opened his eyes wide in surprise. It was true that the Northern Knights were the most difficult to enter in the empire. However, it was also the Northern Knights that all knights avoided. It was already under the notorious Archduke Hyer. The saying that it would be faster to die at Logan¡¯s hands than to be cut up by enemies was no joke. It* was filled every year, but just by looking that the number of knights kept decreasing, anybody could tell. The number of applicants was decreasing as the northern members knew what they were doing in the Grand Duchy. [*T/N: The Northern Knights] The reason why the Knights Templar was able to continue was because they did not consider the origins* of the people at all. It was almost the only way to rise in status in Shertian for those whose natural origin was lowly. An excessively high salary for a single knight may have also played a part. [*T/N: This means that the Northern Knights did not see whether the person applying to be a Northern Knight was from a poor family or a noble family or was they a beggar and could rise to a higher status without any discrimination.] So the most persecuted people gathered one by one. Those who used to roam around the back alleys and used to rob because they had skills but had no identity. Most of them had no last name for that reason. However, no matter how much they chattered behind their backs, none of the people in the Empire could belittle their origins in the Knights Templar. ¡°Are you saying you¡¯ll join us for an expedition?¡± He asked back even though he heard the answer clearly. He made a suggestion, but he didn¡¯t know he would get an okay at once. No wonder, even the knights familiar with this did not want to go. Schwartz, who had been looking at Ian, nodded his head casually whether he knew it or not, and sighed quietly. ¡°About Rox¡­, I apologize for mentioning it. You nodded your head right away, it makes me laugh.¡± It was because even he, who was speaking, could not understand the intention of the Archduke. Schwartz recalled Logan¡¯s face last evening when he was talking about Ian. ?I¡¯m thinking about bringing him. As always, Ian was not interested in the other person¡¯s intention. He knew that rejection would only bring disadvantages because he was a person who would do so. Logan was not a man to give many chances. In order to achieve what Ian wanted, he did not hesitate to do things that were common sense. If this prince¡¯s weakness was his country, the same thing that happened just now would happen on a daily basis.* [*T/N: Since Ian realised that he was a prince whose weakness was his country, he knew that even if he refused this offer he would be taunted or blackmailed regarding his country on a daily basis.] But still, Ian¡¯s appetite was bitter*. In the first place, Schwartz hated the method of dipping and pressing** the most. Even though he got the answer that he was hoping for, he was not happy at all. [*T/N: It probably means that Schwartz was not happy with the answer he got from Ian which is compared with bitter appetite. **T/N: Probably means, repeatedly asking the same question to get or force out the desired answer.] Unlike Schwartz, Ian, who had no interest in Rox, was calm. Because it was a country that he had never heard of and only knew its name, it didn¡¯t matter to him what happened there. Furthermore, if one guessed here and there, they would know that it was no different than selling yourself to the enemy country. ¡°¡­¡­..¡± Nevertheless, the reason why Ian nodded was something else. He didn¡¯t know exactly what the expedition was about, but it seemed certain that it was a chance to face that man. There must be a reason why Logan chose him over other Knights. In fact, Ian was able to predict to some extent. This was because there were things that he unintentionally heard while walking around the room. ?I can¡¯t believe he still doesn¡¯t have a wife. Most of them were careful about what they are saying in front of him, but they could not stop the leak of the story as they came and went. As anyone would hear, most of the words that were said in a lowered voice were about the Knights or the Grand Duke. Wife, marriage, successor. In particular, at first glance, the anxiety about the Grand Duke, who still did not have children, was enormous. Considering that he only seemed to be in his late 20s, there seemed to be nothing to worry about, but Ian, who heard something from Kyle, was able to grasp the situation roughly. Didn¡¯t he say they all live for a short time? I think it is said that they usually die suddenly in their early and mid-30s. The weak Archduke had yet to decide on adopting a successor and had not even chosen a wife. From an employment standpoint, Ian understood that there were so many worries. If he suddenly died at this rate, the job they got would become unstable. No one knew whether the new owner would extend the contract or not. That may be why no one was sheltering Logan at the time of the attack. Some people would hate a man who has so much power but no heir. If so, he could understand the sudden threat to his life, the bystanders, and the reactions of anxious Knights. It was half right and half absurd, but from Ian¡¯s point of view, that was the best he could grasp on. ¡°The next expedition is in a month.¡± It had already been a month since he opened his eyes here. It was about two weeks ago that the Knights returned, and now they said they would go on an expedition again in less than two months. He didn¡¯t know if it was going according to a schedule, but it didn¡¯t really matter. Schwartz, who was still looking at Ian, nodded his head and added as if he was trying to assure him, ¡®You¡¯ll be with the Grand Duke, so you won¡¯t have to worry. I hope you can let me know what will be okay.¡¯ ¡°Besides that, I heard you can¡¯t speak Shetier¡­..¡± Ian thought this was the end, but he immediately moved on to the next topic. He had a rather serious expression than Ed¡¯s. On top of that, since the other three, who were quietly listening to Schwartz, and were gazing intently, Ian felt like he had become a little lacking in an instant. ¡°Unfortunately, no one here knows Roxian.¡± Due to the walls built along the border, even exchanges were cut off. Originally, Rox sent an interpreter who could speak both Shetier and Roxian along with Ian, but they were killed. ¡°I think it would be better to learn writing for simple communication. I¡¯m glad there¡¯s no problem with listening, but¡­, there must be something you want to say too.¡± It was possible to make a request to the royal capital, but it was unclear whether there would be any applicants. Considering that he was going on an expedition, Schwartz was right. Ailee, who nodded next to him, said, ¡°Then assign a certain teacher. Shetier is quite difficult for foreigners to learn.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s true, too. Then, Ailee, you¡­¡± ¡°Nope. I¡¯m so high-skilled that it is like a waste of resources.¡± Even before the solicitation was over, it was cut as if with a single knife. It was when Schwartz tapped his chin as if he was in trouble, not that Ailee¡¯s sharp reply was wrong. ¡°Then what about me?¡± It was Kyle, who was standing behind Ian like a shadow till then. Ian wondered how long a human being, who usually would have been flirting with him, could keep quiet at the commander¡¯s words. ¡°I¡¯m a little free because I just returned. It may not be as good as aristocrats, but the goal is not to speak fluently, but just to be able to communicate, right?¡± ¡°What do you mean, Kyle? It¡¯s too difficult for low-level personnel.¡± ¡°Wow, you¡¯re so incredibly mean.¡± Kyle whined to Ailee, who treated him as a low-level subordinate with a completely unhurt face, bent down. ¡°In this respect, I also have a connection with our prince.¡± Kyle, who lowered his head near Ian¡¯s shoulder, who was sitting down, softly whispered. ¡°I was only listening until I was thirteen, but I couldn¡¯t write. But now? Look, I¡¯m posting a report to the Grand Duke.¡± Every time he spoke, his breath touched and tickled. At the act of narrowing the distance between them as if they were close friends, Ian was agonized over whether he should hit Kyle on the chin or just let it go. ¡°Move away.¡± Claude, who sat next to Ian, ordered in a blunt voice as if he seemed to have sensed that feeling. It was a remark without hesitation, even though he knew that the other party would likely not obey him. ¡°But, what if I don¡¯t want to?¡± And again, Kyle, who was on the wrong beat as expected, was about to take another step. He obviously intended to reach out to Ian¡¯s hair, which was loosely untied. Claude¡¯s eyebrows narrowed as if he was playing around with a few strands hanging on his index finger. He looked at the rude man with a shallow habit. No matter how much he was sent as a hostage, Ian was a member of the royal family of a foreign country. That was an obvious disrespect to Claude, who had learned manners and laws since he was young. It was said that the Roxians valued their hair, so it wouldn¡¯t be a bad thing to cut Kyle¡¯s finger at this time. ¡°Stop¡­¡± A brief warning was given. Had Ian not turned his head sideways* at that moment, Claude might have asked for the commander¡¯s consent to cut Kyle¡¯s finger. [*T/N: This means Ian turned his head sideways doing a gesture saying ¡°no¡± to Claude.] ¡°Huh?¡± Kyle stopped fooling around when Ian, who did nothing but nod expressionlessly like a doll, turned his head towards Ian and affectionately made eye contact. ¡®What¡¯s wrong?¡¯ As Kyle whispered, Ian, who was still looking up at Kyle, briefly beckoned. As if to come a little closer. It had been a while since they met, but it was the first time he saw Ian asking for something. When Kyle let out a small laugh and bowed his head a bit more¡­ ¡°Ouch!¡± His hair was caught. ??????????????????? T/N: SUPRISE! A little christmas gift from me.(ÈË ?????) Chapter 23 They couldn¡¯t even think of stopping him because it happened in an instant, or maybe they didn¡¯t even think of that, but anyway, everyone looked at Ian with surprise. It was unbelievable that he suddenly grabbed Kyle¡¯s hair while sitting gracefully with his back straight. Even the person caught by the hair blinked puzzledly at the strength that was transmitted through his scalp! He screamed and opened his mouth. ¡°What is this? Prince, do you want to play with me?¡± Looking at the way he spoke, it was a nuance to grab each other¡¯s hair and have a dog fight. Compared to Kyle, Ian, who had long hair, was at a much more disadvantage. However, the threat did not work, and Kyle did not reach out to Ian¡¯s hair. ¡°Okay, okay. Don¡¯t touch it please? My prince doesn¡¯t even know what he¡¯s thinking, it¡¯s all my fault. I know. Argh. It really hurts.¡± Instead, he raised both hands as if admitting his mistakes. Squinting at Kyle, who was in a surrendered posture, Ian slowly relaxed the strength in his hand which was holding Kyle¡¯s hair. Instead of hitting the chin, Ian chose a little less violent method, which seemed to work more. Kyle, who ghostly noticed that Ian had lost his strength, quickly stepped back. Several strands of purple hair fell to the floor. ¡°I thought I was going to go bald!¡± Only this much does not make the entire scalp clean. Ian, who shook his hand off, did not pretend to have heard it, but turned his body forward and even heard a cry. How can you do this to me? Where did the friendship we¡¯ve built over the past few weeks go? * [*T/N: Kyle is saying this while so called crying.] It seemed that his brain was pulled out along with his hair. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± There was a moment of silence in the room. Schwartz had an expression that seemed like he didn¡¯t know whether to praise or criticize, while Claude was speechless at Ian¡¯s disrespectful behaviour. Ailee, the only one to keep her composure, was lost in thoughts while looking alternatingly between Ian and Kyle. She thought it was nonsense, but she also thought maybe that this would be the best thing to do. ¡°Look, you¡¯re so picky. Who else is going to do it besides me. What if you grab the other knights¡¯ hair? I think I forgot for a moment when our prince killed three people*. Next time, I might pull out my own hair.¡± [*T/N: Talking about that time when the assassins attacked.] ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Humans usually don¡¯t have the grip strength to pull out their own hair. To Kyle, who was talking nonsense with only one grab on his hair, Ian responded by keeping his mouth shut. Ailee looked at Ian¡¯s expression once more while that dog* kept on barking, smiled and opened her mouth. [*T/N: Talking about Kyle (¨R¨Œ¨Q)] ¡°Then should I leave it to Kyle?¡± ¡°Ailee¡­¡± ¡°You can¡¯t.¡± ¡°Actually, that makes sense, too. Who else in this mansion would treat Ian like that? Learning is a method of increasing efficiency only when appropriate kindness is accompanied.¡± Ian didn¡¯t know where Kyle¡¯s favour was found. Ian frowned as if he had heard something strange, but the conversation continued regardless. ¡°The expedition has been set in a month, so we¡¯ll be busy again. It is inefficient for the general manager or vice-chief to make time separately. Rather than that, Kyle, who skips training like he eats rice, is better. You don¡¯t even need fancy vocabulary.¡± What Ian needed right away was a daily conversation. When she smiled brightly emphasizing that point, Schwartz and Claude seemed to have found nothing to refute. Also, the one who has that high spirit cannot be tied up.* [*T/N: Probably talking about Kyle.] Ailee muttered to herself as she counted all the accidents Kyle has caused. It was that b*st*rd who caused the problem, but there was someone else who actually took care of it, so it was more convenient to lock him in the room for even a little bit. Ailee stopped thinking if Ian could handle it, but now that she looked at it, it didn¡¯t seem necessary. Most of them tended to think of Ian as slender because they were deceived by his pale and fine appearance, but in fact, if it were to list the appearances seen so far, Ian never had a good personality. ¡°Then, it¡¯s been decided, right?¡± When Ailee, who finalised the matter by clapping her hands, asked, a shaky nod followed. Kyle, who had recovered his mood as if he had been pretending to cry, came to Ian¡¯s side, raising the corners of his mouth. ¡°Hey, I always keep an eye on whoever I teach.¡± Unexpectedly, Ian, who was in a position to really learn to write from Kyle, opened his mouth to refute something. Unfortunately, however, he couldn¡¯t speak. F*ck Contrary to Ian¡¯s thought, whether he was serious or not, Ailee was really serious. When Kyle arrived at the training ground the next day, he brought a paper full of letters that Ian had never seen before, and he was dragged to the table in the corner before he could even blink. It was only after seeing Kyle¡¯s action of pointing to the letters on the paper one by one with his fingertips that Ian realized what they were doing. Do they really want me to learn from him? I thought it would be better to get tutoring from Ed. ¡°Listen to my pronunciation first.¡± However, there was no option in the first place. Soon after, Ian, who accepted that Kyle in front of him would not disappear even if he denied it, sighed and picked up the fountain pen lying there. It was natural that the knights¡¯ attention was drawn to the beginner academy that was opened right next to the training ground. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± It was a table made for ornamental purposes in the corner of the training ground. The chairs were just for a break, but there was no crazy man who ran 30 laps and walked there gracefully to rest. It was an even more bizarre combination because Ian was sitting in such a place and jotting down something, as well as Kyle, who was sitting in front of him. What kind of accident is he going to make?* [*T/N: The knights who are watching them is thinking this.] The knights couldn¡¯t dare to get close, so they just glanced away, but soon, the question was resolved by someone who peeped and saw that what Ian was writing poorly was Shetier¡¯s basic spelling. ¡°He understands what we are saying, but he can¡¯t write?¡± Daniel muttered when he secretly heard the knights talking next to him, and Fred, who had not even glanced at him on purpose, laughed. As a matter of fact, the general returned, and everyone was in a state of high spirits. The general was not called out separately, but looking at the atmosphere around them, he must have understood everything. If not, there was no reason to run 50 laps alone! ¡°Why is that b*st*rd teaching that? Yesterday, he went around cheaply saying something about our prince. What¡¯s wrong with him?¡± ¡°I know. Did they find any weakness?¡± He wouldn¡¯t have been just being kind for no reason. They¡¯ve seen Kyle by his side for a long time, so they knew Kyle¡¯s personality better than anyone else. His hobby was to do what he wants to do and not do what he doesn¡¯t want to. And to overturn others¡¯ minds with jokes. Nevertheless, the reason why his neck did not escape so far was purely because of his ability. He was the only human being who talked nonsense to the Archduke, but he handled one task neatly. The number of people who died in that hand was well over three digits. Including everything, it might be close to four digits. There were rumors that he was a sadist who liked to see blood, but he giggled and didn¡¯t even deny it so he was even more creepy. ¡°Hmm, is it hard? Do you want me to say it again?¡± However, no matter what they say behind him, Kyle was only looking at Ian¡¯s expression. Contrary to Ian¡¯s expectation that he would teach roughly and only play tricks, he looked quite serious. His voice was calmer than usual, pointing out one by one with the fingertips, telling the pronunciation, and explaining the basic word order. Even if Ian¡¯s fountain pen hesitated a little, it repeated the ghostly confusing part. ¡°Oh, our prince is good at learning languages.¡± Fortunately, the word order was similar to Korean. Contrary to Ailee¡¯s words which scared him, saying it was difficult for foreigners to learn, Ian was already familiar with this grammar. When Kyle, who generously praised Ian for understanding the explanation immediately, moved on to the next explanation, the rate of progress moved forward like flowing water. The loud noises and gaze were felt explicitly, but Ian did not care about other people¡¯s gazes. This was the place where Kyle negotiated due to Claude, who opposed learning to read in the room, saying he didn¡¯t know what he was going to do. They would have an expedition together and would meet again, so they had to remember each other¡¯s faces, but Ian had no intention of being grateful. Soon Schwartz and Claude entered the training ground, and morning training began only after glancing at Kyle and Ian in the corner. ¡°Sort! one!¡± A spirit followed by a roar of cheers. The training ground behind the mansion was huge to match the large site. Even just one lap was a bit far-fetched, but there was a good reason to make them run dozens of laps every day. Even though the shouts heard from all over the place could have been distracting, Ian did not get distracted at all. Kyle, who had finished all the basic explanations, bent his lips. ¡°Did you understand up to here?¡± It was a possible super-speed core summary lecture because all additional explanations such as etymology and history were omitted. Ian, who put down his fountain pen, nodded at Kyle¡¯s explanation, which was a bit sheepish of the instructor for the first shot. It wasn¡¯t just an affirmation, it was true. Ian thought it would be easier to understand by giving examples step by step from the basics, and he looked at Kyle, who was smirking in front of him. I didn¡¯t trust him, but he¡¯s pretty good. ¡°Then shall we memorize 500 words a day?¡± ¡­.He isn¡¯t. [T/N: Now Ian thinks he isn¡¯t good(¨R¨Œ¨Q)] Memorize it yourself, you crazy b*st*rd. ??????????????????? Chapter 24 It had been such a hellish two weeks. Ian, who was given the punishment of words, had to memorize the words every hour of the day from waking up in the morning until falling asleep. It was a tighter schedule than most test-takers, all because of Kyle, who was next to him with a smile all day long. It was not enough to knock on the door every day at exactly 8 o¡¯clock, on top of that Ian had to realize the madness of giving a word quiz by giving him a fountain pen even during a short mealtime. This b*st*rd is having fun right now. ¡°Huh? There is a misspelled part.¡± The walnut pie, which Ian had only taken a bite of, rolled around his mouth like pebbles. Shyu, who had been idly by his side, was also gone as he must have been running an errand again. Ian looked up as he placed the pie on the plate that he was holding in his left hand. His appetite had already fallen off. Even when he was adopted to a foreign country and learned English, he was not quite as spartan as this much. Schools in Korea have made it compulsory to learn English since childhood, and Ian was an excellent student enough to be popular in the entire school. It was not very difficult because he didn¡¯t speak much and was able to interpret roughly. However, Shetier was different. As he memorized hundreds of words a day while barely learning the spelling, he felt like his head was going to explode. It was funny to fall in a place that he had never heard of, but it was even funnier to memorize words such as dogs, knives, and food. If possible, they would give you all of their listening and writing skills. It was a revelation from heaven that you should try using it tightly when you see that half-function is broken down to the neck.* [*T/N: Probably some saying in Korea.] Unlike Ian, whose wrists were sore, Kyle grinned at him and ripped the paper in front of him. Kyle, who tilted his head, reached out his hand as he crumpled a piece of paper on which he had written something quickly with a fountain pen that drowned in an ink bottle and tossed it onto the table. Mold, centipede, darkness, fog, death. There were five poorly written words. Blinking at the random letters, Kyle asked Ian. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± It was Ian who had yet to memorize nouns. In Shetier he had to memorize the words first because the predicates were very complex. That was how he learned it, so he was somewhat sure. He followed him better than he thought. Is it a category? Kyle¡¯s conjecture seemed meaningless, so he began to examine it, but Ian simply collected and wrote down the most negative words he had memorized. Ian wanted to say something harsher, but there were no swear words among the words he was taught. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Something caught Ian¡¯s eyes, who turned his fountain pen once out of regret. It was Kyle, looking intently at the paper with his chin clenched. Come to think of it, what does that even mean? None of the letters engraved black in jagged size was learned by him. Ian, who was thinking of something, straightened the fountain pen he was turning. He could see from this angle because he was bending down his head. There were many crushed letters like graffiti, so Ian wrote down on the torn paper the letters that seemed to be relatively intact. Kyle, who suddenly raised his head at the sound of the nib, and his eyes met. ¡°Why?¡± There were two dots at the end of his eyebrows. It was so small that you wouldn¡¯t know if you didn¡¯t look closely, but the fact that they were side by side as if it had been stamped out, he wondered if that¡¯s a tattoo too. Somehow it was an unfamiliar face because he had never looked into it with interest. It was a problem because every time he opened his mouth, Ian wanted to beat him up, but to appreciate all of that, it was a cold impression overall. Looking at Kyle¡¯s ripped-up eyes without double eyelids or his smooth nose bridge, Ian recalled the time he saw Kyle¡¯s face without a smile. It was rare, so he couldn¡¯t remember it very well. ¡°What? When did you learn such swear words? Is it Fred?¡± Kyle, who lowered his gaze, muttered wondering if Ian¡¯s reaction was bland, who only looked at him silently. It seemed like he was reading a paper with different letters on it. ¡°But does Fred know how to write Gore?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± I copied your cheek. I didn¡¯t expect it to be a good word, but still, you wrote a swear word on your cheek. Although there were such men in modern times too, most of them were engraved on the body, but rarely on the face in such a way. Kyle, who burst into laughter, opened his mouth when he shook his head thinking he was a crazy man. ¡°Did you copy the letters on my cheek? Oh my god, you¡¯ll be in trouble if you go somewhere and write things like this. It could be dangerous.¡± So why do you write down words that could be dangerous on your cheek? Kyle, who gave warning rather than advice, could not see if Ian¡¯s face turned cloudy as he just kept laughing. After a hectic day, Ian could barely find peace only after returning to the room and closing the door. It was also a challenge to memorize hundreds of words, but recently, a few humans were snooping around there, which had been more annoying. He wasn¡¯t dull enough to miss his eyes glancing at him pretending to talk to Kyle. At first, he was busy avoiding them like insects, but after meeting him every day for more than two weeks, Ian seemed curious. In a way, things went as Claude intended, but Ian, who was curious and didn¡¯t need it* at all, walked towards the bed with his head in a tangled mess of words. [*T/N: Ian didn¡¯t need those things like learning a new language.] It was understandable that his head hurt because he was putting effort into learning a language he had never seen before. The room was filled with only the sound of firewood pounding along with the warm air as if it had been preheated. He was tired enough to fall asleep right away. When the candles lit near the bed were extinguished, the light leaking from the fireplace dimly lit up the surroundings. Listening to the sound of the wind shaking the window, Ian laid down on the bed. He listened carefully to avoid an unknown sound leaking in like last time, outside the window where nothing but the rattling sound could be heard. Maybe it was because he was in a noisy environment all day? As he lay alone in the quiet room, sleepiness and thoughts flooded like waves. The most recent memory Ian could recall was around the time he returned to Hong Kong. The last part of the memory was when he was handed a newly opened old cell phone and had a conversation with his brother whom he hadn¡¯t seen in a long time. However, he can¡¯t remember exactly what conversation they had. Even what he had done since then.* [*T/N: He also couldn¡¯t remember what he has done since then.] Something seemed to pop out of the foggy memories, but in the end, all he could remember was that there was a gap of about a year after that and only fragmentary information that he had killed someone and then committed suicide. The light fluttered dimly from the tip of his toes. The shadows on the ceiling seemed to whisper something. Looking at it quietly, Ian muttered to himself. A question that has been revisited over and over again. Why did I die? I was determined to live. He thought it would be too unfair if he didn¡¯t do that, so he came all the way here, trampling on the lives of others instead of himself, purely with that thought. By the time he felt something was wrong, it* was already muddy. Even if he wanted to go back and look back, there was nowhere to go. He couldn¡¯t find the memories he wanted to keep, the precious people, or even what he wanted to do, so he lost all his life. [*T/N: His memories.] I know where the last part is.* [*T/N: The last part of his memories.] ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Thinking of those things, he seemed to fall asleep at some point. I thought I had a short dream, but I couldn¡¯t remember what it was about. Is it because I feel at ease? After coming here, I was able to fall asleep quite deeply. At first, I slept deeply because of the medicines, but now I know that nothing is mixed in the food anymore. He woke up shallowly at the sound of the rattling wind, but his consciousness subsided again. It was when the thought of Kyle, who would come to knock on the door at 8 o¡¯clock, came up, he sighed. Squeak. It was a very subtle noise. Ian, who was about to fall asleep with his eyes closed, realized after a few seconds that it was the sound of the door opening. Thud. Very slow footsteps crawled into the room. It was a sound that could be hidden but seemed to be intentional. It was close to midnight, so it would be about 3 a.m. by now. Thud. Once again, the sound of footsteps was heard. Ian tried to figure out who it was, but no one came to mind. How many people can enter the room at this time? He wondered if it was Ed, the butler, but somehow he felt that it wasn¡¯t him. The sound was getting closer to the bed. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± The moment Ian thought so, he was by his side. Ian quietly held his breath at the sound of him stopping right next to him. He was looking down this way. It was a gaze that could be felt without opening the eyes. .¡­Somehow I feel like I shouldn¡¯t wake up. He pretended to have fallen asleep without rolling his eyes, but he could no longer hear anything after the last footsteps. He couldn¡¯t hear anyone going out either, so he¡¯d still be there. Nevertheless, there was no sign. As soon as he realized it, he pretended it to be a lie. There was no movement of going back. Slowly, the sound of bending over was heard. When Ian felt it was getting closer, he could feel a light breath touching his lips. With a breath so cold, for a human¡­ He was looking down right in front of his nose. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Even though he felt it, he didn¡¯t do anything. Since he had already missed the time to open his eyes, it would be better to stay asleep like this than to make eye contact. How long has it been? It seemed to be only about a minute, but it felt to be over 30 minutes. When he was thinking about whether he should open his eyes, he wondered if this was enough. The sound of footsteps was heard again with a slow withdrawal from the front of his nose. Squeak. This time, it was the sound of the door closing. He tried to open his eyes thinking that he had gone outside, but strangely his back was pulled back. With only a small toss and turn, Ian remained buried in the bed. In no time, with only cold air circulating in the room, he couldn¡¯t even hear the firewood being burned. Click. And after 10 minutes, He heard the door being shut completely. ??????????????????? T/N: Ok¡­ so this chapter is one of my favourite chapters of Dry Drowning¡­ I mean¡­ THE DESCRIPTIONS ARE SO GOOD¡­ I LOVE how this author describes every little thing, you can just imagine a whole scenario through those descriptions. And that last part¡­ Did you guys guess anything?¡­ It is MOST probably Logan who was MOST PROBABLY going to¡­ kiss¡­ Ian.?????But didn¡¯t ?????¡­ Anyways, now I am going on a hiatus FOR REAL.(?¦Ø?)¡­. See you guys again after two months¡­??? (¡ä£»¦Ø£»£à) Anyways¡­ HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!! Hope you all have a wonderful and better year ahead.( ??? )? Chapter 25 Today, as always, a loud knocking sound rang out. It was obvious who it was, so I opened the door right away, and Kyle, who had been lively since morning, waved his hand while shouting good morning. What do you mean good morning? Kyle tilted his head for a while and quickly followed behind Ian¡¯s back as he stepped out of the hallway without pretending to listen. There was something strange in his expression. ¡°What? You didn¡¯t sleep well?¡± It wasn¡¯t obvious, but it was amazing that he noticed it right away. Since he was not obligated to answer, Ian moved to the training ground without saying a word. He was a little tired, but that was not a problem. Compared to the past, when he often used to stay up all night for a few days, it was comfortable. Last night. It was not until the door was completely closed that Ian slowly opened his eyes. It happened to be a cloudy day too. The room was very dark. Even though the fireplace was turned off, Ian realized that the person who just came in was not even holding a candle. Even with his closed eyes, he could feel the light. But even though the person came so close, he didn¡¯t feel anything. What was the reason for sneaking in so late at dawn, staring at a sleeping person, and then leaving? He couldn¡¯t tell who it was because he couldn¡¯t see his face. Maybe that¡¯s why. After putting the firewood back in and lighting the fireplace again, Ian did not lie in bed until it was bright outside the window. It was because he felt like someone would open the door again after he fell asleep. ¡°Did you have a bad dream?¡± Kyle, who was following Ian, and walked silently to the training ground, asked again. Whether I couldn¡¯t sleep or had a bad dream, it wouldn¡¯t have anything to do with you, but you were unnecessarily nosy. If Ian kept ignoring him, he would keep on asking until the end, so he shook his head moderately and approached the table. Now that it is almost a designated seat, it was neatly organized, unlike the first day when the seat was buried in dust. Seeing that the new ink bottle and fountain pen were neatly placed, Ed must have been there¡­ ¡°Or did someone come in the middle of the night?¡±¡± ¡­What? Ian put down the paper he was holding and quickly turned around. Kyle, who had been following closely, looked at him now. ¡°Huh? What¡¯s with this reaction?¡± It seemed strange that Ian, who Kyle thought would ignore him, reacted right away. Kyle, blinking his eyes a couple of times while thinking about something, soon grinned and opened his mouth. ¡°Our prince, are you really enjoying secret meetings without me knowing? Learning hard¡­ For a love letter maybe?¡± ¡°¡­..¡± It¡¯s my fault for mixing things up. I desperately sympathized with what Claude said a few weeks ago, and turned around.* [*T/N: I don¡¯t really understand what Ian is talking about, but I guess it¡¯s about Kyle teaching Ian or something. If you guys remember or understand you can comment it.(? ¨Œ ?;)] Ian could feel the knights glancing this way for the second time already. He sat down, found the part he had marked, and began reviewing the words he had memorized. Tea cups, lamps, candlesticks, chandeliers¡­ Kyle, sitting on the other side, raised his chin on the table as Ian repeatedly filled the blank space with his still clumsy handwriting. ¡°Why? Dating is good. It is like a place to attach my heart to.¡± He said in his heart that he should do it if he likes it so much. Kyle, who slowly bowed his head forward, whispered as if he were making a secret proposal. ¡°Do you want me to be your lover?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Wow, what¡¯s with that expression? I¡¯m hurt. The prince doesn¡¯t know, but I¡¯m not an easy man. The lady who wet her pillow with tears because of me, lined up from the Grand Duchy to the Royal Road.¡± False words were also a disease at this point. Ian, who looked at Kyle with a face that said he was fine, wrote down the words he learned two days ago on the paper. You¡¯re lying. ¡°Then tell me.¡± After seeing it, Kyle smiled with the corners of his mouth pulled up, and suddenly asked at once. I can¡¯t help it, but I¡¯ve been interfered with since earlier. At that moment I wanted to ask whether he would stop if I grabbed his hair like two weeks ago. ¡°Prince must have an ideal type, too.¡± Are you still talking about that? Ian didn¡¯t know why he was suddenly obsessed with this topic. In the first place, Ian lived a life far from that. He didn¡¯t have the time, the ease, or even the proper status. He was already dead on paper because he was treated as dead in the family. And it wasn¡¯t an environment where he could interact with someone. So, he had never thought about his ideal type¡­ ?Tell me. What kind of person you would like to be. It was then. Someone¡¯s voice suddenly passed by his mind. Ian pressed his forehead with his palm because he felt like he was going to have a headache. ¡°Did you read my face? What¡¯s wrong?¡± Ian heard the sound of someone asking from afar. Frowning, he digs into his head once again. It was a voice full of affection, although it was not obvious. ?Can you believe me? I¡­ As if the signal was cut off, the drooping voice stopped there. At the same time, the needle-piercing pain disappeared, and Ian caught his breath for a moment. Obviously, there were more words that followed behind. Even though he had never heard of it, Ian was convinced of it as if he had repeated it so many times. What is this? Is it part of an unforgettable memory? Then why now? No matter how hard I tried to think of it, I couldn¡¯t think of anything until then. As Ian tried to bring out a familiar voice again, a shadow fell on the floor. ¡°Wake up.¡± Suddenly, when he raised his head, he saw Kyle approaching him. Rather than a worried look, Kyle looked like he was observing closely. It was his first time seeing a person with a headache. Ian, who shook his hand because he had no time to look at him properly, turned his head. He couldn¡¯t even see Kyle¡¯s next expression. Since then, everything was the same as usual. A monotonous time to learn new words, eat short, review again, and take exams. Except that Shyu¡¯s face, who ran to see Ian in the middle, was swollen as if he had been beaten a few times, there was no sense of incompatibility even if he copied today¡¯s schedule and pasted it on yesterday¡¯s schedule. Still, there was no encounter with the man. When he stamped his seal to work at the fountain, he heard that he showed up at the training ground several times, but since he was stuck here, he never came once as if he had woven it. It¡¯s like you¡¯re avoiding me. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Well, I knew it couldn¡¯t be. Why would you do such a hassle when you¡¯re in a position equivalent to a grand duke? In fact, Ian didn¡¯t have anything he wanted to do if he met the man. It seemed that the man just had something to do with Ian¡¯s memory, so he wanted to check it with his eyes again. He was half curious whether his face still looked like what it did back then. He also wondered where he was hurt and whether he was in danger. He didn¡¯t realize that such interest itself was weird. Basically, it was an alien thing for someone who had little interest in others. No matter who was caught up in a power fight or who was beheaded, Ian would not have paid any attention. ¡°Well, good job.¡± Before he knew it, it was dark outside the window. It quickly darkened as the days were short, so he came inside in the afternoon and used the drawing room. It was nothing more than an empty room because it was the Grand Duchy where guests rarely visited. Kyle, who lives in the annex, always broke into the first floor because he had to go through the western entrance. Kyle, who was still single, waved his hand, turned around and added with a smiling face. ¡°From tomorrow, I¡¯ll teach you a descriptive word. Shetier is the most vicious.¡± ¡°Among the people of the Empire who were taught from birth, many were wrong. If you learn the narrative right away, it is likely to lose interest immediately, so I had you memorize the words first.¡± ¡°I learned while being beaten, but I can¡¯t do that to a precious prince.¡± ¡°Even if you give up on sentence phrases, it was calculated that memorizing words would be much better than not knowing them.¡± Ian nodded appropriately without knowing the secondary hell that was just around the corner, and returned to his room. It was soon after climbing the stairs several times and passing through the hallway where beautifully crafted candlesticks lit up everywhere. When he entered the room and closed the door, the interior was full of warm air, just like yesterday. Just because he returned to a fairly familiar space, Ian headed to bed, squeezing his stiff neck, perhaps because fatigue was rushing in. When he laid down on a soft blanket, something smelled good. Come to think of it, there was no detergent, right? When he had an unpleasant thought, he began to feel sleepy as if he had waited. It was not unreasonable to be tired because he didn¡¯t sleep well yesterday due to the word bomb that lasted more than two weeks. It was when he fell asleep while blinking and blinking, letting go of his consciousness. Just like yesterday, Ian woke up by the same rattling window. He heard a small noise in his ear. When he came to his senses with the thought, ¡°No way¡±, he could hear it more clearly. Squeak. It sounded the same as yesterday. Realizing that the door was slowly opening, Ian slowly opened his eyes. And soon, his eyes met someone over the door. ??????????????????? T/N: I-I am on hiatus right?(©¤.©¤||£©Hehe anyways I got time and got helped by my sis so here¡¯s another sponsored chapter for the lovely readers. (????-)? So I guess, I will give some surprise chapters in between my hiatus.(? ¦Ø ?) B-But please don¡¯t expect regular releases, I will post a chapter when get time or donation. (? ¨Œ ?;) Chapter 26 ¡°Oh, my. Did you wake up because of me?¡± Ed, who just entered the room with a silver candlestick, muttered as if he was embarrassed. He must have thought Ian had woken up because of him, and had already released his hand from the carefully opened door. ¡°I¡¯m here to check the fireplace. Sometimes it turns off at dawn¡­ But it would be better for it not to.¡± It was Ed who knew Ian¡¯s daily life more than anyone else. He thought he just woke up a tired person for no reason. When Ian got up from the bed he was lying on, Ed slowly opened the door and entered the room. It was already 3 in the morning. Confirming that it was the same time as yesterday, he turned his gaze to Ed, and Ed looked at him softly. ¡°Learning a foreign language is very difficult.¡± As if he understood the hardship, Ed smiled, asking him something that was none of his business. Come to think of it, since when did he*? [*T/N: When did he not ask about something that¡¯s none of his business.] Obviously, at first, he was a person who drew lines only around his mouth as if he was taking care of a load that he cannot burn. He spoke kindly, but in retrospect, all his words were out of necessity. *You should take a rest. I¡¯ll look for a way. After a few days, the procession¡­ [*T/N: Ian is telling about the things that Ed said before, out of necessity.] ¡°Ian-nim.¡± Yeah, it was after the procession. When he woke up after falling in the snow on his way back, he remembered him looking his way with a particularly bright expression. Even at that time, I felt something was odd, but I didn¡¯t have time to think properly because I joined the Knights Templar the other day. He began to learn to write as soon as he wondered if his territoriality was over, and in the meantime, Ed took care of Ian with all his heart. With the meticulousness of preparing ink bottles and fountain pens on the training ground desk every morning, Ian believed that Ed wasn¡¯t the sort who did things that he didn¡¯t even ask for. The invisible wall is the obvious type. If what he did was the first impression, Ed these days was the opposite. ¡°There¡¯s only two weeks left now.¡± Ian wondered what it was about, but when he recalled the date, he realised it was about the expedition. Ed muttered, checking the firewood of the fireplace that made a sound. ¡°The master will be with you, but¡­.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°If you happen to fall out from the crowd, go where you can hear the splash of water.¡± He didn¡¯t know what to do. It didn¡¯t seem like everyone, including Schwartz, was just trying to emphasize that the Archduke was by his side. It was a problem because he couldn¡¯t tell whether the advice was just like a horror movie¡¯s narrative simply to scare me from running away or if it had any other meaning. But it was clear that there was something dangerous. The general of the Knights, who is tall enough to exceed 2m, was injured in the last expedition. I thought it was from a big bear because of the claw marks on his face, but if so, I couldn¡¯t understand Ed¡¯s meaning in going to the water. ¡°The watery scent of water often gets rid of the smell.¡± Which big beast doesn¡¯t like water? He thought of a few kinds, but maybe there are completely different species. He couldn¡¯t say for sure since he had only been out of the mansion once. He also didn¡¯t have time to look around because he was shackled, but somehow he didn¡¯t feel like he was back in the past.* [*T/N: Ian thought he reincarnated back in the past in some foreign country, but after hearing these fantasy types of things, he thinks it isn¡¯t the past but somewhere else.] It wouldn¡¯t matter if this was a simple medieval era. He did not know the names of all the countries in the past, so maybe it was a long time ago in an unknown foreign country. However, when he looked out of the window at a forest full of black leaves, Ian was immersed in a vague feeling that this might be a completely different place from the world he lived in. ¡°Then sleep well.¡± When he thought of that, Ed glanced at the clock, and took a step back. It was natural because it was late, but Ian, who still had something to ask, shook his head quickly. ¡°¡­..Do you have anything to say?¡± Ed, who was about to turn around, stopped his steps, leaned over and asked. After pondering for a moment, Ian remembered the fountain pen on the table in his room. That would be enough. When Ian, who was thought to lie down again, lowered his feet under the bed, Ed, who took a step back, returned in an even posture. Unlike yesterday, it was not difficult to find items that were placed because the fireplace was illuminating the surroundings. Walking barefoot to the table, Ian picked up a fountain pen that was neatly placed. Footsteps slowly approached Ian when the sound of scribbling something on a paper with ink on it was heard. Ian, who barely wrote the appropriate word because he hadn¡¯t learned the verb yet, handed Ed the paper. ¡°Well.¡± It was dark, but it wasn¡¯t to the extent of not being able to read letters. Ed put down the silver candlestick on the table, took the paper that was suddenly handed over and read the poorly written letters carefully. Yesterday morning visit ¡°¡­..¡± He saw three words connected, but he didn¡¯t say anything. Ian tapped the table with his fingertips, perhaps thinking he didn¡¯t understand it well. Here, yesterday, came. Ian wondered who came in and looked down at him for a long time. He thought it wasn¡¯t Ed, but he seems to have been in this mansion for quite a while, so maybe there¡¯s someone he can expect. ¡°Ah, yesterday¡­¡± Ed, who put the paper down on the table, seemed to have noticed Ian¡¯s thoughts, and slowly opened his mouth. The movement of rubbing the silver rim of the monocle with a finger was elegant. ¡°I came yesterday, too.¡± At those words Ian moved his eyebrows slightly. Ed, who did not change his expression, glanced at the scarlet fireplace next to him and smiled softly. ¡°To check the fireplace. Like today.¡± Liar. Yesterday¡¯s visitor did not even go near the fireplace. Ian was the one who lit the fireplace again, which seemed to have cooled down for a long time, and Ian was awake the whole time until Kyle came. ¡°¡­.¡± Then why are you lying? It¡¯s not that he doesn¡¯t know, but if he dares to say that he is the one who visited, then does he know who came? There¡¯s no need to hide it because you didn¡¯t do anything after coming in. The obvious lie was suspicious, but Ian had no intention to show it*. Looking at Ed for a moment, Ian slowly nodded. As if he had accepted it. [*T/N: Ian had no intention to show that he is suspicious.] ¡°I¡¯ll be more careful next time.¡± Candle wax dripping with the strong winds hitting the window. Ian closed his mouth as he watched Ed¡¯s back bend as if he wanted to apologise thinking he had rudely said. There must be a reason not to tell him. Except for the fact that the times were different, it was a place with a strange atmosphere.* [*T/N: Here he means that the difference between the time or era he used to live in and the time or era he is in right now was already strange, along with that the atmosphere was strange too.] Why is that? Once again, there was a faint sound with the rattling window. Suddenly, Ian felt like he would soon find out the reason. *** ¡°It¡¯s hard, right? Even the people of the Empire are very confused.¡± Kyle, who stopped explaining for a while, said as if he had read Ian¡¯s expression looking down at the paper. It was a reaction expected by Kyle when he explained the sentence structure as briefly as possible and moved on to the verb or adjective part. Unlike other countries, the Shertian had honorifics, and it was characterized by innumerable endings depending on the person who used it. It was famous for being difficult to learn, so the interpreters who could speak Shetier were paid higher. Even Kyle, who can hear and speak, had quite a hard time learning to write, so he understood. And as expected, Ian was sighing with a fountain pen. ¡°You¡¯re not interested at all. Right? I was like that, too. But our prince needs a little more strength~¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°¡­.Can¡¯t you? Hahaha, it¡¯s okay. There are no pups who want perfect grammar from foreigners. If there are, I¡¯ll pretend it¡¯s a mistake and cut off their neck. Ok? So, relax your face. He¡¯s going to kill a person just like that. Despite Kyle¡¯s sly words, Ian looked at a piece of paper with letters similar to ciphertexts with a cold face. It reminded him of ciphertext at first, but as he kept listening to the explanation, he realized that Shetier was similar to the structure of Korean. [T/N: Ciphertext ¨C In cryptography, ciphertext or cyphertext is the result of encryption performed on plaintext using an algorithm, called a cipher. ] Unlike English, which has only the past tense, the past perfect tense, and the present tense, it can be seen that the suffixes change like crazy from the basic sentence. I¡¯m doomed, I¡¯m doomed, I¡¯m doomed, I¡¯m doomed, I¡¯m doomed, I¡¯m doomed, I¡¯m doomed, I¡¯m doomed¡­.and if you add honorifics to that, You can overwhelm people with your words. [T/N: Ahem¡­ I cannot understand this part much¡­] Korean wasn¡¯t difficult because it was a language that I had been using since I was born, but learning a completely different language similar to that meant that I was doomed. Somehow, he made me memorize only words and was afraid that I would run away. Ian realizing his fate only then, tapped the table with his fingertips. He was contemplating whether to overturn the prize and declare a renunciation or just humbly accept it. The decision was quick. It was a lot of work that I didn¡¯t like, so I boldly gave up on communication¡­ ¡°Great!¡± However, Kyle¡¯s quick-witted call came first again this time. One second before knocking over the table, Kyle, who suddenly raised his hand, made a solemn face and offered a compromise. ¡°I¡¯ll make it easier for you. We¡¯re going to slow down. What do you think?¡± It was almost like a scammer. Kyle, who made a gesture that he couldn¡¯t help it, asked Ian, who looked up with an untrustworthy face. It was a critical comment. ¡°You must have a lot of questions. Are you confident you won¡¯t regret not asking?¡± ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. How far did I say earlier? Oh, Shetier¡­¡± When Ian recalled some of the annoying moments where he couldn¡¯t ask, he shut his mouth and the outdoor class that had stopped began again. Unexpectedly, Kyle had a knack for explaining, he explained it easily, it wasn¡¯t difficult to understand. So Ian didn¡¯t know what to do. The meaning of drastically reducing progress was that he would not teach honorifics. And because of that, the words he would use would be rude. ??????????????????? T/N: I AM BACK ATLAST!!!!(¨“©n¨“) SO HAPPY. ALL MY EXAMS ENDED and I am free for a while now YAYYYY(~£þ?£þ)~ Chapter 27 A week went by like that. Although it was not the accurate wording, it was the words that prevented Ian, who was now able to roughly write a couple simple sentences. ¡°That¡¯s how you do it.¡± When they went out on an expedition, everyone rode horses, so the same situation was as difficult as last time. At that time, they only rode together to the village that was not far away, but the expedition took several days to several weeks. It was Claude, the deputy general, who was next to Ian, judging that he should at least break the news to Ian. Didn¡¯t you say you were busy? He was even more puzzled because he remembered what he said back then. Schwartz, who was sitting there at the time, as if he had read Ian¡¯s expression, said with a pleasant smile. ¡°It is Claude who handles horses the best among our Knights. Even those with stubborn personalities become gentle in front of Claude as if they had never been ferocious.¡± ¡°No horses are born with malice. It¡¯s an animal that is greatly influenced by the personality of the person it deals with¡­.¡± ¡°Look, I usually set a barrier with my rank, but only at times like this do I get talkative.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± He immediately shut his mouth, not knowing what to say. ¡°Kyle is a ruthless horseman and is not suitable to teach anyone. I have already changed a few of them this year.¡± Horseback riding seemed to follow his personality. Schwartz shook his head as he nodded, tapped his back lightly and smiled softly. ¡°I have an afternoon training session, so I¡¯ll go. If you follow Claude¡¯s words, it won¡¯t be so difficult. Rather, it¡¯s very nice to work with animals.¡± Is it? I don¡¯t know because I¡¯ve never raised anything. To be more precise, would it be more accurate to say that I have no good memories? For Ian, animals were not friendly images, but the opposite. The days when I was dragged by my father to go hunting was one of the memories I always wanted to erase. The first shotgun I heard was as heavy as a life that was disregarded, and the first memory I remember was of vomiting out of repulsion. Maybe that¡¯s why no animals came to my side. Most of the dogs raised by the clients avoided their seats or dried themselves in corners when Ian visited. He took the collar to his nose to see if it smelled like blood, but he couldn¡¯t smell anything. Perhaps it was because he got used to it. Schwartz patted his back again, hurried away, regardless of Ian being still with the things in mind. Perhaps because Logan hadn¡¯t visited for weeks, he had heard that there had been some slackers lately. ¡°You weren¡¯t afraid to ride, so it¡¯s all right.¡± Claud, glancing at Schwartz, who had disappeared into the training ground, spoke expressionlessly. He seemed to think that Ian, who had no response, was worried about something else. ¡°We have about a week to go, so I think we should start at a quick pace.¡± In fact, it takes two months at the earliest to learn the fast paced canter*. It was not enough time to learn horseback riding right after the expedition was decided, but it was intentionally postponed until now. [*T/N: To canter is to ride a horse at a speed between a trot and a gallop. Trot is the speed or movement of a horse or similar animal when it trots and Gallop is the fastest pace of a horse or other quadruped, with all the feet off the ground together in each stride. These are all terminologies used in horseback riding mainly.] It¡¯s better to reduce the risk as much as possible. It was said that if you¡¯re not good at horseback riding, you do not need to be able to ride well. Even without help, I stepped on the stirrup alone with my hands tied, so I think I¡¯m quite athletic. As long as I keep my posture, there will be no problem with simple trot*. Claude made a quick decision and stepped towards the stable. The mansion was large, and there was a space for a simple test ride next to the training ground. [*T/N: Trot ¨C proceed or cause to proceed at a pace faster than a walk, lifting each diagonal pair of legs alternately. The difference between trot and gallop is that gallop is to run at a fast pace while trot is to walk rapidly.] ¡°You can ride this horse.¡± As Ian followed Claude into the stable, what appeared before his eyes was a white horse, just like last time. However, he was a little smaller than he was then, but unlike the horses that seemed elegant and calm, his round eyes shone brightly. ¡°It¡¯s the offspring of the white horse you rode at that time. Bella is smart and docile and will lead you well.¡± He nodded his head as it was a name that somehow suited him. Claude added, picking up a carrot from a barrel beside the farm. ¡°The essence of horseback riding lies in communion with horses.¡± It pretty much means to please its stomach. Ian, who interpreted it in a timely manner, accepted the carrot handed to him. Bella¡¯s sparkling eyes shined even more. It was quite cute to see her putting her nose as if it was her favorite food, so he brought a carrot to her mouth right away without a fuss. As if she was waiting, she opened her big mouth to eat. After about half an hour, he went out. Perhaps because he almost froze to death during his last horseback riding, Ian today was dressed in quite warm clothes. It was thanks to the fact that Ed knew that he had horseback riding practice in the morning and prepared warm clothes so as to not interfere with the ride. Fortunately, the snow that had been pouring all last night stopped. Ian, holding the reins and walking along with Bella, soon climbed onto the saddle under Claude¡¯s guidance. ¡°Relax and straighten your back. Maintaining a correct posture is the most important thing. With your heels down a little more, yes, that¡¯s right.¡± It felt the same way as then. It felt strange to feel the horse breathing through the saddle. After correcting his posture according to Claude, she moves her right foot and left foot in order and walks forward. Ian also noticed that he was walking as he led, even though she knew that the rider was clumsy. All the training that followed went well. No, it wasn¡¯t smooth, and it was a problem that he was much more talented than Claude had expected. If he explains it step by step without rushing, it is obvious that he will always pay attention. Ian, who never forgets what he has learned once, has an upright posture, so he hardly goes off the beat like a novice*. It was to the extent that it seemed that he was accustomed to using the body to learn immediately as instructed, from the beginning. [*T/N: Novice ¨C a person new to and inexperienced in a job or situation.] On those days, Claude often made eye contact with Ian. Contrary to rumors that he was confined in the deepest part of the royal palace and unable to do anything, he was at times like an idiot and at other times acting like a person who had been through a lot of things. Three days went like that. Ian, who was practicing horseback riding with Claude in the morning and learning to write from Kyle in the afternoon, counted the date that was just around the corner. Naturally, he never encountered that man. He is sure he is in the same space, but it was amazing that he hadn¡¯t met him once even after a month. ¡°You¡¯d better speed up a little today.¡± The stern tone of speaking remained the same. Claude thought Ian was doing well, so he decided to raise the level a little and looked around. He looked at the stable not far away and thought a little, and soon opened his mouth. ¡°Let me bring my horse. If you ride as you are now, you won¡¯t fall off the horse, so slowly drive your horse to the stable by yourself.¡± Originally, it would have been impossible, but Bella was so gentle. Looking back, thinking of Ian, who had not fallen from the horse that had stomped his forefoot on a stonemason, Claude quickly moved toward the stable. ¡°¡­.¡± Ian, who was suddenly left alone with Bella, blinked. It was a little awkward because it was his first time driving a horse when no one was around. As she slowly turned around with the reins, Bella, who was kind enough to understand the words, turned her head toward the stable and groaned. Walking along the snow-covered path, a very peaceful scenery followed. He then thought that he could understand Schwartz¡¯s saying that it was wonderful to work with animals. And that was the moment. He heard the sound of hoofs running fast behind him. The stable where Claude was heading to was in front of him. He couldn¡¯t have teleported, so he looked back and saw the familiar purple hair. ¡°Good morning!¡± It wasn¡¯t until this afternoon that he should have seen him. Kyle, who was holding the reins in one hand with a needlessly lively face, waved his hand. Why are you so excited? As he got closer, it could be seen that he was riding a fairly large horse. Ian could feel Bella faltering little by little either because she felt threatened or because she was not on good terms. ¡°Isn¡¯t it nice to see you soon after a long time? I was so sad that Claude took half of my time with my prince, because I¡¯d feel the same way, you know what I mean?¡± Ian had a completely different mind. Spending time with Claude, who spoke only what he needed, away from Kyle, who was talking nonstop, made him feel more like he was taking a break. Even though Ian looked at him with a face that said, ¡®What a bullsh*t¡¯. Kyle ignored him, still saying what he wanted to say. ¡°Listen, when I woke up this morning, I just had this thought. It¡¯s very commendable that you¡¯ve been studying nearly a month without taking a day off?¡± The horse on which Kyle was riding, came closer. Bella took a step back accordingly. ¡°So I thought about it?¡± Multifaceted, multifaceted. [T/N: Multifaceted- having many sides or faces.] With two steps, she takes three steps back, ¡°What does my prince want the most now?¡± Ian couldn¡¯t understand what he was saying out of the blue. He parted from him yesterday and suddenly thought about what he wanted. Knowing that mishap would happen here and there, Ian squinted at Bella¡¯s somewhat frightened reaction. It would be better not to get any closer. However, Ian, who concluded so, could not even beckon. [T/N: Beckon- make a gesture with the hand, arm, or head to encourage or instruct someone to approach or follow.] ¡°After thinking about it, I think I can handle it.¡± With those words, Kyle¡¯s horse, with the reins being pulled, rushed toward him. ??????????????????? T/N: SO, THE THING IS¡­ I have NO IDEA what Kyle is talking about (???) and about him rushing towards Ian¡­ he BETTER NOT hurt him¡­(???) Chapter 28 Neigh! [T/N: Sound of horse¡­ I couldn¡¯t translate it any better (¦È?¦È)] The scene where a horse with its hooves hoofed with a loud cry was not as realistic as expected. His eyes widened as if he was strangled, and the scene where his nose suddenly flowed out in a hurry spread white into the air, seemed very slow. But it was only for a short time. Ian, who was hesitant about Kyle¡¯s unexpected action, quickly left the scene the next moment. To be precise, the expression of Bella on which Ian was riding, moving, was correct. Bella quickly stepped back as if she knew this would happen, and quickly turned to the right and started running. Ian, who was finally learning how to make the horse walk slowly, grabbed the reins and straightened himself so as to not fall off. Fortunately, it was only once, but he remembered riding a running horse. With his balance in control, he adjusted his waist as high as he could, in recoil, and heard a shriek from behind. However, he couldn¡¯t hear it well because of the distance that was far away. ¡°Hush¡­¡± Because of her small size, she was quick, and when Ian finally came to his senses, he had already entered a place he had never seen before. Bella didn¡¯t learn how to stop when running fast, so he pulled the reins moderately and made a slight breeze, and Bella, understanding him again, slowed down. He seemed to understand why they assigned this horse to him. Ian looked around, recalling a little while ago that he had almost given him a ride rather than a drive. Judging from the location of the run, it was a place located on the west side of the mansion. He had never been here before, so he knew nothing other than that there was an annex used by the knights. Because the fountain was on the east side, he went around it to the training ground, and he never thought of going anywhere else. Bella, who began to walk in various directions, sniffed as if she found something, and walked further inward. By now, it was time for Claude, who had come out on his horse, to argue with Kyle. He has never tried to understand it in particular, but for today, he wanted to dig into Kyle¡¯s head. Or just like that fellow said, he would pull out strands of his hair, no, strand by strand of his hair. Ian was moving inward to more and more unknown places, but soon Claude would pick him up. It was surrounded by walls on all sides anyway, so there was no need to get out of it. Thinking so, it was the moment when he slowly turned the corner. Ian blinked at the green garden that spread out in front of him out of sync with the season. I¡¯m sure it snowed last night. It was a scene that overshadowed the sharp wind hitting his cheek and the snow piled up on the floor. [T/N: It was as if that scene had covered the scene where the snow was piled up and the cold wind was blowing and overshadowed it as if all those were false. It is probably meant like that.] ¡°¡­¡­.¡± It was his first time to see plants with green leaves since he opened his eyes here. It was not until he got a little closer that he realized that it was a glass-covered greenhouse, but the greenery was so strong that it seemed to be blooming through the snow from afar. Ian did not bother Bella, who was familiar with finding her way in order to see if she had been here several times. Feeling the sound of her hooves getting more and more rough, he turned around and noticed that there were no footprints. The snowy field is just as clean as if no one has ever come near here. After going a little further inside, he finally reached what seemed to be the entrance. However, Ian, who grabbed the reins, had to narrow his forehead in wonder. There was no door in the greenhouse. It¡¯s cold enough to take your breath away even standing still, and the entrance is wide enough for several adults to enter at the same time. He tilted his head to see if the heating would work properly, but the plants that grew lushly toward the entrance were stretching out their fresh stems rather than freezing to death. As if there were any boundaries. He wondered if he should go back, but Bella, who cried as if this was her destination in the first place, walked as it was. When he went through the high entrance, strangely enough, the surroundings became warm like a lie. As if this was the only space that is different, the air itself seems to have reversed the seasons. And the place where Bella, who had been walking diligently, stopped was in front of a black horse grazing from the inside. Ian came down from Bella¡¯s back as they seemed to know each other, they ran excitedly and rubbed their faces against each other. Glossy black mane with black stony eyes. From the smooth muscles to the luxurious looking harnesses, the horses would all be the same, but Ian felt like he had seen it somewhere. He took a step back and looked at the two of them rubbing their faces. The color difference is clear because there are no impurities mixed. Why were they grazing alone in a stable that wasn¡¯t even a stable? Since he was not tied up anywhere, Ian slowly moved towards what seemed to be a black horse. It¡¯s been a long time since he stepped on grass, not snow. How far did you walk? It was when Ian, who had become cramped in warm clothes, took his hand near his neck. In a space full of green plants, he found an easel lying around and approached it a little closer. [T/N: Ahem¡­ guys¡­ remember the first chapter?¡­ the place where Ian killed himself¡­ didn¡¯t that place also have these stuffs for painting too?¡­ Hmmm (£þ¥Ø£þ;)] As he walked slowly past the messy paints, broken glass palettes, and broken brushes on the floor, the last thing he saw was a badly torn canvas. The fabric was worn out as if it had been cut with a knife, so it was impossible to recognise what was drawn on it. Someone draw pictures here? Feeling nostalgic for some reason, he fumbled at the easel with his fingertips. When he bowed his head to the touch of the hardwood, there was something rattling at the end of his gaze. ¡°¡­..¡± That¡¯s a human hand. Ian tilted his head when he saw his wrist lying next to a large tree and between the grass that grew as long as his knee. As he approached a few steps to see if it had been cut into pieces, he saw someone lying there. Is it the owner of the horse near the entrance? A face of a person, who seemed to be asleep, soon appeared before his eyes It was a man. The owner of this house, who had not been seen for more than a month. After confirming that his eyes were closed as if dead, Ian moved a little closer. Like a snake hiding in the grass, the face sleeping in the shade didn¡¯t seem to receive even a single ray of light. He couldn¡¯t even see his face when he was trying to look for it. Ian, who bent his knees wondering if he had ever been in such a place, held his breath. When Ian opened his neat eyelashes, he was happy to see his nice features again. What kind of emotion is this? [T/N: LOBE¡­(???)] When he lowered his head a little more amid the throbbing sound, Ian could only feel that he was breathing very weakly. It was such a fine breath that one cannot hear without concentration. With a little restlessness, Ian looked at the man¡¯s face for quite a while, barely holding back the fact that he was about to reach out. Everything seemed unrealistic because it was a space where one could not hear any sound of the second hand of a clock or the cry of the wind. It was weak, but it seemed like a dream that he was breathing like this, so he gave strength to his trembling fingers, and eventually decided to take a step back. ¡°I am just watching.¡± Ian looked down, shifting his gaze to another place for a moment at the sound of the soft voice. As if he had been sleeping quietly, the man who was staring at him had just his eyes closed. As if he had never slept. ¡°I thought you¡¯d stretch your hand like you did back then.¡± Ian, who suddenly came to his senses at the soft wind, took a step back. As the distance that was quite close increased, the man slowly blinked, and slowly raised his upper body. He wasn¡¯t even stretching, but it was like an animal waking up from hibernation. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since I saw your face.¡± When he turned his head, their eyes met. The face that looked his way seemed as if a layer of kindness was overlaid on it. ¡°Looks good.¡± And Ian was convinced by the following words. It wasn¡¯t a coincidence that he had never encountered him before, it was the will of the man. Whether entering the Knights Templar or wandering around the fountain, Ian understood that he had sensed his purpose, every moment he nodded to accompany him on the expedition. [T/N: Ok, so for those who are confused, Ian¡¯s current purpose is to not let the Archduke die. Ian suddenly felt that he didn¡¯t want Archduke to die because of something. (Which I think is the past, in the past life, Ian killed Logan, who was probably his lover, so in this life he doesn¡¯t want him to die.)] Then, how did you interpret it? [T/N: Ian is asking how Logan interpreted his purpose.] It was a fact that no one knew that he had come from another place and had lost his memory. Maybe he thinks he¡¯s a fool who fell in love with the archduke of the enemy country at first sight. It was the most appropriate answer to explain Ian¡¯s behavior. But in reality, it was a little different. As time went by, Ian looked up, holding the things that stood out. Rather than being excited, it was an emotion that made his heart sink. Unnamed emotions were tangled together, creating a stench. ¡°¡­..¡± Why did I die? As he recalled the night when he lay on his back in bed and asked himself, his mind became cold. One more sentence followed the question, and Ian stared at the man who was still looking at him. Why did I kill you? I don¡¯t want to die, I don¡¯t want to see you get hurt, and I feel so nostalgic when I meet you. ??????????????????? T/N: Woah¡­ we got to see Logan agiannnn YAYYY, after a loooong time.(¦È?¦È) Chapter 29 ¡°Sir.¡± Logan, who briefly called Ian, slowly rose from his seat, perhaps noticing that he was lost in some other thought. It had been a long time since Logan heard the sound of grass being stepped on because even Edward was not allowed to enter. He had been listening since the moment Ian entered the greenhouse, staring at the man a few steps away and guessed. Is it Kyle? The suspect was quickly put aside as he didn¡¯t seem to have the personality to go around freely. There have also been reports that he is more attached to that prince than necessary. Logan was the one who ordered him to do so, but Ed assessed that it was a bit excessive. [T/N: OwO¡­ Someone is jelu jelu ( ?¡ã ?? ?¡ã)] It had been a month before the face he saw up close was stained with fatigue. He said he was going to learn Shetier. He thought he heard the sound of riding on a horse. Contrary to the usual not paying attention to others, Logan was being reported on Ian¡¯s every move. ¡°I heard from Schwartz that you will join us in this expedition.¡± He did not miss the expression of the Knights Commander, which was stained with a slight discomfort. Schwartz, who immediately nodded without hesitation and muttered that he had become rather ashamed, seemed to truly repent. Is that like an innate nature? Although they had been together for more than a decade, Logan was eventually unable to empathize with those feelings. Sacrifices for others, beliefs, justice, or even shame. [T/N: I think the above paragraph is probably some past situation where Schwartz might have made some mistake.] It¡¯s just that the world is so noisy, There were days Logan struggled with things he can¡¯t get his hands on. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be there for you.¡± Logan murmured softly, feeling calm. Ian¡¯s fingertips twitched weakly as Logan whispered to get him relieved from a face reminiscent of other things. Even if he wanted to ask something, that kind of response is all he had. It was the part that he was most satisfied with, so Logan moved his fingertips a little. ¡°¡­¡­¡± His lips, which had been slightly opened, closed tightly realising that he was imitating him. Ian couldn¡¯t speak, so he couldn¡¯t make a noise, and Logan liked his little gestures as if he was used to it. It was the same a little while ago. There was so little noise that it was hard to feel any presence of ordinary humans. It¡¯s like a beast creeping in tiptoed. ¡°Well, do you have anything else to do?¡± Contrary to his keenly wrapped gaze, Logan¡¯s next words were a euphemistic banishment order. Ian blinked at the words completely different from the previous atmosphere, and took a step back with a small sound. He didn¡¯t seem to know where he was. In fact, if others knew, they would have been terrified. This was the garden where Logan, who hardly sleeps, stayed the longest. It was explained by the fact that not only the servants, knights, but also Ed did not enter. Whatever the purpose is, if you step into this place, you have to pay for it. It was like a mirage to see a green sprouted plant in the north covered with snow all seasons, but no one in the mansion considered it sacred. It was because they saw in front of their eyes that there was no head that crawled out alive, and that even the bodies were disappearing. If it was the same, he would have cut his head off. However, Logan tilted his head in wonder at the unimaginable appearance. It was certain that he had no ability to regenerate his body. [T/N: Logan is just saying that Ian was an ordinary human being with no supernatural powers like being able to regenerate his body but he still entered that place.] He was an ordinary human being who would die if his throat was strangled, die if his organs ruptured, die if he didn¡¯t drink water, hungry, or even if ruined himself one day. That¡¯s strange. Why can¡¯t I imagine him dying? [T/N: Guys, these thoughts are Logan¡¯s thoughts.] If he had not gasped for breath and poured holy water, or if he had left him in the snow, he would have died. So he couldn¡¯t understand it. He narrowed his eyes in doubt, but it wasn¡¯t really a bad feeling. Maybe it¡¯s because of that face that won¡¯t even struggle with his arms even if he strangles his white, thin neck. He may accept death as silently as he did when he was hit by a flying stone and did not even scream. As if someone had ever been dead. He thought that was not bad, so he took a step forward. [T/N: Logan is probably saying that saving Ian wasn¡¯t a bad thing to do.] ¡°¡­¡­¡± Ian, who was about to leave at once, picked up a brush that had fallen nearby. The wooden body was smashed by hand and was a mess, but he carefully looked around and immediately picked up something again. It was a piece of glass from the broken pallet. Logan, who had no idea what he wanted to do, stood tall, and Ian, who roughly held the shortened brush, smeared the remaining paint on the pallet. Then he spread out his palms and began to write something slowly. Sssg, the sound of skin rubbing against it. He recalled again what he had learned to write from Kyle. Ian strode up in front of Logan, who was standing there. He glanced at what was written on his palm. ¡°¡­Name?¡± That was the only word that was written in black paint. He¡¯s probably not asking for his name, but when he raised his head to figure out what it meant, he encountered the gaze that was staring at him. Do you want to call my name correctly? To treat him with the name of honor enough to insult him. Logan had never called Ian by his first name. Even if he was raised in cages like livestock, the royal family may want to express their rotten pride. However, the face was not too tense. After a moment of silence Logan slowly opened his mouth. ¡°My name?¡± He looked as if he was curious about it. It may not be possible, but he spat it out just in case. He thought he would shake his head, but Ian, who closed his palm, nodded quickly. It was the eyes that said the answer to the question that he thought was wrong, was the answer. Logan¡¯s lips closed again at the incomprehensible request. Be that as it may, Logan, who had been tainted with blessings since birth, has hardly ever introduced himself with his own mouth. Because whoever encountered the black hair and long golden pupils that do not exist in the Empire, remembered his name. Besides, isn¡¯t he the prince who was sold from the Rox? You can not have heard where you are going. Curious about the intention of asking something that he knew clearly, Logan opened his mouth, with his eyes narrowed with curiosity. He looked at him thinking how far he had to go. ¡°Logan.¡± ¡°¡­¡­..¡± ¡°Logan Hyer.¡± And just like Ian did, he walked one step at a time and moved closer. It wasn¡¯t a noticeable muscular or threatening impression like Schwartz, but it was a gesture of a person who knew how to feel the pressure of the opponent. Ian, who thought he was going to leave at once, stood at a distance less than one hand away. Logan, who didn¡¯t miss the slight touch of his lips, realized that it was his name. Logan Hyer. Ian mimicked the pronunciation by slightly closing his lips. Just like someone who had remembered something that he had forgotten for a long time, even a glimpse of joy crossed his mind. It was a short moment, but Logan, who read the emotions on his expressionless face, looked at Ian, who stretched his wrist at him the next moment. What kind of trick is this again? As he thought so, Logan paused stiffly at Ian¡¯s action of handing over the brush that he was holding. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Logan stared at Ian, who was looking at him, the brush held out in front of him, and his thick sleeve rolled up wrist, slowly extending his hand. The texture of the brush smeared with paint brushed gently over the white skin enough to show the blood vessels. Logan Hyer. Unlike Ian, the name, written in elegant handwriting, embroidered on his wrist like a tattoo. ¡°Ian.¡± Ian, who was checking his wrist as if he had got what he wanted, raised his head to the voice calling him. With the tip of Logan¡¯s chin in front of his nose, he realised that the distance was very close, and tried to push his body back. It would have been possible if it hadn¡¯t been for his tight arms that were held together. [T/N: Ian tried but couldn¡¯t move back¡­ probably Logan held Ian.] Logan¡¯s expression as he lowered his head and looked at him was the same as usual. Without knowing that the corners of the mouth are moderately raised, the sharp gazes, and the artificially overlaid skins with various emotions are familiar to only one person. ¡°I am thankful to you for your name.¡± It was a grip that seemed to penetrate his skin even though he didn¡¯t give it much strength. Logan, who lowered his head close enough to touch his forehead, whispered as if telling a very important secret. He hasn¡¯t needed to refine his nature he had since birth. No, he couldn¡¯t trim it. ¡°Because you¡¯ve saved the lord several times.¡± [T/N: Here I think Logan is calling himself, Lord. Logan is glad that his name is ¡°Ian¡± and why is he glad?¡­. Go check the spoiler that I gave in NovelUpdates Forum cause it will be too big if I explain it here.(¨R¨Œ¨Q)] ¡­¡­It¡¯s been almost two weeks since he didn¡¯t sleep to the things that he could hear more clearly when he closed his eyes. A calm frenzy flashed through his bright yellow eyes. Logan pulled the corner of his mouth toward Ian, who looked at him as he led. Conceived kindness, unreasonable generosity, and even this moment. I knew it didn¡¯t really mean anything, but¡­ ¡°See you tomorrow.¡± Logan greeted him warmly, muttering something to himself that no one could understand. Ian looked over at his forehead, which was gently bumped into his forehead. Maybe he himself doesn¡¯t know that he has the same face as his predecessors. The face that I had longed for the rest of my life. ??????????????????? [T/N: AHHH¡­ WHAT IS THIS SWEET THINGS ALL OF A SUDDEN? BUMPING EACH OTHER¡¯S FOREHEADS WITH EACH OTHER¡­ JSKSK???? btw all the thoughts in this chapter are from Logan¡¯s perspective and not Ian¡¯s.] Chapter 30 ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± The next morning was a sea of silence. Claude was much more speechless than usual with a stiff face, and looked only forward. Ian, who had always been silent from the beginning, climbed onto Bella and walked endlessly on the snow. Logan, with the most relaxed expression among all of them, pulled on his reins to match Ian¡¯s speed. I wondered where I¡¯d seen that horse. It was the horse he was riding when he first saw Logan on the terrace. He remembered seeing it at first glance during the procession, so it seemed familiar. They both seemed to be in a good mood, perhaps because he was friendly with Bella, and their hoofs were stumping side by side. Maybe it was because she knew there would be a black horse, so she ran to the garden yesterday. Whether it¡¯s a human or an animal, if they feel threatened, they will hide in the safest place. As he continued his thoughts, Claude, who had been silent, finally spoke. ¡°Do you have anything else to do?¡± It was also a limitation to give a summary lecture with the number of words reduced to half. When Claude asked why the Great Duke suddenly appeared there, Logan, who was looking ahead, slowly turned his head. Claude had a cold expression on his face when he saw Ian, who had suddenly disappeared yesterday morning, and Kyle, who was flirting on the spot. Even when asked where he was, he shrugged his shoulders and said nonsense, so he eventually raised his sword. Time was wasted dealing with Kyle, who rushed to him as if he had waited for a while, but the match ended briskly because of Ian, who soon reappeared. [T/N: Kyle and Claude were probably fighting with each other. And the fight is termed as ¡°match¡±.] He kept his mouth shut even when asked where he was, so he didn¡¯t ask anymore¡­. It was during the class following the previous day. With the sudden appearance of Logan, Claude felt something strange. He knew he wasn¡¯t doing this for no reason, so he asked. Logan, who glanced at Claude, only smiled now. ¡°Is there a problem?¡± That smile was the problem. Like a glass bottle from which moisture has evaporated*, he usually has no expression on his face, but acts like a completely different person only in front of the Prince of Rox. It was strange from the moment he first met him at the banquet hall, but after that, he didn¡¯t even look at Ian, so Claude dismissed it as just a whim as usual. [*T/N: It means that Logan was like an empty glass bottle with no feelings or emotions as they have evaporated and so had no expression on his face. But it¡¯s different when he is infront of Ian.] ? Shall we go home now? But the Duke stopped the procession. That day, Claude saw Logan¡¯s face, looking down at Ian as if he had seen something very strange. [T/N: Claude is thinking about the last procession they had. When Ian was put on the back of the horse with light clothes.] A few days later, he declared that he would put the prince of the enemy country in the Knights, and decided to take him on an expedition a few weeks later. Logan, however, did not run into Ian strangely. Seeing that he did not appear in the training he participated about twice a week and never walked to where Ian was, Claude noticed that it was intentional. Most in the mansion noticed it, but today suddenly, they started acting completely differently. Claude sighed briefly, he didn¡¯t know what the whim was, and Logan, who had stopped paying attention to him, spoke to Ian. Yes, it was all about meaningless weather, good posture and so on. However, Ian seemed satisfied and just nodded. Fortunately, as it neared noon, Logan left a light goodbye and disappeared. ¡°¡­..What happened with the Grand Duke?¡± When the suffocating figure disappeared just by his side, Claude spoke cautiously. However, Ian couldn¡¯t figure out what was wrong with him, so he couldn¡¯t give him an accurate answer. He said, he will see him tomorrow, but he really didn¡¯t expect to see him tomorrow. Logan¡¯s expression saying that was so subtle that Ian thought it was just a second warning to stop. He found out what he was most curious about, so he had no regrets*. They all spoke only of the title of Grand Duke, and had never mentioned his name, so Ian had only ever referred to him as the man. [T/N: He was most curious about Logan and he found Logan so he had no regrets.] Logan. It was a familiar name. He murmured and recalled it several times as if it had been sung before and engraved it in his memory. He won¡¯t forget this time. He left his seat, being careful not to spread the name on his wrist. Ian, who quickly transferred it to the paper after the horseback riding lesson, looked at the poorly written name for a long time, unlike Logan. [T/N: Logan¡¯s handwriting was beautiful unlike Ian¡¯s awful writing (according to him). ? ? ? ?] Why did I kill you? The conviction that he was the man he had killed had now turned into a question. He thought he was simply a person who was killed by commision, but then there is no reason to feel this way. [T/N: Ian was Hitman in his previous life and had killed several people on order, so he is thinking if he is one of the people who he killed on order then why does he feels that way (maybe a kind of guilt feeling or sadness).] It was difficult to interpret the unfamiliar emotions because he had never felt affectionate towards anyone. But what¡¯s clear is that he didn¡¯t want to see him die this time. It didn¡¯t matter whether it was intentional or arbitrary. If he dies like that, like that, then¡­ ? Thank you for the flowers. He heard a faint noise somewhere. It was the voice that asked him what kind of person he would like to be. Only then did Ian realize that it was Logan¡¯s voice. The language used was different, but the low-pitched tone was the same. The soothing words made his head throb again. What¡¯s do you mean by that? Did I gave him flowers? Am I the kind of person who can do that? No matter how much he thought about it, the conclusion was the same, but it was important that he remembered something. Kyle arrived as if searching for a scattered puzzle piece, and Ian replaced his delight by kicking his knee. That¡¯s all that happened yesterday. After that, he struggled with complicated grammar as usual, so there was nothing more to be expected. There was still silence as he shook his head at Claude, who looked his way. Claude, who was thinking of something, sighed briefly and finished the story. ¡°Then that¡¯s enough.¡± ¡­¡­ So he thought that was it. He might be the type of person who might have to keep his word once said, but if it¡¯s too much, he might have run into them while walking. [T/N: I don¡¯t know what they are trying to say. (???)] However, Logan, who appeared at the training ground as if pouring water on the idea, looked no different from the morning. ¡°Good to see you again.¡± Logan, who had not attended a single time since he placed Ian in the Knights, naturally approached the two in a corner in time for training in the afternoon. He knew he had been here all afternoon, but it was as if he just bumped into him. Ian didn¡¯t expect to see him again, so he lowered his pen and blinked. ¡°Isn¡¯t the weather nice?¡± He said the same thing in the morning. ¡°You have a good grip on the pen.¡± It was the same for him. When Kyle looked at them in wonder at their insincere repertoire, he looked at them alternately, tilting his head. It was true that he sent Ian to the side where the Great Duke was present, but this was a completely different development from what was expected. He thought at least one of them would come back hurt, but Ian, who was waiting for him, looked too clean. Kyle knew Logan wouldn¡¯t kill Ian, but he didn¡¯t expect him to send him back nicely. Kyle opened his mouth, scratching the tip of his eyebrow with his fingernail. The expedition was just around the corner. He didn¡¯t think he could ride a horse if one of them got injured. ¡°Since when did you two become so close?¡± As far as Kyle knew, they had only met twice. About three times in total until yesterday. Neither Ian nor Logan was inclined to be with others, so today¡¯s Archduke was very strange. You could tell just by the sight of the Knights holding their breath in the distance. Not paying attention to Kyle¡¯s words, Logan looked down at Ian¡¯s vocabulary book, where the same words were written repeatedly. ¡°What? What is going on? I¡¯m really worried.¡± ¡°Have you memorized my name?¡±¡± ¡°Duke, Can¡¯t you hear me?¡± Hey? Kyle pretended to knock in the air, feeling like there was a wall in between, but Logan, of course, was not listening. Ian, who noticed that it was a question for him, slowly nodded his head and opened his eyes like a crescent moon. I don¡¯t know if I should call it abominable or scary. Kyle, unable to make up his mind, shut his mouth, and the surroundings became silent. Logan didn¡¯t say anything, but Ian, holding the pen loosely, moved his wrist as he glanced at Logan. The ink slowly spreads over the white paper. Logan, who had been staring intently at the name Ian had written down without forgetting, opened his mouth only after a bit of simmering. ¡°¡­.You can¡¯t carry an ink bottle on an expedition.¡± Gloved hands slowly scoured the paper. Come to think of it, he was always wearing half gloves like that yesterday and the last time. But when their eyes met, Logan smiled and tapped the pen that Ian was holding. ¡°I¡¯ll give you something else.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± He didn¡¯t know what he was going to give him, but there was no reason to refuse. Logan, looking at Ian moderately as he nodded, smiled once more, and Kyle clicked his tongue at the sight of them. It¡¯s hopeless. And for a few days it was the same thing over and over again. Despite not being seen throughout the month, Logan showed his face, pretending to be an insincere coincidence, and Ian did not define Logan¡¯s actions. But it wasn¡¯t unfamiliar to him, and thought something was strange. ¡°Everyone, stand by!¡± At last, it was the day of the expedition. ??????????????????? T/N: Sorry for the late update. My school started (even though we were supposed to have a 3 month long break they didn¡¯t even give us a 1 month break ¨i©n¨i) and I also became lazy ?? ? ,??. Also, some people in the comments of the raw website was saying that Kyle might be trying to hurt Ian because he didn¡¯t want to let Ian go on the expedition, maybe because it¡¯s dangerous or something, I don¡¯t know. What do you guys think? (???) Chapter 31 The mansion became very active as the date was just around the corner. It was a long schedule that would last for several weeks, so there were many things to pack, from food to sleeping bags. [ED/N: Sleep on the ground, you dimwits.] [T/N: (¨R¨Œ¨Q)(¨R¨Œ¨Q)] Unlike the usual interval of several months, the expedition was quite hasty. However, no one expressed their dissatisfaction. They knew what happened on the last expedition, so they just prepared more thoroughly than ever before. The last few days were a rush, everyone was in a hurry preparing, such as repairing swords and replacing corroded armor. Ian, who was the only one out of the hustle and bustle as he had nothing to pack. He was looking down from the terrace. The white snowfield was melting away. ¡°¡­..¡± The weather suddenly warmed up. It was possible for the constantly pouring snow to stop, but the temperature was much different from yesterday too. The weather was generally cold enough to leak in even through thick clothes and while putting one extra layer on top of it, but today it was warm enough to not have to wear anything. There is also a warming phenomenon. If yesterday was mid-winter, today was a clear spring day. When I saw the snow melting, which had been accumulating even after cleaning it up before, I remembered the first time I woke up here. I think it was just like this back then. I even enjoyed the sun on the terrace. Then Logan returned, and from the next day, the window froze. What exquisite timing. When Ian looked up a little more, wondering if there really was a Meteorological Agency, he saw people walking around in a hurry. They were the servants who diligently moved their luggage near the entrance. They had to camp in the forest for a few days, so they took as much as they could. It was prepared for dozens of people, so it was worth it. [T/N: The luggage was quite big or heavy but as they will be camping in the forest for a few days and as it is for several people, taking that luggage was worth it that¡¯s what they are trying to say.] However, what was questionable was the meaning of the expedition. At first, I thought I was going to war, but now I don¡¯t think so. Talking about fruits and herbs, he seemed to go to explore the inside of the forest at first glance, but it was strange to take dozens of armed knights with him. It was certain that there was a big beast, but it was too brutal to just collect plants. If not, he is looking for something else. He remembered hearing Kyle to himself that there was no harvest on the last expedition, so there was a good chance. [T/N: Here ¡°no harvest¡± probably means that they didn¡¯t get anything or found anything on their last expedition.] In fact, it was best to ask. Unlike before, Ian was able to write a little bit. Another way was to ask Kyle or Claude. Kyle, who especially likes to talk about everything, would immediately say everything he knows and doesn¡¯t know. However, Ian did not do so because of the atmosphere that exuded. Nobody said it out loud, but everyone knew it. It was Schwartz, who even suggested to accompany him and even brought up Rox. Even Kyle did not accurately explain the expedition, even though he knows Ian is from a foreign country. Seeing that everyone is saying it on the premise that they know it, it would be strange to ask a question. So it would be better to see with your own eyes than to have unnecessary doubts. Even if he knew it in advance, it would be the same because he had to go on the expedition anyway. Thinking that way, I loosened my arm that was holding my chin. As if he had waited, an order was given to convene in front of the mansion. ¡°Everyone, stand by!¡± The knights, who led and lined up their horses, wore black armor like they did back then. Metal armor, which reflects light and shines, is not realistic no matter how many times you look at it. At the training ground, Ian always rolled around on the floor in comfortable clothes, and now he finally looked like a proper knight, which was funny. It was when he had such foolish thought while loading the simple luggage handed by the maid on Bella¡¯s back. ¡°Prince, are you really going?¡± As Ian turned his head to the familiar voice, Kyle, who seemed to have arrived last, was waving his hand. Bella, who was standing quietly, grunted anxiously, as if she recognized the brown horse walking beside her. Ian, who quickly noticed it, shook his hand to stop him there, and Kyle, who had a wounded face, stopped walking a little away. ¡°All right, all right. I won¡¯t go close. Bella, am I forgiven then? Huh? Will you forgive me?¡± I¡¯m going to do it, but I won¡¯t. Although he felt Ian¡¯s cold gaze, he put his hands together to pretend to rain toward Bella. It was a moment when he turned his head because he seemed to have no intention of becoming serious. With the sound of something pouring down, swearing came from not far away. ¡°Load it straight, you b*stard!¡± As he turned his eyes to the sound, he could see a familiar face. Seeing that he hurriedly sat down and picked up the jerky pouches spilled on the floor, he seemed to have caused another accident. Puck! When the man next to him kicks his back, he can¡¯t keep his balance and falls forward. Like other knights, a large footprint was carved on the back of a child who was not wearing armor. ¡°It¡¯s cream puff.¡± It was the blonde hair that caught his eye whenever he looked at it. Shyu, who slowly stood up from his seat, seemed to have hit his face, and his forehead and the tip of his nose were red. The pouches that were picked up at the most were scattered to the floor, and another handful of swear words flew in as they watched Shyu reaching out again in a hurry. The man was the one who kicked it, but he shouted when he dropped it again, and raised his hand as if he had to pick it up. Is that Turk? Ian tilted his head, remembering what Fred said one day in front of the fountain. He wondered who beat him like that every day, but now he saw his face. ¡°Cream puff is gonna accompany me on this expedition. It¡¯s because we can¡¯t put all the luggage on the horse. That doesn¡¯t mean I can¡¯t even take a servant with me¡­ So I think he would be good.¡± Ian wondered before why he took a child out of nowhere, but he kindly explained the reason too. Since it was Shy with a screw missing, Ian wondered if he could communicate properly. ¡°Can he ride the horse? Surprisingly, he¡¯s our deputy chief¡¯s special disciple. It was the first time I saw the noble Claude get mad while teaching someone. It¡¯s a case of hard work and perseverance.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± I didn¡¯t even ask. How did you answer that? Kyle, who ghostly read Ian¡¯s question, proudly answered and shrugged. Puck! In the meantime, the man¡¯s hand raised once more. Shyu, who is smaller than his peers, couldn¡¯t stand it and staggered. The man, who seemed quite accustomed to hitting his head with his palm, grabbed Shyu¡¯s head as he was about to fall and pulled him up, but no one stopped him. It was a clear show of violence that took place in the presence of everyone. Ian only saw injuries here and there, but this was the first time he saw him being hit. Even Kyle, who was thought to step out of the way like last time, was just watching. Weren¡¯t you best friends? He had a face that was dismissive, even though he was always playing and joking with cream puff. It was around the time he turned his head to see how he was being treated. His eyes met with Shyu, who was dragged back. ¡°¡­..¡± In an instant, his dazed eyes lit up with vitality. Shyu, who was full of joy, started waving his hands towards Ian. Ian stared at him thinking if he was asking for help, but it was obvious that he was not. It was just because it was nice to see his face after a long time. At least once a day, it was Shyu who hid at the table where Ian sat. It was all about wriggling next to him or writing his name on the paper Ian wrote all over on, but he hadn¡¯t seen him since Logan started to show his face. It was only natural that other knights could not come close because they were far away. Kyle¡¯s behaviour was unusual, most of the time he even gave a hard time to the highest-ranking officials. So Ian had no other idea. Since he had never been asked to come, it was Shyu¡¯s choice to decide where to be. Urr urr. The pouch in his arm fell back to the floor again. Following Shyu¡¯s gaze, the man looks this way. His eyes were torn and his nose was especially big. He smiled briefly, noticing who he was looking and waving at. ¡°Why do you think that prince will even help you?¡± Shyu, who was still waving, turned his head at the sarcastic question. He looked like he wanted to respond, but it didn¡¯t matter to the man and he opened his mouth to Ian. ¡°Hey, if you¡¯re close, you should help. Why are you staring at me?¡± We¡¯re not that close. If he sits next to me every day and writes his name, is that what you call close? When he blinked at the ambiguous standards, the gaze that had been glancing at this side since earlier changed blatantly. It was time to fix the luggage in advance and check the condition of the horse. Schwartz and Claude, who were supposed to help organize the situation, were currently checking the route for the last time in the Grand Duke¡¯s office. Strangely, Ian looked around slowly once again in a situation where he seemed to have seen this somewhere. As he passed by the child who was being beaten and the man who was obviously arguing, he looked at the human beings who only watched with their mouths shut, a strange feeling came along.* Where did I see it? The moment he thought about it for a short time, something flashed through his mind. Ah, this. ¡°Can¡¯t you hear me?¡± This is a typical introduction to the title of punishing evil and promoting good. ??????????????????? T/N: POOR SHYUUUUU (?? ? ??) *For those who cannot understand this part, Ian is talking about the situation. The situation that a kid being beaten by a man and everybody else is just watching the kid getting beaten without doing anything, seems familiar to Ian. Maybe when he was a kid, he experienced a similar situation. Chapter 32 The world where Ian lived before was an era where he was exposed to media everywhere without having to look for it. It was quite an amazing experience that people¡¯s favorite cliche, regardless of East and West, unfolded in front of his eyes. Of course, it wasn¡¯t because it was his first time. Humans are always exposed to unreasonable situations in their lives. In particular, where Ian was, it seemed to imply all of it. There were many people who took lessons from the violence without cause, the environment where one had to trample on others to survive, and that at the very least, good intentions turn into malice. So, what surprised Ian was the selection of this location. He was always on the side of the perpetrator, not the side of aid. He had seen people begging for help, but it was very rare to be asked to help. It was only natural that he didn¡¯t even pay attention to that kind of person in the first place. He never thought there was justification for violence, but he never felt angry about it either. Being beaten and being hit has become as natural as breathing to him, so there could not be a proper moral sense. In the first place, is this a situation that I should be in? If you fix the man who spat out frivolous lines, rescue the broken Shyu, and set an example so that it never happened again, it might be quite similar to an ending that people want. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Unfortunately, however, Ian had no intention of doing so. They know each other¡¯s names, and they¡¯ve seen each other often, but that was no reason to help. In the first place, he couldn¡¯t figure out what he would get by cutting the man¡¯s head. Originally, Ian didn¡¯t kill anyone except for the ones he was commissioned to do. Even if he was in a situation where he¡¯s being beaten. He had to kill someone again anyway. He just didn¡¯t want to increase the number even when he went out, but he didn¡¯t have any beliefs. To standby is another sin, but the word is not reachable to those whose hands are already red. Bang! Even though he placed a bullet in someone¡¯s forehead, he couldn¡¯t tell whether it was a person or an animal that he was shooting. He felt like he was paralyzed in the corner of his head all the time. In the end, he couldn¡¯t tell the difference between the living and dead. My brother looked at me and said nothing. [T/N: For additional information, it is said ¡°Hyung¡± so that means the brother is the older brother of Ian.] He may have been contemplating whether to throw me away or not. ¡°What are you doing? You would save him nicely, won¡¯t you, prince?¡± Ian escaped from the past, waking up with Kyle¡¯s voice that approached him. Looking ahead at the gaze still focused on him, Shyu and his eyes met. Now he even laughs because his hair, which is held tightly, does not hurt. It seemed that his hobby was to show off when he was not good enough. He¡¯s not crying. He¡¯s smiling. Why should I help? And I am not even a prince in the first place. Ian didn¡¯t even know where the real prince had gone. They said he stopped breathing in the carriage and came back to life, so maybe he was already dead by then. Even though Kyle encouraged him from the side, Ian eventually turned his head without taking any action. Some showed disappointment as they rechecked the luggage that had been fixed on Bella¡¯s back as if they had seen nothing. ¡°I thought we¡¯d see them fight.¡± ¡°I know.¡± There were still many knights who did not believe that Ian had killed a person. When they dispersed with a face of disappointment that they had missed, a fun sight, the man, who had been arguing the most, also looked as if he was losing steam. In fact, Ian had never participated in the training even though he has been at the training ground for more than a month. He joined the Knights because he liked the horses, and he sat elegantly next to them, who sweated all day long, trained, jotting down with a pen. Seriously, can he hold a sword properly with that wrist that looks like it would break if you tap it? He was already like a white and fine-looking beauty. If it wasn¡¯t for the fountain incident, there was an elegant atmosphere to believe even the fact that he didn¡¯t know how to put water on his hands. So, they can¡¯t imagine him fighting while rolling on the dirt floor at all. ¡°You have no guts.¡± The man, who was looking at Ian with his tongue clenched, lowered his gaze. Unlike before, he couldn¡¯t see Shyu¡¯s expression because he was lowering his head. That¡¯s how he chased him around like that. Since the first day, if an opportunity arises, Shyu would often disappear somewhere. At first, that man thought Shyu confined himself somewhere as usual, but soon he heard rumors that he was clinging to that Rox guy. It was news that could never be heard nicely in the ears of a man from the north. It was Turk¡¯s daily routine to hit Shyu when he was bored, so he beat him whenever he stood out. He warned him to not find someone to rely on, but the guy, who showed tenacity at the strangest places, didn¡¯t care. The thought that he was running to Ian¡¯s place again, made his blood pressure rise. He had a knack for whipping when it was not enough to hold his breath. But look at that. He does turn a blind eye when necessary. [T/N: Talking about Ian most probably.] Cowardice was the ethnicity of the Rox. Now they could see the setting of fire to the village and slaughtering numerous imperial people by asking help from Hyer. [T/N: Probably, the people of Rox were cowardly people, as we have read before that Rox people take care of themselves very much with delicacy. And maybe they asked help from Hyer, for the expedition most probably. But it resulted in setting fire to the village, slaughtering numerous imperial people.] He was thick-skinned. Everyone poured out their anger, saying it was ridiculous. Of course, they believed that he would refuse immediately, but contrary to their thought, Grand Duke Hyer accepted the offer without much consideration. It was ridiculous. Although the knights could not dare protest, the people of the Northern Empire, who still remember the day vividly, expressed great antipathy to the Grand Duke¡¯s decision. Of course, they couldn¡¯t express it directly as they were afraid that it would stop the expedition¡­. [T/N: So maybe, this expedition is very important for everyone in the North, that¡¯s why they were scared it would stop the expedition.] ¡°Darnit.¡± He remembered that moment again, and pushed his gripped blond hair roughly. The small body fell helplessly onto the floor. Although it was slow, the one who wakes up quickly like a roly poly is somehow still lying down. [T/N: Shyu probably used to get up as soon as he fell down, but this time he was still lying on the floor, and didn¡¯t get up as quickly as before.] Well, he must have been very disappointed as he pretended not to know. [T/N: I don¡¯t know who¡¯s disappointment is being talked about here as there is no name mentioned, but I think they are talking about Shyu. Shyu was probably disappointed that Ian pretended not to know him, and was probably heartbroken, so he didn¡¯t get up as quickly as before.] The man who kicked the jerky pouch in front of him walked towards his horse as a sign to get a hold of himself. And with Schwartz and Claude, who appeared shortly afterwards, the chaotic atmosphere was corrected. ¡°The weather sure is nice today.¡± Schwartz opened his mouth as he looked towards the knights forming a line. Some burst into laughter as if they had heard something very funny from him. What¡¯s funny about the great weather? Ian, who was standing at the front, turned his head curiously. He soon agreed. Well, there¡¯s plenty of reasons. Living is not fun here, so everything could be funny or it could be a popular humor code here. ¡°Everyone knows what day it is. We¡¯ll be back in three days, or maybe a few weeks. I¡¯m sure each of you prepared thoroughly.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°All right, Claude, explain the route.¡± When Schwartz, who smiled coolly, winked, Claude, who was standing one step behind, stepped forward as if he was waiting. As he lifted the large scroll he was holding high, the leather strap was released and a map with several marks appeared. ¡­.It¡¯s all forest?! Even when Ian saw it from the window, he thought there was no end to the trees, but the forest marked on the map was much wider than expected. This place was not so narrow either, but the mansion in the middle was marked almost like a dot. ¡°The expedition will be heading straight north. We¡¯ll split the search group into five, and we¡¯re going further than usual. I¡¯m sure you all remember that the last expedition yielded nothing.¡± The one marked with a red line looked like a moving line. Ian, who could see the map more closely because he was in front of him, nodded while listening to Claude¡¯s explanation. It was worth spending weeks on the expedition. If we go straight north, we can reach the end¡­ ¡°¡­..?¡± Come to think of it, what is this? Moving his gaze to the edge of the map, Ian soon noticed something strange. It was because he found a fairly thick black line encircling the entire forest. He thought it was simply a sign of the entire forest, but it was a little different from that. Slowly following the mark, Ian finally found the head of the snake at the top. He couldn¡¯t figure out why the snake appeared here, so he looked into it a little more closely. As soon as Ian realized that what the open-mouthed snake was biting was his own tail, he understood that the thick black line surrounding the entire forest was the snake¡¯s torso. [T/N: So basically it denotes that there is a REALLY large snake encircling the WHOLE forest. That¡¯s scary¡­ I hate snakes¡­ (???)] ¡°¡­. Until then, Yubel, you¡¯re in charge. And there¡¯s also one person left.¡± Claude, who was organizing the search team, paused for a moment after explaining the rest of the route without hesitation. Ian, who was distracted by the map, looked up at the surroundings that became quiet for a moment. Everyone is looking this way. He didn¡¯t know why they were looking at him like this again, so he kept his mouth shut, but the answer came from somewhere else. ¡°Is there anything to worry about?¡± It was a voice that they heard quite often now. As they took a step back reflexively, they saw Logan standing next to Ian. ¡°The Duke shall be with me.¡± ??????????????????? T/N: Sorry for so many T/N and late updates. ?? ? ,?? I got even busier after my exams ended when I thought I would be more free¡­(¡ä£»¦Ø£»£à) And also¡­ I feel bad for Shyu¡­??? And for those who haven¡¯t see the cute chibi merchandise of Dry Drowning, here it is ( ???) Chapter 33 Logan was in the same light uniform as he was then. When his eyes met, his lips curled slightly and his face was still picturesque today. The eyes with high chromaticity shone like gold in the sunlight. Even Ian, who doesn¡¯t care much about other people¡¯s appearance, stared speechlessly at the handsome man. He couldn¡¯t tell when he was near. Unlike Ian, who narrowed his brows, the knights who were nearby, bowed their heads as they always did. As if they were afraid of making eye contact. ¡°¡­¡­Then I won¡¯t take Ian separately.¡± When Claude finished his slow response, Schwartz, who bowed politely to Logan as if he had waited for him to finish his message, opened his mouth. ¡°Grand Duke! We¡¯re all set, so we can start right away.¡± It was a voice that was fresh and stretched whenever heard. Even Ian, who knew nothing, could feel that the atmosphere was rigid as soon as Logan appeared, but Schwartz was smiling with a face that said it didn¡¯t matter at all. He said he had been serving as a Knight Commander for over 10 years. Ian thought it was a place to have that kind of skinniness, but then he heard someone approaching along with the sound of hoofs. It was Ed bringing Logan¡¯s horse. [T/N: Skinniness- The bodily property of lacking flesh.] ¡°Good morning.¡± Ed, who had a nice smile, slowly stopped in front of Ian and Logan and greeted them. By slightly lowering his head, he smiled at Ian instead of greeting and handed the reins he was holding to Logan. Bella next to him purred and made a pleasant sound. He was on exceptional terms with that horse. Now that they¡¯ve reached the end of the day, it¡¯s really time to start. Everyone stood up waiting for Logan¡¯s words to fall. ¡°Before that, this.¡± Contrary to the tense atmosphere, Logan, who opened his mouth, seemed endlessly relaxed. Those who were concentrating while waiting for his commands exchanged questionable glances at Logan¡¯s abrupt remarks. The only one who understood that was Ed. He took something out of his pocket and handed it to Ian right away. It was a small case made of luxurious fabric. With a blink of an eye at the sudden gift, he opened the case himself. ¡°It¡¯s a pen that has been infused with ink. You can carry it around without ink on the nib.¡± It was a pen made of glass. It seemed expensive at first glance. It was difficult to put a dip pen in an ink bottle gracefully because it was a schedule to roam around the forest for several days. When he took it slowly, Logan, who was watching it, whispered softly. ¡°Because I said I¡¯d give you something else.¡± [T/N: Refer to Chapter 30 if you can¡¯t remember.] Only then did Ian remember what he said a few days ago. He thought it was just something he said, so he didn¡¯t know that he would really care. When he felt the cold and smooth surface with his fingertips, Ed handed him a small notebook this time. It was Logan¡¯s order, woven with several papers for easy carrying. Usually, he didn¡¯t carry paper like this. ¡°Try it once.¡± Ian, who did not know the back story, slowly took the pen out of the case at Ed¡¯s suggestion. He thought it would be heavy, but it was lighter than he thought. He opened the lid and opened the notebook, thinking that he should be careful not to break it. Scribble Scribble. The feeling of writing on paper was not much different from that of modern times. Thinking that this was enough, he tried to close the lid, but his eyes met Ed, who stared at him with a smile. ¡­.What do you want me to do? Ian stopped acting for a moment as he noticed that he seemed to wish for something and soon grasped the atmosphere. He seemed to look forward to his gratitude even if it¡¯s brief. [T/N: Ed probably wanted Ian to say thanks to the Duke for the pen.] There was nothing difficult, so Ian opened his notebook again and slowly began to write something. He learnt in a hurry and it was difficult to get to a long sentence yet, but this much was possible. Ian, who even reached the end, handed the notebook to Logan, who was beside him. ¡°¡­¡­¡± But Logan, who took the notebook, said nothing for a while. He seemed to re-read it a couple of times, and Ed, who felt instinctively strange at the act of Logan tilting his head as if he had seen something interesting, took a step closer. Ed, who was able to glance inside the notebook only after politely asking for excuses for a moment, soon swallowed the sigh. There was no problem in terms of content. But this is¡­ I¡¯ll use it well. Thank you. Logan. This was, like, a perfect subterfuge. [T/N: Subterfuge- Deceit used in order to achieve one¡¯s goal.] ¡°Ian-nim¡­¡± In Shertian, where the class system was clear and honorifics were developed, it was very disrespectful for the subordinate to speak casually to his superiors. Especially if the opponent is a person of high status. Although Ian was from the royal family of Rox, he was eventually taken as a hostage. Furthermore, unlike the title Lord, Logan was speaking up to Ian properly. [T/N: Logan was a Duke, a Lord, yet he talked to Ian in probably a formal, proper way.] Ed sighed a little and turned his gaze towards Kyle, who was not far away. As if he knew what was going on, Kyle kept his head down and held back his laughter desperately. It was obvious why he was doing that. Shetiers generally learn from respect. Somehow Ian felt the atmosphere was strange, so he took the notebook Logan was holding and looked into it again. He couldn¡¯t tell what was wrong with saying that he would use it well and thank you. It was natural because Kyle didn¡¯t even learn honorifics. Ian, who wanted to ask what the problem was, but could not use such advanced vocabulary, picked up the pen again, combining the words he knew as much as possible. However, this time too, Ed¡¯s expression as he received the notebook was perplexed. What? It was indeed a challenging question. This kind of conversation, let alone orthography, would surely shorten your life. In the first place, it was only Roselia, the empress, who could speak informally to Logan. Kyle was an exception because he was a crazy guy. Ed carefully opened his mouth as he watched the Duke¡¯s unknown mood. ¡°Ian-nim, this¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad you liked it.¡± But he couldn¡¯t complete the sentence. Logan, who interrupted Ed¡¯s words, who were about to correct him, gently whispered, holding the notebook in Ian¡¯s hand. ¡°Shetier is quite difficult. I didn¡¯t know you could write so well.¡± I¡¯ve only seen you practicing vocabulary. By saying so, Logan wrapped the atmosphere casually. Ed, who noticed the intention at once, bowed his head and followed. ¡°¡­Yeah, it¡¯s amazing that you¡¯ve done this in such a short period of time.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± What is it? It looks like they¡¯re selling drugs. Ian looked at Ed and Logan alternately with suspicious eyes, but there was nothing he could find out. Logan moved on, leaving Ian looking down at the notebook again with an uneasy feeling. As Schwartz stood tall from where he was standing, tension rose again among the knights who glanced at the situation without knowing what was going on. ¡°Knights.¡± It was an unusual soft call. However, when the knights, who were more fearful, looked to the front, Logan glanced at Ian, who was not looking at him, and erased his expression in an instant. A smile that was warm like the weather, melted all of a sudden. Yes, the Logan that the Knights knew was always like. That face with nothing on it as if the tide had ebbed away. ¡°Please this time,¡± A slightly lowered voice pierced into my ear. Where did the man who had been speaking affectionately go? The Duke of the Hyer family, who narrowed his pupils like a snake, opened his mouth. ¡°I want you to prove yourself useful.¡± Even if he didn¡¯t add it, they knew the meaning permeated by those words. It means it doesn¡¯t matter if they die. Logan¡¯s words were broadly similar in conclusion. Even the unknown sense of alienation that they feel sometimes. Those who had already died cannot be counted. His fingertips got cold on their own and he grabbed the reins tightly. Ian, who took his eyes off the notebook in the chilly atmosphere, raised his head. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± But there was only Logan standing there with his expression as softened as before. The knights who saw Logan with a different expression, as if they knew in advance that they would see this side of him, slowly swallowed their breath. They couldn¡¯t figure out why he was pretending to be someone else in front of that prince. The reason why he decided to take him on this expedition is also unknown to them. But all of them knew exactly one thing. ¡°You can come with me.¡± That¡¯s a human imitation. [T/N: AHEM¡­ WHAT?- ???] He is waiting for the right time by putting on a face, adding kindness, hiding his sprouted fangs. They don¡¯t know what they are waiting for, but they never wanted to get involved. It was the Knights who witnessed things that were incomprehensible in common sense, closer than anyone else. If everyone keeps their mouths shut as if they had promised, a perfect accomplice will be made. Then the sound of the trumpet cracked through the air. Slowly the gates were opening. ??????????????????? T/N: This chapter became so¡­ mysterious all of a sudden¡­ (???) Please support to save ROS. Your help is desperately needed Chapter 34 The expedition, which Ian thought would be rough, was more peaceful than he expected. Three days have passed since they left the mansion, but the march was smooth because the terrain was not rough and there were no large animals that infested. Rather, it was more problematic because nothing appeared. Although it was a cold area, it was not to the extent that animals could not live. Nevertheless, there were no small footprints, let alone herbivores such as deer. Strangely, everything was quiet in the forest. It was the first time that birds could not be heard in a forest, so Ian looked around and then looked at Logan who was walking side by side. He was looking ahead expressionlessly as if he was not particularly interested in the scenery. Even though it was possible to trot slowly, Ian was still unable to speed up enough to catch up with the skilled Knights. Although he naturally lagged behind the crowd from the beginning, he did not get lost because Logan always slowed down for him. [T/N: Trot- (with reference to a horse or other four-legged animal) proceed or cause to proceed at a pace faster than a walk, lifting each diagonal pair of legs alternately.] The full-fledged expedition began when Claude arrived at a pre-designated place. After unpacking and determining the area, the search party moved based on it, so by the time Ian arrived, most of them had disappeared into the forest. Ian didn¡¯t know what they were searching for, but he only noticed that they were in vain because there was nothing in the hands of the Knights who returned around the evening. ¡°They say that in Rox, the body remains unscathed even when hit with the highest grade of power.¡± Suddenly, Ian, who was looking away, turned to the sudden voice coming from the side. Logan wasn¡¯t looking this way. ¡°Of course, your skin has been clean and beautiful since birth.¡± Ian thought he had heard it somewhere, and soon he remembered the first time he met Kyle. Even clothes have clean skin in Rox? Even that face that curiously asked*. [*T/N: Ian even remembered Kyle¡¯s expression when he asked that strange question before.] In fact, Ian, who had never been to the country of the Rox, couldn¡¯t quite understand the meaning of that question. Even in the modern era where they lived, most of them had clear skin unless they were in a country where a certain culture was established. However, the more he got out of the room and encountered people, the more Ian realized what it meant. Each of the people here had something engraved on their bodies. Some were very small, like Claude¡¯s cross*, but others were noticeably large. Of course, no one had a swear word on their face like Kyle, but all of them were different in size and location, and not a single person could be seen without anything like Ian. [*T/N: If you guys don¡¯t remember, Claude has an engraving of a cross like this ?? on his forehead.] Even Ed, who seemed to have no interest in it, had a tattoo on his wrist. He remembered seeing lines that went like a ring. Ian, who had never thought it was engraved on their skin since birth, thought of them as merely tattoos. And the most common of them was the pattern similar to the snake on the back of the hand. Ian had seen it in the village, the tattoo was located in a place where it could not be hidden without gloves. ? We¡¯re stigmatised like this here! It was a way of saying that they wanted to leave this place as soon as possible. Ian thought the stigma meant the thing on the back of their hand, but he couldn¡¯t even ask. In this mostly hostile place, the tattooed people avoided Ian like a worm. It wasn¡¯t a very pleasant feeling to be despised for no reason, but it wasn¡¯t very unpleasant either. There must be a history of this place. Bloodstained things are usually hard to forget. ¡°But since you came here, you¡¯ve always been hurt.¡± Logan¡¯s voice that followed was at first glance filled with sadness. He felt that he was speeding up a bit, so he glanced at Ian while pulling the reins. ¡°My heart is always anxious.¡± Taking off his shoes, taking him to the procession, putting him in the Knights Templar were all Logan¡¯s doing. He spoke well as he made the whole situation himself. The fact that there was no malice couldn¡¯t be an excuse anyways. Because there have been so many things that he had done so far without malice. Just because you¡¯re curious, bored, and for no reason. Therefore, it would not have worked if it had been the usual argument. [T/N: If this fact had been put into debate or something, Logan would have lost because he had done so many hurtful things to Ian even if he didn¡¯t have any malice. It kinda means that. ? ? ? ?] The senseless kindness, the empty kindness of the inside, and the pleasant words were completely incomprehensible to Ian, who had a habit of scepticism. Logan seemed like the sweetest and cheapest of them all. Ian instinctively felt that he would have a hard time if he swallowed it*. [*T/N: Swallowed his kindness I think (?)] But why? I knew I was going to have a hard time, but strangely enough, I just¡­ ¡°¡­¡­.¡± When Bella, who was walking fast, stopped, Logan immediately stopped in the same place. Ian took out a notebook and a pen from his arms and looked at him as if he was wondering why. Logan came closer as he watched him start to write something down. When he handed over the torn paper, he immediately took it. He looked interested in what else would be written. However, Logan, who read the letters in ink, no longer smiled. It wasn¡¯t what he thought. It would be okay. What would be okay? Getting hurt or being used? If not, how about dying? It was when Logan, who tilted his head to a word he didn¡¯t understand, eventually opened his mouth. For a moment, his head turned to smell on tip of his nose. It seemed that he had finally found it. ¡°We have to go a little further forward.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Logan, who took the reins and turned quickly, disappeared into the forest where there was no path. Ian blinked, wondering what was going on, and didn¡¯t even look at him. Ian, who was left alone in the blink of an eye, turned his head, but only the dense black trees were growing densely. There was still no sound in the forest. Fortunately, it was as Logan said. As he followed the intermittent sound of conversation, he soon saw the Knights who had departed first. The search had already begun, but there were only about a dozen people left. Because they had to stay overnight in the forest, this is how many people were always left to protect their luggage and make food. As they rode the horse fast, several people, who felt his presence, turned their heads. Then they gave him a suspicious look of wonder. ¡°What? Why are you here alone?¡± It was Ian who was always with Logan. He couldn¡¯t tell where the Grand Duke had gone and why he was alone. He wanted to ask, but unfortunately, most of the remaining people were not on good terms with Ian. To be precise, he was exactly among the group of Rox haters. Claude, Schwartz, and Kyle, who were the most elite members of the crew, each went on a search team, so there was currently no one to talk to Ian in a friendly manner. Ian, who had noticed the situation roughly, didn¡¯t bother to approach them. You don¡¯t have to scrape it to make a crumb. [T/N: Simply means he doesn¡¯t need to make the situation worse.] Ian, who came down from the saddle, tied the reins to the tree and took out a water bottle. When Bella¡¯s eyes began to shine, he prepared some water for her and she quickly turned it over in a hurry. She was especially smaller than other horses. It was a schedule that never seemed to end within a few days, so he had to be careful. ¡°Hello.¡± It was when he poured water again because he thought it was still not enough. When he turned his head to the voice that approached and greeted him, there was a man with a face he had never seen before. Who is he? I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve seen him before. In fact, Ian didn¡¯t remember most of them except for a few. ¡°It¡¯s the first time we¡¯re having a conversation. Ah, I¡¯m Dayden.¡± Dayden, who introduced himself with pleasure, had a very ordinary impression. Brown hair, brown eyes, uncharacteristic features, and even a voice that sounds familiar to ears as if he had listened to it several times. He may have talked to him, but he may not have remembered him. When Ian nodded with that thought, Dayden bursted into laughter, haha. ¡°Sorry. It¡¯s really amazing to see you up close. I¡¯ve been wanting to talk to you for a while, um.¡± Dayden, who paused as if he were thinking something, whispered with a slight expression of embarrassment. ¡°It was kind of hard because Kyle was always next to you.¡± It was a reason that Ian could empathize with. No one would want to come near seeing someone pecking at your ears like a woodpecker all day long. Well, he didn¡¯t even want that. Ian, who roughly shrugged his shoulders, locked the bucket. ¡°Ah, you can eat first if you¡¯re hungry. It¡¯s hard because it¡¯s your first time on an expedition, isn¡¯t it ?¡± It was almost evening before he knew it. Ian, who was not very hungry, shook his head, pointing to beef jerky and stew prepared in advance so that they could eat it as soon as the search party returned. Ian recalled that none of the people who suddenly pretended to be friendly and talked to him properly were decent humans. ¡°I am making you feel uncomfortable, aren¡¯t I? Talking to you all of a sudden?¡± Dayden asked with a light smile as if he noticed it. It would have been better if I knew, I would have gone a little bit, but it seemed that I didn¡¯t have such a keen eye. [T/N: Ian is probably thinking that if he knew where Logan went then he would have gone there but he didn¡¯t have such keen eyes to notice where he went. Because it¡¯s awkward here. (???)] ¡°I¡¯m not from the North. So I actually wanted to apologize. It happened when I joined the Knight Templar¡­., and maybe to this day. I¡¯ve been watching you being treated unfairly.¡± ¡°.¡­..¡± ¡°I mean, you didn¡¯t come to Shertian because you wanted to come, either.¡± It was quite a normal remark that he didn¡¯t expect to hear here. Ian, who was ignoring him moderately and trying to avoid the seat, turned his attention towards Dayden. Unlike before, the ears were a little red, showing that he is sincerely embarrassed. It was the moment when he narrowed his eyebrows. Ian, as well as Dayden¡¯s face, turned toward the sudden noise around them. ¡°Blee-Bleeding¡­.¡± And there, there were search crews who returned in their miserable condition, covered in blood. ??????????????????? T/N: I wonder where Shyu is¡­ ? ? ? ? Please support to save ROS. Your help is desperately needed Chapter 35 TW: Mentions of blood and a few gruesome injuries. The peaceful campsite turned into chaos in an instant. When those who had been laughing and joking until the morning returned covered in blood, the crew, who were doing different things, rushed. ¡°Hey, what about Evan? You were in the same group!¡± ¡°Is that important now? Damn it, don¡¯t you see that his arm flew away?¡± ¡°Where did this happen? Did you mark it?¡± ¡°This at least¡­¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t just leave him behind! Right?¡± ¡°Shut up, everybody. Stop the bleeding right now, you b*stards!¡± It was Fred with a crumpled expression on his face who arranged the situation in which everyone was frantically pouring out their own words. He wondered how far he had to go, he didn¡¯t know the extent. Apparently, the remaining people were all new recruits who had just joined. In the last expedition, they were only in vain, so this was the first time they had been in such a situation. When he gritted his teeth, wondering what he was doing with these guys, some of them, who finally came to their senses, brought clean cloth. Up close, the condition was even more disastrous. There were some people who lost their entire arm, as well as their abdomen, which was dented enough to reveal a split cross section. Fortunately, some of them who were conscious seemed to have returned with those who could not move. Half-broken armor was removed, and when the cloth was pressed against the bleeding area, a painful scream immediately erupted. ¡°Hold on. Do you want to die here?¡± ¡°No, no¡­ Ah, urgh! ¡°Let¡¯s move everything inside first, there might be an infection like last time, so be careful. I need to sterilize it, so bring some water to boil. Don¡¯t lose your mind, you punks!¡± When specific instructions were given, the people, who were wandering, took charge of their respective tasks. As he hurriedly boiled the water and watched the injured being moved inside by putting them on the blankets, his eyes met Ian, who was standing at a distance not far away. He didn¡¯t want to see him, but now he was in a hurry. Most of them were in serious condition. It was also unknown when other search parties would arrive, so they had to hold on until then. ¡°Hey, what are you looking at? You help too!¡± Ian thought he would get kicked out right away, but what he said was unexpected. Fred frowned as if he had predicted what Ian was thinking, but soon turned to the urgent call for him. ¡°What?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t stop the bleeding. The torn part is large and the wound is deep, so I think I need to clean it right away¡­¡± There was blood dripping underneath the man who was already lying down. The wound was so large that pressure alone could not stop the bleeding, so he would have died from excessive bleeding if left as it is. However, there was no one who could sew the wound right away. Schwartz or Claude, who went on such expeditions several times, could do it even when closing their eyes, but Fred only helped a few times and had never done it himself. Oh no, I think I¡¯m going to die like this. He was barely holding onto it, but it was obvious that he would not be able to hold out for long. He was biting his lips, unable to do this or that, and someone approached Fred. Even in this situation, Ian looked relaxed. ¡°Go and help!¡± He got annoyed and screamed. Some people were going back and forth between life and death, and it was obvious that he was pissed off that he was just watching. No matter how much we don¡¯t know each other, people are dying in front of us¡­! But Ian, ignoring the gallant Fred, took out his notebook and only wrote something down. ¡°Hey! Ack¡­!¡± When he raised his voice one more time, the notebook was pushed in front of his nose. It was the moment when Fred, whose face was pressed against it, couldn¡¯t resist being crushed and grabbed Ian by the collar. He blinked his eyes at the shaky letters right in front of him. Needle, thread, cloth ¡°¡­What? Can you do it?¡± Ian nodded when Fred, who turned suspicious at once, asked again. Fred, who was furious at the completely unreliable attitude, opened his mouth. ¡°Why are you trying to help all of a sudden?¡± Right now, the patient was out of breath. Ian, who had little to do with it, tried to beckon something and wrote something in his notebook again as if he was annoyed. You. Help. Request. Help. You asked me to help, so I said I¡¯d help. It was a crazy combination of words and basic forms. Anyway, he nodded awkwardly because the meaning was conveyed, but somehow he felt very bad. Why? He wanted to think about the reason, but the man who was out of breath came first. The tools were quickly prepared at Fred¡¯s command. Ian swallowed a bitter smile as he looked at the straight needle rather than being a bent one. He didn¡¯t even expect it anyway. It is disinfectant, so there can¡¯t be medical gauze. The only consolation was the neatness of the barracks. [T/N: Disinfectant- Causing disinfection. Barracks ¨C Soldiers¡¯ tent.] [T/N: Cotton fibers in gauze can absorb and actually inactive ingredients in disinfectants leaving them less effective or ineffective altogether. Just for more information why there can¡¯t be medical gauze. I don¡¯t know anything about medical stuff guys, just researched on Google. (¦È?¦È)] He thought to explain the secondary infection, but he just passed it. [T/N: Secondary infection ¨C A secondary infection is an infection that occurs during or after treatment for another infection. It may be caused by the first treatment or by changes in the immune system.] It was because he thought it would be similar whether he dies with that or dies now. The faintly conscious man fumbled as he saw Ian holding a needle. Ian, who had expected what he was going to say with his frightened eyes, stuffed the cloth next to him into the man¡¯s mouth. If you bite your tongue in the middle, it¡¯s all meaningless. ¡°Wai-Wait, whop!¡± Fred, who watched the thoughtless action blankly, quickly grabbed the man at Ian¡¯s ungrasped gaze. Since there was no anaesthetic, it almost pierced the flesh several times. There will of course also be shocks. Ian moved the needle unannounced, recalling the increasing reasons for death. ¡°Ugh! Ugh!¡± The faces of the people outside turned pale due to the screams heard in the barracks. They wondered if he was torturing him with spite of nothing, but after a while, the sutures, which were cut after a while, were excessively clean and perfect. [T/N: Suture ¨C Surgical suture, also known as a stitch or stitches, is a medical device used to hold body tissues together and approximate wound edges after an injury or surgery.] It was natural. I¡¯ve been doing this for years. Most of the wounds on my body were sewn by myself. Of course, it¡¯s rare to do it without painkillers or anaesthetics. ¡°¡­¡­..¡± By the end of the evening, Logan returned to the campsite and stared intently at the scene in front of him. As follows, other search teams arrived one after another, and all were forced to witness the same scene. ¡°Why? What is it?¡± Kyle, who arrived last, pushed some people in front of him in an unusual atmosphere and went inside. Then he soon faced Ian, who had a rare look on his face. ¡°Ha¡­.¡± Humans want two when they get one. [T/N: It kinda means, the more you get the more you want.] Ian was paying the price for forgetting the unchanging truth for a moment. Fred, who witnessed Ian¡¯s skills in person, made Ian sew three more people after that. He was wondering what to do, as there was really no one who could sew. It was Fred again this time that stopped Ian from leaving the barracks after the last cut. ¡°You said you¡¯d help!¡± So what. It was the man whose arm was cut off who appeared in front of Ian, who had already taken care of three of them. The man leaned his head because he thought he was going to do something more. To be exact, it would be more right to say that it was ripped off. As Ian, who had no ability to suture his missing arm, narrowed the gap between his eyebrows, he was forced to look at it for now. He had been feeling this for a while, that it wasn¡¯t a wound from being attacked by a human. The rough and messy wound was obviously the act of an animal. Is it a bear too? It was difficult to determine exactly because the ecology of this place was not well known. Since Ian had never treated a person with a torn arm, all he could do was stop bleeding. He thought this was the end, but when he tried to get up, Ian, who had to face most of the search groups who eventually returned, was beyond the limits of his patience by the time Logan arrived. At this point, it was almost an illegal medical facility. Puck! When he threw the wet cloth he was holding onto Fred¡¯s face, he fell. Fred, who was lying on the floor defenseless, couldn¡¯t figure out what had happened for a moment and jumped up at once. ¡°Hey! Why are you doing this all of a sudden, whop?¡± The cloth on the other hand was also stuffed in his mouth. Fred, who couldn¡¯t overcome the power of the wet cloth, got up again with a reddened face. Are you crazy? He shouted but it was a question that could not be heard from Ian, who seemed a bit crazy. It was the knights nearby who stopped Fred, who was about to rush in. ¡°Hold on, hold on!¡± ¡°You have to tell me the reason for throwing it! Aren¡¯t you coming?¡± ¡­.This was the scene that the returning crew witnessed. The people, who could not grasp the situation for a moment as they watched Fred and Ian fighting-almost one-sidedly-soon ran in and found out the truth when someone explained the situation. At that, Kyle, who ran into the barracks, came out after a while and shouted at Ian. His face was deeply enlightened. ¡°Prince, did you just embroider in the palace?¡± [T/N: Embroider- Decorate (cloth) by sewing patterns on it with thread. It was once again the moment the wet cloth flew in. ??????????????????? T/N: This chapter was painful for me to translate, since I felt like I can feel the pain, it gives me shivers. (¦È?¦È) But suddenly it turned kinda funny¡­ I don¡¯t know what is happening (¦È?¦È). And sorry for the late chapter, I got busy with my tuition. (¨i©n¨i) Please support to save ROS. Your help is desperately needed Chapter 36 The mess ended when Fred made eye contact with Logan. To be precise, it was more appropriate to say that the anger on his face was controlled by itself seeing the face staring at him. He got goosebumps as he didn¡¯t know since when he had been staring at him. Likewise, Ian, who confirmed that others had returned, calmed down his annoyance and walked to his barracks. Kyle, whose face was moistened, followed him with chatter, but he came back pretending to be aware of Ian¡¯s eyes telling him to follow him one more step.* [*T/N: It¡¯s like telling people ¡°follow me one more step and I will kill you.¡± ???] In the meantime, Claude was figuring out the number of people. ¡°Everyone is back except Evan.¡± There were many seriously injured people, but only one was missing. When he reported the members who had been treated much more carefully than expected, Logan casually replied. ¡°He is dead.¡± It seemed so. There was some commotion for a while, but it was never a situation to laugh and chatter. As if realizing it, the surroundings became quiet. One death, three others were disfigured, and each returned with large and small wounds. ¡°I smelled his blood.¡± It was the second search party that left at 11 o¡¯clock Logan, who was with Ian, smelled it and arrived, he had already stopped breathing. ¡°They were quite small, but they were seven.¡± It was a miracle that so many appeared at once, and there was only one death. It was possible because Logan, who smelled it, arrived right away. Before he knew it, the view of the forest where the sun sank was so dark that he couldn¡¯t see an inch ahead. It was a shaded place even on a sunny day. Logan muttered as he looked back on his way. ¡°This means they are around here.¡± Yellow glistening eyes shone even in the dark. Unlike last time, they seemed to have got it right this time. Before he could smell it, he had to find it first. Schwartz nodded quietly as if he knew what it meant without saying anything. It seemed that the settlement of this expedition was here. A full-fledged search began the next day. Claude¡¯s expression was a little stiff when he said he had decided to settle here, instead of riding the horse, unlike the everyday. ¡°We¡¯re reorganizing the group because the entire second search party was injured. I¡¯ve decided to leave a backup crew behind. It would be a problem if there were only newcomers like yesterday.¡± As long as they stayed here, the campsite was never a safe place. This would be the most dangerous place if all the elite personnel left for the search. Since both food and horses were gathered, they should not move without any countermeasures. Claude, who let out a light sigh in the self-sinking atmosphere, opened his mouth again. ¡°So, from today, the Grand Duke will join us.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°The Grand Duke?¡± It was Logan, who was always moving alone. The sudden announcement began to stir the members. They didn¡¯t know if it was a good thing or a bad thing. In fact, the safest place here was next to the Grand Duke, but on the contrary, the most dangerous place was also next to the Grand Duke. ¡°That¡¯s all for the announcement. Let¡¯s start with group formation.¡± Moderately ignoring the tumultuous atmosphere, Claude immediately moved on to the next schedule. Soon thereafter, a new group was formed, and a search party dispersed into the forest along the same route. ¡°¡­..¡± At that time, Ian, who was already up early, was feeding Bella. Originally, it was time to ride a horse, but he decided to settle down, so he didn¡¯t have to. Ian, who was filling most of the expedition with horseback riding due to his slow speed, suddenly lost time. Like other knights, he didn¡¯t have to go out on a search, but he had to stay in the barracks all day long. But things didn¡¯t turn out as Ian thought. ¡°Sorry, there are a lot of injuries, but we¡¯re short-handed. We need clean water to clean the wound.¡± There was nothing wrong with Dayden¡¯s words, that came out after he opened his mouth with difficulty. As the number of patients increased, the number of search parties decreased, and so they had to protect that place as they couldn¡¯t afford to distribute the standby personnel to the encroaching battlefield. He thought it would be better to move his body than to do nothing, so he nodded his head and Dayden¡¯s expression brightened noticeably. ¡°Thank you! The river is nearby, so don¡¯t worry.¡± He felt like he had been swindled by the bucket that was handed over as if he had been waiting, but it was okay. As Ian heard where the stream was, he went outside and his eyes met Fred, who was boiling the stew. He glares straight at him as if he couldn¡¯t forget yesterday¡¯s humiliation. Once again, Ian thought about throwing a wet cloth on his face again, but he gave up. Yesterday was rare and his hands moved first because he ran out of patience, but not today. Fred, who was annoyed by the way he turned his head without any reaction, calmed down only after seeing the wooden bucket in Ian¡¯s hand. Still, it¡¯s hard to try to help without pretending¡­ What is that? ¡°Agh!¡± When Fred, who jumped up from his seat, screamed, only Daniel was startled. What¡¯s wrong with you? He was alone with the newcomers yesterday, so it was clear that he was out of his mind. Sudden stress is dangerous. Ian was gradually moving further away from the campsite, walking in the direction Dayden had indicated to him whether anyone screamed behind him or not. It was the first time he had come into the forest alone like this. Logan was always by his side when he moved, so there was no time to be alone. Unlike the procession when the whole world looked white due to snow piled up, everything had melted. The weather has been clear since the start of the expedition. Thanks to this, it was fortunate that it was easy to camp in the forest. It seemed a bit crazy to spend weeks in the forest in the cold weather. Even if the weather was clear that morning, several people almost froze to death. There were no green leaves frozen with cold, but it was cold enough. It is a forest with so many old trees that even if you look up, you can¡¯t see even half of the sky because of the leaves. It was when he walked slowly after being amazed by the leaves that were dyed black as if a shadow. Crisp. Ian stood still at the sound heard not far away. ¡°¡­..¡± It was already quite far from the campsite. The search team left early in the morning, so there was no way that they could be here yet. Then, what is it? It was likely to be a beast if not a man. Ian didn¡¯t know what attacked those who returned from injury yesterday. Maybe it* smelled the blood and followed him to the campsite. [*T/N: Here it is referred to as the man or the beast.] The sound was no longer heard. As if he had sensed that Ian had noticed, the forest fell into silence again. Not far away, only the sound of the water was heard softly, and so he could tell that the stream that Dayden was talking about was over there. He couldn¡¯t have misheard it. He didn¡¯t know if he should go back like this or go in the direction of the sound of the water. Ed¡¯s voice suddenly came to mind when he was in a short dilemma. ? If you happen to get separated from a group, go where you can hear the sound of the water. It was a request as if he knew this would happen. He didn¡¯t know what it meant, but he felt strangely pulled back. This premonition was generally not wrong, so Ian moved his paused pace. He thought it would be better to go to the stream instead of going back to the campsite. I wonder how much longer I have to walk. With the sound of water getting clearer and clearer, the river that Dayden talked about appeared. Contrary to what he thought, it was a flowing stream, it was wide. If you jump even this much, it seems that you would be submerged up to your shoulders. Fortunately, the water was very clean to the naked eye. They¡¯ll boil it once anyway, so this wasn¡¯t bad. It was quite cold when he put down the bucket he was carrying and dipped his fingertips in it. Perhaps there might be a situation where he might have to go back and forth several times, so Ian immediately put the bucket into the water. It was when it was filled to the brim that the water was fluttering. Rustle. He stopped again when he heard the sound from behind. This time he heard it for sure. The distance was closer than he thought, so Ian hurriedly lowered his gaze. He looked for a possible weapon, but he only had the wooden bucket he was holding. Crisp. In the meantime, it was getting closer and closer to him. Ian, who took a deep breath, organised his thoughts. He thought he would run to the campsite if he had to. There would be weapons there, so he would be able to deal with them somehow. Ian, who concluded so, turned to the back in an instant. Before he knew it, the sound was getting closer. ??????????????????? T/N: Sorry for the late release, I have been quite busy with tuitions and school¡­ (¡ä£»¦Ø£»£à) Chapter 37 When he turned around, what appeared in front of him was not rough fur, but frizzy blond hair. As Ian, who couldn¡¯t grasp the situation for a while, slowly lowered his gaze, his eyes met with Shyu, who looked at him with a surprised face. As if he didn¡¯t expect him to look back all of a sudden, his eyes were as big as a bell. ¡°¡­..¡± He was a weak opponent to the point of despondency. [T/N: Despondency- low spirits from loss of hope or courage; dejection.] Not knowing why he was here, Ian sighed and picked up the bucket that had fallen to the floor. Fortunately, there was no problem when he looked for any broken parts. After seeing it, Shyu realized that Ian was also surprised because of him. His surprised expression soon turned into regret. Ian thought he had a very changeable face, but he could also see one cheek that was red and swollen again. Ian, who suddenly remembered that situation a few days ago, shut his mouth. It was the first time he saw him get hit, and it was true that he didn¡¯t help him. Since then, he had never encountered Shyu. Unlike himself, who moved with Logan, Shyu was mixed with the Knights and always arrived one step earlier. It was the same for the campsites. Ian had also seen him running around on errands, but that¡¯s all. Are you finally heartbroken? He could tell because he always followed him to the point where it was annoying. Seriously, if he had followed him around despite what happened, he would have been considered really short-sighted. You need to learn how to give up moderately. He hoped that in the future he would focus his heart only on those who deserve it. In an atmosphere that became awkward on its own, Ian dipped the empty wooden bucket into the stream. He wasn¡¯t really able to talk to him, so he thought he¡¯d just go back. As he scooped up one and dipped the rest of the bucket, Shyu came up to the side and gently held out something. Clasped in both hands was a fruit that looked like raspberries. ¡°¡­¡­..¡± Shyu¡¯s hands were covered with red nectar from how preciously he was holding them. Not being able to figure out why he was giving it to him, Ian blinked as he stopped moving. Shyu looked around quickly while looking at Ian, who did not think about receiving it and bit his lips with a serious look. ¡°Shh. Shh.¡± It¡¯s a secret, so hurry up and eat. It was clear that if he was caught by Turk, everything would be taken away. Shyu looked proud, not knowing that the fruits had been crushed because he was in a hurry. You¡¯ll like this because it¡¯s sweet and delicious. He was fortunate to be able to find it because the snow had melted. Fortunately, Shyu found the berries near the campsite and waited all along for Ian to be left alone. He happened to see him draw water himself and followed him secretly like this. Ian was at a loss of words at Shyu¡¯s action of raising his hands for he was not answering quickly. At most, he couldn¡¯t understand why he came running to give him something like this, and he couldn¡¯t understand the act of expressing favor unconditionally while not receiving anything. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± But he couldn¡¯t help but receive it. When he slowly reached out his hand, he finally put a lot of crushed fruit in Ian¡¯s hand with an excited face. His palms were wet but not dirty. He didn¡¯t know why he brought this He brought it to his mouth and took a small bite. It was the moment when he felt like he was the one who lost somehow. While Ian ate all the berries he received, Shyu puffed out his chest with a proud face. He believed Ian would like it because it was a fruit that was hard to find in the forest. Finally, Ian, who emptied both hands cleanly, held out his hands as if to check. I really ate it all. Shyu blinked his eyes to confirm, and when he smiled, Ian, who exhaled a long breath, grabbed the nape of his neck. Uh? Shyu, who sat down without any time to struggle, looked like he didn¡¯t understand. Right in front of him was a stream of clean water. Is he going to drop me here? He was used to it because it was often done by a group of Turk¡¯s people. He couldn¡¯t imagine Ian doing that, but he would have never known. People have always been difficult. But instead of submerging his face in the water, Ian dipped his hands and began to wipe Shyu¡¯s cheeks. Oh, irrespective of the startled reaction, he rubbed the remaining stain with water once again. He couldn¡¯t stand being sloppy. He had been thinking about it for a while, but he had always been too sloppy to match his appearance. He was treated like that more because he walked around as if he were not being managed and that he was weak. Humans are not afraid to throw stones at broken windows. When they realize that throwing it once or twice does not do anything, it becomes a mess from then on. Ian didn¡¯t get up until he was clean enough to look at him. This is what you pay for the fruit. He calculated properly and began to return the way he came from, with a full bucket of water. ¡°Oh!¡± Shyu, who was sitting blankly looking at his own face reflected on the river, belatedly followed Ian. On the way back, he thought he could feel the gaze even on the way back but soon realized that he was mistaken by Kyle who popped out of the grass. A few days have passed, but contrary to expectations, there was no result. They searched thoroughly based on the settlement, but nothing came out, so in the end, it was concluded that they should move a little further north. Maybe they already smelled it and ran away. Logan narrowed his eyes, feeling that he was using his brain more and more. After searching for the last place they had not been to, he decided to pack up, and disperse the search party earlier than usual in the morning. As the afternoon drew near, everyone began to pack. They thought it was inevitable to move as they had not found anything for several days. While walking in the barracks and arranging the seats, Fred, who was inside, came out and shouted strangely. ¡°Hey, haven¡¯t you seen Turk?¡± The third barracks had to be closed, but the luggage was still intact. He looked everywhere for him because he hated people touching his stuff, but he couldn¡¯t even see his nose. ¡°Come to think of it, I haven¡¯t seen him since morning.¡± Daniel, who was organizing firewood, suddenly answered, and another member next to him opened his mouth. It was because there was a scene that he happened to see while passing by. ¡°He was taking him to the woods this morning.¡± ¡°Who?¡± ¡°That little boy. Was it Shyu? Oh, and Jack went too.¡± When he checked the time, it was already 2 p.m. Ian, who happened to hear it while passing by, looked around. Thinking of it, he really didn¡¯t see Shyu. Considering the immense tension these days, Ian should have already run into him three times. ¡°But he still hasn¡¯t come back?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t he go get some water? He was carrying a bucket.¡± It¡¯s time to come back already, no matter what. The stream and the campsite were less than 20 minutes away. Perhaps everyone had noticed, Fred, who titled his head and spat on the floor as if something had come to mind, turned around. ¡°Damn it, you filthy b*stard.¡± Soon it was time for Logan and the search party to return. They had to find out before things got any bigger. It was when everyone sighed as if they had thought the same as Fred. Their heart was pounding outside, which suddenly became noisy. ¡°Why again!¡± Even though they thought it would be no big deal, it was the same situation that unfolded before their eyes as they rushed in the direction of the sound. However, the difference was that this time there was only one person, not the search crew. Ian¡¯s gaze, which belatedly followed, reached the abdomen of a man overflowing with blood. It was Dayden who stumbled into the campsite. ¡°Hurry up and unpack! Bring a cloth! Hey, are you okay? Anyone else?¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± Fred, who hurriedly yelled at the crew next, approached Dayden and shouted. However, he loses his balance and collapses on the spot before he can even reach him. Hey! Fred, being startled, ran away as soon as he saw the trauma worse than he had expected. If he had walked this far alone, that meant he was still nearby. He thought he had no choice but to hope that the search party would return soon, but Ian, who approached Fred, held out his notebook in front of Dayden¡¯s eyes. ¡°What are you doing?¡± He heard the question but shook the notebook regardless. Dayden, who was still conscious, slowly moved his eyes and looked into the notebook. Shyu There was only one letter written in the wide margin. Dayden took a deep breath as if he was about to burst into laughter, slowly raised his finger, and pointed in the direction he had come from. It was on the way to the river. As soon as Ian saw it, he got up and ran towards the forest without hesitation. Before he knew it, he had the sword that Fred had with him. ??????????????????? Chapter 38 He didn¡¯t know how much he ran. The trees that passed through his sight were all the same color, so he felt like passing the road that he had passed before again. Ian was out of breath, but he didn¡¯t stop. As he ran with a tighter grip on the sword in his hand, he soon heard the sound of running water. However, Ian, who arrived at the stream after a while, faced the empty surroundings. He couldn¡¯t see any beast that could have made Dayden like that, let alone Shyu. If running straight in this direction, you would only end up in this place, so he didn¡¯t come to the wrong place. Then Ian quickly scanned the floor, wondering if it had gone somewhere else in the meantime. At the end, he found a broken piece of wooden bucket. He was sure that a fight had taken place here. Ian, who was looking around not knowing where Shyu had gone, went a little further inside after passing the stream. From here on, it was a place he had never been to before. It was frustrating at times like this that he couldn¡¯t call out his name. After going in for a long time, he stopped for a while on the two-pronged road to regain his breath. Before he could think about where to go, he heard a thud sound. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± It wasn¡¯t a person. It¡¯s hard to sound like that with normal weight. Slowly he turned his head to the sound. Crisp, the sound of stepping on the dry leaves resounded. He had heard of it a few days ago. It was Shyu back then, but¡­. It was different now. Krrg. It was not a spade dragging sound, but the sound was similar to scraping metal. Ian took a step back, slowly taking the sword out of its scabbard. The sound was coming from the front. As if it knew that Ian was here, it quickly narrowed the distance without hesitation. Rustle. When he thought the sound was getting louder and louder, what finally appeared in front of Ian was a giant beast about the same height as him. Kreuk, khg¡­. Ian realized the moment his eyes met it. This is what everyone¡¯s been looking for for days. At first glance, it looked similar to a wild boar, but it was too big for that. ¡°¡­¡­..¡± The animal here was bulking up. As Ian took a step back, the beast¡¯s gaze turned to him. The white flesh would be as red as rabies. The moment the bloodshot eyes moved slowly, the beast rushed at him with a tearing sound. Because it was too big, it seemed that it could break someone¡¯s bones if it just firmly stood on someone. Ian, who quickly turned to the side, aimed at the right leg of the running beast. Fortunately, it cut off exactly where it looked like a well-managed joint. Kaaaagh! The beast, who could not balance and leaned sideways, screamed. Thinking that it would be better to attack the lower body as it weighs so much, Ian once again aimed at the bottom of the running beast. This time it was a hind leg. ¡°Khugh¡­¡± However, before the sword could reach, the beast¡¯s tail sharply struck Ian¡¯s stomach in an instant. Ian, who suddenly flew into the air for a moment as if he was beaten by a huge whip, got slammed on his back in a tree nearby. It felt like his ribs were broken. Having never been thrown in this ignorant way, Ian quickly moved to another side and took a quick breath. Khwajik! The jaws of the beast that rushed to the place where Ian was nailed to a tree. It was exactly where his head was. Ian, who almost had his head crushed, quickly picked up the sword that had fallen near him. He then cut off his right hind leg before pulling out his studded jaw out of the tree. Khaaagh! Thud! The beast, who couldn¡¯t balance, fell to the side, due to his legs being cut off in the same direction, back and forth. With the ground shaking, the beast struggled to get up again due to its weight. Tuk! Ian straightened the sword, after spitting out the blood accumulated in his mouth. It couldn¡¯t move right away, but he thought he should hold his breath just in case. It was when Ian, who once again confirmed that he could not move properly, slowly approached with the sword. Crrrrg! The mouth of the beast, which was dripping saliva, opened wide. The moment he thought something was wriggling in its mouth, the beast that stopped moving as if it had been turned off, suddenly drooped down. ¡°¡­¡­?¡± What? It was a very awkward move. Ian, who frowned, stopped, but the beast no longer responded. Even when he approached slowly and inserted his sword into its neck, it only flinched reflexively and did not breathe as if he was already dead. There was something more he wanted to check, but it was more important to find Shyu. There couldn¡¯t be only one like that. Recalling the scar on Schwartz¡¯s face, Ian ran down the left path that the beast had walked on. He felt like he was going around the same place for a while. Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks It was like that as the forest was full of black old trees on all sides, but it felt strangely vain. Isn¡¯t it here? He swept back his flowing hair and looked up and still he could only see half of the sky. Maybe he¡¯s already back. Dayden was the only one attacked, and Shyu, who was hiding nearby, could have escaped safely and returned to the camp. He was slow, but he was small, so it might have been hiding well in some corner. He ran all the way here without realizing it, but when his mind was numb, a rational judgment sounded like a warning. Somehow he felt like he shouldn¡¯t go in anymore. If Shyu hadn¡¯t returned, there was a possibility that Logan would form a search party and find Shyu together. Of course, Logan wouldn¡¯t do it only because of one small child, but it was unknowable if Ian was deceived by Logan to some extent. He thought it would be much better to go back, so he turned his back slowly. ¡°Hey, is anyone there?¡± And that was the moment. Ian turned back at the voice that echoed through the trees. He thought he had heard it somewhere and moved to the sound, and soon saw someone from afar. ¡°Hey! Here!¡± The other person was also waving his hand as if he recognized Ian. He was wondering where he heard it, and it was when the expedition started. Turk, who kicked Shyu as hard as he could, was sitting under the tree and waving his arms. ¡°Ha. I thought I was going to die¡­¡± The man who took a long sighed shouted at Ian. ¡°Hurry up and help me! I can¡¯t walk, my legs are like this.¡± He wondered why he was doing that, and he seemed to have hurt his leg. He didn¡¯t know how he got here, but since it was that man who took Shyu with him in the morning, he thought he could ask where he was. If he talks nonsense, he can just leave him here. It was when he approached where the man was sitting. Ian stopped at a distance where the face was barely recognisable. ¡°What?¡± Seeing the sudden stop, Turk opened his mouth. However, Ian, who no longer moved forward, took a step back and looked around. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Scared?¡± Something was strange. He couldn¡¯t feel any presence, but somehow it felt like someone else was with him. And as if he had read Ian¡¯s thoughts, suddenly the branch of the tree where Turk was leaning on his back began to shake frantically. ¡°Argh!¡± The sound of shaking branches spread like a seizure into the quiet forest. The terrified Turk screamed, but at one point the noise stopped. Ian took a step back and held his breath. His fingertips trembled with the feeling of his blood getting cold. Something creeps out slowly out of the tree. The things that had appeared before Ian so far were things that ordinary people could barely understand with common sense. A country he had never seen, a sword-wielding environment, and even an undeveloped civilization were awkward, but not abnormal. But ¡®this¡¯ is different. The dark skin cracked and the eyes were exposed beneath the red flesh. Countless eyes rolled as if searching for something. Pupils moving rapidly up and down were all different. The size of the eye was about the size of his face, so every time it rolled its eyeballs, a moist sound like mucus resounded. Khguk¡­ There was something stuck in like a blade, he didn¡¯t know if it was a hand or a foot. Turk¡¯s chest was already opened. Ian raised his hand to cover his mouth at the sound of scratching the armour of the dead knight. He slowly hid himself, leaning his back against the back of the tree. Crack¡­ He seemed to know what it was eating. For a moment, he almost made a noise with flaring up nausea, but he quickly held his breath and closed his eyes. The sound of munching and chewing meat was heard nearby. Killing and eating were different. As he felt the stark difference throughout his whole body, at some point he couldn¡¯t hear any crackling sound. His surroundings became silent as if nothing had happened. ¡­.Are you done eating? The moment he thought so. ¡°Fo¡­ und¡­ you!¡± [T/N: Not sure who is saying this. What do you guys think? Is it that beast? (???)] He heard a ¡®sound¡¯ right next to him. Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only ??????????????????? T/N: Ian did act like he didn¡¯t care about Shyu at all, but see, he was the first one to go and run to save Shyu ???¡­. And the creepy scenes at the end¡­ umm¡­???