Chapter 44
Baberi approached Lavender. Lavender, with the moonlight behind her, could barely breathe as she saw Baberi’s face shrouded in shadow—it was terrifying.
“Lavender!”
Carrot ran forward, supporting Lavender, who was about to collapse from her weak legs.
“Please save me, Your Majesty. I beg you… I didn’t do anything…”
Baberi grabbed Lavender’s shoulder as she whimpered, applying force with a slight curl of her lips.
“Lavender, why are you talking in your sleep like that?”
As the pressure on her shoulder increased, Lavender’s mouth opened, but instinctively, she knew she mustn’t make a sound.
“You’re giving the impression that I did something to you.”
“I’m sorry. I wasn’t fully awake and wasn’t thinking clearly,” Lavender said, biting her lower lip, eyes moist. Baberi smiled faintly and released her grip.
“Can we trust them?”
A member of Pumpkin’s group approached him and whispered.
“It could be a trap by Baslui.”
“It’s not a trap,” Pumpkin said firmly. After all, Lavender had been trembling in fear of Baberi. Even if it were an act, she wasn’t skilled enough to fake it convincingly.
If it wasn’t a trap, that could also be a problem.
“Did you kidnap Miss Lavender?”
Pumpkin asked, and Medo flinched. He glanced at Baberi with a hesitant expression, unsure how to respond.
“Kidnap? What nonsense are you talking about?”
Baberi snorted.
“She wanted to run away but couldn’t do it alone, so we temporarily put her to sleep and brought her along.”
In other words, they had knocked her out and taken her regardless of her will. Her audacious attitude nearly made it easy to believe, but it was still kidnapping.
“…It’s late, so let’s go inside first,” Pumpkin said, deciding to guide them. Trusting Baberi was difficult, but they couldn’t just stand outside all night.
“Since it’s a sudden visit, it’s understandable if a welcome dinner isn’t ready,” Baberi said, even though no one had promised one. Medo whispered to Pumpkin, saying it must be a joke.
Onion, quietly observing the situation, stepped forward before his father.
“Will you accept them?”
His eyes were full of distrust. He shook his head as he looked alternately at Baberi and Lavender.
“They betrayed an alliance as easily as flipping a hand and kidnapped the lady.”
Onion strongly voiced his opinion, insisting they could not be trusted.
“Even if it wasn’t kidnapping…”
Baberi, overhearing the father and son conversation, spoke loudly. She insisted she only helped Lavender run away.
“You’re not believing such an absurd lie, are you?”
Hopefully, his judgment hadn’t been clouded to that extent, Onion said, warning his father.
Then Medo stepped forward.
“It’s true we had an alliance with Baslui, but he betrayed us.”
Lowering his voice, Medo approached Pumpkin.
“Baslui joined hands with Manmi. Manmi’s assassins targeted us.”
Pumpkin narrowed his eyes, thinking it over. It didn’t sound like a lie.
Above all, it sounded like something Baslui would do, and Pumpkin nodded in agreement.
“So, you kidnapped Miss Lavender as revenge?”
“…No.”
Pumpkin’s eyes sharpened as if interrogating him.
“Your Majesty isn’t the type to obsess over petty revenge,” Medo said.
To think that someone who founded a nation for revenge wouldn’t obsess over it… Medo realized he sounded too false even as he spoke.
“If Your Majesty wanted revenge, Miss Lavender would already be…”
Dead, he thought, swallowing the rest. But then he smiled and pointed to the man being carried by Sabo.
“This man is the fourth most cherished retainer of Your Majesty.”
The man, arms hanging limply and asleep like the dead, was Mark.
‘Suddenly going to Coxan? What nonsense! Are we breaking the alliance?’
Mark, unaware that Baslui had targeted Baberi’s life, was flustered by the sudden noise. Baberi, too lazy to explain, knocked him out just like she had with Lavender.
“We treated Miss Lavender the same way we treated him,” Baberi said, speaking without concern for logic.
Medo, accompanying Baberi, felt her shamelessness was rubbing off on him.
“This may seem strange, but this is how things work in Baberania.”
Even saying it embarrassed him, but he held back and tried to reassure Pumpkin. Baberi, oblivious, was busy fighting mosquitoes.
“There were many mosquitoes in Martu Castle, but it seems there are even more here,” she complained, already bitten twice in two rooms.
“Because it’s the mountains,” Kur said indifferently, staring at Medo. Making eye contact, Medo swallowed unconsciously.
‘I don’t know what humans are whispering about, but it’s annoying enough to kill them,’ Kur seemed to think.
“Hey, Medo.”
“Yes, Your Majesty!”
At Baberi’s call, Medo shouted back and ran.
“Let’s go inside first. Too many mosquitoes.”
Following the king’s order, Medo nodded quickly and pushed Pumpkin forward.
“We can discuss the details once we’re inside,” Pumpkin said, feeling uneasy. It seemed like they were drawing something dangerous into their hideout.
“They suspect us,” Kur said, looking at the uneasy rebels.
“Perhaps they’ve seen through Your Majesty’s true intentions?”
Especially that man. Kur pointed his gaze at Onion, the most cautious.
“It’s fine. That one will panic later like Medo if he can’t serve me properly,” Baberi said, scratching her mosquito-bitten arm.
“Turns out I’m quite a charming king.”
Kur frowned at the word “charming,” clearly skeptical.
“And don’t talk about true intentions. You’re the only one who knows my plan,” Baberi warned, stopping her scratching. Kur snorted and lightly ignored her, but a small smile crept onto his face at being the only one in the know.
Back on the ship before arriving at Martu, Kur and Baberi whispered to each other.
“I have no intention of helping Baslui.”
“Then do you intend to help the rebels?”
“No.”
There were clearly only two options. Kur narrowed his eyes.
“Helping them just means assisting them no matter how hard I work. I want more land, more people.”
Only then did Kur gradually realize her plan.
“So you intended to take over Martu.”
Baberi flicked her finger and pulled him close, whispering.
“Not just Martu. I intend to swallow all of Anapol.”
She had planned the knights, the nation’s name, and the flag—everything she thought necessary. But outside Rondar, she was still a traitor, at best recognized as a lord, never a king.
“Baberania is underestimated because it’s small. The only land it has is Rondar.”
But waging conquest everywhere was impossible without enough military power.
“So I thought, why not subtly help those who ask for help and make them my subjects?”
Baslui or the rebels—it didn’t matter much to Baberi.
“The important thing is which side is easier to manage.”
She could only judge by meeting them directly, so she had chosen Baslui first.
“What if both refuse to become your subjects?”
Kur worried that Rondar would be left in uncertainty while they headed to Martu. Things wouldn’t go smoothly.
Baberi widened her eyes.
“I’m not going without reason. There will be plenty of Martu stones for you.”
Kur’s eyes brightened.
“…This expedition was for me?”
Seeing the sparkle in Kur’s eyes, Baberi felt proud yet somewhat embarrassed.
“If the mines are mine, no money is needed.”
Kur’s eyes immediately darkened.
“You miserly dragon. So it’s because of money.”
Seeing Kur’s annoyed expression, Baberi tried to console him.
“I’m just saying… you take on a hundred men at once, and I find that impressive.”
“A hundred men?”
Kur raised an eyebrow. Had she misspoken?
“You think I can only handle a hundred?”
“Yes, well done. Well done. Hail the dragon,” Baberi mocked.
“Anyway, if both refuse to follow me, we’ll just have to let it be,” she said, pointing at Kur with a smirk.
“In that case, the Dragon Rider will have to act for Breso.”
“But I thought I was supposed to do the breath attack?”
“Since I’m riding you, it counts as my feat too,” Baberi claimed boldly. Kur was exasperated but let it slide.
The next day at lunchtime after Baberania’s troops entered Coxan, Kur laughed while clutching his stomach at Baberi.
“Hahaha!”
“……”
“So this is what you mean by charming?”
Kur teased Baberi, who couldn’t open her right eye due to mosquito bites. Baberi pouted.
“In Korea, there’s mosquito repellent. Spray it or apply it, and they won’t bite.”
She clicked her tongue, wondering why there was none here.
“How funny.”
“Are you listening? And why am I the only one getting bitten?”
She had five bites overnight, yet Kur had none, thanks to his dragon’s tough skin.
“Look at this, Your Majesty. Haha. So funny every time.”
Baberi turned her head irritably, but Kur grabbed it, forcing her to look at him, laughing again.
Annoyed, Baberi kicked Kur’s shin, but it didn’t relieve her frustration—only added stress that she couldn’t kick harder.
“Stop laughing. I said stop.”
Apparently, she had feasted on Martu stone in the warehouse last night, which might explain her frenzy. Baberi suspected his continuous laughter since morning was suspicious.
“Move aside.”
Baberi pushed his hand away in frustration. The dragon wasn’t helping at all with the itching.
With a displeased face, she stood behind her hands, when Mark called out.
“I brought ointment for the mosquito bites.”
Mark held out a small container of cream.
“You’re different from the dragon who only has holes in his chest, maybe also in his head,” Baberi praised Mark. Kur abruptly stopped laughing and scowled.
“Shall I apply it?”
Mark asked, and Kur’s eyes sharpened. He glanced at Mark, recalling his earlier good mood suddenly turning to anger.
“Was it itchy?”
Mark confidently applied the cream to Baberi’s eyes before Kur, showing off.
It wasn’t a big deal that a retainer brought medicine for the king, but Kur tried to pretend it wasn’t important.
‘But he didn’t need to apply it so kindly himself,’ Kur thought, his eyes narrowing.
