WSTTR 05

Chapter 05

Calyx slowly spun a bottle of vodka, then spoke in a low voice.“I should have killed her.”

“Pardon?”

He irritably tossed the vodka bottle into the trash.

“Get out.”

Derrick immediately bowed his head and left the room. The door closed, and silence settled around them.

Calyx slumped back into his chair. That woman—she had bothered him from the very beginning. It was bad enough that she had boldly scammed two billion, but she hadn’t even avoided his gaze, meeting it without shame. And on top of that, she had touched his arm.

Just then, there was a knock at the door.

“Master, it’s Nothril.”

It was the voice of an old man. A moment later, the door opened and an elderly servant entered, carrying a silver basin. He was a servant who had worked under the Saventry Knights twenty-five years ago. He had grown quite old now, but his memory was still sharp.

Nothril presented the silver basin before Calyx. His hands were trembling, and water splashed over the edge.

“S-sorry.”

Calyx did not comment on it and instead asked,

“Was there any woman among the Saventry Knights who married twenty-five years ago?”

After a brief cough, Nothril answered.

“No. There were no female knights who were married at the time. There was only one female knight back then, and her skills were exceptional. From her very first day of assignment, she was tasked with guarding the First Queen.”

“The First Queen?”

“Yes. There was quite a lot of talk because she was so young, but the Queen herself was satisfied, and her abilities were outstanding, so the rumors died down.”

“But there was no child?”

“If she had a child without being married, she would never have been selected as a royal knight. At the time, even the smallest irregularity meant immediate disqualification.”

So either she had secretly hidden a child before entering the knight order—or she had raised someone else’s child.

“What happened to that knight?”

“She died. While escorting the First Queen’s child, she…”

Calyx’s brow hardened.

A knight who had guarded the First Queen. A woman who had died. And yet, Calyx believed the princess was still alive.

Because the emerald necklace had not lost its light.

Sixteen years ago, Calyx had found that necklace while wielding sword aura near the border of the Lucru Kingdom. It was an object given only to royalty—proof of their living power. If the princess had died, the necklace would not have shone.

Thinking over the uncertain pieces of evidence, Calyx asked,

“Are you certain the knight who guarded the First Queen is dead?”

“We were unable to recover the body, but she must have died in the blizzard. The weather was severe beyond measure. It caused an enormous uproar back then. There were rumors that the Second Queen had deliberately poisoned the First Queen and tried to kill the princess as well.”

An unrecovered body. And Lerit, who had arrived in the Lucru Kingdom at the age of one.

It was not definitive, but something strange kept drawing everything toward her.

The king’s most beloved princess. The princess he had waited and searched for in anguish for twenty-five years.

He would kill her—just as the king had done to him.

The king had taken away the person most precious to him. He had killed the man Calyx could willingly call father. And he had done it by placing his own mistake on that man’s shoulders.

Just then, a small cough sounded. When Calyx looked up, Nothril hesitated, watching his expression.

“Master, there is something I wish to say.”

“Speak.”

“I will be resigning soon. I am old, and my health is failing…”

“There won’t be more work than before.”

“That may be so, but my body no longer obeys me. I am grateful for the many considerations you have shown me, Master. Still, with this body, I am no longer capable of serving you.”

For a moment, Lerit came to Calyx’s mind. It was strange—why would he suddenly think of that woman? It was unpleasant.

At that instant, the sword emitted a red glow. Sharing the energy within his body, it reacted immediately. His blood began to boil.

Calyx frowned and waved his hand.

“Enough. Leave.”

Nothril slowly bowed and exited the room. Calyx felt his thoughts scatter. Normally, the medicine left his body dull and calm—but at times like this, he felt vividly alive.

But staying in this state for long was dangerous.

He stood and walked to the desk. After rummaging through a drawer, he found a container filled with white pills. He poured them into his mouth.

Sometimes, sword aura surged violently within his body. When that happened, he had to regulate it with medicine to keep himself from losing control. He always took a fixed amount every morning. It often made him overly calm, but there was no helping it.

Calyx lay back in a nearby chair. With each breath he exhaled, the boiling sensation gradually subsided. Yet the woman with the unusual name would not leave his mind.

Lerit Bin.

“I should have killed her.”

It was already the second time he had thought that. And yet, his body did not move. It meant the time was not yet right.

Calyx closed his eyes.

She would die by his hand eventually. That was why he had brought her here in the first place.

It was early morning, before the sun had risen. The door to Calyx’s room opened after a brief sound. The old servant Nothril entered, carrying a silver basin.

Enduring the pain in his knees, he slowly approached Calyx. Calyx was already fully dressed in his combat uniform. Nothril carefully placed the basin before him, but his trembling hands caused water to splash onto Calyx’s shirt.

“I’m sorry, Master.”

Calyx looked at Nothril—the stooped posture, the shaking hands, the drained, lifeless face.

“Can you endure today?”

“Do not worry. I can endure today.”

Calyx’s brow twisted.

“That’s enough. Don’t plan on staying all day. Return to the estate by afternoon at the latest. The steward will give you an annex to live in.”

“Then who will take over my duties?”

It was impossible to find a servant immediately. And assigning soldiers was inappropriate.

He needed someone who could see his secrets—and who could be erased immediately if things went wrong.

No matter how he thought about it, Lerit Bin was suitable. It bothered him that she would know his weakness, but it could not be helped. To him, she was temporary, and she would not stay here long anyway.

More than anything, Lerit Bin was in no position to refuse him.

“I’ve already found someone. Just teach them the work properly later.”

Nothril bowed with a faint smile.

“Then I have nothing to worry about. I will teach her carefully so she does not make mistakes before you, Master.”

After washing his hands in the silver basin, Calyx said,

“Don’t clean this up. I’ll have that woman do it later.”

Then he left the room.

I wondered if it had been a terrible dream—but it wasn’t. The room before my eyes, and the cold air seeping in, were all real.

I stared at the unfamiliar ceiling before sitting up. At times like this, I needed to keep my head clear.

I checked the plan I had written beneath the bread bag yesterday.

Do everything Calyx orders and pay off the debt.
Catch the con artist.
Return to the capital.

The plan was perfect. The problem was Berok. Just thinking about that furry, disgusting creature made a heavy sigh escape me. As I stared weakly at the writing, I remembered the man who had been shocked yesterday when he saw the Berok I had killed.

“The Duke usually doesn’t bring people here himself. With skills like that, he must think very highly of your swordsmanship.”

That man had even said I had done the work of fifty people.

‘Should I at least try asking?’

The Duke Demerut said he would observe me—but wouldn’t it make sense to hire me formally at this point?

Just then, a roar of voices echoed from somewhere.

Curious, I stepped outside. In the distance, I saw a crowd gathered. Among them stood someone taller than the rest.

‘Duke Demerut?’

I could only see him from afar, but his handsome face was unmistakable. Probably because his features were so distinct.

After letting out a breath, I turned my body.

Right now, the best way to repay my debt was to be formally employed here.

Even if I returned to Rollend, it was the off-season, so work was scarce. Royal contracts were also on break, making jobs even harder to find.

‘If only I had said I’d work regardless of the period.’

Regret passed quickly. I hurried down the corridor and left the castle. First, I had to clear my debt.

When I reached the wide training ground, the shouts grew louder. Curses rang out, and people practiced with swords in hand.

Then I spotted Duke Demerut immediately. Without realizing it, I hesitated. I had seen him up close yesterday, but he felt different this morning.

Unlike yesterday, he wore light combat gear. His hair was tousled by the wind, yet he did not look casual at all. Instead, he appeared rough and cold.

Even from afar, his sharp features and the atmosphere around him—one that seemed filled with countless untold stories—were striking.

Then Duke Demerut frowned and shouted something. My ears stung.

‘That sounded… pretty harsh.’

Uneasy, I cautiously approached him.

“XX, do you want to get killed by a Berok? Can’t you fix your stance?”

I froze and looked at Duke Demerut. His face was impossibly handsome, but his mouth was extremely foul.

‘He wasn’t this rough with his words yesterday.’

Bad rumors about the duke drifted through my mind. That his personality was awful. That his temper was terrible.

Tension ran through my entire body.

‘What if he refuses to hire me? I want to pay off my debt and leave as soon as possible.’

I was biting my lip in worry when it happened.

Duke Demerut turned his head.