CMLMF 09

Chapter 9

Thud.

Girtin descended from the rock.

Seeing Girtin just five steps away, Elledeen’s body trembled even harder.

In a way, this was better.

She had to be gone for him to fight properly.

Most importantly, with Girtin this close, Elledeen would have no choice but to run away alone.

But contrary to his expectation that she would flee on her own, Elledeen picked up a wooden stick lying on the ground.

And then she stepped in front of Fernan.

“Go, quickly.”

Her whisper trembled with fear.

Why isn’t she running? What am I to her?

Anyone could see this thing was bigger and stronger than her.

What kind of woman was this?

Until now, she had always seemed timid, so he never imagined she could be like this.

Elledeen seemed to shine.

In this world shrouded in black darkness, she alone seemed to emit light.

He wanted to protect her.

Before Girtin could move, Fernan darted forward, charging at him.

Just before his sharp fangs pierced the beast, Girtin melted into the darkness.

‘Troublesome.’

Fernan scanned the surrounding forest quickly.

Girtin always hid in the shadows, waiting for his prey to drop its guard, so he had to find him fast.

Then, something like a black shadow darted through the moss.

Girtin charged at Elledeen.

‘Elledeen’s in danger!’

“Growl! Growl!”

Fernan barked and ran to distract Girtin.

But Girtin didn’t even glance at him and rushed toward Elledeen.

She stumbled backward.

Thud. Her back hit a tree.

With her escape route blocked, Elledeen tightly shut her eyes.

Just before Girtin’s fangs bit into her, Fernan bit down hard on Girtin’s neck.

“Screeech!”

The beast flailed for a moment, then slumped down, oozing black blood as its body shriveled.

‘He wasn’t the type to be this reckless.’

The only reason Girtin was taken down so easily was that he had fixated solely on Elledeen.

Fernan let go and looked at Elledeen, as if telling her to hurry away.

A black creature, covered in dark blood.

Even he thought it was an unpleasant sight.

But contrary to his expectations, Elledeen silently approached him and gently stroked his fur.

“…Thank you for saving me. But next time, make sure you run.”

He thought he’d misheard.

She saw all of this—and still told him to run?

As Fernan tilted his head in confusion, Elledeen gave a faint smile and brushed near his eyes.

In that moment, light returned to his eyes.

He squinted, finding the brightness almost painful—it had been so long since he’d felt it.

When he cautiously opened his eyes again, the black curtain that had blanketed his vision was gone.

A world full of clear light came into view.

Moonlight was streaming into the once-black forest, bathing the trees in green.

And he saw her.

Elledeen, smiling with her eyes curved like crescent moons.

Immaculate white skin, golden hair shimmering under the moonlight, and eyes filled with a mysterious blend of blue and violet.

Her red lips formed a bright, radiant smile.

“What’s your name?”

Elledeen tilted her head to the left as she asked.

The sound of her laughter tickled his ears.

Ah, that face with that voice. Isn’t that cheating?

“Huh?”

Their eyes met, and Fernan, startled, quickly recoiled.

The moment he pulled away from her, the dark veil returned over his vision.

Misunderstanding his reaction, Elledeen awkwardly withdrew her hand and apologized.

“Ah… sorry. I touched you so suddenly.”

Looking dejected, Elledeen lowered her head, and Fernan, flustered, began circling around her.

That wasn’t what I meant!

Just then, from far away, Molek and Silin came running and shouting.

“My Lady!”

“Molek? Silin?”

Silin ran up to her in one leap.

“Are you hurt anywhere?”

She hurriedly checked Elledeen from head to toe.

“My Lady, are you truly alright?”

At Molek’s words, Elledeen widened her eyes and pointed beside her.

“I’m fine. That one protected me.”

Elledeen turned to where Fernan had been, following Molek and Silin’s meaningful gaze.

But he had already vanished.

“Who was next to you?”

Molek asked, and Elledeen shook her hand dismissively.

It seemed the black creature who saved her wanted to keep his identity hidden.

When she didn’t answer, Silin quickly helped her put on woolen slippers and urged her to return.

*

Lying in bed, Elledeen stared blankly as she recalled what had happened earlier.

The sun hadn’t even risen yet, but so much had happened.

She had bathed for a long time for her wedding night, waited lying on the floor, had her legs massaged, went to the forest, and met a new being.

The memory of Fernan’s hands massaging her legs made her instinctively curl them.

She could still feel the bandages wrapped around her feet with every wiggle of her toes.

She had said bandages weren’t necessary, but Silin had insisted, her face full of worry, and gently wrapped them as if it were her own injury.

‘This place is really nice. The Duke is kind, and Molek, Silin, and all the maids are so nice. So I mustn’t be a burden. I can’t be. Or else I’ll be thrown out.’

“Ah…”

As the anxiety of possibly being thrown out surged, two awful and familiar voices echoed in her mind.

“Useless thing. All you’re good for is wasting food.”

That’s what Count Pure always said when he saw her.

When he heard she was learning to read on her own, he stormed in and threw a history book too difficult even for adults at her, ordering her to read it.

Of course, a child who had just learned to read couldn’t do it.

When she fell silent after a few lines, he clicked his tongue and said those words.

He would always show up whenever Elledeen tried something, just to demean her.

“Isn’t that the least you could do? Pathetic. And you came running to show me just that?”

Her ex-husband, Baron Brian, was no different.

She had once brought him a solution to a problem he had struggled with for years.

That was his response.

He snatched the paper from her hands and glared at her with contempt.

Then, perhaps out of spite that she had succeeded where he hadn’t, he kicked over the wheelchair she was in.

Apparently pleased with how she collapsed to the ground, he began kicking her frequently afterward.

“Stupid. Glutton. Murderer of your own mother. If you can’t even do this, you should die. Everyone’s suffering because of you. They’d all be happy if you were gone. How selfish, ignoring the pain you’re causing others.”

Their voices—Count Pure’s and Baron Brian’s—blended into one, echoing painfully in her head.

Throb. Throb.

Her ankles felt like they’d been severed, hurting intensely.

She had managed to endure it earlier.

But now, a sudden, overwhelming chill washed over her.

The warmth of human contact she had felt for the first time in so long… terrified her.

Tears rolled down her cheeks.

“Ah… sob…”

A crushing loneliness enveloped her.

Elledeen sniffled, instinctively clasping her cold hands together.

You’re used to this. It’s okay. This is where you belong.

She tried to comfort herself, but the warmth that had once entered her heart refused to leave so easily.

As a child, clasping her hands made her feel like someone was with her.

But now, it felt like nothing more than a desperate gesture from someone deeply lonely.

*

“Molek, the creatures have started moving.”

“What? Now? That’s not their usual time…”

Molek asked in confusion.

This should’ve been the quietest time in the north, when monsters gathered strength, but something was off.

They couldn’t delay the expedition any longer.

“I’ll have to head out soon.”

At Fernan’s words, Molek clapped his hands with a bright smile.

“Make lots of money, sir!”

Every time Fernan went out to subdue monsters, he returned with incredible profits.

Especially the northern beasts—strong and valuable beyond a hunter’s dreams.

Fernan rolled his stiff shoulder.

‘But what was that earlier?’

No one had ever broken that ancient curse. Yet it had vanished, even if briefly.

It was impossible.

Suddenly, Elledeen’s face came to mind, and he cleared his throat with a cough.

‘Maybe… I’ll just check if she’s asleep.’

Opening the door, he found Silin standing guard outside Elledeen’s room.

“Is Elledeen asleep?”

“She should be.”

“You can go rest now. I’ll watch over her.”

Silin gave a short bow and left.

Fernan gently knocked, then slowly opened Elledeen’s door.

But the moment he opened it, he heard quiet sobbing.

Startled, he rushed to the bed to find Elledeen curled up under the blanket, crying.

As soon as he touched her trembling arm, he felt how cold her body was.

She’s always cold, but…

‘Don’t tell me she’s crying because she’s cold?’

Fernan shook her awake.

The external stimulation pulled Elledeen from her nightmare, and she opened her eyes with difficulty.

“Why are you crying? Are you cold?”

His voice was lower than usual, full of confusion.

Still half-asleep, Elledeen mistook his voice for Baron Brian’s and shouted, pale-faced—

“I’m not cold at all!”

But her lips were blue, and her fingertips were red.

Though Fernan couldn’t see her face, he could feel her body trembling under his touch.

“Your body’s freezing. Why didn’t you—”

“I’m not cold! Really, I’m not. I’m sorry. Please don’t be angry.”

Tears streamed down Elledeen’s face as she begged in fear.

Memories returned.

The first winter at Baron Brian’s house.

Her room was so cold it felt like an ice chamber.

Eventually, unable to endure it, she had gone to him and said just once, “I’m cold.”

He exploded in rage and dragged her to the basement, where the solitary cells were.

Accusing her of being ungrateful, he locked her in.

When he finally left, only her sobs and welts from the red-hot poker remained.

From that day on, her arm bore burn scars, and she only wore long sleeves.

As the memory surfaced, her arms and fingertips began to ache as if injured anew.

“Sob… please, let me live… I don’t want to go…”

Wailing and trying to escape, Elledeen struggled as Fernan wrapped her in his arms.

But she mistook his embrace as him taking her back to the cell, and scratched at his shoulder with her nails.

Her thin legs kicked at his thigh, and her frail arms hit his side.

Fernan simply held her quietly, gently stroking her back.