Chapter 20
“Pardon? Give it to you?”
“The most important thing in a contract is that both sides get what they want.”
Calyx showed no sign of backing down. I didn’t know what his intention was, but it was very noble-like. He definitely did not do anything at a loss.
Well, after being scammed, there was no way he would easily give up what was his. I thought about what I could offer that might help Calyx.
Berok? He was already dead. Errand work? Calyx was already giving me some convenience there. That left only one thing……
“Should I spit for you?”
“What are you saying—”
“Ah, sorry. That’s not what I meant. I meant something like touching your body so you won’t have to take medicine, Duke, or……”
“That’s enough.”
I felt embarrassed too and turned my head away. I really needed to think before speaking. Why did strange words slip out so easily in front of Calyx? Maybe because I subconsciously felt bolder now that I believed he wouldn’t kill me.
I quickly checked Calyx’s sword. Red energy was thickly spread over it. I immediately shut my mouth and stared at the fire. With that much energy, it was right to be careful.
As I kept watching the fire, I slowly got sleepy. I leaned against the stone wall and closed my eyes. The position was uncomfortable, but I couldn’t just lie down. The space was too narrow.
While dozing like that, my body gradually tilted to the side. As my upper body fell, it touched something solid. When my body stopped tilting, a comfortable feeling spread. Before I knew it, I fell into a deep sleep.
Calyx looked down at Lerit resting against his shoulder. It was annoying enough that she was dozing beside him, but now she had completely settled on his shoulder and fallen asleep. He was about to push her away, then his eyes fell on her pale, exposed neck.
It looked so fragile, like it would break if held in one hand. Without realizing it, Calyx reached out, but the moment his fingers touched her skin, he pulled his hand back. His breathing faltered slightly.
It was too soft. In an instant, his ears turned red and his heart began to race. The blood that had been quietly boiling since earlier now started to boil wildly.
‘Damn it.’
Just one touch, and his instincts reacted. At that moment, he heard steady breathing. The warmth from the small body leaning against him felt vivid.
Annoyed, Calyx looked at Lerit.
His gaze moved from her neck up to her face. The mole under her right eye briefly caught his attention, then his eyes moved to her straight nose and small lips. He couldn’t take his eyes off her slightly parted lips.
Her breath lightly brushed the tip of his nose. Her unique daisy scent softly wrapped around him. His breath escaped without control.
Calyx stiffened and turned his head away. He frowned and cursed inwardly. He couldn’t be consumed by instinct.
This woman was royalty. An enemy. Someone he had wanted to kill. If he moved his hand just a little, he could kill her right now.
And yet, Calyx couldn’t move his hand.
Why? It had been the same before. When he tried to kill her, his blood had boiled madly and he had collapsed. And now, here she was, closer than anyone else. Her neck completely exposed. Calyx stared at her white neck for a long time before turning away.
This woman’s existence was strange.
He hated her to death, yet wanted her just as much. He didn’t want to send her to someone else’s side.
Maybe that was why. He decided to watch her a little longer. It was just curiosity. He had never met someone like this before.
‘I’ll know with time.’
Curiosity never lasted long anyway. And surely, this woman would betray him and try to live selfishly. That was the nature of royal blood.
When that time came, he thought he might be able to kill her.
For now, he would watch.
Calyx continued to stare at Lerit for a long time, unaware that his sword glowed red and his blood boiled.
When I woke up, I was lying on the floor. Startled by the unfamiliar ceiling and hard ground, I hurriedly sat up, but the surroundings were quiet, and Calyx was nowhere to be seen. Beside me were only burned wood, leaves, and black ash.
I slowly walked out of the cave. The back of my neck began to feel cold.
‘Why?’
As I stepped outside, a terrible sight unfolded. At least, it looked that way from Berok’s perspective. Berok’s corpses were piled like a mountain, with red blood scattered over them.
A path like a red river cut through the white snow.
‘What is this…?’
I hurriedly scanned the area. Someone was standing on the white snow. I recognized him. Tall, with a broad back that stood out at a glance.
Calyx was ending Berok’s final breath with his long sword. His movements were endlessly calm and light.
He pulled out his sword and looked at the dead Berok for a moment. It was a gaze I had never seen from him before—calm, yet quiet as if deep in thought.
I remembered yesterday. I happened to be holding Calyx’s cloak, so it felt awkward, but I walked toward him anyway.
‘Is he going to tell me to throw this away too?’
As I thought that, a cold wind blew, and the sword flew toward me. I flinched and stopped. Calyx turned around.
Our eyes met briefly. The sword seemed to fall weakly into the snow, and the wind blew again. Feeling awkward and uneasy, I quickly held out the cloak.
“Thanks to you, I slept well.”
I couldn’t meet his eyes. My hands were starting to feel awkward when it suddenly felt lighter—Calyx had taken the cloak.
‘He’s not telling me to throw it away anymore.’
But Calyx didn’t put it on. In a stiff voice, he said,
“I took care of Berok from dawn, so there’s no need to kill any more Berok in this area.”
“You handled all of them by yourself since dawn?”
“Yes.”
“Then you should’ve woken me up.”
If I was going to repay my debt, I couldn’t avoid work.
“It’s fine. At that time, it’s easier to kill them alone.”
Calyx sheathed his sword and turned to leave. When I didn’t follow, he turned back.
“Are you going to stay here?”
“No!”
I hurried after him. Walking beside Calyx, step by step, felt strange. It felt like I was matching my steps to his. There was nothing special, yet it felt uncomfortable and awkward.
And the presence of his large body, mixed with the scent of perfume, kept bothering me as we walked.
‘We were just in a narrow cave together last night.’
It was strange. And Calyx had simply taken the cloak earlier without telling me to throw it away. Not like him.
I glanced at him. Calyx just looked straight ahead with a stiff expression, nothing unusual.
Thinking I was the only one overthinking things, I sighed inwardly. Then I heard the sound of something running toward us from afar.
“Lady Lerit!”
It was a familiar voice. I looked around and saw Herkel and several soldiers approaching. As soon as they reached us, they bowed their heads.
“We were worried since you hadn’t returned for a while. But it seems you’re both safe.”
Herkel smiled faintly.
I glared at Herkel with a stiff face, blaming him inwardly. Then Calyx turned to me.
“You don’t need to work this morning.”
It was so unexpected that I just stared at him without answering. Calyx said nothing more and walked ahead. Herkel quickly came up beside me and asked,
“Looks like I set things up pretty well, right?”
I felt like I needed to say something properly now.
“Herkel, I’ve been meaning to say this, but doing things like that without thinking—”
I was about to say it was uncomfortable to get involved like that. But Herkel spoke first.
“Thanks to that, our soldiers rested well last night. Since the Duke wasn’t around, everyone felt much more at ease.”
“……”
“More importantly, the Duke didn’t seem uncomfortable either. He didn’t get angry like usual.”
Herkel gestured toward Calyx’s back as he walked ahead. I couldn’t understand it. Calyx must have been more uncomfortable than anyone, just like me.
“Aren’t you mistaken? He looked extremely uncomfortable.”
“Well, if the Duke truly hated it and felt uncomfortable, he would’ve yelled at me as if he were going to kill me. But since he left without saying anything, the only explanation is that he was very satisfied with that situation.”
I was left speechless.
“Herkel, how many years have you been here?”
“Five years.”
“Five years is a long time. And you still judge the Duke like that?”
“It’s not a guess. It’s something I learned by staying by his side.”
Just then, a strong wind blew. We couldn’t stand still here, so we quickened our pace. Herkel followed beside me.
As I tightened my cloak, I fell into thought. Come to think of it, Calyx hadn’t been that harsh with me. I followed the back of Calyx as he walked ahead.
‘Did something change in his mind?’
The calm 모습 he showed while killing Berok came to mind. But one thing was clear—he wasn’t satisfied because he liked me. Maybe he was just satisfied because he killed so many Berok and finished his work.
He had said he killed countless Berok since dawn. As I thought that, a question suddenly arose.
‘But I clearly fell asleep leaning against the cave wall.’
When I woke up, I was lying alone. Did Calyx move away and give me space? Because he was uncomfortable?
As I was thinking that—
“Lady Lerit, right?”
It was a bright voice. When I turned my head, a pale-faced man smiled at me. Without thinking, I nodded.
“Yes.”
“Nice to meet you. I think I greeted you before. I’m Rotas.”
Rotas warmly held out his hand. I had thought he might cause trouble before, but it seemed he was adapting better than expected.
