Chapter 56
“Brother, I-I’m here!”
With the very last of her strength, Shanelika cried out. She feared Ferdin might not see her, so she forced her broken, blood-caked lips to move.
She didn’t know how Ferdin had gotten here. But she could guess. Derwin must have asked him, unwilling to send her alone with Stern.
Some of the resentment and betrayal Shanelika had felt toward Derwin seemed to unravel a little.
Yes… he wouldn’t just abandon me to face this nightmare on my own.
Step, step.
At last, Ferdin fully emerged in front of Shanelika and Stern.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
In the same arrogant tone he always used with Shanelika, Ferdin glared at Stern. His eyes flicked once, cold and emotionless, over Shanelika’s battered, unrecognizable state.
“As you can see.”
Stern shrugged lightly, as Ferdin drew his sword. The metallic clang rang sharply in Shanelika’s ears.
“Isn’t it time you stopped?”
“Oh? That’s how you want to play it?”
Watching the tense standoff between the two men, Shanelika felt her body—strained and tense from the beating—loosen just a little. But only for a moment.
Clang!
“…Brother?”
The blade she thought would swing toward Stern was instead at her own throat.
Something’s wrong. This isn’t right.
“Wasn’t it… the Duke… who sent you?”
Shanelika’s trembling voice rasped out the question.
“My brother sent me.”
Then why… why is his sword at my neck?
“Kuh, kuhuhuhu! Hahaha!”
Before she could even voice the question, Stern—standing a little apart—clutched his stomach and burst out laughing.
“Ahh, Shanel. Did you really think he came to save you? Kuhuhuhu, ah, my stomach!”
The laughter was so loud and mocking that Shanelika felt the blood rush hotly to her head.
“Your beloved fiancé must have been so eager to rescue you—sending this. Hah!”
“…”
“Pitiful Shanel. We’ve been in here six hours already. Think about why this man only showed up now—and all by himself.”
Shanelika turned her head weakly toward him, unable to understand.
“Enough playing. I’ll end this.”
Ferdin raised his sword high.
Clang!
The strike was swift, but Stern’s blade was swifter. The golden-trimmed sword, engraved with the emblem of the Kaisel Knights, blocked Ferdin’s heavy strike—the blow meant for Shanelika’s throat.
She stared, aghast, as the two men locked weapons.
What was happening? Derwin’s brother, who was supposed to save her, was trying to kill her.
Whoosh! Clash!
Their duel raged on. Ferdin truly was no idle mercenary; he could hold his own against Stern, the captain of the knights. Yet Stern’s movements were calm, almost leisurely, compared to his opponent’s.
“Shanel, curious why he’s trying to kill you instead of me?”
Stern spoke smoothly, his tone unhurried, while deflecting every attack without leaving an opening.
“He’s the one who helped me confirm you were a dragon.”
Helped…?
“I know a lot about dragons, sure—but how would I know about mates and bonds, the internal stuff? Where do you think I heard it?”
“…”
“From your mouth. Through him.”
The world spun dizzyingly. Shanelika strained to look at Ferdin, but his eyes never met hers. His focus was only on finding an opening in Stern’s defense.
That can’t be…
The former knights who’d left the order with Derwin had said Stern was the reason he was expelled. If Ferdin was Derwin’s sworn brother, why…?
Reading her confusion, Stern smirked.
“Who do you think really got Derwin kicked out of the order? You can’t say it was just me. Isn’t that right, Ferdin?”
“Shut up!”
“Kukuku. Still, I’m glad you came. Her expression is priceless.”
For once, Stern slipped, and Ferdin’s sword nicked his cheek.
“Phew! Talking made me careless.”
“Focus!”
“Oh, if I really focused…”
Stern’s gaze hardened, though his lips still curled upward.
“…you’d already be dead.”
“…”
“Shanel, they say the enemy of my enemy is my friend. Right now, I’m the one protecting you. Clearly he hates you enough to kill you himself.”
Shanelika couldn’t make sense of it. Ferdin trying to kill her, Stern protecting her—it was all too twisted.
The fight soon turned decisively. Stern pressed forward with frightening force, until Ferdin was forced back. One wrong move, and his throat would be cut.
“Ferdin, I don’t plan to kill you here. But I won’t let you go, either.”
“Kill her! You said you would!”
“Oh, I will. Just not right now.”
“Time is running out. Stall too long and we’ll be caught.”
“Is that your fear talking?”
Stern chuckled, making Ferdin’s heavy brows knit in frustration.
“Seeing how quiet it’s been, I’d bet you already cleaned up everyone outside. But if I get caught, you’ll be dragged down too.”
“Kill her already! Make it quick!”
“Hm. You call it brotherhood, but between the two of us, I think I’ve shown more loyalty. If I’m fine with it, then it’s fine. Got it?”
Thud!
“Ugh!”
Stern kicked Ferdin in the chest. As Ferdin tried to rise, Stern’s boot pinned him down.
“Sit tight. You’ll enjoy the show.”
The flat of Stern’s blade cracked against Ferdin’s neck, and the young man with navy hair collapsed unconscious. With a satisfied smile, Stern dragged him to a wall not far from Shanelika and bound him tightly with rope.
To Shanelika’s eyes, Stern was nothing less than a devil.
Even with Ferdin unconscious, Stern’s torture of Shanelika continued. The dragon dust made her whole body ache unbearably, and his beatings left her face bruised and swollen. Purple welts covered her body.
“Well then. Let’s see who wins.”
He never struck hard enough to kill. If she died, she would never transform, leaving only a useless human corpse. But still, Shanelika couldn’t shift as he wanted.
“Hah.”
Finally, Stern sighed and rose. She didn’t know how many hours had passed.
Step, step.
The sound of him walking away was strangely welcome.
After all, he was human too.
Maybe he was hungry, or tired, or needed fresh air—whatever the reason, he was leaving, at least for a while. In the rare peace, Shanelika’s body sagged.
She swallowed the blood pooling in her mouth and glanced sideways. Ferdin had opened his eyes. Whether he’d been awake for a while or truly just regained consciousness, she couldn’t tell.
“B… brother, I…”
Her once clear voice was gone, replaced by a rasping croak, as if even her throat had been damaged. Still, she forced herself to speak.
“Even when you were sharp with me… I thought we’d grown closer.”
“What a delusion.”
His answer came cold and fast.
“Yes, a delusion. Maybe so. But…”
Warm blood trickled down her throat. She coughed and spat before drawing a shaky breath.
“…but even so, you shouldn’t betray him. Not your brother.”
“…”
“Being a spy behind his back, that’s—”
“Hey.”
Ferdin cut her off, irritated.
“Is this really the time to fuss about that? Stop your nonsense and just bite your tongue—die already.”
His dark navy eyes were heavy and cold.
“Ridiculous. In this situation, and you’re still worried about him.”
“…”
“Do you know why I came here? My brother told me to come back only after confirming your death.”
“…”
“So if you really care for him, stop dragging this out. Die yourself. At least then I can take your body back intact.”
Another wave of shock crashed over Shanelika. Dizzy already, Ferdin’s words made her head spin violently.
“Ah…”
She closed her eyes, sick with nausea.
I didn’t even realize… I was still thinking of him. Even though he betrayed me. I had forgotten, because the pain was too much.
Thud.
Her body lost all strength. In her blurred mind, she heard an echo from 199 years ago:
“Mad dragons must be exterminated.”
“Even if you’re only a hatchling, no one would object if I killed you here.”
“Die.”
The words twisted together into a piercing noise that hurt her ears.
“Stop…”
A tear slipped down her wounded cheek, stinging as it fell.
I had completely forgotten. From the very first moment we met—he had always wanted me dead.
A cold, barren wind scoured her heart, leaving behind nothing but a desolate wasteland.
