Chapter : 08
“Let’s begin the meal.”
With Duke Tartan’s words, the banquet officially started.
As if to reflect Elia’s status as a precious guest, the treatment was generous.
Several light appetizers were served first, followed by the main courses.
Given the cold northern territory, most dishes were meat-heavy, and it seemed natural that strong alcoholic beverages accompanied the meal.
Halfway through the meal, Duke Tartan tilted his glass and asked,
“But, Your Highness, what brings you to the North?”
“There are circumstances. Please consider it a childish escapade,” Elia replied, giving an answer that was deliberately vague, while briefly scanning Axion.
‘Can’t see his face,’ she thought.
She wanted to see Axion’s reaction, but he kept his head bowed, so she couldn’t get a proper look.
‘Just like I used to be.’
The way he lowered his head and remained silent.
Elia remembered when she first entered the royal palace, looking at Axion like this.
“It’s been quite a long time since a member of the royal family visited our territory,” she said.
“…I see. I’m simply pleased to welcome you so grandly,” Duke Tartan replied.
At Duke Tartan’s words, Elia quickly averted her gaze from Axion and smiled.
‘Even people have piercing eyes.’
Duke Tartan’s gaze toward Elia shone sharply.
Elia steadied herself to avoid showing any signs of fatigue.
“If the Duke allows me to rest here, I plan to return to the royal palace as soon as possible.”
“I see. And what about others…?”
“No one knows I came this far. I can assure you that the Tartan family won’t suffer any harm.”
At Elia’s words, Duke Tartan narrowed his eyes.
“We’ll see about that,” he said ambiguously.
It was a vague approval, suggesting he had probably decided to keep her at the estate a while longer to observe.
Not the worst outcome. Elia felt a small sense of relief and shifted the topic.
“There was a serious incident during the journey. If it weren’t for the young lord, I might have ended up as a wolf’s meal.”
At Elia’s words, Axion lifted his head. His eyes, slightly shaking, turned toward her.
‘Huh?’ Elia muttered inwardly.
‘Something’s off.’
The one who had protected her until the end—where had he gone? Once again, Axion lowered his head and said nothing.
“Answer me,” Duke Tartan commanded.
When Axion remained silent, the Duke spoke again.
After a long pause, Axion finally opened his mouth slowly.
“…No.”
“Tsk.”
Duke Tartan clicked his tongue, clearly displeased with Axion’s attitude.
The blatant rebuke made Axion shrink even further.
After that, a chill hung over the entire banquet.
Elia, however, pretended nothing was wrong and chattered lightly about various topics.
“I have some matters to attend to, so I’ll excuse myself first. Please rest well.”
Duke Tartan rose from his seat first.
Soon, the expansive banquet hall was left with only Elia and Axion.
It was the situation she had wanted, but now that it had arrived, she hesitated.
Elia paused, unsure. Axion, silently standing, was already making his way toward the exit.
“Wait!”
Flustered, Elia quickly jumped up and ran, managing to grab Axion’s sleeve.
“Uh—!”
Perhaps because she acted too hastily, Elia’s body leaned forward.
Axion, pulled by the sleeve, turned around.
Thud.
Fortunately, she didn’t fall. Instead, Elia’s face pressed against Axion’s chest.
“Ah, sorry!”
She quickly apologized and moved away, but Axion seemed so shocked that he didn’t even lift his head.
Elia, forgetting her own surprise, stared at him.
His cold expression and trembling pupils radiated wariness.
‘This is exactly…’
A predator of the feline kind, one might say.
“Black panther?”
“Huh?”
His voice sounded confused, as if asking her to repeat.
Elia noticed the flush of color on his cheeks.
To add to the previous description, this black panther seemed to be extremely shy.
‘Is this man really going to become a villain in the future?’
Elia blinked at the beast before her.
Did he somehow understand her words as a threat? Axion tried to bolt.
“Where are you going?”
“…“
Elia, recognizing his movement as an attempt to escape, held tightly onto his sleeve.
He didn’t pull away.
‘So that’s it.’
Elia finally understood the oddities she had sensed throughout the banquet.
‘He hasn’t gone dark yet, huh.’
The villain who had torn apart everyone around the heroine.
Perhaps his true personality was simply extremely shy.
“…I’d prefer if you let go,” Axion muttered, as if he couldn’t resist her grasp.
Elia, seeing him speak so quietly, felt a bit deflated.
‘He killed a whole pack of wolves by himself.’
Yet strangely, seeing him like this made her feel at ease.
He didn’t appear as a fully grown man twice her size, but rather as a wary animal.
‘And a very gentle predator at that.’
Elia said generously.
“Alright. I’ll let go.”
“Thank you—”
“But let’s talk for a bit.”
Axion froze like plaster.
‘I can’t say anything now,’ she thought.
She sighed inwardly but held back, seeing him hesitate.
She hadn’t anticipated this, but she had to adapt to the situation.
“First, let’s go somewhere we can talk.”
They couldn’t stay at the banquet entrance forever.
At Elia’s words, Axion barely nodded.
‘Is she going to lead the way?’
Axion cautiously began walking.
Elia followed, keeping a safe distance so as not to startle him again.
‘Something’s still a little off.’
As they walked down the corridor, Elia tilted her head, observing Axion’s back.
Before she could fully understand, Axion stopped in front of a door.
“Where is this?”
“…My room,” he answered quietly, opening the door.
The interior was surprisingly plain for a young lord’s quarters, with no particular sense of color or decoration.
‘Why is the room like this?’
In a positive light, it was neat; in a negative light, bleak.
While Elia examined Axion’s room, he stopped in the center and suddenly turned around.
“I’m sorry. I… am not allowed to speak anywhere else.”
He said that and remained motionless for a long time.
Gradually, his expression paled.
“Lord Axion?”
Curious, Elia placed her hand on his shoulder.
Thud.
“Axion!”
With Elia’s cry, he collapsed forward.
Lying on the floor, his face flushed with heat, he exhaled heavily.
Elia quickly placed her hand on his forehead.
His body was burning with a fever far beyond normal human warmth.
‘He’s burning up!’
He had seemed fine just a short while ago in the banquet hall.
It was too sudden to simply call it a fever.
“…Stay away from me, please.”
Axion struggled to push her away, and black wisps of shadow flickered around him.
‘Darkness is rising.’
Having survived in the womb, Axion had acquired a demonic darkness.
But this power clashed relentlessly with his inherent divinity, inflicting excruciating pain.
“I’m not leaving. You’re not okay,” Elia said firmly, closing her mouth.
Because Axion’s divine power restrained the darkness, it was visible but harmless to others.
“You’ll be fine in a little while.”
Axion looked at Elia, surprised that she didn’t flee.
Yet he didn’t trust her.
He turned away, signaling her to keep her distance.
‘No one told him.’
Axion knew he was cursed, but no one had explained it to him. Naturally, he feared harming others and was pained when others were terrified of him.
He endured that suffering alone.
‘At first, a high fever. Then a pain as if the body were slowly being torn apart.’
The book had described it in just one line, but the agony was certainly unimaginable.
