Chapter 3 – I’ll Do It, Engagement or Whatever It Takes
“A m-monster!”
“How can a woman have a face like that?!”
“This is fraud! I’ll report to the Holy Kingdom and cancel this engagement!”
“Good heavens… what is that face?”
Winter let out a quiet sigh at the old memories that surfaced in her mind.
That happened once, too.
Before Kyle arrived, the four fiancés who had seen her face reacted in spectacular fashion. One gagged. One turned pale. Another shouted in horror.
Now that she thought about it, those days felt distant.
But she never let such thoughts show on her face. Winter was skilled at hiding her emotions.
The face revealed beneath the black veil was grotesque.
The entire surface looked burned, as if the skin had melted away, exposing the tissue underneath. It was raw, damaged, and twisted. Her eyelids and lips were swollen, and her features were so distorted they barely resembled a human face.
It would not be an exaggeration to say that a monster’s face sat upon a woman’s body.
Well. At least I saw his expression shift a little. That’s something.
Winter smiled faintly with that monstrous face. Only then did Kyle seem to realize his own slight change in expression.
“Do you understand now why the others ran away after seeing this face?”
Winter pulled the crystal-adorned black veil back over her head.
Out of the seven fiancés before Kyle, three had traveled all the way to Atlans to court her. Yet after seeing her face, they fled the very next day without even saying goodbye.
Winter gave a bitter smile.
“It’s not just ugly. It’s repulsive.”
Kyle murmured, sounding genuinely puzzled.
“You possess the miracle of immortality. Why is your face like that?”
“Holy power isn’t omnipotent. I was burned when I was too young to remember. It seems I can’t return to my original face.”
“…So you’ve lived with that face your entire life?”
The arrogance in Kyle’s posture faded slightly. The sharp flame in his eyes dimmed.
So even the great Silver Knight changes his attitude at the sight of something ugly.
Winter answered coolly.
“That’s right. At night, it feels as though someone is tearing at my face. I can only sleep after numbing the pain with holy power. And in the morning, the wounds seep again, so the bandages must be replaced daily—”
“Enough.”
Perhaps the description felt like picking at a wound. Kyle cut her off, as if to say she didn’t need to continue.
“I don’t have the bad habit of poking at other people’s scars.”
“Very well. Then tell me about the third misunderstanding.”
“Misunderstanding…”
Kyle narrowed his eyes.
“I know what you want.”
“And what would that be?”
Winter replied sharply.
Kyle folded his remaining fingers.
“The third is to relocate you to the Empire. That’s my goal.”
Behind the veil, her ruby eyes wavered for a brief moment.
If she left the Holy Kingdom, she would never find that person again.
But perhaps… the reason she had never heard any news was because that person wasn’t in the Holy Kingdom at all.
What foolish thinking.
Winter bit her lower lip until it turned pale.
“I’ve told you already. The Saint cannot leave Atlans.”
“I can take you out.”
“How? Because you’d be my husband? So I should leave my homeland and obediently follow you back to the Empire?”
Kyle pressed his lips together. It seemed he had no immediate answer.
The air grew tense.
“There’s nothing more to discuss,” Winter said first. “I’ll take my leave.”
“Wait.”
As she rose and walked toward the door, Kyle spoke again.
“…I once had a subordinate who suffered burns as severe as yours.”
The words had no effect on her.
Instead, she let out a faint scoff.
“Really? Then he must be dead.”
“No.”
The cold reply made her freeze.
She turned back. Kyle sat rigidly, fists clenched on his knees, his expression hardened with anger.
“Elric is still alive.”
Elric.
So that was the name of the man with burns like hers.
She hadn’t expected him to remember a subordinate’s name so clearly.
But with injuries that severe, there’s no way he lives normally.
Winter turned again.
“…I see. Then I pray God bless him.”
Without waiting for a response, she opened the reception room door and stepped into the corridor.
The cold air entering through the window made breathing easier.
“Ha…”
She removed her veil.
There was no monstrous face beneath it.
Instead, a beautiful woman stood there.
“How much longer do I have to live like this?”
Bathed in the reddish light of evening, Winter stood quietly alone.
***
That evening, the three girls gathered in Winter’s room, talking excitedly about Kyle.
“I was so shocked. I never imagined the Silver Knight would be like that…”
“Isn’t he the Empire’s greatest hero? Why would he want to be the Saintess’s fiancé?”
“Anyway, he’s strange! Nothing like the rumors!”
If they knew he would one day become the Demon King, they’d be even more shocked.
Winter sat at her dressing table in a simple chemise while Anne brushed her hair rather roughly.
Just then, she felt something warm beneath her nose.
Before she could react—
“Saintess! Y-your nose is bleeding!”
“Chloe. Bring something to wipe it.”
Anne spoke calmly.
Chloe quickly fetched a white handkerchief.
The cloth turned red instantly, as if dye had spread through water.
“W-what is happening…?”
“Saintess. You used holy power.”
At Anne’s words, Chloe and Nina’s expressions darkened.
“…Yes,” Winter admitted. “Kyle asked to see my face, so I startled him a bit. You should have seen his expression.”
Anne frowned.
“Saintess, I’ve told you before. Stop using holy power for things like this. Your lifespan is already—”
“I know.”
Winter cut her off firmly.
“But I’ll stay here until I find him.”
The fate of the world, the return of a new Demon King—those mattered. But her life was focused on finding the person who had once let go of her hand and left.
Unable to bear the heavy silence, Nina spoke softly.
“…So how many days do you think this fiancé will last?”
“Hard to say.”
Suddenly, Winter slammed her hand against the mirror on the dressing table and staggered to her feet.
“No… I might be the one who needs him.”
The girls looked at her in confusion and worry.
***
Father,
I have safely arrived at Atlans, where the Saint resides. As you advised, it is a cold and barren place, so I left the rest of my men in the lower village and came alone to the sanctuary. The Saint is highly cautious. Taking her to the Empire will not be easy.
As reported beforehand, I have confirmed that the Saint possesses the miracle of immortality. If brought to the Empire, she would become a valuable asset. I will write again once there is progress.
Until then.
Please take care of your health.
Kyle Ascalon
Kyle set down his pen at the small desk in the corner of his room and stretched.
He opened the window and exhaled a pale breath into the cold night air.
Then he whistled.
Soon, a golden-eyed black eagle with a wingspan of about fifty centimeters flew in and landed on the windowsill.
Kyle gently stroked its head.
He liked eagles. Loyal, and they did not speak useless words.
He tied the letter to the eagle’s leg with a red string.
“I’m counting on you.”
The eagle spread its wings and took flight into the starlit night.
Kyle watched until it disappeared.
I didn’t expect her to look like that.
When he first saw Winter’s face, he felt neither disgust nor pity.
Her face was monstrous, but her body held the shape of a woman.
He tapped his fingers against the window frame.
I don’t feel the need to pity the life she’s lived.
She must have endured endless scorn.
But what of it?
On the battlefield, he had seen comrades attacked by demons with the power of flame—faces melted beyond recognition, bones reduced to ash.
“…Silver Knight… please… grant us victory…”
He had never forgotten a single name.
Perhaps that was why.
Her face was grotesque, but I didn’t feel the urge to look away.
He exhaled sharply.
Since when had he become so generous toward others?
Find out.
A stern voice echoed in his mind.
Though over fifty, the man once called the Sword of the Empire stood with his back turned, speaking to him.
Uncover every secret the Saint holds. Then I will grant your wish.
And then…
Kyle squeezed his eyes shut and opened them again.
Yes. His role was to uncover her secrets and become her fiancé.
Only then could he learn what his father had promised.
“Engagement or not… I’ll do whatever it takes.”
In the dim room, Kyle steeled his resolve.
