《At The End Of The Hidden Greenery》 Chapter 1 Chapter 1 The pouring rain soaked the ground. Every time the wheels of the carriage squeaked every time they passed over the muddy road. The rain poured down throughout the entire journey, as if it wanted to take away all the vitality of the earth. ¡°We¡¯ll be there soon. Akarna, is everything all right?¡± At the coachman¡¯s words, the dark-haired woman in the carriage raised her head as she heard the question directed at her. She watched the raindrops hitting the window dazedly and nodded a few beats later. ¡°We¡¯ll be there soon, so please hang in there.¡± He soon left the woman alone. The woman overheard the men¡¯s conversations intermittently between the noises of the horses¡¯ hooves, the carriage¡¯s wheels and the mud¡¯s splashes. ¡°The Akarna doesn¡¯t look too good, do you think she¡¯s alright?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t this the first time she¡¯s going to the outskirts? She might be anxious.¡± ¡°Rather than that¡­¡± The voice slightly died down. ¡°She must be upset that His Highness the Crown Prince got engaged.¡± Strength entered her hand, which was neatly placed on her lap. Engaged. It was a word she did not wish to hear for a while. Against the opposition of the temple and the imperial family, the man whom she had loved for five years was now engaged to another woman. He was not an ordinary man. Rather, he was the crown prince of the empire, so he was not going to have an ordinary marriage either. So it was natural for him to marry a woman from a good noble household. And that woman was the eldest daughter of the most honorable margrave of the empire. She hailed from a venerable household that was allies with the imperial family for hundreds of years, protecting the empire from the beasts that threatened the borders. In addition to the geographical location, there had not been a chance to form a solid alliance with their fief yet, but they seemed to have made a connection this time. The master of the empire and the noble household that protects it. The crown prince who has achieved brilliant feats even during his earlier years, and then the beautiful young lady who grew up like a princess and was loved by her noble family. It was sufficient enough for people to come together and create a romantic story with them as the main characters. But the woman here, sitting inside the carriage, was different. The Akarna of the temple was a person held in high regard, but that didn¡¯t mean that the temple was going to back her in everything she did. Although the temple did treat her according to their responsibility over her, this was only when she would faithfully perform her ¡®duty as the Akarna¡¯. And, that duty was far from any noble task. To leave and go to the outskirts with only such a few escorts. To purify the earth as it was is being eroded by black miasma and save those who suffered from it. This was the duty that the temple had to do for mankind, and it was also the duty of the Akarna to obey the will of the gods. But the woman never wanted this job. It was only because she fell in love with the crown prince, and so for the sake of the empire that he would rule over, she forced herself to accept the pain. And she had no doubt that this love would one day bear fruit. She loved for five years, very desperately so. But her hopes were shattered as soon as he announced that he would be engaged to another woman. She had also seen that lady from a distance. She was a lovely noble lady who smiled brightly like a flower in full bloom, and she was being escorted by the crown prince. An honorable and proud family. A personality that had no faults. A household that had an expansive territory and a high peerage. A fiefdom that would never see any scarcity. Even her outward appearance was something that everyone would be mesmerized by. It was all so different from her gloomy and timid self. ¡°Ha¡­¡­¡± Rumble. Rumble, rumble! The carriage kept moving forward. The rain was getting stronger and the trip was slower than expected. However, it was impossible to stop here in the middle, so the carriage dashed through the mountain all night long. The deeper they went into the mountain, the steeper it became. She wondered if it was her fault for saying that she wanted to go to a farther place than usual. However, even that shallow self-blame quickly disappeared because the carriage started shaking too much. No, not the carriage. The ground itself was shaking. ¡®What¡¯s going on?¡¯ As the woman in the carriage grew more nervous, she heard a panicked yell from outside. ¡°Turn the horses! It¡¯s a landslide!¡± ¡°It¡¯s already too late to turn around here! Just ditch the carriage and avoid it¡­!¡± Rumble, rumble! Bang! But before she could prepare herself, a huge pile of debris hit the carriage first. And the woman¡¯s vision also flipped over in an instant. The carriage shook as if an earthquake was wracking it. The woman tried to hold onto one corner, but she eventually rolled inside the carriage, and she screamed as the seat in the carriage fell and hit her back. ¡°Huhk¡­! Ugh¡­¡± The woman barely clung to her consciousness. The carriage was half-destroyed and barely hanging over the cliff. The woman managed to hold on despite the increasingly tilting carriage. However, the floor on which she was barely standing was wet from the rain. It was too slippery. ¡°Aaack!¡± In the end, the woman slipped. She grabbed a piece that barely jutted out of the carriage, but she didn¡¯t know how much longer she could hold out. Creeaak. The carriage leaned further, and the woman wasn¡¯t very strong. Even the raindrops that kept pouring didn¡¯t help. ¡°Akarna! Hold on! We¡¯ll come down soon!¡± Fortunately, the escorts came quickly to find the woman. They were supposed to protect the one and only Akarna properly, but in this way, they would be scorned by the superiors. Seeing them restless, the woman surprisingly did not feel any emotions. If she was saved here now, then what? Either way, she would just go to her original destination, fulfill her duties as the Akarna, and then she¡¯d go back to the empire? Waiting there was just boring and repetitive. She helped people who came to the temple because they needed help. She also sometimes went to the contaminated land that had been eroded by miasma, just like what she¡¯s supposed to be doing now. She would also help the people there. Help. Help. Doing something worthwhile. She was being appreciated by countless people. She was revered as a saint. And as she did that, a grand event would soon be held. The wedding of the man she loved. ¡°Ha.¡± She didn¡¯t know why she was laughing. The woman impulsively loosened her hold. The escorts shouted at the Akarna. She was afraid of the sudden fall. But at the same time, she felt a sense of freedom for an unknown reason. She closed her eyes. That person she met secretly despite the temple¡¯s opposition. That person was the one who taught her how to read and write. That person, even after being betrayed by him like that, was who she missed very much. In a place where there was no one else but them, it was together with him that they whispered sweet nothings and held each other¡¯s hands. ¡ª Chapter 2 Chapter 2 ¨C Akarna ¡ªIn El Ragnile, it¡¯s commonplace for one woman to be in command of a group. And, the average number in one group is about thirty people. One day was enough to turn the whole world upside down. One day, instead of the mechanical sound of her desk¡¯s alarm clock, Seo Jiwoo woke up to many people watching her. She was inside a pure white building with the large columns behind those people. Without thinking deeply, she could tell that this place was like a temple. She was at the center of all those people. She was sitting in a place that was perhaps an altar. She was wearing the same pajamas she had worn before going to bed. But she was not bewildered by the sudden change of environment. One of them came up to her. He seemed like a high priest. An elegant robe. A high crown worn over his head. And the people around him bowed their heads as he stepped forward. Even though it wasn¡¯t the type of clothes that she usually saw, she could tell that this was a place that people considered sacred. If this place was a temple, that person seemed to be a bishop. But as he bowed his head politely to her, Jiwoo became more confused. He opened his mouth. ¡°It is nice to meet you, Akarna. What an honor it is to meet you.¡± Surprisingly, she could understand him. He wasn¡¯t speaking in Korean, but Jiwoo could understand the strange language. ¡°A, Akarna¡­?¡± ¡°You, the guardian Akarna who has descended from the heavens to enact the will of the Lord.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Jiwoo let out a rather stupid reaction, but it wasn¡¯t because she agreed with what he said. She could only understand the speech, but she couldn¡¯t speak the language. Hearing that, the old man who looked like a priest smiled at Jiwoo, who was even more wary. And he pulled out a splendid dagger from his chest pocket. Without a moment to react, he grabbed Jiwoo¡¯s arm and cut off Jiwoo¡¯s palm in an instant. Jiwoo flinched and let out a shallow scream. But surprisingly, the pain was not bad. Compared to the deep cut left by the knife, the stinging pain she felt was like just a needle¡¯s stab. Blood trickled down, but it stopped quickly. Not even a scar was left. ¡°This is the most sure proof that Akarna has been favored by the gods. And¡­¡± The priest cut his hand this time with the dagger. The priest grabbed Jiwoo¡¯s hand before she could even say anything, then guided Jiwoo¡¯s blood over his wound. The drops seeped into the wound, and his wound healed just as Jiwoo¡¯s was. ¡°This is proof that Akarna came down to enact the will of God here on earth.¡± The old priest smiled kindly at Jiwoo, who opened her mouth in surprise. ¡°Should I show you more?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°You can say yes or no.¡± ¡°¡­No.¡± He seemed kind at first glance, but he gave off the impression that this suggestion was not just a suggestion. From that day on, Seo Jiwoo began to live in a temple in this unfamiliar world. Before she could adjust to the environment, she had to accept her position here. The Akarna was a fairly high position in the temple. Before she could say what her name was, Seo Jiwoo was treated as Akarna and called Akarna. As she struggled to adapt, she almost forgot her own name. Language was a really big problem. It was difficult to communicate well just by understanding the unfamiliar language. It was fortunate that she was able to pick up the words and listen, but whenever she tried to speak, what came out was just gibberish. She couldn¡¯t get rid of the feeling that the servants and priests in attendance were frustrated because she couldn¡¯t speak properly, and sometimes she even got ignored. Meanwhile, she had to fulfill Akarna¡¯s duties. A duty to take care of the sick and rid the contaminated land of miasma. The person named Akarna here was mandated to do that. The wounded and sick were fed with her own blood, and she had to help purify the land that was being eroded by miasma. She didn¡¯t like that duty that was suddenly handed over to her. She was not the Akarna. Not even God¡¯s guardian. If there was such a thing as a real God and God entrusted her with these duties, shouldn¡¯t she have been briefed beforehand? But in the temple, her opinions were not considered important at all. Deprived of the freedom enjoyed by modern people; when asked to go somewhere, she went, and when asked to come, she came. Besides that, the temple needed the Akarna greatly, but they didn¡¯t deem Seo Jiwoo¡¯s safety as important at all. They believed that if Seo Jiwoo died, the spirit of the Akarna that resided within her body would just transfer to another body. If Jiwoo neglected her duty as the Akarna, they would kill her without any hesitation, thinking that the spirit of the Akarna had found the wrong body. The old nobleman in the temple spoke in a gracious tone, but in the end that was what he meant. She thought of escaping from the temple, but this world was too unfamiliar to Seo Jiwoo. This world was a place where a caste system existed, and if a foreigner like her, who was unfamiliar with language and culture, were to go out alone, she would immediately be turned into a slave. The only way for Jiwoo, who had no connection, the only way to live was to live in the temple. In the end, as the days went by, she became more and more depressed. When she barely had time to be alone, Jiwoo would squat in the shadow of the temple building and pass the time idly. Only the sky was the same as the Korean sky in her world. So she was able to forget her reality a little bit. ¡°Why are you crying in a place like this?¡± That was when she first met him. She didn¡¯t even get up from her spot and turned her gaze to where the voice was heard. He was a stranger who was accompanied by a couple of knights. A face she had never seen in the temple where she had lived for over a year. He seemed to glow as he stood with his back to the sun, and she couldn¡¯t even look straight ahead at first. He was a beautiful person. He had impressive vivid black hair despite the light, and his neat forehead and bright red eyes under the thick eyebrows gave a reliable impression like the sun. His high nose bridge and angular jawline even made him look elegant. Jiwoo rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand. She thought the man was saying some weird things, but it really brought tears to her eyes. ¡°¡­Thank you.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± The man was not offended. He just looked curious. Jiwoo didn¡¯t know how to speak formally so she was sweating all over. The man did not question anything, but the knights behind him looked more surprised. Jiwoo was restless during the bizarre meeting. The person who ended this was the servant of the temple who was looking for Akarna. ¡°Ack, Akarna! You¡¯re here!¡± The servant rushed to Jiwoo¡¯s front, as she was stunned. He noticed the situation and gave some excuse. ¡°Greetings, Your Highness the Crown Prince. The A-Akarna doesn¡¯t know much about the earthly words yet.¡± ¡°Akarna? This one?¡± The Crown Prince, who looked down at Jiwoo, smiled picturesquely after a while. ¡°If she doesn¡¯t know the words yet, does that mean she is still in the process of learning?¡± ¡°Yes, yes. That¡¯s right, Your Highness.¡± ¡°Then, Akarna, would you like to learn to read and write from me?¡± Jiwoo and the servant were surprised at the same time. The crown prince did not stop smiling and held out his hand to Jiwoo, who was wary. ¡°Nevertheless, I came to meet the Akarna of this generation, and it seems that I came to the right place. The Empire is receiving a lot of help from you, Akarna, so I also want to be of help to you through this opportunity. I will be staying in the castle for a while, so spend some time with me.¡± For Jiwoo, she desperately needed to learn the language that she could only understand. In the temple, she was given just two choices¡ªyes or no. Even if she occasionally tried to express a different opinion, she was usually rejected because the Akarna had to be the model of the temple. Whether dispatched to the inside of the temple or to another area, they always had an attitude of supporting Jiwoo as the Akarna with such a burdened countenance. It was also because she didn¡¯t make progress even when she tried to learn. It was the first time anyone had approached the Akarna like that. Jiwoo yearned to form any human relationship at all, and so she took the Crown Prince¡¯s hand. His name was Aleph. Crown Prince Aleph of the Kaarbaude Empire. The largest and most powerful country in the world. He was the crown prince of the empire and a hero who led the war to victory. He seemed to be the same age as she was, but he had already gone on the battlefield and led his army to victory. She was curious as well as longing to listen. He was a good teacher to the Akarna. She had no problem understanding speech, and as she was determined to learn words and letters, the rest was easy. ¡°Akarna, you¡¯re a fast learner, aren¡¯t you? Have you ever studied before?¡± Rather, when the crown prince offered to teach, he was amazed at Jiwoo as she learned quickly. ¡°I¡¯ve been going to school since I was little.¡± ¡°Since childhood. Having an opportunity to learn at a young age is not an easy task even in the Empire¡­ It seems that you have experienced it for a long time?¡± The crown prince suddenly grabbed her hand. Jiwoo thought her heart was pounding, but he only looked at the traces that remained deep in her hand after holding the pen too long. Jiwoo tried to calm her noisy heart and said. ¡°Yes, um¡­ About 16 years?¡± ¡°You look young.¡± The empire developed faster than other places and was ahead in every way, but public education was not as developed as in modern Korea. How could this place compare to a country in her world? Looking at people¡¯s appearance and lifestyle, would it be correct to say that she was in medieval Europe? In the end, Jiwoo chose her words and gave an answer. ¡°It¡¯s common in my birthplace.¡± ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s delightful that you¡¯re fun to teach.¡± The crown prince not only lived in the court, but also traveled around the battlefield and met a lot of people. So, Jiwoo was able to learn not only one language but also many kinds of languages ??and accents through him. But that wasn¡¯t the point. While Jiwoo was being dragged here and there, the crown prince appeared and not only gave the Akarna a tight schedule, but also gave her a moment¡¯s reprieve. In fact, Jiwoo, who was accustomed to Korea¡¯s overtime culture, lived her life without realizing that it was difficult. No, actually, even if she knew it, it would have been of no use. The temple did not actively try to solve the Akarna difficulties with communicating. To the extent that she thought it¡¯s intentional. So, although it may not have been a big deal for the crown prince, Jiwoo felt great gratitude to him. Then one day, during class, he said, ¡°You can¡¯t always study like this. Why don¡¯t we go out together?¡± ¡°How? Where¡­¡± ¡°Follow me. The temple imposes a rule on you that¡¯s too old-fashioned.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°Right now, at a time like this, just say ¡®Let¡¯s go, Your Highness¡¯.¡± He led Akarna, speaking like a good teacher. ¡ª Chapter 3 ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Chapter 3 She couldn¡¯t forget the memories of that day. It was wondrous to find out which part of the temple had a hole where a single person could escape through, where a dark robe could be found to hide her appearance, and the reason why the escorts who were always attached to her suddenly became friendly. Then, everything that flowed like water was just so strange¡­ The Crown Prince, who had changed his dark black hair to the more common brown in some way, quickly changed his attitude and acted like a commoner. Her heart was pounding again as he took off his splendid clothing and became like an ordinary young man from the village. As she went outside, Jiwoo felt refreshed. As an ordinary person, not Akarna, she escaped the stuffy temple for the first time. When the Crown Prince went into the bar without hesitation and ordered a grilled sausage and dark-colored beer, it frankly brought tears to her eyes. In the temple, she was forced to live a frugal life, so she was forced to eat a small amount of food, but she was originally a present-day human on Earth who had chicken delivered and drank beer on days when there were good things. The meat was dripping in fat and the dark liquor tasted really good. It has been a long time since she could describe the feeling of heavy chewy food with juices and a pungent scent going down her throat, which could only be described as exhilaration. Jiwoo savored the food with an excited face, but she soon heard a light chuckle. The crown prince rested his chin on his hand and smiled. ¡°I didn¡¯t know our Akarna could drink so well.¡± ¡°Well¡­ Is it okay to say something like that¡­?¡± ¡°What? Ah, the word Akarna? It¡¯s okay. Akarna is not only a temple Akarna, but also a slang term for a lovely lover.¡± The crown prince smiled as he reassured Jiwoo, who was looking around in surprise. In addition, he has a face like a young man in the mountains, when he grumpily responds to the knights who say he¡¯ll say all sorts of cheesy things when he comes to such a place. Maybe it was because she was drunk after a while, Jiwoo¡¯s heart raced even when he looked like that. After that day, the times he went out with the crown prince increased more and more. This is because it was easier once the door was opened. Besides that, this experience was much more effective in letting Jiwoo learn more words than teaching her the letters and words in a classroom setting. She felt a lot better as she got along with the crown prince, and although the time he spent with him increased, there was no sign of opposition from the temple. Sometimes, she went to the market and had fun. While looking at cheap items, she also received a gift from the crown prince. The necklace made of pure blue stones resembled the sky of that day. A clear sky without a single cloud. It was like receiving a gift from the memories they had together on such a good day. If she carries it with her, she may lose it or break it, so Jiwoo kept it hidden in her bedroom. One day, she learned how to ride a horse instead of learning the language from the crown prince, and for the first time, she rushed through the grasslands of this country. It was scary at first, but she soon got used to it. She started to feel more relaxed enough to enjoy the cheerful sound of horses¡¯ galloping, the rapidly changing scenery, and even the wind that would scatter her hair. ¡°How is it? Isn¡¯t it beautiful?¡± In the distance, a large windmill was spinning over a vast farmhouse. Red and blue colored roofs and wide curved rivers passed by, and large tower-shaped grain silos were lined up in a row. The scene of white clouds floating in the deep blue sky was like a scene from a fairy tale. Looking down on that part of civilization from a high hill, the crown prince introduced her to the country he would rule over. Four distinct seasons, fertile land, abundant resources and wise people. The empire had developed independently and was the subject of envy and obedience by other countries. Then, there was the holy city where the voice of God could reach, and this was also within the empire. The Akarna also came down through the empire. Therefore, the empire was not lacking to be called the land blessed by the gods. ¡°But the Empire wasn¡¯t such a prosperous land from the beginning.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°As the Akarna, you clean up the land eroded by miasma, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± A land that was eroded by the dark energy that the beasts left behind. It had once been a barren land where crops could not be planted and other facilities could not be built. When humans lived in such a place for a long time, they became ill. Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks The disease that slowly turns the body black and then spreads miasma to the surroundings at the moment of death. Therefore, being afflicted with the disease was like a sentence to be banished from the human world and to die in loneliness. It was no exaggeration to say that the borders of the country consisted of the land eroded by miasma. The garrison of the frontier protected the people in the fight against the beasts rather than human invaders. However, the Akarna is not affected by the miasma. Rather, she was able to heal the sick and purify the land stained with miasma. It was thanks to the Akarna that the empire was able to expand its territory when other places were threatened by the beasts. In an empire with such strong conditions, it was a natural order for many countries to bow their heads. ¡°It is said that in the past, most of the land was barren. The soldiers of the Empire drove out the beasts that threatened people, and the saints purified the land polluted by it. That long history made the Empire it is today.¡± As the crown prince said this, he seemed to be proud of the ancestors who made this land, the imperial family where he was born, and the people. His pride for his country was etched on his hard and strong cheeks, but this expression disappeared quickly as he showed a worried expression. ¡°But¡­ the land polluted with miasma is getting bigger and bigger. If you let your guard down just a little bit, the beasts can come to overwhelm you. What do you think of the act of saving the suffering and increasing the land on which they can live in peace?¡± Jiwoo was a little surprised because she didn¡¯t know he would ask for an opinion. Jiwoo pondered for a long time, not wanting to give the impression that she was taking it lightly. It was easy to judge when she remembered what the temple was asking her to do. Sick people kissed the hem of her clothes in tears as she healed them. It was difficult to drive the miasma out of the ground, but she felt proud when she received the crops that were experimentally grown in the first year on the purified land as a gift. She thought it would be difficult, but¡­ looking back, it was worthwhile. ¡°I think it¡¯s the right thing to do.¡± ¡°Yes¡­But there are still many people in this land who can¡¯t accept that help.¡± ¡°Have they not received help yet?¡± ¡°No, they don¡¯t accept it. These races don¡¯t even want to believe in divine power, and the alchemists on the outer wall think that it¡¯s blasphemy to use divine power.¡± The crown prince looked at the distant horizon and said so. She didn¡¯t really understand it well. Jiwoo had never seen a beast with her own two eyes. However, she had seen some paintings of them, and the appearance of those monstrous people looked exactly as they were described, and how terrible those who were affected by the miasma turned into. It was because she couldn¡¯t think of any reason to forcibly refuse to save them from that. ¡°You also don¡¯t understand, do you?¡± Jiwoo thought briefly about the religions that existed on Earth. As in the world in which Jiwoo originally lived, if the reality of divine power was not visible, the atheist¡¯s cause was justified. Even Jiwoo didn¡¯t believe in gods. But here, the temple really healed the sick and drove out the beast. So she didn¡¯t understand. ¡°Well. If you don¡¯t have first-hand experience of God¡¯s miracles yourself, it would be more rational to not believe. No one has the right to violate people¡¯s freedom.¡± ¡°¡­You sometimes say surprising things. Is it because you¡¯re the Akarna?¡± The crown prince was startled, and soon he smiled lightly and spoke. ¡°I want to make this world a little bit better place to live, not just the empire. You might say it¡¯s stupid, but I think you want to save them too. They look different from us and they have a different worldview from us, but they are also people who have to live and coexist in this land.¡± The light of the sun shone on his straight forehead and the bridge of his nose. A gentle breeze ruffled his hair. There was a scent of warm sunlight coming from somewhere. ¡°I think that¡¯s cool too.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± The Crown Prince held out his hand. ¡°Then will you help me?¡± The wind swept through the wide meadow and his hair once more. That cool and refreshing wind stirred even in her heart. She doesn¡¯t know when. She must have been in love with him since then. But it was definitely from then on that she became aware of the love that had taken root in her heart. She was unable to attach her heart to this world and the temple, but because of the crown prince, she was able to love this world. And so she dedicated herself and strived to the best that she could. Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only As her heart followed him and was rewarded, she even cried uncontrollably. She was happy. Although the Akarna¡¯s duties were difficult, it was much more rewarding considering that it was the process of creating a future with him. But who could ever guess that she would be betrayed so horribly? ¡ª ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Chapter 4 ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Chapter 4 ¡°Uh¡­ cough¡­¡± Jiwoo opened her eyes with difficulty. She didn¡¯t know where this was. She fell from a cliff, so she must be down the base of the mountain. But it was dark everywhere. The rain had already stopped, but she felt chills all over her body, probably because she had been soaked by the rain for a long time. ¡®I didn¡¯t die even though I fell down the cliff¡­¡¯ She raised her hand and clenched her fist. There were scratches from branches and stones, but she did not appear to be seriously injured. It seemed that she did not die easily because she was the Akarna. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± However, she was weighed down by a large tree. She groaned and barely pulled her legs out to get up, but she almost fell down right away. It was difficult to stand still because her ankle was injured. Even the ground was soggy from the rain. She was the only one who fell down the cliff, so if she waited here, the escort knight who had lost track of her would come to the rescue. As she was thinking whether to wait here. Rustle, rustle. Shhhk. There was an eerie sound. It wasn¡¯t the sound of leaves being trampled on, nor was it the sound of the wind sweeping through the leaves. A dark shadow was roaming in the forest. She had a hunch. It wasn¡¯t a wild animal ¡®Is it a beast?¡¯ The carriage was heading far from the castle, and the more it moved, the closer it was to the miasma-trodden land where the beasts appeared. She was about to arrive, so she could have met the beasts. The beast didn¡¯t come closer to where she was, but it was terrifying to see that she was being watched by something she couldn¡¯t see. Drip, drip drip. How unlucky. Besides that, raindrops started to fall again. If she stayed up all night in the rain here, she would surely die this time. It would be better to find a cave, or at least a place where she wouldn¡¯t get soaked to the bone. ¡®It was going to be like this, I shouldn¡¯t have let go for no reason¡­¡¯ It was a very impulsive decision. Regrets already started creeping in. Even so, she might not have acted differently if she went back to that situation. ¡®Thank God. I found one¡­¡¯ After walking for a while, she finally found a place to shelter from the rain. It wasn¡¯t a stone cave, but it was a large hollow space created by strangely curved tree roots. It was wide enough to hide the body. Even if she waited for rescue, it was difficult to expect until this late. She was not even in the rainforest. It would be better to avoid the rain and wait for the sun to rise, so Jiwoo moved further inside the hollow space. But after walking for a while, Jiwoo suddenly stopped. It was because there was someone else deep under the root of the tree. She gulped down her dry throat. ?These races don¡¯t even want to believe in divine power, and the alchemists on the outer wall think that it¡¯s blasphemy to use divine power. They looked different from humans, had different views and values, and above all, were hostile to humans. It was a male individual of the other race. She had heard that they look different from humans, but she had never actually seen them. But when she met them like this, it was immediately recognizable. The color of the hair hanging down one side of his shoulder was mysteriously pale. She could call it silver hair, but if she looked closely, she could see that there was a blue tinge reminiscent of a forget-me-not flower faintly mixed in it. The color was more apparent because it was soaked from the rain. The crown prince¡¯s jet-black hair that didn¡¯t reflect the light was also fascinating, but it was a color that people couldn¡¯t have without dyeing it. At first glance, she might think that the man has a small body because of how slender he was, but if he stood up on his two feet, it seems that he was quite tall. Tightly woven muscles were visible through the thin clothes. Most importantly, those ears were not human ears. Long ears that are not covered by long hair. The tip was pointed and it looked like rabbit ears. The ears, which were erected upwards, seemed to be listening to Jiwoo¡¯s footsteps. He, who was lying on his back inside the space, glared at her fiercely before Jiwoo could even recognize him. His eyes were blue, so he looked even more gloomy. Shwk! Shhhhk! He made a menacing sound with his teeth and got very wary of Jiwoo. It sounded like a snake hissing. It wasn¡¯t to threaten her, only to scare her. But he didn¡¯t attack. He couldn¡¯t. As it should be as he was already wounded. It was also an injury suffered by the beast. His thighs, calves, and then ankles, which were exposed through the torn pants, were wounded with cuts from the teeth and claws of the beast. Judging from the fact that black liquid was dripping instead of blood, it was a wound that was being eroded by the beast¡¯s miasma. Jiwoo hesitated for a moment, then approached the injured man. She had already found a resting place, but she had no energy to move around in search of another place. Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks Most of all, after seeing the injuries sustained by the beast, she did not even want to throw herself into the forest infested with beasts. The secondary reason was because she did not want to rest or sleep next to a corpse. ¡°That wound¡­ I can take care of it.¡± It was when Jiwoo approached as if reaching out. Shwk! ¡°Ack!¡± With the sound of sharp metal cutting through the air, Jiwoo was startled and fell backwards. The pain came late. Not from her hip, but from her arm. ¡°Ugh. Uurk¡­¡± He took the dagger out of his arms and cut Jiwoo. Blood dripped from the cut on her arm. This was a wound that healed quickly as the Akarna, but Jiwoo wasn¡¯t a strong-willed person enough to brush off this kind of attack casually. Above all, since becoming Akarna, she had never met such unconditional hostility. Calming her madly pounding chest, Jiwoo slumped down and dragged her body, barely moving away from him. As she retreated closer to the entrance, she felt the rain more intense than before. Cold water hit her back. She couldn¡¯t go any further. She could die of hypothermia. Fortunately, he didn¡¯t wield or throw his dagger any further. He seemed to have decided that she wasn¡¯t a big threat to him. He turned his posture a little and was constantly vigilant about her side, but nothing more. Jiwoo looked at him from the corner. After a while, he quickly grasped the situation outside and Jiwoo¡¯s situation and turned his head away. After staring at his elongated ears, Jiwoo hugged her knees and curled up. It seemed fine to be next to him. After all, what kind of threat can a woman with such a dirty appearance be? ¡®I was just trying to help¡­¡¯ The blood did not stop immediately. Originally, the Akarna wasn¡¯t sensitive to pain, and it was normal for these kinds of wounds to heal quickly. But now that her body is weak, the wound has been quite painful for some time. Her body was terribly cold. Fortunately, it was midsummer, so she would be able to survive in this state for about one night. The wound on her arm had already begun to heal little by little. ¡®It hurts¡­¡¯ Would it be strange if physical pain was rather more welcome? Thinking of the crown prince, it felt like a needle was pierced through her heart periodically. It hurts like she was going to die, but it wasn¡¯t. It was a pain that was debilitating her more and more because she couldn¡¯t ignore it. She wished she would have died there. It felt ridiculous to have crawled all the way to a place like this to live. She had only been scratched by a dagger, but she felt like an idiot to be crouching in fear. ¡®I wish I had died.¡¯ What¡¯s the point of living longer here like this? ¡°U, uurk¡­ Keugh¡­ Haa¡­¡± Jiwoo heard strange noises and opened her eyes. Her body was so tired that she sat down and fell asleep. Huu¡­ Jiwoo took a deep breath and grabbed her cheek. She had a fever. She didn¡¯t feel so good. Because she was dreaming of the crown prince. When she first met him, when she sneaked out of the temple to play, and when she laughed while enjoying the meat and alcohol she couldn¡¯t eat in the temple. When she doesn¡¯t know anything and just gets excited because the person in front of her looks great. It would have been better if it was an unhappy memory. Since it was a happy and fleeting memory, her situation became even more miserable after waking up. As she was staring blankly at the raindrops to wake herself up, she heard that groan again. ¡°Huu, huhk¡­ uugh¡­¡± The man¡¯s condition, lying injured, seemed to have gotten worse. The miasma rising from his wounds filled the space. The dagger that had been used to threaten Jiwoo until before was rolling on the floor as he let go of it. ¡®That dagger worked well on me.¡¯ Jiwoo looked at the sharply shining dagger in the midst of the space and raised her body. ¡°Ku-ugh, haaa, ugh, haa¡­¡± He was groaning while unconscious. Far from having the energy to swing the dagger again, it seemed that he did not have the strength to stand up and be vigilant against her. Jiwoo came closer and picked up the dagger instead. She only ever sharpened knives or scissors. These weapons were much colder and heavier than expected. While looking at the miasma contamination of his wounds, she cut her wrist. She didn¡¯t want to cut multiple times, so she gave it more force on purpose. Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only Slash. The blade cut so well that she couldn¡¯t even feel the pain of being cut. The cut was as cool as a piece of ice. Fortunately, it was not a shallow cut, and her blood gushed out. Jiwoo tilted her wrist, dripping blood, pouring all over his wounds as the man groaned. ¡ª ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Chapter 5 ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Chapter 5 Because of the large amount of blood flowing from her, the miasma was purified at a much faster speed than usual. It was a bit exaggerated to call this the price of borrowing the dagger, but it didn¡¯t matter. She was going to let it go anyway. ¡°Ugh, ah¡­ huuuh¡­¡± The man¡¯s groaning gradually faded. She had no intention of improving his condition, so she didn¡¯t want to closely monitor his recovery. She tried to stay close to see it. Her vision was blurry anyway. Tears flowed and she couldn¡¯t see anything. Her wrist didn¡¯t hurt, so she wasn¡¯t crying because it hurt. The amount of blood leaking out was greater than the speed of the wound healing. Before long, her head spun. Her legs buckled from under her and she collapsed to the ground. She couldn¡¯t even keep herself from falling despite the danger of stumbling and injuring herself. Jiwoo fell over like a piece of wood. Soon enough, her vision blackened. She felt someone grab her arm. She just lost consciousness. Oh, everything¡­ was nothing but a bother. Even after she realized that she had fallen in love, nothing much had changed. Jiwoo only followed the crown prince with a more meaningful gaze. As there was a decree in the empire that the imperial authority and the temple authority join hands to protect the world from evil beasts, the crown prince often visited the castle when there were no battles to be fought. Jiwoo met the crown prince during a particularly peaceful time. The warm and cozy wind of the empire only raised Jiwoo¡¯s heart, but did not calm it down. When she came to her senses, Jiwoo was always looking at the crown prince¡¯s back. She eagerly waited for the day he would come to the temple, and if she was dispatched to somewhere far away, she hoped to head to a place close to him. When she learned this world¡¯s language to some extent and became familiar with the culture here, she even feared that the crown prince would no longer invite her privately. However, even if he no longer needed to teach her, the crown prince continued to meet, and Jiwoo¡¯s heart kept pounding as to when the time would end. As if it was going to break just like that, she viewed her relationship with the crown prince as something on a tightrope. Then she met him at the dispatch site, it must have been a real coincidence. When Jiwoo, who was working hard, went out to a nearby lake to cool off, she unexpectedly met him. ¡°Your Highness?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± His eyes widened and his lips parted slightly. The red eyes that resembled the setting sun that spread behind him, shook. It was a look of surprise that he rarely showed. ¡°Ah, that¡¯s¡­¡± The crown prince, who was restless with his cheeks blushing, fumbled and opened his mouth like admitting a mistake. With his eyes turned to the side, he covered his mouth with one hand. ¡°I heard that you were dispatched to this area, Akarna¡­¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°¡­Unknowingly.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°In the end, I had to come here.¡± The duty of subjugating the beasts and the Akarna¡¯s mission had to overlap. Jiwoo chose this area this time because the crown prince was here. But, the crown prince acted like a fool who forgot what he was going to say. The crown prince, who always spoke without hesitation with a dignified attitude, seemed particularly foolish today. He tried to continue his words, but eventually gave up and bit his mouth. And he stared at Jiwoo. His face was red as if he ate all the heat of summer that followed that day. Jiwoo¡¯s condition was not that different from him. Her face grew hot and her heart pounded. But Jiwoo, who learned the words briefly, didn¡¯t know how to beat around the bush. ¡°Your Highness, are you saying you came all the way to see me?¡± ¡°I just taught you the words. You¡¯re too direct.¡± The crown prince laughed. It was an unusually shy smile. ¡°If you say that, I¡¯ll be embarrassed.¡± ¡°Then if I don¡¯t say that?¡± ¡°Akarna¡­¡± The crown prince smiled lightly and took her hand. She was startled by the sudden touch, but it wasn¡¯t unpleasant. He bowed his head for a while, stroking her fingers, then suddenly raised his head. Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks She thought the red eyes were too close. An unfamiliar touch followed. Whoosh¡ª The sound of the gentle wind blowing through the leaves stopped for a moment. The sounds of birds, insects, and the clear flowing water of the lake, which had been chirping for a while, suddenly ceased to be heard. She closed her eyes, drunken by the heat that surrounded her. While their lips were pressed against each other, the crown prince wrapped his arms around Jiwoo¡¯s waist. As Jiwoo calmly hugged him back, their kiss deepened. His tongue, which had been gently patting her lips, burrowed in. The moist flesh ran through her mouth, becoming more and more rough. The passion that ran through him spread throughout her body. She obviously came out to the lakeside to cool off, but it felt like she had fallen into the hottest place in the world. After a while, the crown prince parted his lips and put their foreheads together. Hot, rough breathing passed through her face. The crown prince said in a hoarse voice. ¡°¡­Do you feel the same way as me?¡± Jiwoo didn¡¯t answer. This time, she held his lips first. Perhaps it was an excuse that she couldn¡¯t speak eloquently because her vocabulary was still inadequate, but no neither of them complained. She didn¡¯t know much about politics. However, she knew that the position of the Akarna wasn¡¯t all that bad to be with the crown prince. It was the union of the crown prince, the most precious blood line of the empire, and the Akarna, which God gave to look over the world. It was a relationship that God made with no one to express any dissatisfaction with. Everyone seemed eager to bless them. Maybe even God. Maybe even the royal family. She was happy thinking that maybe she had fallen into this world to meet him. Instead of taking on the sufferings of this world, as a reward, God allowed her this kind of love. She had a dream-like love that was erased. She did not miss the past when she said she wanted to return to her home world, faithfully loved the present, and painted a brilliant future. Was it such an unrealistic wish? It was exactly five years that the future she envisioned was broken. ¡°¡­I heard you¡¯re getting engaged to the Count¡¯s daughter. What does that mean?¡± It was like thunder on a clear day. Even Jiwoo didn¡¯t hear the news directly from him, but came to know about it through rumors circulating in the temple. As soon as Jiwoo knew about it, she immediately asked the crown prince. She hoped it was a false rumor, but unexpectedly, the crown prince did not deny the rumor. ¡°Are you saying you were seeing other people while you were seeing me?¡± ¡°Akarna.¡± He gently hugged Jiwoo¡¯s shoulder whose lips were trembling. It was to calm a sulking lover. ¡°Can¡¯t you understand? It¡¯s just¡­ It¡¯s just a political marriage. But you must understand that I love only you.¡± ¡°Do you think I¡¯m just whining now?¡± ¡°Akarna.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Then isn¡¯t it? I¡¯m not in a position to go against private matters. If you¡¯re sensible, I wouldn¡¯t know, but you are complaining like this.¡± Private matters. Complaining. Jiwoo clenched his fists. The Akarna was just the Akarna¡ªnot a noble. She had no wealth, no good bloodline, no territory. The empire was under the authority of the emperor. As for the Akarna, she was just for the temple¡¯s puppet to pursue their propaganda. She had no power. Then, there was one more problem. After becoming Akarna, her period stopped. During the five years of meeting with the crown prince, they had no children. Jiwoo was obviously infertile. To tell the crown prince not to meet anyone was the same as telling him to give up on having an heir. It would have been better if he had been an ordinary nobleman. The crown prince was seated in a position much too high for Jiwoo to love. In the end, Jiwoo had only these words left. ¡°¡­That woman wouldn¡¯t like it either.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll try to convince her.¡± The crown prince hugged Jiwoo, comforted her, and patted her back. She was like being treated like a pet. She felt dirty. It was dirty, and she didn¡¯t know how to solve this or how to make it understandable. And not long after, Jiwoo was really able to meet the count¡¯s daughter, at an event hosted by the crown prince. ¡°I have decided to acknowledge you.¡± It was an absurd thing to say. Who acknowledges whom? Was that how she¡¯s supposed to say it in the first place? Wasn¡¯t she woman the one who got involved in their normal relationship in the first place? Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only ¡°We are lucky.¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± It was lame of her, but Jiwoo asked. The beautiful count¡¯s daughter covered her lips with a fan and smiled. ¡ª ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Chapter 6 ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Chapter 6 ¡°I can provide Aleph with a strong foundation and posterity of the nobles, and you can place the Akarna¡¯s blessing in his place.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°I like you. I think we can do well together. What if I give up my position just a little bit?¡± It must have been said as a compliment. Her laughter was closer to pure favor towards her than a passive-aggressive check against her enemy. But Jiwoo¡¯s heart grew cold in an instant. That summer day, he kissed her to the point where it felt like the heat that had reached its climax and had not cooled down for a moment, and yet, it was soon extinguished. This person called him Aleph. Jiwoo still called him Your Highness. ¡°You seem to be calling His Highness by name.¡± ¡°Oh dear. Of course. We¡¯re getting married.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°And no matter how you are the Akarna, your position is still that of a commoner.¡± It was like that, on the Empire¡¯s sacred ground. While diligently performing her duties as the Akarna, she was not once paid and considered a servant of the Empire and not of God. It was because of the crown prince that she thought it was a good thing even if she was forced to endure it. It was because of her lover. But maybe she was alone on that idea. No matter what Jiwoo was thinking, the woman continued to chat about her own experiences. ¡°You don¡¯t know how much I sacrificed for him. This includes acknowledging your existence.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± The talk of the noisy social circles continued, and with Jiwoo keeping her mouth shut, she was not even curious about it. The topic about the three has been subject to considerable scrutiny. The passionate crown prince, who would not give up his love, even though the infertile Akarna was likely to lower his status. His benevolent fianc¨¦e, who did not doubt him. And Jiwoo, who became an obstacle in the crown prince¡¯s shining life. That¡¯s it? Was it like that? Really? Was she the only fool who cared about such things? She was able to let go of the past because of love, only live in the present, and she could endure everything while drawing the future with one person. The crown prince, Aleph, was not like that. His love was calculated from the start. For even a single moment, love could not have surpassed his purpose and made love his priority. Was the crown prince trying to maintain this relationship until he narrowed her grounds? What did he give up? He didn¡¯t give up on anything. Rather, he used this matter to solidify his good image. It felt like her love had fallen to the ground and got trampled on. She was an idiot who threw everything away and put Aleph and love first. She thought that it would be okay to settle here without returning to her reality as long as she had Aleph. It would be better to throw away everything that made her in the past and start here. ¡®I love you.¡¯ Aleph¡¯s shy confession flashed through her mind. He might have loved her. It¡¯s just that he wasn¡¯t the kind of person who would give up something more valuable to him just because of love. Jiwoo¡¯s love was not grand enough to make him do something so great. Yes. That¡¯s right. That was the right thing to do. Thinking about it rationally, that¡¯s all right. He was a member of the imperial family, and she was merely a shell of the Akarna that could be replaced at any time. She did not know when she would die due to the Akarna¡¯s frequent dispatch to the wastelands. She could bear no successor. The crown prince had done nothing wrong. Besides, he was not going to throw her away, he was just going to give her a realistic place. Wasn¡¯t this sensible enough? But what about her? No one asked her opinion or even her feelings. They said that it was an honor for her that they had decided on their own and she had to accept it. She clenched her fists tightly. She trembled all the way to her shoulders. ¡°That wasn¡¯t the only way.¡± ¡°Hmm? Another way? Oh, hahaha. No way.¡± The fan that was making the wind softly blew past. What she saw behind that was a pitiful look. The woman seemed to laugh at her for wanting too much from her position. ¡°You didn¡¯t expect Aleph to abandon my terms and choose only you, right?¡± Thousands of words went round and round in her head, but only one word came out of her mouth. ¡°Ha.¡± She clearly remembered what she was thinking that day. She was, after all, just a stranger here. Drip, drip, drip. The cold water dripping down on her forehead gently opened her eyes. Suddenly, the light entered her senses and her vision got blurry. A long time later, when the first sight was seen, all she could see was the roots of a tree dripping with water. Was she still lying here? Jiwoo hurriedly got up. ¡°Ugh¡­ Ah.¡± Her head was spinning. Her whole body was lethargic. She felt off, as if she had slept from drinking some sleeping pills last night, then woke up. However, for lying down for such a long time, her body was not cold. A thick cloth was draped over her body. There was a bonfire burning not far away. ¡®I cut my arm with a knife¡­¡¯ Jiwoo looked down at her arm, which was carefully wrapped in a white, clean cloth. Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks Only the wounded area was swollen, and the cloth was stained with blood. Jiwoo carelessly touched that side. ¡°Uh.¡± The open wound hurt her. Jiwoo gave up looking at her wound and looked around. Of course she was alone. There was no way the escort had come down here to rescue her. The man of the other race that she had purified the miasma from¡­ She didn¡¯t save him for anything, so he probably had no intention of taking her to a nearby village. Still, the fire seemed to have been left behind. Drip, drip. ¡®What a tough life.¡¯ As Akarna, she realized something after doing relief work for a long time. It¡¯s either people died surprisingly easily, or they didn¡¯t die surprisingly easily. She must have been closer to the latter since she was Akarna. ¡°Hoo¡­¡± She let out a sigh. The damn body was cold and welcomed the warm fire. As she warmed her hands to the fire, Jiwoo thought somberly. ¡®When the rescue team arrives, I¡¯ll just follow them.¡¯ Impulsively trying to die yet failing only caused her fear of death to deepen. She suffered deathly pain several times before she came back to life, and she didn¡¯t want to go through it again. Even if she ended up being treated like a stranger here, there was nothing she could do about it. There¡¯s no way back home. Just because she didn¡¯t want to accept this, or just because she recklessly parted with the crown prince, she didn¡¯t have anywhere to go. The temple wouldn¡¯t allow her, and she didn¡¯t think the crown prince would let her go. It was when Jiwoo was thinking without any motivation. A rustling sound was heard from the entrance. Jiwoo raised her head. And she found him. The first thing that caught her eye was brightly colored hair. Silver hair tinged with a light forget-me-not color. In the sunlight, it looked much lighter than it did in the dark. And the biggest feature, the ears, caught her eye. She didn¡¯t know because she only looked at him lying down, but one of his ears was cut half. The asymmetry was more conspicuous because the opposite ear was long. He was wary of Jiwoo, who was already awake. After a moment¡¯s hesitation, he came closer as if he had made up his mind. They stared at each other for a moment. ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± There was no conversation. The man unrolled a cloth in front of Jiwoo¡¯s eyes. She could see freshly picked berries, mushrooms, and herbs. He then put the skinned chunks of meat over the bonfire. Not long after, a fragrant smell spread from there. The smell of ripe meat and the luscious apple-like fruit caught her eye, but she didn¡¯t feel like eating any of it. After a while, the other race said, [You are a stranger.] ¡°¡­¡­¡± Due to the very closed nature of this race, she had only listened to it. It was the first time Jiwoo met one in person. The language he spoke was also strange. It wasn¡¯t the official language of the Empire she always heard. She remembered the first time she fell into this strange world. The first time she heard it was an unfamiliar language. It was the same as being able to understand, but unable to speak. Stranger. After all, they were all just strangers to each other. When Jiwoo smiled and nodded to the man, he seemed to think that the words worked, and he held out a berry. It was a red fruit that she had been eyeing for a long time. [Take it. Aren¡¯t you hungry?] Jiwoo shook her head and refused to eat, but he ate one fruit first. [No poison. Here.] ¡°¡­¡­¡± Even if Jiwoo didn¡¯t respond, he didn¡¯t give up and started talking again. [Ah, should you drink first?] She had shed a lot of blood, so the water bag he offered was really considerate. The leather bag soaked in water was cool, and she was worried that it might smell bitter, but surprisingly, it had a refreshing mint scent. [Show me your wound.] After confirming that Jiwoo was drinking water, he pulled Jiwoo¡¯s arm and removed the bandage. A wound that was almost healing was now revealed. It was the same arm that was hit by the dagger he swung, and where Jiwoo cut it herself. But wasn¡¯t he the one who attacked first? Jiwoo pulled out her arm somewhat nervously. He said hurriedly, having lost her hand. [I apologize for attacking you.] ¡°¡­¡­¡± [Or, can¡¯t you speak?] Jiwoo, who did not want to deal with him until the end, eventually surrendered and raised her voice. ¡°I can only speak the Imperial language.¡± After a while, he responded with the same words as Jiwoo. Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only ¡°Right.¡± He didn¡¯t have the accent she usually heard, but it was definitely that language. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know if my words will sound right. It¡¯s my first time talking to a human.¡± ¡ª ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Chapter 7 ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Chapter 7 ¡°It¡¯s also my first time. To speak with someone who has¡­ pointed ears like you.¡± The man who was described as just ¡®pointed ears¡¯ frowned. His long ears also trembled, adding more to his reaction. ¡°We, the children of Elandos, are only called that by humans.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Only you have short ears.¡± The word ¡®pointed ears¡¯ was not used by them to refer to themselves, but rather by the people of the Empire. And usually, such words were not used in a good meaning even in the world where Jiwoo originally lived. ¡®It was a discriminatory word.¡¯ It was clear that she had made a slip of the tongue. She immediately apologized. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s because I haven¡¯t learned much vocabulary.¡± The conversation ended there. Amidst the silence, only the sound of a bonfire was heard. He stared at Jiwoo, who didn¡¯t even eat the ripe meat, let alone berries, and said in a slightly softened tone. ¡°Then you don¡¯t have to speak in a language you¡¯re not familiar with.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad the wound wasn¡¯t as deep as I thought. Follow me. Let¡¯s first wash and disinfect¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need it.¡± He held one of Jiwoo¡¯s arms, but she pulled back. But he did not give up and took her arm again. Jiwoo shrunk her shoulders in embarrassment and looked up at him. ¡°I know you saved me from being swallowed by the miasma.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ So that¡¯s why you¡¯re going to take me?¡± His face turned into a frown. It was a matter of fact. The Akarna would not have been something that was useful only to the Empire. The beasts didn¡¯t just attack humans. It seems that this person too was seriously injured by a beast before and was about to die somewhere no one would have found him. Perhaps he would benefit from having the Akarna. But he frowned and his long ears tilted at an angle. ¡°I know what you¡¯re misunderstanding, but it¡¯s not like that. I know it¡¯s polite to repay you for saving me.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need it.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll escort you to a human village at least.¡± ¡°There¡¯s someone coming to my rescue.¡± Then his voice, which had been talking non-stop, suddenly stopped. ¡°¡­Is it.¡± After pushing this far, he seemed to have nothing more to say. At first, those races did not like humans anyway. It seemed like it was already a big favor for him to guide her to the human village. But he can¡¯t force a favor on someone who keeps refusing until the end. Instead, he put down all the berries and leather water bags he had brought. Meat cooked in the bonfire was wrapped in wide leaves and placed next to the fruits. Also, seeing the Akarna¡¯s particularly thin clothing, he clicked his tongue and took off his cloak, putting it on Jiwoo. He got up and pursed his lips as if to say something, but he eventually left Jiwoo alone. Jiwoo, now alone, leaned against the dirt wall and closed her eyes. She needed to thank him for leaving food and water behind. But she still didn¡¯t have the will to put those words in her mouth. She closed her eyes for a moment, and when she opened her eyes, it was dark everywhere. The bonfire was almost extinguished. Jiwoo grabbed the cloak that was wrapped around her body once In the peaceful forest, she could hear the chirps of birds, grass bugs, and crickets. Of course, no one was around. The rescue team did not come to Jiwoo immediately. She had spent two nights in such a conspicuous cave and they still could not find her. Jiwoo left the cave and followed the path she had gone through and went back up. There was a big landslide, and the carriage fell there, so she thought they would be able to find her easily, but she was wrong. The trees that stretched high to the sky were lush, and the grass grew strong. It wasn¡¯t a popular place for people to go, so there was no easy way to walk. Besides, the effect of falling from a high place had not yet gone, so her legs still hurt very much. Walking with a limp just made Jiwoo even more exhausted. In fact, it looked the same everywhere. She walked for a long time, but she only felt like she was going round and round on the same road. Jiwoo, who was spinning through the dense forest, stopped where a thin stream of water was flowing. It was clear water that reflected her face like a mirror. She scooped up water with her hands, drank it, and washed her tired face several times. Then she realized that her body had a serious fever. ¡®It would be painful at this rate.¡¯ She learned one thing while living in Akarna. While this body heals quickly from external stimuli, there was no recovery from internal stress. And now, that¡¯s exactly what she¡¯s riddled with. She had to get up and walk more, but she didn¡¯t have the energy to do that. Jiwoo leaned against a large tree and sat down. She closed her eyes and listened to the sound of the flowing water. When she woke up, it felt like her body was floating in a sense. A nice smell lingered too. Jiwoo unconsciously followed the scent and buried her face, then came to her senses. Someone was carrying her. When Jiwoo, startled, got up and tried to escape, he stopped her. ¡°Uh¡­¡± ¡°Stay still.¡± ¡°This¡­what happened¡­¡± Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks ¡°You¡¯ve been unconscious for three days. Didn¡¯t you say someone was coming to pick you up? Why isn¡¯t anyone coming?¡± ¡°Put, put me down¡­¡± ¡°I can¡¯t put you down. You¡¯ll die then.¡± Truly, however, she was not so keen on clinging to her life. Not knowing what Jiwoo was thinking, he fixed Jiwoo¡¯s position on his back, and started walking again. She couldn¡¯t let herself be carried like this. If she moved further away from the site of the incident, she would forever not be rescued. She had to go back now. As if he knew what Jiwoo was thinking, he spoke. ¡°Bear with it, I will send you back after you recover first.¡± With his words, Jiwoo stopped her movements as she had been squirming and making him uncomfortable. ¡°You¡¯ll send me back?¡± ¡°Yes. I will send you back to your hometown safely.¡± ¡°¡­Hometown.¡± He didn¡¯t know exactly where Jiwoo¡¯s hometown is, so he must only be referring to the Empire. But when she heard the word hometown, there was only one place that came to her mind. Her body ached, which made it even worse. And she missed that man even more. ¡°Will you really send me back once I¡¯m well?¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± Jiwoo let go of all the tension in her body. ¡°I want to go home¡­¡± She wasn¡¯t even expecting for this wish to come true. Even so, her heart was relaxed, because even just hearing those words was good enough. Eventually, the fever got worse and she got terribly sick. There was a time when this happened to her because of the frequent overwork at the temple. However, the priests did not bring any medicine to reduce her fever. The body that Akarna resides in this time seems to be too weak. In this case, it would be better to leave her to die and find a healthier vessel. That was the reason. So Jiwoo endured the painful time alone with one maid who took care of her. Even after the fever went down, Jiwoo couldn¡¯t rest comfortably. Even if she knew that she couldn¡¯t fulfill her duty as the Akarna, she forced herself to do it. Because the priests would try to kill her and summon a new body. That was how the temple tamed Akarna. ¡°Here, eat this. Come on.¡± ¡°No, no¡­¡± Out of her mind because of the fever, Jiwoo couldn¡¯t accept what the man was trying to feed to her. She thought that it was poison to kill her. ¡°Hey, it¡¯s okay.¡± He calmed down Jiwoo, who got frightened in an instant, and showed the medicine properly. The cloudy liquid was just like the fever reducer that she knew. ¡°It¡¯s a medicine.¡± ¡°M-Medicine?¡± ¡°Yes. To lower your fever. It¡¯s dangerous if your temperature gets higher than this. You need to lower your fever.¡± However, her trembling body was unable to properly receive or even drink the medicine. The man clicked his tongue, and after he swallowed the medicine in one go, he kissed Jiwoo. ¡°Mmph¡­!¡± Surprised, she frowned and pushed him away, but he held her by the cheek to keep the medicine from spilling. She was repulsed by the bitter taste, but when she calmed down, there was a mixture of sweetness. Every time his tongue rubbed the bitter liquid, it became really sweet. Come to think of it, strangely, there was no smell of dirty sweat from this man, perhaps because he was of a different race. Rather, he was warm and had a strong floral scent. Jiwoo realized that the sweetness that was mixed with the bitter medicine was the taste of his saliva. The body, weakened by not having eaten anything, instinctively followed the sweet taste. To soothe her bitter tongue, she swallowed all the medicine and entwined her tongue with him more. It was an act she did to live without feeling any pleasure from it. Would she ever be able to receive such unconditional care again? Jiwoo was absorbed in the kiss as if she would die soon if she didn¡¯t cling to this feeling now. The thick, sweet saliva was felt every time their tongue tangled. It was as if she was drinking the elixir of life. In the end, it was he who grabbed her shoulder and pulled his lips off first. ¡°Ha¡­..¡± His face as he wiped his lips with the back of his hand, was redder than that of Jiwoo¡¯s, who was down with fever. Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only Finally, Jiwoo came to her senses. ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright. You must be feeling lost because of your fever.¡± ¡ª ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Chapter 8 ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Chapter 8 trigger warning: mentions of self harm He turned around for a moment and wiped Jiwoo¡¯s face with a cloth moistened with cold water. He wiped away the sweat from her forehead and the medicine that had spilled under her chin, and put a hand on her forehead to check her temperature one last time. And he let out a shallow sigh. ¡°¡­You seem to be getting better.¡± Jiwoo, who had become accustomed to the neglectful treatment she received at the temple, did not understand why this man was desperately trying to lower her fever. Still, it was reassuring. Jiwoo opened her heart for the first time in front of him, closed her eyes as she felt the heat in her body begin to lower. Her consciousness fell into a much more comfortable darkness than before. For the next few days, Jiwoo continued to be bedridden, and so he fed and would put her to sleep. He took off her wet clothes and personally changed them. Jiwoo was so ill that she didn¡¯t even care about showing her naked body to someone else. After a few more days of being sick like that, she finally regained her senses. The thin coat she wore as the Akarna was washed by him, but it was not comfortable, so it went into his bag. Even though she was wearing much lighter and more comfortable clothes than before, he still carried her in his arms. ¡°¡­Where are you taking me?¡± ¡°You¡¯re going to stay with my colleagues for a while.¡± Jiwoo looked at him, and he explained before she even asked. ¡°You can¡¯t always watch the progress from the outside forever. Don¡¯t you also need a place to recover safely?¡± Even though she was the Akarna, she must recover. She had to rest. She needed a break. The crown prince was the first one who had said that. So that was why she fell in love with him from the beginning. But when she thought about it now, those were words that even people unrelated to her could say. Even this being, who knew that she was no ordinary person. She had already saved him from the miasma. Although she had shown him such a transcendent power, it was strange for her to be treated like this. ¡°I can walk on my own now.¡± ¡°No.¡± He shook his head. His head moved in big motion, and his long ears caught her eye. ¡°Your body¡­ It was amazingly quick to recover from trauma. That¡¯s why your broken ankle got mended incorrectly. Your recovery power is rather poisonous. It¡¯s going to be difficult for you to walk.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve ever heard such words¡­¡± Her recovery was poisonous. Everyone said that this was an unlimited useful power and a blessing from God. So she should be willing to serve mankind. When Jiwoo looked perplexed, he sighed regretfully. ¡°Of course, every power has a bane.¡± ¡°But¡­ I will recover quickly anyway¡­¡± ¡°Because you¡¯re going to recover anyway, so is it normal to cut off your arm to the point of death? Say something that makes sense. Then, how would you describe the pain you had from your fever for several days? It seems that there were only naive people around you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± It was a harsh evaluation, but Jiwoo had nothing to say. It was true that she cut her arm to the point of death, but because she really wanted to die, not to use her strength. She didn¡¯t even want to correct his statement and she didn¡¯t want to excuse the temple from her point of view. So she just shut her mouth. Anyway, in other words, her body turned wrong. She fell from that height, but just being alive was a miracle. ¡®I¡¯ve never been outside the temple for so long¡­¡¯ It was the first time that she had been away from the temple for so long, and it was only now that she could look at the priests of the temple through the eyes of an outsider. Even when she lived in the temple, she did not want to live there, but she couldn¡¯t easily gather the courage to run away from there. Even if the temple induced people to have these notions, she couldn¡¯t see how wrong it all was as she was looking from the standpoint of a victim. There were some things that can only be looked at objectively if you were a little far away and a bit more impartial. No, but still. If she had known, what would have changed? There were several guards where she was dispatched. If it hadn¡¯t been for a natural calamity that had befallen her, she wouldn¡¯t have been able to leave in the first place. As Jiwoo sighed and remained calm, he hesitated for a moment, perhaps misunderstanding her reaction. ¡°I told you. I¡¯m not taking you by force. I¡¯ll send you back anytime you want to go back.¡± After falling into this world, Jiwoo was used to being dragged around. He seemed to have read that she was afraid of being dragged somewhere. His tone of voice was quite blunt, but he was obviously considerate of her. ¡°Well¡­¡± He stared at her. His blue eyes reminded her more that he was a different person from the crown prince and that he was of a different race. ¡°Call me Lanceil.¡± ¡°Lanceil¡­¡± It was unlikely that this person would forcefully take her now, but she still wanted to be confirmed once more. ¡°If I really want to go back, will you send me back?¡± ¡°I swear to Elandos, I will not lie to you.¡± She didn¡¯t know what kind of oath that was, but she was relieved to hear him say that. Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks When she put her mind to it, several things caught her eye. When she first met him, he looked like he was going to die right away, but now he¡¯s pretty stable. ¡®Looks like the last time I used my power, it worked well.¡¯ His body, which had been eroded by the miasma, became clean, and his complexion improved a lot. Above all, he showed no signs of getting tired while he was carrying her, even though she was quite tall for a woman. And, he looks unrealistically handsome. The crown prince was handsome, but he was handsome by human standards. He had the looks, stature, and lean body that her world would have thought he was a movie star if they had seen him. But it was more correct to say that this man looked unrealistically handsome. Above all else, the light colored his hair that way. He seemed to be as tall as the crown prince, and he had a slender body line at first glance, but as she was being carried by him now, she found that he was quite muscular. How did he get this hair color? It didn¡¯t seem to be dyed¡ªit looked too natural¡­ Like a flower. It¡¯s strange to put this term for such a well-built man, but this description suited him so well. And his long ears could be called his biggest feature. Jiwoo was embracing him in a rather embarrassing position, but she had her arm wrapped around his shoulder, not knowing where to put it. So she could see better. His cut ear would be able to regenerate quickly if she dropped just a little blood on it. There would be no need to cut deep. Just the tip of her finger would suffice. Jiwoo was accustomed to harming herself while living as the Akarna, to the point that she could easily injure the tip of her finger with just her teeth. She bit her thumb so hard that it bled. She touched his ear with a hand dripping with blood. ¡°What¡­!¡± ¡°Ack!¡± But as soon as her hand touched his ear, Jiwoo almost fell out of his arms. It was because Lanceil let go of her in his surprise. After a while, his expression looking at Jiwoo was colored with astonishment. ¡°You, you, you¡¯re a, an adult woman¡­! Don¡¯t surprise me like that!¡± He seemed more embarrassed than when she unintentionally intermingled her tongue after chasing the sweetness when he kissed her to give her the medicine. Jiwoo was more surprised as Lanceil suddenly raised his voice. ¡°I¡¯m, I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t know I was being rude.¡± Lanceil coughed with a face flushed red. ¡°¡­No, no, I don¡¯t mean to say it, to that extent¡­¡± Having said that, he looked around and put Jiwoo down on a moderately flat surface. ¡°Hm¡­ A-hem¡­¡± Lanceil looked away for a moment and coughed a few times, then spoke again with a calm face. ¡°You didn¡¯t even tell me your name.¡± ¡°Is that important?¡± ¡°Then, is it¡­ not important?¡± Lanceil¡¯s voice shook tremendously. The expression on his face looked like he was really mesmerized. She thought they were going to separate soon anyway, so should he be so shocked that she didn¡¯t give her full name? There was nothing she could not do. But should she say the name Seo Jiwoo? People here couldn¡¯t pronounce her name properly anyway. It¡¯s been a long time since she¡¯d heard that name. In fact, even thinking of the name Seo Jiwoo now seemed awkward to her now. So Jiwoo said the name that was familiar to her. ¡°¡­Call me Akarna.¡± ¡°Akarna?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Akarna, I thought that¡­ you didn¡¯t like me.¡± Lanceil stood in front of Jiwoo, arranged his hair and checked his attire once. A proper introduction was a bit late because of a number of things. But she doesn¡¯t know why he was so pretty even if he doesn¡¯t dress up like that. He came closer to Jiwoo and held out his hand. She wondered if he was going to hold her back up again, so Jiwoo took hold of that hand. ¡°It is an honor to have been chosen by you.¡± But he didn¡¯t lift her up, he grabbed Jiwoo¡¯s hand and kissed the back of his hand. ¡°Huh¡­¡± It happened in the blink of an eye, so she couldn¡¯t even react. And Lanceil grabbed Jiwoo¡¯s cheeks as she was spacing out and narrowed the distance without hesitation. In an instant their lips met. A nice scent wafted in and wrapped around Jiwoo. A sweet scent rose from the back of his neck, saliva sweeter than honey. ¡°Mmh!¡± Accidentally mixing her tongue in surprise, Jiwoo pushed Lanceil away. Lanceil¡¯s eyes were trembling when pushed back. He looked a little hurt. Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only ¡°Why? Have you changed your mind?¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± Jiwoo¡¯s face was bright red as an apple. It was as if this man was saying that she had seduced him first. ¡ª ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Chapter 9 ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Chapter 9 ¨C The First ¡°When, when did I¡­?¡± After she stuttered in response, Jiwoo closed her lips. It was from the moment she touched his ear that Lanceil was behaving strangely. He panicked and asked what an adult woman was doing. And there were very few actions that would have resulted in such a reaction. ¡®Is that what you meant?¡¯ He was rebuking her for not even letting him know her name, and it was something that¡¯s said only when they¡¯re seducing or being seduced. Because you can¡¯t kiss someone you don¡¯t even know the name of. Jiwoo raised her hands and waved it. ¡°Ah, I¡­ I¡­¡± She didn¡¯t mean it that way. She just touched him to heal the severed ear. When Jiwoo hesitated, Lanceil suddenly got depressed. ¡°By any chance¡­ Do you not like me?¡± The corners of Lanceil¡¯s eyes went down, and when the thick eyelashes lowered down too, a deep shade was created. ¡°Unlike your tribe¡­ I look very different. Especially in my group, I¡¯m especially ugly and I don¡¯t have a good scent¡­¡± ¡°No!¡± It was ridiculous to say he smelled bad. Because he smelled the best among men Jiwoo had ever met. It could be that the good scent was characteristic of their tribe. It could be true that his scent was, as he said, was bad among them. But even so, it was good for Jiwoo. Even his saliva was as sweet as honey. And it was even more difficult to accept that he was ugly. She thought this was odd. But it was because of his strangely colored hair and eyes that are hard to see in humans, and Lanceil was objectively handsome from the first time she saw him. Jiwoo said hurriedly because Lanceil was not just depressed, but rather digging into the ground. ¡°¡­I like you.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Lanceil looked noticeably relieved. ¡°Thank you for the empty words.¡± ¡°They¡¯re not empty words, you¡¯re really handsome.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°You smell good, and you taste sweet¡­ hng¡­!¡± And Lanceil happily kissed Jiwoo again. His soft tongue tapped against her lips, and eventually went inside and intertwined with her tongue. Sweet saliva wetted her mouth. Jiwoo held up both her hands and stiffened. It was then that she realized that what she had said was seriously misleading. She said he smelled good, but he took it as saying that she liked the kiss. ¡°Haa.¡± ¡°Ung¡­¡± Their lips parted for a moment, then met again. Even with that brief opportunity, Jiwoo couldn¡¯t push him away. She missed the opportunity to correct the misunderstanding, and this situation and touch were shockingly anew. To be honest, Lanceil wasn¡¯t very good at kissing. Since Jiwoo had dated the crown prince for five years, who was skilled in this kind of physical affairs, she could feel that way. Any time she slept with the crown prince was quite rough. Aleph, who had as much physical strength as his physique, was like a man who had been on the battlefield when his emotions were heightened, his movements became intense. Jiwoo couldn¡¯t keep up with him during the times they slept together, so there were many times that he exhausted her stamina and fell asleep. Aleph treated her gently at first, but as she got used to it, his behavior became more and more rough. Other than that, even if Jiwoo was overwhelmed and he restrained himself, he was never gentle with his kisses. A kiss with the crown prince always seemed to bite. He grabbed Jiwoo¡¯s head and chewed her tongue. Although it was difficult to keep up with shortness of breath, it also gave that much pleasure, and because the crown prince liked it, Jiwoo was also adapting to such behavior. However, the kiss Lanceil gave was too soft. There was no suffocating sensation. Instead, a corner of her chest tickled. Lanceil intertwined his tongue deeply, and when her breathing became rough, he held their lips together for a moment, then licked her lower lip again. When Jiwoo opened her mouth again, the soft tongue invaded once more and explored her mouth. The sweetness she felt whenever their saliva mixed gave a feeling of comfort rather than pleasure. ¡°Huu¡­¡± The tongue, which was stroking her insides, went away for a moment. Their foreheads touched. The breath between them was hot and fragrant. ¡°Is it okay to do more?¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± This time was her chance to say no. But Jiwoo met his staring blue eyes, and stiffened blankly. She didn¡¯t say anything until Lanceil¡¯s lips met hers again. She just thought this was far from pleasure. However, contrary to what she thought, the tickling feeling was faithfully heightening into pleasure. Lanceil¡¯s hand patted her ear. The hard, calloused fingers touched the lobe and stroked the auricle. When he stroked the round shape and rubbed it as if wandering around the lobe, even her lower body was tingling. Even with the careful touch, goosebumps arose. She seemed to understand why touching their ears could be considered so seductive. ¡°Hng¡­¡± Lanceil¡¯s hand stroked the nape of her neck more boldly, touched the tender skin inside, she even moaned when it came down. The hand reached through her collar. This was an obvious sensual touch, which left Jiwoo in a bit of a shock. There were times when she didn¡¯t even think that her love for the crown prince would come true, so Jiwoo liked that the crown prince at least felt sexually attracted to her. She thought that the act of pouring passion into her in his own way and the uncontrollable passion when looking at her were attractive. She felt enough pleasure while forcing herself to fit in with his tendency to enjoy rough relationships, so she thought this was the type of love she would achieve. She told herself this: he loved her so much that he couldn¡¯t control his passion. That was how much she was loved. But was it a mistake? Even without such desperate feelings, there could be pleasure. Just like this relationship between her and Lanceil. Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks ¡°You saved my life and chose me, so my life will be yours forever.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Lanceil¡¯s words that clearly meant courting, Jiwoo burst out in tears. As if he felt something unusual, Lanceil immediately stopped. ¡°Why? No, I¡¯m sorry.¡± And he apologized blindly, even though he couldn¡¯t understand the situation. ¡°I must have done something wrong. As I said before, it¡¯s my first time meeting a human¡­¡± No. He did nothing wrong. Jiwoo hated herself for thinking of the crown prince even in a situation like this. Even when she was kissed softly like the west wind during spring, it was tragic that her body that was accustomed to rough behavior reminded her of the crown prince. It was better to think about dying or not thinking at all. Her thoughts began to run through her head again. It was painful. Without a word, Jiwoo only shed tears. ¡°Oh no¡­ Akarna¡­¡± Lanceil, who knew Jiwoo was refusing to touch him, was restless, unable to even wipe her tears with his hands. Pitter, patter. Perhaps the sky wanted to cover her tears. Even the dark sky rumbled and raindrops began to fall. Lanceil looked up at the sky and clicked his tongue. ¡°Let¡¯s avoid the rain first, okay?¡± Lanceil¡¯s long ears perked up, and the tip of one ear trembled. ¡°There¡¯s a shelter from the rain nearby. Come on.¡± Jiwoo cuddled up snuggly to Lanceil. However, the tears did not stop flowing. Lanceil, unaware of Jiwoo¡¯s situation, was confused as to whether to be relieved or worried about her reaction. There was a cave nearby. Lanceil, who ran into the cave holding Jiwoo, immediately lit a bonfire to dry her wet body. Jiwoo, who looked blankly at the burning flame, opened her mouth. She felt like she had to clear up the misunderstanding first. ¡°Lanceil.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± When his name was called, Lanceil looked around immediately. ¡°Come closer¡­¡± As Lanceil approached without a doubt, Jiwoo quickly touched his ear. The tip of her finger already has a drop of blood. ¡°Uhk¡­!¡± When her hand touched him, Lanceil moaned in surprise. To them, the ear seemed to be a fairly sensitive organ. When Akarna¡¯s blood was smeared on it, the healing that had failed last time began to work. The ear, which had been severed, was regenerated in an instant. ¡°Ah¡­¡± Lanceil touched both of his ears, which had been healed, and soon realized the truth. His face was stained with shame. ¡°¡­I, I made a big mistake in the first place.¡± With his face blushing and wandering here and there, unable to put his gaze anywhere, he finally got up because he could not stand the awkward atmosphere. ¡°I¡¯ll go out and get some food.¡± ¡°Lanceil.¡± Jiwoo caught him. It was a small, weak hand that barely grabbed the hem of his clothes. Small movements that can be overlooked. But Lanceil was caught as if it equaled a great rake. It was the first time Jiwoo had caught him first, so he seemed to be worried about this, ¡°Why? Are you still feeling sick?¡± He has good ears, so he would have been able to notice even a small movement like this with agility. It was just that Jiwoo¡¯s heart had moved a little. The crown prince was able to give his body and soul to another. Why did she have to look at only him? Why did she have to thank him for supposedly sacrificing certain things for her sake when all she could do was shudder at his betrayal? Was that her only option? Jiwoo bit her lips. ¡°What if it¡¯s not a mistake?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°What, what if you were right about what I want¡­?¡± There was no shyness in Jiwoo¡¯s expression when she confessed her attraction. There was also no pretense of a seducer. The emotion that was clearly revealed was not even the intimacy of talking to the person she liked. Her expression, which seemed to hold back tears, but looked desperate for something, resembled fear at most. It was a longing for life rather than love. With the face of a dead person who will collapse if touched, the Akarna was telling lies. However, it also resembled that same desperate expression when she rescued Lanceil, who had been swallowed up by the miasma. Lanceil took her hand as she reached out to him. Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only ¡°I told you. My life will be yours from now on.¡± It didn¡¯t matter. Whatever this feeling was, it was clear that the feeling that had saved her. ¡ª ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Chapter 10 It was still raining outside the cave. Jiwoo closed her eyes and focused on the sound of rain. First of all, Jiwoo could not easily hide her uneasy feelings about proposing a relationship first. She was using Lanceil to forget the crown prince. He seemed to have noticed it too, and she felt very apologetic about it, but she didn¡¯t even bother to verbalize this, let alone complain. Instead, he just soothed Jiwoo, who had been crying hard for a long time. The sound of pouring rain gradually subsided. Insects that had been holding their breath in the rain woke up and let out a faint cry. As the night became deeper, Lanceil concentrated on comforting Jiwoo until the sound of the crackling bonfire became clearer. ¡°Nngh. Mmh.¡± Lanceil¡¯s kiss became a little deeper than before. And it got bolder. He was embarrassed when she touched his ear in the forest while the sky was still open, but after entering a private place like a cave, his actions seemed to have become even more unreserved. Her forehead, cheeks, lips, and the base of her neck. There was nowhere his lips did not touch. It seemed as if he intended to kiss her entire body. Finally, he kissed her lips deeply and pulled back, grabbing Jiwoo¡¯s arm. Her upper body was pulled towards him. The scent of wild herbs wafted from him. Perhaps it was a scent meant to seduce, and so the scent grew thicker the more he got excited. ¡°Are you okay here?¡± After the carriage accident, the Akarna¡¯s recovery was slow. There was still a bright red scar on her arm. Lanceil pressed his lips over her scar. Her body shuddered sensitively, but it didn¡¯t make her feel bad. The long and painstaking kiss on her arm, Lanceil stroked the back of Jiwoo¡¯s hand with his big, firm hand. The saliva was dripping. Until recently, Lanceil had been exploring her mouth, and even her saliva had become as sweet as sugar. ¡°It¡¯ll recover soon anyway.¡± ¡°Really? That¡¯s a relief.¡± Even though she said it would heal quickly, Lanceil touched the scar with his tongue like a beast. ¡°Hnn¡­¡± It started from there. Lanceil, who opened her collar while touching her arm, pressed his lips on Jiwoo¡¯s shoulder when it got revealed. With their foreheads pressed against each other, he slowly laid Jiwoo down on the ground. There was no foul smell on the cloak that Lanceil had put on. It smelled of fresh wild herbs. It felt like she was lying in a flower garden, and the flower-like person got on top of her. His large hand loosened Jiwoo¡¯s top, revealing her immaculate chest. Lanceil, who touched her chest with his big hand to avoid direct contact with the cold air, pulled her breasts out a little more daringly. The cold air of a rainy day touched her skin, making her chest become pink. ¡°Haa¡­¡± A low, husky voice echoed through the cave. ¡°They¡¯re like peaches. How pretty.¡± ¡°D-Don¡¯t¡­ say that.¡± ¡°Why? I¡¯m telling the truth.¡± Saying so, Lanceil grabbed her breasts. His thick fingers brushed against the tips, and her blood rushed in. ¡°Mngh.¡± ¡°Can I have a taste?¡± ¡°Y, Yes¡­¡± Lanceil took the pert nipple into his mouth, which was warm. The nipples, which had been briefly exposed to the cold air, were surrounded by the moist, hot flesh. A shallow pleasure rose as his firm lips squeezed and sucked on it. ¡°Nnh, wait, nngh, ahn¡­¡± Lanceil¡¯s tongue wrapped around the nipples, which gradually hardened. ¡°Hnngh!¡± Jiwoo¡¯s waist arched as his powerful tongue stimulated her nipples by turning them round and round. The bumps on the areola gradually swelled due to the stimulation. On top of it, Lanceil used his teeth to pull it up. ¡°Hah, AH!¡± Lanceil¡¯s thick arm came under her slightly raised waist. Just by his light pull, their bodies were pressed against each other. She could feel his warmth beneath the thin fabric. Caressing her chest carefully, Lanceil did not hide that he was like a dog in heat. The firm erection rubbed against Jiwoo¡¯s thigh. Then, impatiently, he took off his clothes with hasty hands. ¡°Wow¡­¡± Jiwoo glanced at his body, admiring it inwardly. Lanceil took off his clothes, revealing his reddish, toned muscles. His shoulders were wide enough to obscure Jiwoo¡¯s width, and his waist was slender. And every curve was rippling with tight muscles. His abdomen was dented along clear lines. When he was wearing layers of clothes, she thought he had a slender body, but that wasn¡¯t the case. It seemed like she was mistaken because his countenance was closer to the pretty side than handsome. Looking at his muscular physique altogether, he definitely evoked a wild atmosphere, exactly like his tribe that ran freely through the forests. Jiwoo, who was blankly appreciating his body, lowered her gaze even further, and was horrified. ¡°Hey, that, wait¡­¡± The ferocious, upright flesh was completely unpigmented and appeared pink. It had clear blood veins under it like a neatly taut skin, but she didn¡¯t think it was disgusting. It was like seeing the perfect manhood. But the problem was this: his size. It was more like a snake than a man¡¯s member, and already at the tip, clear liquid could be seen dripping. The problem wasn¡¯t just the length, but his girth as well. Jiwoo shook her head, turning white. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t think it¡¯s possible.¡± In fact, even Jiwoo¡¯s find it hard to receive the crown prince¡¯s. She knew that Lanceil wasn¡¯t human, but she didn¡¯t think that even that would go beyond human standards. Jiwoo pushed his chest and tried to widen the distance between them. Of course, Lanceil was not pushed aside by that feeble rebellion. Rather, he narrowed the distance with Jiwoo and embraced her. Her soft chest pressed against his hard body, being crushed into him. Jiwoo whispered in a shriek. ¡°Lanceil¡­!¡± ¡°Why¡­ is it too disgusting?¡± His elongated ears laid horizontally, Lanceil looked dispirited. Jiwoo said frankly. ¡°It¡¯s not like that¡­ but I think it¡¯s too big.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll make sure I don¡¯t overdo it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the problem, it won¡¯t go in¡­¡± Lanceil whispered to Jiwoo, who was held by him, unable to take his eyes off her. ¡°Then I¡¯ll try until it can go. If you¡¯re not disgusted. Please?¡± Lanceil rubbed his forehead and nose as if teasing her at the base of her neck. Since she had always dealt with the crown prince, who was always full of confidence in his appearance and status, she couldn¡¯t understand Lanceil¡¯s reaction as if he had no confidence even with such a face and body. In other words, Jiwoo was not immune to the reaction of this handsome man. Jiwoo, unable to do anything in front of him, did not show any particular rejection until he spread her legs and put his face upon it. ¡°Hnn, Lanceil¡­!¡± She reflexively tried to close her legs, but her thighs twitched and weakened as the wet, hot flesh ran between them. ¡°Uh-huk¡­!¡± As Lanceil¡¯s snake-like tongue touched it, the already excited cl*toris swelled more and more. More than just licking, he licked the red, bloodshot nub as if it looked appetizing and wrapped it in his lips and sucked on the side. Every time Lanceil explored everywhere with his tongue, c*m burst out. ¡°Unng, aahh¡­¡± As he sucked at the sensitive nub with his mouth, his fingers penetrated her entrance. Her body, after being accustomed to his caresses for a long time, accepted one finger without difficulty. ¡°Mmh!¡± Lanceil bit her thigh. The inner thigh, which had been sensitive to the limit, trembled and convulsed. ¡°No, I don¡¯t think I need to put it in. I think it¡¯s good to just suck here.¡± He fumbled around her opening and rubbed her cl*toris with his fingers as it was drenched in her fluids. When he scratched it slightly with his nails and stimulated it, it was as if white flames were flying in front of her eyes. ¡°AAHH!¡± Jiwoo tilted her head and trembled. It was a climax that had been gradually lifted up from the time he comforted her crying. However, even after confirming the reaction, Lanceil did not stop. ¡°Ha, huaa, hngg¡­!¡± Jiwoo grabbed his hair with both hands. There was no strength in her arms, which were being engulfed in pleasure. Rather, this provoked Lanceil even more. ¡°Uhn. Hu-unngh!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t hold back. I want to hear you.¡± If she were to raise her voice a little more, the cave would be full. Hearing her voice echoing like that made Jiwoo even more ashamed. But it was also true that she was stimulated that much. ¡°Ugh, that, hnnngh!¡± Perhaps that was not enough, Lanceil resumed his ministrations. The lewd sound that he made as he sucked echoed inside the cave. Rubbing her cl*toris with his fingers, he widened the inner walls with his long tongue. When his tongue, which had been soaked with her c*m, bit her cl*toris again and sucked it, Jiwoo¡¯s back arched once more as she moaned. ¡°Hi, hiyaaah, uhhngh¡­!¡± This time she couldn¡¯t hold her breath. A tingling sensation ran through her body. Obviously, for the first time, she didn¡¯t expect that she would feel this strong pleasure when she entered this cave and kissed him. He was obviously bad at kissing. But he was sincere in his efforts and desire to continue comforting her. That must be the reason why she quickly learned how to react and feel pleasure as he touched her. ¡°Hu-uhk!¡± Unsurprisingly, Jiwoo reached a climax with trembling waves again when she was caught off guard. Every time strength entered her lower abdomen, the fingers poking through her inner walls felt unfamiliar. Suddenly, it increased into two fingers, widening the inner walls, finding a place where Jiwoo reacted and stirring it tenaciously. The luscious sound of water filled the cave whenever he moved his hand because of the c*m that was leaking out. Jiwoo, who was exhausted for a short time, said pitifully. ¡°St, hnn, stop it, Lanceil¡­¡± ¡°I can feel that you¡¯re in a good mood. I don¡¯t understand your reaction.¡± While speaking politely, Lanceil didn¡¯t stop his fingers. ¡°Why? Should I stop? Am I terrible at this?¡± ¡°No, I, I cam, came, hu, haahngh!¡± Chapter 11 ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Chapter 11 She climaxed several times with only his tongue and fingers. Despite the significant reaction, Lanceil was still stroking her sensitive cl*toris with his fingers, and just rubbing it gently gave her a strong sense of pleasure. Her shoulders trembled. ¡°Lanceil¡­¡± Exhausted, Jiwoo mustered her strength and opened her arms toward Lance. She couldn¡¯t push him away because what he¡¯s doing was making her feel good. Fortunately, this move was more effective than telling him to stop. Lanciel¡¯s long ears pricked up as he smiled and looked back. ¡°To hold you?¡± Immediately, Jiwoo was snuggled into his embrace as he pressed her close, his broad shoulders cradling her. While stroking Jiwoo¡¯s disheveled hair with his big hand, Lanceil kissed Jiwoo¡¯s face here and there. He lightly kissed her cheek and forehead, then bit and sucked on Jiwoo¡¯s earlobe. Aside from the stimulating sounds pouring into her ears, her face reddened with a strange sense of recognition. If just touching the ears meant a strong attempt at seduction, how much more affection was being conveyed when he was licking and nibbling her ear with his mouth like that? ¡°Akarna, would you like more?¡± The voice that spoke as if panting in her ear seemed to be filled with joy. Lanceil rubbed his erect manhood without hiding his excitement, but still, he didn¡¯t try to insert it dryly. It just seemed like just grinding it together in itself was enjoyable. Jiwoo shook her head and encircled her legs around his waist, pulling him close. ¡°Ah, so good¡­¡± Lanceil caressed her forehead and kissed her lips. And he started fumbling for her entrance. Oddly enough, he said he wasn¡¯t confident in doing this act, but the pleasure he gave her with his lips and his hands was actually quite good. Then, when he was about to insert it, Jiwoo burst into laughter because she saw again that he truly was clumsy at this. ¡°Pfft.¡± ¡°¡­Don¡¯t laugh.¡± Lanceil grabbed her hand and pulled her in, biting the back of her hand. There was also a little bit of sarcasm in his voice. ¡°It¡¯s my first time¡­ I can¡¯t help being clumsy. You must understand.¡± It was strange. This time, her body trembled even though it wasn¡¯t a stimulus to give her pleasure. ¡°Ha¡­¡± When the blunt tip of his member finally fit into the entrance, Jiwoo gasped and tensed up. She could now feel the magnitude of his size slipping in. Because of the foreplay that he had done for a long time, her secret place was soaking wet and slippery with her already luscious fluids. Even though only the tip of his member was placed over her folds, her secret place made a lewd, wet sound. As he began to push in with a little more force, her inner walls slowly opened. ¡°Mmh. Ah. Nnngh¡­!¡± This time, a rather difficult moan came out. However, the clear feeling of pleasure naturally made her waist feel tingly. ¡°Ugh¡­ It¡¯s tight.¡± Lanceil held back an overwhelmed groan, and he entered her so slowly, but even that speed was a cause for worry. In fact, Jiwoo¡¯s inside was too narrow and small to take him in. No matter how much he had loosened it, it¡¯s a naturally unavoidable dilemma because he was just too big. ¡°Ah-ugh, uhhnngg¡­¡± Jiwoo clung onto Lanceil¡¯s neck and closed her eyes tightly. His large member filled her inner walls completely as he entered. At first, the feeling of fullness felt so good. But there was one thing she thought of. No matter how slowly he entered just to make it easier for her to adapt to his size, it seemed as if there was no end to it¡ªhe just entered her more and more and more. Jiwoo bit her lip, holding it in, until she finally pushed his shoulder. ¡°La, Lanceil¡­¡± Lanceil hastily rubbed her back. ¡°Why? What else did I do wrong?¡± ¡°No, wait, nngh¡ª too deep¡­¡± ¡°Deeper?¡± Asking that, Lanceil pushed his waist even more. Jiwoo tilted her head in pleasure that was perhaps close to pain. ¡°Hah!¡± As she let out a scream, the corners of Jiwoo¡¯s eyes welled with tears. Her body convulsed on its own from the unbearable pleasure. The inner walls contracted, clenching over Lanceil¡¯s flesh even tightly. ¡°Keugh.¡± Lanceil licked Jiwoo¡¯s tears that trickled down, but that didn¡¯t mean Jiwoo could look at the situation any further. ¡°No¡ª Mmmh! No¡­! Stop.¡± ¡°¡­This far?¡± ¡°Yes. Nngh. Only that far¡­ Uh-huk¡­¡± Jiwoo desperately nodded her head. But Lanceil was flustered. Because his manhood was only halfway in right now. A drop of sweat ran down his forehead and cheek as he basked in pleasure. ¡°This is a problem¡­ It¡¯s not like I can cut it until here.¡± Eventually, without being able to insert himself fully, Lanceil slowly began to move his waist. However, due to his size, even the slightest movement sent her waves upon waves of pleasure. ¡°Aahh, aaaahh, ah¡­!¡± Although his movements were extremely restrained, Jiwoo began to writhe with pleasure. She wrapped her arms around his body, and dug her nails into his back that was tightly woven with muscles. ¡°Huuh, ah¡­!¡± The manhood that had entered deeply was barely touching the limit. His movements were so slow that her inner walls tightly clamped down onto the pillar and moved together. The c*m that had soaked her inside leaked out every time he moved in and out. At the place where they were joined, their mixed fluids overflowed, causing the wet sounds of their union to echo constantly. ¡°Nnngh, hu, ahng¡­!¡± Lanceil supported Jiwoo with one arm to bring their lower bodies closer together, and he moved his waist while his other hand caressed her sensitive body. As she let out a moan after letting go of her rationality, he realized that saliva was dripping from her mouth, which she couldn¡¯t close. Lanceil swallowed her lips, licking it cleanly as if it was a waste to let go of even a single drop. ¡°Mmmh, ah, hnnnngh!¡± ¡°Keugh.¡± In the end, unable to overcome the stimulus, Jiwoo¡¯s body stiffened as she reached her climax once again. Even Lanceil, who had only inserted himself halfway, moaned like a beast as her inner walls clenched so tightly over him that he came inside her. ¡°Haa, Akarna.¡± ¡°Ngh! Mmngh!¡± Lanceil, unable to overcome the pleasure, without realizing it, shoved himself deeper than Jiwoo had told him to. ¡°Haa, kugh¡­ Ah, so good¡­¡± He moved a few more times to empty himself, then slowly pulled out. Thick s*men leaked out and flowed over Jiwoo¡¯s smooth thighs. She could feel his hot fluids running down her skin. The path that it passed burned hot. No, it wasn¡¯t just an illusion that came after satisfying sex. Her body was really hot. ¡°Lan, ceil, uh-ugh¡­¡± ¡°Sorry, did I go too deep?¡± ¡°N-No, strange. There¡¯s a strange¡­ feeling¡­¡± ¡°Here?¡± Lanceil pressed his thick fingers against her cl*toris. As he gently moved his fingers in a circular motion, she felt a tingling sensation. ¡°Ack, hu-ugh¡­¡± It was tingly and hot. In any case, it was certain that it was not a pleasure that normally happened only through arousal. ¡°Haa, haa¡­ my body is hot, uht, huuhk¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Does it hurt?¡± ¡°No, it doesn¡¯t hurt, haa¡­!¡± Because of the breath that Lanceil had huffed near her ear while speaking, Jiwoo also stiffened her shoulders. ¡°Lanceil, something, ngh, is too hot¡­¡± Her eyes grew cloudy. It wasn¡¯t that she was drowning in pleasure, but she couldn¡¯t focus at all. ¡°Not¡­ so good?¡± ¡°AH!¡± Every time Lanceil stroked Jiwoo, Jiwoo tilted her head and gave a loud response to each of his touches. ¡°Ahh, ahh, hnnngh¡­!¡± Lanceil was sweating profusely, thoroughly examining Jiwoo¡¯s reaction. And found out the cause. The freshly poured s*men was still leaking out of the opening, and the spot where the fluids passed was red. ¡°¡­I think my bodily fluids give a different reaction to humans.¡± Lanceil placed a finger over where the fluids trickled. Then, he applied it to Jiwoo¡¯s sensitive nub. ¡°Is this better?¡± ¡°Haa, aht¡­!¡± It was right. It was also wrong. As the stimulated cl*t grew hot, she began to crave greater pleasure. Jiwoo lost her reason and moved her waist. ¡°A little, a little more.¡± ¡°More?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Though he had already let out a load, his manhood was erect once more, and so he entered her. The opening, which had already been widened to his size, swallowed it as if to suck him in. And Lanceil didn¡¯t make the same mistake he had just made. He made sure to go only until the depth that Jiwoo had set. But this time Jiwoo was more antsy. ¡°Ha-ugh, Lanceil, more, uhng, inside¡­¡± She thought it was too much, but her pleasure-drenched body wanted him to go deeper. As Lanceil didn¡¯t seem to understand, Jiwoo wrapped her legs around his waist and pulled him in. ¡°Kugh¡­ Is it okay to go deeper now?¡± ¡°AH!¡± Jiwoo didn¡¯t answer. As Lanceil pushed in deeper as he was told, only a breathtaking moan escaped her lips. In pursuit of pleasure, the squelching walls swallowed him and answered instead. Jiwoo moved her waist as if she was in heat. Her rationality had already flown away, and her body was chasing after the pleasure in front of her. His thrusts were still slow. The large manhood that seemed to impale her body filled her lower abdomen entirely. But the feeling wasn¡¯t as heavy as before. She wanted him to reach deeper and deeper inside. In the end, Lanceil inserted himself all the way to the hilt, and he groaned in a much more languid voice than before. ¡°Kuuh, ha. Akarna.¡± Lanceil caressed the bulge that was apparent on her belly, taking the shape of his member. ¡°Can you feel it? I¡¯m all inside.¡± ¡ª ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Chapter 12 Chapter 12 ¡°Ah mmmh¡­¡± Because she couldn¡¯t properly gain weight during the years, her abdomen was slender, and there was a very pronounced bulge there right now because of his manhood inside. The pillar¡¯s shape was clear. She didn¡¯t even know if a size like his was possible in her original world. Every time Jiwoo arched her hips, the s*men that Lanceil had released inside her dripped down her backside. As he was inside her, the mixed fluids from between the two of them would make wet sounds. And every spot that his s*men touched tingled. Even the slightest of movements resounded in such a lascivious way inside the cave. ¡°Huuk, aahh¡­¡± Even after so much semen had been drained, the erect pillar still taut and continued to fill her inner walls. Because of his sheer size, the reddened entrance gaped open as though it would never close again. ¡°Akarna¡­¡± Lanceil started moving his waist little by little while pressing his thumb over her cl*toris, which was covered in his white c*m. ¡°Hnngh, haa, ha, aht, aht, ahng¡­!¡± It was as if there was a huge fire burning down below. It was a soaring pleasure that struck her and cut her in half. It wrapped around her entirely. ¡°Huu, ah, aahh, ah, huaahng!¡± He had been speaking affectionately until just now, but Lanceil suddenly stopped speaking. He just thrusted without a word, and only occasionally groaned like a beast through his teeth. ¡°Kugh.¡± ¡°Hu-ungh¡­¡± Then, at some point, the flesh that filled her body was completely gone. She felt a sense of emptiness as the thing that had been filling her this whole time had disappeared. She became worried because he wasn¡¯t saying anything. His eyes were unreadable. Looking at her with a blank look, Lanceil kissed Jiwoo¡¯s cheek. ¡°Uht, Lanceil, wai¡ª¡± Then, the pillar that disappeared¡ª came back in until root at once. ¡°HNGH!¡± Her vision went white. Her eyes rolled over with pleasure. ¡°Uh, aahh! Ah! Ahng! Haa!¡± She had been holding back her moans until just now because she felt conscious about the echoes inside the cave, but then the loud, lewd moan that erupted was incomparable to anything before. ¡°Haa, hu! Aang!¡± ¡°Kuuggh, haaa¡­¡± It was very different from when he inserted only half and carefully thrusted. Right now, his ferociously sized manhood came in completely and pounded so hard that he even reached her cervix. When her body was pushed up and her head nearly hit against the wall of the cave, Lanceil stopped tormenting her chest or cl*toris and instead wrapped his arms around Jiwoo to protect her head. His large hands protected her head, but this position all the more made it feel as if she was embraced snuggly in his arms. The traces of the crown prince engraved on her body had long since flown away. Whenever she slept with the crown prince, who always did it roughly, Jiwoo was always the first to push him away. It usually ended up with her having to beg him to stop his merciless thrusting. However. ¡°Lanceil, more, inside¡­, ha-ahng, good, so good¡­! Ahh!¡± Right now, it was different. Jiwoo actively moved herself and enthusiastically received Lanceil¡¯s passion. She did not know why. Maybe it¡¯s because his hot bodily fluids had some sort of an aphrodisiac effect? Or maybe it¡¯s because of his big hands that were wrapped around her head, taking the shock instead of her. ¡°Hu-ugh¡­ huuu¡­¡± If nothing else, maybe it was because of the feeling of liberation that she was freed from the crown prince, even if only just her thoughts. ¡°Uh-huk¡­ huhk¡­¡± Jiwoo, who had been groaning while asking for pleasure from Lanceil several times, began to sob at some point. Lanceil stopped moving as he wiped away her tears. ¡°Why are you crying? Does it hurt?¡± ¡°No, Good¡­ It¡¯s so good, Lanceil¡­¡± Lanceil leaned down. His lips met hers, and his sweet tongue entered. It wasn¡¯t a rough kiss just for the sake of pleasure. It was as if there was a wound in her mouth, and he explored inside carefully. He caressed her trembling shoulders. His big hands brushed her hair and wiped away her tears. The lips pressed on the forehead were lighter than any kiss she ever shared with another. He did not ask. In the same way when she proposed to sleep with him so desperately, he just moved in a way that could make Jiwoo feel better. And Jiwoo was comforted by the touch of a stranger who she knew nothing about. * * * The s*men of another race that she received was too stimulating. It was accompanied with a physical reaction, and its effects didn¡¯t even go away easily. Jiwoo, who fell asleep softly as if waking up after a pleasant workout, looked for Lanceil again as soon as she opened her eyes. From the moment she opened her eyes, her lower body was hot and bothered, and she couldn¡¯t stand it. She felt so empty, as if she needed to be filled with something. Like a fever had risen within her, she couldn¡¯t keep up with the thoughts that kept getting erased in her dazed mind. She just woke up recklessly. Lanceil wasn¡¯t there. ¡°Lanceil¡­ Lanceil¡­¡± Lanceil, who was cleaning herbs at the entrance of the cave, came to see Jiwoo in surprise, walking out of the cave undressed. Jiwoo clung to his body at once, but Lanceil soon carried her and went back into the cave. ¡°If I had known this would be the case, I wouldn¡¯t be in a hurry.¡± ¡°Uhng, ah, uhh! More, mooore¡­¡± Due to the love affair that continued all night, her entrance was still loosened. Lanceil tried to enter cautiously, but Jiwoo hurriedly moved. Jiwoo¡¯s reaction was more due to her body¡¯s reaction than her own sexual desire. Her eyes were blurred and unfocused. Her breathing was shallow and irregular. Her body was on fire. That¡¯s why he was preparing some herbs to detoxify Jiwoo even a little, but Jiwoo wanted this more than treatment. ¡°Ah, Lanceil¡­ Haaa, hnngh, yes¡­¡± ¡°Nngh!¡± The pillar that tightly filled the inner walls trembled, adding to the stiffness. After receiving his s*men several times, it was easy to see that this was the cause of this arousal. Lanceil chewed his lower lip and held himself back. He didn¡¯t want to orgasm inside her anymore, but Jiwoo wrapped his slim thighs around her waist. Lanceil squeezed his eyes shut in a sense of climax that was soaring. ¡°Ku-uhk¡­¡± ¡°Hurry, hurry¡­ Please?¡± Damn. At Jiwoo¡¯s urging, Lanceil spat out a curse and moved roughly. This was what Akarna wanted, so he had no choice but to be led by her helplessly. Although, more than half of this decision could be blamed on his own burning lust. ¡°Hah!¡± ¡°Kuhk!¡± In the end, Lanceil reached his climax. At the same time, he poured his c*m into her once more, even when the fluids that had accumulated deep in her womb had already been taken out before this. How many times again was it? They lost count. Every moment they had together was so good that it melted their minds. His c*m leaked from her gaping legs again. The smell of Lanceil¡¯s c*m like a mixture of flowers and honey, so she didn¡¯t even think it was dirty. ¡°Haa¡­ haa¡­¡± Lanceil wiped her sweat-soaked body. The feeling like floating on a cloud gradually subsided. She had never felt so good until recently. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re okay, hm?¡± Lanceil was still very worried. It was his first time, so he seemed worried about everything. Jiwoo, who looked at his reaction quite cutely, smiled. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Ah, it feels good¡­¡± ¡°Um¡­ Can¡¯t your body detoxify this?¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± External wounds, let alone poison, don¡¯t have much effect on the Akarna. However, since the temple did not reveal everything about the Akarna, in fact, even Jiwoo did not know why her body was like this. But it wasn¡¯t very unpredictable. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because it¡¯s not toxic. It¡¯s not harmful to me¡­ it¡¯s just a stimulant.¡± ¡°Is it¡­¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Her voice rang clear in the cave. It was always dark. Jiwoo murmured once more. ¡°It feels really good¡­¡± She couldn¡¯t think anything of it and it made her feel better. Jiwoo was only surprised that she was able to drive the thoughts of the crown prince out of her head. * * * As Jiwoo had guessed, her heated body really didn¡¯t need much detoxification. She ate and slept well while still doing the deed with Lanceil several more times. By doing so, her body quickly returned to normal. When she woke up, she felt much better than before. The plan went awry for a while, but as originally planned, Lanceil was taking Jiwoo to the place where his group was. Lanceil insisted on carrying Jiwoo with him as he was worried about her legs. ¡°Before we go in, I have something to tell you.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°It would be better to hide your¡­ constitution.¡± ¡°Do you think your group will try to take advantage of me?¡± Lanceil shook his head slowly. ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant. You said someone was coming to rescue you. If you want to go back¡­ It¡¯s better not to reveal about you here.¡± Saying so, Lanceil put the hood on Jiwoo¡¯s cloak, covering more than half of her face. Before Jiwoo could say anything, Lanceil said, ¡°Hold on tight.¡± Chapter 13 Chapter 13 ¡ù Heads up! There was supposed to be an illustration in Chapter 12, but we forgot to put it there. It¡¯s been added now though~! Jiwoo understood belatedly in the middle of the forest why she was told to hold on tight. If she had let go, she would definitely float in that state. Lanceil jumped through the trees and started moving quickly. He did not show any signs of difficulty even when he was carrying Jiwoo in one arm. He wasn¡¯t slow at all, either. It felt like a cool breeze was blowing as Lanceil moved between the large branches. She had to hold it with one hand as the hood came off in the strong wind, but the clear breeze felt good. The surrounding scenery moved quickly. ¡°Wow¡­¡± Jiwoo lifted the hood slightly and looked around. If it wasn¡¯t for Lanceil, she wouldn¡¯t have been able to see the forest from such a high vantage point. She knew what kind of place this forest was, but it was even more amazing. Before the carriage accident, Jiwoo knew where she was heading. Jiwoo wanted to distance herself from the crown prince even for a while, so she forced herself to go to the most barren land in the empire. And this was a forest close to what the empire called the ¡®border¡¯. It wasn¡¯t a complete realm of magical beasts, but it wasn¡¯t a place frequented by humans either. It would never be considered a safe place. As Jiwoo also confirmed firsthand, beasts roamed in this forest. Even Lanceil, who seemed accustomed to the forest, had suffered severe injuries from a beast and was dying when they met. Also, there were rumors that there lived people of the other race who rejected humans. Of course, the first one Jiwoo met was Lanceil. Although Lanceil was kind to her, there was no guarantee that the others would be the same. In the first place, in the empire, there was a reason that these races called ¡®Children of Elandos¡¯ were called ¡®pointed ears¡¯. It was their characteristics of having long ears, but they did not stop at excluding humans, but mercilessly killed them when they encountered humans. They live on the border facing the realm of the beasts, so humans rarely encounter them, but if the access is easier and the dangers of the beasts have increased, the militant empire may have declared war earlier. As such, humans and these races did not get along well. Crucially, they did not believe in divine power. The crown prince saw them as objects of indoctrination, not as equal beings who people could coexist or exchange with. ¡®What Lanceil said is true¡­¡¯ However, Lanceil¡¯s attitude was somewhat unexpected to Jiwoo. They had been frantically intermingling their bodies for days and days, but his initial promise hadn¡¯t changed. It seemed like he was willing to let her go if she really wanted to go back. Jiwoo thought he would tell her not to go. ¡®I thought you fell in love with me, but you didn¡¯t¡­¡¯ What Lanceil said wasn¡¯t just a kind of goodwill. He thanked her for saving his life, so he declared that his life now belongs to Jiwoo. But in fact¡­ words were just words. There was a high possibility that Jiwoo had misunderstood. Jiwoo came to this world and experienced countless nonsensical words. The temple was like that, and the Crown Prince was like that as well. The crown prince would also go outside the temple with Jiwoo and say that Akarna has the meaning of ¡®lovely lover¡¯ without any meaning and she was the only one who mistook it and her heart fluttered for nothing. So Lanceil¡¯s words may not have been completely special either. Perhaps the word of him giving up his life is just¡­ a kind of thing they say to seduce a woman for one night. ¡®Well, I must have acted very strangely¡­¡¯ No matter how ignorant she was of their culture, she seduced him by touching his ears and she craved for him madly in that cave, so truthfully speaking, it wasn¡¯t normal behavior either. He must have thought she was a strange woman. Even so, she moved closer to him, and now she¡¯s embarrassed. It¡¯s strange that she¡¯s more ashamed to simply be hugged by him now compared to when they frantically had s*x. ¡®Then, until the rescue team arrives¡­ Let¡¯s be patient. Because it¡¯s the only place I have¡­¡¯ The only place in the world where Jiwoo could stay¡ªthat was the temple, where she could be recognized because of her position. Again, the crown prince¡¯s face came to mind. Her good mood subsided in an instant. It was as if Jiwoo was digging the soil on her own while sinking endlessly. While she did so, Lanceil was actually thinking no differently than Jiwoo. ¡®Was I too terrible at it? I mean, if she must have such a dark expression¡­¡¯ The two were so awkward with each other that they just kept their mouths shut like clams. It was a side effect of using their body to get closer rather than to have an earnest conversation between them. * * * The signal that they had arrived at their destination came quickly. Surprisingly, it was recognizable by the smell. At some point, a good smell wafted out. The thick scent of grass and flowers, and the sweet scent of honey mixed in the wind. Even though they had traversed through the forest so far, she had never smelled a strong scent like this. Jiwoo lifted the hood slightly and looked around. There was a more marvelous sight unfolding before her eyes than when she went through the forest. A green village. There were a lot of trees that were much thicker and bigger than the trees that they had just passed through the forest. The tree trunks extending from the huge tree were so thick that it completely covered the sky. The sunlight pouring through the branches gave the feeling of a sanctuary. The green of the forest and the golden light pouring from the sky gave off a warm atmosphere. It looked like a place where people live, but it seemed to create a dwelling place in harmony with nature, rather than providing a space by offloading nature. In fact, some houses were sandwiched between trees or the trees themselves became living spaces. At the entrance to the village, there was a river and an arch covered in moss, and there was a path that was often used. It was a beautiful village, but she felt strangely uneasy. She was wondering where this feeling came from, but if she looked any further, the hood she struggled to put on would be useless. As Lanceil approached the entrance, some young men outside turned. [ Lanceil? ] [ Is that Lanceil? ] [ What, Lanceil? ] It was a language of the other race that she had heard once through Lanceil. Judging from their reaction, it must have come as a surprise to them that Lanceil returned. It seemed like everyone knew he had gotten injured. Among them, there was one who was running towards this direction the fastest. [ Lanceil! You¡¯re alive? ] As the crowd approached, even Lanceil, who had insisted on carrying Jiwoo, put Jiwoo down on the ground. Lanceil hugged the first person to come. Although it was a reaction to a person who thought he was dead and came back alive, she thought that it looked like too extreme of a reaction. Jiwoo, who has lived as an Akarna, knew well that this was an act that would be seen by those close to death. ¡®What¡¯s going on here?¡¯ Half of the people were noticeably relieved, and the other half were genuinely happy. And they all glanced around the whole time as they talked, very concerned towards Jiwoo, who was standing still behind Lanceil. Finally, someone couldn¡¯t stand it and asked. [ But what about that? ] Lanceil said it instead. [ She is a guest. I found her in the woods, she¡¯s the one who helped me recover, so I think I¡¯ll let her stay for a while. ] At those words, everyone that was gathered around Lanceil was astonished. [ Recovered? How did you do that? ] [ Nonsense. If it was a wound that could be healed, I would have grabbed you instead of leaving you alone. ] [ Anyway, I came back alive. I¡¯ll explain later. ] [ Well, even if that¡¯s the case¡­ ] [ ¡­However, for you to bring an outsider here. ] Since Lanceil was a person who had died and had come back alive, there was an atmosphere in which they could not say harsh words. Still, there was no warmth in the gazes that looked at Jiwoo. Although they weren¡¯t completely hostile because of Lanceil, it was clear that they were annoyed. Lanceil ignored the reaction. [ By the way, Tevon, is Callan here? ] [ Why Callan? You said you recovered¡­ is that a lie? ] Lanceil shook his head. [ No, I¡¯m really fine. I want this guest seen because she hurt her leg, not me. ] [ Ummm¡­ ] The man called Tevon looked at Jiwoo up and down with no sincerity. Tevon was the one who immediately ran to Lanceil after checking his face and gave him a gentle hug. His silver hair, as light as Lanceil, was mixed with yellow. It was a mysterious color that went between silver hair or blond hair. And looking at it up close, his features resembled Lanceil. Compared to Lanceil, he looked younger though. [ He is here, but today he can¡¯t because of Helka. Callan is here because of Helka¡­ ] Tevon touched his forehead in trouble. [ We have a full moon tonight. ] [ Ah¡­ Already? ] [Helka said that he would pass away before then¡­ It¡¯s not the time to bring in outsiders. Well¡­ Anyway, follow me.] Lanceil whispered softly close. It was an imperial language out of his consideration for Jiwoo. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, it¡¯s like this. Follow me.¡± Jiwoo leaned close to Lanceil and followed him while holding her breath. The news that Lanceil had returned alive and that there was an outsider had already circulated, everyone in the village snuck a peek. They didn¡¯t forget to glance at Jiwoo while talking with Lanceil. Jiwoo looked around, cringing at the feeling of rejection that hit her flesh, and realized one thing. There were no women in this village. Chapter 14 Chapter 14 Jiwoo was guided to a huge tree that served as a residence. Although she was supposed to live in an empty tree, it seemed larger than any commoner¡¯s house in the Empire. ¡°This¡­ is where I used to live.¡± Jiwoo lowered her head slightly, then raised it and spoke politely. ¡°¡­Then I¡¯ll be indebted to you for a moment.¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing to see, but make yourself comfortable.¡± Lanceil seemed shy about the unorganized interior of the house, but in fact, Jiwoo was so used to a life of divestment in the temple, so she was rather pleased with this clutter. Most of all, it was nice to have a small semblance of living left. It didn¡¯t look like a complete room, with the wooden walls winding and grass growing all over the house. They seemed to be a race living in harmony with nature. But surprisingly, there were no bugs in the room. Lanceil disappeared for a moment while Jiwoo was looking around, and after a while he came with a piece of clothing. ¡°I brought it the one that is as small as possible, but I think it¡¯s still a bit large.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. Thank you.¡± Even though they had come a long way together, it became even more awkward as there were only the two of them left. Lanceil looked like he wanted to say something, but he couldn¡¯t open his mouth easily. Now that she looked at it, she can see why Lanceil said he was particularly ugly. All of the people she saw in the village were handsome enough to be admired. All of them had blonde or silver hair, and their movements were strangely elegant. Lanceil had a slightly more crude impression than them. The violet-tinged hair looked even more unusual in the group of pure blondes and silver hair. Of course, Lanceil was also handsome in Jiwoo¡¯s eyes, but seeing the comparison object, in a sense, she understood his insecurities. But what was the use of such objective indicators? Jiwoo was more reliant on him now than anyone else. ¡°Excuse me, Lanceil¡­¡± After staring at his pale violet-colored hair, Jiwoo spoke first. ¡°What are we?¡± Lanceil¡¯s face suddenly turned red. And after a while, he frowned deeply. Jiwoo¡¯s face turned red as his troubles grew longer. Did she ask a question she shouldn¡¯t have asked? It wasn¡¯t until the words that she had misspoke came to her throat, Lanceil opened his mouth. ¡°For now¡­ I will be your temporary guardian.¡± ¡°Temporary?¡± Lanceil nodded his head. ¡°Like you said, there are people who will come to your rescue, and you said you were waiting for them too. I thought there would be a place to return to.¡± ¡°You said it seemed like there¡¯s no one around me.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Lanceil laughed with a low voice. ¡°Because you¡¯ve been lying down sick for three days and no one has come.¡± Lanceil had no doubts that someone would come to pick up Akarna. However, the crying image kept trampling on his heart, and even though he heard that she was okay, he couldn¡¯t leave easily. He just wanted to make sure she was back safely. The reason he didn¡¯t approach her hastily after seeing her collapse was because Akarna seemed to reject him. He thought she would accept the favor like an escort, but it wasn¡¯t even that. He thought it was a good enough first meeting. However, on the third day after she collapsed, Lanceil couldn¡¯t bear it and picked up Akarna and took her. ¡°What I said back then was because I was annoyed. I¡¯m sorry I said that even though I knew that humans wouldn¡¯t be able to easily enter this place.¡± Lanceil apologized for something he should not have to apologize for. It seemed that he had judged that Jiwoo, who quietly listened to what he had to say, was offended. ¡°You are beautiful¡­ You are a precious person in many ways.¡± She has always lived while taking life for granted. It seemed like the first time she had heard such a direct favor. So, even though it wasn¡¯t a big deal, her cheeks turned red. ¡°There will be a lot of people waiting, right?¡± Jiwoo lowered her eyes. There will be people waiting. There will be many. The Akarna was an important resource in the Empire and the temple, and if her body could not be found, there was a high possibility of them releasing the search party. In fact, she came here because she wanted to escape the crown prince. It was unexpected to meet Lanceil and come to such a village. In fact, I didn¡¯t feel like she had come too far. Jiwoo hesitated for a moment, and then sighed. ¡°¡­There was a person who I wanted to marry.¡± She didn¡¯t want to lie. And it wasn¡¯t something she wanted to avoid. She didn¡¯t have any freedom. Perhaps when she returns, she would see the crown prince already married to another woman, and she will live with the label of being the second in any position. ¡°As expected¡­¡± The reaction expressed how he knew it already, and it came right back, so Jiwoo avoided Lanceil¡¯s eyes. In retrospect, he must¡¯ve thought he was used as an affair? He was sure to feel bad. ¡°T-Then I¡­ Which rank am I allowed to be? The second?¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Jiwoo, who was about to apologize calmly and continue the conversation, was a little flustered by what he just said. When she lifted her head, she saw him smiling shyly. What? She couldn¡¯t understand. At least she thought he¡¯d be offended. The second? Is it reasonable to say that? Did the culture in his tribe not really care about that? Jiwoo frowned in embarrassment, but she didn¡¯t know what to say. ¡°No? As expected¡­ You are a precious person, so there must be more?¡± ¡°That, that¡¯s not it? Hahaha.¡± At first, she wasn¡¯t even treated very well. Jiwoo waved her hand. Then she just burst into laughter. All the negative thoughts she had just made her look stupid. Why does it all matter? No one is coming to check on her. It¡¯s not like the crown prince¡¯s engagement or the soon-to-be national wedding would be held with someone¡¯s approval. Even being the first or the second was stupid. In the midst of such vain thoughts, she suddenly thought that she should admit about the crown prince first. After all, the crown prince was not her first, nor was she the crown prince¡¯s first companion. If it¡¯s like that, then why should she have to keep her trust in him? ¡°Then, can¡¯t you just be the first?¡± ¡°Re, really¡­?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Lanceil¡¯s expression brightened like a flower in the sun. With a bright smile on his face, he held Jiwoo¡¯s hand with both hands. And he knelt before her and placed his forehead against the back of her hand. ¡°I¡¯m so happy, Akarna.¡± His lips, pressed on the back of her hand, tickled like a butterfly. What is all this? When Jiwoo burst out laughing lightly, Lanceil also smiled. With a flower-like face, he smiles like a flower in full bloom. When Lanceil looked down at the back of Jiwoo¡¯s hand and lowered his eyes, his rich eyelashes created a shadow. Lanceil carefully opened his mouth, pressing his lips against the back of her hand. ¡°Even if you return¡­¡± [ Hey, Lanceil! ] But he couldn¡¯t finish his words. It was because someone called him from outside. ¡°Tsk¡­¡± Lanceil got up with a click of his tongue. When he opened the door, there were several men she had seen before, including Tevon, standing outside. Lanceil had a serious conversation with them, and he soon returned to Jiwoo. ¡°It may be frustrating, but you must never go out today. And I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Lanceil sighed deeply, as if he was really sorry. ¡°I won¡¯t be able to stay with you tonight. There¡¯s some trouble in the village.¡± She remembered that they were talking among themselves that today is a full moon. ¡°Is it because of the beast?¡± ¡°You know it as well. It¡¯s similar.¡± It¡¯s impossible for the Akarna not to know. On the day of the full moon, the power of the beasts became stronger. Even the people of the empire, who are relatively safer than other countries, did not hold big events or even small arrangements whenever there was a full moon. All good days were decided by avoiding the full moon. The empire had it good enough, but the other countries were worse off. The closer to the place was to the edge of the empire, the easier it was to receive damage from the beasts, and major accidents were usually reported after the full moon. If there was no such thing as Akarna, the other race was even more likely to hold their breath. And this wasn¡¯t just a logical conclusion. Having the Akarna¡¯s instincts, it¡¯s easy to surmise that something extremely dangerous was going on here. Such was the sense of incongruity she felt at the entrance of the village, and the severe injury that Lanceil suffered. They lived here pretending to be carefree, but strange beasts could be felt around this area. Maybe it wasn¡¯t just a beast. There might be something more sinister. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll be back.¡± However, she was told to hide her abilities, so she couldn¡¯t act as she wanted. Jiwoo calmly sent off Lanceil. ¡°Ah¡­¡± Lanceil, who was just about to leave, came back. Then he kissed Jiwoo¡¯s cheek and forehead. ¡°I¡¯m going, Akarna.¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± Jiwoo fiddled with the place where his lips had touched and looked at the place where he had left for a long time. After a while, she changed clothes and laid down on a nearby bed. She has been very tired for the past few days, so she fell asleep immediately after closing her eyes. * * * ¡°GAAAAH!¡± However, when she had just fallen asleep, the piercing sound of screams woke Jiwoo up. Chapter 15 Chapter 15 ¨C Stranger Jiwoo stood up in surprise. The night was already deep, and it was already dark both outside and inside. The window was open, so she tried to judge the situation outside there, but it was in vain. She had a limit to seeing by relying on moonlight alone. Even though it was dark outside, it was too dark. ¡°GAAAAH!¡± Another terrible shriek rang out. Jiwoo¡¯s shoulders flinched, but she couldn¡¯t stand still at the strange aura from outside. As the Akarna, what she felt now was clearly a miasma. Such a thick energy was the reaction that would occur when a person died after being eroded to the limit and exploded miasma around. And usually, that didn¡¯t end with just that person dying. When the miasma exploded, the spread miasma went to the surrounding area and annihilated the area itself. It was for that reason that those injured by the beast were expelled from the group and died in a distant place. The empire has made an inexorable effort to eradicate casualties like this. No matter how much they strengthened the borders of the empire and sent relief forces to severe places, the damage caused by the beasts continued. It was no exaggeration to say that it was precisely because of this contagiousness. Even fewer and fewer people were wanting to be dispatched there. If they apply as a relief force, when they get unlucky, they could be affected by the miasma. In a word, only the Akarna could really solve this level of miasma. But she was also conflicted. Even though Lanceil was an exception, Jiwoo knew that she would have to hide her abilities here. The temple used Akarna themselves, but also served as her protection. As much as the Akarna was able to remove the miasma, there were so many people who wanted to use her that the heavens and earth would be covered by their number. That¡¯s why Lanceil was extremely vigilant and reacted sharply when he first proposed to go with him. ?If you want to go back¡­ It¡¯s better not to reveal more about you here. These were words that Lanceil had told her, and in fact, from the moment Jiwoo came into this village, she did not have a very good impression of this place. As the Akarna, she had no choice but to use her power for people while carrying out relief operations¡ª No, ¡®rescue¡¯ operations. She has seen so many things that she can¡¯t help but wonder what kind of group people would end up creating in a disastrous situation. And it was largely divided into two. The first would be a group that embraces the weak without giving up until the end. Such a group would be easy to deal with as the Akarna. No matter how catastrophic it was, they wanted to live with a minimum level of human morals, so they did not abandon their societal reason and help the underprivileged. She knew that they would be grateful if they got help, and they knew shame. Among them, there were many who entered the temple and wanted to become the new strength of the temple. But there was a big downside. They did not have a very high survival rate. Unless there were one or two talented heroes, it was impossible for a group to survive long. Still, Jiwoo always liked people like that. The second group was a group that would mercilessly abandon or use the weak. Those who were injured by the beast or the weak old people were thrown out of the group, and women were used as s*x objects. Most of them invaded the first group and repeated looting and exploitation. And if a group of the second kind would find out about the existence of the Akarna, they would abduct and use her for their own benefit. There were times when she almost faced dangerous circumstances, so even though Jiwoo was suffering from life in the temple, she could not easily leave the temple. It was obvious that she would become a prey to the caste system within the empire, and a victim of such a group outside. When Jiwoo went to the place where she had to do rescue work, she used to judge them first by looking at how many women, children, and the elderly were accounted for in the group. And Lanceil¡¯s group, this green village, was among the worst of the worst by that standard. There were only young men here. There were no women, children or the elderly. In fact, she was favored by someone named Lanceil, and she had a good impression of him, but she did not want to make hasty judgments about the group that Lanceil belonged to. But inevitably her first impression of this group was not good. If she showed the Akarna¡¯s power prematurely in a place like this, it was obvious that things would go bad. ¡°Ghaak! Huaaackk¡± As she continued to think seriously, she heard the shouts again. Jiwoo clasped her trembling hands together. However¡­ As a human, she couldn¡¯t pretend that she couldn¡¯t hear such hair-raising shrieks. ¡°Kuuhkk! Hwaah!¡± As she pondered, the screams grew louder. It seemed like there were multiple people in danger near this place. The moment she erased it, she remembered what Lanceil said when she accepted his hand. ?Bear with it, I will send you back after you recover first. ?You¡¯ll send me back? ?Yes. I will send you back to your hometown safely. The only thing she could believe in was Lanceil¡¯s promise. Jiwoo always expected people and got disappointed in the end, trusting people made her miserable. She was becoming more and more miserable because she was a person who could not lose her expectations despite repeated disappointments. She couldn¡¯t let go of that character in her even though she knew it, so she was always taken advantage of. She was sure she¡¯ll make the same mistake again this time. ?I¡¯m so happy, Akarna. However¡­ ¡®Lanceil.¡¯ If she¡¯s only been disappointed with people a couple of times in her life while living as the Akarna, she would need to be prepared this time, too. But if a person who¡¯s been disappointed a thousand times got disappointed once more, it won¡¯t be a big deal. It¡¯s okay. Be it 1000 times or 1001 times, it¡¯s the same. Let¡¯s go. Her worries were brief. Jiwoo kicked the door open and went out. * * * It was dark all around, not even a torch was lit. Fortunately, there was something like a glowing flower bud that was illuminating the way, but it wasn¡¯t as bright as a torch. Relying on the moonlight, Jiwoo walked to find the epicenter of the shrieks. ¡°Aack! AAAH!¡± As soon as she thought she had lost her direction, she heard another piercing shriek again, so Jiwoo quickly turned her head in that direction. She must have walked for some time at a brisk pace. In the distance, Jiwoo saw people gathering with torches. And there was something big and black over there¡­ ¡®Is it a beast? Jiwoo moved her steps towards it. But it was then. The black figure, which was surrounded by people, began to wriggle and move, and then quickly approached this way. Tak. Tak. Tak. Tak-tak-tak-tak! ¡°¡­..!¡± She was so startled that she couldn¡¯t even scream. Without even having a moment to defend herself, it approached Jiwoo. It was when Jiwoo was going to be attacked. ¡°Kyaah!¡± It was as if a huge beast the size of her ran up to her, so Jiwoo screamed, devoured in fear. Jiwoo, who could not hold her body, collapsed to the ground and slammed the back of her head hard. She clutched her head and groaned. It was a miracle she didn¡¯t faint. [ Stop! Don¡¯t shoot! ] Before she could ascertain what had hit her, she heard someone shouting urgently. Their footsteps also hurriedly headed this way. [ It¡¯s the outsider! ] [ Why is the outsider here! ] A roar was heard from all sides. It must have been the people who were holding the beast. And Jiwoo later confirmed the identity of what attacked her. ¡°A p-person?¡± She was shocked. It wasn¡¯t a beast that attacked her. It was a person. Someone who was seriously injured, too. The arrows in his back were dripping with blood and miasma. It was so dense that it seemed as if his entire body was surrounded by a black mist. ¡°Kuhk. Uugghh¡­¡± Of course, the person hanging on to her seemed out of his mind. In the meantime, he instinctively looked for a way to live and seemed to cling to her. ¡°Kku-ugh¡­ Kuuhhkk¡± While Jiwoo was trying to judge the situation, someone approached her. ¡°Get away, stranger. You know it was dangerous, so why are you here?¡± He was pulling a bow. ¡°What are you trying to do?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll kill him before dawn.¡± Jiwoo frowned. A feeling of disgust arose. ¡°Are you killing the weak in this way?¡± Jiwoo, who used to be short on words in this world, spoke everything straightforwardly. When she said that, everyone around her was furious. [ Weak? ] [ Nonsense! For you to say that Helka is weak¡ª!] ¡°When she is a stranger who knows nothing!¡± Someone shouted. ¡°I¡¯m offended by what you¡¯re misunderstanding! Helka is the most important person to us!¡± ¡°This is his dying wish! We¡¯re doing this at his request!¡± [ Do you think that we are doing this because we like it? ] The imperial language and the language they spoke mixed. It didn¡¯t seem like the situation Jiwoo had envisioned. ¡°Then that¡¯s enough. I apologize if I misunderstood.¡± ¡°You still don¡¯t understand? He decided to die this full moon¡­! If it¡¯s too late¡­¡± ¡°Because I can treat him. Stop it.¡± Everyone was set abuzz. Their reactions were full of incredulity. Chapter 16 Chapter 16 One of them spoke again, apparently this stranger was talking nonsense without understanding the situation. ¡°You, outsider. You don¡¯t know anything. He¡¯s the one who decided on today being the day of his death.¡± ¡°Day of his death? Why would he decide that?¡± ¡°Because there¡¯s no hope. He can¡¯t be saved anymore even if our Elandos appeared right now. If there was a way, we¡¯d have figured it out first.¡± The Akarna did not exist for them. They didn¡¯t even believe in divine power. Jiwoo looked around in a cold sweat. All of them did not disarm themselves, rather they were more wary of her and aimed their weapons at her. There seemed to be close to ten people, but Lanceil was not among them. It looks like he wasn¡¯t here yet. Jiwoo explained as much as possible. ¡°¡­You know Lanceil. You must know what condition he was in? I healed Lanceil¡¯s wounds.¡± This case was definitely of the miasma that the Akarna could remove. So she went on to say that it¡¯s not impossible to heal. But they did not agree. The tallest of them all, the blonde, spoke as the representative. It seemed like he had been running all night, but the blonde hair over his shoulders looked fine. As he got closer, the blonde hair that had clung to his shoulders cascaded down. A look of tension was evident on his face. He spoke in a voice as calm as his neat impression. ¡°Then you will understand this quickly.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°He made Lanceil¡¯s wounds.¡± That was unexpected. Lanceil¡¯s condition back then evidently looked like he was dying from wounds further eroded by miasma, and injuries like that were normally inflicted only by beasts. ¡°I thought it was the wounds he received from a beast.¡± ¡°His condition is not that different from that of a beast. I don¡¯t know how you healed Lanceil. But it¡¯s impossible to heal him.¡± Jiwoo did not give up and continued to persuade them. ¡°¡­I mean, you don¡¯t know yet whether what I¡¯ll do will work or not.¡± ¡°And it¡¯s also not sure what kind of danger will come back if there¡¯d be any recoil. You know what happens when that energy explodes. So he has to be killed before he does any more damage.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ve said it already. This is his dying wish.¡± It was a cold, realistic, yet rational statement. But she couldn¡¯t give up the person who was so desperately clinging to life. It also helped that they didn¡¯t look as bad as their first impression. Jiwoo was a stranger whom they rejected and might mercilessly kill. If they really only cared about their own well-being and killed the weak, they would not persuade Jiwoo, but would have killed her along with this person named Helka. And the fact that he clings to her like this adds credibility to one of Jiwoo¡¯s guesses. ¡°Now¡­ he¡¯s getting better, a little bit.¡± Even the man who reluctantly rebutted Jiwoo¡¯s words agreed. The man, who had been screaming all night, didn¡¯t seem to feel any pain so severe that he groaned and moaned in Jiwoo¡¯s arms. It was natural. The pain caused by the miasma, which was eroding the body, was more severe than the pain getting your limbs cut off. And since the shock brought upon by this pain wouldn¡¯t even cause death, people suffering from miasma would just cry out and beg for death while they lost their senses. It was the same with this person. The pain that the miasma caused was greater than the wounds they inflicted to kill him, so he should be screaming because of it now. However, as he was in contact with Jiwoo, the pain has been lessened to a certain extent. ¡°What if it goes wrong? It¡¯s the same risk we have to take.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t we just try?¡± ¡°¡­What do you mean?¡± ¡°Give me a blade.¡± A dagger was thrown in front of Jiwoo together with the sheath. No matter how negative they were, they didn¡¯t seem to want to abandon this man called Helka. Jiwoo took the dagger out of its sheath and cut her palm. Unlike their blood, which smells like a flower soaked in water, a metallic smell wafted from this human¡¯s wound. Grab! ¡°Ack¡­!¡± And the person named Helka immediately reacted to the smell. He put his mouth to the blood flowing down her palm. If he had been considerate of the wounded, he would have gently licked the blood, but unfortunately he already lost his rationality to do so. ¡°Uhk¡­!¡± She frowned at the pain that could not be ignored. Helka was devouring Jiwoo¡¯s blood while biting her palm and sucking it from the side. ¡°Uh, ahh. Huk¡­ Huuk¡­ Uugh¡­¡± The effect started to appear. The vicious black mist that was creeping up from him began to dissipate. However, his body had already been eroded by miasma so strong that it could not be completely purified at once. Spark! Buzz! The purification happened like lightning flashes, but the miasma crackled around them. Fortunately, those around Jiwoo and Helka quickly avoided it. Instead, the ground was hollowed out because it splattered to the ground. The grass nearby got charred. Helka hugged Jiwoo tighter as if holding onto a lifeline. ¡°Haa¡­ Ugh¡­¡± It seemed that his rationality had not yet returned. Jiwoo gulped. And as she watched this, she looked up at the blond man in cold sweat. ¡°Um, does he look alright?¡± ¡°¡­My name is Callandein. You may call me Callan.¡± ¡®Callan? I think that¡¯s the name I heard earlier today.¡¯ As Jiwoo thought his name was familiar, he continued. ¡°It certainly seems to work. But did you take the damage?¡± ¡°Damage?¡± Callandein¡¯s gaze was on Jiwoo¡¯s hand. The palm that Helka had just licked the blood from was stained black. It looked just like a wound that was being eroded by miasma. But because Jiwoo was the Akarna, she did not feel any pain. In fact, she was just a little surprised. It was the first time something like this had happened. While doing her duty as the Akarna, she only healed the contaminated ground or the wounds of the sick. She had never dealt with a beast¡­ or an individual who was in a similar state. Jiwoo¡¯s expression sank low. She has seen a lot of people die with their bodies turned black like this. When she first saw it, it was hard to not even vomit, but now her body has become like this, it didn¡¯t matter. Had her emotions dried up that much? As Jiwoo was thinking dark thoughts, Callandein said. ¡°¡­Do you want a reward?¡± ¡°I beg your pardon?¡± ¡°You are an outsider. Someone that has nothing to do with us.¡± The moment she heard those words, she felt a line snap somewhere in her head. ¡°¡­Hahaha.¡± Jiwoo laughed. Reward. A reward¡­ It¡¯s been a while since she heard the word reward. The Akarna was merely someone who performed the duties of the temple. Dispatched at the request of the people of the empire, she was respected and revered, yet easily resented. Whenever the Akarna arrived on time and would solve the problem every time she was asked to give a helping hand in an area damaged by beasts, everyone would instead praise the temple and revere the imperial family. If she arrived a little late, people would cry out, saying, ¡®Why didn¡¯t you come earlier?¡¯ Jiwoo¡¯s work was neither a philanthropist nor a welfare worker. She was acting only on the duty she was mandated to follow. Literally, it was the God-given ¡®duty of the Akarna¡¯. She lived such a brainwashed life, she never even thought of being rewarded. But, as they said, Jiwoo was an outsider. She had nothing to do with the empire now, nothing to do with the temple, nothing to do with the god of this damn world. Maybe she had nothing to do with this world at all. The empire was not her country, and Jiwoo was an atheist. The empire worshiped, supported, and praised the Akarna as God¡¯s great emissary, and yet they did not give Jiwoo a fair reward. Reward? What kind of reward would ever be given to someone who¡¯s taken for granted? The temple had not fully accepted Jiwoo as someone who¡¯s one of them. They drilled it into Jiwoo that she needed to do the Akarna¡¯s duty while emphasizing how her loyalties should lie with them, but in reality, they all treated her as nothing but an outsider. From the moment she realized again just how much she was not someone who the crown prince would marry proudly. Jiwoo kept engraving into the deepest part of her heart that, at the end of it all, she was just an outsider. Blood and lineage was important to nobles, and because Jiwoo suddenly fell from the sky, she would never have been able to obtain the position to marry the crown prince proudly. On the other hand, in this place, they were clearly rejecting her and calling her an outsider, yet they¡¯re offering to reward her because of that very reason. So, it¡¯s only obvious that she¡¯d laugh. She had lived like a fool in order to be recognized as a member of this world, but, after all that, it turned out that it¡¯s better to be treated like an outsider. As she tried to hold back the laughter bubbling up inside her, tears came out. Wiping away the tears that leaked out, she said with a slightly trembling voice. ¡°A reward. It would be nice to have one¡­¡± ¡ª Chapter 17 Chapter 17 ¨C Helkainis While groaning in Jiwoo¡¯s arms, Helka lost consciousness. Jiwoo shook his shoulder in embarrassment, but he showed no sign of waking up. His long black hair, which was fluttering in the air due to the rising miasma, also subsided. Come to think of it, it was unusual. Dark hair was not a color easily seen in their race, the ¡®children of Elandos¡¯. Most of them had blond or silver hair, but even if not, she observed only light shades mixed with other colors like Lanceil. It was the first time she had seen such intense black hair, as dark as ebony. The reason Jiwoo recognized him as a black figure was because of the black mist that surrounded him with a vicious force. However, the fog cleared and what was visible inside was also a black-clad man. Jiwoo, who looked at the sweat-drenched long black hair, possessed, suddenly came to her senses and looked up at Callandein. ¡°Is he okay?¡± However, their group, including Callandein, was noticeably relieved. ¡°¡­He has been screaming that he¡¯s going to die for the past few days. It¡¯s the first time he has fallen asleep like this.¡± ¡°Then please help him up.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry.¡± Jiwoo was almost completely crushed by Helka. A couple of them lifted Helka from Jiwoo. The pressure disappeared and a sigh could come out. When Helka¡¯s groans disappeared, the surroundings were quiet. They were all holding their breath and watching the scene. The number of people increased compared to before, and it seems that a few people who had been in other places joined here. Callandein asked Jiwoo, raising her up. ¡°Would there be anything needed for the treatment process?¡± ¡°Are you going to ask me for this favor?¡± ¡°If possible¡­ I¡¯d like to ask you for a favor, maybe we all think so.¡± Callandein said so and looked behind him. The other people behind him also looked at Jiwoo, nodding their heads. Some were still apprehensive, but the tense atmosphere had softened a lot. The feeling of exclusion that she felt when she first came here is gone. That¡¯s how Helka seemed important to them. ¡°I think we need a closed space for now. It will be in trouble if the miasma bounces back like before. I hope it¡¯s not too narrow and not too wide.¡± ¡°All right.¡± Callandein briefly went away from Jiwoo and exchanged simple words with the group. And three or four people helped Helka and dragged him away. They were so nervous that they didn¡¯t say a word. Jiwoo said as if nothing was a big deal, patting the clothes dirty with the dust. ¡°Can I ask who he is?¡± Helkainins. They called him Helka. ¡°Helka is a great mage in our region. He¡¯s such a¡­¡± Callandein, who was explaining, sighed once. ¡°He came to be like this because he took on all the contamination of our original home.¡± ¡°Are you talking about the contamination created by the beasts?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Before that, I should first explain where we lived, Akarna.¡± The ¡®Children of Elandos¡¯ are born in Elandos. And they served one Elandos forever until they would wither. But they didn¡¯t have a proper Elandos. So they had no choice but to be vulnerable to the damage of the beast¡­ Jiwoo had no choice but to stop before Callandein could explain further. ¡°What is Elandos?¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry. Elandos is our sacred tree. To put it more simply, it can be described as a guardian who takes care of us, a tree with spiritual powers.¡± ¡°Ahh¡­¡± ¡°Do you understand?¡± Jiwoo nodded. In fact, even when she first saw Lanceil, she thought that the appearance of his race itself was familiar. Long ears. Pretty looks. Even the familiarity with the forest. ¡°Where I lived, people like you were called elves.¡± It wasn¡¯t real, but it wasn¡¯t completely unfamiliar. They didn¡¯t look exactly the same, but they looked similar. ¡°What does it mean?¡± ¡°Well. Beautiful, nature-loving beings who are good at archery. Stuff like that.¡± ¡°Pfft.¡± Callandein laughed lightly. ¡°To be attributed positively, isn¡¯t that nothing but an illusion?¡± ¡°Then can I call you that?¡± ¡®Children of Elandos¡¯ was too much of a mouthful. ¡°Do as you please. Wouldn¡¯t anything be better than ¡®pointed ears¡¯?¡± This time Jiwoo laughed. ¡°A group of people share the same Elandos. We grow out of the same tree.¡± ¡°Then are you all brothers?¡± ¡°Sort of like that. Helka is the eldest brother in that way. The age difference is a bit big.¡± It was a really easy to understand explanation. And she seemed to understand why they were so attached to Helka. As a result, she has one more question. Because all the thirty or so people in this town were men. She thought only sons were born. ¡°Aren¡¯t women born?¡± ¡°Ah¡­ there is, but it¡¯s very rare. When Elandos is fully mature, only one is born.¡± When she heard that, Jiwoo felt a little sorry for them. She had a bad impression about them at first. She had completely misunderstood them. The story seemed to be a bit spotty here and there, so Callandein coughed a couple of times. ¡°I¡¯ll just tell you the gist. Our Elandos is sick. Before Elandos completely withered, Helka carried all the energy of the contaminated land into his body and came over here. Because we couldn¡¯t let that energy spread throughout the land.¡± So in other words, they were effectively outcasts of their original homeland, meaning that Helka was a walking contaminant. Judging by the saying that he has become ¡®like that¡¯, it seems that Helka¡¯s original outward features were not so dark. ¡°Helka was prepared to die, but if there is a way we can save him, of course we want to save him.¡± ¡°You said you¡¯d reward me.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°What do you think I¡¯ll ask for?¡± ¡°¡­Whatever it takes, I¡¯ll try my best. I¡¯ll make sure you don¡¯t feel like you¡¯re lacking. As I said before, Hellkainis was an excellent mage in our homeland. There are many things he can do for you.¡± Jiwoo picked up the teacup she had not even touched yet. A fragrant liquid ran down her throat, and Jiwoo slowly put what she had already decided from when she saw Helka into words. ¡°Alright.¡± Callandein¡¯s expression brightened. ¡°I promise with our Elandos.¡± In fact, she did not expect any special compensation for erasing the miasma. What great treasures do they, who are nothing more than exiles, would have? However, this seemed to be a way to cut herself off from the empire. If successful, she wanted to ask them to hide her from the empire. She didn¡¯t want to go back there. She hated the temple even more. She didn¡¯t want to go back to the human world and live under the status system. If she collapsed, she¡¯d die, and there would be nothing else other than death. Just like how she gave up her life without holding on as the carriage overturned, her mindset hasn¡¯t changed much between the time she wished for death and now. No, it didn¡¯t matter if she just died. After finishing preparations, Jiwoo was guided to the space where Helka was locked up. This home was an old tree several times larger than the house where Jiwoo stayed last night. Perhaps this too was hollow inside, so it seemed to have become a habitable space. She thought they would make a special space, but from the outside, it just looked like their ordinary dwelling place. Callandein explained. ¡°So that Helka wouldn¡¯t run rampan¡­ No, I mean, so that he¡¯d have more space, he originally moved out of this place.¡± ¡°Then is this where Helka originally lived?¡± ¡°Yes. The reason he chose a familiar place is because when he runs rampant¡­ There¡¯s a bit of a beast-like side¡­¡± Hmmm. Anyway, his mind was so unstable to the point where he couldn¡¯t communicate, so that means he picked a place where he would be less unstable. ¡°As soon as you enter, there will be a barrier from the outside. As you requested, it will last for a day or so. Until then, no one can leave or come in. Then signal when you finally made it in. We will prepare the barrier to be closed.¡± As Jiwoo was preparing his heart, a familiar person approached. It was Lanceil. ¡°Akarna.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± He seemed to have been in a different place and had just come back after a call. Beside him stood Tevon. ¡°I¡¯ve heard the story from Callan.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°You mean you can treat Helka just like you treated me? Really?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Lanceil looked very complicated. He seemed confused as to whether or not to rejoice in this. ¡°When you treat me¡­ At that time, I know you bled heavily. Can you promise that you won¡¯t be in any danger?¡± ¡ª Chapter 18 Chapter 18 Jiwoo stared at Lanceil, who seemed to be worried about her. Looking at the red cheeks with a little bit of agitation, she felt the urge to pamper him that she was actually doing it because she wanted to die. However, she didn¡¯t want to cause such a conflict with the person she liked. Even more so for those who cared about this person. She should weigh her life against this person who she met not long ago that they consider a very important person. That was quite childish. ¡°¡­Yes, I¡¯m okay.¡± Lanceil grabbed Jiwoo¡¯s hands and stroked the back of her hand hard. Like someone who did not want to let go of her. ¡°Do you need anything else?¡± ¡°Ah¡­ I think it would be helpful to have a sharp knife.¡± Lanceil reflexively rummaged around his waist, but he had no dagger. ¡°Oh, here.¡± Instead, Tevon, who was standing next to him, held out his dagger. Jiwoo grabbed the handle, and Tevon said in a cheerful voice. ¡°Oi, if Helka bites you again, stab him with this.¡± ¡°Tevon!¡± Lanceil turned his head and glared at him. But Tevon paid it no heed, lifted my shirt and showed his abdomen. Contrary to his appearance, which looked younger than the others, his tightly woven abdominal muscles were revealed. Touching the vital point of where the kidney was, he continued. ¡°Exactly here. Stab it. And kuak! turn the handle to the right.¡± ¡°Tevon!¡± ¡°Ah, what. Helka wants to die. If he dies today or tomorrow, dies like this or like that, what does it matter? Whether that old geezer is dead or not.¡± Lanceil¡¯s face turned red at his immature brother¡¯s words. As Jiwoo gaped at him and couldn¡¯t close her mouth, he grabbed his brother¡¯s long ear. He had long ears, so it was caught in one hand. ¡°U-ack!¡± ¡°When will you stop acting so childishly!¡± ¡°Aaacckk!¡± She didn¡¯t know about the children of Elandos, but that seemed like a very strong punishment. Lanceil looked back as he dragged Tevon relentlessly.[1] He bowed his head slightly. Jiwoo raised her hand to greet him before entering the old tree. As soon as she grabbed the entrance door and entered, a strong barrier surrounded the tree. Callan said Helka was treated for an arrow wound and laid down on the bed. The old tree was taller and wider than any other decent apartment building, so she could just head to the bedroom without having to look around for a long time. It was when she thought that the inside of the old tree was surprisingly bright. ¡°Oh, that scared me!¡± She was so surprised that a Korean came out. Someone was standing tall in the spacious living room inside the old tree. There was only one person who could be here. She just didn¡¯t imagine that he would stand up like that. ¡°¡­Hel, Helka?¡± She called him, but he didn¡¯t move. He was just staring at Jiwoo with a subtle smile on his face. Jiwoo hesitated a little, then slowly approached him. As he stood still, his appearance seemed more peculiar. All the children of Elandos were tall and had good build, but he was particularly tall. She has never seen anyone that tall. When she got closer, she had to bend her head to look up, so he seemed to be about two meters tall. And the luscious black hair that doesn¡¯t show any damaged parts. The straight hair that stretched downwards seemed difficult to achieve even if she purposely tried to straighten it like that. The most impressive thing about him was his black eyes. She didn¡¯t know what the original color was, but now his eyes are as black as obsidian, absorbing all the light. It was so black that she couldn¡¯t tell the difference between the pupil and the iris. He smiled calmly without frowning in pain, making him look like a faithful priest or paladin in the temple because of his upright eyes and thick eyebrows. ¡°Helka, are you alright?¡± Although he was looking this way, he did not move no matter how much she spoke. There was also a subtle smile on his face. It looked like he had become a stone statue of some kind. Jiwoo opened his palms and waved them in front of his face. Grab! ¡°Ack¡­.!¡± Then Helka grabbed her wrist. It wasn¡¯t that his grasp was strong, but she was so surprised that she pulled her hand away. But again it was captured by Helka. As he held Jiwoo, Helka led Jiwoo and walked without saying a word. ¡°Ah, hold¡­ on. Helka?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Helkainis?¡± When she called out his full name, he looked back. He looked like he wanted to say something, but he still didn¡¯t say anything. He just smiled brightly. Jiwoo was surprised to the point that her face turned red. His smiling face was impressive enough to be called shocking. It wasn¡¯t because of the fact that it was a smile on his handsome face. His thick eyebrows were raised, and his lips slightly parted. His eyebrows curved like a crescent moon. His smile was exceedingly innocent without a single impurity, like a child¡¯s smile. Or, a smile that made him look like he was really happy. She heard that he was quite old enough Tevon called him ¡®old geezer¡¯, but he didn¡¯t look like that at all. As she was mesmerized by that smile, at one point, Jiwoo followed him to the bedroom. The bed was big enough for ten people to lay down and roll. Helka, who went in front of her, naturally dragged Jiwoo to the top of the bed and sat her down. As soon as the soft bedding touched her behind, Jiwoo was startled. No, wait. The person being treated was the one who had to sit down, right? She was so surprised that she could be so immersed in his single smile. Jiwoo tried to get up and tried to make Helka sit instead. She touched his shoulder. The black eyes were close to her. His face was too close¡­ ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Clank! Jiwoo was startled and dropped the dagger that Tevon had given him to the floor. Helka, who lowered his head, kissed her. ¡°Gasp!¡± Jiwoo immediately pushed his shoulder and pulled back her lips. Since it wasn¡¯t a forced kiss, Helka was pushed straight away without much force. However, he did not completely back down. Helka watched Jiwoo wipe her lips with the back of her hand, but soon grabbed her wrist and removed the hand that was covering her lips. ¡°Wa, wait, ung.¡± Jiwoo¡¯s body was completely frozen. He didn¡¯t mean to remove her wrists to force the kiss. He wants to kiss her lips, but something was covering them, so he just grabs whatever was in the way and moves them away. As proof of that, when Jiwoo took her hand from his grasp, she was able to shake it off surprisingly easily. When Jiwoo pushed his shoulder again, Helka shifted his weight and pushed Jiwoo down. ¡°Mmh¡ª uhp!¡± She was now fully laid on the bed. As he didn¡¯t stop just at the level where their lips met, he pulled out his tongue and started licking it, and Jiwoo, frightened, pushed his shoulder again. Then she turned her body around and got away from him as far as she could. ¡°Gasp¡­ what the hell¡­¡± But when she got away, she was still on the bed. Jiwoo crawled away. She crawled on all fours and saw him approaching her and remembered what Callan had said. ¨DWhen he runs rampant¡­ There¡¯s a bit of a beast-like side¡­ This was what he meant! No matter how far away she tried to get away, Helkainis was faster than the startled Jiwoo. He crawled closer and climbed on top of Jiwoo. And rubbed his lips and cheeks all over Jiwoo¡¯s face. His fine hair gently tickled her face and shoulders. His lips, which had been smeared with saliva as though he was a beast marking its territory, came down further and went to the nape of her neck. He couldn¡¯t kiss there, so he started sucking on the side. ¡°Huht, uuhhtt!¡± As he used his teeth, a moan naturally flowed out as he chewed the tender flesh. What Helkainis did reminded Jiwoo of when he licked the blood of her palm when she cut off her palm to purify the miasma. The act of instinctively finding his way to live and clinging to it. At that time, she seemed to be able to understand his behavior, which she was even afraid of because he would not know the reason for it. He found Jiwoo from a distance, ran to her, and hugged her, and the pain lessened. Even without reason, his body would have remembered it. ¡°Stop it.¡± Jiwoo pushed him away again. Of course, drinking her fluids like her saliva, or perhaps stroking her would be more effective. But besides that, there was a more sure way. ¡°Give me back my dagger.¡± But in this state, how would they be able to communicate? ¡ª t/n: 1 HUH!! So when Jiwoo touched Lanceil¡¯s ears ~softly~ it¡¯s ¡®marry me¡¯ but when it¡¯s pulled super hard it¡¯s corporal punishment¡ª wow, how difficult is this to balance, like setting the shower knob for the right temperature~ Chapter 19 Chapter 19 ¡°Mmh, nngh¡­¡± In the end, Jiwoo had no choice but to let Helka be satisfied with her lips to some extent. First of all, they couldn¡¯t communicate, so she thought he would let go when he regained his senses even a little after he took in enough saliva to be satisfied. If she were to be honest with herself, the kiss felt pretty good. The children of Elandos had attributes that might be close to nature¡¯s flora, so they smelled tantalizingly good and their saliva was ever so sweet. And Helkainis¡¯ scent was a little different from Lanceil¡¯s, just like how each flowers¡¯ scent would differ from species to species. Helkainis had a refreshing pine scent. Although Helkainis took in the saliva from her mouth greedily, she could not only taste him, but also swallowed his own fluids. ¡°Hng. Ummm¡­¡± But increasing problems arose. Jiwoo is also a normal adult, so she couldn¡¯t help but feel heated as a man who was attractive enough to turn heads in his direction was holding her and doing this. ¡°Ungg¡­¡± As she kept kissing him, Jiwoo even felt a bit of a strange feeling that without realizing it, she made a pleasure-filled moan. Right now, Helkainis was in a state that was more like a beast than a human, so it felt even more strange. Moreover, even though there was a limit to where he could enter just by swirling his tongue, Helka tried to lick and suck a little deeper. He opened his mouth wide, pushed his tongue in, and acted as if he was going to devour Jiwoo completely. It was an instinctive act that shows just how much more saliva he desired. But saliva doesn¡¯t always come out without restriction. In the end, Jiwoo pushed him hard and quickly crawled to the bedside. ¡°Uaah!¡± Helkainis grabbed her waist and dangled from it. Haa, really. He kind of looked like a cute little pet. ¡°Ah, seriously! Let go!¡± He didn¡¯t seem to be able to understand anyway, so Jiwoo shouted out in casual Korean. In the end, Jiwoo, who was incapacitated, hanging from Helka, tried to crawl to the edge of the bed. She laid her body completely flat on the bed face down to pick up the dagger that had fallen on the floor. It was when she held the dagger handle in her hand¡ª ¡°Uh, aaahhh!¡± Clatter! Jiwoo got startled, which made her drop the dagger again. The stubborn beast went on top of Jiwoo as she was lying on her stomach. And because their bodies were lined in such a way, there was something vividly felt on her backside. Helka¡¯s manhood was so erect that it felt like it was going to explode. The presence was so strong that it felt like a rock was stuck in the middle of his body. Jiwoo was so surprised that she tried to grab the dagger again, but she cut her finger on the sharp blade. ¡°Ugh!¡± In an instant, a strong scent of blood wafted into the air. Blood gushed out as half of her finger had been cut because the blade had been too sharp. ¡°Helka! Helkainis¡­!¡± Fortunately, he could recognize his name. While he leaned down for a moment and tilted his head to the side, Jiwoo turned her body and pushed her blood-drenched hand in front of his eyes. ¡°Come on! Lick it or suck it.¡± It was a little surprising, but she achieved her purpose anyway. Now, after repeating this a few more times, Helkainis would gradually get better. Once his rationality comes back, she might get to finish this much more easily. But no matter how much she waited, Helka did not rush in like when he licked the wound on her palm. ¡°Helkainis?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± His expression was pale and stiff. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Helka didn¡¯t answer. In fact, he didn¡¯t expect an answer, but it was certain that his reaction was strange. ¡°Huh? Why?¡± Helka grabbed her hand, which was still dripping with blood. He was holding Jiwoo¡¯s small hand with both hands that were large sized and stared intently at it. Jiwoo thought that he would soon lick the blood. Because that¡¯s what he should have wanted. ¡°Huh¡­?¡± But from the moment she entered this old tree, Helka continued to show only unexpected reactions. He suddenly started to weep. Teardrops poured out of his black eyes, which looked like obsidians that sparkled luminously. As much as he smiled brightly like a child, his crying was also shocking. His eyes became dyed red like a rabbit¡¯s eyes as he burst into tears, as though he was really sad. He didn¡¯t even make any sobbing sounds. But this unpredictable attitude was so confusing. He smiled so brightly before, but now he was crying with endless tears. ¡°Why are you crying? Huh? No, why are you crying all of a sudden?¡± ¡°Huu¡­¡± Helka stroked Jiwoo¡¯s wounds and didn¡¯t know what to do. As the blood continued to ooze out, more tears poured out of his dark eyes. ¡°Maybe¡­ because I¡¯m hurt?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Come on. It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s okay.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°A wound this small heals quickly for me. Look¡­¡± She wasn¡¯t saying that just to reassure him, because that was the truth. In the end, she wiped her wound on her clothes and showed him again, and he saw her smooth, wound-less skin, which had healed quickly. Helka¡¯s expression brightened again when he confirmed with his eyes. He looked pretty because he smiled with his still wet eyes, but it felt really strange. Smiling, crying, smiling again, she doesn¡¯t know what he was doing. ¡°Okay. I won¡¯t do it.¡± As Jiwoo turned around, Helka grabbed her shoulder. But when she looked at him, Helka was staring at the bottom of the bed. He seemed to have stopped her from going to pick up the dagger again. Haha! She burst into laughter again. Helka stared at her side. ¡°It¡¯s nothing to me. I¡¯m used to that. That¡¯s what I do.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Even if I say that I get hurt by that, no one cares. It will heal quickly anyway, so that the Akarna¡¯s blood can be used for good¡­¡± Helka didn¡¯t answer. Instead, on the hand that had already stopped bleeding and the wound had healed, he placed his forehead and just stayed still as if in prayer. Her heart was pounding and she became emotional for no reason. Jiwoo said without making eye contact with him. ¡°Then¡­ let¡¯s just kiss. It¡¯s fine, even if it takes a long time.¡± In the end, Jiwoo gave up on the idea of giving him her blood, and so she quietly laid down on the bed. Helka smiled brightly again and went on top of her. For some reason¡­ he looked prettier when he smiled. Jiwoo didn¡¯t push him away this time as he bit her lips without hesitation, just giving her tongue and saliva to him. If there was no other way to do this, it might just be better to enjoy this time a little leisurely. In fact, it was shocking because it was the first time that someone cried because she was hurt. Again and again, there were many things she was seeing for the first time. In the meantime, she thought that she was living a life that was the complete opposite of what she thought was common sense. It¡¯s possible for even strangers to cry over her wounds, but those she considered to be the closest to her had driven her to barrenness and forcibly hurt her. She wondered if it was right to say that the Akarna was loved by the empire and the temple, as they allegedly said. ¡°Unng, hng¡­¡± ¡°Haa¡­¡­.¡± Helka, who had never made a sound before, let out a low moan. And she was startled by that voice. His voice, mixed with his arousal, was an alluring low-pitched tone. His voice, which sounded like a sigh that scratched his vocal cords, was incomparable to the tone of voice he had before this when she heard him screaming or groaning. The voice was so good that it felt like it vibrated even beneath her skin. ¡°Mmmh¡­¡± She had goosebumps from the top of her head to her lower body. Even the body responded to the tempting bass. Helkainis was so captivating that only his voice and kiss made her legs tingle. However, it wasn¡¯t just a reaction felt by Jiwoo. Helkainis abruptly stopped kissing. While Jiwoo let out a sweet sigh, it seemed that he was somehow distracted. ¡°¡­Helkainis?¡± He hugged Jiwoo and sniffed her. She watched silently to see what kind of beastly behavior he was doing again, but he is like going down gradually while checking the smell? His face, which was initially buried in the nape of her neck, descended to the chest, to the stomach, and further down. ¡°AAHN!¡± Jiwoo, who realized the situation late, quickly raised her upper body before he buried his face between her legs, which she realized he was about to do. But Helka was faster. He spread Jiwoo¡¯s legs apart and put his head between them. Jiwoo, who reflexively lay back on the bed as he grabbed her legs, eventually kicked him when he took a deep breath and smelled her. ¡°No, no, no! What are you doing now¡­! Hah!¡± However, Helka, who already instinctively knew what to do, raised Jiwoo¡¯s hips at once. ¡°Helka, w-wait¡­ AH¡­!¡± ¡ª Chapter 20 Chapter 20 The underwear that Jiwoo was wearing was already wet, and in no time, the sticky sounds as the fabric covering her secret parts could be heard. He rested his tongue on her soaked mound, which turned wetter and wetter due to his prolonged kiss and due to the vibrations of his voice. ¡°Nngh!¡± Helka¡¯s tongue was as thick and large as his size, enough to cover her entire private place with his tongue. Unlike the soft and slippery texture, a heavy feeling of pleasure penetrated her body. ¡°Ahn¡­! Hah!¡± Jiwoo pushed his forehead while moaning pathetically. However, when they kissed, he would immediately retreat with just a slight push, but this time he was immovable. While his body was so motionless as a rock, his tongue and lips moved skillfully and violently. ¡°Hu-ugh!¡± He wasn¡¯t even doing this for s*xual contact. He instinctively knew how to make her feel ever so better, and he was moving according to that instinct. What made Jiwoo aroused and what made her climax was all from his instinct to live. ¡°Ah, hnngh!¡± Helkainis lapped up her c*m and tried to thrust his tongue into a deeper, wetter place¡ªas if drinking more just made him even thirstier. And he quickly noticed that if he concentrated on one part and licked that place, this fountain of life that had given him a second life would let out more fluids along with the sweet sound of her moans. Helkainis put the hardened cl*toris in his mouth, sucked it from the side, and rolled it with his tongue, making Jiwoo blush such a bright shade of red. It was the first time in the world she had ever seen such a lewd thing. ¡°Ahng, hnmgh, huu. AH!¡± The more his tongue moved, the more goosebumps rose up her spine. All the strength in her body was gone. She couldn¡¯t stand it. She tried to escape this uninvited pleasure by grabbing his fine hair, but she could not even reach forward. Instead, both her hands gripped the sheets. Her toes curled to the point that they almost felt cramped. The sensation between her legs was so vivid. ¡°Ah, ngh, mmh, hnnngh!¡± Even though the liquid was already pouring, Helka¡¯s hot tongue ran thoroughly through the place between her legs. ¡°Nnngh! Hah!¡± When the tongue, which had gone up and down scanning a couple of times, dug in to drink the liquid that had pooled inside, Jiwoo¡¯s waist jumped. ¡°Hngh, ngh, mmmngh, please. Mmh! Stop, ah!¡± This handsome, neat man was only preoccupied with digging between her legs. ¡°Ha. Ummm¡­¡± In the meantime, he was groaning as well, perhaps satisfying himself at the same time as he was going down on Jiwoo. He was using that voice of his in such a dangerous way. And even through the short span of their entanglement, he was also continuously improving. He nibbled her labia, crushing it with his lips, and dabbing her with his warm saliva, which he didn¡¯t need to swallow. And, he would suck on Jiwoo¡¯s cl*toris. He used only the tip of his tongue to pull the thin skin of the hardened nub, and pulled out the small, bright red flesh full of blood. The cl*toris, which had been soaked with her c*m and his saliva, was licked by the tongue that had become more slippery. Then, he used his teeth. He wrapped the sensitive cl*t with his clenched lips, sucked it with pressure and tapped it with the tip of his tongue. It felt like all her nerves were focused on it. ¡°Nngh! Uungh! Haa¡­!¡± Her head turned white. The muscles on the inside of her thighs twitched. Mmh, huu, huu-unngh! Just before her climax, Jiwoo swallowed her moans and bit her lower lip, trying to hold it in. But Jiwoo¡¯s moan threatened to burst through her lips, and she was soon swept away by the waves of pleasure that came up bit by bit. ¡°Hck, huuht! Haaahng!¡± The loud, high-pitched moan broke out. In the end, she couldn¡¯t bear it and bowed her head, her body shaking and feeling like it was going to break with the climax. Her body trembled violently at the wild pleasure she received. She was pulled up to her climax too quickly. It made it difficult for her to breathe. ¡°Hel, Helkainis¡­ I, I ju¡­ I just came¡­¡± Helkainis¡¯ eyes were still open. The rational ones would have the privilege to think it would end here. Seeing him slamming his face between her legs again, Jiwoo grabbed his long hair and tried to pull it away. ¡°Don¡¯t¡ª ahng!¡± But there was no way her body could have any strength left. Even her legs, trapped in his strong arms, were unable to move. The snake-like tongue slinked over her again. As Jiwoo struggled, he pressed her thighs tightly and pressed down on her body. ¡°Haa!¡± His purpose was not to bed Jiwoo. All he wanted to do was to drink the fluids that Jiwoo was spilling. The end of the night, behind the locked barrier, was still long. She was supposed to be locked up for the next day as well with Helkainis, but she figured it out too early. In the end, Jiwoo, who trembled and screamed a few more times because of his tongue, begged with an almost hoarse plea. ¡°Can¡¯t you just put it in please? Please¡­! I, Pl, huuu, ah, ahng! Please, Helka, aaahh! Hahng!¡± There had never been a time when she was so desperate because she couldn¡¯t communicate with the other person. In the end, after several more times of being at the receiving end of a type of desire that was not driven by lust, she passed out. ¡°Ugh, uuugghh¡­¡± She lost consciousness at one point. It felt as if Helka would be forever licking between her legs, sucking all of the c*m that he could receive. But when she woke up again, Helka was no longer there. Jiwoo inwardly sighed. Still, she was worried when she couldn¡¯t find him. Jiwoo called out to him with a croaking voice. ¡°¡­Helkainis?¡± ¡°You¡¯re awake.¡± An answer came unexpectedly. She looked towards the direction the voice came. Helkainis, who was sitting on the edge of the bed with his head bowed, turned around. He did not have a blank smile or a crying expression, but the face of a person who had found his rationality once again. It was the first time Jiwoo saw a serious expression on his face. A fleeting thought passed her mind that this might be his usual appearance because that expression was so natural on him that she could immediately agree that it was. Jiwoo let out a sigh. It wasn¡¯t just pain last night, but it seemed to have borne fruit. ¡°I have a question for you.¡± ¡°What¡­¡± Wow, that¡¯s very strange. That man was speaking with a person¡¯s tongue. He also used words and vocabulary that could be understood. She was tormented all night by some beastly muttonhead, but now¡­ Jiwoo felt a bit unfair. However, Helka¡¯s reaction was a little strange. Helkainis, biting his lower lip, had lost the color from his face. After opening and closing his mouth for a while, he said as if he had finally made up his mind. ¡°Did I scare you last night?¡± ¡°No, you didn¡¯t.¡± Jiwoo said firmly. ¡°But when I woke up, your condition was¡­ I can¡¯t even put it into words¡­¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t.¡± Recalling what happened last night, Jiwoo cut off his words immediately. She was embarrassed to listen any more. Her upper body was tightly covered, but only her lower body was stripped off. And he was the one who tormented her with his tongue all night long. That was all. He constantly brought Jiwoo higher and higher to the peak of her climax without any rest in between, and he continuously sucked Jiwoo¡¯s c*m and drank it. Her orgasms went on endlessly, and she passed out in the middle of it all. If they had actually went all the way, she wouldn¡¯t have been resentful. Begging him to please put it in didn¡¯t work¡ªHelkainis sucked and licked her, and that was all. ¡°What is that then?¡± Jiwoo looked at the place Hellkainis was pointing at. The sheet was stained with bright red blood. ¡°¡­Blood from the wound I made with the dagger.¡± ¡°Then can I check your wound?¡± Even though she told the truth, he tried to check the evidence with his own eyes as if he did not believe her or did not intend to believe her. ¡°Sure.¡± Jiwoo held out her arm. And she realized her mistake almost as soon as she reached her hand out. Ah, she overlooked something. There was no way that such a scar would remain on the Akarna¡¯s body. Helkainis, who took a quick glance, said coldly. ¡°You¡¯re lying. This blood has just come out. I don¡¯t see any recent scars on your body.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Actually, when I woke up, I looked all over your body, but I wasn¡¯t able to find any scars to explain it.¡± It was logically correct, but it was completely wrong in this kind of situation. She had to refute him somehow, but Jiwoo was too spent this morning. Helkainis, both as a beast and now a rational man, had a tendency to make people a little exhausted. ¡°Have I ever threatened you with my position and power?¡± ¡°No, you didn¡¯t!¡± ¡ª Chapter 21 Chapter 21 Cough! Cough, cough! After Jiwoo had raised her voice suddenly, she coughed as if she was going to die the next moment. Her throat had been burning from a while ago, so she couldn¡¯t help but cough. Helka rushed to her side. He knew how she screamed and moaned for quite a long time¡ªdemanding that he put it in¡ªuntil she fainted. That¡¯s why her throat was this hoarse. Helkainis watched Jiwoo as she coughed and then waved his hand in the air. His wrists and fingers moved lightly. Then a glass of water flew over from a table somewhere in the room. ¡°Here.¡± When Jiwoo accepted it, an oval-shaped magic circle appeared over the glass of water. The inside of the circle was filled with letters that Jiwoo could not recognize. Then it glowed blue, and clear water poured out. ¡°Ah¡­!¡± The stream of water aimed precisely at the inside of the cup made her startled. She almost dropped the cup out of surprise, but Jiwoo received it with both hands. Helkainis was said to be an excellent mage. Seeing how effortless he made that look, it seemed convenient to have magic. She was surprised that she was served like that. The water was cold as if it had been taken out of the refrigerator. Still, it was as if all her body fluids had gotten sucked by Helkainis, so the cool water was very much welcome. Helkainis asked after confirming that Jiwoo finished drinking the glass of water. ¡°¡­What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°You can call me Akarna.¡± ¡°Akarna?¡± Helkainis widened his eyes wide as she said those words. Then he said it again, as if he was really surprised. ¡°The Akarna of Caranazion?¡± Jiwoo couldn¡¯t help but ask back. ¡°What is that?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Helkainis, who had been observing Jiwoo for a moment, reached out in the air. Then, a translucent sphere filled with illusion was created in the air. It was like a hologram. A blue background representing the sea appeared. It was not a familiar place to Jiwoo, but the two white and green masses floating on it seemed to represent the continents of this world. And three storms were raging between the two continents. It looked like a globe, but it wasn¡¯t Earth. Jiwoo realized that she had truly fallen into a different world. Helka, who confirmed that Jiwoo was concentrating on the illusion, first pointed to the white mass. It was a pure white continent that looked like Antarctica. ¡°This is our hometown and the land of the divine beasts, El Ragnile.¡± Next, he pointed to the green continent beyond the vortexes. ¡°This is Caranazion. You said you are the Akarna of this Caranazion.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Jiwoo nodded and listened to him, and Helka explained other things as well. Next he pointed to the three storms in the center of the two continents. ¡°And these vortexes divide the continents. Not just anyone can cross them.¡± ¡°How did you get over here?¡± ¡°Because I¡¯m not that ¡®anyone¡¯.¡± It may sound arrogant, but speaking plainly, he seemed much more humble than he was. ¡°Then what is your name? The Akarna is the position you have. It means a human being, not a name.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ I¡­¡± Jiwoo¡¯s face turned red. It¡¯s been a long time since she¡¯d said her name. ¡°I¡¯m Seo Jiwoo.¡± ¡°Seo-joo?¡± As expected. She thought it was a fairly easy name to pronounce, but people here couldn¡¯t say her name correctly. When she was living in the temple, she had to explain and correct her name several times. However, everyone tried roughly a couple of times and ended up getting frustrated when Jiwoo kept trying to correct it. Then, one day, she was asked why she kept insisting on such a strange name when she had a glorious name of Akarna, and Jiwoo broke the habit of saying her original name. It had been five years since then. ¡°¡­Just call me Akarna.¡± Helkainis tilted his head with a blank face. ¡°I can¡¯t do that. It¡¯s not your name.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not really that important.¡± ¡°It¡¯s important. I¡¯ll have to practice. You¡¯re the person I¡¯ll have to apologize to for the rest of my life. If I don¡¯t even know your name, it won¡¯t feel sincere.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I scared you¡­¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t.¡± Helkainis tilted his head again, at a loss. ¡°But if that¡¯s not true, my condition cannot be explained.¡± It was true. Having licked and sucked and suckled Jiwoo from head to toe last night, he looked much better than when she first saw him. Instead of screaming and losing his mind in pain because his whole body was contaminated with miasma, he was able to explain not only ordinary conversations but also fairly deep knowledge. And he used magic freely and effortlessly. ¡°I don¡¯t know how the Akarna got here, but I must have tried to chew on you after I lost my reason. That¡¯s the way I had lived.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Helkainis could evaluate his condition with a level head. As Jiwoo remained silent, Helkainis continued to speak, as he thought he needed to give her more explanation. ¡°As a stranger who deviates from the rules of this world, you instinctively know how to cut off threats that deviate from their rules. So, as I borrowed that power from you, Akarna¡­¡± Jiwoo, who was quietly listening to the explanation, shook her head. ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°I borrowed that power from you, Akarna,¡± ¡°Not that.¡± ¡°You instinctively know how to cut off threats that¡­¡± ¡°Before that.¡± ¡°A stranger who deviates from the laws of this world, instinctively¡­¡± Jiwoo cut off Helka¡¯s words there. ¡°What do you mean by that? That I deviate from the laws of this world.¡± ¡°Originally, it was used to mean someone who does not belong to this world, one who has crossed dimensions.¡± One who has crossed dimensions. It was a formula that perfectly explained Jiwoo¡¯s condition. ¡°¡­Are you saying that I¡¯m not God¡¯s envoy?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Helka, who had been speaking without hesitation, was a little worried this time. As she waited for him to speak, her palms were sweating. She got impatient. The crown prince said this before¡ªthat these other races did not believe in divine power. The alchemists, too, from beyond the outer wall were heretics in the face of divinity. However, Helkainis affirmed the existence of Akarna himself. So she couldn¡¯t easily imagine what to say. Helka finished his worries and spoke quite coldly. ¡°There is no God. Only phenomena exist.¡± ¡°Then¡­ What about the Akarna?¡± ¡°Your body, which has crossed dimensions, only expresses its ability to adapt to unfamiliar laws.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± So, what about God¡¯s will or whatever? Was the temple hiding the truth by saying that the Akarna had a great mission? They covered her eyes and took advantage of her. If crossing dimensions was something that could exist as ¡®knowledge¡¯, there was a high possibility that the method of crossing itself would be conveyed. They said that the temple had summoned her. When Akarna died, they threatened to summon a new body, threatening Jiwoo while forcing the duty of the Akarna unto her. But what if, in the first place, it wasn¡¯t a miracle from God? If there was no God despite the temple¡¯s existence, then were they just using her as propaganda? ¡®It¡¯s a miracle of God. It¡¯s a blessing from God¡¯. No, she didn¡¯t want to think about the temple any more. She was already past feeling any disappointment. There was something more important than that. ¡®Maybe there¡¯s a way back home.¡¯ Helka was a mage who lived as long as the old tree. If he affirmed the existence of a stranger from another dimension, another order, and another place, he might have know how to cross dimensions. ¡°Then, Helkainis. There¡¯s something I want to ask you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± However, Hellkainis, who had answered all the questions so far, suddenly became quiet. ¡°Helka?¡± ¡°Um¡­¡± It was strange. He¡¯d been faithfully answering Jiwoo¡¯s questions until now, to the extent that his demeanor could be called mechanical¡ªbut then he suddenly slowed down. Black eyes stared blankly into the air. His lips were half open and his eyes were dazed. ¡°Hello. Helka?¡± Sitting on the edge of the bed, Jiwoo moved closer to Helka and grabbed his arm. She tried to shake his arm in case he¡¯d come to his senses. Helka swayed to and fro when pushed and pulled. His fine black hair moved softly like a wave. Then, suddenly, his eyes shone like a wild beast¡¯s as he grabbed Jiwoo¡¯s forearm. ¡°AH!¡± Jiwoo stiffened her shoulders in surprise, but he wouldn¡¯t let go of her arm. And he spoke quickly. ¡°You must run.¡± ¡°Wh, what?¡± ¡°I think I¡¯ll scare you again.¡± ¡°NO!¡± What does that mean all of a sudden while they were having a normal conversation? As Jiwoo looked puzzled and was not sure what to do, Helka¡¯s face came closer to her. The rational figure she had been talking to until just now was no longer to be seen. He was smiling brightly again. ¡ª Chapter 22 Chapter 22 ¡°¡­Mmh!¡± In an instant, their lips touched. Even if he lost his reason, his body seemed to retain the memory. Helkainis took in Jiwoo¡¯s saliva and licked it more skillfully than when he first attacked her. ¡°Mph, no, wait, nnh¡­!¡± She had known after seeing with her own eyes that Helkainis had a strong body. But looking at it again this way, his physique was large enough to say that he was huge compared to Jiwoo. Even while standing still, he looked like he was two meters tall, but as he laid down and covered her, Jiwoo was completely surrounded by him. He went ahead and told her to run away first, but it seemed like there was not much room to escape in any case. She could never win with just her strength. Jiwoo gasped and took in a deep breath. It was because the scent emitted by his elven kind had grown so thick that she could be intoxicated. It was like a fragrance that was openly trying to seduce her. As Jiwoo grabbed his arm and shoulder and tried to push him, his arm muscles swelled and hardened. ¡°Haa¡­¡± A low-pitched sound with a hint of excitement pierced her ears. Only after the soft bed touched her back did Jiwoo realize that he kissed her and laid her down completely on the bed. ¡°Uht¡­!¡± Helkainis, who parted his lips for a moment and looked at this side, was smiling. It was difficult to know what the jet-black eyes were thinking when even the pupils could not be distinguished, but this time, she could see what was in it. Lust. Without realizing it, Jiwoo gaped at him blankly. This¡­ this looked really dangerous. ¡°Uh-huhp!¡± She was out of breath right away. She shut her mouth. With her mouth open, the dense floral scent characteristic of their tribe invaded. His body scent was very similar to that of pine, and when he kissed her like this, she even felt quite refreshed. ¡°Hupp, hhng!¡± When she first met Helka, who lost his reason, the kiss was not at this level. It was a very coercive act. Helka looked as if he was apologizing in advance for what he was about to do. As proof of that, his bulging pillar started rubbing against her thighs. Jiwoo was surprised that her body shook greatly, feeling the lewd movement like an animal moving its waist over the clothes. ¡°Ung, uh-huhp!¡± And the kiss didn¡¯t end either. His dry, hard hands gripped her cheeks tightly. A large hand touched Jiwoo¡¯s ear. Because of the mistake she had made with Lanceil last time, Jiwoo couldn¡¯t forget that this was a sexual temptation for their people. Let¡¯s do it right here. That was what Helkainis¡¯ entire body was instinctively telling Jiwoo. As he gently touched her earlobe, he continued to nibble and release her lips. He proceeded to lick her lower lip, then he went back to suckle her tongue. And surprisingly, Jiwoo got excited so easily at that act. ¡°Hng¡­¡± Helka swept his fingers through her hair, and he touched her ear again. Holding the back of her head together with her hair as it was, he tilted Jiwoo¡¯s head and kissed her more deeply. ¡°Kuuhhh¡­¡± Each time his tongue went away for a moment, he groaned like a beast. And he bit Jiwoo¡¯s lips again, hesitantly. Her tongue tingled as he grabbed it and sucked it. Whether it was the desire to live or the lust to possess Jiwoo, she was helplessly drawn to the movement that could not overcome his desire. When he chewed her lips, entangled her tongue, and tried to drink her saliva, she had no choice but to let him do as he pleased. Helkainis said that he would want to chew and devour Jiwoo according to his instinct to live. However, after checking Jiwoo¡¯s condition and his, he was sure that he must have scared Jiwoo. So, in other words, it sounded like Jiwoo could cut off her arm and feed him blood, or he could literally chew her alive, or slept with her for the same effect. ¡°Haa, huuu¡­¡± Every time he kissed her as if biting the nape of her neck or cheek, she could hear his groans from time to time. It was difficult to tell whether it was the groan of a man in heat or the breaths of an animal. Jiwoo has never seen anyone lust for her like this. She felt chills all over her body. His hand, which was holding the back of her head, caressed her shoulder. And his large hand slid into her clothes. Chh-rak, chh-rak. Riiip! Her clothes were ripped to shreds by the force of his relentless grip. When she came to her senses, she was already naked once again in front of him. Helka stuck his nose upon Jiwoo and breathed in her scent. That was where it started. Biting her round shoulder blade, he came down and licked her clavicle, rubbing his forehead against her supple chest. He acted as if he felt ecstasy just by touching Jiwoo. Maybe it was. His mind came back briefly, but his body was not fully healed. He would still suffer pain through his tainted body, and he was clinging to Jiwoo to relieve that condition. When he was sober, he was polite and gentle, but now without reason, he acted desperately with only a desire to live. Just like that night on the full moon, when he saw Jiwoo from a distance, and instinctively ran to hug her. ¡°Hhhn, nngh, uh, hngh!¡± Helka bit everything caught on his lips with her teeth and sucked it. It was tolerable in her neck and collarbone, but when her upper body was stripped and his lips moved to her chest, Jiwoo¡¯s face became so hot that even she could not stand it. His lips took a bite at her chest, rubbing his cheek against her soft nipples. With that, he shoved her nipples into his mouth. Helka gave the pressure from his mouth as much as his physical strength was strong. With the strong sucking, Jiwoo let out a high-pitched moan. ¡°Hu-ack!¡± But then, to her surprise, Helka relaxed his lips. Jiwoo laughed. That person¡¯s mind was like a beast right now, but he quickly noticed the reaction that she was hurt and stopped. But that didn¡¯t mean he left the nipple out of his mouth. With his scorching black eyes staring at her, he began sucking her nipples with his tongue. He even rolled the nipples that became increasingly hard in his mouth with his tongue. ¡°Hu-ugh!¡± When the fairly dense feeling of pleasure came through her chest, Jiwoo was startled. ¡°Huuu, ah, uhng, ahhn!¡± In the end, Jiwoo grabbed Helka¡¯s shoulder and pushed him. As Jiwoo¡¯s nipple fell from his lips, Helka closed his eyes and frowned. ¡°Keugh, nnngh¡­¡± This beast restlessly made a whining sound, as if he was the one who¡¯s in more pain despite being the very one who attacked her first as if he was a dog in heat. Jiwoo tried to get up so that she could tell him to calm down a little. But something unexpected stopped her from moving. Her arm wouldn¡¯t move as she wanted. Even so, Helka wasn¡¯t holding her arm. Around her wrist was a magic circle, similar to the one Helka had made when he poured water into a glass of water for her earlier. ¡°W-What?¡± Jiwoo was flustered and tried to wrench her hand from it, but it wouldn¡¯t budge, as if it was fixing Jiwoo¡¯s arm to a specific spot in the air. Then, one more circle appeared. It was conjured from a faint puff of smoke, and a similar shape appeared on her other wrist. In an instant, both arms were caught in those magic circles. Losing her arms¡¯ freedom, Jiwoo was thrown naked and defenseless in front of the beast called Helkainis. ¡°Wait, h-how, can you even use magic in your condition¡­! No, I mean, aren¡¯t you out of your mind right now? Have you gone crazy!¡± ¡°Haa¡­¡± Helka was just silent. He just lowered his head back to Jiwoo¡¯s chest, as he had been interrupted. His lips were directed directly at one nipple, without letting go of any part of her chest. Biting the nipple with his mouth, he grabbed Jiwoo¡¯s back with his hand and pulled her towards him, completely immobilizing her to keep the chest from moving away from him. ¡°Huu-haack!¡± As he quickly started on her nipples again, Jiwoo tilted her head and let out a moan. Helka closed his eyes and licked Jiwoo¡¯s chest sweetly, as if eating delicious ice cream. She didn¡¯t know if it¡¯s down or completely up, but when he was in this position, his long, fine eyelashes stood out. ¡°Don¡¯t¡ª stooop! Nngh! HAH! Let me go! Hhhn, untie m¡ª ahht! Untie me!¡± Jiwoo resisted by moving her free legs. She tried to kick him on the side with her knee, but her attempt was stopped. For a moment, Jiwoo thought that Helka was holding her leg with his hand. No, that wasn¡¯t it. A new magic circle grabbed her leg and held it in place. ¡°Uaahh!¡± Her face flared up. This, this, this isn¡¯t real. No matter how. She can¡¯t believe she has to do it with her limbs tied up like this. ¡ª Chapter 23 Chapter 23 ¡°Nngh. Aahh¡­¡± Still in that state, Helkainis kissed her on the cheek. This action gave her the impression that, rather than a kiss that was from one person to another, it felt more like he didn¡¯t know how to express his affection. Smooch. Smooch. He lightly kissed Jiwoo¡¯s face here and there, rubbing her cheeks and forehead for a long time. It was obviously an act driven by his self-interest, but strangely, there didn¡¯t seem to be any insidious intention in it at all. ¡°Helka¡­¡± Helka, who was burying his face in the nape of her neck, raised his head. Eyes curved like a crescent moon. Beautiful smile. White teeth exposed between the slightly parted lips. Contrary to what he was doing, his face seemed to embody the literal word of bliss. Staring at that smile, Jiwoo felt the tension that had been filling her body¡ªas this was an unfamiliar environment¡ªdissipating into thin air. ¡°Mmngh¡­¡± Helka continued his ministrations even when Jiwoo went quiet. This time, he kissed the back of her neck and chest, not her face. ¡°Ah, uh¡­¡± With the tickling feeling that ran through her whole body wherever his lips touched, Jiwoo clenched and stretched her free fingers or toes. If it had been a tool like a rope or string, the flesh would have been pulled taut and sore. However, the magic circle that restrained Jiwoo¡¯s wrist was faithful to only its two purposes. The first is to constrain movement. So she couldn¡¯t move. And the second was the reason why Jiwoo couldn¡¯t get out of this state with all her might. ¡®It¡¯s so comfortable that it¡¯s strange¡­¡¯ Obviously, both her hands were still bound in the air, but curiously enough, she didn¡¯t feel any of the discomfort that she should have felt the awkwardness of the posture she was holding¡ªas if the magic circle had ensured this. Her arms, floating in the air, felt as if they were placed on soft cotton-like clouds. It felt like she was wading through lukewarm water. In a word, it seemed like she was just lying comfortably. Still, it was mentally uncomfortable to show off her defenseless naked body. Besides, she couldn¡¯t figure out what Helkainis¡¯ state was. He could be like a gentle pet, but at the same time, he could be like a wild beast in heat. She didn¡¯t know what side of him he was showing this time. His expression was strange? It was like a curious deer approaching people for the first time. ¡°Huu¡­¡± Helkainis¡¯ movements became more relaxed as Jiwoo became calm. The long, fine fingers swept from her shoulder to her waist, like handling a delicate instrument. It wasn¡¯t a tickle, it was a touch that stimulated sensitivity. ¡°Huht¡­¡± His hands stroking her waist felt like they were clinging to her even though there was no moisture there. ¡°Uhng¡­ Ah.¡± Her face turned red when he slid his tongue along her neckline and reached straight to her chest. When his lips, which looked particularly red compared to his white face, bit her nipples, she couldn¡¯t help but look away. She couldn¡¯t bear to watch this. He was frantically obsessed with her soft, warm flesh. The tongue that sucked her chest was soft, but too tenacious. The saliva was slittered and slipped with every tongue movement, making her heart flutter. ¡°Uht, aahh¡­¡± Even if this pleasure wasn¡¯t wild, a savage orgasm started from her lower body and made her tremble all at once all the way to her head. The pleasure that grew each time he clenched his lips and played his tongue was like the sunlight that melts ice, gnawing at Jiwoo¡¯s brain. In the end, Jiwoo felt numbness in her hips and crossed her legs. ¡°Uhng, stop, Heeel¡­¡± Helkainis stroked Jiwoo¡¯s waist, then gently rubbed the other chest, not the chest he was biting and sucking. The movement caressing her chest grew stronger and stronger. Helka, much more excited than before, began to chew her nipple with his teeth. The tongue swam round and stroked around the pert nipple. Jiwoo¡¯s breathing, which had been shaky, was getting shorter and shorter. ¡°Haa, haa¡­¡± The heat that started from where his hands and lips touched spread all over her body. She closed her eyes tightly and her whole body trembled. She wanted to bite her lip, but her jaw felt loose. ¡°Hu-uht¡­hu, haaaa¡± Jiwoo looked up at him with dazed eyes. Helkainis, for a man who coldly dismissed God¡¯s existence, was like a devout priest or ascetic monk when he kept his mouth shut. He even looked so cold that it was overbearing to say a word when he had no expression on his face. Yet right now, he was lustfully sucking her breasts with a face full of euphoria. It felt immoral. ¡°Ah, ah, aht¡­!¡± Besides, is there anyone out there whose top and bottom did not match like this? His face was like that, but his lower body felt so wildly erect that it looked painful. And Helka rubbed it promiscuously between Jiwoo¡¯s legs like a horned male. ¡°Kuh. Haaa. Huu¡­¡± His low moan, expressing his eagerness to feel pleasure, also added to this disconnect. Helkainis felt euphoric as the pain was relieved whenever his body touched Jiwoo¡¯s body. He was anxious to push himself into a deeper, wetter place. ¡°Uht, nngh¡­¡± While Jiwoo was naked, Helka was wearing a thin coat. However, the area where he rubbed his flesh between Jiwoo¡¯s legs was damp. The liquid that soaked the front part was Jiwoo¡¯s c*m, and it was also the liquid that leaked from his manhood. ¡°Keuugghh¡­¡± Helkainis now seemed unable to bear the thin cloth that stood between him and the damp entrance he wanted to enter. He ripped his clothes off with relentless force and pulled out his flesh, which stood taut. ¡°Uh, ah!¡± Forgetting that she was tied by those magic circles, Jiwoo jumped and tried to run away. Of course, since her limbs were restrained, the feeble rebellion ended with the body shaking in place. The end of the disharmony that Jiwoo had been feeling with the person called Helkainis was finally revealed. ¡°Uah! No, that, for real¡­?¡± Jiwoo looked at his face and manhood several times in disbelief. Jiwoo had slept with Lanceil, a child of Elandos. She mistook them for having pink, sculptural pillars. Because they were such a beautiful and fragrant race. But Helkainis¡¯ pillar was different. It was also large in size, but its shape was comparable to that of a beast. It didn¡¯t look like a human¡¯s at all, but something from another animal. The elongated column, no, it was strange to even call it a column in the first place. In particular, the body part was much thicker than the root or glans. She didn¡¯t seem to be able to hold it by hand. And there were blue veins standing around it. The overall color did more than that. The color of his flesh looked particularly dark because he had white skin that contrasted with his black hair. And the terrifying thing began to rub between her most secret place. ¡°Ah, no¡­! Huuh¡­!¡± Contrary to the thought of accepting it, the shock given by the appearance of that genital was considerable that she uttered rejection immediately. As Jiwoo bent her knees and tried to push him, the magic circle that wrapped around her ankles vibrated and moved in the air. And it spread Jiwoos legs a little more. She couldn¡¯t move her limbs. ¡°Ah, aahh¡­!¡± Every time his p*nis rubbed against her cl*toris, she let out a high-pitched moan. His genitals were drenched with just a few rubs on her wet valley. The scent of the children of Elandos spread between her legs. Whatever their body fluids were, the denser they were, the stronger the scent. The ones from the genitals were especially stronger. It seemed that this was because it was to seduce others. But it was surprising to see that seductive scent that seemed to be gathered from all the flowers of the earth emitted from such a terrifying-looking penis. The dense scent that was no different from when a bottle of perfume was poured out made her dizzy. Schlick. Schlick, schlick. The lewd, wet sound of their genitals rubbing together in a mess sounded awkward to her, but she looked at it blankly, like drunk on a drug. Was it because of the scent? The way he moves his waist, frowning to the limit, looks too beautiful to be a beast¡¯s movement. The long jet-black hair touched her body every time his body moved. The sensitively heated body accepted it as a tickling caress. His genitals, which had been rubbed in such a mess for a long time, stopped moving at some point. The glans is stuck at the entrance. ¡°Mmh¡­¡± Jiwoo looked up at him anxiously. Even though he hadn¡¯t come in yet, Helkainis looked like he was blinded by pleasure. ¡°Haa¡­ ugh!¡± The clenched flesh began to open, swallowing him in. ¡ª Chapter 24 Chapter 24 Just by suckling her breasts, the already wet valley was easily opened. Surprisingly, there was no pain. Just a hot and heavy feeling of pleasure slowly scratching along her inner walls. It was fine when only the tip came in, but as the shaft further entered inside, the thick pillar opening her to the fullest, she had to clench her teeth. ¡°Huuughh¡­ Aaaahhhh!¡± She couldn¡¯t believe it was really coming in, so much so that tears came to her eyes. Whether it was because his shape that was so unique got imprinted in her head, or whether it was really that way, she could feel his shape that entered her without having to tighten her walls. However, the anxiety in her heart was surprisingly accompanied by a pleasure comparable to that. She trembled at the pleasure with just the insertion. ¡°Ah¡­!¡± Unlike Lanceil¡¯s, which was large enough to make her stomach bulge, Helkainis¡¯ filled her body with a different feeling. ¡°Kuh, haaa¡­¡± As he entered, the whole part went completely in. ¡°Huu, uhh, huugh..¡± Jiwoo took a deep breath. It was as if the shape of her insides had changed to the shape of Helkainis¡¯ genitals. As her limbs were restrained and helplessly receiving him, the sensations on her whole body were focused at that singular point. She only thought it was heavy, but Jiwoo was also swallowing the thick pillar while tightening her walls without realizing it. ¡°Haa, huu¡­ Haaa¡­¡± The man¡¯s particularly low-pitched moan was very lewd. At last he completely entered Jiwoo, and he moaned with satisfaction. Surprisingly, Helkainis pushed in slowly to help Jiwoo adjust to the insertion. So Jiwoo was hoping that he would make the thrusting as smooth as possible. But she was overly optimistic. Satisfied with the insertion itself for a while, he stroked Jiwoo¡¯s waist, then suddenly moved back and pulled out. When he was halfway out, Jiwoo¡¯s hair seemed to stand up. Thrust! ¡°Hu-uhk!¡± The genitals, which had gone out halfway, pierced the insides, wanting to split and dig into her roughly. And again his hips moved relentlessly. Thrust! Thrust! ¡°Haangh! HAH!¡¯ Jiwoo tilted her head and trembled. A raw moan broke out. Her voice made the beast more excited. Helkainis pulled out completely this time, just enough to catch the tip, then shoved it all in harder than he had just done. Bam! He thrusted in so strongly that it was enough to make her head ring. ¡°Huh-ahng!¡± It was too deep. It felt like she had been pushed into the end of her uterus. In that way, Helkinis repeated his movements, and Jiwoo¡¯s body followed his movements and climaxed again and again. He began to gradually increase his speed. ¡°Hu, ung! Ung! Aahh! Uhng!¡± ¡°Huk, huk¡­ Keugh. Haa¡­¡± Since a beast did not know how to interact with humans, it would just pour out its desires and move itself for the sake of copulation. Even though she was being thrusted into without any rhyme or reason, Jiwoo felt a steady sense of pleasure. In particular, whether it was accidentally touched while he thrusted it, or because of the unusual shape of his pillar, she couldn¡¯t even moan at all when he touched a certain point. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Jiwoo¡¯s head turned completely blank, and only her mouth opened as she reached the peak of her orgasm. And this beast seemed to be specialized for that kind of instinct. When he touched a part, he instinctively felt how Jiwoo reacted, and he kept chasing after that sensation. ¡°Stoo, hhp, ah, huu, stoopp¡­! Huuh!¡± It was clear that pleasure also had a threshold. Jiwoo couldn¡¯t stand the climax any longer, so she twisted her body to avoid him with her unrestrained body. But right away the wild beast chased after her. ¡°Huh! Haahng! No mor¡ª Ahng!¡± In the end, Jiwoo¡¯s feeble rebellion was counterproductive. When Jiwoo turned her body even a little, Helka aimed his member and stabbed into her further. Trying to avoid the pleasure was exposing her weakness to him instead. ¡°Kuuh. Haa¡­ Kuhk¡­¡± He was relieved with the heavy and profound voice that mixed his lust. It was like he was growling and moaning. Completely bound from her head to toe, Jiwoo was allowed no sensations other than to feel the pleasure he gave her. ¡°Ung, ah, ahy, ah! Ah! Ung!¡± In the end, Jiwoo, who was completely absorbed in the pleasure, lost her mind and moved her free waist. In the beginning,there was a beast attached to a man, but now Jiwoo is no different from that. Unsatisfied with the pleasure created by their joint place, Helakinis bowed his upper body. Even as she was drunk with this breath-taking pleasure, she could feel him kissing her face here and there. Compared to the ferocious pleasure from below, the kiss fluttered like a butterfly landing on a flower. Why was he so ambivalent about this? He acted like a sage then became a beast, he cried and laughed like a child, then became a mature man, he lusted for her violently then became so affectionate with her. ¡°Ha-ugh¡­¡± Jiwoo closed her eyes tightly. Her inner walls convulsed and tightened on him Soon, a warm feeling filled her inside. ¡°Kuuhh¡­¡± With a low, lewd moan, Helkainis came for quite a long time. His excitement does not go away while ejecting his seeds, that he moved several more times in that state. The climax was long as he came. Her eyes went blank. After a while, Jiwoo closed and opened her eyes several times. She seemed to be awake after a momentary loss of consciousness. When she came to her senses, Helkainis was holding Jiwoo tightly and burying his face in the nape of her neck. She reached out her hand when she saw the back she wanted to stroke. It was then that Jiwoo realized that her limbs were now free. Jiwoo sighed lightly, and Helka started pulling his flesh out of her body. ¡°Haa. Huughh¡­ Huu¡­¡± The warm, thick liquid clumped up inside, and then came out as he pulled out. Embarrassed by the sensation of running down her thighs, she grimaced and closed her eyes. Whoa. Is it over? She sighed. Perhaps because she had his fragrant saliva in her mouth, even the sigh she exhaled felt sweet. It was too much, but her whole body wasn¡¯t even sore. Rather, it felt as if she had been massaged for a long time. It seemed that the magic circle that had restrained her body for a while did something. As Jiwoo closed her eyes and was enjoying the afterglow of their coupling, she heard a voice calling her from above her head. ¡°Seojoo.¡± Jiwoo opened her eyes. She looked up and saw his quite-calm face. His sweat-soaked face still didn¡¯t seem to have completely dissipated. Still, he seemed sane enough to speak. After climaxing on Akarna¡¯s body, his sober mind seemed to have returned. ¡°¡­Seojoo, I¡¯m sorry.¡± And as soon as he came to his senses, he called her name and nothing else. ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°Seojoo?¡± That¡¯s not her name, though. It¡¯s definitely not her name. Every time she heard his voice trying to call her name, something burst out in her. She wasn¡¯t aware of it until then. She realized that she had not been called by that name for quite some time. Has anyone in this world ever cared about anything other than she was Akarna? There was a time when the crown prince called her by name after the affair. Did he love Seo Jiwoo or the Akarna? ¡°Seojoo, I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Is this something he needs to be upset about? Not exactly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s not how you say it.¡± ¡°Seo.Ji.Woo.¡± Helka called his name clearly. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± There was a wetness in her voice. She tried not to cry, but she ended up crying. When he called my name, she finally realized it. That¡¯s right. She was Seo Jiwoo, and perhaps she has not been living as a person for a while. She was just a human with a strong desire to live, and she was treated like the watchman of God, while she wasn¡¯t that. After living with clothes that don¡¯t suit her and killing her emotions, she becomes a body that doesn¡¯t even know what she likes or dislikes or how to laugh and get angry. She cried. But for five years, the tired and worn-out Jiwoo didn¡¯t even know why she was crying. Helka knelt in front of her and constantly said he was sorry. Even though it wasn¡¯t because of that, he thought it was his fault that Jiwoo was crying. What should he be sorry for? Rather, he is the person who regained her lost self. She stretched out her hand and he held her. Jiwoo buried his face in his arms and cried for a long time. ¡ª t/n: oh my god, this scene made it for meeeeeee¡­! this last part is more meaningful than the whole snusnu huhuhuuu Helka bestboiii Chapter 25 Chapter 25 ¨C Promises That Could Be Broken Back when a party had been held at the Imperial Palace¡ª The crown prince led the imperial army to drive out the beasts of the western region, and the Akarna cleansed the wasteland remaining after the beasts disappeared. So, it was not too much to call it a victory party as the humans overcame the beasts. This time, the Akarna and the crown prince were really good together, the people were saying so. It¡¯d be a lie to say they didn¡¯t feel proud. The crown prince and the Akarna entered this splendid victory party where nobles and imperial families gathered. Curtains made with jewelry. Softly resounding music. The simple food of the temple is different from the luxurious food that showed its luxury using plenty of sugar and spices. Sparkling wines. People in shiny dresses. Before she was able to fall into the splendid party she was seeing for the first time, Jiwoo had to express her disappointment to the crown prince here. ¡°Your Highness, you promised me.¡± ¡°You know there¡¯s nothing I can do.¡± The crown prince frowned as if he was troubled by Jiwoo¡¯s grumpy voice. ¡°It¡¯s because I¡¯m not a noble.¡± When she said that, the crown prince looked rather stern. ¡°Akarna, you don¡¯t know because you¡¯re someone from the temple, but the relationship between the Imperial Family and nobles is complicated. You don¡¯t have to take everything emotionally.¡± ¡°But you promised me¡­¡± Because Jiwoo was the Akarna, she was a very foreign entity to exist in this human victory party. Akarna could not be invited to or could not attend a party hosted by any noble or the imperial family. Akarna was not an ordinary human being, but a sacred body that was a vessel for God¡¯s spirit. So Akarna had to participate only in the temple¡¯s events, organized by the temple, even if there was such an auspicious event. The reason Jiwoo was able to participate today was because the crown prince promised to take her to the party. And Jiwoo was going to dance with the crown prince here. She wanted to show everyone that the crown prince was her lover and that she was his. But the crown prince only kept his promise to bring Jiwoo to the party, and he said he wouldn¡¯t be able to do the first dance with her. The reason was simple. It was because the noble lady, who was to be engaged to the crown prince, also attended the party. And Jiwoo understood why she couldn¡¯t have the first dance with him, even if he didn¡¯t explain it. The noble lady was the daughter of a venerable household that was no different from the founding hero, so the reason was that she should not lose face. ¡°Your Highness, if it¡¯s because I¡¯m a commoner, then Your Highness¡­ can create an identity for me.¡± The imperial power ruled above the temple. It would not have been impossible for a commoner to suddenly become a member of a deep-rooted family that could marry the crown prince proudly, but if it was just a lowly noble, there were plenty of ways. After being adopted by an old noble who has no children, she could receive a title gradually, or if that was not possible, he could create a title that she did not have. This is what Jiwoo thought simply, but the crown prince must have been able to estimate more possibilities. Of course, of course. She knew it was difficult. To do so, the temple had to give up the Akarna, and officially, the Akarna had to be dead. She knew that summoning a new Akarna would also be a long and difficult task. There will be people who will not recognize the Akarna who has become a commoner and will try to kill her. However, the imperial family were always the people to bring such nonsense to reality. Jiwoo knew that she was being pushy. She also knew she was whining. She hoped he would say he couldn¡¯t do that, and compromise by having his first dance with her. But the crown prince sighed. ¡°Akarna, since when did you throw tantrums like this?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not even something so grandiose. It¡¯s just a dance.¡± Jiwoo clenched her fists. She had already been scolded anyway. Just once. Even if he couldn¡¯t, she wanted to say it one more time. Jiwoo squeezed her last courage and grabbed the crown prince¡¯s collar. ¡°Your Highness, don¡¯t go.¡± ¡°Akarna.¡± ¡°Your Highness. Please.¡± ¡°Stop whining!¡± Slap! Showing he was tired of her whining, the crown prince swung his arm with a cold expression on his face. He mercilessly shrugged off the courage Jiwoo had wrung out. with one gesture. But Jiwoo was a person who could be miserable in front of her lover. Even if it had to be pitiful. She could throw away all her pride and hang on as much as she could. Jiwoo grabbed him again with the hand that he had just struck. ¡°Your Highness, please¡­ don¡¯t leave me alone here.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll talk when I come back.¡± ¡°Your Highness¡­!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be back soon. Alright? It¡¯s the first time you¡¯ve been to a party like this, right? For now, enjoy yourself.¡± The crown prince did not change his decision. Instead, he seemed sorry for her, kissed Jiwoo on the cheek and headed towards the center of the banquet hall. He greeted that noble lady that was to be engaged with him with anticipation. The woman naturally linked her arms around the crown prince¡¯s. Jiwoo was left alone. ¡°Did you just see that?¡± ¡°Oh my gosh, poor thing¡­¡± ¡°The Akarna has such a high pride that she doesn¡¯t attend human-hosted parties, right?¡± ¡°How can that be? Did you see her clinging to the Crown Prince just now?¡± ¡°Aha¡­ God¡¯s watchman seems to be jealous too.¡± ¡°But look at that Lady. As expected, she didn¡¯t even frown. The person she¡¯s going to be married to has kissed another woman.¡± ¡°Not speculating is a virtue of the Crown Princess.¡± Hahaha. Hohoho. She could hear the nobles around her gossiping, talking and laughing about her, the crown prince, and the lady. It sounded even louder to Jiwoo, who could not concentrate on anything else. It would have been better if she didn¡¯t understand the language here. It would have been better if she was an idiot who didn¡¯t know anything. Jiwoo¡¯s hands trembled as she clasped her pale face. The tenseness in her fingers also made her bones stand out. Your Highness, I am here. Can¡¯t you see me? I have to listen to all of this here. Don¡¯t you even care? Heat rose from the shame, and her eyes reddened. But she didn¡¯t cry. Because if the Akarna would cry in such an unsightly manner here, she would tarnish the crown prince¡¯s name. But she couldn¡¯t even reach for the food. She couldn¡¯t even drink. She couldn¡¯t even talk to anyone else. There was no way anyone could have been close friends with the Akarna, who was sent to the barren land. Akarna had to stand like a decoration with a benevolent expression in a top seat that was not like the seat, just like Akarna. For bringing her to this party, she promised not to act immaturely for the crown prince. She did not know the manners prevailing among the nobles and the imperial family, so he suggested she stood still. So Jiwoo stood quietly and looked at only one place. After a while, the party hall began to move in unison with the sound of light music. Forcefully biting her lips and opening his eyes, Jiwoo watched him perform the first dance of the party. The crown prince should have held her hand and danced the first dance in the center of the party with her. As promised. Actually, that was the last line Jiwoo wanted to keep. The crown prince could marry another noble. She understood that it was a political union and was a way to maintain this relationship. But if that¡¯s the case, if it¡¯s really just a political union, then at least prove in front of everyone that the person he loved the most was Jiwoo. She thought that if the Crown Prince kept this promise, she could actually give up everything else and live only by receiving his love. But the crown prince did not even keep that promise. ¡°Ah¡­¡± The crown prince smiled. Looking at that lady. It was the expression he always showed her. It was a polite laugh, but that nice laugh was something she liked. His laughter seemed to reverberate all the way here. It should be okay. It should be okay. You can¡¯t cry. If you cry here, this gossip will spread not only to you, but also to the Crown Prince. Jiwoo, who blankly watched people dancing and smiling, soon found a way. She took a deep breath, expelled all the cold breath in her lungs, and held it there. Her mind clouded as oxygen escaped her head. Only then will the clear despair unfolding in front of her finally fade. All the music seemed distant. Standing here like this, she felt alone in the world. She seemed to be looking up at them from the bottom of a deep lake. That¡¯s right. Because she was the Akarna. The Akarna, who was a divine entity in a country where God¡¯s influence resided, was not allowed to mingle with people carelessly. Akarna. Akarna. Akarna. That was her position. She was nothing but Akarna. God¡¯s watchman who makes divine miracles¡­ ¡°Seo Jiwoo, wake up.¡± Seo Jiwoo. Seo Jiwoo? That¡¯s her name she forgot. ¡°Gasp¡­..¡± Jiwoo opened her eyes. Instead of a fancy party hall, a rustic natural wooden house caught her eye. ¡ª Chapter 26 Chapter 26 ¡°Gasp¡­ Gasp¡­¡± Like waking up from a nightmare, Jiwoo breathed heavily. And she saw a man sitting on a chair next to the bed she was lying on. Bright blonde. Green eyes filled with fresh green. A friendly smile that gently floated on the friendly face. As soon as his eyes saw Jiwoo, the long ears typical of children of Elandos moved. ¡°¡­Cal, Callandein?¡± ¡°Yes. That¡¯s right. It¡¯s Callan.¡± Callan stroked Jiwoo¡¯s forehead with his hand. The sweat-drenched hair was brushed away by his hands. ¡°Seo Jiwoo, you seem to have sleep apnea. Or did you have a nightmare?¡± Nightmare? Was it a nightmare? She did not know. What should be viewed in a nightmare and what should be viewed in an ordinary dream. For Seo Jiwoo, a dream was just a reenactment of the past, not a fantasy world unfolding. But it was true that she could not breathe, and her head was a bit dizzy. ¡°I was going to let you sleep a little longer, but you weren¡¯t breathing properly.¡± The gentle touch of his finger continued to stroke Jiwoo¡¯s forehead. The stroking hand was like a gesture to put a child to sleep, so Jiwoo quietly closed her eyes and then opened it again. ¡°¡­How did you just know that name?¡± ¡°I heard from Helka. You¡¯re so mean. I introduced myself to you properly, but you didn¡¯t tell me your name?¡± Callan smiled softly while speaking like a rebuke. Come to think of it, she was alone with Helkainis inside the old tree that had been barricaded, and one thing led to another. She seemed to have fallen asleep crying in his arms, but when she woke up, it was this. Come to think of it, Helkainis seemed to have regained his sanity at the end, but after Jiwoo fell asleep, she had no idea what had happened. ¡°Is Helkainis okay?¡± ¡°¡­Yes. Surprisingly, he¡¯s fine. Thank you. I¡¯ll thank you separately and properly later.¡± ¡°Where is he now?¡± ¡°We have a friend in our group who lives far away. He went to pick him up. He¡¯ll be back tonight. Maybe if he had known that Seo Jiwoo would wake up so early, he would have waited¡­ When he comes back, give him a good flick to the head.¡± Callandlein got up for a while, perhaps because Jiwoo¡¯s hoarse voice was bothering him, and brought her a glass of cold water. Jiwoo, who was happy to drink the cold water, asked abruptly. ¡°How long was I asleep?¡± ¡°About two days. I saw that you recovered a little while you were sleeping. You¡¯re malnourished, and you¡¯ve lost a lot of stamina. Even if you¡¯re the Akarna, staying in that state for a long time is dangerous.¡± Callan said naggingly and tapped the center of her forehead with his finger. Then he bowed his head under the bed, picked up a strange-looking instrument and held it in front of Jiwoo. ¡°Come on, Seo Jiwoo. Come down and try it.¡± ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± When Jiwoo looked wary, he untied the apparatus and showed it. Leather was lined on a wooden bar. And, there were enough straps to wrap around it. ¡°It¡¯s a brace. I heard from Lanceil that you broke your leg, right?¡± Come to think of it, Lanceil went to Callan as soon as he brought Jiwoo here. Lanceil had referred to her injured leg. Callandein seemed to be the doctor here. ¡°Ah, yes¡­¡± Jiwoo calmly replied. The gesture and tone were friendly but that teacher-like energy was strange. Callandein smiled sweetly and nodded his head. ¡°It¡¯s because your self-healing power is overworked, it¡¯s now causing irregularities. The bones got attached incorrectly. I¡¯m trying to see if it can be resolved with correction rather than surgery. Oh, can you stick your foot out? Let me help.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Jiwoo put her foot out as he told him to. Callan attached the wooden bar to Jiwoo¡¯s ankle like a splint, and skillfully wrapped it up in leather without any fuss. It was not a splint waiting for the fracture to heal, but rather a brace with a gentle feeling of pressure. ¡°It¡¯s uncomfortable, right? It will take a few days. In the meantime, don¡¯t walk and just move around while being carried in someone¡¯s arms.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ Is that okay¡­¡± Jiwoo scratched the back of her head in embarrassment. She has only been with Lanceil or Helkainis, but it was clear that the people here were people who couldn¡¯t stand it if her feet touched the ground. ¡°I¡¯ll watch the progress and you can go back when it¡¯s okay.¡± Hearing those words, her heart seemed to sink. She stuttered her words in surprise, not knowing that she would suddenly hear these words. ¡°G-Go back?¡± ¡°Yes, you have to go back. Seo Jiwoo, you are Akarna of Carnazion.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ that¡¯s right.¡± ¡°And I heard that Lanceil promised you. I¡¯ll make sure to have you sent back.¡± Her head went numb. Just like when she was holding her breath while grasping all the emotions. Her mind was clouded as if there was a fog in his head, and her trembling eyes couldn¡¯t even see what was right in front of her. That was the original plan. She threw herself impulsively and fell down the cliff, so she thought she¡¯d follow the rescue team or search team when they came. Because there was no other way she could live alone. When she woke up, she tried to ask for protection as a reward, but these people originally rejected humans. Taking care of her condition, healing her wounds, correcting her leg, and returning her could only be counted as a sufficient reward. But it was a little disappointing. She seemed to have opened her heart to the warm atmosphere of this place without realizing it, to the kindness that called out her name. No matter how accustomed she was to disappointing people, Jiwoo had a limit when her mind and body was exhausted. Her lips trembled. Temple. Party hall. Imperial palace. Crown Prince. Engagement. When Callan said that she had to go back, only those things came to mind and she was suffocating. ¡°Seo Jiwoo? What¡¯s wrong? You turned pale¡­¡± Callan, who felt uneasy about Jiwoo¡¯s condition, looked at her. Tap. Tap. That was then. Someone lightly knocked on the window. ¡°Ahhh¡­ He¡¯s here again.¡± Callan got up immediately and slammed the window open. ¡°Lanceil! If you have something to say, come in and say it.¡± ¡°¡­Is she, is she awake?¡± ¡°Yes, hurry up and come in.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± As Lanceil didn¡¯t say anything, Callan sighed and went out. Shortly, Lanceil, who was hesitating in his steps, was dragged in. ¡°I¡¯d rather you come inside and wait, what are you doing by coming every hour? She¡¯s awake, so come and greet her.¡± However, Lanceil did not look directly at Jiwoo. His expression was not good, and above all, his ears, which had always been pointed towards the sky, were tilted at an angle. ¡°¡­That¡¯s enough.¡± Jiwoo was shocked by those words. She didn¡¯t expect anyone else, but she thought Lanceil, who had brought her here and showed Callan the condition of her leg, would want to see what happened. Didn¡¯t he say that he was going to be the first or second? Because he was going to send her back? Because they won¡¯t see each other anymore? Helkainis, the most important to them, was alive, so he could think that their business was over. All the humans Jiwoo met in this world were like that. The Akarna was a mere resource, and such a resource should be used according to its purpose. And they had to put things back where they were after it was done being used. If she had thought even a little rationally, Jiwoo would know that she was wrong, but Jiwoo, whose mind was weakened as her body was, stumbled more into the mishap. In the end, transparent water dripped from Jiwoo¡¯s eyes, who was making leaps and leaps on her own head. ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡°Seo Jiwoo?¡± They were both taken aback as they carefully looked Jiwoo¡¯s condition. Callandein slammed Lanceil on the back. And he brought Lanceil to the front of the bed, dragging him by the collar. Up to that time, Lanceil¡¯s ears were lowered at an angle and he was making a lot of uncomfortable signs, but he glanced at Jiwoo, perhaps worried about her crying. ¡°Lanceil, don¡¯t be immature and tell the truth. Seo Jiwoo is crying.¡± Even Callandlein, who had a friendly smile on his face the whole time, was flustered with embarrassment. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Lanceil forced his pouty lips to open. ¡°You¡­¡± Lanceil, whose face had been blushing for a while, chewed his lower lip and said as if he was breathing a sigh. It was a very sulky voice. ¡°You didn¡¯t even tell me your name¡­¡± ¡°What¡­¡± No, really. What the hell. She couldn¡¯t stop crying because it was ridiculous. She felt a burst in her chest, but she had no idea what it was. In the end, Jiwoo cried out loud. ¡ª Chapter 27 Chapter 27 ¡°You don¡¯t want to go back?¡± Lanceil and Callandein stood by their side for a long time and comforted Jiwoo, who barely stopped crying. In particular, Lanceil, forgetting he was sulking, took all of Jiwoo¡¯s tears and runny nose into his chest. And, he asked several times if he didn¡¯t understand why Jiwoo cried and said she didn¡¯t want to go back. ¡°But you said you¡¯re the Akarna, right?¡± ¡°What about that?¡± Jiwoo said while rubbing her eyes with a handkerchief. Her voice was still a little wet. Callan and Lanceil both looked at each other with incomprehensible expressions, then looked at Jiwoo again. ¡°Seo Jiwoo, did I ever explain about Elandos?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°When we say Elandos of El Ragnile, it also means that he is the most precious of the group. It is our protector who controls our lifespan and protects us from the miasma.¡± ¡°But?¡± ¡°But, is the Akarna of Carnazion different? Oh, maybe¡­ Can another Akarna take your place, Seo Jiwoo?¡± ¡°I am the only Akarna that they have.¡± ¡°What?¡± Callandein looked dazed for a moment, then asked again. ¡°Ah, does that mean that there is only one Akarna in Seo Jiwoo¡¯s country¡­ or in your hometown?¡± ¡°I¡¯m the only Akarna.¡± If there were several Akarnas, there would be no need for Jiwoo to go around exhausting her body like that alone. The temple had the right to summon the Akarna, and the empire monopolized her. The temple was promoting the Akarna as the vessel of God, so there should not be two Akarna in one generation. God that resided in Akarna, moved around by living within the body of one person, not two. A being who was suddenly born and has no trace of living in this world, and suddenly fell from the sky. A completely new existence that people in this world didn¡¯t even know existed. That is the Akarna in which God dwells. She doesn¡¯t understand why he was surprised. Because for Jiwoo, it was obvious. It was also a rare common sense in this world for him to be frowning with difficulty. ¡°That¡­ doesn¡¯t make sense?¡± But Callandein didn¡¯t seem to understand. ¡°¡­Ss something wrong?¡± ¡°There is no such thing as God, so to me, it all feels ridiculous.¡± To be honest, even Jiwoo was inclined to agree. She felt that way even more after hearing Helkainis say that there is no God, only phenomena. ¡°If you don¡¯t understand a phenomenon that already exists, you worship it. Give it a transcendental name, give it a meaning¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Jiwoo was lost in thought and didn¡¯t say anything, so Callan smiled with a wry look. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry. Was I rude?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Ummm¡­ I think that¡¯s why Helka went to pick up that friend. The friend Helka picked up, who lives far away from our group, is an alchemist. The alchemist knows better than we do.¡± ¡®If it¡¯s an alchemist¡­ that means the alchemist from the outer wall that blasphemes divine power.¡¯ The people of their race did not believe in divinity, the alchemists on the outer wall were known to be heretics, and the imperial people sometimes put them in their mouths and despised them. She didn¡¯t know for sure yet, but one thing is for sure. Talking about the divine power with these people, she thought why the imperial people deserved to hate these races. They really didn¡¯t believe in God. It gave the imperial people a good reason. If they were a devout believer in the temple, or someone who had been indebted to Akarna, who was said to have been God¡¯s emissary, they would take their words as an insult. Moreover, Callan was aware that it could be rude. But he didn¡¯t budge. However, it was funny that Jiwoo, who had lived for more than five years as an Akarna in the temple and was revered by ordinary people, could agree with their words. ¡°I¡¯ll just ask you one thing. Does the Akarna belong only to that temple?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Are they monopolizing you?¡± ¡°Ah, yes¡­ The Empire as well.¡± Callan narrowed his eyes. ¡°Hmm¡­ I see¡­ The one and only Akarna¡­¡± As Callan finished his words like that, he seemed to be contemplating something on his own. As Jiwoo stared at him, Callan made eye contact with Jiwoo¡¯s and gently curved his eyes. Somehow, it was a charming smile that made her face all red. A fever rose on her face, and she averted her eyes from him, and Lanceil who was quietly next to her, said. ¡°But it¡¯s what I promised. Aren¡¯t those who break promises the worst¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to keep that anymore.¡± ¡°I always tried to keep the promise I made with you. Of course, I¡¯m glad that you said you¡¯re not going back, but¡­¡± It¡¯s amazing. The words that Jiwoo wanted to hear, the words that she had given up for granted, he said without hesitation. ¡°Then what happens to the person you were going to marry?¡± With that, Callandein, who was next to him, turned his head to her. ¡°Seo Jiwoo, did you have someone to marry?¡± ¡°Ah¡­ Ah, that¡¯s¡­¡± Her face turned white at the unexpected topic. Jiwoo stuttered and couldn¡¯t speak, and was almost flustered. She tried to wave her hand, and her hand stiffened in the air. Seeing Jiwoo¡¯s pale expression just before crying, Callandein quickly changed the topic. ¡°Ah, think about it later whether you want to leave or not. We¡¯ll have to wait and see when the foot recovers anyway.¡± ¡°¡­I think so. That¡¯s right. Getting better quickly is the priority.¡± Lanceil quickly agreed. ¡°Seo Jiwoo, I¡¯m planning to hold a banquet tonight.¡± ¡°A banquet?¡± Callan gently grabbed her hand, which had stood still in the air. ¡°Yes. We¡¯ve all been waiting for you to wake up. Thanks to you, a good thing happened after a long time, so we¡¯re going to eat and drink. Of course, you have to take the lead.¡± ¡°I, I¡¯m the banquet host?¡± Jiwoo wasn¡¯t used to getting attention. Even if a victory party was held, it was for the imperial family or nobles, Jiwoo was not invited. She happened to attend, but she didn¡¯t have a very good memory of it. Callan, unaware of Jiwoo¡¯s feelings, only thought that Jiwoo was being humble. ¡°Yes. Nothing good would have happened without you. Anyway, I¡¯ll bring you a change of clothes.¡± Callandein went away for a moment. Lance too sighed and got up. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll have to go because today is the day I stand on the village guard. I hope you enjoy it.¡± Lanceil was still strangely awkward with Jiwoo. It seemed that he had not been able to solve the sulkiness he had earlier. ¡°Lanceil.¡± Jiwoo put her hand on his ear to whisper quietly. But as soon as Jiwoo got closer, Lanceil jumped in surprise. ¡°Why! Why, why are you doing this again! If you keep seducing me in such, in such a place like this, I will¡­¡± Lanceil frowned and bit his lip. And he quickly turned red to the tip of his ear and averted his eyes. Oh, she thought that was what this meant. She made the same mistake, but Jiwoo quickly spoke to him. Because it would be time for him to go to work. ¡°My first name is not Seo-Jiwoo.¡± ¡°Th, then?¡± Lanceil¡¯s ears moved curiously. What he had just tensed up until recently had loosened up a bit. ¡°¡¯Jiwoo¡¯ is the first name and ¡®Seo¡¯ is the last name. So call me Jiwoo.¡± ¡°¡­Really?¡± Lanceil gave a somehow welcome response. He glanced at where Callan had gone to get her clothes, then looked at Jiwoo again. ¡°Am I the only one to call you like that?¡± When Jiwoo nodded, Lanceil went out to the village with a smile as if he had never been sulky. As Callandein suggested, Jiwoo did not walk directly, but moved in his arms. The surprising thing she realized when she met him was that Callan was the type of person who looked rather skinny when he wore clothes. But she was forced to touch his chest because of their holding posture, and she could feel his firm chest full of tightness through the thin clothes. And the forearms supporting her back and below the knees were much thicker than she expected. She wondered how he was covering this with his clothes. When she touched it directly, his forearm was the size of her thigh. She was so embarrassed. Even though it¡¯s not the first time she has moved in the arms of someone else, she¡¯s been concerned about it since she got conscious of it. It was more awkward now that Callan, who used to be friendly and talkative, became quiet. After walking such a short but long distance, Jiwoo was able to see the place called the banquet hall. ¡ª Chapter 28 Chapter 28 This forest is unique. It was bright in broad daylight even though it was unknown where the light was coming from, even though it looked like there was no light coming from the overgrown branches and leaves. So, the village seen during the day always glimmered with a greenish-gold color. The banquet began as the sun was setting. As the night descends, the golden sunlight, which is gradually receding, did not color this forest as dark as she thought it would. There was a bright golden light coming up from somewhere. They looked like lilies of the valley, but were slightly larger in size. It had a light and was shining from all directions. It was also on the ground, and under a huge tree resembling Elandos. Some of the flower buds were floating in the air, shining as if someone had used magic. In fact, when Jiwoo had decided to go to the most barren land of the Empire, she did not expect to see such a sight. The empire¡¯s border region was a land dyed black with miasma. This was even the closest to such a land, a forest very dangerous to humans. She thought that such a shimmering place could not exist alongside it. And here, it was so strange that she was welcomed, even as a human being. ¡°Um? Helkainis hasn¡¯t arrived yet. I thought he¡¯ll be back tonight. Well, that¡¯s fine.¡± As soon as he entered the square holding Jiwoo, the people there all turned their heads at once. They didn¡¯t feel as hostile as before. Rather, she felt a strong enough sense of favor to overturn it. When their eyes met, everyone smiled lightly, so Jiwoo had to avoid looking at them. They didn¡¯t even come to greet her first, perhaps they knew Jiwoo felt burdened, or whether Callan had already said something in advance. As Jiwoo continued to look around shyly, Callan whispered softly. ¡°If there¡¯s someone you want to talk to, you can go ahead and talk to them. If you don¡¯t want to, you can rest by yourself.¡± ¡°Can I really do that?¡± ¡°You¡¯re the main character of the banquet. You shouldn¡¯t feel pressured.¡± ¡®What a relief¡­¡¯ Inwardly, she sighed heavily. She was worried that she might stiffen up like an idiot while everyone was having fun. She wondered what would happen if her dark personality broke the bright atmosphere of this place. ¡°But would you like to say greetings? It¡¯s okay just to listen.¡± As Jiwoo nodded shyly, Callan held Jiwoo and gestured to some. Then, as if waiting for Callan¡¯s signal, some people put down what they were doing and came closer to Jiwoo. Jiwoo was very nervous, but their attitude was pretty straightforward. They greeted her very lightly and didn¡¯t forget to say thank you for saving Helka and Lanceil. Instead of using the words ¡®outsider¡¯ or ¡®human¡¯, everyone was friendly, calling out the name ¡®Seo Jiwoo¡¯ to address her. By the time Jiwoo had gotten used to this atmosphere a little, the most familiar among them approached her. ¡°Hey! You¡¯re awake?¡± It was Tevon. An impressive silver hair that is close to a pale yellow color mixed with forsythia. She remembered it because he seemed to be friendly with Lanceil. She secretly asked Lanceil about Tevon, and he said Tevon was the best hunter here. He was also the one who called Helkainis an ¡®old geezer¡¯ and said lightly to stab Helka with a dagger if he¡¯d ever do something to her. Like the person who said that, Tevon threw a dagger into the air and grabbed it, showing a casual attitude. Perhaps because of his surprisingly light demeanor, holding a weapon in front of her and waving it, he was strangely not threatening at all. ¡°I¡¯m glad you look healthy. I thought that the old geezer was really going to eat you up.¡± Jiwoo asked what she was curious about as he approached. ¡°How old is Helka, why do you keep calling him that?¡± ¡°Very old. He¡¯s going to be over 500 years old.¡± ¡°He¡¯s double that, Tevon.¡± ¡°¡­Are you kidding me?¡± Tevon looked disgusted and shook his head. ¡°Anyway, have fun. If you want to hang out with me, just call me.¡± Callan whispered as Tevon turned around with his head bowed in a simple manner. ¡°Tevon is the youngest of us.¡± ¡°How old is he?¡± ¡°He is going to be mad if I tell you behind his back.¡± Jiwoo laughed at those words. The tension that had been pressing on her shoulder since she entered the banquet hall had long since been relieved. After that, Jiwoo went around the banquet hall in Callan¡¯s arms. She thought she had only said hello to a few, but when she realized it, she had mixed at least one or two words with most of the people here. She was astounded by Callandein¡¯s natural consideration. Jiwoo, who greeted everyone here, took a seat in a corner. The first thing to do is to drink the seemingly not burdensome soup on an empty stomach, but Jiwoo was still stunned that she had naturally absorbed this place. ¡°I thought¡­ I was going to be the representative and say something.¡± ¡°If you want to say something, you can do it.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mean that.¡± ¡°What do you think about the atmosphere?¡± ¡°Ah¡­ it¡¯s good. It wasn¡¯t as difficult as I thought.¡± ¡°You couldn¡¯t think of the reward, did you? Shall I think about it?¡± ¡°I am satisfied with just this.¡± Jiwoo felt good because the banquet was held for her. As Jiwoo was staring blankly at the square, Callan, who was next to her, gestured over Jiwoo¡¯s forehead. ¡°Seo Jiwoo, would you like some wine?¡± Something crept and came down from above her head. The grapes came down as they ripened. And the grapes began to tremble and drip aged liquid. Jiwoo took it all in the empty cup next to her. ¡°Wow¡­.. What did you do? Is it magic?¡± ¡°Growing plants is something we can all do.¡± ¡°It¡¯s really amazing.¡± Jiwoo was preoccupied with her rush to drink alcohol. She was amazed at the process of getting alcohol, and the taste was also admirable. She wanted to eat as much meat as a side dish with alcohol, but she had been on an empty stomach for a long time, so Callan gave her an appropriate amount and she finished it. That alone was so good. ¡°Seo Jiwoo, I¡¯ve been thinking about the reward we¡¯ll give you.¡± ¡°Y-Yes.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s the most handsome here?¡± Calandlein, who had been watching Jiwoo with his chin resting next to her, asked abruptly. Umm? Uhh? Why was he asking such a question all of a sudden? Jiwoo was curious and looked around the square. ¡°¡­You¡¯re all handsome?¡± ¡°Then, can you choose according to your taste?¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes. The flower of this banquet is you, so if you don¡¯t choose, who will?¡± As Callan spoke lightly, Jiwoo thought lightly as well. It looked like they were having a contest or a bet between them. It felt like they were naturally uplifting this, so Jiwoo felt much relieved. ¡°Then it¡¯s Tevon.¡± Had there been Lanceil, she would have picked him. However, he couldn¡¯t attend the banquet due to some things, so she chose the one who most resembled Lanceil and was the closest to him. Callan nodded his head. ¡°And?¡± ¡°There, that person.¡± Jiwoo gestured to the next three or four people roughly. She liked the color of their hair, or the color of their eyes, and some were just on the right height¡­ It was an action half-driven by alcohol. Jiwoo drank alcohol after a long time and she got drunk quickly. The quality of the wine made by these fairy-like people was so good that she drank more than she normally would. Callan said as she drank and supported Jiwoo, who was lying on the table, to get her up. Jiwoo, who had become accustomed to being held by him, took a comfortable position. ¡°Shall we go back now?¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± Jiwoo was carried by Callan and returned to the house where she was staying. While patting Jiwoo, who snuggled in his arms, Callan gestured to the men Jiwoo had chosen earlier. Among them, Tevon entered. Jiwoo thought that they saw her leaving the banquet hall too early, so they were seeing her off. She watched them follow with a blank look. But they followed Jiwoo to the end. When they entered the large house that had been cut through the old trees, they all came together. In the end, she had to ask. ¡°Hey, but why are you following me all the way here?¡± Callan said. ¡°Ah, you picked them earlier. Today they will service you until you go to bed. This is one of our rewards.¡± ¡°I beg your pardon?¡± Her mind sobered up immediately. Jiwoo asked if it was possible. ¡°What kind of ¡¯service¡¯?¡± ¡°Night¡­ service?¡± Jiwoo leaped. She almost jumped out of Callan¡¯s arms. ¡°No, no! I didn¡¯t mean that? I thought it was a joke¡­¡± ¡°What. Really?¡± And with that violent reaction, the quick-witted Tevon frowned. ¡°It was a joke?¡± Tevon¡¯s face turned red. Although Tevon reacted violently as the representative, it was the same for the others as well. ¡ª t/n: tl;dr Jiwoo, as a reward for saving our friends, we¡¯ll give you a buffet of handsome men~ ahahahahahahahaa omgggggg ¡°hey you boys this woman saved our people so you better entertain her¡± XD ¨C Chapter 29 Chapter 29 Jiwoo, inebriated as she was, quickly wondered why their moods plummeted. So, if this is the meaning of service according to them, they must have come with a lot of preparation. It¡¯s not normal to have to go to someone like a ¡®reward¡¯. But now that she thought it was a joke, they only thought that she was playing with them. So, it was obvious that Jiwoo had committed disrespect. Her complexion turned pale in an instant, however Jiwoo¡¯s troubled expression was misunderstood by Tevon. ¡°You don¡¯t like us? You said you liked my face.¡± No, no, that¡¯s not it? ¡°Well, if you don¡¯t like it that much¡­ I¡¯ll call other people.¡± ¡°No! It¡¯s not that¡­¡± It was the first time this kind of situation had happened, so Jiwoo¡¯s eyes turned round. The alcohol had already fizzed out, and her head was working overtime as if this was an emergency. She thought it was a real joke, she didn¡¯t mean it that way, but saying that right now would only backfire. ¡°I didn¡¯t know it was today¡­ so I thought I would get the reward later.¡± Jiwoo said that and looked into his eyes. Tevon narrowed his eyes, but the others who followed him looked noticeably better. One of them took a deep breath. ¡°Really? Then say so. When shall it be?¡± However, it seems that Tevon wasn¡¯t the type of person to let go of this kind of thing. Jiwoo thought about what to say quickly. The face that came to mind in this situation was that person. ¡°When Helka returns¡­¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Tevon placed a hand on his chin. ¡°Right. You¡¯ll decide after seeing his face. Is that it? He¡¯s handsome, but he¡¯s picky. Our Seo Jiwoo¡­¡± The word ¡®he¡¯ seemed to refer to the alchemist that Helka brought. Jiwoo didn¡¯t mean it at all, but Tevon, who had been suspicious from the moment she said ¡®joke¡¯, seemed to understand. ¡°I see. But you¡¯ll accept my good night greeting, right?¡± Jiwoo nodded her head countless times, and Tevon grabbed Jiwoo¡¯s chin and kissed her on the cheek. It was obviously a light act on the cheek, but it was sticky enough to make a sound. After Tevon, it was the other men¡¯s turn. ¡°Sleep well.¡± ¡°I thought we weren¡¯t enough, but that¡¯s a relief.¡± ¡°Then will you call me back then?¡± As they retreated, they shyly kissed her on her forehead, cheek, and the back of her hands. Jiwoo blankly looked at their backs. Tevon went ahead and turned around once, even waving his hand to her. Looking at it, it felt like her soul was drained out. ¡°Ah¡­¡± Callan, who had been quiet all the time while holding Jiwoo, sighed in apology. ¡°Their pride must have been hurt, but I hope they¡¯re okay¡­¡± ¡°R-Really?¡± She understands that it¡¯s bad, but she doesn¡¯t think it¡¯ll be offensive for any other reason. Is it something that will hurt their pride? Anyway, Jiwoo just avoided the situation and managed to get away with it. And when Helka returns, she¡¯ll be faced with the situation right away. In the end, she only bought a little time, but it didn¡¯t solve anything fundamentally. As Jiwoo was fidgeting with the spilled water, Callan said quietly. ¡°I have a question for you, would it be alright if we talk?¡± Callandein sat Jiwoo on the bed and looked at the braces on her feet. Carefully moving his hand, he spoke lightly, as if he had no intention of burdening this topic. ¡°Actually, I asked Lanceil a little bit about your story. I heard you had someone to marry. Had.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Jiwoo realized that the crown prince had completely slipped her mind. ¡°May I ask what¡¯s going on?¡± Just thinking about that person seemed to break her heart, but when Callan asked carefully, Jiwoo was able to organize her thoughts little by little. ¡°He said he was going to marry someone else. Actually, I ran away and came to this place¡­¡± To be honest, Jiwoo also wanted to tell someone about this, but there was no one suitable to. In the temple, there were only priests who used Akarna, or servants who just wanted to serve her without any conversation. Even if she had someone to talk to, she couldn¡¯t tell the story about the Crown Prince to the imperial people. It wasn¡¯t a good story, and no one would want to get involved in this. In fact, even if she confessed to someone, she would be the one getting upset. As the Crown Prince of the Empire would never do anything wrong. But Kalandlein was different. He was neither a citizen nor a priest. He was also one of the few people who did not meet her as Akarna of the Temple or the Crown Prince¡¯s lover. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s why you said you didn¡¯t want to leave. I¡¯m not sure about some parts¡­ but I think I understand.¡± Callandlein really listened to the story with a calm attitude. In some parts, he even brought her water if he felt like she was choked while talking, and held her hand and comforted him, saying that it must have been difficult. Even after she¡¯s told it all, her neck is a little stiff. Still, she was a little relieved. ¡°You mean you don¡¯t have anyone to marry now?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± When Jiwoo answered, Callan asked the next question as naturally as flowing water. ¡°Then¡­ how about us?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°What if you choose us as your marriage partner and settle down here.¡± ¡°Are you joking with me now?¡± But Callandein had a rather serious expression unbefitting for a casual talk or a joke. ¡°And when you mentioned marriage partner, why do you say us?¡± Hopefully she¡¯s not mistaken. Jiwoo asked again, wanting to make sure. ¡°Literally with us¡­ Ah¡­¡± Callan spoke naturally, but realized he had overlooked the fact that she was a stranger who knew nothing about El Ragnile. ¡°In El Ragnile, it¡¯s commonplace for one woman to be in command of a group. And, the average number in one group is about thirty people.¡± ¡°What? No, even so, it¡¯s not something that just one person decides.¡± ¡°What?¡± Now it was Callan¡¯s turn to tilt his head to the side, not understanding why Jiwoo was surprised. ¡°Males in Elandos are usually not chosen for the rest of their lives anyway. I think everyone will like them.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t. There may be people who want to be paired up separately.¡± ¡°Paired¡­ It¡¯s strange to say that. We are not the ones who will choose.¡± Rather than that, she couldn¡¯t understand why Callan was suddenly bringing this up. It was not long ago that the entire place was filled such atmosphere of rejection against an outsider. ¡°That¡­ I¡¯m an outsider.¡± ¡°You are no ordinary outsider. You are the Akarna, and you have blessed us with your favor. And since you say you don¡¯t want to go back either, I¡¯m not going to miss this opportunity.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± It was a terribly baffling statement. Jiwoo¡¯s eyes widened even more. ¡°By any chance, am I not good enough?¡± Before Jiwoo could say anything, Callan rolled his eyes down like a wilted flower. The tips of his drooping ears trembled pathetically. ¡°Actually, we don¡¯t even have a proper Elandos, so it wouldn¡¯t be very attractive. My first impressions were not very good either. Is it because you didn¡¯t like the reward before?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not it¡­¡± ¡°Then?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t do it with someone I don¡¯t even know.¡± ¡°You knew Tevon¡¯s name.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, but¡­ we haven¡¯t talked much yet.¡± ¡°Aha, so you mean that you like someone who you know by name and has talked to you a lot?¡± ¡°Yes? I think that¡¯s right.¡± He was fiddling with Jiwoo¡¯s hand, and suddenly he brought it to his chest. She was worried from the moment she was hugged by Callan on that solid chest. Jiwoo, who had become conscious again, suddenly tried to pull out her hand, but Callan wouldn¡¯t budge with just a little force to his hand. ¡°Then I guess I¡¯ll meet the conditions?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You know my name, we¡¯ve talked a lot, so I want you to choose me.¡± ¡°What do you mean¡­¡± Callan laughed. ¡°You still don¡¯t know? I¡¯m seducing you right now.¡± ¡°Wh, why?¡± Callan frowned slightly at that. ¡°Rather, I don¡¯t understand. Why was the Akarna of Carnazion treated like that? So I¡¯m going to take you away.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Callandlein didn¡¯t intend to give Jiwoo any more time to ponder. ¡°I heard you made Lanceil your first choice, am I wrong?¡± ¡°Um, that¡¯s true.¡± Jiwoo has been continuously digging a lot of graves for herself these days. So there was no logical way out. ¡°Then can¡¯t I be the third one?¡± ¡°Why the third?¡± He even naturally skipped the second. ¡°Helka would be the second. Helka must have been thinking the same thing as me.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± She couldn¡¯t tell if the conversation corresponded or not. Jiwoo¡¯s face didn¡¯t turn bright red, so he was ready to show off. Callan had no intention of making a corner for Jiwoo to retreat. ¡°Then try it once and decide.¡± Callandlein began to take off his clothes without hesitation. ¨C Chapter 30 Chapter 30 ¨C Definition of Love Jiwoo was left speechless as she swallowed a gulp. She thought his chest in all its muscular glory was very big when she touched it through thin clothes, but when she looked at it completely bare, it was all the more so. It made her wonder how he could hide it without it popping out or tearing his thin clothes. Although he was muscular, the muscles were not so clearly toned. It wasn¡¯t a trained muscle like the hunter Lanceil, but they were nonetheless nice looking muscles. However, the reason why Callan looked so huge was probably because of his body size itself. Callandein¡¯s body felt a bit out of sync with his face. In fact, from the first time she saw him, his first impression was not bad. Compared to other people who exuded a lot of hostility, Callan was good at hiding those negative emotions. He spoke politely to an unfamiliar outsider, and his voice was also soft. The honey-colored, fine-grained blonde hair and slightly downward drooping eyebrows added such a friendly atmosphere to him. His personality and impression are as sweet and delicate as a teacher. Yet his body frame was of a warrior on the battlefield. ¡°Seo Jiwoo.¡± When Callan looked at her and smiled brightly, Jiwoo realized that she was staring at him, rendered completely speechless. ¡°Firstly, I think my appearance passed. Would you like to touch it?¡± ¡°N, no! Wait!¡± Jiwoo, who lost her mind momentarily, hurriedly retreated to the edge of the bed. Callan was as far away as she could sit, but he could easily narrow the distance. As far as the distance from which Jiwoo had retreated, he approached again, maintaining a distance of just one span in, making him able to cover her whenever he wanted. ¡°You¡¯re just suddenly talking about marriage. Isn¡¯t marriage supposed to be with the one you love?¡± ¡°Love?¡± Callan tilted his head. ¡°What is love?¡± He wasn¡¯t asking the meaning of the word itself. Callan¡¯s words were closer to asking what love meant for Jiwoo. Love? Love was a dry and wretched emotion that finally pushed Jiwoo off the cliff. As Jiwoo couldn¡¯t answer easily, Callan took the lead instead. ¡°Five years of dedication, sacrifice, and looking at only one person?¡± That was what Jiwoo sacrificed for the Crown Prince. Callan touched on the story Jiwoo had just told him. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, I can do it too.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not just¡­ that.¡± ¡°Not what?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Did the person you said you loved marry someone else? So, what he did, was it love?¡± Jiwoo, who loved as much as she could and was broken by love, did not know more about love than Callan, who seemed to have never loved in his life. It was not an easy matter to talk about. ¡°Actually, you don¡¯t know, right? Because you are tired.¡± Because it was love that left Jiwoo with only fear in the end. ¡°Now that you are tired of loving, don¡¯t you just want to receive love?¡± But you don¡¯t love me. Those words were right at the tip of her tongue, but she couldn¡¯t say it out loud. How can a person who has failed in love and is ready to die can define love? ¡°If you don¡¯t like what I¡¯m doing, you can say it. Right?¡± Of course, Callan had no intention of letting her say it. The Akarna of Carnazion was not functionally different from Elandos of El Ragnile. They were the guardians of the land, protecting people from miasma, and likewise purified that miasma to make the land habitable enough to live in. The children of Elandos loved and followed Elandos. Callan¡¯s group lost Elandos, whom they loved with their lives, and everyone fell ill at the loss. However, Akarna of Carnazion, which is no different from the sacred tree itself, was ill by the presence she cared for. He did not understand how the structure came to be, but it was fortunate for Callan anyway. He was thinking of taking the Akarna away from the unqualified. Hiding such a feeling, Callan approached so slowly that Jiwoo did not notice. ¡°Right?¡± ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know.¡± Callan, who had come close to her nose, covered Jiwoo, almost imprisoning her. ¡°Seo Jiwoo, may I touch you?¡± Even as he waited for her permission, Jiwoo¡¯s face was blushing and she couldn¡¯t answer, so his delicate hand boldly approached her instead. He grabbed Jiwoo¡¯s cheek and touched her chin. ¡°May I kiss you?¡± His face got closer. The distance is so close that she can feel the sweet breath, which was characteristic of the children of Elandos. He put his forehead to Jiwoo¡¯s and rolled his eyes slightly. Hot breath poured down on Jiwoo, and long eyelashes tickled Jiwoo¡¯s cheek. ¡°If you¡¯re repulsed by me, if you don¡¯t like me at all, hit me in the face. Grab my ear and rip it off. Then I will never touch you again.¡± That would have been impossible. Eventually, his lips that approached slowly overlapped. Pressing down on her lips, he licked her lower lip as he pulled Jiwoo¡¯s shoulder. The moist tongue slipped into her mouth with a hot breath. His hand gripped her chin toward her cheek and the other grabbed the back of her head. He twisted Jiwoo¡¯s head a little while tangling her hair with his hands, finding an angle that was easy to dig into. And the intertwined lips intertwined more deeply. The sweet tongue tickled the rough roof of her mouth and intertwined her tongue. It felt so good to the point that it felt so soft to the touch. Just kissing him made her toes curl up. It was the first time she had experienced a kiss that felt like she was slowly, but surely being invaded and occupied. Although he was obviously kind and considerate of her, she couldn¡¯t move. She thought he was a beautiful man like a bird singing in spring. He was actually a man closer to a snake than a bird. Continuing the kiss, Callandlein put his hand on Jiwoo¡¯s neck and stroked the nape of her neck. As Jiwoo curled her body with the hand that was slightly colder than her body temperature, the soothing kiss deepened. The nerves that had been tight in her body were released. As they kissed, Callan naturally pushed Jiwoo down. Jiwoo was intoxicated by the sweet kiss until he was completely on top of her. Rather than asking her to try it, Callan was rather devouring Jiwoo thoroughly. His tongue rolled over Jiwoo¡¯s lips and tongue, as well as the flesh and teeth on the inside of her cheek. There was no place in her mouth that his tongue did not touch. The kiss was long, but she did not get tired of his sweet saliva staining her mouth. ¡°Um, ungh¡­¡± The soft, naturally-flowing hand loosened Jiwoo¡¯s clothes. Callan¡¯s cold hands ran down Jiwoo¡¯s shoulders and collarbones, undoing her clothes completely. Callan continued kissing her, squeezing her exposed chest and gently rubbing it. ¡°Ah¡­ Hnnh¡± He was just touching her chest, and it wasn¡¯t her first time having sex, so she couldn¡¯t understand why she was so nervous now. Jiwoo didn¡¯t lift a hand until he took all her clothes off. Rather, she didn¡¯t know where to put her hands, so she hung them on the bed with only her fingers clenched. Then Callan patted the back of her hand and grabbed it. He pressed his lips to the back of her hand and led Jiwoo¡¯s hand to his chest. ¡°Touch me, too. You wouldn¡¯t know if you like my body or not until you touch it, right?¡± Jiwoo¡¯s trembling hand touched his chest. ¡°Ah¡­¡± Oh my goodness, Callan seems to have a knack for seducing. His chest, which seemed to be hard, felt unexpectedly soft to the touch when Jiwoo¡¯s hand brushed against it. When she squeezed it and released it, the elastic skin waved. After inadvertently kneading it a few times due to the unexpectedly soft touch, Jiwoo was surprised and released her hand. ¡°Do you like it?¡± Callan smiled softly and pulled Jiwoo by the waist. Their chests without a single thin layer of cloth touched each other. Her nipples rubbed against his firm chest, which rose up with excitement from the kiss alone. Her tense body turned even such pressure into a shallow pleasure. ¡°Ha, haa¡­¡± Her heart was beating fast. Jiwoo placed her hand on his shoulder, fearing that her heart would be heard with her chest touching his chest. She tried to create some distance by pushing his shoulder, while his hand stroking her waist moved further down. Gently stroking her belly, he went down a little further and patted between her legs, so Jiwoo stopped all movements in surprise. ¡°Nng¡­!¡± They only kissed in the strangely tense atmosphere he had created, but the apex of her legs was completely wet. The fingers that had been fumbling around her opening, soaked in c*m, quickly found and rubbed the cl*toris. ¡°Huh, uhht¡­!¡± Jiwoo moaned lightly, and Callan kissed her again. The fingers, which had been gently stroking, began to become more and more lustful as they entangled their tongues. As he spread her folds open and shoved one of his fingers into the opening and rubbed it, Jiwoo reached a weak climax as he bit her lower lip. ¨C Chapter 31 Chapter 31 ¡°Huhp, uhnn¡­¡­.¡± Callan took off his lips from Jiwoo¡¯s as she ran out of breath, his friendly smile seemingly undisturbed. Didn¡¯t he say there were very few women in El Ragneil? However, everything was going so fast that Jiwoo couldn¡¯t focus on the pleasure his hand brought her. It was strange, so she couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡°Uhht, haaa. Perhaps¡­ Callan has experience?¡± Callan widened his eyes. ¡°No? Do you think I will let you have something that¡¯s been used before? But you can have knowledge without experience.¡± Pressing his lips to her forehead, Callan grinned. ¡°And I am focused on your reaction. Does that mean you liked it that much?¡± As Jiwoo couldn¡¯t say anything because she was shy, he rubbed his cheek on the back of Jiwoo¡¯s hand and calmed down. ¡°You didn¡¯t like it?¡± ¡°It, it was good.¡± As he kissed her fingers and hands with affection, he led Jiwoo¡¯s hand to his lower body. It was hot and hard, yet strangely soft to the touch as Jiwoo held it in her hand. When her hand touched it, it twitched like a snake once. In fact, because she was intoxicated with the pleasure Callan was giving her, she only realized now that he was completely naked. Callan¡¯s face was blushing like a rose, as if he was ashamed of this, even though he had been confidently seducing her so far. He was blushing to the tips of his ears but kept looking this way even though he was so shy. It was awkward because it looked like a shy person waiting for his newlywed spouse¡¯s touch. He had just said that he would seduce her without hesitation, but it seemed to be true that this was his first time. When Jiwoo didn¡¯t say anything, Callan asked impatiently. ¡°Is this strange?¡± ¡°No¡­¡± Jiwoo denies it, but she trailed off a little. His wasn¡¯t as savage as Hellkainis¡¯ manhood, nor overly large as Lanceil¡¯s. It had a reddish color due to its excitement, but it still was not too different from his original skin color. Just the shape¡­ It was overly curved. Like a well-ripe banana, it formed a noticeable curve from the shaft to the tip. When she first saw Lanceil and Hellkainis¡¯, she was worried about how she would take them in. While she didn¡¯t seem to be able to put Callan in another meaning well. No matter what Jiwoo was thinking, Callan grabbed Jiwoo by the shoulders and laid her down properly. Grabbing her thighs and pulling them towards him, Callan spread Jiwoo¡¯s legs apart and began to soothe Jiwoo again. As he kissed her forehead, cheeks, lips, nose, and jawline, she immediately placed the tip of his pillar on her pubic area. His manhood, which had been pressing down on her cl*toris and stimulating it until now, slid down and opened her entrance. ¡°Ah, ung¡­¡± His thing wasn¡¯t even smeared with her wetness yet, but Callandein entered her surprisingly easily. The walls, which were already soaked and loosened, seemed to be able to accept anything. ¡°Hu, hnn!¡± However, the feeling of the tightly closed flesh being pulled back and tickling the inner wall was very, very unfamiliar. It must have been because of its curved shape. ¡°Oh, wait. Ah¡­!¡± Again, Callan¡¯s manhood was so curved that it scratched her inner walls like a hook. ¡°Uh, huhk!¡± ¡°Seo Jiwoo, are you okay?¡± Another bigger problem was that it was clearly a living being¡¯s organ, despite looking like that. Every time Jiwoo¡¯s insides reacted by tightening, Callan also got excited and moved his penis, which scratched the walls intact. Even though he barely just entered, her inner walls were stimulated as if he had already pistoned several times. In the end, Callan groaned, sweating. ¡°Haa¡­ huh, I wonder, if it¡¯s supposed to tighten like this¡­¡± ¡°Ah, huhn, the shape, it, keeps touching, strange places¡­¡± ¡°How about, haa, relaxing, a little bit?¡± ¡°Huu, hah¡­¡­.¡± She was on the verge of losing consciousness. Because of its curved shape, it was stretching her far beyond her means, and it felt like a live snake was coming in, not a man¡¯s thing. ¡°Wait, hu-uhk, stop, stop coming¡­ in!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t like it?¡± ¡°N, nooo¡­!¡± But that didn¡¯t mean that Callan was going to pull himself out. ¡°Nngh!¡± Even Jiwoo gave a very uncomfortable reaction, whether it was because she didn¡¯t like it or she was in pain, of course, Callan would have thrustred right away. However, Jiwoo reacted as if she was frightened by the pleasure she was now feeling for the first time, rather than dislike or displeasure. ¡°Aht, uhng, ah¡­¡± Confident in his judgment, Callan grabbed Jiwoo¡¯s waist, positioned her squarely, and pushed himself even further in. ¡°Ah, aahh¡­!¡± Jiwoo couldn¡¯t tell if her body was resisting or if she was trying to accept this pleasure more. ¡°Nngh, uh, ah, wait, Callan¡­ ah¡­!¡± He just inserted it and didn¡¯t move, but he was already overwhelmed. ¡°Keugh¡­¡± A moan escaped Callan¡¯s teeth. His usual sassy expression disappeared, instead replaced by an aroused expression. Even though Jiwoo was at a loss for what to do with the pleasure she felt in her body, Callan did not give Jiwoo time to rest. His waist began to move slowly but persistently. His hand groped Jiwoo¡¯s lower body and reached for the cl*toris he found earlier. The tiny flesh that¡¯s dense with nerves would give its owner ecstasy if he¡¯d just squeeze and rub it. ¡°Uungg. Ah, ah, ah¡­!¡± Callan had no intention of making Jiwoo feel only ¡®moderate¡¯ pleasure. He was thinking of mobilizing all of his trivial knowledge and letting her fall into his body. However, there was no need for such great technique, and fortunately, Callan¡¯s body was specialized in seducing Jiwoo just by its shape. ¡°Uh, hua, huaahngg!¡± He only touched the cl*toris and thrusted a few times, but the highly sensitive body came several times. He wasn¡¯t even that rough. Still, a very obscene moan broke out. ¡°Huhp! Ah, mmmngh!¡± Her walls twitched and contracted as she climaxed several times. Every time her walls contracted uncontrollably, she could vividly feel how far the deeply inserted genitals scraped her inside. It seemed that her entrance had been widened as it was curved. Without any other caress, he just inserted and removed himself, but even so, her body was soaked in the pleasure he gave her from head to toe. And when the pleasure filled her body was too much and she began to feel the need to urinate, Jiwoo shook her head wildly. ¡°Callan¡­ hold, hold on. I, uht¡­ haang¡­!¡± ¡°Hey, how about, here? Ung?¡± ¡°Hahng!¡± No matter how much she has shown her shame so far, Jiwoo, who did not actually want to show it, began to resist fiercely. She hit him on the shoulder with her weak arm. ¡°I don¡¯t. I don¡¯t like it.¡± ¡°Alrig, huu, haa¡­¡± Callan hugged Jiwoo tightly, bit Jiwoo¡¯s ear, and pushed his waist hard several times. And he let out a thick, sticky breath in Jiwoo¡¯s ear. ¡°Keugh, mmmh¡­¡± She thought Callan only had a sweet and calm voice, but he could also make such a decadent moan. Is it as expected or not? The love affair with Callan seemed to have ended with nothing but good feelings. Callan whispered in a low voice as Jiwoo closed her eyes enjoying the afterglow of orgasm. ¡°Seo Jiwoo, because of this shape¡­ I think the position is too stimulating for you. If it¡¯s too hard, shall we change it?¡± ¡°Uh, yeess¡­?¡± Jiwoo, who was clearly stimulated by the fact that his manhood was still inside, nodded her head. As soon as Jiwoo gave the answer, Callan lifted Jiwoo¡¯s body. His forearm, which was practically the size of Jiwoo¡¯s thigh, changed her position without much effort. Against his strong power, she felt like a doll. In an instant, Jiwoo fell face down on the bed, unable to support her body with her arms. Her body was drained of strength even though she had only been receiving service the whole time. ¡°Your waist, could you lift it a little bit? Hmm?¡± ¡°Aht, huuht¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Want me to do it?¡± He lightly lifted her weak waist. As her butt was lifted up, the leaking s*men that filled her insides ran down her thighs. And Callan was rubbing his genitals more lustfully than before in the hole that was covered with their combined c*m. ¡°Huu, haa. Seo Jiwoo, please choose me. I¡­¡± It was only for a second that the well-behaved Callan almost lost his reason in excitement. A much rougher movement than before came in, scratching her inner walls. ¡°Huhp!¡± And Callan¡¯s proposal to change the position, saying that he would make Jiwoo at least a little more comfortable, was a completely wrong notion. ¡°Haaa, hu, haahng!¡± It¡¯s because his pillar, after entering when they changed positions, became much more stimulating than when they were in a normal position earlier. ¨C Chapter 32 Chapter 32 ¡°Ung, ah, aahh! Stop!¡± ¡°Whooo¡­¡± Although her inner walls had loosened up a lot after accepting his seed, it was still tight. Feeling scared, Jiwoo inadvertently crawled on the bed. Her joints seemed to be falling off a little, but Callan lifted Jiwoo¡¯s waist and held her close to him. Thrust! His flesh, which had slipped out a little as he pulled, was inserted yet again. ¡°Uhn!¡± ¡°Keugh¡­¡± Callan was on the verge of losing his mind and was about to plow straight into her, but he gritted his teeth and endured it. He barely regained his composure and asked in a friendly voice. ¡°Why are you running away?¡± ¡°Ah, huhk¡­ It¡¯s, it¡¯s a little hard¡­¡± She could move by lifting her back a little. Even so, the curved manhood was still halfway in. ¡°Then¡­ Shall we take it slow?¡± Callan didn¡¯t stop pushing himself inside even as he spoke so slowly. Like his relaxed tone, he entered ever so slowly, but the pleasure was not soft just because it wasn¡¯t done roughly. Even though his genitals were barely as deep as a fingernail, her inner walls were scratched, and each time it was repeated, Jiwoo sighed and her shoulders shook. For some reason, they only changed their posture, but the insertion seemed to go on endlessly. ¡°Ah, aahh¡­!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t like this?¡± ¡°Ah, go, good. So good! Ah, haah!¡± Callan lowered his body. As Jiwoo crawled forward, she was clutching the bed sheet, and he put his big hand on it. His hands were as proportionally big as his large physique, and Jiwoo¡¯s small hands were completely covered. On the back of his hand, which she looked at with cloudy eyes, there were red veins sprouting. The fact that he was suppressing himself was revealed on the back of his hand. And when he lowered his posture like that, she felt his big size better. It was as if she had been captured and bound by some kind of monster. Because of his posture, her hips were bent even more. The angle of insertion deepened, and even if it was only inside, he pressed hard on the place where she especially felt it. She would have trashed around if her body was free, but it seemed that she was completely restrained like a doll and was meant only to receive him. Callan came to her ear lobe in that state. A whistling sound echoed in her ears. It felt as if the warm moisture had entered her ears as well. ¡°Hu-uuhkk!¡± It was only after he bit her ear that she realized it. Callan was completely determined and aroused. It¡¯s a short moment, but it made her think. Even if this is wrong, she was already thinking for a while now that this was not wrong. ¡°Seo Jiwoo.¡± The quick-witted Callan quickly caught what Jiwoo was hesitating about. Having pushed this far, he had no intention of retreating or giving Jiwoo any room to hesitate. Thrust! Thrust! As Callan violently pulled out and thrust himself in twice, Jiwoo tilted her head back and opened her mouth. ¡°¡­¡­!¡± The orgasm did not even bring her to a moan. Her eyes were wide open, but her vision went blank, so she couldn¡¯t see anything. Callan whispered in her ear again. In a friendly voice that doesn¡¯t go well with his gasping breath. ¡°Don¡¯t like it?¡± ¡°Nnh¡­¡± ¡°Is it because you don¡¯t like it?¡± ¡°Nnh, hagh¡­ nn, noo¡­no.¡± Callandein spoke in a calm voice, pretending to be friendly, with a breath holding back his excitement in this dog-like posture. ¡°Then don¡¯t run away. I¡¯m hurt, you know?¡± ¡°Bu, but¡­ hnng!¡± That¡¯s what he said, but Callan¡¯s voice was never the kind of voice that someone who¡¯s hurt would utter. His voice, holding back a harsh groan, showed that he maintained a narrow line at the boundary between beast and human. ¡°Haa¡­¡± ¡°Hu-uhk, huahng!¡± The detailed veins, making the shape of his manhood, clawed at her inner walls. He was encouraging Jiwoo¡¯s climax, while doing a rather promiscuous movement. The lips that rest on her cheeks, around her ears, and around her eyes are so affectionate, how could his lower body be so terrifying? He seemed to be a completely different creature up and down. ¡°Ung, huu! Uhngg¡­!¡± It¡¯s said that a dog¡¯s genitals would swell and become affixed inside when in heat, but Callan¡¯s curved penis was stuck inside like a hook, so right now, it served a purpose that was no different than that of a dog¡¯s. And Callan, too, gradually stopped being courteous and started thrusting into her like a horned dog. ¡°You said it was good. Right?¡± ¡°Hu, r-right. Aahh!¡± Holding Jiwoo¡¯s waist tightly, he dropped his body for a moment and stopped with a shuddering breath. Soon, he bent down again and bit Jiwoo¡¯s shoulder, which was trembling pitifully. The pillar, which was fixed inside like a hook, escaped and got caught in the entrance. ¡°huhk, Hu-ugh¡­¡± Anticipating what might come, Jiwoo gripped the sheets. She tried to crawl forward, but Callan refused to let her go. Jiwoo tilted her head back because of Callan¡¯s strong pounding again. ¡°Huaahngg!¡± ¡°Kugh¡­¡± It was clear that her body liked this, unlike the uncomfortable and unfamiliar feeling that Callan constantly reminded herself of. In line with his waist¡¯s strong movement of the waist, Jiwoo squeezed the genitals that had entered her body. Soon, the inner walls were soaked with s*men, thicker and more abundant than before. The obscene scent of flowers wafted through the room. Now, whenever she¡¯d smell the scent of flowers outside, she felt anxious about how she might think of only what she did with them. ¡°Hu, huu¡­¡± Callan bent down, pressing his forehead against Jiwoo and breathing heavily. Even after coming several times, his flesh was standing up immediately again when he saw Jiwoo, whose entire body was dyed red and breathed heavily. When his manhood started to grow again from inside her, it soon stimulated her inner walls again. Jiwoo unknowingly tightened around him and twisted it. ¡°Ung, huuuu¡­¡± ¡°Ha, hu-ugh. I will try, keugh, to improve, in the future. Seo Jiwoo, stay by our side.¡± Inhaling as his breath was low, his pillar dug deeper. She was sure it¡¯s the same thing he inserted, but it rubbed the place where it felt stronger than anyone else had dug in. ¡°Huuhk! Heuk! Ah¡­!¡± Jiwoo lost her mind and moaned. The repeated thrusting made her vision go white. With the violent movements, the place where they were connected let out obscene sounds and splatters. Fluids flowed through the joint, and she didn¡¯t dare imagine what mixture of bodily fluids it was. She used to casually avoid it by saying ¡®I don¡¯t like it.¡¯ when such excessive pleasures came upon her, but this time, somehow, she couldn¡¯t say such a thing. ¡°How about this? Huu, is it, good? Seo Jiwoo.¡± ¡°Ah, aahhh!¡± ¡°Good? Come on, tell me.¡± ¡°Go, good. Haa! Ah! So good¡­!¡± Instead, Jiwoo said it was good over and over again, and Callan was delighted each time. If it was an act for the sake of enjoying each other, this pleasure would have come to an end. If he had pursued his own pleasure even a little through Jiwoo in this act, it would not have reached this point. Perhaps it would have been better if he had at least experienced sex before. Unfortunately, Callan was only focusing on what kind of stimulus Seo Jiwoo reacted to, following only the theories filled in his head. Even that theory was gradually modified according to Seo Jiwoo¡¯s reactions. Wherever she moved her hands, where she sighed, where she closed her eyes and moaned, how she made her inner wall twitch and go away, he captured it all in his eyes and engraved it in his heart. It was more like an instinct to live rather than an instinct to pursue pleasure. She would not know what the Akarna meant to them, who lost Ellandos and waited only for death. Even after the affair, they didn¡¯t wash right away. Callandein¡¯s large body could cover Jiwoo completely on top of her and he hugged her. Jiwoo placed her cheek upon his soft chest as she rested on him, and she felt Callan caressing her, silently rejoicing. She called out to him abruptly. ¡°Callan.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Callan¡­ you don¡¯t love me right?¡± ¡°Um¡­¡± His eyes that did not reject the pleasure that came and had been soaked in pleasure, were dry as if they had never been like that. He tried his best to seduce Seo Jiwoo, but it was far from enough compared to the time when Seo Jiwoo¡¯s feelings began to dry up. What Jiwoo said was not wrong. They already talked about love when it wasn¡¯t long after they met. However, even though he knew it, Callan felt a sense of disappointment for some reason. Saying I love you or saying I don¡¯t love you wasn¡¯t the answer. Instead, Callan said while stroking Jiwoo¡¯s black hair. ¡°Then keep doubting and testing. Instead, you should stay with us and test it yourself.¡± No matter what definition of love he comes up with, it would not resonate with Jiwoo right now. It will take time. ¡°Whatever your doubts are, I¡¯ll deal with it as much as you want.¡± The time I spend with you is so sweet. He wanted to define it that much now, but Callan did not dare to say it. He just kept caressing her until she fell asleep. ¡ª t/n: okay, so the last line he said he¡¯ll improve ¡­ In some other sense¡­ Makes me think that he¡¯s just doing this truly to appease Jiwoo so she¡¯ll stay, rather than some romantic reasons like thinking she proposed to Lanceil, or the inadvertent snusnu with Helka. So perhaps the reason why he offered all those men in the last chappies to her was truly because he wants them to satisfy Jiwoo so she¡¯ll stay. Well it kind of brings a ¡®realistic¡¯ sense to the romance that not everyone just got blinded in love with Jiwoo. I kind of like this theme so Callan doesn¡¯t really love her at first place, but just wanted her and her usability. Hmm hmm great great. ¡ª Chapter 33 Chapter 33 ¨C The Alchemist of the Outer Wall Helkainis, who went to pick up a friend who lived far away, didn¡¯t come back right away for some reason. She asked Callan about Helka, but he also seemed puzzled. Still, since no one came to her immediately with contact, Jiwoo spent a few days without thinking much about it. No, to be more precise, Jiwoo was taking a proper break after such a long while. When she was still being dispatched by the temple to many foreign places, she had to be called here and there, and she practically shed blood and sweat with how much she worked, whereas they weren¡¯t asking any of that from Jiwoo here. As a matter of fact, they were determined not to make her work¡ªthat¡¯s the kind of treatment she¡¯s getting from the location she was sent to, which was in the farthest and most barren land of the empire. It¡¯s only natural for her to be sick and bedridden for a few days after fulfilling her duties as the Akarna, but that wasn¡¯t the case here. Further, she even became anxious because she had no work at all, perhaps because she was so used to being so busy for several years now. So Jiwoo, who felt uncomfortable, asked Callan if there was anything she could do here. ¡°Excuse me, Callan. Are there any injured or infected people here?¡± ¡°Hm? Why are you asking that?¡± ¡°Because that¡¯s what I can do.¡± ¡°Nonsense! You want to work here now?¡± Callan looked rather shocked at those words. Every time he saw Jiwoo, his friendly expression changed to a stern one. ¡°Have you forgotten that you are sick?¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Right. In the temple, even if the Akarna was sick, she never treated her as a patient who needed to recover quickly. Rather, she would get worried every time about whether they would kill her or not if was too sick to work. ¡°Besides, you are our guest, right? Furthermore¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Did you forget that we¡¯re courting you with marriage in mind?¡± ¡°That¡¯s it, that¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s talk a little bit.¡± During the leisurely time when she had no duties or anything, Jiwoo would always chat with Callan. And Callan always came to this conclusion. ¡°You need more rest.¡± So, during the day, Jiwoo spent most of her time lying sprawled under an old tree decorated in the likeness of Elandos. She fell asleep while looking at the birds flying and the leaves that were so thick that they blocked out the light. Still, in the meantime, if she were to just stay still, the crown prince kept coming to mind. The memories were painful, and thinking about how he was now engaged and about all the things that had happened between them tormented her. She felt frustrated just thinking about the temple forcing her on schedules she didn¡¯t want to. So she tried to get away from it, but surprisingly, that seemed to be the correct answer. Sunlight filtering through the leaves softened the lump that had hardened like a stone in her heart. At the unreal sight, she didn¡¯t even think about it, as if she had just fallen into a distant world. Furthermore¡­ ¡°Why don¡¯t you think about who to marry and when?¡± Callandein said it like a joke, showing a smile that was brighter than the green-gold sunlight of this place. Even if she could think of something else, her mind could only think of the courtship. Callan also suggested that if Jiwoo didn¡¯t want to think about it just yet, she should instead try memorizing the names of all the people in this village. Jiwoo thought it was that easy. Of course, Callan didn¡¯t make such a proposal without a grain of salt. Anyway, Jiwoo was able to memorize about ten more people¡¯s names in the meantime. She ignored Callan¡¯s heeding of not to do anything, and looked after the wounds of some people in the village. It was unclear whether this was an occupational disease because she¡¯s been doing it several years, or whether it was Jiwoo¡¯s way of distancing herself from the place. Of course, Lanceil and Callandein were upset when they found out. ¡°Jiwoo, you shouldn¡¯t do anything here.¡± Lanceil frowned and was concerned, while Callandein seemed to be contemplating something else. ¡°Alright. I will suggest something else.¡± And Callandein only gave an answer. ¡°Before you do something to someone, ask for a reward first.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t even receive the reward we prepared for you last time. If you are not comfortable here, in turn, we will also be rather uncomfortable.¡± In the end, it was the last words that convinced Jiwoo properly. One more thing she got to know was their personalities. Lanceil was the overprotective type, while Calandlaine was the nagging type. However, as they were concerned, Akarna¡¯s work that Jiwoo had been doing for several days had a big impact. On the surface, at least. Like a person suffering from workaholism, the things Jiwoo did for a short time actually earned the favor of the people here. Even if Jiwoo was sitting still, the people here greeted her affectionately and handed her something like a snack. ¡°How about settling down?¡± Callandein¡¯s proposal and the cautious attitude of the people here were gradually taking over Jiwoo¡¯s heart. She didn¡¯t even feel burdened at all whenever they constantly mentioned it. ¡®Would it be okay?¡¯ She realized this: she wasn¡¯t yearning for the Crown Prince¡¯s love. In fact Jiwoo¡¯s heart was melting now because she missed the warmth of other people. After adapting and living like that for a few days, Helkainis returned a few days later than expected. A commotion came at the entrance of the village. Tevon came to pick up Jiwoo, who was lying down lazily. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°Helka is back. Let¡¯s go.¡± She could see Helkainis even if she only walked a small distance. Even among the children of Elandos, Helka stood out more because of his unique height. He was holding someone¡¯s back in one hand. The man who was dragged by the tail like a cat was probably the alchemist Helka had picked up. Seeing them from a distance reminded her of something Tevon had said. ¡°Hey, Tevon. Is that the person who was said to be the most handsome?¡± There was a feeling that he was handsome like the other children of Elandos, but it was difficult to confirm clearly because his whole body was tightly wrapped. He had a big coat and even gloves as if he was experiencing winter alone. His one eye was also covered with an eyepatch. An eyepatch covered half of his face, so there was no way she could see his appearance. However, he didn¡¯t look good, as if he had been forcibly dragged back, and at first it was enough to give the impression that he was like a stray cat. Over the past few days, Jiwoo knows a little about the way they communicate through their ears. With his ears like that now, it must mean that he¡¯s feeling very uncomfortable. ¡°Tevon?¡± As always, when there was no answer right away, Jiwoo looked up at Tevon, puzzled. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Tevon was covering his ears with both hands and opening his mouth in surprise. His face was even dyed red. ¡®Oh right. That¡¯s what I said.¡¯ It¡¯s been a few days since she has been living here, and she felt apologetic for repeating this mistake again and again. As Tevon was puffing and losing his words. ¡°Seo Jiwoo.¡± Helkainis spotted Jiwoo and quickly approached her. The alchemist he was carrying was thrown to the ground. Wearing an ink-colored robe and even a hood to cover most of his body, he looked more like a reaper than a child of Elandos. The long black hair that hung down the robe hood still looked good. Even though she had slept with Helkainis, this was the first time she had ever seen him standing upright like this. ¡°How have you been?¡± His voice, heard in broad daylight, was much drier and more pitchless than she remembered. Coming closer, he grabbed Jiwoo¡¯s hand and knelt down to meet her gaze. ¡°I wanted to return right away, but it was later than planned because someone was uncooperative. Forgive me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s, it¡¯s okay.¡± His lips were pressed against the back of her hand, and unlike his dry voice, his eyes blazed passionately. She thought his pupils were so black that she couldn¡¯t even tell anything apart, but somehow they looked like flames burning black. ¡°After disappearing for several days, I come back and immediately have to say this. I apologize. I just have a favor to ask of you.¡± ¡°A favor?¡± After hearing the word favor, Jiwoo immediately recalled her duties as the Akarna as a habit. Callan said ¡®reward¡¯ in a mouthful from far behind Jiwoo. She smiled lightly at the warmth that seemed to keep caring for her. ¡°Will you give me a¡­ reward?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Hellkainis glanced at the man he had brought with him. The blazing eyes when he looked at Jiwoo, turned surprisingly cold. As if the emotions disappeared in an instant. And again he looked at Jiwoo with eyes full of heat. ¡°I will send you back to your hometown.¡± Was he talking about the empire? But Hellkainis immediately continued. ¡°I will send you to the place where you belong, the world before you become the Akarna.¡± It was a rather surprising statement. However¡­ Why did he think she would want to go back? ¡ª Chapter 34 Chapter 34 Original world. Her original world There were times when she thought she missed it. For the first year or so after getting summoned to this world, she stayed up crying and thinking about her original world every night. She thought that if there was a way, she would definitely want to go back. She missed the convenience of technology and machines, the democracy she grew up with, and the freedom of choosing which religion to abide by. She wanted to see family and friends she could converse openly with. However, if she had continued clinging to those memories and crying over her loss, she wouldn¡¯t have been able to survive here. She had no choice but to let go of her longing in order to survive. But even that had its limits. After about a year, even her desperate desire to live dried up. Everything in this unfamiliar world suffocated her. At that time, she met Crown Prince Aleph. It seemed that the world had turned upside down. She came to understand a little bit of this world, which she thought was unfamiliar and harsh, and decided to live with her heart. She was now under the impression that there¡¯s a meaning behind her dimensional shift into this world. She was a great individual who everyone looked up to, and she held such power within her. It¡¯s really worthwhile. Everything will be okay. Wherever people live, it will all be the same. Seo Jiwoo smiled and asked herself, did she want to go back? Those sentiments had already been cut off five years ago, even before she met the crown prince. Even if she tried to think of it again now, it was dry and there was no way the feelings could come back again. ¡°¡­Why do you think I¡¯d want to go back?¡± ¡°Statistically, the majority wanted to go back to the world they came from.¡± ¡°There can¡¯t be that many Akarna.¡± ¡°Records show that there is a history of Akarna summonings for nearly two centuries.¡± ¡°Are there any records of those who actually went back?¡± ¡°We have confirmed that about five people have crossed the dimensional barrier.¡± ¡°What about the rest?¡± ¡°They died.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Jiwoo¡¯s expression darkened. Five people in two centuries? Didn¡¯t this mean that the odds of success were very low? And if she were to fail, would she die? ¡°The odds of success sounds very low.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true. I won¡¯t let that happen.¡± Jiwoo looked struggling, Tevon, who was next to her, suddenly intervened. ¡°But Seo Jiwoo said she doesn¡¯t want to go back?¡± In an austere manner, Hellkainis tilted his head to the side, like a machine starting calculations on a problem he was encountering for the first time. However, even after waiting for a long time, he gave no response. He was now like a broken machine. Still, his eyes were fixed on Jiwoo. That inorganic gaze, his resembling obsidians, shone with a slightly insidious glint. ¡°¡­Back off.¡± Tevon stood guard and protected Jiwoo¡¯s way. Then, almost immediately, a word came out of Helka. ¡°I¡¯m still fine, Tevon.¡± ¡°Act like it to make me believe you.¡± Jiwoo poked her head out from behind Tevon. ¡°Hey, isn¡¯t everything better?¡± ¡°Thanks to you, my lifespan has been extended by about a month. I was thinking of using the lifespan you extended to send you back.¡± It seemed like a very risky thing. If this happened five years ago, she would have thought that she would want to go back no matter what sacrifices others made. She would have thought it was a good reward until she impulsively threw herself off a cliff. But now, she wasn¡¯t so desperate. ¡°What if I say that I really don¡¯t want to do that?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Helka¡¯s short-circuiting again. ¡°Ha, frustrating old fart.¡± Tevon grumbled. ¡°It¡¯s trustworthy if Helka gives it as a reward. Well, even if you don¡¯t want to go back right away¡­ The more options you can take, the better, right?¡± He¡¯s right. Whether she wanted to stay here, live somewhere else to seek protection, or go back to her original world, she had plenty of options to choose from. It was far better than being dragged around by the temple, regardless of her will. She didn¡¯t want to think that this was a possibility in the future. Jiwoo first talked about a topic that seemed important. ¡°¡­Anyway, what can I do to help you?¡± Helka turned to the man he had brought in and thrown mercilessly to the ground earlier. ¡°Enci.¡± Jiwoo also looked at him. He got up from the ground and was greeting the villagers he hadn¡¯t seen in a long time. Perhaps because she had only seen thick and muscular people here, he looked especially slim. She didn¡¯t mean he was unsightly because of his physique, but he stood out among the bigger people. He was tall with his slim body, and his close-fitting coat was nice. On top of that, he was wearing white gloves, so he looked like he was averse to touching. What¡¯s unusual, though, was that he had light-colored hair like the other children of Elandos, yet it was the kind of hue that could not simply be described as ¡®light¡¯. It was completely gray hair. It was different from the silver hair that she often saw here. It was so pale that it didn¡¯t even shine. ¡°Enci, come and explain.¡± Hearing him talk to someone else like this, Jiwoo realized that Hellkainis had been treating her extremely politely. Helka did not treat others with care or spoke politely. This perhaps cemented the notion that Helka¡¯s status was quite high here. The gray-haired man called Enci also followed the natural hierarchy. However, he seemed dissatisfied that he was called here. Standing closer, he glared fiercely at Jiwoo. Tevon said he was the most handsome of the group. In fact, she couldn¡¯t quite see it. She could admit that he was handsome, but a black eyepatch was covering half of his face right now. Even so, when she saw the remaining visible half, she might agree. The corners of his eyes were raised, the expression of glancing in this direction, the impression was a very sensitive one. He glanced up and down at Jiwoo, then said suddenly. [ Why is an outsider here? ] Wham! Tevon, who was standing next to Jiwoo with his arms crossed, bounced something off his hand. It hit Enci¡¯s forehead exactly. He seemed to have been hit by something like a small pebble. Cough, cough! Cough! Perhaps because he was not feeling well, Enci coughed to death just from the shock. ¡°Does she seem like an outsider?¡± [ What are you doing? ] ¡°I guess you want another one.¡± Tevon just stared at him indifferently. Leaving the two as they were growling at each other, Hellkainis took Jiwoo¡¯s hand and started leading her away. ¡°¡­I¡¯ve prepared something for you. Follow me. Tevon, you stay.¡± The gray-haired man named Enci glanced at Jiwoo again. Then, he wrapped the coat he was wearing a little tighter, and followed Helka, crouching in hesitation. Seeing how he looked at her, Jiwoo couldn¡¯t hide the feeling that she had become something dirty. In the first place, Enci was showing signs that she didn¡¯t even want to come here. And the people tend to reject outsiders, so this wasn¡¯t a completely unexpected reaction. He could have been unaware that Jiwoo had cured Hekainis. ¡°His name is Enciertes. Humans call him the Alchemist of the Outer Wall.¡± The Alchemist of the Outer Wall. They were people who literally lived outside the borders set by the empire, on the outer wall. Most of them were human, but she heard that there were also individuals hailing from other races, like Enci. At the temple, they were extremely wary of the Akarna and the alchemist meeting. The temple endlessly brainwashed Jiwoo by saying that she should not meet with them. They blasphemed themselves and were said to be a group suffering from miasma. In fact, she heard that they insisted on living around the land ravaged by the beasts, even though they could live safely after being absorbed into the empire. According to the crown prince¡¯s words, they were the subject of reformation. He said it was his mission to save them, no matter how messed up they live in blasphemy. He will change this world into a better world to live in. In any case, for various reasons, it was the first time Jiwoo saw an alchemist in person. She even had a certain degree of prejudice. The people of this race who did not believe in divine power were also very different from prejudice. So she wondered who the more blasphemers were. ¡°Helka.¡± ¡°Yes, Seo Jiwoo.¡± Helka was secretly holding her hand. She wiggled her fingers to get them out, but she got a tighter hold instead. He played with the backs of her hand and fingers as if to soothe her hands that were trying to escape. She looked up at him, his expressionless face showing no emotion. ¡®They said he wasn¡¯t feeling well yet.¡¯ All that fuss, yet his life was extended for only a month. Perhaps holding hands with the Akarna like this would make the pain go away, or the miasma in his body would dissipate even a little bit. When he was sober, he felt heavy and serious, so she became a little reliant on him. Instead of pulling her hand away from Helka, she asked a question he was curious about. ¡°I heard that alchemists are heretics. Why do people of the Empire call them that?¡± ¡°Because once an Akarna falls under the protection of an alchemist, they tend to be sent back to their original world.¡± ¡ª Chapter 35 Chapter 35 Hearing those words, Jiwoo glanced back at Enciertes, who was following them. He was startled as if he had been looking this way all along. Then, holding on to his collar, he folded into himself even more. He averted his gaze, and even blushed, too. She wondered if it would be possible to have a conversation with that person. He looked to be much too shy. The place that Helka had prepared was the place where the alchemist would stay. There were long tables, various herbs, and glass bottles of good quality were lined up in rows. There was also some good quality paper and ink on the shelf, probably for recording purposes. Helka first pulled out a chair and urged Jiwoo to sit down there. Then, he sat next to Jiwoo. Even then, her hand was still tightly held by him. For some reason, cold sweat formed on her palms, but he didn¡¯t seem to let go. Enciertes sat quite a distance from them. In normal terms, it was just enough distance so they could still hear his voice. No one was in the mood to speak first. Helkainis was silent, and Enciertes kept cowering into himself. In the end, Jiwoo had to step in first and open her mouth. The first thing she asked was the unanswered question among the questions she had earlier. ¡°The offer to send me back. If only five Akarnas returned in a total of two hundred years while the rest died, wouldn¡¯t you say that the success rate is low?¡± Enci raised his head and slowly opened his mouth. ¡°¡­I have never failed during any of my attempts.¡± ¡°Then?¡± So how come there have been only five successful cases in 200 years? ¡°Because those imperial bastards tracked them down and killed them all.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°In the first place, an Akarna can¡¯t live that long. They all die within a year. If you order them to do that, everyone would of course run away and get caught and die. It¡¯s difficult to make contact with them before they die, and even if I make contact with them with difficulty, they¡¯ll be tracked down and killed.¡± ¡°¡­But I lived in the temple for five years without any major problems.¡± ¡°You lasted for five years.¡± Enciertes rolled his eyes and smirked. His white gloved hand pointed at Jiwoo. ¡°And in the end, you ran away, too.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Nothing came to her mind. She really had nothing to say. Leaving the silent Jiwoo be, Enciertes continued to speak. ¡°That place you call a temple is such a place where they can interfere in the affairs of other dimensions by forcibly distorting the providence of this world. And an Akarna like you¡­¡± Enciertes¡¯ sole silver eye stared at Jiwoo. ¡°Through such a place¡­ An Akarna is an existence that is occasionally found by chance in various parts of the world.¡± ¡°In various parts of the world?¡± As far as Jiwoo knew, the only place where Akarna appeared was the temple. The white altar. Countless eyes looking her way. Akarna¡¯s duty began from that time. There was no way she could forget it. ¡°Originally, there were many places like that. On the outer wall¡­ there were more. Until the Empire destroyed them all.¡± As the places where Akarna could appear decreased, naturally the existence of Akarna also decreased. As an Akarna¡¯s existence, who can purify miasma, decreased, the beasts naturally became more active. The beast¡¯s land expanded. Instead, only the empire and the temple that secured Akarna were powerful. ¡°You know what? Even 200 years ago, an Akarna was treated like a god here. God doesn¡¯t exist, but the foolish humans of Caranazion must have called them that. They were loved like the Elandos of El Ragnile. It has changed so much now¡­¡± Jiwoo¡¯s hand grew tense. Perhaps if she had clenched her fists by herself, her nails would have dug into her palms. However, Helka held on tight to prevent her from doing so. ¡°What the hell is an Akarna?¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s like a natural phenomenon. It is a phenomenon that happens by chance as the world spins. However, when the providence of one dimension and the providence of another dimension collide, the existence caught between them cannot overcome the impact and is torn to pieces. If the beings with a strong will to live to survive, they become an Akarna.¡± A stranger who deviates from this world¡¯s laws of nature, a being who instinctively knows how to cut off threats that deviates from the rules. It was the ability to nullify anything that posed a threat to her in an unfamiliar world. The healing and purifying powers that manifested, could be explained by this. Enciertes said in a pitiful voice. ¡°You were born with a strong will and vitality, but in the end, you¡¯re just an ordinary person.¡± ¡°How did you forcefully summon someone like that?¡± ¡°You can replace that life force with something else. Maybe¡­ whenever an Akarna was summoned, there must have been a big war. Many villages were said to have been annihilated by the beasts.¡± However, the Akarna artificially generated in the temple was far inferior to how they were reputed 200 years ago. She didn¡¯t go through the dimension with her own will, so this was only a given. And with that extent, the temple bound the new Akarnas, intimidating them and using them easily. She reached a realization. The temple announced that Jiwoo was the incarnation of a newly descended god, and immediately propagated that the god would take care of the war-torn empire. It means they were at war. A god dwells in Akarna to take care of this land of chaos! A god has descended to save the people of this land suffering from the beasts! The priests¡¯ deafening shouts were still stuck in her head. Right now, she was dizzy with so much information pouring in. She was also taken aback. The heretics she thought she should avoid¡ªthe alchemists of the outer wall¡ªwere the only saviors of the suffering Akarna. ¡®After all, you¡¯re just an ordinary person.¡¯ She could not help but feel suffocated by those words. She didn¡¯t want to do anything as the Akarna. She wanted to live a normal life. However, this alchemist acknowledges her vitality, but calls her an ordinary person. She seemed to know what Helkainis was preparing for. He seemed to be thinking of replacing the life force she had to pay while interfering with the providence of the dimensions. That¡¯s why he must have said that he would spend all his life span extended for that, but it wasn¡¯t something to take lightly. As Jiwoo was looking down at the floor, Enciertes pulled something out of his inner pocket. ¡°What I ask of you is¡­¡± Tap. Enci put it on the table. It was something like a specimen covered with a round glass cover. What was inside was a dry branch without a single leaf. A small twig that was stained black like charcoal and was unsightly and withered. But they looked at it fondly. So Jiwoo felt that it was like the rose that the Little Prince cherished. ¡°I want to see if you can¡­ save this.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Helkainis, who had been silent until then, opened his mouth. ¡°Seo Jiwoo, our Elandos is sick. We crossed the Great Vortex and reached Caranazion to find a way to cure it.¡± ¡°Then, this is¡­ Elandos? This little thing?¡± They shook their heads at the same time. ¡°It¡¯s a small twig of Elandos. It¡¯s dry, but it¡¯s still alive. This¡­ This is the last. The last trace of Elandos that¡¯s left for us¡­¡± Even after putting it down on the table, Enciertes couldn¡¯t let go of it easily. The reason he didn¡¯t want to come here in the first place, and the fact that he brought this here seemed very displeasing to him. ¡°I don¡¯t know if you will succeed. None of the Akarna I¡¯ve met so far has ever succeeded. But¡­ since you¡¯re an Akarna who survived here for over five years¡­¡± They, too, gambled on something that was not certain. ¡°If you¡¯re successful¡­¡± Helkainis opened his mouth. ¡°Come with me beyond the Great Vortex to El Ragnile. Please heal our Elandos. In return, I will do anything you ask.¡± Hellkainis¡¯ hand, which held Jiwoo¡¯s hand, gained more strength. What he held was his lifeline. Could she be the salvation of the group he led? Jiwoo accepted the offer, and said that she would think about what reward she¡¯d like to receive. ¡°I need to prepare something, so please wait a little bit.¡± Enciertes sent Helkainis saying that he was disturbing him. So he left Jiwoo in the laboratory. Jiwoo sat in the back, far away from Enci, and silently watched the clatter as he prepared something. Cough, cough cough! Enci coughed incessantly. She felt it from the first time she met him, but he seemed very unwell. The eyepatch covering his face and a coat tightly wrapped around his body. And the way he constantly changed his gloves didn¡¯t look very natural. Even if he touched the medicine, it was too much to change. In the end, Jiwoo got very concerned and moved closer to Enci. ¡°Are you sick?¡± ¡°Uh, uwah!¡± Enci was startled and nearly dropped what was in his hand. ¡°You¡­ surprised me!¡± Then, in an instant, he took five steps back from Jiwoo. ¡°Do, don¡¯t come closer? It¡¯s dirty¡­!¡± She wondered if he was saying that she was dirty, but no matter how much he rejected strangers, he was still someone who¡¯s one requesting such a huge favor from her. ¡°Damn. Damn¡­ don¡¯t look¡­¡± However, she soon realized that she was mistaken. As he hurriedly put back the white gloves on, she saw his hands. They were black, like burnt charcoal. ¡ª Chapter 36 Chapter 36 ¨C Pure White Tree His hands were simply not something that could be described as stained with miasma. Just like the twig from Elandos that had been placed on the table, his hands had hardened and withered. When he took off his gloves, it smelled quite abhorrent. His flesh also seemed to be rotting away. In fact, Jiwoo never imagined that the children of Elandos could smell like that. Because even their sweat smelled fragrant. ¡°Why is your body like that?¡± ¡°I told you not to look!¡± Enciertes cried out in disgust. He shook his hands and his gloves fell. He knelt down on the floor and hurriedly picked up the gloves, but when he saw Jiwoo approaching right in front of him, he shouted at her like this. And he was backing away now, exclaiming once again. ¡°Go away!¡± Enciertes seemed terrified. ¡°I told you to go away! Why do you keep coming?¡± But Jiwoo couldn¡¯t understand why he was avoiding her. That kind of reaction, and the state of the body that was neglected until it reached that point. ¡°You said you met the other Akarnas, why didn¡¯t you ask them to heal you?¡± ¡°Why should they treat something like me? Of course I asked them to heal Elandos at that time!¡± But Jiwoo didn¡¯t quite understand what he was saying. Drinking an Akarna¡¯s blood could cure diseases, and sprinkling the blood on the land made even the miasma dissipate. The method was simple. She just needed to cut her wrist and draw blood. After shedding some blood and stopping the bleeding, an Akarna could quickly recover on their own. ¡°That time? It shouldn¡¯t have taken long.¡± Enci laughed as if he was in high spirits. ¡°You, you don¡¯t know how those girls died.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Do you think an Akarna can do anything? Do you think that your power springs up indefinitely?¡± Enci said cynically. ¡°I told you. You¡¯re just an ordinary person with a strong will to live. How long do you think your desire to live will last?¡± And he frowned as if he was fed up. His complexion turned pale, like he had just seen a scene where someone had died. ¡°What is the reason Akarna runs out of the temple after only a year? It¡¯s because they couldn¡¯t stand the temple¡¯s treatment. Of course, their ability gradually decreased, so the temple¡­¡± Enciertes said that and shut his mouth tightly. ¡°The temple?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to know!¡± The temple treated Akarna as an expendable item. Even though they had summoned an Akarna with difficulty, they didn¡¯t seem to be too troubled whenever an Akarna would try to die. There was only one last place to use the dying Akarna. Dragging her to the land where the miasma was intense, and scattering her blood on the ground. Then, the land would be purified, and a place for the people of the empire to live comfortably would be created. The alchemists on the outer wall looked for an opportunity to approach an Akarna, but failed to seize any opportunity. They all had to watch the Akarna be executed in that way countless times. The reason Akarna eventually reaches that point is that they quite literally had to tear their blood and flesh out in order to heal people who were clearly sick. They¡¯re always dispatched to a desolate place, forced to bow their heads to the societal norm of this strange world. Their minds become sick. And Enciertes knew that his physical condition would never have a good effect on someone else¡¯s mind. When Elandos was still fine, he was proud of his body¡ªhowever now, it¡¯s nothing but disgusting. If Helka hadn¡¯t forced him to come back in the first place, he wouldn¡¯t have wanted to come to a crowded place like this. ¡°Anyway, g-get away¡­ Don¡¯t come any closer.¡± Enciertes was speaking sharply to keep Jiwoo away from him. In any case, alchemists were unwelcome beings during any era. Even when the Akarna was being treated as a god in Caranazion, the alchemists criticized them for calling them ordinary people. It was the same in the last few hundred years when the treatment towards the Akarna was changed by the Empire. They were cast down from unbelievers to heretics. The reason the alchemist couldn¡¯t contact Akarna wasn¡¯t just because of the temple¡¯s brainwashing. They didn¡¯t do anything, they just maintained a consistent attitude towards Akarna. Nevertheless, the perception was not good in various places. So, from the point of view of an alchemist who didn¡¯t have a good reputation anyway, he thought that Seo Jiwoo would retreat if he just snapped at her a few times. As Jiwoo stayed still without saying a word, Enci thought his words had worked. ¡°This is the most important thing for me. If you care about something like me and fail your last chance because of it, I will take my own life.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Jiwoo ignored him who kept sharpening his words and moved closer. Enci retreated to the end of the wall and cried out. He put his hand on his body, especially the eye patch that covered his face, and screamed almost like crying. ¡°C-Can¡¯t you understand any of the words I¡¯m saying?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. I still want to live¡­¡± Jiwoo was inadvertently surprised by what she said. I see. I still want to live. In fact, this had always been the case. Even when she blankly gazed at the sky in the temple, when she met the crown prince and was betrayed by him, she continued to think that she wanted to die¡ªbut in fact, it must have been the opposite. She wished to live. The moment she was hanging on the edge of the cliff, she was figuring out where to go and where to live. Even when she was right at the precipice between life and death. Perhaps even then, Jiwoo let go of the cliff for the sheer reason of wanting to live. ¡°Now I want to receive a reward as well.¡± ¡°Then don¡¯t waste that power¡­¡± ¡°So I¡¯ll heal you first.¡± ¡°I said I¡¯m fine!¡± ¡°Do you think I, who can heal Elandos, can¡¯t heal you?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± As Elandos was mentioned, Enci, who had been busy trembling and covering himself until now, stopped moving. ¡°That, that kind of thing¡­¡± Enci, who had been sticking to the wall, finally let down his guard a little. For some reason, Jiwoo seemed to know how to deal with Enciertes. ¡°You keep coughing and preparing for the worst. Are you expecting me to fail?¡± ¡°No!¡± Enci immediately denied it strongly, then shrugged his shoulders again. ¡°But¡­ In theory, when an Akarna encounters a seriously ill person, she becomes mentally hurt¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. I want to live because I¡¯ll get a decent reward.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ Ah.¡± Enci thought to himself and seemed to understand something. ¡°Are you thinking of trying¡­ with this body? My condition is literally the worst. So for you to¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s see.¡± After barely calming Enci down, Jiwoo looked around. There were blades on the shelf. It seemed to be used for experiments, so it was well stored, so there was no need to sterilize it. Picking up a blade that looked good, Jiwoo walked back in front of Enci and placed it on her wrist. Then Enci hurriedly grabbed her hand. The black, old tree-like finger gripped her arm. The person who has been scared and avoided her until now. ¡°Don¡¯t do it. Don¡¯t do it¡­..¡± Enci kept his eyes closed. This person, who seemed sensitive just from his appearance, had witnessed the deaths of countless Akarnas. In the end, he didn¡¯t tell her how they died, but Jiwoo wasn¡¯t clueless. It may have been this person who was more mentally hurt than her. ¡°Don¡¯t just do it because it¡¯s fine.¡± In fact, he may not have wanted to see an Akarna bleed any more. Clatter. In the end, Jiwoo dropped the blade as Enci held her arm tightly. Jiwoo looked down coldly at the blade rolling on the floor. She sighed. ¡°¡­Then let¡¯s try another method.¡± ¡°What, method¡­¡± Jiwoo grabbed the bewildered Enciertes¡¯ cheek and kissed him. She can think of it as doing the same process when she treated Helkainis. It seems that Enci is afraid of blood, so even if it takes a little longer than blood, she can use her saliva. After twisting his tongue a few times, he took a quick breath. And he hung on, instinctively swallowing Akarna¡¯s saliva in one gulp. His body, which was depleted of vitality, naturally found the fountain of life. ¡°Mmh, uh!¡± Enci entangled his tongue for a while, then pushed Jiwoo hard. Cough, cough, cough! And he immediately vomited dark blood. It spilled onto the floor, and it smelled so rotten that it didn¡¯t seem like the bodily fluids that the children of Elandos had spat out. Jiwoo reflexively grimaced. ¡°I said no.¡± In the end, Enci cried. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ disgusting. You too¡­¡± ¡°Well¡­ how do you think I survived for five years?¡± Jiwoo had seen many things that were even worse than this. She saw a lot of people holding on to their bodies and crying while their whole bodies were rotting, and people holding knives and trying to stab her to save themselves. Alchemists of the outer wall. Perhaps, if she was lucky, if she was really lucky, she might have met them before meeting the crown prince. In this world where she thought they were only using her. Somewhere, there were people who could have saved her. Jiwoo, who wiped the black blood from his mouth with her sleeve, said without any emotion. Hiding and erasing her feelings. It was Akarna¡¯s habit when doing her duty. ¡°If you seem to be getting better, shall we try more?¡± Enci¡¯s face was red and he stared only at the floor. ¡°Enciertes.¡± When Jiwoo asked once more, he nodded his head a couple of times without even meeting Jiwoo¡¯s eyes. His only eye was tightly closed, unable to open properly. He wanted to ask Jiwoo again if she was really okay, but the pain in his body had started to go away. Soon, he stopped asking. ¡ª Chapter 37 Chapter 37 Enci, who hated it at first, accepted her kiss calmly little by little. No, on the contrary, he began to cling more desperately to Jiwoo than he did earlier. ¡°Heugh. Mmh¡­¡± It¡¯s as if he was given morphine. It was a given because he had been suffering from pain and suddenly met with something like a painkiller all of a sudden. His pale complexion was noticeably improving. However, it seemed that this would be long because the original disease was deep in his body. She decided that it would be better to take a comfortable posture. Jiwoo put her arm around Enci¡¯s shoulder and climbed onto his right thigh. She thought that something was wriggling on his thigh. ¡°Uhhp!¡± Enci took a quick breath and grabbed Jiwoo by the shoulder and pulled her away. Thinking that he was about to vomit blood again, Jiwoo completely separated herself from him. ¡°Why, why, why are you, d-doing, whatever, you like¡­!¡± His face was red as if he hadn¡¯t breathed at all while they kissed. As he was talking about how embarrassed he was, he was out of breath. Jiwoo¡¯s gaze turned to the thigh she sat down on. ¡°What are you looking at!¡± Enciertes tried to cover it up as much as possible. However, he was so drunk from the kiss just now that, as soon as Jiwoo went away, he gravitated towards her touch again. The moist lips, the nice smell of an Akarna, her soft touch, the saliva that eased his pain even though she was a small, fragile human being. As a result, the more he became conscious of it, the bigger and bigger it grew. ¡°This, this¡­ can¡¯t be helped! It¡¯s a normal physioligical¡­¡± Jiwoo chose words that would make him as less ashamed as possible. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I don¡¯t care.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you care!¡± She couldn¡¯t figure out which tune she should match. But for now, Enciertes¡¯ coughing has definitely subsided. If she stopped like this, the confrontation would only last endlessly, so Jiwoo approached him again. This time she sat on his left thigh. He was quiet this time. It was only that the elongated ears were completely flattened. The sharp corners of his eyes were not even looking this way. ¡°You¡¯re being treated. Show me the extent of your condition.¡± Jiwoo carefully took off the coat that Enciertes was holding tight. Pale white skin was exposed under the coat. However, from the base of his neck to his chest, dark red spots were covering it densely. Had it not been for the spots, she might have agreed that he was the most handsome of them all. If it had been before he got sick, it would have been really sculptural. It was the first time she had seen such dark red spots on a person, but it was not the first time she saw the shape itself. It was like the leaves of the diseased tree. Enciertes looked a little surprised when she saw his naked body. Maybe this was how much he felt better while kissing Jiwoo. Originally, the whole body could have been dyed black. Jiwoo put his hand on one spot. ¡°Ah¡­!¡± Enci gasped. ¡°It hurts?¡± ¡°N-No¡­!¡± He was like a bunny that¡¯s getting startled by even the smallest things. His long ears, which would stand up and then lie down to and fro, also contributed to the impression. Even though he was making a displeased expression, his body didn¡¯t seem to follow that reaction, so she held his cheek a little more boldly. ¡°Ngh!¡± The hand that was trying to squeeze his cheek landed on his ear because he moved his head. Jiwoo hurriedly removed her hand, but Enci jumped up again. ¡°Why, why are you so promiscuous?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡± Anyway, she thought it would be best to end this quickly. When Jiwoo started kissing him again, he gasped and gulped down her saliva. Enci, who hadn¡¯t even laid a hand on Jiwoo before, now put his hands on her shoulders and back and pulled Jiwoo towards him. He sucked her tongue in haste, making her breathe more and more roughly. Enci¡¯s saliva, which tasted burnt like charcoal or ash, began to sweeten. Like the other children of Elandos, the sweet scent of honey was proof that he was getting better. She felt it with her body. His saliva had a hint of mint. For some reason, it matched her first impression of him very well¡ªof him somehow being afraid of germs. ¡°Ung¡­¡± ¡°Sh*t.¡± As Jiwoo moaned, Enciertes parted his lips and started kissing her in earnest. He was so absorbed in the kiss that his face turned red and he was breathing heavily. ¡°Ah, ugh¡­ Aahh¡­¡± But it was strange. Although it was clear that the previous action had improved, Enci looked distressed. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Too¡­ difficult Frowning, he looked like he was in more pain and conflict between wanting to push Jiwoo away and kissing her deeply again. Jiwoo asked because it was visible. ¡°I think you¡¯re getting better. Are you still in pain?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it. I¡¯m dying of thirst, and I feel like I¡¯m having a drop of water on my lips. I think I¡¯m going to die more.¡± The gasping reminded her of Helka when he had lost his rationality. Enci, who was in conflict as he rolled his eyes for a while, spoke a little nervously. ¡°Well, you¡­ started it.¡± Then he held Jiwoo and lifted her up. He sat Jiwoo on the place he was sitting on just now, then he knelt down in front of her. He hesitated for a moment, biting his lower lip several times, before carefully removing Jiwoo¡¯s clothes. As Jiwoo calmly accepted his touch, his movements became more and more rough. His hands had long since regained their proper skin color. It seems like they¡¯ve been kissing for quite some time, and the spots on his body seem to be almost gone. She looked at the white nape of his neck. It moved as he gulped and said coldly. ¡°I don¡¯t care about you, okay? I have no feelings for outsiders.¡± ¡°¡­I understand.¡± In fact¡­ Even if it wasn¡¯t Enciertes, there were many things Jiwoo had to worry about. Before she came here, if Callan hadn¡¯t talked about getting married, Jiwoo wanted to return to her original world no matter what the cost. But even if she returned to her original world, years had already passed. Even a person who had gone missing would be documented as dead after five years. Going back just meant another series of tiring work. Currently, Jiwoo is physically and mentally exhausted to the limit and has no energy to care about such things. In Jiwoo¡¯s current situation, Callan¡¯s suggestion for her to stay here and be loved¡­ sounded as sweet as a poisoned fruit. However, Jiwoo soon had to stop thinking because of Enciertes poking between her legs. ¡°Umm¡­!¡± The warm breath and tongue clattered between her legs. Like his sensitive personality, he was very cautious about his actions, so it felt more tickling rather than pleasurable. Moving his tongue like a finger, he opened her folds to reveal her red, inflamed nub of flesh. Soon, he sucked it with his lips. He was trying to lick her fluids, but Enci was quite clumsy in this act. It felt good, but it was a bit lacking. ¡°Sh*t.¡± A low swearing came along with a sigh. Enciertes also felt that Jiwoo¡¯s reaction was not good, and after licking her for a while, he lowered his head. Then he brought his fingers, which were still in his glove, to his mouth, and bit off the glove with his teeth. Exposed under the white gloves, it was a long finger that matched his sensitive impression. Pretty hands that seem to be able to skillfully play even difficult instruments. His nails were neatly trimmed, perhaps because he had a neat personality. A slightly cold finger touched her entrance. Feeling the touch on her opening, Jiwoo let out a moan that was a little hotter than before. ¡°Aht¡­ ung.¡± Again he put his head between her legs and licked her cl*toris with his tongue. The corners of his eyes that kept looking up checking for reactions were pretty. The fingers that were slowly entering her found her sensitive place. Every time he touched it with his fingertips, her inner walls tightened, making it even more unfamiliar to get inside. ¡°Uht¡­ aahh¡­¡± Jiwoo¡¯s moaning grew. As he pushed another finger in, Jiwoo finally couldn¡¯t stand it and grabbed his hair. She thought his white hair would be frizzy, but it was surprisingly soft. ¡°Here? Huh? Tell me.¡± ¡°Aht, huu¡­ Yes!¡± She knew what she wanted, and he was going to give it to Jiwoo, so she grabbed his hair and didn¡¯t drop it. As sensitive as he was, he was quick to notice, and he stimulated the place where Jiwoo reacted quite well. Every time that happened, her hand holding his hair grew tighter. Surprisingly, Enci, who was startled and disgusted whenever Jiwoo did something, did not complain this time. ¡°Hey, ugh. Huu¡­ why are you so¡­ lewd, I¡¯m¡­ Ha.¡± Instead, each time Jiwoo put strength into her hand that was holding his hair, he became more and more excited. He smeared his minty saliva on her cl*toris, biting and sucking on the slippery flesh to his heart¡¯s content. Finding a place where Jiwoo was particularly responsive, his fingers stirred in her persistently. When more and more liquid was leaking out, there was an obscene wet sound every time his fingers moved. At first, she thought it was not good, but she became more and more breathless. It¡¯s become difficult for her to bear it. In the end, Jiwoo tried to pull his head away with force. ¡°Aht, wait. Ung!¡± However, Enci¡¯s face did not go. As Jiwoo tried to push his face away with her thigh, his other hand grabbed Jiwoo¡¯s ankle. Jiwoo slipped and lifted her butt. As her legs spread apart, his fingers went deeper. ¡°Ah-aht!¡± Being the alchemist that he was, she had the impression that he was like a nerd, so she didn¡¯t know how he got this kind of skill. More than that¡­ ¡°Hu-ugh. Hu, ah, aahng!¡± Sloshes of fluids. The room was quiet, so it came louder. The muscles in her inner thighs twitched on their own. Enci. Enci. Perhaps she called his name several times. ¡°Uhng. Ah¡­ Haaa¡­!¡± In the end, she tilted her head back and let out a high-pitched moan. Her body trembled, and at the same time, c*m soon burst out. Having reached his objective, Enci thrust his tongue inside her and licked it. ¡°Ugh. Hu-uht¡­¡± That was more stimulating. Because of his tongue, Jiwoo felt another shallow climax even after she already came. ¡°Ah, good. Ung. Ah, stop, now¡­¡± After a few shallow pleasures passed through her sensitive body, all movement stopped. Jiwoo looked up at him with cloudy eyes. He was looking at her with blank eyes, licking his finger that was wet with her c*m. ¡ª Chapter 38 Chapter 38 Enciertes¡¯ pale face was now beautifully colored. With his cheeks and lips flushed with excitement, he licked every bit of his smooth hand with his vividly red tongue. Perhaps that was not enough, when he stroked Jiwoo¡¯s waist and kissed her on her lower belly. Knock, knock, knock. Someone knocked on the lab door. Jiwoo¡¯s shoulders shook as if she had been caught doing something bad. Enci, who didn¡¯t care about that, ignored the voice and lowered his lips. Knock, knock, knock. After a while, the knocking continued again. ¡°Someone must be here.¡± As Jiwoo tried to stand up, Enci grabbed her by the shoulders. ¡°¡­You don¡¯t have to go out.¡± ¡°They¡¯ll be waiting. We don¡¯t even know what¡¯s going on.¡± Jiwoo pushed away Enci, who was trying to hug her, and stood up. She quickly adjusted her clothes. It wasn¡¯t difficult because she wasn¡¯t completely naked. After arranging her disheveled hair and shirt more neatly, she opened the outer door. Two people stood outside the door. Silver hair tinged with the light of the sky and silver hair tinged with sunlight. The two, who resembled brothers, were Lanceil and Tevon. Right after Lanceil saw Jiwoo, he smiled brightly and held out a basket. ¡°I heard about it, but you didn¡¯t come back even though it was so late today, so I came to see you.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ it¡¯s already this time.¡± The sun began to set, and the sky turned red. Lanceil and Tevon¡¯s pale hair was dyed in the glow of the sunset. ¡°Take this first. You¡¯ll be hungry.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± When she received it and looked inside the basket, she saw bread, fruit, and cookies that she could eat lightly. Judging by the wafting smell, it seemed that it was not just bread. But bread filled with meat. The scarlet liquid in the clear glass bottle appeared to be fruit juice. Ever since Helkainis came, she had been completely out of her mind and had not even touched water, let alone food. When she saw the food, she realized that she was hungry. Lanceil lightly kissed Jiwoo on the cheek while handing over the food basket. It was an act of selfless love, but somehow it made her feel like she was doing something bad over Lanceil, and a corner of her heart felt prickled. She felt even more so because Tevon glanced this way and inward. ¡°Oh, I have nothing to give you¡­¡± Tevon trailed off and held out something hidden behind him. It was a pink flower she had never seen. The flower buds as big as fists were blooming, but the petals were large and few, so they looked sophisticated. The strong scent was like a rose, so she liked it. As Jiwoo accepted, her face blushed. Her chest tickled too much. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°If you like it, can I do it too, then?¡± ¡°Ah.¡± When Jiwoo nodded, Tevon lowered his head and kissed Jiwoo on the lips, not on the cheek. Although the location was different, it was not much different from what Lanceil had done to her cheek. Jiwoo glanced at Lanceil, but he smiled as if nothing had happened. ¡®Is he really okay with this? But I did hear that this is normal¡­¡¯ Well, at first Lanceil asked if he was going to be second or third, and even that didn¡¯t seem to matter. And now that he was confident that he was the first, he even looked quite relaxed. And Lanceil spoke just what Jiwoo had thought of. ¡°Do you think you will sleep here today?¡± ¡°Ah, yes¡­¡± Jiwoo said, looking inside. Enciertes was already up and standing by the table. His appearance didn¡¯t seem like he wanted to say hello to this side. Tevon asked with a glare. ¡°Do you like him?¡± ¡°What?¡± Jiwoo, who had been looking inside because she was worried for Enci, turned his head away from him. ¡°He is handsome.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ I don¡¯t know.¡± She knows he¡¯s handsome, but she didn¡¯t really notice it because his whole body was fully covered. The only thing that stood out was his white hair, as white as snow. ¡°Then, do you think my service won¡¯t be good?¡± ¡°What? No, that¡¯s¡­¡± It hadn¡¯t been long since Jiwoo was at the cusp of sleeping with three or four people, including Tevon, but she just postponed it on a whim¡ª and somehow ended up putting it off until today. A mixture of sorry and embarrassment made Jiwoo blurt out the end of her words. ¡°And why do you talk so comfortably only with Lanceil?¡± ¡°It just somehow happened¡­¡± As Jiwoo found herself in a pinch, Lanceil suddenly intervened. ¡°It¡¯s because I¡¯m the first.¡± ¡°Hhhhmmmm¡­¡± ¡°So it¡¯s not that difficult. Shall we go?¡± ¡°Really? ¡®Kay.¡± Tevon nodded his head. He was frowning slightly the whole time, but the answer seemed quite satisfactory. ¡°Alright, Tevon.¡± Perhaps they really came to give Jiwoo something to eat, so they prepared to go back. ¡°Don¡¯t push yourself too hard. Jiwoo, you haven¡¯t healed yet. You know that?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°It looks like it will rain tonight, so you can¡¯t come out alone.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Jiwoo packed up the basket and the flowers and went deep into the lab again. ¡°Enci, aren¡¯t you hungry? Now that you feel better, eat.¡± Enciertes¡¯ ears were drooping, expressing his displeasure. After a while, he said as Jiwoo sat down next to him and started taking out food from the basket. ¡°¡­What¡¯s wrong with your eyes?¡± ¡°What?¡± Enci didn¡¯t answer and only shook the tips of his ears once like a cat. It seemed that he had overheard the conversation earlier. Jiwoo thought it was quite a distance, but it seemed like those long ears weren¡¯t just for decoration. Enci didn¡¯t say anything again, but there was only one thing in the conversation that would annoy him. Jiwoo did not bother to agitate him further by pretending not to know. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean that, I just meant I couldn¡¯t see the face. Half your face is covered with an eyepatch.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Enci didn¡¯t answer. He just moved his ears. If he wanted to hide his emotions, he should¡¯ve hidden everything, but he was showing it off with his ears. ¡°Enci, don¡¯t be like that, eat something. You haven¡¯t eaten anything today. You have to eat and work. Then go to sleep.¡± In the end, Jiwoo cut the bread into bite-sized pieces and held it to his mouth, and he accepted and ate it. As she gave Enci a piece of bread, he gulped down the juice instead of the bread as his throat got even drier. As Enciertes drank the juice, he glanced at Jiwoo¡¯s wet lips and said, ¡°¡­It¡¯s enough that you made it better this far.¡± Jiwoo glanced at Enci¡¯s body. His thick coat and gloves had long since been taken off, and his sparsely visible body through the thin top was considerably cleaner. Even the fingers, which had been stained black, were all fine. Jiwoo honestly thought earlier that he had been all healed. But he still hadn¡¯t removed the eyepatch. ¡°By any chance, is that the worst?¡± Enci hesitated, then nodded. When Jiwoo tried to touch his eyepatch, Enci jumped up and backed away. ¡°Don¡¯t touch it!¡± What should I do with this sensitive person? Jiwoo let out a sigh. ¡°Alright. Come here.¡± ¡°You should come here.¡± ¡°Ah!¡± Enci picked up Jiwoo and put it on the desk in the lab. Then he started undressing Jiwoo. Compared to his powerful start, both of his hands were shaking as if an earthquake had occurred. ¡°You don¡¯t have to take it all off¡­¡± ¡°You stripped me first! Even though I don¡¯t like it¡­ You forcibly stripped me! Stripping me, seeing it all, touching me as you please!¡± She only opened his shirt to check if his chest was all healed. But when he said that, it did sound like Jiwoo had done something very shameless. He must have felt it was so unfair that it had been just him, so Enci stripped off Jiwoo¡¯s upper clothes with his hands. She covered her chest with her arms and blushed. ¡°Enci, I¡¯m a little embarrassed.¡± ¡°¡­Take mine off too, then.¡± However, this situation is a little funny because Enciertes¡¯ face, who was taking off the other person¡¯s clothes, was as red as if it were on fire. He seemed more ashamed than the one who was stripped. After thinking about it, he picked Jiwoo up again. After he sat down on the desk in the lab, he sat Jiwoo on his thigh. Jiwoo said while holding back a laugh. ¡°Enci, earlier you told me not to sit here.¡± ¡°Ugh.¡± Enci was startled. Jiwoo realized later that she had whispered in his ear as she got closer to him. Something like a snake wriggled on the thigh she was sitting on. Jiwoo somehow thought that, since he¡¯s an alchemist, he might be keeping a real snake inside his suit. In the meantime, Enci, who had taken a fairly comfortable position, began to slowly respond to Jiwoo¡¯s misunderstood temptation. His hand, which had been stroking her back and stomach, passed through her lower belly and dug between her legs. ¡°Um¡­¡± Feeling uncomfortable, she grabbed his clothes and leaned against it. Her voluptuous breasts pressed close to him, crushed tightly under him. Enci was quite good at using his hands. In an instant, Jiwoo, who regained the heat from before, leaned on his shoulder, panting. Enci tilted his head and pressed his lips to Jiwoo¡¯s nose. As he concentrated, his breathing tickled her forehead. ¡°Uung, mmh¡­¡± In fact, if he was going to do it like Helka, he would have had to sit Jiwoo down and lean in front of her to lick between her legs. Using his hands was clearly an act of wanting to take the next step. The lips that had restlessly rubbed against Jiwoo¡¯s forehead and cheeks approached her ears. His tongue moved along the shape of the earlobe and he nibbled it. Excited breath brushed past her ear, as if being being violated. ¡°Aht¡­ Uung! Enci, stop now¡­ aht!¡± Jiwoo, who lost all her strength from his hands, leaned against him, feeling his hands caressing her waist and back as she told him to. The climax was shallow, but it didn¡¯t feel bad. The top of his black bottoms was wet with her own c*m. His mouth had been licking her ears since earlier, but when Jiwoo lowered her head and looked at him, he stopped. He averted his gaze and blushed. When Jiwoo stayed still, he noticed and started licking her ears again. It feels like an act of sincerity. After receiving intense caresses for a while, Jiwoo pulled away from him. Enci, who was at a loss when Jiwoo left him, put on a sad expression with his ears drooping, probably thinking that she had rejected the temptation. Jiwoo grabbed him. ¡°Enci, come here.¡± ¡°Uh¡­ uuhh?¡± The desk in the lab was cramped with clutter. Looking around, there was a cot in the corner of the lab. Although it looked cramped, it wasn¡¯t bad. First, she sat him down and took off his top. The white naked body was moderately thin and had the right muscles, so it was good to look at. The others here were too big and bumpy. Besides, there were no more spots now. She thought he would fuss again asking why she was so promiscuous, but this time he avoided Jiwoo¡¯s gaze and calmly accepted Jiwoo¡¯s touch. His face was redder than before. Wow. And when she unbuttoned his bottoms, Jiwoo almost inadvertently let out an exclamation. His manhood was white as his skin, yet it was so large that it could be compared to Lanceil¡¯s. However, it was not as thick as Lanceil¡¯s, so it seemed a little longer. It was exciting while being pretty. It seemed that it didn¡¯t match his face a little because it was standing upright and its tip was red. As Jiwoo pushed him down and tried to climb on top of him, Enci, who had been quiet as if his lips were glued, shouted in a small whisper. ¡°Th, at¡­!¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Can you not do it with the¡­ mouth?¡± He had been avoiding her gaze until now, so now it was pretty cute that he was looking at her. It would be okay to receive him as her inside was already wet from the previous deeds. ¡°I think it will be fine.¡± Jiwoo grabbed the soft pillar and adjusted it to her opening. Only the blunt end touched it, but it was very hot. ¡°Um, ung¡­¡± As she slowly lowered her back, the tightly closed flesh began to open. She wasn¡¯t completely seated, and she wasn¡¯t in a fully standing position. So it was a little difficult to slowly lower her hips. ¡°Huuk! Ah, uht¡­!¡± However, Enci who was underneath her looked even more difficult. Enci¡¯s arms were in the air. Without being able to hug or push her body, he closed his eyes and held on as Jiwoo slowly swallowed his flesh. At one point, he looked at her with eyes full of pleasure. In an instant, Jiwoo¡¯s legs lost all strength. ¡°Hggh!¡± The pillar was half-way in just now, but was soon driven deep inside in an instant. ¡ª Chapter 39 Chapter 39 ¡°Keugh!¡± ¡°Hu, aah¡­!¡± Enci hugged Jiwoo by the waist. And as if he couldn¡¯t stand it, he raised his back once. ¡°Aahh!¡± Jiwoo tilted her head and hugged his shoulder. In an instant, she was thrusted into deeply, twice, and a piercing pleasure ran through her whole body. Then Enciertes grabbed her by the waist and tried to repeat the act of raising his pillar again. ¡°Hu-uhk! Wait! Ah!¡± ¡°Hu, haa¡­ kuhk¡­¡± His voice, which had come out in a sensitive manner, was low and muddy with excitement. As Enci put his arms around Jiwoo¡¯s waist, her posture collapsed a little more. Jiwoo was in a prone position on top of him that was completely lying down and erasing. She only changed his posture, but her pierced lower body felt more sensitive. ¡°Nngh.¡± Instead of pushing him away, Jiwoo just hugged him tighter. It was difficult to align their flesh because the height difference was too great to hug him by the nape of his neck. Instead, she rubbed her face against his chest. She felt his heart beating fast like a small animal. ¡°Haa, sh*t. Huu¡­¡± The insertion deepened as Enci held her hip and raised himself a little. She felt that his body was harder and bigger than she thought when she hugged him. His chest, forearms, and thighs were all more than enough to completely wrap Jiwoo in his arms. ¡°Uung. Ah. Hu-uhk.¡± She only thought he was a very nervous and meticulous man. But when she put their body together, he was a huge man who could completely restrain her body. ¡°Does it hurt? Hm?¡± Hugging her around the waist and stuffing his huge pillar inside Jiwoo, he kissed her face all over with warm, fragrant lips. It was only after he licked her eyes with his tongue that she realized she was crying. She burst into tears at the sudden pleasure. ¡°Why are you crying? Does it hurt?¡± ¡°No, phy, physiological, aht¡­ ah, ahng¡­!¡± She wasn¡¯t accepting him like when she was under a man, but even though she was on top of him, she couldn¡¯t move due to the different sensation. As he hugged her with a little more force, their chests met. Because of the position, she could feel him embedded more deeply. Enci grabbed Jiwoo¡¯s waist and dropped it, then pushed her down again while lifting himself up. ¡°Huht! Ung!¡± Slap! Slap! There was no warning that it would get rough. He didn¡¯t even start slowly. Enciertes hugged Jiwoo¡¯s waist and back completely, and immediately began to lift his waist without a break. ¡°Hu, uhng! Ah, good. Ah¡­!¡± The word good reflexively came out. It was that good. However, she was worried that her body would be completely buried by the person named Enciertes. He hugged her tightly and only moved his waist to put it inside her. She seemed completely trapped to just give herself to him. ¡°Huhng, ah, aht, ah, uhng¡­! Too deep, ah!¡± Besides, it was too deep. The length didn¡¯t just feel long. Every time he lifted his waist, it felt like it was breaking into her body as well. Every time it was pushed deep inside, even the entrance of her womb would be reached. ¡°Ah, uhng!¡± Jiwoo couldn¡¯t stand it and hugged his back. She felt the texture and tight muscles. Jiwoo stabbed her fingernails into his back, which had been healed. ¡°Uung. Ah, Enci. Enci¡­¡± ¡°Kuuuhhk¡­ Ha¡­¡± Enci¡¯s breath became rough like a beast, probably because he was so excited to see her nails driving into his back or his name being called. Of course, his movement became stronger. Ah, ah, aahh! Jiwoo let out a weak, continuous shout that seemed to faint. At some point, she stopped breathing. ¡°Ugh, heuk¡­!¡± Even though Jiwoo twitched and twitched her shoulders, Enci continued to thrust. Like his sanity had suddenly been cut off, at some point he didn¡¯t even ask her if she was okay or if she was hurt. He just groaned like a beast with a voice that was unimaginably low. ¡°Uung. Ah, stop¡­!¡± In the end, Jiwoo begged, rubbing her cheek against his chest. In the meantime, Enciertes¡¯ pillar was in her deepest part. It was stabbing her sensitive spot. ¡°Hu, huuuhk¡­! Stop, Enci, hmmgh, stop, stop¡­!¡± ¡°Haa¡­.¡± Enci sighed heavily. Then, after squeezing Jiwoo¡¯s hips with both hands, he pressed himself down strongly. ¡°Hu-ugh!¡± The pleasure that pierced through her body made her entire body stiff. She drooped over his chest. Soon, the hot pleasure spread through her body, which did not contain any more strength. ¡°Ku, haa, haa¡­¡± The sound of the gasping breath was mixed with a rather low-pitched voice. Hearing the muffled moaning from above her head, Jiwoo felt tired in an instant. Her head was dizzy from the pleasure that rose up so quickly. As Jiwoo closed her eyes and was breathing hard, Enci carefully lifted Jiwoo and pulled out. As the flesh that had filled the inner walls came out, the s*men that had soaked the insides flowed down. Maybe her body¡¯s just lighter than she thinks? Or perhaps he was just stronger than he was before. Rather, he was stronger than when they first met. ¡°Enci¡­¡± ¡°Huu¡­¡± Enci sat Jiwoo on top of his thigh and kissed Jiwoo¡¯s neck several times. Then he lifted Jiwoo up and laid her down on the bed. He silently wiped her body and covered her with a blanket. Jiwoo was idly accepting his care, then saw him taking off his eyepatch with cloudy eyes. His face, with his eyepatch removed, was quite unexpected. She thought he was a sharp-edged handsome man, but he was very different from what she thought. Because the corners of his eyes were always frowning because of the pain in his body, she thought it was just a sensitive impression from being surprised by trivial things. However, his fully revealed face was very different from what she had imagined. It looked so cold as if not a single drop of blood came out even when stabbed. There was no expression, and the mouth was closed, so his atmosphere seemed more difficult to approach. He was making a languid expression after their affair. Looking like a perfect predator, throwing off the image that he had suffered so far. ¡°You¡¯re really¡­ handsome.¡± But before hearing any reaction to it, Jiwoo fell asleep. Jiwoo woke up to the sound of rain at night. She heard it had been raining since the evening, and it seemed that it had started to rain while she was sleeping. It was dark outside, and the lighting in the lab wasn¡¯t very bright. Perhaps he was considerate of her sleep, so Enciertes adjusted it darkly. Jiwoo raised her body and looked for him first. Enciertes was lying face down in front of the desk in the lab. Even after putting her to sleep, he seemed to be tired at the end of the night after running around doing something. The bed in the lab was narrow, so he lay only her on it. She poked her finger in his face, but he was quite tired and didn¡¯t wake up. Next to it, the pink flowers Jiwoo had received from Tevon earlier were placed neatly in a vase. Even though she was the one who received it, Enci kept it carefully. And in the center of the table, there was a branch of Elandos, which was said to be the only one left. The dry branch. With the hemispherical glass cover removed, it was placed neatly on a device Enci had prepared. ¡®He did something all night long¡­¡¯ He must have been tired after an affair, but Enci worked hard as well. Is it because of their fondness and obsession with Elandos? A tree that embraces, protects, and is loved by the whole group. She couldn¡¯t dare imagine the feeling of losing it. Is it similar to the despair she felt when she was betrayed by someone she trusted and finally realized that there was no one on her side in this world? But Jiwoo realized that her heart was gradually being filled with other warm things. Jiwoo watched the pink flowers in the vase. I want to live. It would be nice to live with them. How about you? Do you want to live too? That moment Jiwoo carefully touched the branch with her hand. Crack. Craaack. The bark of the branches, black as charcoal, peeled off, revealing something white. The lighting in the lab was dim, so the tree itself seemed to glow white. ¡°Oh¡­ my God¡­¡± According to Jiwoo¡¯s common sense, branches were brown, and even young trees were light green. It¡¯s the first time she has seen anything so white. It was so white and shiny that it even felt divine. ¡°¡­Is this¡­ okay¡­?¡± She glanced at Enci, but he still didn¡¯t wake up. Jiwoo tried to touch the tree branch once more. Rustle. With the sound of fallen leaves being stepped on, all the black scabs covering the branches were peeling off. The white branches exposed from the inside were so bright that it was blinding for a moment. But it ended there. No leaves sprouted, nor did they grow. It was just the same size and shape, just the black skin peeled off and turned white. Maybe the fact that Enciertes had done something all night before seemed to have worked. Jiwoo pondered whether or not to wake him up to ask what else she should do here, but she chose not to wake him up. It was because she wanted the tired Enci to rest a little longer. Jiwoo woke up again because of the intermittent sound of drumming rain. Then came a continuous breathless groan like that of a wounded beast swallowing its breath. Ugh. Uuuhk. A voice, barely breathing. Jiwoo opened her eyes but did not stand up. Enciertes was standing up and was looking at the white branch Jiwoo touched earlier. ¡°Hhk¡­ hiic¡­ uhhuk¡­¡± His shoulders shuddered from time to time and he eventually wept aloud. He lowered his head and cried out like a beast in pain. As if something was very sad about it. Just the look on his back made him look terribly pitiful. Jiwoo opened her mouth to call him out, but chose to close it again. Her only thought was this: that Enciertes¡¯ snow-white hair must look a lot like the Elandos they were longing for. ¡ª Chapter 40 Chapter 40 ¨C Uninvited Guest Elandos. A pure white tree that repelled miasma just by taking root in the land of El Ragnile. With a huge trunk that connected the sky and the earth, with branches that stretched wide enough to fill the sky, and with white leaves that filled the gap between them¡ªthese were the characteristics of Elandos. It gave birth to the children of Elandos, took care of them until they grew up, taught them the truth of life, prolonged their lifespan, and prevented them from getting sick. So, the children of the tree respected it like a teacher, loved it like a parent, and appreciated it like a benefactor. Since the wisdom of Elandos was equal to the laws of nature, the children of Elandos knew that the tree was not simply a symbol of divinity, but the very providence of the world. Even so, of course, they couldn¡¯t help but love the tree. The branch was neatly placed under an old tree in the center of the village. No action was done after Jiwoo touched it, but it was still white as if it was shining alone. And everyone in the village woke up early in the morning and gathered in front of that small branch. The sky was still dark and it was drizzling, but no one cared. They laughed with tears in their eyes, sat down on the ground and cried, and looked at the white branches several times in disbelief, but did not dare to touch it. What did this mean for them? Did it feel like their deceased parents have reopened their eyes? Or was it the same as feeling that they found something that had since been forgotten? Jiwoo, who thought of the tree as just a tree, could not comprehend. As she was watching them from behind, she felt someone tap her arm lightly. ¡°Why are you standing in the back like this?¡± ¡°What? Ah¡­¡± After replying blankly, she saw it was Tevon. When he asked why, she couldn¡¯t answer easily. For the Akarna, this was the usual. When she was sent out to treat the sick or purify the land, people were happy and rejoiced and praised the Lord. There were times when they thanked the priests or the Akarna separately, but it wasn¡¯t that common. In the first place, the Akarna was treated as a symbol rather than a person, so it was not surprising. A long time had passed since she worked without any reward. She was told to be humble when she acted out even a little. And to be modest when she tried to get her hands on even good food at temple events. Seo Jiwoo was just watching them from a distance, as was her habit after becoming the Akarna. Besides, it was actually just a branch of a tree to Jiwoo, so she couldn¡¯t understand what made them so happy. ¡°Tevon, you aren¡¯t going there either?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ Actually, I don¡¯t have much affection for Elandos.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ I heard you¡¯re the youngest here.¡± It was apparent with Jiwoo¡¯s expression that she was feeling a bit dazed. Tevon was quick to notice her mood, but he was clumsy at grasping the other person¡¯s feelings. So he couldn¡¯t easily leave Jiwoo¡¯s side and walked around. And he spoke again. ¡°But how did you do it?¡± ¡°It just¡­ changed when I touched it.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Tevon put a finger on his chin and paused. ¡°Seo Jiwoo, don¡¯t you know how to exaggerate?¡± ¡°Exaggerate?¡± ¡°Yes. If something like this happens, you should take a few days off because you worked so hard. You should get a big reward and show off. You have to take the upper hand and be condescending.¡± Tevon patted Jiwoo on the back. Taking several steps forward because of him, Jiwoo then saw the ears of the people who had come to look at the tree branch pricking up at her in unison. Their gazes turned this way right then. And one of them came running to her. Ta-dak, ta-dak, ta-dak! ¡°Kyaah!¡± Before she could confirm who it was, Jiwoo was pulled into a hug. Long black hair flew along the trail he ran. ¡°Helka?¡± ¡°Thank you. Thank you¡­ I don¡¯t know how to express my joy.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. I don¡¯t really¡­ Ack!¡± Someone snatched Jiwoo from Helka¡¯s arms and hugged her. So strong that Jiwoo¡¯s feet left off the ground in an instant. ¡°I was dying that day when I met you¡­ It¡¯s a lifetime honor to be your first.¡± Lanceil picked her up and spun around. Perhaps that wasn¡¯t enough, he kissed her on the cheek and lips and turned around again. Helkainis and Lanceil did not stop. Jiwoo received a one-sided rain of kisses by men who she had never held hands or spoken to. They hugged Jiwoo once in a while, and even those who were a little shy at least kissed the back of her hand and withdrew. Even though they put their hands on her body freely, she didn¡¯t get offended. Because they really were expressing their abundant joy. All kinds of flowery fragrances wafted like pheromones between them. So, Jiwoo can¡¯t say that it wasn¡¯t a big deal. ¡°Stop, stop it¡­! I¡¯m dizzy! Stop it now!¡± The men took turns holding Jiwoo and turning her around the tree. She had to get away from it by slapping the shoulder of the man holding me at the end. ¡°Seo Jiwoo.¡± ¡°Callan. Ack¡­!¡± Finally, Calandein approached. Normally, he asked if it was okay to hold her, and he, who had touched Jiwoo, boldly lifted Jiwoo. He didn¡¯t do anything, but his breathing was already short. He put his forehead on the nape of Jiwoo¡¯s neck and rubbed his head like a child, and he said in an excited voice. ¡°We should hold a grand banquet today. What do you think?¡± ¡°What? A banquet?¡± Tevon behind him made a round shape with his fingers. To exaggerate and do what she wants. ¡°O-Okay.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m so glad.¡± Callan smiled broadly. It was a much brighter and shy face than when he smiled and said he would seduce Jiwoo. ¡°This time there is Helka, so you¡¯ll like it even more than last time.¡± Looking at Helka, he nodded in agreement. ¡°And I hope you won¡¯t refuse the reward we¡¯ll prepare this time.¡± Reward? ¡®That¡¯ was the only thing that came to mind when he said reward. After selecting a few handsome men, they immediately came to attend to her that night. The last time she was frightened and put off. In the end, it seemed like the time had finally come, and Jiwoo¡¯s face turned red. There seemed to be no reason to refuse this time. ¡°I-I¡­ But to get a reward, what I did really isn¡¯t that big a deal¡­¡± ¡°Hey.¡± Enciertes, who was standing right next to the branch, called in a quiet voice. ¡°You have to distinguish between when you¡¯re humble and when you¡¯re not. No matter how pretty you are, if you¡¯re so rude¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re the first person to say that. Is my face pretty?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Enciertes pursed his lips shut. Turning his head around, he only brushed his reddened ear once. Helka came over and spoke politely. ¡°I would like to tell you more about the details. Before you go to El Ragnile with us¡­ I¡¯m sure you have something to prepare. I¡¯d like to discuss that as well.¡± They had already accepted that she would go to El Ragnile. In fact, since she couldn¡¯t decide what kind of reward she should receive, she was glad to hear that he would rather discuss it. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then, could you give time until this morning? We need something to prepare for, too.¡± ¡°What? How¡­¡± ¡°You just need to go out of the village with me for a while.¡± Tevon, who had only watched Jiwoo spin round and round, stood close to him. It was a banquet for Seo Jiwoo. This time, it could have been the last banquet right before crossing over to the continent, remembering Elandos, which might be healed soon. Because of them who didn¡¯t even want to show what they were preparing, Jiwoo had to come out of the village alone with Tevon. After leaving the village where the warm green-gold sunlight was shining down, she saw the wild forest. However, Tevon did not let Jiwoo step on the rough grass. It was only after the surroundings became quiet that Jiwoo sighed. ¡°¡­I¡¯m losing my mind.¡± ¡°I know. You don¡¯t know how hard it is to take you out and be alone with you.¡± Being held by him, she was able to see the good places outside the village in her own way. A bluish stream running through the forest. An empty lot where there are few trees and sunlight penetrates deeply into it, and a beautiful pile of flowers has grown. And when she saw a pile of rings of red mushrooms, she marveled in wonder. She thought she had a pretty positive reaction, but Tevon didn¡¯t seem to like Jiwoo¡¯s reaction. Tevon sat Jiwoo under a large tree and put his arm next to her, trapping Jiwoo in his arms. ¡°You don¡¯t smile very much.¡± His fingertips touched Jiwoo¡¯s cheek. ¡°Do you like us?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Enough to get married?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± When Jiwoo couldn¡¯t answer easily, Tevon changed the question. ¡°Are you going to El Ragnile with us?¡± ¡°Maybe¡­¡± She hadn¡¯t thought about the reward, but it seemed fine as long as she went to El Ragnile. In fact, it seemed to be a better idea to leave for a completely different place compared to staying in Caranazion. ¡°Then¡­ at today¡¯s banquet, how about choosing me again?¡± She was still worrying about that. It¡¯s embarrassing, but she was willing to accept it if this was their way. ¡°I¡­¡± The moment Jiwoo tried to answer. Thunk! Something flew and landed next to them. When she looked to the side, she could see that the arrow shaft deeply embedded in the tree was trembling. Thunk! When something flew in again, Tevon swiftly caught it. The tendons in Tevon¡¯s forearm, who didn¡¯t even look at the flying arrow as he grabbed it, were sticking out. It was then that she heard the voices of strangers. ¡°It¡¯s a person!¡± ¡°The Akarna?¡± ¡°That is the Akarna! Your Highness! We found Akarna!¡± ¡ª Chapter 41 Chapter 41 Akarna. Akarna. They were clearly referring to her. Her heart, which had started to grow warm little by little after entering the unfamiliar village, seemed to stop suddenly. Thunk! After confirming that the person completely protecting Akarna was a man, another arrow flew. Tak! Tevon caught it easily again this time too, and threw it right where it came from. He threw arrows like they were spears. He returned with a force comparable to the speed with which it flew. ¡°Ugh!¡± The soldier, whose neck was pierced by an arrow, collapsed without a chance to even scream. ¡°W-What¡ª guh!¡± What followed them was something they couldn¡¯t even see with their eyes. The man standing next to him had his throat pierced by a dagger. Tevon, who had just thrown the dagger, pulled out another one of his knives from somewhere and tossed it lightly in the air. His expression looked much calmer than when he treated Jiwoo as an outsider. It was the same with Lanceil when they first met. They didn¡¯t like outsiders. To the point where if that outsider were to do something offensive, they would kill the stranger straightaway like this. It was a somewhat unfamiliar appearance to Jiwoo, who had been favored by them all along. Since the soldier already called out to the others, it was only a matter of seconds for them to rush into this place. Someone rode in with three or four soldiers on horseback. The first two soldiers who ran in were shocked to see that their colleagues had become corpses. ¡°What are you doing!¡± ¡°You lowly pointed ears!¡± Tevon, who killed two people in an instant, tilted his head slightly to the side, expressionless. ¡°I thought they were wild boars.¡± ¡°W-What did you say!¡± ¡°Since I¡¯m a hunter with no other skills, I thought I¡¯d give my game as a present for a special guest at today¡¯s banquet.¡± Tevon showed his teeth and smiled. ¡°A human being who is not worthy of being used as meat. What a waste of a dagger.¡± The soldier in the front drew a sword from his waist. As soon as the white blade shone, Tevon threw an arrow he had plucked from a tree. It landed right on the back of the soldier¡¯s hand. ¡°Kuuh!¡± ¡°Who said you could come closer?¡± Seeing that the soldier had dropped his longsword, Tevon looked intently at the rider on the horse. As he was about to throw the dagger at any moment, Jiwoo grabbed his clothes. ¡°Te, Tevon¡­ wait¡­¡± ¡°Hm, what is it?¡± Tevon¡¯s eyes, looking towards Jiwoo again, turned surprisingly soft. But for Jiwoo, there was a person standing in front of her that she couldn¡¯t miss even if he only passed by. ¡°Akarna¡­¡± He got off his horse. His gaze was always directed in this direction. Aleph, the Crown Prince of the Kaarbaude Empire. Neatly arranged black hair. Red eyes shining like the sun underneath the coolly exposed forehead. It was the face Jiwoo loved but never dared to look at. He proudly raised his chin, always and everywhere. But somehow he was a bit haggard now. Aleph muttered several times in disbelief. Akarna. Akarna¡­ with a dazed look on his face. He walked slowly this way, ignoring Tevon¡¯s warning. ¡°Do you know how long I¡¯ve been looking for you?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Why was this person here? He was engaged to another woman, and he should be in the middle of his wedding¡¯s preparations. The back of Jiwoo¡¯s hand holding Tevon¡¯s clothes turned white. ¡°I thought you were dead.¡± As Jiwoo¡¯s complexion turned pale, Tevon raised Jiwoo up. Her legs were so weak she wouldn¡¯t be able to stand up without Tevon supporting her. ¡°Let¡¯s go back.¡± Jiwoo, who was the only one qualified to answer, did not answer. Ever since Jiwoo met him, she has never failed to answer his words. The Crown Prince called Jiwoo once more, finding it so puzzling. ¡°Akarna?¡± Jiwoo finally opened her mouth. Her voice was barely audible. ¡°¡­Your Highness, I do not want to go back.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Why¡­ why do you think I want to go back? You thought I was dead? Why do you come looking for the dead? Because the Akarna¡¯s corpse is useful? Why? Why? She kept wondering. Her vision was spinning. Her mind went blank. She didn¡¯t know what to say anymore. She didn¡¯t know how to calculate, how to act, or how to negotiate. The Crown Prince appeared like a negotiator, Jiwoo only remembered what Tevon had said. ¡°Your place is by my side, Akarna.¡± ¡°What good is that for me?¡± The Crown Prince smirked. ¡°I wondered why you wouldn¡¯t come out of hiding when you were alive.¡± Why was he smirking? How can he laugh in this situation? Did I just say something very funny? ¡°¡­Alright. Do you want the position of Crown Princess? Okay. I lost. I¡¯ll give you the position of Crown Princess. So stop playing around and come here.¡± Some of the soldiers beside him held their breath at the unprecedented suggestion that came out of the Crown Prince¡¯s mouth. It seemed like his remark was unplanned. ¡°Crown Princess?¡± Jiwoo frowned, wanting to cry. He was the same person who never gave her the first dance even though she cried and begged him so much, yet he was now offering her the position of Crown Princess as if he had given up everything for her. If she had been her past self, she would have been delighted. If it had only been a month ago, or at least before meeting the children of Elandos in the green and gold village, she would have been thrilled that he could sacrifice that much for her. She didn¡¯t want any of that. When did he ever think that she wished for something like the Crown Princess¡¯s position? All she wanted was for him to love her. She didn¡¯t want anything else that could trouble him, so she just asked him to prove that he loved her. Why did he come now when she had just let go of all that? ¡°¡­Didn¡¯t you say that I can¡¯t because I can¡¯t give you a successor?¡± ¡°That can be worked out.¡± The Crown Prince said with a deep sigh. ¡°For taking you as the Crown Princess, I will need to take in a concubine as well.¡± Yes. There must be a way. He hadn¡¯t changed at all. He was the kind of person who, even in his most desperate moments, would come up with hundreds of ways to win someone over without losing them. ¡°¡­But the only one I love is you.¡± Jiwoo¡¯s breath stopped. Love. Love. Love? Did he just say love? It was before Jiwoo could react to it. There was a giggle and a laugh. Tevon. ¡°The Crown Prince? The quality of the head of an Empire¡¯s heir is far beyond even the lowest of the low. Do you think you¡¯re still in a position to negotiate?¡± Tevon lowered his stance and put his arm under Jiwoo¡¯s knee. ¡°In the first place, she¡¯s not even a member of the Empire. The position of Crown Princess of a country she¡¯s not tied to? Why on earth would she prefer that?¡± ¡°What nonsense! You pointed ears!¡± As the Crown Prince stood still, the soldier next to him shouted. His hand that was pierced by Tevon was pointing this way. ¡°Our Seo Jiwoo even gave you a chance, but you blew it. What the heck, I got nervous for no reason. There¡¯s nothing more to listen to.¡± Tevon lifted Jiwoo lightly and kissed Jiwoo on the cheek with a smile. His eyes remained on the Crown Prince. Instead of just rubbing his cheeks with his lips, Tevon bit Jiwoo¡¯s cheeks with his teeth. No one had ever provoked the Crown Prince in this way over Seo Jiwoo. The Crown Prince hesitated, feeling flustered like this for the first time in his life. And the moment he hesitated, Tevon got out of here. With a slight bend and force from his knees, Tevon leapt up a tall tree. After repeating it only a few times, Tevon quickly moved away from the group. Red eyes widening in surprise. Disheveled black hair. The tired, dark eyes. Even so, until the end, he caught Jiwoo¡¯s attention. ¡°Akarna! AKARNA¡­!¡± His voice called out to her anxiously. She closed her eyes tightly. She wanted to cover her ears. Until they completely disappeared, Jiwoo couldn¡¯t think of anything. Her expression was blank, and nothing registered in her eyes. Tevon tried to get as far away as possible, but when Jiwoo¡¯s reaction was unusual, Tevon put Jiwoo down in an appropriate place. And he shook Jiwoo¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Breathe. Breathe. Seo Jiwoo.¡± ¡°Huk, huuk¡­¡± Then her choked breath came out. Her body didn¡¯t function properly enough to breathe if someone didn¡¯t tell her. Seo Jiwoo, who Tevon looked at, had unfocused eyes which shook wildly. ¡°Tevon¡­ What could I, what could I have said to that?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°C-Crown Princess? Me, me? Should I accept that?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Love? He loves me? Me? Love? Love¡­?¡± Tevon hugged Jiwoo. ¡°You don¡¯t have to wrestle with such complicated thoughts.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t. I¡­ I can¡¯t do that¡­¡± It was better when she couldn¡¯t remember anything. Once she opened her mouth, the thoughts kept coming. What would have changed if she accepted the position of Crown Princess there? What would change? He would keep her by his side, expecting an Akarna who was still devoted to him¡ª yet she would have to watch him meet another woman, and¡­ Her heart was pounding and beating. Her whole body trembled. It seemed like something was rushing inside her, so she covered her mouth. ¡°Uhk. Hiic¡­¡± ¡ª Chapter 42 Chapter 42 If the Crown Prince had previously been the kind of person who knew how to give up a little bit of what he had for Jiwoo¡¯s sake, then she would have gladly gone into the gutter with a smile on her face. He might have thought that she was happy to exhaust her body, devote herself to him, and eat only a piece of his love. He probably didn¡¯t even know that she was dying while barely alive. Even so, he wouldn¡¯t even look this way. ¡°Uhk. Huff¡­ Uh¡­¡± Then she would go back to the temple, cut herself with a knife to treat the sick, feed others with her blood, and barely hold on to the desperate madmen trying to stab her. She would walk alone for days and days on a barren land where there was nothing and spilled blood along the way. Was the position of Crown Princess worth it? When did she ever say she wanted something like that? Was he offering the position of Crown Princess because he wanted her to do that again? Someone who loves her? Love? What is love? ¡°Uh, hicc¡­¡± ¡°Seo Jiwoo, the temple bastards are not here. There¡¯s no one.¡± Tevon¡¯s large hand stroked her back. ¡°Breathe. You have to breathe¡­ Okay, Seo Jiwoo? Slowly¡­¡± Tears came out. Tears came out, but not because she was sad. Five years was not a short time. Seo Jiwoo, who only knew how to live as an Akarna, had forgotten how to live as a human being. She couldn¡¯t even breathe properly on her own. She didn¡¯t know how to laugh as a human or how to cry as a human. Am I human? Am I a person? Are they treating me like a person? ¡°Seo Jiwoo.¡± Tevon shook her shoulder. Her mind was spinning. She only got even more dizzy. ¡°I¡¯ll decide for you. You¡¯re crying because you¡¯re annoyed.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s as if he gave up his c*ck for you as he would with alms, yet acts as if he had given up on something so great.¡± ¡°What¡­¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it like that? He wants you to be his slave for at least five years, yet he should be grateful if he could even just get the position of a number 30-something concubine.¡± Tevon managed to catch his breath as he tried to speak again. ¡°But even that¡¯s not enough. Understand? I told you. You should negotiate because you have the upper hand. That¡¯s what you¡¯re disappointed with, right?¡± Tevon wiped her tears and pressed their foreheads together. Not a single word Tevon said entered her head, but the constant, comforting stroking on her back and the rough but kind words calmed her little by little. ¡°Okay? You have to heed my words carefully.¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± ¡°And we have no intention of giving you up either. Understand?¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± ¡°This is becoming such a mess.¡± After Jiwoo finally regained her breath and closed her eyes, Tevon decided that he had to return to the village ahead of schedule. Although he relaxed in front of him, the Crown Prince was no ordinary human. He couldn¡¯t forget the look in the Crown Prince¡¯s eyes that had been watching him intently until they moved away from him. The Crown Prince may be cowardly, but he was sincere when he spoke of love. (t/n: IT HAS BEGUN!! Hold onto your hearts!) Tevon¡¯s senses had become developed like that of a wild animal, and he had a hunch. The village would soon be discovered by the Crown Prince, who was looking for Seo Jiwoo. Jiwoo returned to the village in Tevon¡¯s arms. Perhaps Jiwoo¡¯s unusual condition could be seen from a distance, familiar people came closer. They said something towards her, but her mind couldn¡¯t register any of it. She couldn¡¯t answer because she didn¡¯t hear them even when they were talking to her. In her ears, only constant ringing was heard. In the first place, there were not many people in this world who wanted to hear what she had to say. The soldiers and the Crown Prince who were looking for the Akarna. The word Akarna they chanted triggered Jiwoo¡¯s emotions that she had built up along with the habits accumulated for five years. It was natural for others to discuss her. It is their job to decide where the Akarna will be dispatched and select the list. Whatever they chose, she had to do as she was told. Oh, she got tired in an instant. When she closed her eyes for a moment, everything went dark. It was only then that she realized that her mind was too tired to accept the sensations pouring into her. When she opened her eyes once more, it was dark everywhere. She felt dizzy as if she had been crying for hours. ¡°Would you like some water?¡± The void spoke to Jiwoo. Then someone held out a glass of water as if they had been waiting. As she took the water cup, a magic circle floated right above it and poured out the water. Jiwoo blankly watched as the cold water was being made. ¡°Seo Jiwoo, are you okay?¡± Only then did Jiwoo raise his head. Callandein¡¯s worried face came up close. ¡°¡­I think I¡¯m okay.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t look like that to me.¡± Callan confirmed that Jiwoo drank the full cup of water, and spoke somewhat hesitantly. ¡°I wasn¡¯t sure what you¡¯d think, so I brought in people who you wouldn¡¯t be shy with.¡± Jiwoo raised her head and looked at those who were looking at her. Lanceil, who said he was happy to be the first. Helkainis, who thanked her for extending his life. Callandein, who said he had no intention of receiving only love. And Enciertes, who said he only had Elandos. They were all watching her. For some reason, Tevon was not here. ¡°What do you think? Do you not like it?¡± Callan asked nervously. ¡°Ah¡­¡± Memories slowly came to her mind. The reason they were here. They said there was a reward. And the reason they devoted themselves to preparing the reward was because they needed her to do something in return. And that was something only Akarna could do. Seo Jiwoo¡¯s expression darkened as she realized her situation again. ¡°¡­Callan, I¡­ don¡¯t want to do something as an Akarna.¡± Jiwoo quietly opened her mouth. ¡°You said you would try to love me. But I don¡¯t know what love is. I don¡¯t know if I want to marry you¡­ or not. Honestly, I don¡¯t know whether I want to go to El Ragneil with you or not.¡± Jiwoo spoke honestly. ¡°I just want to rest¡­ I just¡­ I¡¯m here because it¡¯s a place where I can breathe, at least. Not because I like you guys.¡± This was a place she just came across by accident. It was not somewhere some great fate had led. It was not a place she desperately wanted to stay. But she didn¡¯t even want to leave as well. Enciertes, who had been listening quietly, spoke. ¡°¡­I know.¡± ¡°What do you mean, you know?¡± Jiwoo lowered her gaze and spoke dryly. She didn¡¯t understand her own feelings. She only knew how to kill her emotions and hold her breath, so she forgot how to look back on her mind. How could she let others know about her feelings that she didn¡¯t even know about herself? ¡°I know you¡¯re thinking nonsense.¡± Enciertes shut his mouth as if that was what he had to say. Normally, he would have turned his head away, but for some reason, his transparent eyes were staring at me. ¡°Seo Jiwoo,¡± Helkainis said. ¡°That premise is wrong. We¡¯re here to reward you, not to demand anything from you.¡± Callan followed, ¡°This is just a small part of the compensation we can give you. If you don¡¯t like it, you can change it to something else.¡± ¡°What if I¡­ won¡¯t heal Ellandos? Do you still need me here?¡± They all fell silent. Seo Jiwoo spat out the words and immediately regretted it. She shouldn¡¯t have done that. She had acted like a child. Ellandos would be important to them, she was a terrible human being. They were the few people who were kind to her. If they say they would abandon her, she would have nowhere to go. Jiwoo closed her eyes tightly and trembled. A large hand wrapped around my trembling hand. ¡°Does that change that you saved my life?¡± It was Lanceil. ¡°At the very least, I will stay loyal to you. I¡¯m your first. And that won¡¯t change. No matter what you are, I like you. Won¡¯t this be enough?¡± Lanceil spoke like a knight when he was not even a knight. Jiwoo¡¯s face reddened. She didn¡¯t know much about love. To Jiwoo, love was still too violent a feeling. Violent emotions that could dry herself out, and drive her to extremities. But at least saying that he likes her, she thought she could accept it. ¡°I like you. Will this be okay for now?¡± It was as if he was a small animal that would sneak up on you so it wouldn¡¯t startle you. Jiwoo, who was hesitant, nodded in the end. At least these were the people who could tell Jiwoo about rewards. The emotions that had been standing on edge like a blade the whole time softened. She didn¡¯t know why. She didn¡¯t want to think about it. Lanceil, who held her hand, kissed her on the lips first. The lips that quickly escaped after making light contact, approached Jiwoo again and held her lower lip as Jiwoo stayed still. As his sweet tongue pressed in followed by a damp breath, Jiwoo realized that she had finally accepted them. ¡ª t/n: i¡¯ve had my fair share of depressing novels but this is just huhhh¡­ sad¡­ T.T ¡ª Chapter 43 Chapter 43 ¨C Object Of Jealousy As Lanceil started kissing her, a sweet scent began to spread throughout the room. She guessed that their bodies could give off a fragrant scent just by the intimate act they were about to do. Their bodies gave off a subtle, pleasant aroma of flowers. However, their scent spread rather heavily in the air like pheromones right now. Since there were four people who were determined to try and seduce her, the dense scent instantly filled the place where she was sitting. As she kissed Lanceil, she slightly opened her eyes and checked where she was lying down. This place was so beautiful that she wondered why she hadn¡¯t known about it before. Like the interior of an old tree where she was left alone with Helkainis in the past, it was a wide space within a tree. But there was no sign of habitation. There was only a wide bed in the middle, which was like an altar. The bed seemed to be made of wood, but it was still connected to the old tree, and it looked so full of life. The edges were surrounded by tree trunks, and pretty flowers bloomed in between. Even though it seemed like it was laid out in nature, the center of the bed was soft. She didn¡¯t know what kind of material it was made from. ¡°Is this a separate space?¡± It was as wide as a banquet hall. If nothing had happened, the entire village might have been filled with people eating, drinking and dancing. It was a banquet prepared only for her, but the purpose of the banquet was changed just because the main character was in a bad condition. How long have I been lying here? Tree vines hung irregularly from the ceiling. Flowers that looked like lanterns or bells hung between them. They may be bellflowers or rainbells, or perhaps the flowers had another name. She didn¡¯t know much about plants, but she just thought they were beautiful. The lantern-like flowers were shining all at once. It was as if they were hiding something like a flame or a firefly inside each bud. Thanks to this, the torches weren¡¯t on, but even at night, this place glowed softly. It wasn¡¯t as bright as daytime, and it wasn¡¯t dark at all. Even those lights seemed to be a foreshadowing of the night of secrecy that was about to ensue. Didn¡¯t people say that they feel more attracted to the other person under the dark light? Maybe that¡¯s why the people around her looked more beautiful. ¡°Um. Ung¡­¡± As the kiss deepened, her body gave in. ¡°Relax, Seo Jiwoo. I¡¯ll make you satisfied for a long time today.¡± Callan went behind Jiwoo and caressed her shoulders to relax them, and he stroked the nape of her neck. His slow-moving fingers groped down her tender skin, pulling her clothes down. ¡°Relax, don¡¯t be tense. You should receive it with a good feeling.¡± Someone¡¯s hand, which had been stroking her waist, squeezed through her shirt and stroked her abdomen. The top rolled up, exposing her slim body. ¡°Seo Jiwoo. I¡¯ll kiss you.¡± Someone grabbed her hand and kissed the back of it. The act, which started lightly by rubbing only the lips, gradually rose along the back of her hand and arm. Her skin was bitten softly with the teeth. As she completely surrendered herself to the increasingly dense kiss, Jiwoo identified each of the people clinging to her. She was leaning on Callan, she was giving her lips to Lanceil, she was leaving her lower abdomen to Enci, and she was being nipped at the hand by Helka. What started out as intimate quickly turned into touches of a sexual nature. Instead of the Akarna¡¯s uniform, the simple clothes they had tailored were peeled off again in their hands. The children of Elandos were not to be judged by appearance alone. There were many people who saw them as easy because they were beautiful and approached, only to be brutally murdered. Somehow, Jiwoo felt that she had fallen into a trap because of their appearance. No matter how slow they each moved, she was dealing with four people at a time. The speed at which Jiwoo became disheveled got even faster. When Lanceil kissed her to his satisfaction and withdrew, Jiwoo gasped for air with her lips glowing red. ¡°Ha, haa¡­¡± She was already out of breath just by kissing. But they seemed unwilling to give her a break. When Jiwoo wasn¡¯t tired, she always had other thoughts, and that wasn¡¯t a good outcome for her or them. Callan, who had been stroking Jiwoo¡¯s shoulder from behind the whole time, grabbed Jiwoo¡¯s chin and turned her away. ¡°Would you like to do it with me this time?¡± He lightly licked her lower lip, wet with someone else¡¯s saliva. ¡°Mmh. Yes¡­ nngh.¡± Callan, who had already begun to take Jiwoo¡¯s lips before she could answer completely, hurriedly pushed his tongue in as soon as she answered. At first, Jiwoo tried to figure out what each of them was doing, but she had no mind left to do that when she started accepting the second kiss. The clothes had already been taken off and Jiwoo¡¯s body became naked. Obviously, the wearer had to twist her body at least once when putting on and taking off the clothes. But instead of breaking the flow of the affair, they chose to tear her clothes. The clothes didn¡¯t even make the sound of being torn and disappeared. ¡°Uht. Ung.¡± While concentrating on kissing one, the other three kissed every inch of Jiwoo¡¯s body. They intended to make sure that there was no part of Jiwoo¡¯s body that their lips did not touch. She got goosebumps from the four pairs of hands touching her entire body. ¡°Hu, haa¡­¡± Next Helka cupped her chin and took her lips. It was a somewhat more urgent move than the first two. He didn¡¯t even ask Jiwoo for permission. But it didn¡¯t matter. ¡°Mmm. Ung.¡± The kiss was deeper than the first two. A different scent filled the already soft mouth. ¡°Huhp. Mmmhh¡­¡± With their large hands, they were stroking the skin of her stomach that was rising and falling rapidly, her thighs trembling with shallow pleasure, and her lower body was starting to get wet. ¡°Are you still nervous? Leave it all to us.¡± ¡°Ung¡­¡± She couldn¡¯t tell exactly who was touching where on her body. However, they only rubbed where she could easily feel good as if they knew. As Helka backed away, Ensi grabbed her chin and put his head close. ¡°It¡¯s me this time.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± The kiss that Enciertes gave was much more clumsy than the previous three. But in a different way, the area between her legs got wet. Jiwoo thought that she wasn¡¯t the type of person who was affected that much by people¡¯s faces. But Enciertes, who was kissing her as if serving her, had a face that could turn that idea over. He had an indifferent and cold face, and his tone was not very friendly, so it even gave the impression of being stoic. But kissing her clumsily and frowning at the other side made Jiwoo very excited. With reddened eyes, eyes blazing with lust, looking at her¡­ ¡°Hu, haa¡­¡± After four kisses, the strength of her body was completely released. It seemed like she wouldn¡¯t be able to walk properly even if someone stood her up like this. ¡°We are honored that you have chosen us.¡± Helka spoke as a representative, and they bowed and kissed Jiwoo¡¯s hair, back of her hand, ankle, and nape. It was like a ritual. As if there is a rule that says they must kiss her once before starting something in earnest. Then Enciertes, who was in charge of the kiss at the end, trailed kisses down from the base of her neck and sucked her collarbone. Just watching his head go lower¡­ and lower¡­ made her feel wet between her legs. He rubbed his cheek over her chest, fine white hair tickled her body. ¡°Hu, uhnng¡­¡± Jiwoo let out a small moan. Callan hugged Jiwoo from behind and laughed softly. ¡°Tevon is right. You seem to like Enci.¡± Come to think of it, why wasn¡¯t Tevon here? Such a question occurred to her for a moment, but Enciertes soon sucked her right nipple, and her back naturally arched up. ¡°Uht¡­!¡± ¡°Enci.¡± Helkainis, who had been kissing Jiwoo¡¯s arm and rubbing it, called out to Enci politely. ¡°She doesn¡¯t like it very much.¡± ¡°What?¡± Enci hurriedly took off his lips. However, Jiwoo was more surprised than Enci. The day she first slept with Helkainis, he relentlessly sucked on Jiwoo¡¯s breasts, eventually climaxing with just that. He knew better than anyone else that it was an erogenous zone for Jiwoo. But at that time, he must have completely lost his reason. ¡°Um. Do you remember that time?¡± ¡°A little bit.¡± Hellkainis said boldly, without changing a single color on his face. Thanks to that, Jiwoo¡¯s face lit up. ¡°W-Why are you pretending not to, uhngg¡­!¡± A strange sensation came from the opposite nipple. When she looked that way, Enci was looking up this way while nibbling on the other nipple. Enshi grinned as he ran his tongue over her stiff nipples. ¡°Then I guess it¡¯s okay here.¡± t/n: 1 they¡¯re a VILLAGE of men, i assume each of jiwoo¡¯s clothes would be couture and in limited quantity, as they would not have women¡¯s clothes on standby, so RIP to this dress, pun intended~ 2 aka turned into a giant dog ¡ª Chapter 44 Chapter 44 ¡°Ung, aht¡­! Huahk¡­!¡± Enciertes put her nipple in his mouth and rolled it around. In fact, if Enci had only sucked her breasts by himself, such a strange moan wouldn¡¯t have spilled through her lips. The problem was Callan. His hand, which had been gently stroking her shoulder until now, gripped the other breast that Enci hadn¡¯t put in his mouth. As his fingers gripped her nipples and twisted them, she felt pleasure on both sides. ¡°Hgh. Nngh¡­¡± ¡°Is it okay to do this by hand?¡± ¡°Ung. Aht¡­!¡± Besides, how did he know, he was crushing it with intensity when it was done by Helka. Callan did those deeds, but Jiwoo glanced back at Helka. Helka kissed her on the back of her hand and tilted his head seeing if she had something to say. ¡°By any chance, did you share something like that?¡± Jiwoo¡¯s face turned red. ¡°Yes.¡± Helka replied expressionlessly. That person¡¯s original expression wasn¡¯t very colorful when he was with others, but he looked completely shameless. ¡°To satisfy you. Isn¡¯t it obvious?¡± With both hands free, Callan stimulated Jiwoo¡¯s chest with one hand, while the other hand was stroking her lower abdomen. If she had dealt with only one person, her focus would have been dispersed. But now, because of them serving one side with all their might, she felt the same pleasure in both her breasts. ¡°Wait, wait¡­ Hu-uhk!¡± She felt as if her body was completely trapped in the frame they had created exclusively for pleasure. Feeling a little uneasy, Jiwoo instinctively wanted to pull away from them. ¡°Kyaah!¡± It was interrupted by someone jerking up her ankle. ¡°Lanceil, you have to be gentle.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry.¡± Lanceil, who had been kissing Jiwoo¡¯s ankles and insteps, lifted her ankles while spreading her legs. Lanceil kissed the top of her foot a couple of times, then pushed his face into her thigh. ¡°Huh, aah¡­¡± Because of this, Jiwoo, who was holding her upper body even a little bit, slipped and was completely leaning on Callan. She tried to get up again, but her body didn¡¯t have the strength anymore. Callan¡¯s thick chest was soft, so it wasn¡¯t bad to lean on instead of a bed. She was sure to think so, if it hadn¡¯t been for his member stabbing her in the back that it hurt. ¡°Seo Jiwoo, pick who you want to start with.¡± ¡°Ha, ha-ugh¡­¡± Callan whispered while biting Jiwoo¡¯s earlobe. His heated breath and low voice reached deep into her ear. It started out softly, but she could feel that they were lusting after her. Even though they tried to relax her, her nerves were on edge again. ¡°Ung, hu-ugh, ah¡­¡± The area between her legs was wet with just a light touch of the body. It was only natural that the four of them were determined to touch her erogenous zones. Enci, who was sucking on her breast, glanced at Lanceil¡¯s focus and reached out his hand. ¡°Huuhk!¡± Lanceil¡¯s and Enci¡¯s hands simultaneously opened her entrance, rubbed her cl*toris, and began to grope for her inner walls. She couldn¡¯t tell who was doing what. Furthermore, Lanceil¡¯s lips, which had been riding on his thighs, reached between her legs in no time. She was worried and kept looking at that side, but Helka grabbed Jiwoo¡¯s chin. There was no need to ask for permission anymore. As Helka began sucking on Jiwoo¡¯s lips, every movement from then on became wilder. ¡°Ung. Uunngg. Mmmh¡­!¡± No, with that signal, her whole body became more sensitive. Lanceil put one of Jiwoo¡¯s legs on his shoulder and started licking her opening. His soft tongue entered, thrusting into her inner wall like a manhood would. Enciertes, who used his pretty fingers obscenely, left Lanceil to lick the opening and began to rub her cl*toris. With just one or two finger movements, her petals opened easily. When the hardened, red cl*toris was exposed, Enci rubbed it between his fingers without even looking at it. ¡°Hu-uhk!¡± ¡°This is the most sensitive place. Seo Jiwoo.¡± Enci laughed in a low voice. ¡°Huhp. Hhngg!¡± Every time he raised his fingertips and touched the sensitive nub, Jiwoo¡¯s back arched up as if she had been struck by lightning. However, her body did not move much. It would be more correct to say that she could not. They were completely restraining Jiwoo¡¯s limbs. ¡°Uuhp!¡± The lips, both breasts, the nape of the neck, and between the legs, the wet tongue and the powerful lips began to suck. ¡°Uhp. Uuhpp¡­!¡± It was impossible for her to hold on to the climax when the four of them were determined like this. It was only for a very short time in that state, but Jiwoo reached a climax with her whole body trembling while holding Helka¡¯s tongue. As Jiwoo shuddered and groaned, their actions became more relaxed. Helka stopped licking the inside of her mouth and rubbed his lips against her cheek, and Jiwoo let out a deep breath through her barely free mouth. ¡°Now, who¡¯s going to be first?¡± ¡°Yes. Yes¡­? I¡¯ll choose?¡± ¡°Of course, you have to choose the person you like first.¡± ¡°That, that¡¯s¡­¡± Her face dyed bright red and she closed her eyes tightly. Now everyone was staring at her eagerly, waiting for an answer. The emotions in those eyes were too heavy for Jiwoo to handle right now, whether it be lust or affection. As Jiwoo hesitated to answer, the frantic pleasure that poured into her body earlier started again. Not hearing the answer, they began to kiss Jiwoo¡¯s body again. ¡°If we¡¯re not good enough, we will serve you again.¡± ¡°Wh-what?¡± Did they say they will continue like this? In fact, they didn¡¯t put much effort into making Jiwoo reach her climax. Jiwoo, who became more sensitive, reached the climax on her own as long as they focused on the place they were assigned to, and on the points they had identified while living with Jiwoo. Fearing that they might resume their movements again, Jiwoo said urgently. ¡°La, Lanceil! Lanceil will do it.¡± For a moment, Jiwoo could confirm the different reactions of each of them. All of them had the same expression. A smiling face while seducing. But one thing was different. With Jiwoo¡¯s permission, Lanceil¡¯s ears pricked up, but the rest¡¯s ears went down slightly. Jiwoo felt unknown emotions tickle her chest. Why¡­ were they so cute? Each of them was twice as tall as her. It was a strange feeling. ¡°It¡¯s an honor. Jiwoo.¡± Lanceil said nobly and sat down with her legs fully spread. ¡°Ah¡­¡± And Jiwoo, who hadn¡¯t even thought about it, very slightly regretted calling Lanceil out for the first time. His pillar, which jumped out as soon as he took it out, was completely erect and full of blood, looking ferocious even without Jiwoo touching it. Lanceil had already stood on his feet and adjusted himself to her opening. From the first time she accepted it, Lanceil was too heavy to take in. When it was fully inserted, it was so large that he could visibly be seen entering her with the outline of his manhood within her belly. Perhaps feeling the concern from Jiwoo¡¯s expression, Callan said while gently kissing her on the cheek. ¡°It¡¯s a good choice. If he¡¯s the first¡­ you¡¯ll be more relaxed here and you¡¯ll accept us more easily afterwards.¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s¡­¡± Callan spoke obscenities without using a single obscene word. ¡°What about me next? Tell me if Lanceil is not enough. I¡¯ll fill you up¡ªevery nook and cranny.¡± ¡°I, I should¡­ say that?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong? I can do anything if I can seduce you.¡± Callan stimulated Jiwoo, who was embarrassed, by kissing her ears and neck, and Helkainis, who had occupied Jiwoo¡¯s lips so far, rushed to her chest. Helka was a man of few words. Among them, Helka was the only one who she could not read clearly whenever they were in the middle of doing the deed. That is, she couldn¡¯t tell the difference between his rational state and purely instinctual state. ¡°Haht. Uhhh¡­¡± Scared to be distracted by someone else, Lanceil rubbed his pillar promiscuously on her. While waiting for Jiwoo to be ready while soaked in the slippery juice, he was just nervous, not ready. Enciertes, who was watching Jiwoo¡¯s eyes, casually reached out his hand. ¡°Enci, wait, wait, that¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°But you¡­¡± Enci opened his eyes lightly. There seemed to be something dissatisfying to him as his ears were laid back. ¡°You keep talking formally to me. Why? The other day, you gladly changed your attitude with Tevon.¡± It was clear that it was a conversation they had while she accepted food and flowers in front of the lab. Enciertes, who seemed like a little boy unlike his face, seemed to remember everything that happened that day. ¡°¡­Is it because you¡¯re uncomfortable with me?¡± ¡°N, no¡­¡± ¡°After today, you¡¯ll be comfortable too.¡± ¡°What does that mean, hu, huuhk¡­!¡± Lanceil widened her opening and began to enter, and Jiwoo tilted her head and moaned. ¡°Haa!¡± When Enci pressed her cl*toris with his delicate fingers, Lanceil¡¯s manhood, which seemed like it would never be able to come in, slipped in while filling her inner walls up with its girth. ¡°Hu, huhk!¡± The insertion was excruciatingly slow. While sweating profusely, he slowly inserted it, but she felt more pressure than pleasure. Jiwoo¡¯s whole body was tense. ¡°It¡¯s too slow. It¡¯s rather a burden. Put it in at once.¡± ¡°Is it?¡± Lanceil replied to Enci¡¯s scolding seriously. ¡°N¡­.o, no, nhh!¡± Jiwoo was alarmed and spoke urgently, but Lanceil had already accepted the advice. Slowly, the flesh that had been half squeezed in suddenly plunged all the way to the root. ¡°Huahh!¡± ¡ª Chapter 45 Chapter 45 Jiwoo¡¯s mind went completely white as shivers ran down her spine. Just the rhythm of him hitting her deep inside made her mind go blank. The effect of the caress that the four of them poured out on her was intense. She trembled with pleasure just from the caressing, and after only one insertion, breathtaking pleasure swept through her body. Jiwoo, who only shivered with her mouth open, finally came to her senses and looked down at her body. ¡°Huht, huugh. Haaahk¡­¡± Tears were flowing down. She couldn¡¯t believe that Lanceil, who she thought she wouldn¡¯t be able to accept even during their first time together, had buried himself into her all at once. She could feel Lanceil¡¯s large flesh twitching under the thin skin of her lower abdomen. Her inner walls moved freely, tightening and loosening its grip on him, but there was no way that it would help decrease his size. ¡°Kuht.¡± Lanceil also had to temporarily stop his movement because of Jiwoo¡¯s reaction. Just when he thought he had reached deep inside, Jiwoo screamed as her inner walls convulsed around him. If he hadn¡¯t clenched his teeth, he would have poured out his s*men badly, and then passed her along to someone else. As Lanceil started moving his hips slowly, Jiwoo came alive. ¡°Huaa, ha!¡± Her moans went high. Taking a deep breath for a moment, Lanceil pulled out halfway, then thrusted his waist vigorously once more. ¡°Huahng!¡± Tears welled up in her eyes and ran down her cheeks. Just the act of pulling out and pushing it back to get repeated once, she reached her climax again. Again, Lanceil grabbed her back and pulled out half of himself. Jiwoo couldn¡¯t stand it and shook her head. If he continued like this, her head might truly melt. Callan licked the tears from her cheeks. His hot tongue licked from the cheek to the corner of the eye. Her whole body became sensitive, so even that was stimulating now. ¡°Uh, ah! Aahh¡­!¡± ¡°Seo Jiwoo.¡± Enciertes¡¯s hand, which had been touching the cl*toris, moved up while rubbing her lower stomach. Enci touched and pressed the bulging stomach filled with Lanceil¡¯s pillar. ¡°Hu-uhk!¡± ¡°It¡¯s all the way up here, huh?¡± ¡°Ah, Enci¡­ Ah¡­! Uht! Stop¡­ Stop it.¡± What was worse, what Enciertes brought up were two valid points. Jiwoo, who was so preoccupied, was not in a position to speak formally to anyone one by one. What came out of her mouth became short. On the other hand, it was right that it was less burdensome to push it in at once rather than push it in bit by bit. Certainly, Lanceil¡¯s pillar came in more easily than their first time. But that didn¡¯t mean it¡¯s less enjoyable. Enci was pressing down on her stomach, but Lanceil didn¡¯t stop his pistoning. Jiwoo was left shaking her head several times as she couldn¡¯t bend her head back. Her pupils quivered. ¡°Hua, haa, ah¡­ aht, ah¡­!¡± She couldn¡¯t even struggle. Callan was holding her from behind, and Lanceil was holding both of her legs. She couldn¡¯t even raise her upper body as Helkainis gently bit and suckled her chest. Even though it was clearly not a forced act, she couldn¡¯t hide the feeling. ¡°Seo Jiwoo, good?¡± Enciertes asked, rubbing her lower stomach, which shrunk and bulged again with each repetition of Lanceil¡¯s movement. ¡°Ung. Ah, good, good, good¡­ So good¡­!¡± ¡°Is it better if I press it like this?¡± It felt incredible, but it was difficult to bear. Her body, which had been stretched to its limit and accepted the pillar of flesh, became even more palpable when he lightly rubbed her stomach. In the end, Jiwoo couldn¡¯t stand it and put her hand on Enci¡¯s forearm. ¡°Enci, Enci, ung¡­ Ki, kiss me. Kiss me. Don¡¯t, don¡¯t do that.¡± ¡°¡­Okay.¡± Perhaps he had hoped for these words, Enciertes, who had been grumpy, somehow had a flush in his cheeks. Was it an illusion that it feels like the moment of confession? He removed his hand from rubbing her stomach and grabbed her chin. He kissed her, and the fresh mint flavor spread in her mouth. The kiss was rough. The kiss, which robbed her tongue and chewed on it while using the tips of the teeth, made even the clean impression of the mint scent feel promiscuous and wild. ¡°Hu-uhp. Uhp!¡± And Lanceil also pounded her again and jabbed at her inner flesh. Her body trembled at the pleasure that was attacking her from all directions. She twisted her waist because she was feeling it too much, and then Callan or Helka came to kiss her. It seemed like this would repeat itself endlessly. She completely closed her eyes. Still, the pleasure pouring into her body did not stop. When kissing someone, she could distinguish what their saliva tasted like rather than what they looked like. ¡°Aht, ah! Aaht! Uung!¡± Jiwoo could not hold back her moaning as her whole body was flushed and became more and more lascivious. Jiwoo¡¯s appearance was very sensational, even considering that they had a certain affinity for Jiwoo. ¡°Haa, kuht¡­¡± Seeing Jiwoo who couldn¡¯t come to her senses, Lanceil couldn¡¯t stand it any longer. Lanceil¡¯s sticky desire poured into her along with a low moan. There must have been as much s*men as the size of his large manhood, and the long climax seemed to dye her hair blank too. The pillar came out slowly. At the same time, the bodily fluids mixed inside dripped out. The drippings of his s*men smelled of wild flowers. If they kept doing this, she might remember this moment and go into heat just by smelling the scent of flowers in the forest. ¡°Hu, aah¡­ hu, ah¡­¡± Perhaps finishing once was not enough, Lanceil pounded her several more times and moved his waist. Shivering and trembling, she couldn¡¯t even groan. She did not know where or how to rest because she was given climax again and again. ¡°Seo Jiwoo, Seo Jiwoo, are you okay?¡± ¡°Ah, uhng, mmngh, yeah¡­¡± Jiwoo replied with her eyes wide open. She didn¡¯t even bother to be polite to Callan. Callan looked at Enci in surprise. ¡°Wow, sometimes you¡¯re right.¡± ¡°What does that mean? I¡¯m always right.¡± Callan ignored whatever Enci snapped at him for. ¡°Seo Jiwoo, if we satisfy you today, you will treat us a little more comfortably, right?¡± ¡°If you make her feel good, it will happen without you even knowing it.¡± ¡°Aha¡­¡± Callan pretended to be calm, but his breathing had already turned harsh. Whistling breaths like an animal spewed out into Jiwoo¡¯s ear, and his pillar, which had already risen up to its limit, was rubbing against Jiwoo¡¯s back, unable to find a place to enter. Jiwoo didn¡¯t know that a man¡¯s erection was so hard and painful. It was only rubbed against her back, but it felt like someone stabbed her in the back with something like a weapon. ¡°Ha-ahk!¡± No, it wasn¡¯t ¡®something like a weapon¡¯. What¡¯s touching her clearly was a weapon. Of course, what is it if not a weapon that mercilessly crushes her inner walls? Lanceil, who had been thrusting several more times as if regretting leaving, managed to pull himself out. Perhaps because she had been accepting his large member for so long, she even felt a sense of emptiness when he was completely out. ¡°Huuuaa¡­¡± ¡°Jiwoo, are you okay?¡± Jiwoo was trembling with pleasure to the limit at her climax. And as if he didn¡¯t understand, he rubbed his forehead against her shoulder and acted cute, so she couldn¡¯t get mad even when she was grumpy. He thought he was pushing her too hard, but it all worked out. In the place where Lanceil had left, Helkainis took his place. The opening, which had already been tormented by Lancel, was red hot and spewing out thick s*men. Putting himself inside, Helka said politely. ¡°I¡¯ll be the next.¡± The reason for this feeling was that his voice, which sounded like a growl of excitement, was not polite at all. Jiwoo murmured out of her mind. ¡°Why, why, why¡­?¡± Even though she didn¡¯t even know until now as she was being swayed around, they were already naked like her. She couldn¡¯t really remember when they started undressing. ¡°Because I am your second.¡± It seemed like Jiwoo was getting to know their personalities. Helkainis must have a tendency to be selfish when excited. ¡°Hu, huu-ugh¡­!¡± The rather vicious-looking manhood, with red veins protruding from it, now looked even more vicious. It was filled with a lot of blood and looked dark red. The difference was even greater, perhaps because she accepted Helka directly after Lanceil¡¯s pretty pink pillar. Regardless of how Jiwoo felt, Helka rubbed his pillar on her, smearing it with bodily fluids. The pillar, which felt bumpy, grazed her cl*toris. With just that, her sensitive body trembled in a shallow climax. It would have been better if she was left alone. Lanceil rubbed his forehead against the nape of her neck and started biting her ears while Callan gently kneaded her breasts. Helka began to enter her as Enciertes looked intently and squeezed her cl*toris with his fingers. ¡°Ah, aahh, ah¡­!¡± The sensitive inner wall made her feel even the veins sprouting in his member. A different feeling than when it was Lanceil inside her. Strength went back to her whole body. ¡ª Chapter 46 Chapter 46 ¡°Hoo, haa. Haa¡­¡± Every time Helkainis moved, their c*m became smeared on his pillar. Every time he slowly pushed it in and pulled it out again, the s*men that had pooled inside dripped. The bed was already covered with their bodily fluids. There, the scent of wild flowers was thicker than the scent of flowers when they seduced her. It smelled sweet like honey, and she even felt like she was hungry for some reason. When Callandein kissed her, Jiwoo, who had been deprived of saliva by them, went on to gulp down the sweet saliva to her throat. Callan¡¯s saliva was as sweet as the other children of Elandos, but he had a slightly less body scent than the others. Kissing them made her feel intoxicated by the intense aroma and taste, but kissing Callan made her feel like she was truly sharing something deep with someone. ¡°Huht, ung¡­ Ah, ah¡­!¡¯ Slam, slam! Helkainis picked up speed little by little. The narrow hole that had been overworked and loosened so far convulsed and tightened. Helka¡¯s gentle low-pitched voice made a groan. Jiwoo couldn¡¯t tell if she was being bitten by animals or being eaten by plants. ¡°Was I right?¡± ¡°Ngh¡­ what¡­?¡± Callan, who had been hugging and supporting Jiwoo from behind, suddenly gave up his position to Lanceil. The pillar that kept stabbing her in the back went away, and her posture became much more comfortable than before. Lanceil held Jiwoo giving one arm as a pillow, and the other arm grabbed his own manhood, which was still raring to go. ¡°If you weren¡¯t satisfied, I¡¯m always ready to do it again.¡± The way he ran his hand over his pillar while staring intently at her was very, very erotic. And it was so strange that the object of his lust was still her while he was giving her to another man, but only looking at her as if he was loving it. Even if they were the children of Elandos, it was difficult for Seo Jiwoo, a human, to avoid a sense of immorality from this. As Jiwoo looked at him, Callan asked again. ¡°Seo Jiwoo, did you hear me?¡± ¡°Yes, yeess, mm-hmm¡­¡± Callan laughed softly. ¡°What did I say?¡± ¡°Ah, mmh, ngh¡­ ah¡­ AH¡­!¡± Helkainis¡¯ thrusting grew stronger. Kgh, haa. That was the only sound he made. ¡°I said that if you let Lanceil do it first, the next one will be a little easier to accept, right?¡± ¡°Yes, yeess, ah¡­! Ah, aht! Ung!¡± Ngh, nngh. Jiwoo could do nothing but moan, but she also agreed with the answer. Callan rubbed his lips against Jiwoo¡¯s cheek, sticking out his twitching pillar. Callan, who took Jiwoo¡¯s hand and made her grip his genitals, started stroking it up and down. ¡°Then since I said the right thing, will you please accept me like the good girl that you are?¡± ¡°Hu-ugh, ah, aht!¡± As she was swayed by Helkainis¡¯ flesh that was stuck on her, she was placed in Lanceil¡¯s arms who touched his own pillar and gave her hand to grip Callandein¡¯s stiff member. The positions kept changing, as if something was not comfortable. All of that progressed like flowing water when she closed and opened her eyes once. Since they did not do anything themselves and moved on their own, their bodies were more focused on pleasure. And Enciertes, who had went away for a moment, approached again. ¡°Heuk. Huuuhk¡­Ah, aahh, ung,,,!¡± Enci licked her chest and pinched her cl*toris. He used his hand as exhilaratingly as he would his manhood. When he flicked the sensitive flesh where the nerve bundles were clumped together, Jiwoo couldn¡¯t stand it and tilted her head back. ¡°Ha-ahk!¡± ¡°Kgh.¡± ¡°Ha¡­¡± At the same time, Callan and Helka, who were directly connected to Jiwoo, groaned. Like holding a lifeline, the hand gripping Callan¡¯s member tightened, and the inner walls convulsed and squeezed Helka¡¯s. ¡°Ha, so, so good. I¡¯m sorry. We need to make you feel good¡­ right? So¡­ I¡¯ll do it next. Okay? Seo Jiwoo.¡± Stroke, stroke, stroke, stroke. Clutching Jiwoo¡¯s hand tightly, Callandein used Jiwoo¡¯s hand to rub his own flesh like pleasuring himself. She could feel the veins running through her palms. If Jiwoo had seen it herself, she would have been ashamed, but she has no more strength left to do so. It was because of Helka. ¡°Ah, ngh! Ung!¡± Helkainis didn¡¯t pound her like he did when he lost his mind. However, because of his shape, the opening seemed to open and close several times. When the tip came in, she would contract, then when the shaft went in further, she would open tightly. And finally, when he was completely inside her, not only the inner walls but also her whole body grew tense. She could feel him going in and clamping on him. Even though Helkainis had only gone back and forth once, she felt tired from the sharp response of her whole body to each movement of his hips. And it was still not enough. ¡°Kuh-huhk¡­¡± ¡°Ah, more¡­ mooore¡­ uhng¡­¡± Observing Jiwoo¡¯s reaction, Helkainis pounded into her more and more vigorously. He grabbed both of Jiwoo¡¯s legs and completely pinned them down, only pushing her waist up. More, more inside. More. The inner wall that Lanceil had loosened to the fullest melted away and longed for more wild pleasures. When the excited Jiwoo started moving her back, Helka responded and thrusted his flesh harder and harder. Slam! Slam! Slam! ¡°Ah, ah! Aang, ah! Haa!¡± Jiwoo moaned, unable to close her mouth. Her face was a mess from saliva and tears. Enciertes removed his hand from stimulating the cl*toris and licked her wet face with his tongue. She smelled the smell of Lanceil¡¯s s*men from his hand cupping her cheek. Wildflower scent. Some of Helka¡¯s pine scent was mixed into it. It must have been a natural smell, but why did it feel so promiscuous and lascivious? Helka, who had said nothing until now, suddenly stopped moving. He spoke with a suppressed moan, as if he had reached his limit. ¡°Stop, tightening. It¡¯s going to break off.¡± ¡°Hu-uht, uht¡­.. don¡¯t, I¡¯m, stop, c*mming, haang!¡± However, the voice was too suggestive, so Jiwoo finally climaxed while stiffening her body. ¡°Ku-uhk¡­.. haahk¡­¡± His member, which had been fiercely inserted, completely came out, and then came back in at once. The second time she accepted the s*men, her inner walls were so thoroughly wet. Even if the inner walls were sensitive, they wouldn¡¯t be able to feel even that delicately, but the manhood inside twitched and the s*men it spewed out seemed to hit all parts of her walls. ¡°Huk, huuhk¡­¡± And it was hot. As Helka pulled himself out, sticky, hot s*men flowed out like well-heated candle wax. Helkainis¡¯ pine scent was so strong that it made her dizzy. The red tongue was exposed defenselessly from Jiwoo¡¯s mouth, which was wide open as she moaned. Enciertes, who was stroking her cheek, put his thumb in Jiwoo¡¯s mouth and teased her tongue. Then he entangled his own tongue and kissed her dirtily. Seeing that, there was not one among them who was not excited. ¡°Ah, Seo Jiwoo. Mmngh¡­¡± Spurt, spuuurt. Callan, who had been using Jiwoo¡¯s hand, finally climaxed. So far, they only came on her lower body, but Callan managed to get Jiwoo¡¯s hands dirty. Grabbing and using Jiwoo¡¯s weak hand at will, Callan drew more c*m from his bulging pillar. He, who had been licking his lips while looking at Jiwoo all the time, even felt joy when he realized that it was now his turn. ¡°I¡¯m next. Will you tell me you don¡¯t like it?¡± Perhaps still regretting it, he grabbed Jiwoo¡¯s leg and pushed away Helka, who was fiddling with her thigh, and Callan settled down. ¡°Cal, lan, I¡¯m having, a hard time¡­ a hard time¡­ Hua¡­¡± ¡°Ah, I see. You¡¯ve been in one position for too long.¡± When Callan noticed, the people who were entangling Jiwoo like snakes fell away for a moment. And Callan lightly turned Jiwoo over. ¡°No, no¡­ hng¡­¡± ¡°Kuht!¡± How can he lightly lift and drop a person like turning a doll over? In an instant, Jiwoo fell into a prone position. As Jiwoo tried to crawl forward, both hands were grabbed. It was Enci and Lanceil. They held onto kissing her lightly, but how is this different from not letting her escape? ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I took the first step to make it easier for you.¡± Saying something completely nonreassuring, Callan caressed Jiwoo¡¯s a*s with his s*men-stained hands. Slimy bodily fluid wet her buttocks. Seeing Jiwoo stained with his bodily fluids, Callan felt a strange desire to conquer. Callan lifted Jiwoo¡¯s waist as she tried to crawl forward even though her hand was grabbed. ¡°Ah¡­!¡± Between her hips that rose in the air, Callan rubbed his member promiscuously. It was terrifyingly lively even after he had finished once. ¡°Because you¡¯re such a good girl, it will be over soon.¡± ¡ª Chapter 47 Chapter 47 ¡°Aht, wait, huu¡­¡± As Jiwoo tried to crawl forward again, Callan pulled Jiwoo by the waist. Her body was dragged again. ¡°Ah¡­.¡± Callan¡¯s member lightly rubbed around her entrance, then went in much faster and easier than the others. It was because Jiwoo¡¯s lower body was already covered with s*men and her own c*m, and Callan¡¯s manhood was also soaked with his own s*men that he had spewed out. The loosened inner walls accepted Callan¡¯s member and bit down. ¡°Uh, haaa¡­¡± Even after accepting their genitals several times, it was still difficult to adapt. In particular, Callan¡¯s strangely shaped manhood seemed like it would never fit. It seemed new every time it came in. ¡°Huuu¡­¡± A gentle hand touched Jiwoo¡¯s face, who buried her cheek in the bed and swallowed her breath. Helkainis was sitting still in front of Jiwoo, tucking her disheveled hair behind his ear, wondering if he was satisfied just once, or if he thought his role of serving Jiwoo was over. His hands were unselfishly tender. They say they seduce her by stroking her earlobe, but it was plain without any such feeling. She glanced at him for something unexpected. Helka smiled as if asking her why, but he actually was holding his pillar with the other hand that was not touching Jiwoo. Jiwoo was wrong. It was clear that these children of Elandos were indeed lewd people. However, without even having time to care about him, Jiwoo had to close her eyes tightly because of Callan that was burrowing into her body. [ Ah, haa¡­ Soft. ] From Callan¡¯s mouth, not the language of the empire that was considerate of Jiwoo, but the language of El Ragneil that they used. His overexcitement caused it. [ Ah, kgh¡­ It¡¯s so good. Ah, I want you so much¡­ ] Enciertes, who was kissing the back of Jiwoo¡¯s hand, smirked. [ Are you stupid? The Akarna understands everything we say. ] [ You didn¡¯t know that yet. ] The same was true of Lanceil, who had already spoken to Jiwoo in this language at first. [ Oh really? That¡¯s good. Seo Jiwoo¡­ Do you understand this? ] ¡°Uuhng, hu-unngh¡­¡± The bulging, curved manhood hit a sensitive area inside her. In fact, Callan had a body that was somewhat specialized for pleasure, stimulating Jiwoo¡¯s erogenous zone just by being inside her. Callan, who used to take full advantage of the privilege, now seemed to be considering it in his own way. [ Seo Jiwoo, let me lift it up a little more. You were uncomfortable doing this the other day. ] Callan lifted Jiwoo¡¯s a*s while inserting it slowly. For some reason, it seemed that her lower body was completely lifted and was in a position to accept only him. Heat rose to her already flushed face. It seemed shameful. Her hips were tilted and his manhood pierced at a different angle than it had ever taken Lanceil and Helka. It seemed as if the upward curve was filling her inner walls completely as well as the lower abdomen itself. Jiwoo was startled. It was a feeling different from what she had thought came creeping up through her lower body. ¡°Aht, doon¡¯t, mmh¡­ Not, hu-uht, there¡­¡± She thought he was avoiding places where she felt too much, but Callan was hitting the very same places where she was afraid of. [ What did you say? I¡¯m a fool, so I only know this. ] [ Scary bastard. That¡¯s why I¡¯m not fond of you. ] Enci shook his head as if he was sick of Callan. Scary bastard? This isn¡¯t it. This isn¡¯t it. Perhaps Callan¡¯s personality was very different from what Jiwoo thought she knew. ¡°Ah, Callan¡­! Please, huu¡­!¡± [ Yeess, Seo Jiwoo? ] Callan smiled mischievously and pushed himself further. Every time the genitals bent upwards squirmed inside, he only hit her sensitive parts. With a low groan, Callan pulled out a little of him and pushed it deeper than that. ¡°Hua, aahng!¡± Just lightly moving his waist, Jiwoo screamed and struggled. Her shoulders trembled like a wet bird. It would have been better if it was big enough that her belly would stick out. It was better to pound into her like a machine. The fact that she can be swayed by even the slightest movement, this kind of thing is even more unbearable¡­ ¡°Huu, ah¡­ ung¡­! Aang!¡± It seemed that did not put her in this position to make it easy for him, but this was to not allow her to escape. Jiwoo crawled forward, anxious at the pleasure that filled the tip of her chin. She tried with all her might to get away from him, but when she just wanted to drop her a*s, Callan, who grabbed her waist, thrust himself deeply into her at once. ¡°Huuuaahnng!¡± Jiwoo collapsed on the bed. The voice that came out of her was the loudest and lewdest of all the moans she had ever uttered. ¡°Huu, huaa, aahh¡­¡± [ You get it? If you say you didn¡¯t like it, I¡¯ll stop. ] There was no way she would know El Ragneil¡¯s language. She was going to secretly resent him a little bit, wondering if he was going to continue to bully her like this. Callan smiled charmingly and stroked Jiwoo¡¯s back. Fingers dirty with his fragrant bodily fluids left traces on Jiwoo¡¯s back as well. ¡°Sorry. Just kidding. Tell me if you don¡¯t like it. Do you not like it?¡± ¡°N, no¡­ it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t like it¡­¡± Jiwoo has tended to be soft on people who treat her kindly from before. ¡°Then?¡± ¡°Sl, slow¡­ ly¡­ ngh¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do as you command. If there¡¯s anything else you want, kgh, just tell me? Haa¡­.¡± ¡°Ah, aahh¡­¡± Jiwoo¡¯s eyes gradually lost focus. Little by little, her body stopped listening to her. When she came to her senses, she unknowingly shook her waist in line with the other person¡¯s waist. When she first accepted Lanceil, his s*men was quite a stimulant. However, the Akarna¡¯s body was prone to resistance. After that, even when Jiwoo received their c*m through, she did not become so in heat. However, now that she has already received three people, it seems that the resistance she has already developed has reached its limit. Not only the lower body, but now the buttocks and back were wet with their bodily fluids. Seeing Jiwoo¡¯s body like that, Lanceil asked abruptly. His hand was still clenching his ferocious er*ction, as if it was about to climax at any moment. ¡°Jiwoo, do you want me¡­ to apply this on your back as well?¡± ¡°Wh, what?¡± As Jiwoo got surprised, Helka helped. ¡°It¡¯s good for your skin.¡± Enci said as if he was talking differently and ran a hand through Jiwoo¡¯s hair. ¡°I don¡¯t think you need to apply much to your skin, but it¡¯s good for your health¡­¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s¡­¡± If they were human, they would have felt a strong repulsion. But they were a race with even fragrant sweat. The saliva was as sweet as nectar, and the semen did not smell disgusting. Rather, the subtle body scent that emanates from being embraced by them only felt a little thicker. And in fact, Jiwoo never felt that they were going to do anything bad to her. Seeing how shy they were while proposing, it was clear that they were more embarrassed. ¡°Aht, huht¡­ Al, alright¡­¡± Almost as soon as she gave the permission, Lancel¡¯s arousal let go of its inhibitions. A thicker scent of wild flowers wafted from the s*men pouring down her back and shoulders. And to Jiwoo¡¯s surprise, she felt her body go into heat in line with the scent. Seeing her shoulders and back getting wet with Lanceil¡¯s fluids, Callan¡¯s waist quickened. ¡°Ha, haa, aht, aht! Ung¡­!¡± ¡°Seo Jiwoo, I¡¯ll c*m for you too. Ah, kuhk¡­¡± Callan¡¯s manhood clawed furiously at her inner walls. Maybe it was because her whole body was covered with s*men, which had a druggish effect, and it now only gave her pleasure. Seeing Jiwoo shaking her waist sensationally, Callan shook his waist in excitement. Because of his posture, he seemed like a male dog in heat, but he didn¡¯t seem to notice that either. [ Ha, pretty¡­ So pretty. Can¡¯t you just be mine¡­ Ku-uhk. ] ¡°Ah, ah, aaahh! Huaa¡­!¡± Callan, who had been talking quite leisurely, was now completely focused on pistoning. Now, without saying a word, he just thrusted. It was not the groaning of a human being, but the sound of a beast in pain. ¡°Haa¡­¡± When Callan reached the limit, he pulled his genitals away from Jiwoo. Then, he climaxed onto Jiwoo¡¯s back. It was so powerful that his cum splashed all over her hair as well. What started off as smooth and beautiful turned into such a messy and promiscuous act. When Jiwoo¡¯s body was handed over to Enciertes, Jiwoo¡¯s entire body was already tattered with pleasure. Enci has only helped Jiwoo to feel pleasure when she was accepting other people¡¯s genitals, but he never spewed his own c*m or expressed his desire. He lifted Jiwoo, who was soaked in other people¡¯s bodily fluids, and hugged her. ¡°It¡¯s me this time. Will you allow it?¡± ¡ª Chapter 48 Chapter 48 Not waiting for an answer, Enciertes quickly lifted Jiwoo and sat her on his lap. Then he bowed his head at Jiwoo¡¯s blank face. Even though she was covered in someone else¡¯s s*men from the crown of her head to the tip of her toes, he didn¡¯t seem to mind at all. ¡°Wa, wa¡­it.¡± Jiwoo, who had blankly accepted his kiss, turned her head away, and Enci¡¯s lips touched Jiwoo¡¯s cheek. Enci frowned at her without hiding his emotions. ¡°Why? You don¡¯t like me?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it¡­¡± Jiwoo suddenly had that thought. Clearly they should have feelings and possessives, so how could one person be willing to accept her? As Jiwoo¡¯s heart broke, her will to live a hard life began to weaken because she loved the crown prince, who said he loved her, yet said that he would get engaged to another woman. Even knowing his position and the circumstances of the empire, the feeling was hard to handle. ¡°That¡­ aren¡¯t you jealous?¡± Even if this kind of relationship is common for them, she wanted to point it out at least once. Jiwoo didn¡¯t want to hurt others all the more so because she was easily hurt. ¡°Aren¡¯t you jealous?¡± ¡°Am I jealous?¡± ¡°Jealousy?¡± They, who were concentrating all their attention on Jiwoo¡¯s voice, questioned each word. ¡°What are you talking about? We get jealous too.¡± Actually, they didn¡¯t tell Seo Jiwoo, but they didn¡¯t intend to go this far today either. Seo Jiwoo seemed uncomfortable with the rewards offered by the children of Elandos. So, if Jiwoo didn¡¯t choose a man until the end, they would only prepare a banquet but skip the reward altogether. In fact, there were many things they could give to Jiwoo even if they didn¡¯t have to give their body. It was only because of what Tevon had said before Jiwoo passed out that they had arranged this so urgently. The man Seo Jiwoo was going to marry a long time ago is nearby. They dare not tell her what feelings they had after hearing those words. Their jealousy was not an emotion easily expressed as light or heavy. Rather, it was closer to a murderous intent. If Seo Jiwoo hadn¡¯t been by her side, Tevon would have literally torn the crown prince to shreds. He would have cut off the crown prince¡¯s limbs, killed him, and left his meat to be ripped apart and eaten by the wild beasts. They were beautiful but rough in their natural appearance, and in line with that, the emotions they poured out by classifying the objects were also knife-like and rough. The object of their jealousy was not their brothers. But they were merciless towards strangers. It was for this reason that even the children of the same Elandos divided their territory sharply like a sword and formed groups. Of course, each group of Elandos occupied a different area, so there were not many cases where each area overlapped in the vast El Ragneil. Speaking of such an ecology, Jiwoo, who was not a human of Caranazion, nor a human in this world, could not accept it. What would she think of them when they decided to seduce her with their bodies, just out of jealousy? So Callan chose to change the subject gently. ¡°By the way, Seo Jiwoo. If you find it difficult for us when we volunteer, what are you going to do with the first night?¡± ¡°Uh, ung? First night¡­?¡± ¡°The first night needs to be attended to by our entire group.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°That¡¯s of course, right? It¡¯s the first night after marrying our group.¡± ¡°Everyone? ¡°Yes, everyone.¡± Jiwoo asked back, thinking she had misunderstood. ¡°Are you saying to do it with thirty people? At once?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± As Seo Jiwoo was shocked by the number of people, Enciertes scolded Callan, finding her pitiful. ¡°Seo Jiwoo just doesn¡¯t know if she wants to get married or not.¡± ¡°Oh, she did. What should we do?¡± Callan rubbed his forehead on Jiwoo¡¯s shoulder and acted childishly. ¡°I want to get married, Seo Jiwoo.¡± It was a bit odd to accept it while sitting on Enciertes¡¯ lap, soaked in their s*men. It feels like the order has gone wrong. ¡°Marry us. How can we marry you?¡± Jiwoo rolled her eyes and answered. ¡°Well, but accepting 30 people at once¡­ wouldn¡¯t it be difficult even if I am an Akarna?¡± ¡°What do you mean? Accepting it all in one night is something even the female body of El Ragneil can¡¯t do.¡± ¡°Then?¡± Callan tilted his head, showing that Jiwoo was asking something nonsense. ¡°So, it wouldn¡¯t be hard if it lasts for five days?¡± ¡°F-Five days?¡± ¡°It may take a little longer depending on your condition.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not the problem¡­¡± ¡°And during the first night, the bride covers her eyes. I said we¡¯re jealous too, so you shouldn¡¯t show favoritism to anyone. We feed, sleep, and talk to you, who has become defenseless during this time, and build affection. The love you receive that day is not given by one person, but by the entire group.¡± It seemed logical, but at the same time strangely strange. ¡®If I get married¡­ that¡¯s how it should be¡­?¡¯ She couldn¡¯t easily imagine herself accepting the touch of thirty people in the darkness, with her eyes covered with a soft cloth, Can she really stay sane during a first night that lasts at least five days? Jiwoo, whose face was flushed with imagination more promiscuous than the love affair she had just had, tried to shake those thoughts off. ¡°I heard that¡­ If Elandos is fully grown, a female body could be born.¡± ¡°Yes. So what?¡± ¡°Then¡­ We¡¯re already married, but what if you like that female body better? I¡¯m human¡­¡± The four listened to Jiwoo¡¯s words, but all fell silent for a moment. The conversation, which had been in a good mood, was cut short. ¡°No, Seo Jiwoo! What kind of¡­¡± Even Callandein, who had been speaking without hesitation, was at a loss for words. Enciertes, who had been silent, frowned his handsome brow too. ¡°What nonsense are you talking about?¡± ¡°¡­Well, that.¡± Lanceil too was dumbfounded. ¡°If a female body is born in the Elandos we follow¡­ well¡­¡± Hellkainis seemed to be thinking of an explanation Jiwoo could understand. ¡°Well¡­¡± For a considerable time. ¡°It¡¯s not like a younger sibling is born. It¡¯s more like a daughter than that. Unless we raise it and send it to another group¡­ I don¡¯t know how to explain to you, a human being. It¡¯s hard to imagine such an unvirtuous act.¡± As Helka troubled, Jiwoo hurriedly covered his mouth. ¡°No, no. You don¡¯t need to explain further. I¡¯m sorry.¡± Enci nibbled Jiwoo¡¯s ear. ¡°So many unnecessary worries. Can I continue? Or do you want to stop now?¡± Embarrassed by the conversation they just had, Jiwoo shook her head, expressing that she didn¡¯t hate it. Enci picked up Jiwoo and put her on top of him in a sitting position. When his stiff pillar hit her opening, Jiwoo, who was used to having sex, automatically lowered her waist and hugged Enci¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Hu, haa¡­ haa¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re so naughty. Huh? Seo Jiwoo.¡± Enci slowly moved his waist and stuck his tongue into Jiwoo¡¯s ear. He wanted to violate the inside of her ear. In addition to that, those who had ejected their seed once or twice and satisfied Jiwoo expressed their affection by touching Jiwoo¡¯s back, thighs, and hair. Enci, who grabbed her waist and raised his member, wasn¡¯t very rough. But¡­ ¡°Aht, huht¡­ Enci¡­ ah¡­¡± It wasn¡¯t long before Jiwoo trembled. Even if her climax was fast, it was too fast. After having a rough and promiscuous affair and to suddenly become cautious, it was rather irritating. ¡°Why is our Seo Jiwoo so fast¡­¡± Enci, who was moving his waist slowly, stroked Jiwoo¡¯s back and rubbed his lips against Jiwoo¡¯s cheek. He asked, biting her lips lightly. ¡°Am I good? Huh?¡± ¡°I, I don¡¯t know¡­ huhk¡­¡± Enci smiled. His handsome but cold-looking face smiled languidly. He had never finished during this affair, but he didn¡¯t seem dissatisfied either. ¡°You say you don¡¯t know when you don¡¯t want to be honest.¡± Was it? Somehow it seems to be true¡­ Jiwoo¡¯s eyes were tired. Even when she tried to get up, she could see that she was dozing off. Until now, they had not concealed their lust and tried to touch Jiwoo¡¯s body with even a single finger, but they calmly laid Jiwoo in the middle of the bed. The bed was so wide that it was easy to avoid the area wet with bodily fluids. Jiwoo lay down in a soft and warm place and felt their hands caressing her body. Even with her eyes closed, they were constantly talking to each other in a gentle manner. Seo Jiwoo, marry us. I want to marry you Will you marry me? Jiwoo couldn¡¯t answer easily. Then the question changed. You¡¯re not sure if you¡¯re marrying us yet? So she answered casually. I don¡¯t know. Although obviously not a definite answer, they were somehow delighted. ¡ª Chapter 49 Chapter 49 ¨C A Series of Proposals ¡°They suddenly disappeared.¡± Late at night, Tevon returned from patrolling the forest. It was late at night when Seo Jiwoo fell into a deep sleep. The men who had slept with Seo Jiwoo at least once gathered together. There was a reason why there was a condition attached to them, which is that they had a history of being chosen by Jiwoo for at least one-night. In other words, those who were likely to be accepted even if they propose. Callandein, who was the third, spoke nervously. ¡°They suddenly disappeared. Did they run away?¡± ¡°I caught him and broke his shoulder blades, but I missed him.¡± Tevon clicked his tongue, finding it a waste. Enciertes frowned very distastefully. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you kill it?¡± ¡°Do you think that I didn¡¯t want to kill it?¡± Tevon clenched his teeth. There was no one who had the murderous intent as strong as Tevon in this place. From the moment Tevon saw the crown prince, from the moment he saw Seo Jiwoo¡¯s pale expression staring at him, he wanted to tear that man apart. But he could barely hold it in because of the trembling hands that grabbed his clothes. The best he could do was to leave the spot somehow quickly. And that day, he dropped Seo Jiwoo in the village and went back. He searched the forest, but couldn¡¯t find them. After wandering around the forest for a few days, Tevon found traces of the carriage accident Seo Jiwoo was said to have suffered. Soldiers were stationed not far from there, and he found the prince there. He knew he could kill the crown prince right away. Tevon managed to injure him, but he wasn¡¯t an opponent to deal with alone. In the end, he failed and returned and looked for an opportunity, but they had already disappeared without a trace. ¡°I don¡¯t think he¡¯s an easy guy. He has enough physical prowess.¡± ¡°He may be the prince of the empire, but had also built a lot of achievements, so he shouldn¡¯t be taken lightly.¡± Lanceil quietly agreed. ¡°By the way, he¡¯s not even completely out of the way. He¡¯s clearly aiming for this place.¡± It was a hunter¡¯s intuition like nothing else. The crown prince was also someone who had done quite a bit of human hunting while roaming the battlefield. Judging from the look in his eyes as he gazed at Seo Jiwoo, he was not a person who would easily give up and back down. ¡°I want to kill him and leave if I can.¡± ¡°Huu¡­.¡± However, to confront the crown prince, they would have to either track down and catch him. But the risk was too high for that. In his mind, taking Seo Jiwoo and leaving for El Ragneil without encountering each other was a way to lower the risk in many ways. In order to do that, they had to get Seo Jiwoo¡¯s approval as soon as possible, or at least a strong impression. But these guys just keep seducing her? ¡°Anyway, why haven¡¯t you made any progress?¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s¡­¡± Everyone in the room paused for a while. The reason Tevon only focused on patrolling for a few days was because he believed in these guys. It wasn¡¯t that Tevon didn¡¯t want to seduce Seo Jiwoo. But Tevon somehow got behind in the order. It was from when Lanceil first brought her. He was interested in seeing Seo Jiwoo trembling like an acorn in an unfamiliar place. He was surprised to learn that it wasn¡¯t Lanceil who rescued her, but Seo Jiwoo saved him and healed him back to life. She was to get rid of Helka¡¯s miasma, but after learning that Helka had spent the night with Seo Jiwoo, he thought that Helka was like a thief. He was really happy when he was chosen on the night of the banquet¡­ but that was taken away by Callan again. There was no good harvest even when he coaxed Lanceil to go to Enci¡¯s lab to see Seo Jiwoo. He could only put his face properly in front of Seo Jiwoo, but in the end, the man of misfortune who was not chosen as a bed partner was Tevon. So, since they were the ones who succeeded in seducing her at least once, they could entrust the marriage proposal. Tevon spent a few days chasing down the crown prince. But when he asked if these guys had succeeded in seducing her, they said they ¡®don¡¯t know¡¯. HIs stomach was turning upside down. ¡°She¡¯s too burdened. Seo Jiwoo seems to be skeptical about the system of marriage itself¡­¡± Tevon frowned. ¡°No, but I told you to seduce her somehow.¡± The four men exchanged glances among themselves. In fact, on the first day, they were determined and tried to seduce her by selling themselves. However, Seo Jiwoo, who seemed to be hurt by the feeling of love itself, made them hesitate. They confidently asked Tevon to let them take care of it, but in fact, they hadn¡¯t even looked back at the decision of marriage for several days after the first day. ¡°I can¡¯t approach her hastily.¡± Lanceil looked down as if he was not confident in himself. ¡°I¡¯ve been watching Seo Jiwoo for a few days¡­ It¡¯s easier to suggest that she treat Elandos. But if we approach hastily, we might not even be able to do it.¡± No one denied Callan¡¯s words. Helkainis, who had been silent until now, spoke quietly. ¡°I¡¯ll try.¡± ¡°Old Man. Living a long time is really useless. You guys are all the same. THe men turned their heads, pretending otherwise. Helkainis, who was crossing his arms, tilted his head expressionlessly. ¡°¡­If I had seen her first, I would have handled it neatly. Are you blaming me for going wild like a thunderbolt?¡± That actually was the case. If Tevon had been a little more cautious, he should have led a small group of elites and immediately rushed at the crown prince stationed in the forest. Even if he returned to the village and only took Helkainis, he would be able to destroy them and then focus on seducing Jiwoo as if nothing had happened. But Tevon was younger than any of them, his emotions took precedence over experience. For those who lost Elandos, their desire to seduce Seo Jiwoo was in line with their desire to survive. The impulsive emotions were so intense from time to time. ¡°¡­Then I¡¯ll seduce her too!¡± Finally, Tevon exclaimed angrily. They couldn¡¯t endure it any longer. Jiwoo was treated very hospitably for a few days. When she opens her eyes, she is in a soft bed, a meal that gives off a savory smell is prepared, and when she goes out after eating, everyone smiles and welcomes her even if she just meets their faces. There were always people who offered flowers as a gift, and even when she was sitting still, they gave her a snack. She received many offers to come to their house to play. Perhaps they knew that Jiwoo was shy, so they even backed off immediately if Jiwoo hesitated a little. In fact, when Jiwoo accepted the help of four particularly familiar people here, she realized that her heart was wavering. If someone touches her here, she will collapse. So Jiwoo had been nervous for several days in the atmosphere of this village. It seemed like it would be difficult for her to honestly refuse when someone asked her to get married again. But they hadn¡¯t said anything about getting married since that night. The gentle attitude, the meticulousness of taking care of her, and the feeling of gratitude for saving Elandos¡¯ branch were the same. They just stopped begging her to get married. Were they trying to make it less burdensome? Had they changed their mind? Or, was it all finished after just one twig of Ellandos had been cured? They didn¡¯t ask for anything. Just as Jiwoo, exhausted to the limit, wanted, they just let her rest in peace. So her leg healed quickly. Now that she could walk alone, she had more things to think about. As her thoughts increased, her mind became anxious. One day, while doing so, Enciertes suddenly came by herself. ¡°Do you want a drink?¡± ¡°Oh, yes. Thank you.¡± Receiving an invitation from Enci, Jiwoo recalled that she used to like alcohol quite a bit. Jiwoo, who was served alcohol in his lab, was quite impressed with the taste of alcohol that wet her tongue. ¡°How is it?¡± ¡°Ah¡­ I¡¯ve had it. It¡¯s a drink made in Cadian of the Karbauude Empire. It takes at least fifty years to get it to this taste.¡± Although the Akarna was forbidden alcohol in the temple, she occasionally took what the crown prince offered her. She remembered it because it was such a precious drink. Come to think of it, she hadn¡¯t thought of the crown prince at all for several days. She was nervous about when they would ask her to get married again, so she couldn¡¯t afford to have the thoughts about the crown prince in her head. ¡°That¡¯s not it. But it¡¯s half right.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I made it.¡± Enci smiled and shook the flask in his laboratory. ¡°It¡¯s the same ingredients. It takes less than thirty minutes for me to make.¡± ¡°But there are people who think tradition is important.¡± Enciertes laughed and sneered. ¡°It takes a long and cumbersome time to maintain something like tradition. The ingredients and taste are the same anyway, so why does it matter?¡± ¡°Well¡­ yes. I think so too.¡± ¡°We have the same values.¡± ¡°Ah, it seems like it¡­right?¡± Jiwoo took a sip of the drink without thinking. ¡°Then will you marry me?¡± ¡°Ph-hrmgh!¡± Jiwoo choked. ¡ª Chapter 50 Chapter 50 As Jiwoo coughed several times the alcohol she couldn¡¯t spit out, Enciertes laughed softly while wiping her face with a handkerchief. ¡°Was it that surprising?¡± That kind of reaction was no more outrageous. ¡°¡­That¡¯s how you propose, right?¡± ¡°That way¡­¡± It was a negative reaction to anyone¡¯s ears. Enciertes blushed and his ears tilt horizontally again. It seemed rather rare that his ears were upright. ¡°What¡¯s the problem? First of all, I showed you my abilities, and I think our values match well¡­¡± ¡°Did you come to that conclusion because you thought it wouldn¡¯t matter if you omitted all the traditions?¡± As Jiwoo sighed, he shut his mouth, like something was embarrassing. Shortly thereafter, Enci spoke in a scathing tone, but in a low voice without confidence. ¡°What¡­ what can I do?¡± ¡°A proposal is usually done on a day when the atmosphere between the people involved is good, and in my culture, it¡¯s done by giving flowers or even a ring.¡± ¡°¡­A ring?¡± ¡°Yes, a wedding ring¡­¡± Or an engagement ring. Jiwoo looked down at her hand as she trailed her words. There was nothing on her hand. After becoming lovers with the crown prince, there was a time when she thought that she would marry him. However, the crown prince gave an engagement ring to another woman. Underneath the bright lights of a banquet hall, their hands glistened with large jewels as they danced together. Suddenly, a white glove came into her view. ¡°Ah¡­¡± Enciertes took her hand. Enci didn¡¯t seem to notice that she was surprised. He measured the size of the ring by carefully fiddling with her finger. Wearing clean gloves, it seemed that the hands he was carefully touching were treated as the most precious thing in the world. Looking at the serious eyes, sharp nose, and long eyelashes, her face heated up for no reason. ¡°Is there a set type of jewelry? Or, what is your favorite type of jewelry?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know much about the names of jewels.¡± Enci didn¡¯t even look her way and fell into deep thought. What was the big concern he was having? ¡°Right¡­ This will take at least¡­ an hour.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± She didn¡¯t mean that she wanted the ring right now. When he started fiddling with something on the table, Jiwoo snuck out of the lab. Jiwoo hurriedly walked, fearing that someone else would talk to her. She went to her residence in this place. She thought for sure that if they set the mood and proposed again, she would accept it. Because of Enci, that momentum somehow deflated. For some reason, she thought of going back and resting as she was getting depressed because she had thought of the crown prince. However, Jiwoo was not a quick walker. Callandein and Lanceil saw her from afar and came running. ¡°Seo Jiwoo, we just happened to see you. Do you want to go see a nearby lake?¡± ¡°Lake?¡± ¡°Yes. There is a beautiful place not far away. You will like it too. If you hadn¡¯t eaten, why don¡¯t you come alone?¡± It was just past lunchtime and she was starving. The smell of freshly baked bread wafted from the basket Lanceil had lifted. Jiwoo felt burdened when others talked to her, but she at least would be comfortable with people she knew by name. In the end, Jiwoo went against her original plan and followed them. The place they guided her to was a small lake not far away. Before coming to this world, Jiwoo lived in a mountainous area. So, even if it was a lake inside the forest, she would only think of a wide lake with a view of the mountains in the distance. The place they were guided to was a place where a giant had dug a hole in the forest. Even so, it was not so small as to be called a pond. The top was not open, and the willow branches and trunks hung down, making it look even more closed off. The water seemed to be half a mixture of sapphire and turquoise hues. Nonetheless, the water was transparent when she approached. Jiwoo sat near the lake, dipped her feet in the water, and took the bread that Callan took out of the basket. Just looking at the surroundings while tearing off the bread the size of a fingernail each time seemed to relieve the fatigue of her body and mind. Splash. Lanceil took off his top and dove into the water. His rugged body, much thicker than the others, was submerged in the clean water. And he held Jiwoo¡¯s foot in the lake. ¡°Haa¡­¡± She was about to fall asleep quietly at the powerful hand rubbing her tired feet. She has been dragged around all this time, but Jiwoo recalled that she was actually someone who wanted to become lazy at every opportunity. She remembered the old days when she was afraid that it would be difficult to adapt to this place. Even the feeling of longing for her hometown has faded away¡­ ¡°Ah, Seo Jiwoo. I have something to show you.¡± Callan snapped his fingers in the air. Small ice particles exploded in the air. The ice cubes dispersed the light in the air to create a rainbow. As the golden prism unfolded in front of her eyes, the lake as well as the world seemed beautiful. And above all, it also served as a very welcome effect to face in the summer. ¡°It¡¯s really cool.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not as good as Helka, but we can all use simple magic. How about it? Marriage life would be comfortable, wouldn¡¯t it?¡± Lanceil, who was massaging her feet in the water, also supported Callan¡¯s opinion. ¡°¡­If you marry us, you will be served like this every day.¡± These series of proposals¡­ She felt something tingle inside her, so she closed her eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll go with you to El Ragneil.¡± In the end, Jiwoo gathered them all together and said so. ¡°I will go with you to El Ragneil and heal Elandos.¡± ¡°Really, Seo Jiwoo?¡± Callan¡¯s face brightened like in full bloom. Smiling brightly like blooming flowers, he grabbed Jiwoo¡¯s hands and rubbed his cheeks against them. Being so happy, Jiwoo also felt a lot lighter. They told her that she would repay the favor, but in fact, Jiwoo would gain more from this. She realized that she didn¡¯t know how she hadn¡¯t died and stayed alive all this time. ¡°Yes. I understand why you are so desperate. I have encountered miasma many times, and I know how important Elandos is to drive them away.¡± And she knows how much these people value it. She remembered the day when everyone cried and laughed due to just one white branch being revived. Enciertes, who woke up early in the morning and couldn¡¯t even wake Jiwoo and express his joy, just swallowed his sorrowful feelings and cried. ¡°And though I¡¯ve said it before, I don¡¯t intend to hold anyone¡¯s life hostage. I won¡¯t ask for an excessive reward or anything like that.¡± ¡°Ah, then¡­¡± ¡°But I¡¯m not saying I¡¯m going to get married. That¡¯s¡­ I¡¯m still not sure.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± The lighthearted atmosphere quickly subsided. ¡°You don¡¯t have to marry me.¡± Jiwoo knew why they wanted to get married. Because she was an Akarna, and if it had not been for her being one, they would not have to go through this. Even if their situation was desperate and even if they were sincere, once Elandos was cured, this drunken state for a while would surely go away. The crown prince was enough to want her as Akarna. She didn¡¯t want to go through the betrayal of her expectations again. ¡°Another good person will appear. You are all capable and good people¡­¡± ¡°Another person? We can¡¯t get married?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you? In El Ragneil, female bodies are born very rarely. There are many more males who never get chosen in their lifetime. Maybe a lot more than you think.¡± Jiwoo widened her eyes at his unexpected reaction. ¡°¡­Besides, we¡¯ve already been used and worn out, so what woman would like us?¡± T-That¡­ She thought about it from time to time before, but why did Callan have such a predilection for those kinds of words? ¡°No, then why would you give something so important as a reward?¡± They casually asked Jiwoo to choose a man at the banquet, and like it was a matter of course, they came to serve her. Lanceil tilted his head with a really incomprehensible look. ¡°Don¡¯t you think you¡¯ve done us so much?¡± Enciertes frowned. ¡°We had very few options.¡± Helkainis also spoke quietly. ¡°Hmm¡­ As I said, I intended to atone for the rest of my life by your side if you allowed me to.¡± ¡°That, that¡¯s¡­¡± Jiwoo didn¡¯t know what emotions to express as confusion and embarrassment mixed together. It was just. It was really confusing. She was flustered. ¡°Ah¡­ do you feel a sense of responsibility?¡± Callandein smiled. His eyes curled like crescent moons and she smiled, and as if he suddenly felt better, he spoke with a low voice. ¡°What to do? This body has become a lewd body that only Seo Jiwoo can accept.¡± His tone conveyed not a single concern at all. ¡°What, then what will happen to Helka?¡± Tevon, who had been quiet all this time, suddenly pulled Helka in. He rushed in when he noticed the atmosphere swinging in his favor. ¡°You devoured a thousand-year-old virgin, don¡¯t you feel responsible?¡± Helka, with a rare embarrassed face, spoke solemnly. ¡°¡­Tevon. Your words are a little vulgar.¡± ¡ª Chapter 51 Chapter 51 Did she happen to do something irreversible? Everyone seemed to be looking at her like a sad wet puppy. However, as soon as she heard the word ¡®thousand years¡¯, Jiwoo suddenly felt a sense of distance from them. It was because she was once again faced with the realization that they weren¡¯t human. It was also a way out of this situation. ¡°Um¡­ a thousand years¡­ that¡¯s enough, I¡¯m sure a lot of differences will come out in my lifetime. I won¡¯t live that long.¡± However, Enci immediately refuted. ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter. You¡¯re an Akarna.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the difference?¡± Enci tilted her head. ¡°Your time must have almost stopped when you came over here? The aging that this world gives you can also be said to be a primary threat to the Akarnas.¡± Her body¡¯s time has stopped? Hearing those words, Jiwoo remembered something she had thought was a flaw. ¡°Well then¡­ I¡­¡± ¡°You can live with us as long as you want.¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s not it.¡± After becoming an Akarna, her monthly periods had also stopped coming. The crown prince treated it as a flaw that the imperial family could never accept, and Jiwoo had always thought it was her own fault. The reason she couldn¡¯t marry the crown prince was because her body had become like this. She thought that maybe it was because she kept purifying the dirty miasma with her body, or maybe it was because she only met the sick. She blamed herself endlessly. She didn¡¯t know the exact reason. She just thought that she inevitably became broken after she had crossed dimension, or perhaps it was because she was under too much duress at the temple. ¡°Not being able to succeed is also¡­ a big flaw¡­¡± ¡°Oh that? What¡¯s wrong with that? You¡¯re the Akarna. Of course.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ I, I see.¡± It¡¯s the first time she has heard that it¡¯s so casual and natural. It was a shock comparable to hearing that an Akarna was just an ordinary person. Jiwoo held her hands as she was cornered. Wiggling her fingers was the best she could do now. ¡°But still, I¡¯m human¡­¡± Jiwoo¡¯s voice grew weaker and quieter. Even if they could communicate, they were of different races and people from another world. She didn¡¯t know what it was like now, but there would probably be some awkward parts because her values didn¡¯t match with the children of Elandos. Jiwoo was realistic in this respect. Even for Jiwoo, there was a time in the past when she dreamed of a love that floated like a dream. Yet the more she lived in this world, the more she became ensnared by the reality of it all. No matter how much she focused on the good sides and stayed true to her current feelings, it was unknown how long that would stay the same. She became a coward. While living with the crown prince, who was human just like her, she had to adapt to life in the empire and life in the temple with great difficulty. It was hard for her to live day by day. ¡°Human? What¡­ Did those stupid Imperial bastards treat you like a mere human?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Jiwoo¡¯s expression darkened even more than before. Tevon, who instantly grasped the atmosphere, threw a stone at Enci¡¯s head. It was the same thing he did to Enci, who was rude when they first met. ¡°That¡¯s enough. You¡¯re old, so you talk a lot about this and that.¡± As Enci was rubbing his back and forehead nervously, Tevon blurted out. ¡°Seo Jiwoo, I like you. That¡¯s why I want to marry you.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°It was love at first sight.¡± ¡°W-What?¡± ¡°I liked you from the first time I saw you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Su, suddenly? It seemed as if she had been hit with an attack that had a time lag, which kept pushing and then came back to her. Jiwoo tried to cover her face with one hand, but she couldn¡¯t stop the heat from rising to the top of her head, turning completely red. When the crown prince first said he would keep Jiwoo by his side, he didn¡¯t tell her any such words¡ªthat he liked her. As a blue-blooded aristocrat, he spoke in a noble manner, but did not directly confess his feelings. Even their status of becoming lovers did not start with any words. Was he of the same mind as she was? She remembered thinking that many times. Come to think of it, she first heard that he loved her only when he said he would marry another noble. The crown prince knew that Jiwoo loved him and was hanging onto him. He knew how effective those words were. Maybe that¡¯s why she cared so much about just one word? Perhaps because she had experienced her first love that way, she felt that Tevon¡¯s words were very easy and light. A light remark that could be taken as a joke. However, it was a long time when she was hung up on just that one word. Jiwoo, who had been hit by it, could not easily pass it over. Jiwoo couldn¡¯t make eye contact with any of them. She kept her head down and tried not to show her expression, but they had all of Jiwoo¡¯s reactions in their eyes from earlier. There were five of them and just one of her. And they quickly realized that a few words from Tevon were far more effective than any other condition they had ever put forth with effort. Everyone held their breath and watched Tevon¡¯s behavior, which would normally be free spirited. No one stopped Jiwoo even though they could see that she was feeling troubled. It was the first time they had seen Seo Jiwoo like that. ¡°And did you forget already? I told you to be comfortable with me.¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t gotten to know you that well yet¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not? I fell in love at first sight.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°It will get better with time.¡± Jiwoo set all the good conditions. She immediately thought of a way out. However, she couldn¡¯t really refute those words. ¡°Then, even after Elandos is healed, will you accept me if this heart remains the same?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°I like you, Seo Jiwoo.¡± ¡°I, I see.¡± In the end, Jiwoo surrendered. ¡°¡­Give me time. I¡¯ll think about it positively.¡± ¡°Just get married and have a good time. I¡¯ll run to you anytime, anywhere, you know? We have good ears.¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± Her face flushed as she stared at the floor. It wasn¡¯t even a fight, but she felt like she had lost. A few days later, Helkainis greeted everyone at the entrance of the village to leave. ¡°I¡¯m leaving for a while to connect the passage to El Ragneil.¡± ¡°Is it difficult?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not difficult, but your safety comes first. I¡¯m trying to find a time when the storm will calm down a bit. I¡¯ll be right back.¡± ¡°Ah yes¡­¡± ¡°When I get back, I hope your answer will be ready.¡± Helkainis knelt down and kissed the back of Jiwoo¡¯s hand. ¡°And then you¡¯ll be comfortable with me too, right?¡± And he smiled with his lips on the back of her hand. She thought that there was no emotion in the black eyes that absorbed all the light, but when she looked closely, they had more heat than anything else. As Jiwoo stared into his eyes, her face heated up. She just nodded. Since that day, time in the village had become quite relaxed. Everyone looked forward to returning to El Ragneil. And they started to organize their life here. Those who interacted with other places also returned and were waiting in the village. The words that they had been begging Jiwoo to get married from time to time completely disappeared, but the sweet attitude of all of them remained the same. Surprisingly, no one had confessed their feelings since Tevon. If it had been that way, she would have said that Elandos was so important that it even deceived their feelings or that they were deceiving her. But the only one who confessed his feelings to her was Tevon. So she felt as if she was going even crazier. The people here made it so that Jiwoo couldn¡¯t sharpen her vigilance. Her body was absorbed in something soft and sweet like jelly, but she felt like she couldn¡¯t go out even after knowing it. Maybe she would be swallowed like this. ¡°Seo Jiwoo.¡± ¡°¡­Ah, Tevon.¡± ¡°Where are you going? Did you eat? Is everything okay today?¡± Jiwoo received another flower from Tevon. She accepted it so easily at first that she couldn¡¯t refuse it now. She didn¡¯t know how many days it had already been. Since he said he liked her, Tevon has brought her a different bunch each day. The color and shape of the flowers changed every day. At one time, he put a pile of mushrooms in a basket and showed them to her, but Jiwoo recalled that it was a pile of bright red mushrooms that he had looked at strangely when he and Jiwoo went out to see the forest together. She couldn¡¯t take her eyes off the bouquet that he had carefully brought, one by one, in case even a single petal would be damaged. She felt like I had to say something. ¡°You see, Tevon¡­ I¡­¡± Boom. It was then. The ground shook. Boom. Boom. It wasn¡¯t just the ground. The entire atmosphere shook with heavy energy. ¡°What?¡± Tevon¡¯s reaction was quicker. A huge seal floated above the village. It was like a pattern surrounding the village in a circle. ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Her heart seemed to stop. Jiwoo knew what that was. She knew this because she had followed him through the battlefield and treated the wounded. Every time she saw him, she always thought he was so admirable, so she couldn¡¯t forget him. She just didn¡¯t know that it would be projected in the air where she was staying. A large maned lion and a snake. A dark red pattern representing the imperial family. It was the pattern to be stamped on the battlefield when the crown prince was declaring war. ¡ª Chapter 52 Chapter 52 ¨C A Language That Only You Hear Jiwoo muttered as if she had lost her mind. ¡°Let¡¯s, let¡¯s go, out of here¡­¡± Wooong. The pattern roared. The dark red patterns shone with an intense scarlet reminiscent of molten iron. She reflexively closed her eyes. The patterns did not just serve as propaganda. Boo-boom! A roar from the pattern hit the ground. Sizzle. In an instant, leaves were burnt and turned to ash that scattered. Bang! The roar that pierced heaven and earth did not stop. A tree in the center of the village crackled with a loud sound, as if lightning had struck. Fire spread quickly. The color of the dark red maned lion mixed with the green and gold village. Boom. PA-BAM! The magic circle with tremendous destructive power was called the Maned Lion¡¯s Brand. It would not be an exaggeration to say that it was the weapon that led the Crown Prince to an undefeated battle. The Crown Prince, who used that circle most effectively and roamed the battlefield, reminded people of the first Emperor of the Empire. He was said to look like a beast from the legend of the Empire, and people called him the Maned Lion of the Battlefield as his moniker. The Crown Prince acted quite regal and cultured in the imperial palace or temple, but on the battlefield he acted befitting of his nickname. His red eyes turned into blood-craving madness, and he showed no mercy whatsoever in his hands. It would be better if she didn¡¯t know his appearance on the battlefield at all, but Jiwoo¡¯s mission as the Akarna overlapped with him. And if he had even brought the Maned Lion¡¯s Brand, it was easy to figure out that this situation would not go well. ¡°Tevon¡­ this is¡­¡± This is dangerous. This is exceedingly dangerous. Jiwoo couldn¡¯t bear to speak and grabbed his clothes and trembled, but Tevon surprisingly grasped the situation faster than Jiwoo. Tevon thought that the Crown Prince would come one day. But he didn¡¯t know that he would come at the worst time like this. In this situation, one of the best powers in the group was vacant. Tevon decided that it was better to evacuate Jiwoo for now. ¡°You¡¯d better stay away.¡± Tevon tucked one arm under Jiwoo¡¯s knee and immediately lifted her up. As Tevon started to run, Jiwoo moved away from the burning village in an instant. ¡°Wait, wait¡­ Tevon, where are you going?¡± A few people with nervous faces came out of the distant village. The entire group was around thirty people. And Jiwoo knew under what circumstances the Crown Prince used the maned lion¡¯s brand. It was used to increase odds when leading a battalion of at least three hundred elite warriors. Does he really intend to wage an all-out war like this? It couldn¡¯t be. The villagers were completely outnumbered, and a pattern was stamped on the village. The fact that the elaborate pattern had emerged meant that the entire village had already been surrounded. If they had Helkainis right now, they might have had a chance. But this fight was not a matter of winning or losing. Above all, Jiwoo knew the Crown Prince¡¯s might, and he knew what he wanted. ¡°¡­Tevon, let go. I have to go.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t.¡± Boom. PA-BAM! In the meantime, the roar continued. Now other sounds are starting to blend in as well. Crackle. Crackle, sizzle. It was the sound of the forest burning. The heat started to spread. ¡°They are looking for the Akarna.¡± ¡°I heard from Callan. You came into this village and tried to ask us for protection.¡± Right. She rejected the offer to return and asked to remain in the village and protect her life. However, she said it because she expected that she would be forgotten in the Empire. Anyway, this was a forest where it was difficult for ordinary people to survive. Even if she was the Akarna, it didn¡¯t seem like the temple would spend more than a month searching for herself. After months of being missing, she could quickly be forgotten. The temple was able to summon a new Akarna, and the Crown Prince should be busy marrying another woman. She didn¡¯t know that the Empire would do something. Even more so for the Crown Prince to come himself. She just wanted to live like a normal person. She wanted to live where she wouldn¡¯t be harassed by bad people or captured by the Empire¡¯s slavers. She had no intention of asking for excessive compensation, that was all she wanted. But the Crown Prince was different. The risk was too great. Jiwoo didn¡¯t want to take someone else¡¯s life as collateral because there was a problem she wanted to avoid. Jiwoo tried hard to calm her tumultuous heart. Her voice trembled helplessly. ¡°¡­That didn¡¯t mean to protect me from the Crown Prince.¡± ¡°Do you not trust us?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want you to get hurt.¡± ¡°Is it a big deal to get hurt a little?¡± ¡°What if you die?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I may be the Akarna, but I cannot bring back the dead to life. The Crown Prince is the kind of person¡­ He is the kind of person who¡­¡± He was strong when he was on our side, but it was hairraising to think that she would face him as an enemy. Her trembling didn¡¯t stop. ¡°Wait.¡± Tevon started running and stopped abruptly. His long ears were pointed back. The ears, which had changed direction several times, stood straight again. And he clenched his teeth. ¡°Damn it. We¡¯re surrounded. We need to find a place to hide.¡± It is not known until what extent did Tevon estimate the area. He hugged Jiwoo and jumped high into the tree. Placing his sword upon a tree, he scarred his finger with his teeth and smeared his blood nearby. Then, with the same finger, he touched the back of Jiwoo¡¯s neck and pressed it hard. ¡°Stay here.¡± He put Jiwoo here and tried to head somewhere right away. Jiwoo caught him. ¡°Tevon¡­ Tevon, don¡¯t go.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll come back soon. It¡¯s okay. If I don¡¯t come back, stay here and someone will come get you. Then follow them out of the forest.¡± ¡°What are you talking about!¡± She tried to hold her breath, but her voice grew louder. ¡°We promised. We¡¯ll protect you.¡± ¡°No. I didn¡¯t mean that!¡± ¡°I saw how much you hated him. I can¡¯t send you back to him. You are our savior. Are you telling me to be cowardly by sending you there?¡± ¡°But, but, Tevon!¡± Tevon kissed Jiwoo on the cheek and jumped down the tree. The height was staggering. She couldn¡¯t have jumped down a tree like this alone. Jiwoo had to wait on top of the tree without any choice. Boom. PA-BAM!¡± ¡°Haaa. Huuhk¡­¡± She was out of breath even though she didn¡¯t run. Tevon disappeared and Jiwoo was trapped on top of a tree. And she had to endure a few roaring noises in the village without being able to move. ¡®What should I do¡­ what should I do¡­¡¯ Her hands trembled. ¡®Even if I don¡¯t come back, someone is coming to pick me up here? What if Tevon doesn¡¯t come back? What does he mean if he doesn¡¯t come back?¡¯ Jiwoo wasn¡¯t a fool. She knew that they had no intention of giving Jiwoo to the Crown Prince, even at the expense of their lives. Even among those who survived, they might think it would be a success if they went to El Ragneil with Jiwoo. But no. That wasn¡¯t what Jiwoo wanted. ¡®Why, at a time like this¡­¡¯ Tears flowed. She should have just accepted the proposal. She didn¡¯t hate them, so what¡¯s the point of procrastinating the wedding when things get to this point? If only Helka had left a little earlier. No, if she had no worries, they would have gone through the great vortex together with Helka. A feeling of self-blame overpowered her fear. Seeing the roar and the ashes reaching nearby, Jiwoo closed her eyes tightly. The soldiers led by the Crown Prince surrounded something and formed a circle. In their center, after a brief battle, three children of Elandos fell to their knees. One of them was Tevon. The Crown Prince saw the familiar Tevon and wanted to catch him unconditionally. The Crown Prince who led his soldiers even made a surprise attack. There was no way that what he had decided on the battlefield would not be fulfilled. The Crown Prince knelt down and went in front of Tevon. Wham! The fist smashed Tevon¡¯s face mercilessly. There was a terrible bang, but Tevon didn¡¯t even groan. After being hit by one blow, he only spit out the blood that had pooled in his mouth. ¡°Where is the Akarna?¡± ¡°Imbecile.¡± Bam! The Crown Prince hit Tevon¡¯s cheek with his fist again. ¡°Kgh¡­¡± This time, Tevon couldn¡¯t hold back his groan. ¡°Where is the Akarna?¡± The Crown Prince spoke in the same emotionless tone. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Tevon lowered his head and spoke in a whisper. As the Crown Prince lowered his head to listen, Tevon raised his head. ¡°Ptui.¡± Tevon spat in the Crown Prince¡¯s face. The Crown Prince pressed down on Tevon¡¯s knees with his boots, grabbed his hair and pressed it down. After roughly wiping his cheek with the back of his hand, the Crown Prince drew his sword with that hand. Shiing. ¡°You are not very useful. You may have excellent bodies, you are too rebellious and will die soon after leaving the forest, so you cannot be used as slaves. Then what can I do? It¡¯s you people who rush to kill humans whenever you encounter them. Huh?¡± The blade pressed hard against his chest, then grazed the base of his neck. And at the end it stayed on the lobe of the ear for the last time. ¡°My rule is to answer an insult with an insult. You think having your ears cut off by an outsider is the greatest insult.¡± Tevon¡¯s eyes, who had maintained a calm attitude until now, shook for the first time. The crushing knife dug into his ear. ¡°Are you thinking of talking now?¡± Tevon moved his ears and looked worried. It was not because of the humiliation of having his ear cut off, or the fear of dying. Soft footsteps. A limping one. Coming this way too. He told her to stay still. He told her it¡¯s okay! Soon, Tevon heard an anxious scream. ¡°Your Highness, stop!¡± ¡ª Chapter 53 Chapter 53 The sound of running footsteps stumbled once. Jiwoo shouted again as she stood up. ¡°You¡¯re here to find me. These people are not part of this!¡± Even as the Crown Prince looked toward Jiwoo, he was not in the mood to let go of Tevon¡¯s head or remove his sword. Jiwoo almost crawled toward the Crown Prince, barely raising her body. There, all Jiwoo could do was speak while shaking. Behind them, the tree in the center of the village that imitated Elandos was burnt to black. Ashes scattered over the beautiful green-gold village. The village, which used to smell of sweet honey, flowers, and fresh grass, now smelled of burnt acrid odors. It wasn¡¯t long ago that they danced round and round this tree, and they all loved eating and drinking together. Let¡¯s go together to El Ragneil. When she said she would cure Elandos, they rejoiced over it like blooming flowers, but were now miserably on their knees. However, it was different from the kind of miserable feelings Jiwoo felt. The children of Elandos looked more frustrated at the fact that Seo Jiwoo had come here rather than the fact that they might die. She didn¡¯t expect to disappoint them. She couldn¡¯t make eye contact with them. Jiwoo looked directly at the Crown Prince. Her pale face was drenched with tears. ¡°You just need to take me anyway. Your Highness, all this is unnecessary.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Stop it now, please.¡± Even though he found what he wanted, the Crown Prince still didn¡¯t look delighted. Rather, Jiwoo¡¯s attitude just now seemed to bother him even more. ¡°¡­There¡¯s no reason to stop. Akarna, I don¡¯t think you don¡¯t know.¡± There was no one here who could stop the Crown Prince. Jiwoo didn¡¯t even have that much power. There will be many excuses. Since he had already said he would give Jiwoo the position of Crown Princess, these were words he could not take back. Since Jiwoo had disappeared in the meantime, it was enough justification for him to accuse these men of kidnapping and detaining the Crown Princess. What would the other race, who did not believe in God, do by taking Akarna? True or not, if he wanted to execute them, there were too many justifications he could lay on them. Even if that wasn¡¯t the case, the Crown Prince had already considered the other race as a thorn in his eyes from long before. Although he moderately said that the other race were to be reformed, the Crown Prince was a man with great ambition. A person with an ambition that, if given the opportunity, would push away the forest where the other race reside and expand the empire¡¯s territory with the Akarna. However, in the meantime, the forest was not of great value, and he had to spend money and manpower to clear it. If there was a justification, he could do anything. And no one will blame him. Rather, it would elevate his position. The Crown Prince, who went to rescue his beloved Akarna, the Crown Princess, and cast a judgment at the other race. This will be a land that will make the life of the imperial people a little more prosperous, and one more line will be added to his achievements. He never thought it was a terrible thing. He knew only after he had been hit by the blade, albeit indirectly. The work of a person called the Crown Prince was something that modern people found it difficult to accept. But what can he do? This was a world where this was natural and where this was honor. As the Akarna, she could not even say that she never engaged in anything like this with the Crown Prince. He clenched his fists tightly and trembled. ¡°Don¡¯t make me think you¡¯re¡­ worse than this.¡± Those words were close to a struggle. She didn¡¯t expect anything to work. It was no different from the screams of a person driven into a corner. ¡°¡­Huu.¡± However, the Crown Prince let out a deep sigh and suppressed the murderous energy that seemed like he would never take back. The Crown Prince lowered his sword to the ground. And he reached out his hand towards Jiwoo. ¡°Akarna, let us go back to the capital. Come here.¡± ¡°Yes¡­ I¡¯ll go back.¡± Jiwoo didn¡¯t bother to look at the children of Elandos, who were on their knees, and headed towards the Crown Prince. Their eyes seemed to be asking why she came here. They seemed to accuse her of changing her mind when she said she would heal Elandos. In fact, Elandos must be more important than life to them. Even Jiwoo didn¡¯t want to leave this place. The reason why she didn¡¯t want to stay by the Crown Prince¡¯s side has become unimportant now. There was a time when she wanted the Crown Princess¡¯s position, where she could stand proudly by his side. Her feet didn¡¯t move easily. She was clearly walking, but Jiwoo, who reached the Crown Prince with a slow, crawling step, held his hand. The Crown Prince grabbed her hand tightly and pulled her. Jiwoo was carried by him without a second to refuse. It smelled like a human man, not the smell of grass and flowers from the children of Elandos. To think that the body scent of the man that she thought she liked because she fell in love with him one day felt so strange. The Crown Prince raised Jiwoo as it was. It seemed that her limping leg from jumping down from the tree in a hurry was annoying him. As the Crown Prince moved to the other side of the village, his soldiers also moved little by little. It was then that a small voice came. [ ¡­I¡¯ll go find you soon. So wait. ] Jiwoo was taken aback when she heard that. Tevon said without looking this way. ¡°What are you talking about! Pointed ears!¡± One of the soldiers who brought them to their knees kicked Tevon in the stomach. The Crown Prince stopped walking and looked back, as if he was paying attention to the language spoken by the other race. Rather, he might have been more concerned about Jiwoo¡¯s startled reaction to those words. Akarna was the only one who could understand the language of the other race here. However, it seemed that she shouldn¡¯t show that she understood. Jiwoo squeezed the Crown Prince¡¯s robe. ¡°Your Highness, just¡­ let¡¯s go. He¡¯s of the other race, isn¡¯t he? You¡¯re not someone who cares about insults like that.¡± The Tevon with a good ear would have heard it. [ I¡¯ll go find you soon, so wait! ] Tevon raised his voice and repeated what he had already said. Those who did not know their language would think that he was cursing.1 Jiwoo tightened her grip on his clothes. She was afraid. The Crown Prince was a quick-witted person, and she was someone who didn¡¯t leave even the slightest chance of anything against him. The tears that started flowing earlier didn¡¯t stop. As Jiwoo¡¯s shoulders started to shake, the Crown Prince sighed again. ¡°¡­Release them.¡± Was he releasing them? Truly? The Crown Prince sheathed his sword as if he didn¡¯t care about them. He put Jiwoo on top of the horse he had dragged to the forest, and he climbed on top of it and hugged her so he wouldn¡¯t fall. After a while, a soldier in the distance shouted at the Crown Prince. ¡°They ran away! They¡¯re not coming back!¡± The Crown Prince laughed with a low voice. It was the first laugh she had heard since they met again. ¡°They acted as if they would risk their life to take you, but then they went away.¡± Jiwoo looked up at him in surprise. He had a somewhat satisfied look on his face. However, as the Crown Prince representing the empire, he was not in the mood to pass insults easily. He shouldn¡¯t do it either. The Crown Prince, who was staring indifferently at the village that had already been burnt down with red eyes like fire, turned his horse. ¡°Burn the forest.¡± Bristle, bristle. Then there was a clamor of the whole forest burning. It was embers that could quickly die down if the children of Elandos did it wholeheartedly, but Jiwoo, who didn¡¯t know how far they had scattered, had no way of knowing. The soldiers seemed excited as they followed the Crown Prince, and each one said a word. ¡°The other race is no big deal!¡± ¡°As expected of His Highness!¡± On the horse that was moving away from the forest, Jiwoo stared endlessly in that direction. Feeling that Jiwoo¡¯s eyes were always on it , the Crown Prince did not question Jiwoo further. He just put a little more strength into the arm holding Jiwoo. More than that, Jiwoo was more concerned about Tevon¡¯s words than the Crown Prince who was holding her tight. ¡ªI¡¯ll go find you soon, so wait! Was he coming to find her? To wait? How do people who live in outer walls or forests for the rest of their lives come to know about Akarn, which is supposed to be in the middle of the capital? The Crown Prince covered Jiwoo¡¯s eyes while slowly driving his horse with one hand, finding it annoying that she kept glancing anxiously toward the forest ¡°Sleep now. We¡¯ll return to the capital.¡± The Crown Prince¡¯s hands smelled of Tevon¡¯s blood. Upon smelling it, her heart, which had been beating anxiously ever since she was held by the Crown Prince, strangely calmed down. Even though that wasn¡¯t the case, the smell of blood without a hint of metallic smell seemed to somehow reassure her. A small light flashed from the hand that covered her eyes. She lost consciousness. ¡ª If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know via our discord so we can fix it as soon as possible. Chapter 54 Chapter 54 ¨C The Expiration Date of Love It rained incessantly. Funny how the weather was the same as back then. The time when she felt betrayed by the Crown Prince and when she endured it alone. When she first headed to the outskirts, she thought she was alone with her mind in the carriage. She never thought she would go back this way with the person who complicated her mind in the first place. It was quiet inside the carriage. The Crown Prince, who was sitting across from her, looked at her quietly and did not speak. He only looked out the window. Jiwoo thought it would be nice if the rain got stronger and put out all the fires that had clung to the forest. ¡°¡­Are you uncomfortable anywhere? Once your ankle gets treated, I think it will heal soon.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± As Jiwoo kept looking out the window without showing any signs of caring for her feet, the Crown Prince started talking to her again. He sounded a little bit nervous. ¡°As expected, I should have executed those lowly things, but you are very merciful.¡± ¡°What do you mean lowly things?¡± The Crown Prince¡¯s temper seemed to be belatedly boiling again. ¡°How have you been? They¡¯re a disgusting bunch who take women who can¡¯t resist them just to gang r*pe her.¡± Gang r*pe. Hearing that, Jiwoo laughed. ¡°¡­Why are you laughing?¡± Can¡¯t resist¡­ It was ridiculous to say that. Did she not resist? Is it a culture he can understand as an imperial person, and even a man with power? ¡°Your Highness, the other race hate outsiders. They hate them so much they kill those outsiders as soon as they run into them. Would they really insult themselves by having sex with said outsiders?¡± It meant that they weren¡¯t the kind of people who would do such a thing. However, after hearing those words, Jiwoo felt his heart grow cold because of the Crown Prince¡¯s counterattack. ¡°It¡¯s just a woman. How can I care about that?¡± Yes. Just a woman. The Empire was such a country. ¡°Well, only the imperial people rape. Whether it¡¯s a person from an enemy country they hate, or a slave who they think is not on the same level as them.¡± Even though she has lived in this world for over five years, Jiwoo is not good at speaking in a noble way because she has a short vocabulary. Still, five years was enough. The Crown Prince was used to Jiwoo¡¯s way of speaking. ¡°¡­Can I take it as saying that nothing happened to you?¡± ¡°Yeah, nothing happened.¡± ¡°Then, that scoundrel¡­¡± That scoundrel, it was clear that the Crown Prince was concerned about Tevon who was provoking him. Jiwoo let out a sigh. Stupid. She shouldn¡¯t have talked about this. ¡°Your Highness, it seems that you are worried about me.¡± ¡°Why do you think I wouldn¡¯t worry? You won¡¯t know what kind of despair I lived in until I heard you were missing, and until I found out that you were alive.¡± ¡°¡­.. That was the Akarna¡¯s duty.¡± ¡°Yes, it is. But how long do you think I could have endured it?¡± At first, she thought that she would be by the Crown Prince¡¯s side and help him in his work, and that she would dedicate herself to him. It¡¯s safe to say that she exhausted her life because of it. But that feeling couldn¡¯t last forever. In the first place, Jiwoo was a modern and free person on Earth. How long till the love that made her forget everything would expire? Maybe it was longer than five years. It was the Crown Prince who shortened that expiration date. ¡°Yes. You can get away from such things now. Because you will become the Crown Princess.¡± ¡°Your Highness, as I said before, I don¡¯t want to become the Crown Princess.¡± Her words made the Crown Prince speechless for a moment. The red eyes were wide open, finding the surprise foreign. The Crown Prince could have made that expression after all. ¡°Your Highness is engaged to another Lady anyway.¡± With those words, the Crown Prince sighed as if he understood. ¡°It¡¯s over now. Hearing that you were missing, I couldn¡¯t go on with it. It¡¯s¡­ already over.¡± The news of the Akarna¡¯s disappearance due to a carriage accident reached the Crown Prince just before the betrothal was to take place. The Crown Prince didn¡¯t even go to the ceremony and went straight to the Akarna¡¯s dispatch site. The engagement was naturally broken. The Crown Prince must have given the lady proper compensation, and if he said this to Jiwoo, it meant that the matter was truly over. She did not know what words and rewards were exchanged between them. Actually, that wasn¡¯t a problem for Jiwoo. Jiwoo didn¡¯t even care, her intention was excluded from the whole process in the first place. ¡°Your Highness. You don¡¯t love me.¡± ¡°¡­I love you.¡± The Crown Prince¡¯s expression looked painful, like he was chewing on something terrible. Jiwoo looked at his face for the first time in a long time. The sunken eyes, perhaps from not sleeping, and the darkened area around them. Even the sharper jawline that was thinner than she remembered. It seemed that only the eyes glowed alive like flames on the ash-like complexion. He was big and scary until he burned the forest, but now he seemed small for some reason. ¡°Whether you¡¯re dead or alive, if you¡¯re dead, you wouldn¡¯t have been able to rest properly. Even if you were alive, you would have been in the outskirts infested with beasts and other races. I was worried.¡± ¡°And then you¡¯ll force me to do the Akarna¡¯s duty again.¡± ¡°¡­Akarna.¡± ¡°Yes, it can¡¯t be helped. I¡­ I¡¯m tired of Your Highness¡¯s inevitable things now.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do my duty as the Akarna. As Your Highness said, I was caught in the forest for a while. I¡¯ll go back to the temple and tell them my circumstances. I should be able to get back to my job right away.¡± The Crown Prince immediately sighed. ¡°That can be worked out. Trust me. I¡¯m not taking you for that.¡± ¡°The temple won¡¯t give me up anyway. Your Highness knows that. I am the one and only Akarna of the temple¡­¡± ¡°A new Akarna will appear soon.¡± Jiwoo was so surprised that she stopped talking and thinking. ¡°What did you say?¡± Only one Akarna could exist in this world. Through Enciertes, she learned what kind of existence the Akarna was, and how the empire and the temple made it so. Just as Elandos of El Ragneil had several groups, there could originally be several Akarnas of Caranazion. However, that fact was far from the common sense of the imperial people. Summoning a new Akarna was an act of denying the worldview that the empire and the temple had built in advance. It was the same as splitting their main deity in two, and the temple could be degraded if done wrong. Jiwoo didn¡¯t trust the Crown Prince. He was not the kind of person who would take such a loss. ¡°A new body will be searched after God judged that your body has run out of usefulness. For now, that¡¯s how it was decided.¡± ¡°I beg your pardon?¡± ¡°You¡­ will become the person who was directly ordained by God to the Crown Prince. The most respected person in the Empire who has taken care of the people of the Empire as Akarna. You will become the Empress.¡± Did he think she would be thrilled with that statement? Other than the facts he listed, Jiwoo was more startled. ¡°¡­Your Highness, Your Highness seems to already know¡­ what an Akarna is.¡± The Crown Prince shook his head. ¡°I didn¡¯t know from the beginning. I was suspicious of the temple or the Emperor¡¯s attitude toward you, who had gone missing, so I dug it up by myself.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± She had nothing to say. What should she say? She hoped someone could tell her. ¡°You won¡¯t go to the temple. You will go to the Imperial Palace with me.¡± Jiwoo pursed her lips wanting to speak, but she just gave up. That said, she wished he had done it at least two months ago. She could have taken it differently then. Why was he saying that now? When she asked for an identity, he thought she wouldn¡¯t even need it and said that things like Akarna were difficult, but she thought it was okay as long as she was with him. What has changed his mind? Did he realize that the person he thought would always be by his side was actually an ordinary person? ¡°Akarna.¡± He called her quietly. Jiwoo didn¡¯t answer. Not too long ago, it was the condition she so desired. No, maybe something more ideal unfolded than she actually hoped for. But why did she feel so terrible? She turned her gaze to the window. She struggled to hold back her tears. She didn¡¯t want him to see. ¡°¡­Akarna, I love you.¡± Come now. What¡¯s the use of all that? __ [note: if you have time to spare, please consider answering this ! thank you!] ¡ª If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know via our discord so we can fix it as soon as possible. Chapter 55 Chapter 55 It was as the Crown Prince had said. Jiwoo was not guided to the temple, but to a mansion somewhere in the imperial capital. She didn¡¯t know where. She didn¡¯t even know much about the imperial capital. Jiwoo tried to run out right away that day, but security was tight. There were more knights watching over her than servants in the mansion. It was no different from life of confinement. However, they all treated Jiwoo with respect and served her with great care. Good food was served on time, and the servants created an environment where there was nothing uncomfortable about life in the mansion despite their tight lips. She just couldn¡¯t get out of here. Oddly enough, Jiwoo stared at the scene through the window with an expressionless face all day long. The Crown Prince seemed to be very busy after bringing Jiwoo here. He will have government affairs to deal with on a daily basis as well. Including the temple and other things to do, even to make sure to do what he had told her before. She held no expectations for the Crown Prince. But that¡¯s why she was surprised when she came across this situation. ¡°Akarna, you have black hair like the deep night, so you would look great with a white dress and anything.¡± ¡°The waist is also thin, so you can pull off any design!¡± The women surrounding Jiwoo were chattering. They were not simply seamstresses hired by the Crown Prince. They were the owners of the most luxurious and expensive boutiques in the imperial capital, which led the nobles fashion. There were even nobles among the trainees. They surrounded Jiwoo and measured her body. Jiwoo, who had never encountered such people in her life, naturally stiffened in front of them. Whether it was an engagement or a wedding, she would be the Crown Princess, so she had to tailor at least a few dresses. In the meantime, Jiwoo had worn only a few sets of an Akarna¡¯s robes prepared at the temple, so she was used to those instead. While quietly giving herself over to them, Jiwoo fell into other thoughts. ¡®Why should I be doing this?¡¯ It was like playing house. Jiwoo was a doll for the doll play they wanted to do. She was caught up in a needlessly large-scale prank. No matter how, Jiwoo did not look like a new bride who was about to get married. It didn¡¯t matter how good the fabric or silk, didn¡¯t matter what kinds of designs she¡¯d have of the new dresses in vogue, didn¡¯t matter how much jewelry she had. She was wholly uninterested. Although she frowned in some ways, she didn¡¯t even complain. She was rather accustomed to nobles with a dirty personality currying favor, so Jiwoo was particularly taken aback. ¡°Ah, aren¡¯t you interested? It¡¯s natural. No matter what you wear that day, it will be fashionable.¡± ¡°Akarna, they say that before marriage, you get depressed for no reason. But you can¡¯t be like this on that day when you need to change your mood. Just take a look at it.¡± Out of necessity, Jiwoo received the catalogue from the head of the boutique. Right. What sins are these people guilty of? This person must be doing this to make a living. She¡¯s not sure if it¡¯s the seamstress or the designer, but they¡¯re trying to get her size and get her attention. She thought it would be better to pick out something roughly and let it go, rather than procrastinate like this. ¡°I¡¯ll choose from here.¡± It was the only sentence Jiwoo uttered today. Hearing that, they gave a visibly relieved face. It was a catalogue with several pictures that looked like they were done by hand. She turned the page without thinking and reached the last page of the catalog. It was just when she grabbed the last page with the thought of going back to the beginning and choosing something. One of the pages on the back of the catalogue had been ripped off. ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°Ah, this is¡­¡± The head of the boutique, who had been chattering so far, was at a loss for words. ¡°That¡¯s, that¡¯s just a personal sketch!¡± A relatively small, silent person from their group leaped forward. ¡°Ah, um, why was it there¡­ It¡¯s not very flashy, and for the future Crown Princess, something like this¡­¡± ¡°I want to see more.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± As the woman hesitated, the head of the boutique gave a slight nod. Even though the woman seemed troubled, she didn¡¯t look too upset. ¡°At the end of the continent, there is a place that people can never cross because of a disaster when they cross the sea. But there is a legend that there is another continent that is as white as snow once you cross it. It was designed with a tree that is said to grow naturally there¡­¡± ¡°Oh, isn¡¯t it too white to represent a tree?¡± ¡°Since this continent is green, I wonder if the grass growing there is white.¡± ¡°Lady must have a good imagination.¡± A pattern representing a tree was engraved on the bottom of the dress. The detailed pattern was drawn on the back page, but it was curiously similar to the tree she saw in the green-gold village where the children of Elandos lived. The length of the branches is longer than the gigantic body, and the branches are spread out as if holding up the sky instead of extending straight upward. The twigs seemed to match the folds of the dress if they were actually made into it. She didn¡¯t like the leaves that were the point of the overall pattern of the dress, but she liked everything else. ¡°Please make this.¡± It was the first time she mentioned her preference, but everyone in the room seemed puzzled. ¡°Bu, but¡­!¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s good, so what¡¯s the problem?¡± Jiwoo said while closing the catalogue and handing it over. The head of the boutique seemed puzzled, but immediately smiled and greeted her elegantly. ¡°Leave it to me. Akarna.¡± Jiwoo did not leave the bedroom. When she went outside the door, the knights made sure to chase after her with their eyes. They politely ask if something is the matter, but it didn¡¯t change the fact that they were surveilling her. If she was frustrated, they let her take a walk. But at least two knights followed. So, in the end, she drank tea in her bedroom. The Crown Prince who dropped Jiwoo here rarely visited for the first few days, but as the days went by, seeing his face became more and more frequent. ¡°Akarna.¡± ¡°¡­Ah.¡± ¡°Why do you keep sleeping in a place like this, hm?¡± The Crown Prince asked in a friendly tone. Jiwoo came to her senses only when the Crown Prince picked her up and hugged her. Jiwoo always fell asleep in the drawing room of this mansion or on a table by the balcony. It was because if she slept comfortably on the bed here, it seemed to attach her heart to this place. It wasn¡¯t even comfortable in the first place. Occasionally, when her body was moved to bed, it was the day the Crown Prince visited. Like today. When she saw his face, she let out a sigh. ¡°Your Highness, until when will it be like this.¡± ¡°¡­Wait a little longer.¡± What was she supposed to wait for? She hadn¡¯t been able to communicate since he caught her. The Crown Prince sat Jiwoo down on the bed and knelt down in front of her. Seeing him rummaging in his arms, Jiwoo thought that something was coming. It was what she had wanted so much, but surprisingly, she felt nothing. ¡°I have something to give you today.¡± What the Crown Prince offered was a small box. When the half-folded lid was opened, a brilliant jewel shone. It was bigger than the one that shone in the hand of the woman who danced with him. Even at first glance, she could feel it. She laughed. It was as if he was offering her a better toy¡ªto appease a child who¡¯s been jealous of someone else¡¯s nice toy. ¡°What in the world is this?¡± ¡°I was originally going to give it to you. It just took a long time to prepare.¡± Was he calling that an excuse? She was speechless. ¡°And I have something to say about the succession¡­¡± Haa. Jiwoo naturally looked bored. The Crown Prince was always like that. If there was something unfavorable that he had to tell her, he would start with the carrot first before the stick. Like saying ¡®I love you¡¯. Now that she thought about it, she thought she was crazy for getting so lost in such things. Jiwoo brushed her bangs and let out a deep sigh. ¡°I know. So, you¡¯re going to say that you¡¯ll be bringing in a concubine.¡± ¡°No, I¡­¡± ¡°¡­Please.¡± The Crown Prince¡¯s expression changed as he stopped talking. It looked like it had been pushed off a cliff. ¡°But¡­ What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter whether you have a concubine or a few more concubines, so please do as you wish. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter?¡± The Crown Prince¡¯s hands who held Jiwoo¡¯s hand grew tense. ¡°¡­It doesn¡¯t matter if I make an heir with another woman?¡± ¡°Your Highness, you are the Crown Prince who will become the Emperor. Bloodline is important. You don¡¯t have to explain it multiple times.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like that. I¡¯m asking if it doesn¡¯t matter to you.¡± ¡°Why should I care?¡± ¡°But you¡­¡± The Crown Prince said desperately. ¡°You love me.¡± ¡ª If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know via our discord so we can fix it as soon as possible. Chapter 56 Chapter 56 Love. Love, he said. The days when she was hanging on to it seemed distant. Why did she feel that it was laughable only now, whenever he¡¯d speak of love? ¡°Your Highness, I don¡¯t have the confidence to look at someone who doesn¡¯t love me anymore. I¡¯m exhausted.¡± ¡°What do you mean by that? Akarna, I love you. There has never been a moment that I didn¡¯t love you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all lies.¡± All he needed was the Akarna from the temple. ¡°I¡¯m not lying. I¡¯m sincere!¡± ¡°How can I believe that!¡± It felt like someone was clamping her neck. This stuffy mansion, the Crown Prince who imprisoned her and forced her to bid his will, and the name ¡®Akarna¡¯ that was binding her¡­ It was terribly holding onto her breath and she was sick of it. Jiwoo gasped as if she was having trouble breathing. When she finally caught her breath, the tears she had been holding back came out together. ¡°You needed a useful tool, I was just an obedient servant who listened to you¡­! A prostitute to sleep with you whenever you want to!¡± ¡°No, don¡¯t say such a thing!¡± The Crown Prince kept denying her words, Jiwoo screamed in a fit. ¡°I told you I didn¡¯t want it! The position of Crown Princess or anything else!¡± Jiwoo withdrew her hand from the Crown Prince. Then, she picked up the ring box he was holding and threw it away. Slam, roll¡ª The ring box fell to the floor and the ring inside protruded out. The large jewel shone brilliantly even in the dim lighting of the bedroom. She only screamed a few times, but she was already tired of it. Jiwoo turned her head away from the Crown Prince and gasped for breath. In this world, because the Crown Prince was holding her neck, she couldn¡¯t breathe properly. The Crown Prince raised himself. Yes. It must have hurt that man¡¯s pride. He should have just gone out now. It felt like she could calm herself if she didn¡¯t see his face. In the past, he only showed his face when he wanted to, but why was he doing this now? However, the Crown Prince, who she thought would leave the bedroom, picked up the ring box and held her hand again. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± She couldn¡¯t breathe. ¡°It¡¯s my fault.¡± Why now? ¡°I love you, Akarna.¡± Why the hell are you doing this now? It was true that she had loved him. However, there was no way that the love that was once shunned would last forever. She didn¡¯t know what kind of feelings she had left for him now. Whatever was clogging up her chest couldn¡¯t be relieved even when she got angry and yelled. The Crown Prince who held her hand was also trembling. ¡°I didn¡¯t turn away from your love. I¡­ I was short-sighted, stupid, and I got conceited when I saw you risk everything just for me. Like a fool, I realized it only when I almost lost you. It¡¯s my fault. But there was never a time that I did not love with you. You can blame me. But please don¡¯t deny that.¡± She didn¡¯t want to hear these words. She couldn¡¯t believe anything he said. ¡°Akarna¡­¡± He reached out his hand to wipe away her tears. Jiwoo, not wanting his touch, turned her head away. ¡°I know you can¡¯t believe me. I was the one who brought upon your distrust. So, I¡¯ll try my best from now on.¡± The Crown Prince pondered over what he had done. As much as he believed in the other person¡¯s deep love, he thought that she would understand everything. Rather, he thought it was a good direction for their relationship. The position of Akarna in the temple, the position of the imperial Crown Prince, was excused for that act. He realized too late that the wounds inflicted without malice would have been more painful. There¡¯s no way he didn¡¯t love her for all those five years. So he didn¡¯t know how it would break so easily. When he thought that Akarna might be dead, his eyes became dark. There was only one image that came to his mind as he rode the horse to Akarna¡¯s dispatch. Tired of crying and clinging. That was all he could think of. Then he realized. He caused it. At the same time as the feeling that the sky had fallen, he was overcome with regret for everything he had done. However, his Akarna in front of him didn¡¯t even let him grovel down and be pitiful. ¡°Your Highness, we can¡¯t. It¡¯s too late now. Just let me go.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t do that.¡± The Crown Prince placed his forehead on Jiwoo¡¯s lap. He looked so desperate as if he was kneeling and hanging on her knees, confessing his sins. The short frizzy hair. The shade under dark eyes. A sharp and ferocious atmosphere that could only be seen on the battlefield surrounded him. The next moment, what came out of his mouth was a voice mixed with some gloomy obsession. ¡°That won¡¯t do. Your place is by my side.¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t want it.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll prove it. Trust me. The duty of the Akarna that oppresses you will be gone now. Then I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be able to believe me¡­¡± The Crown Prince¡¯s voice was mixed with obsession and madness. ¡°Please stop.¡± ¡°It won¡¯t take long.¡± ¡°Let me go¡­¡± Jiwoo, exhausted from crying, muttered in a fading tone. Tears continued to fall. ¡°I won¡¯t take any concubines or keep another woman by my side. You¡¯re the only one for me. I¡¯m just going to ask your opinion about adopting.¡± ¡°My opinion is for Your Highness to let me go.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I won¡¯t listen to that.¡± How could the Crown Prince, who always held his head upright, become someone who apologized so easily? Jiwoo looked at him with eyes clouded with tears. She couldn¡¯t tell what expression the blurry face was making. ¡°You will become my one and only Crown Princess.¡± All she could feel was his red eyes ensnaring her, burning like a maned lion tearing down his enemies on the battlefield. He grabbed her hand and forcibly put the ring on her helpless finger. His lips touched it. ¡°I love you, Akarna.¡± Akarna. He ended up holding her back with those words. The Crown Prince visited the mansion from time to time. Even during the day when he was in the midst of state affairs, he often visited, and he stayed for quite a while in the evening. One day, he forced Jiwoo, who didn¡¯t want to lie down on the bed and watch her until she fell asleep. When she turned her back to avoid looking at his red eyes, Jiwoo eventually fell asleep on the bed. Nothing special. The days just repeat itself. When the time came, she ate the food that came out in a timely manner, and occasionally when someone came from a boutique or jewelry store, she would greet them and pick out something. The Crown Prince asked if she needed anything, but Jiwoo would not answer. Whenever Jiwoo wanted to leave, the soldiers blocked her way. Whenever she did this, the Crown Prince increased the surveillance on her. Such a life kept repeating. Again. Again. And again¡­ She was treated as a bird locked in a cage. She was so frustrated that she felt like going crazy. The Crown Prince, who was working on something alone, told Jiwoo to wait when she was frustrated, but did not tell her what was going on. Then one day. Tap. Tap, tap. Was the night wind that strong tonight? From the balcony connected to the bedroom, there was a constant sound of something hitting. Tap. tap. A small sound but could not be ignored. The sound was a bit loud for a leaf blowing and knocking. Tap. Tap, tap. And it was too constant. It seemed that something like a tree branch had caught on to something and kept making the same sound. She didn¡¯t intend to sleep comfortably, but she thought she¡¯d want to deal with trivial noises because she was stressed out right now. When Jiwoo opened the balcony window. A large shadow leaped inside. ¡°W-Who¡­¡± Jiwoo wasn¡¯t the type to scream when surprised. Jiwoo, who was frightened and stopped breathing, took only a few steps back. When the assailant who broke into her bedroom, took off the hood. ¡°Uh, ah¡­!¡± Jiwoo couldn¡¯t even say the right words and ran to him and hugged him. A low, merry laugh came above her head. Even that slightly light voice was very welcome. ¡°Ah, Seo Jiwoo. I didn¡¯t know you would welcome me like this.¡± ¡°Tevon, Tevon¡­ Tevon¡­¡± The scent of the forest that she missed so much in a short time wrapped around her. Tevon hugged Jiwoo¡¯s waist with his firm arms. The scent intensified as she buried her face in his arms. It was not a dream. This vivid touch is not a dream. ¡°How, how¡­¡± Jiwoo was crying and couldn¡¯t speak properly. It was so stupid, but Tevon didn¡¯t seem to mind. As Jiwoo continued to cry, Tevon stroked her cheek. As she moved her head and rubbed her cheek against his hand, Tevon¡¯s face, which had been smiling all along, became serious. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you? I¡¯ll go find you, so wait.¡± ¡ª If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know via our discord so we can fix it as soon as possible. Chapter 57 Chapter 57 ¨C Substitute ¡°Hiic. Hiiicc¡­¡± ¡°Did I make you wait too long?¡± ¡°No. It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m glad you¡¯re safe¡­¡± Jiwoo shook her head. As she rubbed her face against his chest, the sweet smell of fruit mixed with the smell of the forest. Jiwoo, intoxicated by the scent, suddenly raised her head. ¡°Ears, show me your ears¡­!¡± ¡°What?¡± Before Tevon could say anything, Jiwoo checked his ear. The Crown Prince put his sword to it, wanting to cut it off before. There were no major wounds, but the blood scabs were already dry. She was relieved, but also very sorry. If it wasn¡¯t for her, this scar wouldn¡¯t have existed in the first place. No, should she be thankful just for being alive? Jiwoo let out a sigh of relief. ¡°¡­Seo Jiwoo.¡± Tevon said in a low voice. For someone who sneaked into the mansion after running through the night, his face was clearly blushing. ¡°I¡­ didn¡¯t come here for that today, so if you seduce me like this, it¡¯s troublesome.¡± ¡°T-That¡¯s not what I meant.¡± Jiwoo hurriedly removed her hands from his ears. Tevon grabbed Jiwoo¡¯s shoulder with both hands. It was a subdued and serious voice unlike him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry Seo Jiwoo, but listen carefully. I can¡¯t get you out of here today. I barely managed to come see you myself.¡± Jiwoo didn¡¯t expect to be able to get out of here either. It was nice just to see his face. ¡°Yes¡­ Is everyone okay? Lanceil? Callan? Enci?¡± Tevon said calmly as he gently stroked Jiwoo¡¯s back, who seemed emotionally unstable. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Everyone is fine. Rather, we were all worried about you.¡± She was glad he said that. However, Jiwoo was thinking about them as well as what they thought was most important. ¡°Then what about Helka?¡± ¡°Not yet. He hasn¡¯t come back yet¡­ Seo Jiwoo.¡± Tevon shook Jiwoo¡¯s shoulder, who kept asking for the safety of the children of Elandos. ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°Yes¡­ Yes¡± She was really okay, but perhaps Tevon was seeing her differently. Well, no matter how hospitably they treated her here, Jiwoo thinned up a lot in the last few days. She might have looked unstable as she asked urgently because it was a relief to see him and she has a lot to ask. ¡°How did you find me? How did you know I was here?¡± ¡°On the day we got separated, I followed the scent that I had told you where the group could go find you.¡± Jiwoo reflexively touched the back of her neck, which Tevon had pressed down after he had bled on it that day. ¡°Does it last that long?¡± ¡°Close enough.¡± Tevon grinned. ¡°More than that¡­¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I heard on the way, but the situation is more chaotic than before, and rumors are spreading throughout the capital that a new Akarna will appear.¡± ¡°The Crown Prince said the temple are summoning another Akarna.¡± ¡°I see¡­ Then¡­¡± Tevon¡¯s expression turned very cold, seemingly lost in thought. ¡°Tevon?¡± It was disturbing. The temple was able to artificially summon a new Akarna. In the first place, the temple was such a place. The summoning took as much strong will and vitality as the original Akarna used to cross dimensions. To replace it usually required a war or catastrophe with a high number of deaths. The empire and the temple were forced to go to war whenever a new Akarna was needed. There have been accidents where many people have died in some places on the outer wall. There was no justification for war, and there was no guarantee that the accident was truly an accident. The truth of the disaster created in this way was hidden, saying that God sent a new Akarna because of that disaster. If they tried to summon a new Akarna now, it was obvious to whom the arrow would go this time. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Seo Jiwoo. Everyone is safe for now, but our situation isn¡¯t that good.¡± ¡°¡­I think I know what¡¯s going on.¡± Jiwoo wasn¡¯t a fool. She had seen with her own eyes how much the empire despised them and how the Crown Prince treated them. Ever since she became an Akarna, she always thought that Akarna¡¯s duties were too heavy. She wanted to get out. But it wasn¡¯t like this. Even if a new Akarna were to come out, she couldn¡¯t welcome it comfortably. She couldn¡¯t accept favorably of a war without justification, in which ordinary people were dying, or an artificially created disaster, if it happened because of her. Even more so, if the people who had to die this time were the children of Elandos. She hated it even more. She¡¯d rather die together. ¡°I-I¡¯ll just go with you¡­ Tevon take me¡­ with you.¡± Tevon shook his head resolutely. ¡°It¡¯s even more dangerous when you¡¯re with us. I¡­ I came here because I was worried that you would continue to cry.¡± Reluctantly, he forcibly removed Jiwoo who kept hugging her. Tevon sighed and said, ¡°I don¡¯t like it very much to say this¡­ but you¡¯re probably the safest here right now.¡± ¡°Tevon¡­ please.¡± ¡°No. Seo Jiwoo. You have to be safe. We also know that you need to be safe to live, right? Dammit, don¡¯t cry.¡± When Jiwoo started to cry, Tevon panicked and somehow wiped away the tears, but the tears leaked out faster. Even though he kept wiping away her tears, there was no sign of stopping, so Tevon just hugged Jiwoo tightly. He continued to pat her on the back as if to reassure her. But there was no way she could be relieved. In the first place, they would protect Seo Jiwoo at the cost of a few members of the group. Again, they are sticking to the same attitude this time. ¡°I¡¯ll come back for you soon. Stay healthy.¡± ¡°Tevon.¡± Tevon looked back several times as he was about to leave, wondering if he should leave Jiwoo who was dripping with tears. It was not easy for him to break through the heavy security of the mansion alone. He had been hovering around the mansion for days, only coming in after dealing with a few guards during shifts. Soon it was time for a new shift. Tevon didn¡¯t have much time. ¡°Damn¡­¡± But as Tevon tried to get out through the balcony, he spat out a low curse. He went this way again and grabbed Jiwoo by the shoulder. He asked boldly. ¡°May I kiss you?¡± As soon as she nodded, their lips met almost immediately. As she held her breath, fragrant flowers invaded her lips that had been crying without even making a sound. The kiss was not soft. She couldn¡¯t tell if it was because of his urgency or his unbearable passion. But when Jiwoo¡¯s lips touched him, she felt that she could breathe. This wasn¡¯t a kiss to quench lust. It was like an act of handing over his breath so Jiwoo could live here for a little while. ¡°Ngh, mmph¡­¡± The kiss mixed with tears became longer as if it would fall short. Even though he was about to go, Tevon breathed heavily and licked Jiwoo¡¯s mouth again. He stuck his tongue out, as if he was about to unleash the feeling he hadn¡¯t shared in a long time. Common sense told him that no matter how much Jiwoo would cry, he should have left, promising to meet her next time. But Tevon was too young compared to the other children of Elandos, and emotions always trumped reason. ¡°¡­This lowly thing.¡± So usually, he tended to mess things up like this. The two, who were absorbed in kissing, were shocked at the same time. The Crown Prince, who quietly opened the bedroom door and entered, stood there like a ghost. Shiiiing. As soon as they turned their head, they immediately heard the sound of his sword being drawn. Tak. The Crown Prince rushed towards this direction. It was a movement that Jiwoo could not follow with her eyes. Tevon got away from Jiwoo and headed straight for the balcony. There was no way the Crown Prince would miss him. The sound of the sword swinging, losing its cold reason, filled with murderous intent, was no match for the sound of the heavy club cutting through the air. Shiiing! Clash! The sword swung toward Tevon was blocked by Tevon¡¯s dagger. The two had very little difference in strength. The problem was the state of the sword. Tang! As Tevon¡¯s dagger barely held on, it soon snapped in half. Tevon hurriedly avoided it, but the Crown Prince¡¯s sword was faster. The sword lodged in his forearm. The sword did not come off and dug in deeply, cutting through his elbows smoothly. ¡°Keugh!¡± ¡°A¡­AAHHH!¡± Tevon held back his moaning, but Jiwoo screamed even louder. There was a suffocating scent of flowers in the room. It was a strong, strong scent, as if ten bottles of perfume had been spilled. It smelled so good, but it made her nauseous. ¡°No, no, Your Highness, Your Highness, stop¡­ please stop¡­!¡± Jiwoo couldn¡¯t stand it and ran to the Crown Prince. She tightly wrapped her arms around his waist. She had hated being touched by him, but it didn¡¯t matter now. She couldn¡¯t open her tightly closed eyes. Her arms trembled. It felt like her heart was trembling too. Even after the Crown Prince pulled her away, Jiwoo continued to stare at the balcony. Even after he picked her up and sat her down on the bed to calm her down, she continued. Fortunately Tevon has already disappeared. ¡°Akarna.¡± ¡°Ah, hiiic¡­ please.¡± ¡°He¡¯s gone.¡± Jiwoo barely turned his head at his words. It was only then that she saw the dagger embedded in his shoulder. Tevon was not just beaten. Jiwoo realized that she hadn¡¯t even noticed that he was injured until this point. ¡°¡­Akarna. Look at me.¡± The kneeling Crown Prince buried his forehead in Jiwoo¡¯s lap. As if Jiwoo¡¯s gaze was more painful than the bloodstained wound on his shoulder. ¡ª ¡ª If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know via our discord so we can fix it as soon as possible. Chapter 58 Chapter 58 ¡°Your Highness, what are you doing out there?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°You¡¯re trying to kill them, aren¡¯t you?¡± What¡¯s the reason this time? A war? A disaster? An epidemic? A man-made disaster? An accident? What lies were hiding the truth this time? Was the reason he kept telling her to wait was so that she wouldn¡¯t be able to meet them after all? To get rid of the place she could to return to? ¡°That¡¯s why you¡¯re trying to summon a new Akarna.¡± The Crown Prince covered both his eyes with one hand as if he was not very happy with this situation. After a while, his dark and tired eyes were revealed, showing a vulnerable appearance that looked as if he was about to collapse. ¡°¡­No. It¡¯s not like that.¡± Tears flowed down her eyes nonstop from the moment she met Tevon. The Crown Prince stretched out his hand and wiped the tears from her cheeks, but Jiwoo, who had been turning her head away from him since he came here, trembled but did not avoid his touch. ¡°Why do you keep saying no?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll just continue with the Akarna¡¯s duties. Don¡¯t summon a new Akarna or anything. I¡¯ll do what you tell me to do, if you want me to be the Crown Princess, I¡¯ll do it. Please don¡¯t summon a new one.¡± ¡°¡­Akarna.¡± A trembling hand reached the Crown Prince¡¯s shoulder. But she couldn¡¯t hastily put her hand on his bloody shoulder. ¡°I-I can treat this too.¡± Oh, she was so dizzy. The strong scent of blood unique to the children of Elandos, as well as the smell of iron exuded from the Crown Prince. She felt like she was going to vomit because of the mixture of all kinds of scents, each insisted on their own existence. In the meantime, only she was getting tattered. ¡°G-Give me a blade. I can do it.¡± Jiwoo got up and tried to run towards the sword he had thrown away, but the Crown Prince grabbed Jiwoo by the shoulder and held her back. ¡°Let go! I¡¯m going to heal you!¡± ¡°Akarna!¡± ¡°Hurry and give it to me¡­!¡± Unable to hug Jiwoo because of his open wound that kept bleeding, the Crown Prince muttered in a daze while pressing only on her shoulder to calm her down. ¡°Please¡­ calm down¡­ I was wrong.¡± ¡°Then would you like to use another method? Would you?¡± As Jiwoo grabbed her collar and began to untangle it without hesitation, the Crown Prince¡¯s complexion turned pale. Paler than when he was pale by blood loss. When Jiwoo undid the front of her dress that¡¯s over her chest, the Crown Prince held Jiwoo¡¯s hand. They were both shaking. It¡¯s hard to even tell who was trembling more. ¡°Stop. Stop¡­¡± The Crown Prince tightly closed his eyes. ¡°Please.¡± His hands trembled as he straightened the clothes Jiwoo had loosened. ¡°Please¡­ stop¡­¡± ¡°Your Highness, go back to the way you used to treat me before.¡± The Crown Prince¡¯s expression as he looked at Jiwoo became stunned. ¡°I¡¯ll do the Akarna¡¯s duty in the temple as I am told to do, and I just have to stay by Your Highness¡¯s side. If you ask me to be the Crown Princess, I will do it. If you ask me to be your concubine, I will do it. No matter who you meet, I won¡¯t complain. It¡¯s the same anyway¡­!¡± Hearing Jiwoo¡¯s tearful words made the Crown Prince even more dizzy. He was aware of it on his own, but all the words Jiwoo shouted stabbed at him like sharpened blades. Saying that she would heal his wounds by harming herself, Jiwoo was no different from the way she was in the past¡ªwilling to go to the wastelands for him and the empire. She looked cornered and put on a desperate face. That desperate look. It was his first time seeing that. The Akarna, who smiled warmly in front of him, saying that it was okay and that it was an honorable duty, was drying up like that from behind him. She had been doing her duty for the Crown Prince all along. As Jiwoo headed to pick up the sword without hesitation, the Crown Prince realized. Jiwoo¡¯s dedication to work her body like that and devoted herself to him, was already replaced by someone else. He felt like filth. And so far Akarna has spilled her blood when sent to people for the sake of filth like him. Only for him. ¡°¡­Akarna.¡± The Crown Prince¡¯s mouth opened and closed several times without saying anything. I¡¯m sorry, please forgive me. He couldn¡¯t even dare to say those words. It¡¯s hard to get rid of feelings for one person. Whether it was love, jealousy, or hatred, intense emotions could burn even if the object disappeared. However, it was different if the target was replaced. He couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that he had been completely pushed out. The Crown Prince stood up in front of Jiwoo, unable to take out the dagger stuck in his shoulder. ¡°¡­Now rest. The messy room¡­ I¡¯ll send for a servant to clean it up.¡± It was better for her to say no or that she was disappointed. It was better that her eyes were fixed on him because she hated it. Let¡¯s go back to the past. Perhaps it would be better to do so than now. Jiwoo spoke about it as if she was going to fall into the pit to avoid the worst. Was it that terrible? It¡¯s even more disgusting now. What was his position in this relationship? The Crown Prince strongly felt that he was filth, but the Akarna valued even that filth before. Staggering out of the bedroom door, the Crown Prince heard Jiwoo muttering in a wet voice. She didn¡¯t even have the energy to cry, so she barely squeezed out the sound. ¡°Why won¡¯t you listen to anything I say¡­¡± But he couldn¡¯t help it. Even if it¡¯s just the shell, he had to hold on to it. The Crown Prince¡¯s face, who was always full of confidence and dignity, became dark in a short time. An unprecedented madness shone sharply across his unrefined face. It felt like being on a battlefield even without cutting people. t/n: this part is so tough, i felt my feelings getting drained too >.< the author is really pushing Aleph¡¯s redemption and the bad news is¡­ im kind of starting to buy it. i know i shouldn¡¯t but this insight to his mind breaks my heart as well T.T this is actually what i want to read when novels have the tag ¡®regretful ml¡¯ No matter how much Jiwoo begged and begged, the Crown Prince did not listen. Even when she cried in anger, he did not back down. Even when she screamed, cried, or pleaded miserably, he would rather bear her hatred just to keep Jiwoo by his side. Like Jiwoo, who lived her life only looking at the Crown Prince, the Crown Prince was desperate as if he would die soon without Jiwoo. Soon, Jiwoo was moved to another place. It was obvious why. Even though Tevon only met Jiwoo for a short time, and she didn¡¯t escape, it seemed like it was a shock that Tevon broke through the mansion¡¯s security alone. The Crown Prince was planning to completely move her residence before the other children of Elandos could come. The Crown Prince, who was watching Jiwoo nervously in the carriage, could not bear the heavy silence and opened his mouth. ¡°It¡¯s going to be a long trip. Even if it¡¯s a little uncomfortable, bear with it.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care.¡± Jiwoo looked at the window and said calmly. ¡°¡­It¡¯s just moving the prison anyway?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like that.¡± The Crown Prince sighed. ¡°¡­I¡¯m going to strip you of your duties as the Akarna. I can¡¯t help but need publicity from the temple. Maybe it¡¯s better to hold the wedding ceremony itself in the temple.¡± Even if she said she didn¡¯t want to become the Crown Princess, it didn¡¯t work. It was like talking to a wall. The person who would imprison her in a tower somewhere if she continued to rebel was the Crown Prince. He was such a person in the first place. A man who does whatever for a purpose in the end. He was rumored to be cruel. There were also rumors that he would run wild on the battlefield. He was as admirable as he was capable. He approached with sorrow, used people, and discarded them when they were no longer useful¡­ There must be an intention in approaching her in the first place. But Jiwoo also had a reason to love him for five years. The time they spent together could never be considered short. No matter how he had been, Jiwoo had never seen such ferocious violence. Rather, she knew what other people did not know. When he was in front of her, he would shake his legs like an immature boy, or put his hands together and wiggle his fingers. He was embarrassed to say that he had come to Akarna¡¯s dispatch without knowing it. When they were connected, he habitually put his lips on her, and hugged her as if he couldn¡¯t stand it in a place where no one was around. There was a time when they hid in the corner of the temple, playing with his hands and secretly whispering about love. Jiwoo watched with sunken eyes as the Crown Prince wiggled his fingers in front of her as usual. After a while, Jiwoo called him quietly. ¡°Your Highness.¡± ¡°¡­Mmh?¡± He raised his head hurriedly. It¡¯s been a while since Jiwoo called him. ¡°Many people have to die to summon an Akarna. You know that.¡± ¡°¡­I do.¡± ¡°You also know what the new Akarna will be treated like when they¡¯re summoned.¡± ¡°¡­I know.¡± ¡°I¡¯m the only one who gets out of it, so I have to deal with that guilt again.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Silence passed for a long time. The Crown Prince, who had pursed his lips, said a short word after a while. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. There¡¯s no other choice.¡± He was the Crown Prince who lived for the empire, his people, and his ambitions more than anyone else. Thinking about it, she could understand what he was dealing with now. The values and position he had maintained throughout his life from the root were being shaken. There was a time when she wished the Crown Prince to do the same, just as she burned her whole body with love. But why? It was clear that what she had wished for had come true, but she felt nothing. ¡°¡­At least don¡¯t touch the outsiders. Your Highness, I will do as you please.¡± Was it right to love like that? But his love couldn¡¯t always give her what she really wanted. It always just made her suffer. What Jiwoo dwelled on was resignation. The Akarna¡¯s destiny was no different from crawling into hell for someone you hold dear. ¡ª If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know via our discord so we can fix it as soon as possible. Chapter 59 Chapter 59 There was another long silence in the rattling carriage. A silence where not even a sigh could be heard. After a while, the Crown Prince quietly opened his mouth. ¡°¡­Akarna.¡± Jiwoo turned her head and looked at him. ¡°The first time I¡¯ve seen you¡­ is not at the temple. As you may remember, the battlefields I fought in and your dispatch overlapped.¡± ¡°Was it?¡± ¡°You wouldn¡¯t remember. It was a very brief moment.¡± Jiwoo had a really hard first year or so of her life. It was because she was sent to the battlefield before she could adapt to this world. She had to treat the wounded without knowing anything. She couldn¡¯t remember the countless people she passed by. ¡°I¡­ I thought you were really the one heaven gave me.¡± The Crown Prince did not have that position from the start. After Jiwoo fell into this world, he miraculously returned alive and won the battlefield, where he was almost pushed to death by his opponents. After the Crown Prince found stability, he looked for the Akarna in the temple. Up to that point, he had no emotions other than curiosity. It was strange at first, lovable, and at the end she lingered in his mind even when he closed his eyes. The Akarna of the temple was said to live for a few years here, and then they would go back and would thus find a new body. How could such an existence stay by his side a little longer? According to the temple, when God¡¯s presence would return to heaven, He would kill the shell of Akarna, but how could the Crown Prince protect her? ¡°You may not believe it, but I thought that marriage was a way to protect you. As I somehow survived¡­¡± But I got it wrong. The Crown Prince let out a dry laugh as he spoke quietly. ¡°¡­We can¡¯t go back to the way we used to be. I¡¯ve found out that you¡¯re just a normal person.¡± The red eyes that had been staring intently at her narrowed down. ¡°You can die, you can leave me, you can change your mind¡­¡± A normal person. He didn¡¯t know that he was enduring that time with only love. And how important that was. The Crown Prince covered his face with both hands. A blood-smeared bandage was visible through the loosely undone collar of his neck. He lowered his head as his shoulders shook, but Jiwoo had nothing to say. Jiwoo moved to a place much wider than the place she stayed in before. The bedroom was especially spacious. However, the structure was not pleasant. Jiwoo¡¯s bedroom had to be accessed through another room. And the Crown Prince stayed in that room. This time, even the servants couldn¡¯t easily approach Jiwoo. The more she didn¡¯t want to run into the Crown Prince, the more she became isolated inside. Jiwoo¡¯s room had all the amenities, but the windows were not very large, and even those were blocked by several bars. It was truly as if she was a prisoner. ¡°Your Highness, please change my room. I won¡¯t run away.¡± Unable to bear it, Jiwoo grabbed the Crown Prince and begged him. ¡°At least the windows¡­ no one can come in. Even if they come, I won¡¯t follow them.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t do that.¡± However, the Crown Prince was stubborn. ¡°This is to protect you. Trust me.¡± Who was he protecting her from? Did he not believe her even though she declared that she would stay by his side? But Jiwoo, surprisingly, did not feel as much antipathy as before. Because as the Crown Prince answered her, he had a frightened face that looked as if he was being chased by something¡ªthose were not the eyes that were gripped by dark obsession or madness. After some time, Jiwoo learned the true nature of what the Crown Prince was so anxious about. Tension had been rising in the mansion since morning. The Crown Prince, who came to check on Jiwoo¡¯s condition, also seemed uncomfortable. ¡°Today¡­ someone is coming to visit.¡± ¡°¡­Who am I meeting?¡± She never expected to get guests in this situation. Jiwoo asked in bewilderment, but the Crown Prince did not inform him in advance. ¡°Never listen to what they say. Never.¡± Instead, the Crown Prince repeated the same words over and over again. Never listen to what he says. Never believe him. The visitor came, and how many times he repeated it, the words lingered in her ears like hallucinations. The visitor, wearing a long robe that hid even his feet and a hood that was pulled down, seemed to be someone who shouldn¡¯t be known to be here. And when he opened his mouth, Jiwoo knew the reason. ¡°Ah¡­ So you were in a place like this, Akarna.¡± Just hearing his voice made her heart sink. It was an unforgettable voice for her as Akarna. He took off his hood. Honey-like blonde hair gleamed. Blue eyes and a good expression. He looked like a typical priest. In fact, among the criteria for selecting priests, they had to have not just good looks, but exceptionally good looks. ¡°¡­High Priest.¡± Jiwoo gulped as she felt like she had returned to do her duty as the real Akarna. The temple had one Bishop and two High Priests. He was one of them. Whenever the Akarna¡¯s dispatch was decided, the person she had to go through was the High Priest. Of course, the final mission was decided by the Akarna¡ªby Jiwoo¡ªbut before that, the High Priests received requests from various places and selected the options. In fact, this priest was not that faithful for a High Priest. He liked power more than anyone else, and wealth more than anyone else. The reason Jiwoo remembered this person even more was that he called her privately a lot in addition to handing out her assignments. There were many times when Jiwoo healed people introduced personally by this priest, even when this was not part of the Akarna¡¯s official duties. As a result, this person received a lot of bribe money. However, it was thanks to this High Priest that Jiwoo was tolerated for meeting the Crown Prince that often. ¡°Akarna, do you know how worried we were?¡± The High Priest was very happy to see Jiwoo, but Jiwoo was just flustered to see this person here. ¡°Your Highness, please vacate the seat. Or, just the two of us¡­¡± ¡°Do it here.¡± ¡°Ah, Your Highness.¡± The High Priest smiled brightly with a good-looking face. Others said it was a face blessed by God, but Jiwoo saw the same smile when he was taking bribe money. ¡°Did His Majesty approve this, too?¡± The Crown Prince did not endure it twice. Jiwoo could only see him reaching out his hand to his waist. Splat¡ª And the next moment, a piece of flesh fell to the parlor floor, along with a few strands of the High Priest¡¯s blonde hair. ¡°Uhh, aaagghh!¡± The screams came late. Jiwoo looked down at the flesh that had fallen to the floor along with the long bloodstains, then turned her head away. The High Priest¡¯s ear was cut off with a single strike of the sword. ¡°D-Do you think everything will be alright¡­ His Holiness and His Majesty won¡¯t stay still¡­¡± Holding onto one side of his face that¡¯s dripping with blood, the High Priest knelt on the floor. He was obviously confronting the Crown Prince, but his voice trembled and his expression was full of fear. The High Priest was a person who had many worldly feelings. That was why he was vulnerable to pain. ¡°Is that so?¡± The Crown Prince said, carelessly trampling the High Priest¡¯s ear who had fallen to the floor. His angry voice was muffled. ¡°¡­How long do you think that they will be alive in the future? The conman of the temple and the old man of the throne.¡± The attitude he¡¯s showing now is much darker than the murderous intent he wielded against the other race in a fit of jealousy. Hatred many times more than that, poured into the High Priest. There was no one who cpi;d be fine while facing the murderous intent of the maned lion head-on. The High Priest, who had been at ease until he entered this place, lowered his head as he trembled. But the High Priest was clever and he was quick-witted. The reason he came to this place was to save his life, but he shouldn¡¯t have gone against the Crown Prince¡¯s will anymore. ¡°Are you going to make me wait longer?¡± ¡°I-I understand.¡± The High Priest, who staggered up, took out a small bottle from his arms with his trembling hands. Inside the bottle was a reddish-brown liquid. He drank from the bottle in one gulp, and soon his wounds healed quickly. ¡®Akarna¡¯s blood!¡¯ Somehow, this was more disgusting than his ear that had fallen to the floor. After roughly confirming that his ear had been regenerated, the High Priest spoke to Jiwoo. ¡°The reason I came here today is to prevent you from using an Akarna¡¯s power from now on.¡± ¡°What are you going to do? Are you going to do anything to my limbs?¡± ¡°Oh, what a terrible thing to say.¡± The High Priest waved his hand. He looked at the Crown Prince. ¡°I¡¯m intentionally teaching you how to block an Akarna¡¯s power. When a new Akarna is summoned, it¡¯s difficult to know whether one still has an Akarna¡¯s power.¡± ¡ª If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know via our discord so we can fix it as soon as possible. Chapter 60 Chapter 60 ¡°¡­That could be intentionally blocked?¡± Whenever an Akarna touched a person, their wounds would slowly be healed. When blood was fed or applied to others, wounds healed more quickly and the severed body was regenerated. An Akarna was not affected by the miasma, and the miasma was automatically purified whenever she¡¯d go to the land where the miasma resided. As if that energy was avoiding the Akarna. It was because the power of purification resided in an Akarna, and it spread around an Akarna¡¯s body. However, originally, an Akarna¡¯s power was the expression of will. It was absurd that the power awakened from a strong will did not move according to the will of the owner of the power. ¡°Yes¡­¡± The High Priest looked at the Crown Prince and sighed as if he had given up. ¡°Because it¡¯s your strength in the first place.¡± ¡°The reason I can¡¯t do that is because you broke me.¡± ¡°No, Akarna.¡± How much did the temple and the empire conceal and monopolize this information? How many benefits have they enjoyed using it? As the Empire grew stronger, the situation of the outer wall with other countries without an Akarna became more miserable. ¡°Explain further.¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± As the Crown Prince spoke gloomily, the High Priest raised both hands in surrender. ¡°I knew you were from another dimension, another world. We summoned you to be that way¡­ But we didn¡¯t break you. It¡¯s just¡­ Huu.¡± The high priest chose his words over and over again, showing that he really didn¡¯t want to talk about this. Then, when the Crown Prince placed his hand on his waist to draw his sword again, the High Priest said urgently. ¡°It is a natural phenomenon for dimensions to collide with one another. Originally, when a living being gets stuck in a huge gap between dimensions, it is normal to be torn to pieces. Since you were artificially created, you don¡¯t realize your power. You have to overcome that place alone to become a complete Akarna.¡± Up to that point, Jiwoo had also heard from the alchemist. ¡°And if they¡¯re not human, they¡¯re a monster.¡± ¡°¡­I beg your pardon?¡± Not only Jiwoo, but also the Crown Prince who was listening from the side were surprised. If a human endures its enormous power, it becomes an Akarna, and if it is not a human, it becomes a beast. ¡°In the simplest terms, an Akarna is a being who removes any phenomena they deem to be a threat. Injury, disease, aging¡­ There are many, many examples.¡± ¡°¡­Then the beast? What about the beast? The beast is not the same, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s because humans are a threat to the beasts. Akarna¡­ thinks we¡¯re on their side because we¡¯re human. Because we¡¯re human, we can inherit that privilege.¡± On her side? Are they on her side? The Temple and the Empire, all that trash is on her side? Biting her lip, she barely spoke. ¡°I don¡¯t think I want to spare people like you.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ that¡¯s why we¡¯re educating them from the beginning. Assigning roles in the temple, duty for the world, step by step¡­¡± ¡°You guys even took advantage of the Akarna¡¯s escape, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a way to do that as well. For example, since they¡¯ve done their part, we¡¯ll say that they¡¯ve returned to the original world, and then close their eyes. If you kill someone without them knowing they¡¯re dying, the power won¡¯t completely be extinguished.¡± Akarnas who were executed in that way by the temple would have smiled until the moment they died, expecting to return to their hometowns. Jiwoo turned pale with disgust, feeling utterly devastated. Her hands trembled. The High Priest, who was speaking calmly in front of her, bit his finger with his mouth. When he ripped it open with his teeth, there was a small cut on his finger. The high priest forcibly grabbed Jiwoo¡¯s trembling hand and put it on his wound. A wound as small as this one could have been healed with the mere touch of Akarna¡¯s hand. As evidence of that, the wound was slowly healing. That person is a human, too. ¡°Now, I am the high priest who tricks and kills Akarnas like you in that way. I am a threat to you. Do you want to heal me?¡± ¡°No.¡± She didn¡¯t want to. It was disgusting. The wound, which was gradually healing, stopped and began to open again. The high priest said right away. ¡°You¡¯re doing well.¡± The Crown Prince who was silent next to her asked. ¡°¡­If the beast and Akarna are not fundamentally different, why are only the beasts increasing?¡± ¡°Haa¡­ Your Highness. That is not my purpose for today.¡± ¡°Tell me properly.¡± The High Priest, who had been relaxed while dealing with Jiwoo, gulped. ¡°That really wasn¡¯t our intention. The ruined sanctuary is behaving strangely¡­¡± The sanctuary was originally a place where Akarna appeared. A trace left on the ground as the phenomenon occurs more often, created as dimensions collide with each other. It was said that there were more such places on the outer wall, but the empire and the temple destroyed them all to monopolize the Akarna. ¡°Are beasts appearing in the sanctuary you destroyed?¡± ¡°¡­Yes¡± It was originally a place where natural phenomena occurred. Even if people broke it, the flow of nature that originally occurred there could not have been reversed. However, the ruined sanctuary had become a suitable place for creatures that live only to survive, rather than creatures with intelligence and sensitivity like humans. In the first place, humans were not allowed to manipulate the law of nature. So Caranazion lost their Akarna and became a world infested with beasts. There were too many that the temple had destroyed themselves to turn back now. ¡°Did you do that knowing how far the impact would go?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t know. In the first place, it was the Imperial Family¡¯s request. No one cared about it other than the Empire. Whether it was another country or the outer wall.¡± Or any other continent. They didn¡¯t know, but Jiwoo seemed to know. The influence of the damaged sanctuary in Caranazion extended to other continents. Because of the ever-growing number of beasts, even Elandos of El Ragneil became ill. Regardless of the uncomfortable silence in the room, the High Priest, who had finished his job, got up. ¡°Then, Akarna, you just have to remember what you felt about me today. If they find out that you have the Akarna¡¯s power in the future, I can¡¯t guarantee how the temple will act.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve used me just like that, and now you¡¯re going to treat me like a monster?¡± The High Priest did not answer. Does he even need to answer? The temple was already treating the Akarna as a beast. ¡°Scumbags.¡± Jiwoo teared up. ¡°I want you all to perish. I just want you all to die.¡± The High Priest didn¡¯t say anything. He received a lot of curses like that as a High Priest, and he didn¡¯t live a peaceful life enough to be hurt by those things. However, he only conveyed one fact to Akarna. ¡°Yes. We¡¯re scum, but there are more good people out there. You¡¯re not going to become a real beast, are you?¡± Now, the only sanctuary left on this land was the temple. She couldn¡¯t kill everyone in this land because of her hatred for the Temple and the Empire. Among them, there were those like the alchemist of the outer wall who tried to save Akarnas like Jiwoo. Ordinary people who are neither imperial citizens nor temple believers. ¡°Then rest, Akarna.¡± A saintess. If not that, a witch. Never once had she been treated like a normal human being. Jiwoo buried her face in her lap and cried, not noticing that the High Priest already left. Only the Crown Prince, who had been watching Jiwoo cry silently, watched upon her back. The Crown Prince could not hastily comfort Jiwoo, who was crying in dismay. As he was a descendant of the imperial lineage, the culprit behind all of this, was he really qualified to do so? After quietly closing the bedroom door, the Crown Prince listened to someone¡¯s presence in the shadows. ¡°Your Highness, are you finished?¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± ¡°Shall I take care of it?¡± The Crown Prince thought for a moment, then he said quietly. ¡°¡­Add one thing. Make him think he has returned safely to the temple, then torture him to death.¡± The assassin disappeared without a trace. On that day, the temple lost one of its two high priests. Time went by fast. Tevon hadn¡¯t shown his face for even once since that day. He told her that their situation was not good, but she had no idea where or how they were living. Jiwoo knew that they would come to pick her up quickly. Helkainis was said to be a great wizard who could travel great distances. She knew that he could protect the others well, survive the threats of the empire and the temple, and come to her rescue before the unstoppable wedding. But there was no news Jiwoo longed for it terribly, but time didn¡¯t stop. The wedding ceremony that the Crown Prince hastily prepared was right around the corner. At first, Jiwoo also radiated unrelenting hatred toward the Crown Prince and the temple. However, as time passed, only the children of Elandos who abandoned her here filled her mind. ¡®Did you abandon me? That couldn¡¯t be true.¡¯ Jiwoo had no desire for anything. Even when people changed her clothes, put on makeup, and hung all sorts of jewelry on her body, she felt nothing. Even though they spoke kindly to the Akarna, she gave no answer, so they talked among themselves. How could the Crown Princess be like this. Someone had to die for a new Akarna to be summoned. Jiwoo would have to overlook that new Akarna¡¯s suffering. Would she have to live like this in a continent that is slowly self-destructing? ¡­The outer wall is so terrible, is it okay? That¡¯s why Akarna¡¯s wedding is being rushed right now. Because God has to find a new body. The outer wall. Jiwoo, who had been absent-mindedly, raised her head. Nothing else but that word reached her ears. While helping with the wedding ceremony to be held this afternoon, the people who were attending on Akarna spoke of the outer wall. Instead of the imperial language, they spoke in a foreign tongue, not knowing that the Akarna could understand any language here. Even the imperial language that Jiwoo said in the first place was ignored because it was short. ¡°¡­What are you talking about?¡± ¡°¡­W-What?¡± One of the people who was speaking didn¡¯t know how to react, and quickly hid something behind. ¡°What is that? Give that to me!¡± ¡°Ah, that¡­ Akarna!¡± Jiwoo forcibly took the newspaper they were reading and read it. Her both hands that were holding the newspaper tightly trembled. ¡°The outer wall. Destroyed¡­?¡± She read the text in a daze, but she couldn¡¯t see what it meant. ¡°The forest was all burned by fire, and caused an epidemic of unknown origin¡­ All the inhabitants of the outer wall were destroyed¡­¡± [ ¡­Even if they were unbelievers and blasphemers, there are many opinions that this is an excessive treatment by God. But it can also be a hopeful thing. These disasters are similar to the phenomenon when God seeks a new Akarna, and will soon replace the Akarna that is not fulfilling its current duties¡­ ] ¡ª If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know via our discord so we can fix it as soon as possible.