《Answer Me, Please》


 Chapter 1

    0. Prologue


    It was an endless stretch of flat land. Purple wildflowers in full bloom in a sunny field.


    There was a carriage running along the narrow winding road above it. Moments later, the window swung wide open and a woman poked her head out. A low admiration soon flowed from the woman who was looking at the blue sky, dense forests, and flowing river streams.


    The beautiful scenery and unfamiliar scents of a midsummer meadow. These were all the strange things she who had always lived in a limited place until now experienced for the first time.


    Miss Rosetta, youre going to get a bug in your mouth.


    Hearing her words, she burst into laughter. Rosetta looked back at her as she ran her bright golden hair behind her ears. Her eyes, resembling summer, gleamed brightly.


    Come on, nanny, get some fresh air too. Then your motion sickness will go away.


    Gosh, motion sickness or whatever, I feel like Im going to die right now.


    The nannys face was already pale. It was because of severe motion sickness throughout the trip. Rosetta looked at the nanny, who was almost half lying in the chair, with a sad expression.


    Thats why I told you not to follow me. Traveling at your age would be hard.


    Its not like that. By the way, why did you suddenly change the destination?


    Because there is no sea there. I made it clear from the beginning that I wanted to see the sea.


    But does it make sense to suddenly come to this barbarian land?


    What do you mean barbarian land? The Basque country is under the kingdom now. Why are you still saying that?


    Still, naturally, this is a land of barbarians. Blood doesnt lie.


    The nanny snorted harshly. When Rosetta was about to speak again, the nanny opened her mouth first.


    She said, Anyway, dont even think about leaving this old woman. Even if I die during the trip, I will follow you to the end.


    Dont keep saying that youre going to die in front of me. Allen!


    At Rosettas call, the carriage slowed down. One of the men on horseback approached the window.


    Yes! Is there anything you want me to do, Princno, Miss Rosetta?


    If you have any other medicine for motion sickness, would you give it to me? I need it for my nanny.


    Allen let out a sigh as he looked at the dying nanny through the window.


    I have already done everything I can. Even if my grandfather is here, theres nothing he can do now.


    Allens grandfather is a famous doctor in the kingdom. Allen turned down his grandfathers offer to study medicine and took his place, and instead, he chose another profession, but he still knows how to do basic medicine.


    Allen, you quack! After taking the medicine you gave me, my stomach got worse!


    But the nanny swung her fists and scolded Allen harshly. The nanny, whose condition worsened after taking the motion sickness medicine Allen gave her, trusted Allen perfectly as a quack.


    Allen smiled and teased the nanny. Nanny, I told you to eat before you get into the carriage, didnt I? This all happened because you didnt listen to what I said. Now, make your choice. Get out of the carriage, or listen to me from now on.


    You spoiled brat! What did you just say?!


    Oh, I feel sad when you say that. Do you know how much I like you, nanny? So, from now on, will you listen to me?


    Before the nanny exploded any further, Rosetta quickly cut off the conversation.


    I would rather take a break for a while. Allen, see if theres a place to rest around here.


    Allen quickly looked around. All around was just a vast field, but in the distance, he could see a lake and trees to hide from the sun.


    There is a lake in front. Then lets rest there for a while.


    ***


    The two sat down by the lake to rest while the men checked the carriage and drew water. The lake surrounded by greenery was clear enough to see everything inside. Above the waters surface, the blue sky and flowing white clouds are reflected like a painting.


    Drinking cold water from there and resting, the nannys complexion became much better than before. When Rosetta took off her hat and tried to fan her nannys face, she stopped her in a hurry.


    Dont do that. I am fine.


    Do you think you can live even for a while?


    Yes, I do really think I will live now. I knew traveling would be tough at my age but I really didnt expect it to be this much.


    Its going to be hard. Did you follow me because you thought I might run away because I didnt want to get married?


    At Rosettas teasing question, the nanny corrected her sitting posture and asked back, Dont tell me you still dont want to get married?


    No way. I told you Id get married as soon as I got back from this trip.


    Sir Issel is a really nice person. He will surely love and cherish you for the rest of his life.


    Yeah, yeah, you know him so well.


    The nanny raised her eyebrows at Rosettas rude answer.


    Whats wrong with you? So is this trip. Why did you insist on a trip that you didnt have to go on if you were going to stay quiet and get married?


    Rosetta let out a small sigh. She had expected to be scolded like this, so she planned to travel without her nanny. But eventually, she followed her, it was clear this trip would be full of her scolding.


    Why cant I? No one said anything wherever my sister and brother went.


    Because I am worried, Miss Rosetta. You have a weak body since you were young.


    Im not sick anymore. Im healthy now.


    What do you mean? You are still fragile and weak in my eyes.


    The nanny looked at Rosettas slender arms, which are less than half her own, and added, Children, no matter how big they grow, are still children in the eyes of their parents. Especially, the youngest will be the youngest forever.


    Rosetta knew exactly what her words meant. Her family would always treat her like a child. Their overprotectiveness, which had been severe since childhood, continued even after she became an adult.


    You dont have to do anything. We will do everything for you.


    It was one of the most heard words of Rosettas life. And Rosetta knew why she was being treated that way.


    Unlike her capable older sister and older brother, Rosetta is not good at anything. She is also mediocre in intelligence, and her physical abilities tend to be inferior to those of her peers.


    On the other hand, her older sister has special abilities and an excellent brain, and her older brother is in first place in the kingdom in terms of martial arts. They are Rosettas great pride and at the same time confirmed her incompetence.


    If I had been good at something, I would have been able to take on important tasks like my older sister and older brother instead of getting married.


    While Rosettas head was filled with such complex thoughts, her nannys nagging continued.


    By the way, I feel sorry for Sir Issel. He couldnt stop the bride from going on a long trip. If I were him, I would have tied you up so you couldnt even leave your room.


    Hey, if you do that, no matter how hard you try, you will never be safe, right? My mother and father, as well as my sister and brother, will never stand still.


    Rosetta snorted lightly, and her nanny nodded her head in sympathy. Her nanny knew better than anyone that Rosettas great and terrifying family were not the ones who would let their precious daughterand youngest sister suffer.


    You are right. They are able to do so. If they kill Sir Issel Anyway, Miss Rosetta, as soon as this trip is over, you will be marrying Sir Issel. I mean, what are you worried about? Its Issel, not any other man. You see, as soon as the news that he was going to marry you spread, there were rumors that noble girls from all over the country were crying.


    If youre that happy, why dont you marry him instead of me?


    Oh ho ho, Id love to if I could. The nanny smiled shyly. There is no husband in the world like Sir Issel. Apart from his sweet and caring personality, his good looks are also amazing. If Sir Issel says yes, I will marry him right away. Of course!


    By then, Rosetta had no choice but to raise both hands.


    Rosetta looked around. While admiring the scenery, and ignoring her nannys continuing chatter, she saw something approaching from afar.


    Miss Rosetta, are you listening to me


    Nanny, whats that?


    The nanny turned in the direction Rosetta was pointing.


    Someones riding a horse.


    As her nanny said, it was someone riding a horse. The horseman was heading this way.


    Do you think he is coming towards us?


    I think so.


    They both looked at the horseman. As he got closer, the identity of the stranger became clear. Its a woman on a horse. Shes also riding a horse bareback.


    She is now waving her arm and shouting something. The problem is that it is a language they dont know at all.


    What is she saying?


    Well? I dont know either


    And it was then that something happened. The calm water of the lake suddenly began to spring up from behind.


    whoosh-


    Water splashed all over the place. Soon after, something huge jumped out of the lake. Covered in black, it has a round body and a long, slender neck. It stretched its neck and opened its mouth wide. Huge, sharp teeth rushed in front of them in an instant.


    Ahhh!


    Rosetta and her nanny screamed as they hugged each other. The men started running towards them, but it was too late. Just as the monster was about to swallow Rosetta and her nanny in one bite, the woman who ran on the horse flew into the sky with the horse.


    slash!


    smash!


    grg-


    When Rosetta looked up, the horse was out of sight. Instead, only two legs were sticking out of the monsters mouth. Flesh and blood dripped from the monsters wide mouth.


    In the midst of panic, as the monster chewed on the horse, the woman screamed while carrying Rosetta and her nanny.


    A terrible sound was heard as the woman fell next to her. It was the last scream of the monster, and the sound of bones breaking followed.


    When Rosetta looked up, the horse could not be seen. Instead, only two legs were sticking out of the monsters mouth. Flesh and blood dripped from the monsters wide mouth.


    In the midst of consternation, while the monster chewed the horse, the woman shouted while holding Rosetta and her nanny.


    [-!]


    Even though it was a foreign language that she still did not know, this time she understood what it meant at once.


    Run!


    That was it.

 Chapter 2

    Oh my God, are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?


    The monster disappeared back into the water as its prey moved away from the lake. Allen and other men rushed to the scene. They started looking at Rosetta with their faces turned white.


    Im fine. But that woman


    The woman frowned and was wrapping her ankle with her hands. Rosetta approached her, leaving the attendants behind. She was about to ask if she was okay, but as she recalled what had just happened, she immediately shut her mouth.


    Lattis, the official language of the kingdom, is widely used throughout the western continent, but she heard that there are some people who cannot, depending on the region and status. Maybe this woman doesnt know Lattis language at all.


    Are you from the kingdom?


    Then she heard a familiar language. Its a language Rosetta was familiar with. Except for a slightly strong accent, the womans Lattis language is fluent enough to be mistaken for a kingdom person.


    Do you speak Lattis?


    Well, very few people here can speak Lattis The woman immediately shook her head with a sigh. There are monsters in that lake, so I thought it was a bit strange because people here wouldnt even come to see it.


    Monster?


    To Rosetta, monsters are terrifying creatures she only sees in books. The monsters that appeared throughout the continent never appeared in the kingdom. It was only today that she was able to confirm with her own eyes that the existence of monsters is true.


    Unlike other monsters, this monster is only in the lake, so unless you get close to it, it is not very dangerous. Anyway, Im glad everyones safe.


    Ah, I see It was then that Rosetta realized that she had not yet said thank you. You saved my life. Thank you very much.


    Rosetta bowed her head with sincerity. Her nanny was surprised next to her. She knows what her nanny is thinking now.


    This woman in front of her deliberately ran from a distance and saved her even though she could have just pretended not to see her and sacrificed her horse. So she deserves a better thank you than this.


    I dont think this will make you any better, but I will compensate for your lost horse. Not only that, but I would like to thank you enough for saving my life.


    Its okay. I didnt do it for a reward. More than that


    The woman frowned and took off one of her shoes. Her exposed ankle looked swollen. Rosetta looked at her worriedly.


    Its very swollen.


    I broke my ankle when I landed a while ago. I didnt know it when I was running, but now it hurts


    Ill take a look!


    Then Allen ran and sat down next to the woman.


    The woman looked at Rosetta in surprise when the man, covered in huge muscles all over his body, suddenly offered to look at her ankle. This was because Allens appearance was that of a man who could break her ankle at any moment, far from the impression he would treat it.


    Rosetta said with a smile, Leave it to him. He is not a quack.


    ***


    Its a fracture!


    Allen, who made a clear diagnosis, started bandaging the woman with a splint on her ankle.


    But your bones arent broken, they seem to have cracked a little. So dont move around much for a while and be careful.


    Are you sure about that?


    At the still-suspicious nannys words, Allen shouted loudly, Absolutely! She is the benefactor who saved my life. Theres no way I could have made the wrong diagnosis.


    Did I save your life?


    Allen smiled broadly when the woman asked.


    You did. If anything happened to my lady, wed all be deadno, not just us, but this whole area would be a wasteland


    Oh, Allen! Well done!


    Rosetta hastily covered Allens mouth. Allen has a history of making several tongue slips since coming here. If left alone, he may make another one. Rosetta smiled quickly at the woman before he could say anything more.


    I will take you home for now. Lets talk more as we go in the carriage.


    The wheels of the carriage spun vigorously again. During the conversation in the carriage, Rosetta learned a few more facts; the womans house is nearby, and the horse sacrificed for the monster was like an old friend she grew up with since she was young.


    The price she paid to save strangers was too great. Rosetta hoped that she could do anything to pay off all this debt.


    More than that, your schedule will be disrupted because of me.


    When Rosetta said she was traveling a long way, the woman said with a very sorry expression.


    Instead of asking for a price for saving her, the woman was rather worried that her schedule might have gone wrong because of her.


    You saved my life, I have to do this of course.


    Well.., its late, so stay at my house today.


    Is it okay if I owe you this much again?


    Of course. Its always a great pleasure to entertain guests from afar. Its just.., It might be a little noisy tonight, but if you dont mind, please come.


    Is there something going on tonight?


    Actually, I have my wedding ceremony tonight.


    Sorry?


    Rosetta and her nanny widened their eyes in surprise at the same time.


    The bride who is getting married today rode a horse alone. Besides, its getting dark.


    And the wedding ceremony will be held in the middle of the night,I have never heard of such a thing.


    A wedding ceremony? Not someone else, but yourself? Even at night?


    Originally, our tribe held a wedding ceremony at night Oh, by the way, I havent even introduced myself. My name is Rosie. And my father is a chieftain of the Basque.


    Basque tribe


    If it was a Basque tribe, Rosetta was also familiar with them.


    The Ardennes have been living in this area for a long time. Now they are divided into several tribes, the largest of which are the Basque in the east, Croa in the west, and the Quat in the north. The Basque are among these tribes who pledge absolute loyalty to the kingdom.


    But isnt the Basque capital a little further away from here?


    I went out to the meadow only today for the wedding ceremony. We traditionally hold our wedding ceremony in the meadow. Its kind of an old custom. It is difficult to hold a ceremony in the city Im sure all the tribesmen are going crazy by now. I said I would come back after getting some air during the day, but I havent come back yet. Besides


    Rosie lowered her head with a sigh. Her gaze turned to her ankle. The ankle of the bride who is getting married today is like this, it surely is a problem.


    Rosie muttered in a low voice, Actually, I really dont want this marriage to happen. The person who will become my husband is thirty years older than me. So I went out because I was frustrated. I can at least forget all my worries while riding.


    Rosetta looked at her with shocked eyes.


    Why should you marry such a person


    Its a common thing. My father needs an alliance, and marriage is the most powerful means of an alliance. At the same time, the chieftain over there had lost her wife, so my father thought it was a perfect alliance.


    Rosettas face hardened. Her situation isnt as bad as hers, but Rosetta is in no different situation.


    I think Im talking too much about myself. If you dont mind, could I also hear about you?


    With those words, Rosetta recalled her role on this trip. Lynne, the daughter of a wealthy merchant from the capital, is now Rosettas name and identity.


    My name is Rosetta. I was on my way to the beach to help my father, a merchant.


    Even if its a fake identity, she doesnt want to give out a fake name at least to the person who saved her life. The nanny didnt show any reaction as to whether she was aware of Rosettas heart.


    Nice to meet you, Rosetta.


    You too, Rosie.


    The two looked at each other and smiled. She met her for the first time today, but Rosetta thought she was a good person for some reason.


    Soon after, the carriage arrived at its destination. Several tents are set up on a wide meadow, and in front of them, people gathered in groups. Rosie got off the carriage, supported by Allen.


    When Rosie appeared, they rushed over.


    [-!]


    [. -!]


    Rosetta still couldnt understand the language, but it was clear that they were relieved that Rosie had returned safely. One of them, an older woman, grabbed Rosies hand.


    [You didnt come back in time, so I thought something had happened. Ive been looking for you all this whole time. But how did you hurt your leg?]


    [Well.., there was an accident. My father?]


    As Rosie was looking around looking for someone, a middle-aged man walked through the crowd. He is a man with thick eyebrows, deep wrinkles on his face, and a large scar on his cheek.


    Rosetta had a gut feeling that he is Rosies father and the chieftain. After Rosie explained to him the circumstances of the accident and apologized, Rosetta stepped forward with the intention of saying that if there was anything she could do to help with the upcoming wedding today, she would gladly do anything.


    slap!


    The mans hand slapped Rosie on the cheek. An angry shout followed soon after.


    What the hell are you doing now?


    Rosie bit her lip with her face turned. She, who flew proudly in front of the monster, was now lowering her head like a sinner.


    I am sorry. Were you really that worried?


    Sorry? I cant believe you just showed up like this and said sorry!


    He grabbed Rosie by the shoulder and began to shake her violently.


    Did you decide to kill all of our tribesmen? Do you know how important this marriage is? Are you going to ruin it this way?


    Excuse me, its too much for an injured person


    Eventually, when Allen was about to step out, Rosetta stood in his way. Allen, who is impatient and cant stand injustice, could have made things worse.


    Chief, this is all because of me.


    He looked at Rosetta and furrowed his eyebrows.


    Your clothes are not like the people here.


    We are travelers from the kingdom. We dont know much about this place, so she got hurt like this. If theres anything I can do to help


    She cant ride a horse with those legs, so what can you do to help? Because of this, she wont be able to get married today!


    Rosetta couldnt understand what he was saying now. Why does she have to ride a horse to get married? Then Allen came and whispered in Rosettas ear.


    They say that the customs of the old barbarians still remain at the wedding ceremony. Do you know that bride kidnapping was common in this land in the past?


    Rosetta recalled the unique wedding customs of this place, which she had read a long time ago. At a time when there was no interaction with the kingdom yet, there was a custom in this area to steal women and run away and make them brides.


    The kingdom was the first to ban it as the tribe came under its influence. In the eyes of the people of the kingdom, it was the most uncivilized and barbaric vice. However, since customs do not disappear so easily, they are still practiced secretly.


    The tradition of bride kidnapping is almost gone, but only the formalities remain.


    Allens subsequent explanations helped Rosetta understand how their wedding ceremony was held. In other words, at the wedding ceremony, the groom rides the bride on a horse and runs away with the consent of the bride. However, the groom only pretends to run away and comes back and spends the first night with the bride.


    After that, the chieftain was furious and left the place to find another way. But theres something Rosetta still doesnt quite understand.


    She asked Rosie, Then why cant we ask the grooms consent in advance? If the bride asks to postpone the wedding a little bit because her leg is injured


    Then they will immediately annul this marriage and leave.


    Why?


    Rosie sighed quietly. My husband-to-be, the Croa chieftain, accepted this marriage after a long persuasion from my father. With this as an opportunity, the two tribes decided to form an alliance. But the Croa tribe has long been at odds between the Quat tribe and us over who to form an alliance with. If there is any disruption to the wedding ceremony, they will surely be very agitated and anxious. Everyone is more afraid of wolves threatening them right next to them than of lions sleeping far away.


    This means that the Croa tribe is more afraid of the Quat, who is closer, than the distant kingdom.


    For a long time, the region was ruled by the neighboring kingdoms with the most advanced civilizations on the continent. It was for this reason that the local people now widely used Lattis in addition to their own language.


    But as the years passed, another emerging nation on the other side of the kingdom gradually began to gain power. They are more violent and cruel than the Catan of the north, who are known for their brutality. In addition, they rode horses very quickly, so they would often loot and disturbed the kingdoms borders several times. Eventually, the kingdom decided to withdraw its hands from the Ardennes and move its troops.


    In making this decision, some judged that there was less danger because the tribes bordering the kingdom had already been assimilated to some extent, but there were also reasons for preparing other countermeasures. It was to convince the tribes near the border to recruit them and then defend the border instead of fully supporting them from behind.


    If you want to fight an elephant on the battlefield, do not use a spear or a sword, but tame the same elephant and fight it.


    Its a saying passed down long ago in the kingdom, and its the kingdoms strategy to deal with foreigners.


    Recently, the Quat tribe is rapidly increasing its power and uniting other tribes, and the momentum is frightening. In particular, the army led by the young chieftain recently won the war against the Catan, known for their brutality.


    The young chieftain? Are you talking about Nazar Quat?


    Allen, who had been silently listening to Rosie until then, asked so.


    Nazar Quat?


    When Rosetta asked him, Allen further explained.


    It is the nickname of the young chieftain of Quat. Its the local language there, if Im not mistaken it means blue


    Blue-eyed wolf. Nazar means blue eyes and Quat means wolf.

 Chapter 3

    Allen nodded at Rosies explanation.


    Right. Ive heard thats what it means. Like his nickname, he actually has blue eyes, right? I heard that it is rare in the Quat tribe to have such an eye color, is that true?


    Rosie looked at her own light brown hair. For some reason, her face hardened slightly.


    Yes, weve been with the kingdom for a long time, and the light hair and eyes have become commonplace, but its true that its rare in the Quat tribe Of course, its not natural at all.


    Do you know about him, Allen?


    Allen answered, I do. Rumor has it that he is more ferocious than the monster we saw in the lake.


    Is he that cruel?


    He is known for being very violent and ferocious. He was very cruel to other tribes in war. He is said to be cold-blooded, without blood or tears.


    Rosie went on to explain. Thats why our tribe decided to form an alliance through this marriage and fight him together. If the marriage breaks down like this, we would be isolated. Many other tribes have already succumbed to his threat.


    Thats a big deal.


    Rosetta began to wonder if there was any way to help them. This is because she wants to help Rosie somehow, this marriage is also for the sake of the kingdom. Only then will the borders be stabilized and the kingdom will be far away from the threat of the Quat tribe.


    Then a good idea came to mind.


    Then how about using a substitute?


    Everyone looked at Rosetta.


    If you cover the brides face with a veil at the wedding ceremony, you wouldnt know for sure who it is. Wouldnt it be fine to change the bride when the wedding ceremony is over?


    Rosie looked blankly, then nodded her head.


    Its not really impossible. When the groom steals the bride and runs away, there is a banquet to welcome them back. After that, the bride will be in the new room, so before that, I should be there.


    By the way, your leg is injured, will you be okay during the first night ritual?


    At Rosettas question, Allen, who was next to her, grinned.


    Yeah, as long as the groom doesnt rush in too roughly, its even possible for him to just sleep. It would be a good idea to get him to drink a lot at the banquet in advance. If a man drinks too much, he wont stop there anyway Ouch! Why are you pinching me!


    Allen jumped up as the nanny pinched his hard. Rosetta realized that what Allen had just said, though it was embarrassing, there was a point.


    Then all we need is the brides substitute!


    Rosetta exclaimed in a very happy voice. Rosetta looked right at the tribal women there. Unfortunately, they are all much taller and bigger than Rosie, so the bridal dress is unlikely to fit.


    Are there any other women? Someone of the same size as you.


    Rosie shook her head at Rosettas question.


    Only these women have come to serve me today.


    Then what about this


    At that time, everyones eyes turned to Rosetta. Rosettas small and slender stature is similar to Rosies. Tribal women began to whisper among themselves. Rosie suddenly grabbed Rosettas hand.


    Rosetta!


    Rosetta had a very ominous feeling. Rosie smiled brightly and shouted, Can I ask Rosetta to stand in for me?


    ***


    This will never happen!


    Since before, the nanny jumped up and kept pacing back and forth. She was almost on the verge of collapse.


    However, Rosetta was staring with ecstasy at the brides dress she was wearing now. The dress with golden embroidery on the red silk is very luxurious.


    As everyone expected, Rosies dress fit Rosetta so well that she thought it was made for her from the start.


    Ive already agreed to do a substitute, so I cant help it. We must keep our promise.


    But her nanny still wanted to deny it all and shook her head quickly.


    Please, just say you cant do it right now. Its not even a promise.


    Its not someone elses request, but the one who saved our lives. Whats more, she lost a horse that was like her friend because of me, and this is nothing compared to what she has done.


    And what if you get hurt?


    People here ride horses as soon as they are born before they can even walk. Theres no way Ill get hurt.


    Still, this cant be done. Absolutely not!


    Nanny, dont just say no. Tell me another way. Is there any better way to help her than this?


    Eventually, the nanny grabbed her hair out and shouted, Do you really have to participate in this barbaric custom? Its a predatory marriage. How can they be so uncivilized!


    Its not uncivilized, its their culture and customs. They do not really kidnap, so whats the problem?


    The nanny now began to lament over her plight as she couldnt understand anything.


    Oh, if it is known to the world that this happened to Miss Rosetta, I will die. Dont you feel sorry for me?


    No one will know if you dont say anything, nanny.


    Do you think it would be okay to just shut my mouth? How are you going to shut Allens mouth?


    Allen will never say anything about this.


    Why do you think so?


    Then it will be known that I almost died because Allen couldnt protect me properly.


    Rosetta smiled broadly as she looked at her speechless nanny.


    So, even when you return to the kingdom, keep your mouth shut and be quiet. Got it?


    Just as the nanny was about to complain again, she pushed the door to the tent back. Rosie, walking inside with a crutch, flinched and stopped when she saw Rosetta dressed as a bride.


    Wow, She then let out a low admiration. Rosetta, youre so pretty. The bridal dress suits you really well.


    Rosetta grabbed the hem of her voluminous skirt and spun around in place. Its a completely different type of clothing from the kingdoms clothes that showed the curves of the body as it is. To be honest, Rosetta really likes the clothes here.


    I dont know if I really can wear this precious dress.


    What do you mean? I should be grateful because you did me a difficult request.


    Rosie put the hat in her hand on Rosetta. A red veil unfolded beneath the flowered hat, completely obscuring Rosettas face.


    Thank you very much for your help, Rosetta. I will never forget what happened today, Rosie whispered, hugging Rosetta.


    After a while, the real bride remained in the tent and only Rosetta and her nanny walked out.


    It was already dark. A huge full moon appeared in the black night sky, and torches were burning everywhere. Someone handed Rosetta a lamp and left. When the time comes, the groom will see this lamp and come to the bride.


    Take this.


    Then the nanny also suddenly handed her something. Realizing that it was a small dagger, Rosetta looked at her nanny in amazement.


    Nanny?


    Just in case. You have to be prepared for anything that could happen. If something goes wrong and it becomes a dangerous situation, use it. Dont worry, well take care of everything after that.


    How should I use this?


    You can cut off the guys dick.


    Rosetta burst into laughter at her nannys blunt remark.


    Ill keep it even if I wont use it,thought Rosetta, placing the dagger on her chest.


    Where did you get the dagger? There is no way you would have had this.


    I told Allen to give it to me.


    Come to think of it, where is Allen? I thought Allen would be the first to object to this, but he was quiet, which was a bit surprising.


    He went to get a drink for the groom. He said hed be back before the ceremony. And the reason why Allen didnt object to is


    The nanny said with a sigh, He said it was the first time hed seen Miss Rosetta really want to do something, and he wanted to let you do whatever you wanted


    It was only then that Rosetta realized that Allen had never objected from the start of this trip.


    He accepted with a smile at both her childish insistence that she wanted to go on a trip before getting married and her whim of suddenly changing the trip destination.


    Allen, who has been her escort knight for a long time, was in a position to oppose more strongly because of his heavy responsibility.


    Thank you so much, both of you. And Im sorry.


    Huh, did you know that just now?


    Then there was a loud noise from somewhere. Rosetta and her nanny stared into the distance.


    The sound of many horses running at once was heard. Immediately after, a series of sharp metal clashes struck. Rosetta flinched and trembled at the groaning scream heard in the meantime. Because it sounded like a real battle.


    Theres still some time left, but are they starting earlier than planned?


    At Rosettas question, her nanny also muttered with her brows furrowed.


    I think so. But they fight like in a real war. They said they would only pretend.


    I know right?


    She was told that when the groom came, the bride pretending to refuse not to be taken away was also part of the ceremony.


    She heard that all of these are pre-planned plays, but if this is just a performance, isnt it a great performance?


    [Its an attack by the Quat tribe!]


    That prediction was broken when someones voice rang out. Soon a group of men emerged from the darkness with a loud shout.


    Under the pouring blue moonlight, about ten men are running at high speed on horseback. Everyone is covered in black clothes and black masks. Among them who looked exactly the same as each other, a man riding a horse stood out in front of the crowd.


    Hes also dressed like a raven, but theres one thing thats completely different: the mans eyes are shining exceptionally blue in the dark.


    [Nazar Quat!]


    Several tribal men rushed at him. But as soon as the man wielded the large sword in his hand, they fell helplessly, spewing blood.


    Soon after, the gaze of the man, who had been scanning the surroundings quickly, stopped on Rosetta holding a lamp.


    As soon as she met his eyes, she suddenly recalled the lake she had seen during the day: a place that hid a monster that could devour her at any moment in a blue and beautiful appearance.


    Nazar means blue eyes and Quat means wolf.


    The words she heard today came to her mind again.


    Blue-eyed wolf.


    Literally, reminiscent of the blue-eyed wolf king


    Nazar Quat?


    The moment Rosetta muttered to herself, the man immediately kicked his horse straight in the ribs. And with the momentum of a beast that decided on its prey, he rushed straight to Rosetta.


    Oddly enough, she couldnt take her eyes off him. She was afraid of the man running towards her and wanted to avoid him, but she couldnt move as if she was under a spell.


    The man gripped the bloodstained sword with his left hand. And without slowing down in the slightest, he leaned down from the horse and snatched Rosettas waist.


    Ah! Miss Rosetta!


    By the time the nanny screamed, Rosetta was already on the horse and quickly moved away with the man. Rosettas hat fell on the floor and rolled around with the red veil.


    Miss Rosetta! Miss Rosetta


    The nanny, who was chasing them in a hurry, collapsed as their figures disappeared completely into the darkness.


    Oh my God, what should I do now

 Chapter 4

    1. The Swapped Bride


    Rosetta was just frozen at first. She didnt even realize what had happened to her. Then she felt the mans hard chest pressed close to her face. Along with that, an unfamiliar body odor mixed with the smell of blood and sweat.


    Only then did she come to her senses, and little by little, her mind began to return to reality.


    Ah


    She opened her mouth to speak, but she couldnt. The speed of the horse was too fast. A strong wind slapped her in the face without mercy. On the running horse, everything was unstable, and above all, the mans arm gripping her waist was so strong that it took her breath away. If Rosie rode a horse bareback, this man was riding the horse at the same speed as the others with only one hand.


    Le- Let go of me! Rosetta barely uttered a few words.


    However, the man did not seem to have any intention of loosening his strength, perhaps because he did not hear her. Eventually, a cold voice rang out as Rosetta began to struggle all over.


    [Do you want to fall?]


    She really couldnt understand. Hearing a foreign language in the midst of strong winds made Rosetta even more afraid.


    What are you saying now, I dont know what you mean


    Instantly, the mans eyebrows rose. The man stared at Rosetta with dry eyes and said, It seems that you havent even learned Ardennes at all. Dont move unless you want to fall and break your neck.


    Her body shuddered at his cold voice. Rosetta remembered a moment before, when he cut down the men of the tribe without any mercymaybe he will do the same to her. Then she had no intention of rebelling against this man.


    As Rosetta lost the will to resist, the man turned to the man next to him.


    Whos chasing?


    None yet.


    thats surprising. I thought theyd try to get the bride back somehow.


    Many of the men of the tribe were absent. Could it be because of that?


    What happened to the groom?


    I did as you ordered.


    Very well. We should be in our territory in three days.


    Yes!


    When the conversation was over, the horses running speed slowed down a bit. Rosetta suddenly realized that now was not the time for her to sit still. It was clear that they had kidnapped her thinking she was Rosie. It must be a deliberate attempt to block the marriage alliance. So she had to tell him first, that she is not Rosie.


    I- I am not the bride whos getting married today! Rosetta exclaimed urgently. You guys, you have chosen the wrong person. I am not the real bride!


    At that moment, all the men around her started laughing out loud. Only the man holding her had no expression or reaction.


    Youre not a bride while wearing a bridal dress like this? It would be more credible to say that I am a virgin. One of the men threw out words full of ridicule.


    Hey, thats definitely bullshit. Ive seen everything you do with who youve been in bed with.


    That bastard rolled around with a whore yesterday, too!


    The loud laughter of men grew louder along with low-quality jokes.


    Then shouldnt we check if shes the bride or not?


    How are you going to check that?


    Well, if shes a virgin, shes the bride, and vice versa.


    What a fool. Are you seriously saying that?


    Rosettas face quickly turned red in embarrassment. No one had ever dared to speak words like that in front of her. Any man would always lower himself in front of Rosetta and treat her with the utmost courtesy and refined language they could have.


    Now, this was nothing short of an insult to her.


    I became a substitute for a reason and thats why Im wearing a bridal dress! Rosetta shouted loudly.


    Substitute? You use a substitute in an important marriage where the future of your tribe is at stake? If so, then that old man in Basque is already senile!


    Laughter rang out again. Rosettas anger really rose at the attitude of the men not listening to her.


    The- there is a reason


    [Riga, give this woman to me.]


    One of the men looked at Rosetta, changing his language abruptly. He is a man with striking bright red hair. His overall impression and his eyes are not very good. In particular, his gaze, as if looking at a delicious piece of meat, was truly unpleasant.


    Instead of raising her voice again, Rosetta scanned the atmosphere around her. She couldnt understand what he meant, but it was clear that what he had just said was never good for her.


    [After all, Riga is not interested in women. So can I taste her first?]


    The other men clicked their tongues.


    [No wonder youve been looking at her since before.]


    [Anyway, Krell is quick at this kind of thing.]


    [Isnt that too hasty? Riga still hasnt decided what to do with that woman.]


    Then the red-haired man responded coldly to everyone. Dont be ridiculous. Isnt that obvious? Considering what that womans father did to our tribe in the past, there is only one punishment for her. Its our rule to repay an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth, isnt it?


    The face of the man, who had been laughing at a joke until a while ago, hardened. Not only him, but all the men around looked at Rosetta coldly.


    Rosetta shuddered. Their gazes all turned into sharp blades that were thrown at her countless times. She doesnt know what happened between the tribes in the past, but it was clear that they had a big grudge against the Basque. And the anger was clearly directed at Rosetta.


    Are they going to kill me?


    When she thought of such a possibility, cold sweat began to flow down her spine. All sorts of terrifying images flashed through her mind; buried alive in the ground, stabbed many times with a knife and lying covered in blood, etc.


    As the fear grew more and more, unexpected words rang from above.


    This woman will be my wife.


    Rosetta raised her head and looked at the man holding her. The words spoken by the man who had been silent and not involved in the conversation were immediately followed by other mens protests before Rosetta could react.


    Riga, are you going to marry this woman?


    Not another woman, but the daughter of the Basque chieftain?


    The red-haired man groaned in anger. What a nonsensical thing to say. You dont have to get married, you just have to get revenge for the past. Shes a Basque girl!


    He suddenly reached out to Rosetta but the man on the horse with Rosetta blocked it, and his hand fell off again before reaching her.


    Krell, who gave you the authority to refute my opinion?


    The red-haired man immediately shut his mouth at the mans question.


    The kingdom of Lisa is behind the Basque. Do you think we have the power to deal with them now?


    This time, the other men also became silent at the same time, as if they were dead rats.


    If you are ready to wage an all-out war against the Lisa Kingdom right now, you can do whatever you want.


    Surprisingly, they no longer objected to the mans words. A man named Krell still seems to have a lot of complaints, but he couldnt raise any further objections.


    But among them, Rosetta alone could never understand.


    What do you mean, married? This is kidnapping and a crime, not a marriage! Rosetta protested fiercely. Besides, why do you decide to marry me without listening to my opinion?


    Then the mans eyes turned to Rosetta. He asked, Then, was the original marriage completely your will?


    Rosetta was speechless at the sudden question. This man was referring to the wedding that Rosie, the real bride, should have had, but Rosetta naturally recalled the wedding she was going to have.


    Rosetta, dont you want to marry me?


    On the day that the marriage had already been decided by the family, Isell followed Rosetta and asked such a question carefully. Rosetta sat in the garden and plucked prickly grass.


    Rosetta said nothing, and his handsome face was filled with worry.


    You dont have to worry. Even after getting married, I will never force you to do something you dont want. Ill wait until youre ready. Whatever time it is.


    He patted Rosettas head and spoke sweetly, and Rosetta nodded quietly.


    It wasnt that she hated him. Rather, when she was a child, whenever he returned to his estate after staying in the capital, Rosetta would hold him and cry until her tears dried. With her small head, she didnt understand why he couldnt continue to live here like her sister and brother.


    Actually, that was the problem. It was just awkward for Rosetta that Isselher brothers friend who was like her own familywould suddenly become her husband.


    She might have accepted him naturally as a man and as her husband if he had given her a little more time. Aside from her family, he was Rosettas favorite person and there were no other men in Rosettas narrow world anyway.


    At that time, Rosetta was angry because her opinion was completely excluded from all decisions, no matter how good it was for her. Isell also said that he would not force anything on her, but he never said that he would cancel the marriage.


    If you really dont want to get married, you can strongly protest or refuse it. But Rosetta didnt have the guts to do that. Moreover, she, who had no skills, had no choice but to marry and help the kingdom. So, all Rosetta did was complain that if she was allowed to go on the trip, she would marry Isell.


    Perhaps Rosettas expression told everything, the man didnt bother to hear her answer. From then on, no conversation was heard and everyone focused only on running horses.


    Riga, the chase seems to be completely out of the way now.


    After a while, someone said so. Hearing this, the man nodded his head lightly and gave orders to his companions,


    We camp here.


    All the horses running were stopped. All the other men got off their horses and started preparing for the camp. Rosetta couldnt help but be greatly surprised once more.


    What do you mean camping? Youre going to spend the night outside without a roof?


    The men moved in unison, leveling the ground and setting up tents in an instant. Meanwhile, the man held Rosettas waist without getting off his horse. Rosetta twisted her body at the fact that she was too close to the man.


    Let go of me now.

 Chapter 5

    The man still seemed unwilling to let her go. If he had manners, he should have given an answer when someone spoke to him.


    Rosetta continued, ¡°I don¡¯t know how to ride a horse anyway, so I can¡¯t run away even if you leave me alone.¡±


    At that moment, the mouth of the man he thought would never open finally opened slowly. He asked, ¡°You don¡¯t know how to ride a horse?¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    He sighed. ¡°I knew that your tribe had thrown away pride, identity, and everything because of the influence of the kingdom, but I didn¡¯t know it was this much.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t horses only for those who need them? Why does everyone have to be able to ride a horse?¡±


    The man who was looking at Rosetta soon noticed something and raised his hand to hold her hair.


    ¡°¡­¡­I heard that the daughter of the Basque chieftain has light brown hair, but this is more golden than brown,¡± he muttered quietly as he watched it glisten brilliantly in his hand.


    At that moment, Rosetta realized that now was her chance to reveal that she was a fake. Now that other men are busy with their work, if she explains it again, the man may believe it. From the conversation earlier, she thought he was the most rational person out of all of them.


    ¡°Actually, I¡ª¡±


    ¡°Riga, everything is ready!¡±


    As Rosetta was in a hurry to explain the situation, one of the men shouted loudly. In that short time, the tent was already completed. Even a bonfire is blazing in front of it.


    ¡°Now you can go inside.¡±


    The words she never wanted to hear rang out.


    The reality before her nose became a horror scene. If she is dragged to that place, she will end up doing terrible things with that man. That¡¯s what she thought.


    She wasn¡¯t attached to sanctity, but she hated it nonetheless. Being ravaged in this way was truly terrible.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t want to!¡±


    As the man tried to get her off the horse, she began to wrestle her writhe. In the end, she hold onto the horse¡¯s mane and hung desperately.


    ¡°I will never go in there!¡±


    A burst of loud laughter erupted again, and the men were talking to each other.


    ¡°Riga, dealing with the bride must be tough, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°If you change your mind even now, tell me. Taming a wild mare is what I do best.¡±


    At the men¡¯s jokes that followed, Rosetta burst into tears of anger.


    She had never hated or held a grudge against anyone before. But today, for the first time, she felt such a negative emotion. How can they laugh and rejoice at the misfortunes of others?


    If she had strength, she would have stabbed all the men here to death.


    Then a low whistle sounded. The horse suddenly lifted its hind legs and leaned forward.


    ¡°Ahhh!¡±


    Rosetta was startled and let go of the mane she was holding. The man caught her falling from the horse and immediately put her on his shoulder.


    ¡°Let me go! Let me go!¡±


    Rosetta slapped the man on the back. But her resistance didn¡¯t seem to do him any harm. The man walked towards the tent easily, holding the struggling Rosetta.


    As he rolled the door down, a loud voice rang out from behind, ¡°Have a good night!¡±


    Inside the dark tent, a small candle was lit and a blanket was spread on the floor. The man threw Rosetta over there.


    ¡°Ouch!¡±


    Rosetta groaned in pain as she hit the floor, but the man didn¡¯t even care. He seems to be listening to the voice outside for a moment, then he turned and came straight up to Rosetta.


    ¡°Do- don¡¯t come!¡±


    Rosetta was terrified and stepped back. But it wasn¡¯t long before her back touched the tent. The man approached Rosetta, who had nowhere to hide.


    ¡°Go away!¡±


    Rosetta resisted him with all her might, but the man¡¯s body was too big and strong.


    ¡°You filthy barbarian! Get away from me!¡±


    Rosetta¡¯s teacher, who taught her from an early age, always emphasized that people and cultures are relative and equal. Therefore, she should not belittle foreigners or criticize their way of thinking and customs just because they are inferior to the kingdom in which she lives.


    But now that she has experienced it firsthand, all of her teacher¡¯s words are wrong. They are just barbarians, as her nanny said. Even if they do such a barbarian thing, they don¡¯t even realize it¡¯s wrong. They are no different from beasts.


    The man¡¯s body pressed heavily on Rosetta. The weight made Rosetta breathless. She tried to push his shoulders with her hands, but the man didn¡¯t budge, just like a stone statue.


    Rosetta this time scratched him with her nails as hard as she could. In her heart, she wanted to scratch that handsome face, but unfortunately, her fingertips only passed near the nape of his neck.


    Eventually, one of her fingernails drew a long red line around the man¡¯s neck. At that moment, the man¡¯s hair tie was untied, and his long hair poured down. Even in her frenzy, Rosetta was surprised to find out that the man¡¯s hair was this long. All men in the kingdom had their hair cut neatly to the nape of the neck, so she had never seen a man with such long hair.


    The man frowned a little, and suddenly turned Rosetta¡¯s body upside down. Then he pressed her back to make her unable to move.


    ¡°Ahhh!¡±


    The man whispered as Rosetta struggled.


    ¡°Yeah, scream louder. So that everyone can hear it outside.¡±


    ¡®What?¡¯


    Rosetta¡¯s eyes widened in shock. Rosetta stiffened and remembered the words whispered to her by those who served her one day. It was about secret things that happen at night, and that men have sadistic tastes at times.


    They said that the more a woman suffers and screams during the night, the more joy a man feels. She remembers that the conversation ended with the conclusion that she should never meet such a madman, and if she does, she should avoid him immediately.


    But the madman is right behind her back.


    No more screams came out. When she was completely frozen in fear, she remembered the dagger her nanny gave her. Rosetta gritted her teeth. If she¡¯s going to die by this madman anyway, she won¡¯t die alone.


    The moment she made such a decision, the man said, ¡°If you promise to listen to me from now on, I will let you go.¡±


    Rosetta nodded her head for a moment. Of course, she didn¡¯t believe anything he said. As the man slowly released his grip, Rosetta took out the dagger she had hidden on her chest. Then she turned around and swung the dagger straight away.


    ¡°Ugh!¡±


    But before she could even swing it, her wrist was grabbed by the man. With a force that seemed like it would cut off her wrist at any moment, Rosetta groaned and released the dagger.


    The dagger fell softly and silently onto the blanket. The man looked down at it and muttered quietly, ¡°I had expected you to have prepared something like this¡­¡­ yeah, I should rather say it went well.¡±


    The man who uttered words akin to ridicule immediately stared at Rosetta. Looking at the eyes staring intently at her, Rosetta remembered Allen¡¯s warning.


    ¡°He is more ferocious than the monster we saw in the lake.¡±


    Now she knows. She shouldn¡¯t swing a weapon in front of such a person. A clumsy attack is tantamount to suicide. He will never forgive anyone who tried to kill him.


    The man moved slowly to pick up the dagger that fell on the floor. Rosetta¡¯s body trembled, imagining what was to come next. She thought it was all over when she saw him point the tip of the dagger at her. As she was about to close her eyes tightly,


    snip.


    Drops of blood fell on the blanket. The white blanket was gradually dotted with blood. But it wasn¡¯t Rosetta¡¯s.


    ¡°What¡­¡­¡±


    Unexpectedly, instead of stabbing Rosetta with the dagger, the man made a small cut on his forearm.


    Rosetta gasped. ¡°Wha- what are you doing now?¡±


    ¡°Shh!¡±


    The man covered Rosetta¡¯s mouth with his large palm. As Rosetta struggled, the man whispered in a low voice, ¡°Unless you really want to do it with me, stay still.¡±


    This time, she had no choice but to do as he said. The man noticed that Rosetta had calmed down and blew out the candle next to the bed.


    As her vision darkened, she felt movement wandering outside the tent. Rosetta finally realized that there were eyes watching this place from a while ago.


    How much time has passed since then?


    She could see the black shadows outside disappearing one by one. The man kept listening to the whistling outside the tent, and only after confirming that no one was there did he release his hand from Rosetta. Rosetta quickly stepped back. Then she fixed her messy collar and stared at the man with all her might.


    It was dark inside, but the faint moonlight from outside made it possible to distinguish the outline of the man¡¯s face.


    No matter how much she thought about it, she couldn¡¯t understand the man¡¯s actions a while ago. Why did he stab the dagger into his body?


    ¡°Your wound¡­¡­¡±


    At Rosetta¡¯s muttering, the man stared at the wound on his forearm for a while. Although it was a shallow, long wound, he didn¡¯t mind at all. He seemed to have no intention of treating it.


    ¡°Why did you do that¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°When the time comes, I will send you back to your father and tribe.¡±

 Chapter 6

    Answer Me, Please ¨C Chapter 6


    A pletely unexpected statement came out of his mouth. But Rosetta couldn¡¯t believe it at all. They even kidnapped the priest to prevent the two tribes from forming an alliance.


    ¡°Do you think I¡¯ll believe that?¡±


    ¡°Whatever you think, I intended to.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t lie. If you had intended to send me back, you wouldn¡¯t have kidnapped me in the first place.¡±


    ¡°Even if you go back, you will never marry your current fianc¨¦. If your marriage is pletely broken, then I will send you back.¡±


    ¡°Then why did you say you would make me your wife? Is there no need to get married?¡±


    The man frowned at the endless questions. Then Rosetta realized that this wasn¡¯t what mattered now. As long as she convinces this man that she is not the real bride, everything will be resolved.


    ¡°As I said before, I am not the real bride. I am not the daughter of the Basque chieftain. So send me back right now, no matter what!¡±


    The man looked at Rosetta for a moment and asked, ¡°Then who are you?¡±


    ¡°I am from the Kingdom of Lisa. My father is a merchant in the capital¡­¡­¡±


    Rosetta began to recite her fabricated identity eagerly, delighted that she could finally say what she wanted to; about her family and family business, and that she was on a long trip to help with her father¡¯s work.


    Meanwhile, Rosetta wished that the man would realize that he had made a mistake and then bring her back to her original place as soon as possible.


    However, he asked an unexpected question. ¡°As you said, if you are a merchant in the capital Terra, you must be a member of the guild. Then which guild do you belong to?¡±


    Rosetta looked at him with her eyes wide open. She knew that there was an organization called a guild, an association of merchants. But she knew nothing of the detailed classification.


    ¡°I- I don¡¯t know much about my father¡¯s work¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°You said you are helping your father directly, but you don¡¯t know which guild you belong to and you don¡¯t know anything? You¡¯re saying silly things.¡±


    As the man said, there were many holes in the information she roughly memorized before leaving for the trip. If she were her older sister who knew everything about the kingdom, she would have been able to respond spontaneously, but Rosetta did not have such agility or knowledge.


    Rosetta gritted her molars. After that, she had no choice but to reveal her true identity.


    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s all a lie. Actually I¡ª¡°


    But she soon realized that she couldn¡¯t say it either. Because it was predicted what would happen if her real identity was revealed here: she will bee a hostage, not a bride. In other words, she would soon cause great trouble to her family and the kingdom.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Rosetta lowered her head. She doesn¡¯t want to be a nuisance to everyone. She doesn¡¯t want to be as useless as she is.


    Rosetta eventually shut her mouth, and the man spoke again, ¡°Whether you believe me or not, it is up to you. I always keep what I say. So, until then, don¡¯t do anything and just stay still.¡±


    Don¡¯t do anything and just stay still.


    It was familiar words from a stranger. Rosetta smiled pitifully. Her family also used to say that to her all the time. Don¡¯t try to do anything, stay under the protection of the family and marry a good man.


    At the end of the conversation, the man lay down straight on the blanket. He saw Rosetta flinch back and pointed to the seat next to him.


    ¡°If you want to go early tomorrow morning, you better keep your eyes closed even for a while.¡±


    ¡°Are you telling me to sleep here with you? How can I believe that you won¡¯t do anything?¡±


    Despite Rosetta¡¯s voice that was full of suspicion, the man only let out a short sigh.


    ¡°I have no interest in a child like you.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean, a child? I am not¡­¡­¡±


    The man did not listen to Rosetta at all and immediately closed his eyes, as if he didn¡¯t care a bit about her.


    After a long time, the man didn¡¯t move. His closed eyelids didn¡¯t budge once, as if he was really sleeping.


    Rosetta went to the furthest corner of the tent and crouched down. It was getting chilly as the night went on, but that didn¡¯t mean she could sleep in the same blanket as that man. Right now, she doesn¡¯t think he¡¯s going to touch her, but no one knows when he will change his mind.


    But I¡¯ll be quiet for now. I¡¯ll act like I believe everything he says when it¡¯s dawn. If there¡¯s a gap after he¡¯s caught off guard, I¡¯ll have to run away immediately. I¡¯ll run away somehow¡­¡­


    Rosetta soon lowered her head. Her belated regrets flooded over her. If I had known it would be like this, I wouldn¡¯t be insisting on going to the sea.


    ¡°Hic¡­¡­¡±


    Hot tears ran down her cheeks. She tried not to, but she couldn¡¯t stop her nose from sniffling. As she cried so much, her eyelids became heavy little by little.


    Today is a tough day. After a while, Rosetta fell into a deep sleep.


    ***


    When Allen arrived, it was a mess. The tent was torn and there were wounded or dead people lying everywhere.


    Allen threw the drink he was holding and ran over. By the time he left this place, it was evident that the place was filled with a festive atmosphere ahead of the wedding. That¡¯s why he was able to leave with confidence. But what the hell happened in that short period of time?


    His face brightened only when he saw the nanny from afar. As the nanny is safe, she will be fine, too. They¡¯ve been together the whole time. Yes, it has to be.


    ¡°Allen! Why are you here so late?¡±


    The nanny burst into tears as soon as she saw Allen. Allen looked around, but she was nowhere to be seen. Only then did Allen realize that something was far wrong.


    ¡°¡­¡­Miss Rosetta?¡±


    ¡°They kidnapped her. What should I do now?¡±


    ¡°They? Are you talking about the groom?¡±


    ¡°Not the groom. Nazar Quat, it was him.¡±


    Rosie came out with a limp. Her face was pale and hardened.


    ¡°I think they were trying to stop us from forming alliances by marriage. He mistook the bride for me and took her.¡±


    ¡°How could¡ª¡±


    Allen then shut his mouth. There¡¯s still a chance. She cannot ride a horse. Two people must have been riding on one horse, so they couldn¡¯t go far. He will be able to catch up if he chases them all night long. But to do that, he needs people who know the geography of this place well.


    ¡°Miss Rosie, this time you have to help us again.¡±


    Allen turned to Rosie and grabbed the sword on his waist. The black hilt is all wrapped in white cloth.


    ¡°Please gather some tribal men. Then I¡¯ll go to Miss Rosetta¡ª¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to.¡±


    It was the chief of the tribe who appeared after cutting off his words. A faint smile appeared on his face.


    ¡°It was better. They foolishly took the fake. So, Rosie, you¡¯re getting married as planned.¡±


    ¡°Father!¡±


    Rosie¡¯s eyes immediately burned with anger.


    ¡°What do you mean? Don¡¯t you know what¡¯s going on now? They want revenge for the past. To a woman who has nothing to do with us!¡±


    ¡°So, it¡¯s a million luck, isn¡¯t it? You almost went through something terrible, but luckily heaven helped us.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all my father¡¯s fault. Because of my father¡¯s greed, they kidnapped her¡ª¡±


    He slapped Rosie hard on the cheek. But this time Rosie glared straight into his eyes, instead of obeying him. That defiant look of hers intensified the chieftain¡¯s anger.


    ¡°What do you know that you accuse me of? You, who have lived under my protection until now, how dare you to raise your voice in front of me!¡± He was very indignant and shouted.


    ¡°Where do you think all the things you eat and wear e from? How do you think you¡¯ve been able to sleep well at night in this place where it¡¯s mon to die while fighting between tribes? All because of me. Thanks to the fact that I did the dirty work for you and our tribe that the Kingdom of Lisa protected us from behind and provided all supplies. But now you¡¯re blaming me after enjoying it all?¡±


    ¡°Just be honest. The truth is that you are greedy.¡± Rosie¡¯s lips trembled. Holding back her tears.


    She continued, ¡°You always said that you kidnapped her and killed her husband for our people, but the truth is that you did it because you wanted her. But it didn¡¯t go the way you wanted it to, so you ruined everything.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t think that I wouldn¡¯t know because it happened before I was born. I heard everyone talking behind my back about the story behind the scar on your face!¡±


    ¡°This ungrateful girl!¡±


    He raised his hand again. Before slamming Rosie on the cheek once more, this time someone grabbed his wrist. Knowing that it was Allen who held his hand, the chieftain¡¯s face hardened.


    ¡°You punk! How dare you stop me!¡±


    As he struggled, Allen released his hand and tossed him away. The chieftain, who was staggering, barely managed to stand.


    When he was about to open his mouth again, Allen said, ¡°I am not interested in the situation here. First of all, it seems you have no intention of cooperating with us. Okay. Then I have to save the princess myself without your help.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    The chieftain looked at Allen with a blank expression. The others looked no different from him.


    ¡°Wha- what did you say just now? Princess?¡±


    Allen whistled with his fingers. His horse, loose in the field, came running right away.


    Allen climbed straight onto his horse and grabbed the sword on his waist, and he began to untie the white cloth that had been wrapped around the entire hilt of the sword.


    ¡°Of course, I mean the princess of the Kingdom of Lisa who gave you all that you just said.¡±


    All the cloth that hid the hilt was loosened. A golden bird spreading its wings wide is carved into the hilt of the sword.

 Chapter 7

    ¡°That¡­¡­¡±


    Exclamations erupted from everywhere. It was because there is only one country in this world that could use the golden bird pattern: the Holy Kingdom of Lisa, a place ruled by descendants who inherited the blood of the god Elheim.


    For the past thousand years, while neighboring countries have bloomed and fallen, only the Kingdom of Lisa had survived without a single dynasty change, as their royal family are beings who received absolute protection from God.


    Thanks to that protection, the Kingdom of Lisa became the only land that monsters could not touch. Even while the other areas suffered a lot of damage from monsters, it was always safe there.


    The rich and stable environment created in this way, and the people¡¯s respect and trust in the royal family, became the foundation for building the splendid civilization they have today.


    It¡¯s a fact that everyone acknowledged that the culture and technology of the Kingdom of Lisa are several hundred years ahead of other countries.


    ¡°That, that¡­¡­¡±


    The chieftain¡¯s face quickly turned white. As he knows, there are two princesses and one prince in the Kingdom of Lisa.


    The eldest daughter, the first princess, was appointed as a crown princess early on, and, as the first royal family always had, she possessed great mana.


    On the other hand, the second prince showed outstanding talent in swordsmanship from an early age. From the time he was in his early twenties, he assumed the position of deputy commander of the Knights Templar.


    Unlike the two, little is known about the youngest princess, as she does little outside activities. However, one rumor was widely known outside. It was that the king and queen loved and cherished the youngest princess so much that they were reluctant to put her in front of other people.


    Rosie realized something and muttered, ¡°Come to think of it, the princess¡¯ name¡ª¡±


    ¡°Rosetta Villard Lisa.¡±


    Everyone took a deep breath. It is obviously the name of the third princess of the Kingdom of Lisa, and it is also the name of the woman who had been with them here a while ago.


    ¡°That¡¯s the name of the princess of the Kingdom of Lisa and the lady I serve.¡±


    In the silence that spreads, Allen looked away from them and turned to the nanny.


    ¡°Allen¡­¡­¡±


    The nanny approached him. Her eyes filled with tears as she held Allen¡¯s hand.


    Allen smiled softly at her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, nanny. Even if I sacrifice my life, I will definitely bring the princess back.¡±


    ¡°You have to be careful too.¡±


    ¡°Yes. I will be back soon, so please wait here.¡±


    Just as Allen was about to turn his horse¡¯s head, a tribal man appeared from afar, riding a horse. Running through the crowd, stopping before the chieftain, he hurriedly shouted as soon as he got off his horse,


    ¡°Chief. We¡¯re in trouble! Now the groom is going back to Croa!¡±


    ¡°What?¡± The chieftain¡¯s face immediately turned pale. ¡°He¡¯s going back? Then what about this marriage?¡±


    ¡°He gave up on getting married because the situation now is too dangerous.¡±


    ¡°Why? Did someone talk about our situation outside?¡±


    ¡°No, it was the Quats. They left a message for Croa to come to Quat if they wanted to get the bride back. Doesn¡¯t that mean if we continue to insist on this marriage, we¡¯ll be at war?¡±


    ¡°Those motherfxckers!¡±


    Just a little while ago, the Croa had chosen Basque, not Quat. But now they got scared by a single threat and ran away. On top of that, the Basque tribe is really in a mess right now because of the Princess of Lisa.


    ¡°You seem to be in a very difficult situation, chief.¡±


    Allen, who was watching the whole situation, threw a derisive remark.


    ¡°Now that this has happened, why don¡¯t you cooperate in saving the princess? Then maybe your past mistakes will be reckoned with.¡±


    Instead of answering, the chieftain stared at Allen silently. Since the marriage is already broken, the best way is to save the princess. However, that is if the princess is still alive or at least in a good state.


    He clearly remembered what he had done in the past. The Quat tribe never forgot that either. With that humiliation and shame buried deep in their heart, they must have been waiting only for today.


    Revenge begins with leveling the scales of blood.


    It was the old custom of the Ardennes and a fair way to get revenge. It means that revenge begins with the same amount of blood that was shed. If the Quat tribe followed their beliefs, the princess who was dragged away by them could not remain intact even if she was alive.


    How will Lisa¡¯s royal palace react to the return of the princess¡¯ shattered body? Will the royal family, who care deeply about the youngest princess, let those who helped destroy the princess ¡ª even though they weren¡¯t directly involved ¡ª just go?


    The result was too obvious to contemplate.


    ¡°Catch that man.¡±


    There were murmurs from all directions at the unexpected command. Despite the command of the chieftain, everyone was bewildered and did not dare to step forward.


    ¡°Chief?¡±


    ¡°Catch him right now! Stop him from ever getting out of here!¡±


    ¡°Father, what the heck are you thinking!¡±


    As Rosie went to stop him, the chieftain grabbed her by the neck. Rosie¡¯s brown eyes shook.


    ¡°¡­¡­Father?¡±


    ¡°If you think of our tribe, even a little, don¡¯t even think about helping him,¡± he said to Rosie, bringing his face closer to hers.


    ¡°What the hell is wrong with you? We need to save the princess now¡ª¡±


    ¡°Princess¡ª¡± He gritted his teeth. ¡°Even if the princess is alive, she will not be in a good state. The revenge-mad ones can¡¯t leave the princess alone. So now that this has happened, the only choice is to destroy all the evidence!¡±


    Allen¡¯s face immediately hardened at those words. He was about to pull out his sword right away with anger, but he stopped for a moment. Now is not the time to deal with the Basque tribe. He needs to get out of here as quickly as possible and save the princess first.


    ¡°Ha!¡±


    Allen kicked the horse in the ribs and galloped out like an arrow.


    ¡°Stop him!¡±


    As the tribal men blocked him, Allen immediately drew his sword. A dazzling light emanated from the sword. Seeing this, the men let out a short groan and backed away.


    Golden aura, the power and source of the Kingdom of Lisa.


    It is said that some of Lisa¡¯s royal family, blessed by the gods, have mystical powers from birth. The moment they cast a spell on an object with that power, the object becomes stronger beyond imagination.


    A sword that cannot be broken by anything, and roads and walls that remain intact even after a thousand years have passed. That¡¯s the reason why no one dares to challenge the Kingdom of Lisa.


    ¡°Stop him at all costs! Whoever misses him will be ruled as a traitor!¡±


    The chieftain¡¯s order was given, but no one was willing to step forward. They confirmed the sign of God, which they had only heard of through rumors, right in front of their eyes. On the other hand, the chieftain ordered them to stop him. Which of the two should they follow?


    But the answer seems to have already been decided.


    The tribal men all pointed their swords at Allen at once. The betrayal of the tribe is death. It will not end with death alone, but your wife and children will all become slaves.


    So if you¡¯re going to die anyway, you¡¯d better die fighting here.


    ¡°Put down your sword, Allen.¡±


    The moment the tense confrontation continued, an unexpected voice rang out. Allen turned his head in the direction the voice came from. There he saw Rosie aiming a dagger at the nanny¡¯s neck.


    ¡°Put down your sword. Otherwise, the nanny will die first.¡±


    Rosie grabbed her by the neck, and the nanny was trembling, unable to make a single breath.


    ¡°You¡­¡­¡±


    Rosie looked bitterly at Allen, who felt betrayed.


    ¡°Sorry. But I can¡¯t just watch my people die.¡±


    The moment Allen paused, a large net hit him. Trapped in the net, something blunt hit Allen¡¯s head from behind. Soon after, darkness came over him.


    ***


    A small garden was built in the backyard of the palace for the youngest princess. The royal couple, who were the Crown Prince and Crown Princess at the time, cherished and loved Rosetta, but they were always busy with national affairs.


    Rosetta also had a huge age difference from her older sister and brother, so she couldn¡¯t stay with them for long. Eventually, she had to learn how to play alone.


    Rosetta preferred to play in nature rather than play dolls in her room. So her parents made her a small garden full of trees and flowers. There, Rosetta used to spend a lot of time looking at flowers and chasing butterflies.


    Rosetta made a friend one day. With a beautiful and radiant appearance, she[1] became Rosetta¡¯s only friend. Rosetta was not alone again as she spent time with her friend in the garden.


    [1] The gender is unknown, but Rosetta calls her friend by the pronoun She.


    Even that day, Rosetta was playing in the garden with her friend. She would always appear quietly when Rosetta was alone in the garden and quickly disappear when someone else appeared.


    That day, too, she played with Rosetta and disappeared as soon as her mother appeared.


    Her mother asked, ¡°Rosetta, who were you just talking to?¡±


    ¡°Um, I was playing with my friend.¡±


    ¡°Friend?¡±


    ¡°Marsha.¡±


    ¡°Marsha? Who is that?¡±


    ¡°Marsha is Marsha. Marsha is very shy. So she is only with me. She is not here now.¡±


    It was all that a 5-year-old child could explain. After thinking for a while, her mother smiled softly at Rosetta.


    ¡°Then, Rosetta, can you introduce Marsha to me someday?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Rosetta smiled brightly as she looked at her mother.


    A few days later, Rosetta ran happily to her mother, who was visiting the garden again.


    ¡°Mother, this.¡±


    What Rosetta gave her was a bird¡¯s feather. Normally, when Rosetta picked up unusual stones or pine cones from the garden, she would bring them as a gift. So her mother was looking at it with a lot of anticipation.


    ¡°Oh my, it is beautiful. Thank you, Rosetta.¡±


    She happily accepted her daughter¡¯s gift that day too. Then, Rosetta pointed at the tree.


    ¡°There it is.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Over there, my friend Marsha, up in the tree.¡±


    She followed where Rosetta¡¯s little finger pointed, and what she had not seen before was now clearly visible. No, to be precise, she discovered it.


    ¡°Ah¡­¡­¡±


    She covered her mouth with her hand. Her eyes trembled violently.


    ¡°Mother?¡±


    Rosetta looked at her mother and tilted her head. Her mother looked at Rosetta again. Her beautiful face was full of surprise and sorrow. Young Rosetta couldn¡¯t understand why she was making such a face.


    ***


    -chirp chirp chirp!


    Rosetta woke up to the sound of birds chirping. It was already brightly lit outside the tent.


    Perhaps because of the frivolous birdsong, she must have had a very disturbing dream last night. Although she can¡¯t remember exactly what dream she was in.


    Then suddenly, Rosetta realized that she was on top of the blanket now, and she stood up in shock.


    She was clearly curled up on the floor last night, but now she¡¯s here. And the man who should have been here was nowhere to be found. Only she remains alone in the tent.


    Rosetta fell into great confusion.


    How did I get here? Did I come here in my sleep last night because it was cold? So I slept with him? But he said so loudly that he would never sleep with me?


    Then the tent opened and the man entered.

 Chapter 8

    The man in a plain white shirt and black pants¡ªnot as black as yesterday¡ªstood in the morning light, making a huge difference between day and night. Even though his striking eye color and overall appearance were the same, the atmosphere itself was very different.


    The man in front of her now had an atmosphere so neat that she couldn¡¯t believe he was a savage predator of the night before. In particular, she could feel his dignity, perhaps because of his long hair tied loosely over one shoulder. Even if he just changed clothes and go to the palace, there is no sense of incongruity.


    Rosetta soon realized that it was not only because of the man¡¯s handsome looks but also because of his straight posture and steady gestures. Even in the Kingdom of Lisa, those who come from the outskirts are bound to lack something. Compared to the central aristocrats, who are thoroughly educated from a young age, their gestures are always clumsy, and lacked confidence.


    But this man, a barbarian on the outskirts, is not even in the royal palace, yet he is filled with dignity as if all this vast meadow belonged to him.


    As Rosetta stared blankly at the man with that thought, a low voice rang out.


    ¡°You slept so soundly last night, so I thought I should wake you up myself, but luckily you¡¯re awake.¡±


    With that said, Rosetta pointed at herself with her finger.


    ¡°I slept soundly? Did I?¡±


    ¡°You did. Even when I lifted you up to move you, it didn¡¯t wake you up.¡±


    Rosetta¡¯s mouth wide opened without her realizing it.


    ¡°Well, well, here last night you and I¡ª¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you that I¡¯m not interested in a child?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a child!¡± shouted Rosetta. She was sick of being treated like a child by her family, but even a man she met for the first time said that.


    She continued, ¡°I already had my coming-of-age ceremony this year. Why do you keep calling me a child¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s definitely a child who curled up in a corner and sniffed.¡±


    Rosetta¡¯s mouth hardened. This man had not slept until then and had been watching everything.


    ¡°It¡¯s morning.¡±


    The man held out what he had brought. Only then did Rosetta realize that the man was holding something in his hand. Knowing it was food, she turned her head straight away.


    ¡°I¡¯m not hungry. I won¡¯t eat¡ª¡±


    -growling sound.


    But at that moment, a strange sound came out of her stomach. Rosetta¡¯s face flushed red in a flash.


    ¡°Eat this or not, I¡¯ll leave this here,¡± said the man as he put a bowl on the floor. ¡°But remember that you will be riding all day with a little rest today.¡±


    The man left the tent after saying so. Rosetta immediately gave a low cry and punched the ground. She always wanted to face situations like her brave and wise older sister, but in reality, she couldn¡¯t do anything in front of that man.


    Then a delicious scent flowed into her nostrils. She tried not to pay attention, but soon all her nerves were focused on it. And the maddening hunger came in an instant.


    Rosetta crept over to the food. Inside the large bowl are some vegetables and shredded meat with lots of broth. It looks so shabby that it can not be compared with the sumptuous food she ate at the royal palace. Nevertheless, she was very hungry, probably because she had not eaten anything since last night.


    She suddenly had a thought. ¡®What if I only tasted it once?¡¯


    Food made by barbarians can¡¯t possibly be delicious. Then your appetite will be lost.


    Rosetta scooped out a little broth to taste.


    ¡°¡­it¡¯s quite tasty.¡±


    It doesn¡¯t look like it was seasoned properly, but the thick meat broth had a deep flavor that she had never experienced before.


    I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s because I¡¯m hungry, but I found this to be much tastier than the food I¡¯ve had at the royal palace.


    Without her realizing it, Rosetta drank the broth and ate the meat. Her empty stomach filled with food in an instant. When Rosetta came to her senses, the bowl was already showing its bottom.


    As soon as she put the spoon down on the empty bowl, Rosetta felt a deep sense of shame for herself.


    Having said that she would never sleep, she fell asleep so deeply that she did not even know that the man lifted her up and laid her down on the blanket. She refused to eat, but she ate it so cleanly that there was no need to wash the dishes.


    He will definitely look at me ridiculously¡­


    As she was tormented by that thought, the man entered the tent again. Rosetta thought he would laugh at her, but surprisingly, he showed no reaction. Instead of taking the emptied bowl, he simply threw a wet cloth.


    ¡°Use this to wipe your face.¡±


    The cloth is warm as if it had been soaked in hot water. As Rosetta was surprised by the unexpected consideration, the man threw something made of cloth at her again.


    ¡°This¡­¡±


    ¡°I got it from a nearby village. You can¡¯t keep wearing those clothes.¡±


    When told that it was obtained from a nearby village, Rosetta gave up all hope for it.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be leaving again right after you put it on.¡±


    After he left the tent, Rosetta unfolded the clothes. Unexpectedly, the condition was quite satisfactory. It isn¡¯t as expensive and nice as the ones she wore in the royal palace, but it¡¯s clean and there are no holes. Besides, the ribbon on the chest is pretty cute.


    ¡°Does he like cute things like this? It¡¯s quite different from what he looks like.¡±


    Rosetta wiped her face with a wet cloth and dressed quickly. The clothes are a little too big for her body, but with the sleeves folded, she managed to wear them.


    After getting dressed, she smoothed her hair. Even during the trip, her curly hair, which her nanny worked hard to comb every day, tangled in just one day. Rosetta tried to comb her tangled hair several times with her fingers a few times but soon gave up due to a throbbing pain in her scalp.


    However, I can¡¯t just leave my hair as it is. In contrast to the man¡¯s thin hair, mine is exceptionally thick and tangled frequently. If I ride a horse like this, I might end up having to cut my hair.


    She wanted to tie it up, but no matter how hard she searched, there wasn¡¯t anything that looked like a hair tie. Just as Rosetta was looking around her, the man came in.


    ¡°If you are ready¡ª¡±


    ¡°Wa- wait a minute. I don¡¯t have anything to tie my hair up¡­ My hair gets tangled pretty easily.¡±


    Rosetta looked around hurriedly, fearing that the man might drag her out at any moment, but could not find anything to replace a hair tie anywhere.


    The man saw her eyes wander and snapped his fingers up.


    ¡°Come here.¡±


    Rosetta was taken aback at the gesture that seemed to call for a puppy.


    I¡¯m not someone you can treat like that!


    But contrary to the thought in her head, Rosetta quietly approached the man when he snapped his fingers again. As Rosetta approached, he raised his index finger in a circular motion this time.


    ¡°Turn around.¡±


    Rosetta turned around thinking she really wanted to give him a slap. Soon she felt a rough touch on the back of her neck. With his calloused hands, the man tied her hair up with something.


    As soon as the man withdrew his hand, Rosetta ran a hand through her hair. Her hair was tied with a long ribbon, judging by the touch, it seems to be made of silk.


    Rosetta turned and saw that the man¡¯s hair, which had been tied up a while ago, was loose. Only then did she realize that the man had given her the hair tie he had been wearing.


    ¡°Is there anything you¡¯re uncomfortable with?¡±


    At the unexpected question, Rosetta hurriedly shook her head. It was unexpected that he tied her hair himself, he was a man who was surprisingly attentive.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Thank you¡­¡±


    ¡°Make sure to return it later.¡±


    Her gratitude was about to come out, but she put it back in. Rosetta immediately went into a rage and shouted, ¡°Are you worried that I might steal or take something like this?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s my mother¡¯s keepsake.¡±


    And the man¡¯s words that followed made Rosetta¡¯s mouth shut again.


    It was derogatory to say that the keepsake left by his mother as ¡°something like this.¡± Rosetta wanted to apologize right away, but the man had already turned around and walked out of the tent.


    ¡°Excuse me¡­¡±


    As soon as Rosetta followed him outside, all the other men waiting in front of him looked at Rosetta simultaneously. Rosetta flinched and took a somewhat defensive stance. Considering what happened last night, it was natural. Unexpectedly, however, they showed a completely different attitude from yesterday.


    ¡°Good morning.¡±


    Instead of blaming Rosetta or throwing sarcastic remarks as they did yesterday, they stood in a line and greet her. Of course, their expressions weren¡¯t so good. Most of them were full of discontent and showed the least courtesy.


    One of them pointed to the horse.


    ¡°Rigaina, get on your horse.¡±


    Rigaina? What is that?


    At that moment, a man who was dismantling the tent came out with a bundle of cloth and handed it to the chieftain.


    ¡°Riga, how can you not take care of something as important as this? You have to take the evidence from the first night.¡±


    It was only then that Rosetta realized the reason for that man¡¯s inexplicable behavior last night. The man sliced his own forearm to make evidence of the first night, that is, virgin blood.


    The man silently took the cloth and put it in the pocket next to the saddle of his horse. Then he lightly climbed onto his horse and reached out to Rosetta.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Rosetta looked at the man. His long, untied hair fluttered in the wind. The man¡¯s expressionless face was still unreadable, but his blue eyes in the sunlight are shining with a different feeling than yesterday.


    He¡¯s a man I don¡¯t understand in many ways.


    No one here would have criticized him if he had fulfilled his lust overnight without the need to injure himself and make fake bloodstains in a predatory marriage anyway. No, it would have been simpler.


    Rosetta reached out and took his hand. The man grabbed her by the waist and sat her down in front of him, just like yesterday. And he gave orders to the men,


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

 Chapter 9

    It was dark inside the prison.


    It didn¡¯t take long for them to eventually give up and sit on the floor, looking for a way to escape from being blocked on all sides.


    Last night they were transported secretly in a carriage from the meadow to this prison in the basement of the castle. Now, far from saving the princess, any hope of escaping from this place has become distant.


    ¡°It¡¯s all because of me. This old woman followed her all the way stubbornly¡­ I should have followed what the princess said to just stay in the palace.¡±


    The nanny, who was sitting in the corner without energy, was crying. She kept blaming herself, saying it was all because of her that Allen was caught together.


    ¡°I should have bit my tongue and killed myself at that time. What is so precious about my life that won¡¯t be long now that you hesitated and got caught? How foolish¡­¡±


    Allen came over and patted the nanny on the shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault, nanny. It¡¯s all because of my carelessness.¡±


    ¡°No. If it weren¡¯t for me, wouldn¡¯t you already have gone to save the princess?¡±


    ¡°Even if I had abandoned you at that time, it would have been difficult for me to find my way alone without the help of the tribesmen.¡±


    After some time had passed and his mind cleared up, Allen realized again that what he had just said was true. It was impossible for him to catch up with them in the dark of the night, knowing nothing about the geography of this place.


    ¡°How could she do this to us?¡±


    Soon after, the nanny poured out her anger at the woman who betrayed them.


    She said, ¡°Because of her, the princess became a bride substitute with a generous heart, but this happened, and instead of helping us, she threatened us. I never thought she would be so ungrateful!¡±


    Allen bit his lip hard. He also felt betrayed by that woman, Rosie. He thought she was a righteous and brave woman enough to throw her life for a stranger, but she wasn¡¯t.


    ¡°I will never forgive that woman. I must¡ª¡±


    Then there was the sound of a door opening in the distance. The sound of footsteps quickly followed. As soon as they checked the face of the woman who came closer while lighting up the darkness with a torch, Allen and the nanny jumped to their feet at the same time.


    ¡°You!¡±


    ¡°Shh!¡± Rosie put her finger to her lips and said, ¡°I am here without my father¡¯s knowledge, so don¡¯t make a noise.¡±


    ¡°How dare you come here!¡±


    Allen gritted his teeth at her. The woman ignored him and held out something through the bars.


    ¡°Eat this first. You must be starving all day long.¡±


    The small basket contained food such as bread, milk, and cheese. As she said, they were very hungry, but now was not the time to be tempted by such food.


    ¡°How can I eat food like this when I don¡¯t even know if the princess is alive or dead!¡±


    As he was about to explode in anger, Rosie said, ¡°You have to eat something to get out of here.¡±


    ¡°¡­what?¡±


    Looking straight at Allen, Rosie continued, ¡°My father planned to take you to the forest to kill you once he finds out where the princess is. That means he won¡¯t kill you right now. Now that surveillance is tight, it¡¯s difficult for me to save you. But if it becomes a little lax, then I will definitely take you out of here.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous. If you¡¯re going to do this, why did you¡ª¡±


    ¡°If I had just let you fight earlier, our tribesmen would have been sacrificed. I just wanted to prevent meaningless sacrifices.¡±


    At that, Allen burst into laughter.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re going to help us now?¡±


    ¡°Anything I can do.¡±


    ¡°What do you think would be different if you let me go? Do you think that I, no, Kingdom of Lisa will just leave you alone? You who hindered me from saving the princess?¡±


    ¡°That shouldn¡¯t be the case. So I intend to release you on one condition.¡±


    ¡°What is the condition?¡±


    ¡°Please keep this a secret from the Kingdom of Lisa. Then I will help you save the princess.¡±


    ¡°¡­you!¡±


    -bang!


    Allen slammed his fist into the bars. He really wanted to twist the neck of the woman in front of him right away.


    ¡°Do you really want to die? Do you think I can¡¯t kill you?¡±


    ¡°Kill me or not, that¡¯s up to you. For the sake of my tribe, I am also determined to marry a man much older than me. I¡¯m not afraid of anything like death. But you¡¯ll have to think carefully. If you waste your time venting your anger, you will lose your precious princess forever.¡±


    Rosie raised her chin. ¡°Now you have two choices. Either die in this prison or go to save the princess with me on condition that you keep this a secret from the Kingdom of Lisa.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you know that our numbers aren¡¯t enough after they enter their territory? That doesn¡¯t mean you can give your tribe¡¯s soldiers away, does it?¡±


    ¡°I can give you some soldiers who follow me, but it¡¯s still not enough. The rest of them only listen to my father¡¯s orders.¡±


    ¡°Then how are you going to help us? You told me not to tell the Kingdom? Where are you going to find soldiers to save the princess?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t there a royal army that you can mobilize separately?¡±


    Allen let out a dejected laugh. ¡°I¡¯m just an escort knight for the princess, so I can¡¯t possibly have that kind of power.¡±


    When he was young, around the time of his father¡¯s death, Princess Rosetta was seriously ill for a time. Allen¡¯s grandfather, a royal doctor, was always by the little princess¡¯ side and took care of her. And that led Allen to meet Princess Rosetta.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard a lot about you from your grandfather. Nice to meet you.¡±


    A girl wearing a white dress sitting on a bed and smiling brightly.


    Contrary to the prejudice that a princess would be arrogant and superior, the young princess was a kind and sweet child.


    She never threw a tantrum, apart from her being in excruciating pain of unknown cause. Even though it was more natural for her to whine at that age.


    While staying with the princess, Allen suddenly came up with an idea.


    I want to protect this little small and weak child.


    His grandfather happened to want his grandson to follow in his footsteps as a doctor. At first, he gladly complied but changed his mind after the princess grew up and completely regained her health.


    I will be an escort knight and protect the princess.


    But instead of protecting her, he ended up doing something like this.


    Allen dropped his head helplessly. He had once heard this; You are too soft for the princess, and that weak mind of yours could rather put the princess in danger.


    That¡¯s true. It would have been better if I had strongly opposed this trip from the beginning. Or said absolutely no when she suddenly changed the destination. No, if only I had stopped her from acting as a bride substitute¡­


    ¡°Allen, how about getting help from Sir Issel?¡±


    Then, at the sudden words of the nanny, Allen raised his head.


    ¡°Sir Issel?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir Issel, wouldn¡¯t he be able to help us without informing the palace?¡±


    Allen¡¯s face went blank for a moment.


    Why didn¡¯t I think of that sooner?


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡±


    Issel. He is the fianc¨¦ of a princess and heir to a country. Having inherited his father¡¯s title of duke not long ago, he also had the power to independently move thousands of troops.


    Rosie asked, ¡°Issel? Who is he¡­¡±


    ¡°Duke Issel Scallion. He is the fianc¨¦ of the princess and the next lord of the Grand Duchy of Hezen,¡± answered Allen.


    The Grand Duchy of Hezen is a small country located in the southern part of the Kingdom of Lisa. It was established as a Duchy about a hundred years ago by one of the princes of the Kingdom of Lisa.


    After that, it was promoted to a Grand Duchy and gained its own independent power, but it still maintains a close relationship with the Kingdom of Lisa.


    ¡°Besides, Hezen is much closer to here than Terra. If we send a messenger, the news will arrive within three days.¡±


    Allen looked at Rosie and added, ¡°If you mean what you say, you should send a messenger to Hezen.¡±


    Rosie nodded her head. ¡°Of course. If you write a letter, I will send someone there right away.¡±


    The sending of messengers was immediate. Allen also put a mark to prove himself in the envelope. If it was a duke that Allen had seen before, he is sure he will come right away if this letter reaches him.


    ¡°One more thing.¡±


    When Rosie was about to leave, Allen grabbed her.


    ¡°Explain to us what happened between your tribe and the Quat tribe. What do you mean they¡¯re going to take revenge on the princess for things in the past?¡±


    A complex emotion quickly appeared on Rosie¡¯s face. After hesitating for a while, she finally opened her mouth with a long sigh.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know exactly because it happened before I was born. However, about twenty years ago, my father proposed peace to the Quat tribe, who were in frequent conflict at the time. It was about finding a way to coexist rather than confront each other and tear each other down.¡±


    ¡°But?¡±


    ¡°The Quat tribe accepted the offer and invited my father and our other tribesmen to their territory. But there, my father kidnapped a newly married tribal woman and ran away.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Allen¡¯s mouth fell open. He was the first to ask for peace, then stole a woman and ran away. What a crazy man.


    ¡°Why did he do that? Who was that woman?¡±


    ¡°Do you know what method is used to hunt down the wolf leader?¡±

 Chapter 10

    Answer Me, Please ¨C Chapter 10


    Allen narrowed his eyes at the erratic answer that had nothing to do with the question.


    ¡°What do you mean? Why are you suddenly talking about the wolf leader?¡±


    ¡°Wolf leaders are rarely caught by humans. They are smart and have great senses. However, it is said that if they see their female being caught, they will walk into the trap themselves. Wolves originally only live with one mate for the rest of their lives, and they cherish that mate as if they were their own lives.¡±


    Rosie let out a long sigh. ¡°Actually, the peace proposal was all a trick. My father¡¯s goal from the beginning was to kill the Quat chieftain and take all of the tribe¡¯s land. However, he knew very well that he could not kill the Quat chieftain with his own abilities, so he used the method used to catch the wolf leader instead.¡±


    ¡°Then, did he use the chieftain¡¯s wife as bait to summon him?¡±


    ¡°Yes. He told the Quat chief to come to our own land if he wanted to find his wife. And he, who loved his wife, really came alone.¡±


    Despite their mutual animosity, the old women of the village still whispered about how brave the Quat chieftain was at the time, and about the tragedy his wife suffered.


    ¡°Did the chieftain eventually die because of that?¡±


    ¡°Yes. My father killed him. He didn¡¯t even return the body. It was abandoned somewhere in the woods and became food for animals.¡±


    ¡°Then his wife¡­¡±


    ¡°She went back alive. But maybe it would have been better if they died together then.¡±


    ¡°¡­why?¡±


    Allen gradually began to have an ominous premonition. Because if the tribe¡¯s method is an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth, they might try to do what their former chief¡¯s wife had experienced to the princess.


    Rosie lowered her gaze. ¡°My father seemed to have liked her for a long time. After he killed the chief of the Quat tribe and seized their land, he intended to take her as his wife. But when he tried to coerce her, she resisted stubbornly and cut my father¡¯s face with the dagger she had.¡±


    Allen remembered the long scar on the face of the chieftain. Maybe it¡¯s the scars from that time.


    ¡°My father, angry at the woman who rejected him, treated her not as a hostage but as a slave.¡±


    ¡°That means¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes. Slaves are not treated as human beings here. We are no different from beasts, especially towards female slaves¡­¡±


    Rosie couldn¡¯t finish her words and bit her lip. She looked at Allen with sad eyes.


    ¡°Allen, I pray that Nazar Quat is not as heartless as my father.¡±


    ***


    As he said, they were moving all day long. She had to sit on the horse all the time except to get off and get a meal or some other simple task.


    Under these circumstances, Rosetta felt pain in her buttock, to the point where she did not feel the pain afterward.


    In fact, it was the first time she had ever ridden a horse for so long, except for when her brother or Issel occasionally gave her rides.


    However, even if she whined that she was in pain, the expected reaction was obvious, so instead of sitting down during a short break, Rosetta wandered around and swallowed the pain in herself.


    She didn¡¯t want to appear weak in front of these people anyway.


    Meanwhile, Rosetta watched them carefully. First of all, there are ten people in all, and although they are of various ages and appearances, they all have bodies trained through hard training.


    In other words, it means that it is difficult to evade them by force and escape from this place.


    Moreover, even though they didn¡¯t seem to care about Rosetta, if Rosetta moved away even a little, a persistent gaze quickly followed. In particular, the red-haired man would glance at Rosetta with an extremely unpleasant look.


    Rosetta decided that she had better not do anything conspicuous so as not to arouse suspicion.


    ¡°We¡¯re off again.¡±


    It seems it hasn¡¯t been long since they got off and rested, but the order to depart came again.


    Rosetta let out a deep sigh. It¡¯s time to torture her butt again.


    The moment she approached the horse, holding back her desire to cry, she saw something she hadn¡¯t seen before on the horse¡¯s back.


    There¡¯s a soft blanket on the saddle that wasn¡¯t there before. Obviously, it is for Rosetta who isn¡¯t used to riding a horse


    ¡°What are you doing not riding?¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes, yes!¡±


    At the man¡¯s urging, Rosetta hurriedly held out her hand. The man lightly picked Rosetta up and put her on the horse. Now, riding a horse with the man has become natural.


    As she rode on the horse, Rosetta glanced at the man behind her. She wanted to apologize for what happened this morning, but it was difficult to find the right time.


    ¡°Excuse me¡­¡±


    At her sudden call, the man lowered his gaze and looked at her. The moment her eyes met his, Rosetta made up her mind and took a deep breath.


    Yes, let¡¯s apologize quickly. If you have regrets and self-reproach for putting it off any longer, it will be even heavier.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about earlier. I wouldn¡¯t have said that if I knew it was your mother¡¯s.¡±


    The man stared at Rosetta with his clear blue eyes. When Rosetta was about to get her word out once more, he said, ¡°I said that because I was afraid that you might throw it away or lose it, so don¡¯t worry about it. What¡¯s more, it¡¯s not like the thing I cherish¡­¡±


    The man didn¡¯t finish his words and closed his mouth in the middle.


    Rosetta was a little puzzled when he said that it was his mother¡¯s keepsake but not something he cherished. Nevertheless, she breathed a sigh of relief thinking that it was fortunate anyway.


    Then, suddenly, she became curious about the man¡¯s parents.


    He said it was a keepsake, so it seemed that his mother had already passed away. So, is his father still alive? However, seeing that he became a chieftain at a young age, it seemed that his father was no longer in this world.


    A man named Krell had mentioned it. Did the Basque chief do something? What happened in the past?


    As the long shadows fell over the fields, the camp began again.


    Something similar to yesterday was repeated. While some went hunting in the woods to find meat to eat, those who remained quickly built tents and started a fire.


    Rosetta sat on the tree trunk and looked at the scene rather curiously.


    How could they get everything done in such an instant?


    Occasionally, Rosetta¡¯s brother would boast after returning from knights training. At the time, she thought it was all nonsense, but looking at it now, it doesn¡¯t seem like it was all a lie.


    If the knights were made up of such efficient people, wouldn¡¯t it be possible to really build a bridge and fill up the entire lake in one day?


    Then, Rosetta suddenly recalled the taste of the meat she had tasted this morning and swallowed her saliva. It was really soft, tender, and delicious.


    What kind of meat was it? I wonder if I can eat it for dinner too.


    ¡°Riga, won¡¯t you bring Rigaina a rabbit this time?¡±


    At the sudden words, Rosetta turned her head away. At first glance, a young-looking boy was smiling beside her.


    The boy¡¯s appearance was a little different from the other men¡¯s. He has pale gray eyes and hair, suggesting that he is of mixed blood. He appears to be about the same age or younger than her.


    But that¡¯s not what matters now.


    ¡°Ra- rabbit?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s what you ate this morning.¡±


    Rosetta, who had finally learned the identity of the meat she ate this morning, was already stunned. Not knowing that, the boy was smiling broadly.


    ¡°Originally, you were going to have a rough breakfast with beef jerky and dry bread, but Riga caught a rabbit for Rigaina.¡±


    For a moment, Rosetta was seized by the urge to vomit everything she ate for breakfast. To her, a rabbit is a lovable and cute creature, and it is not the kind of animal to be eaten by humans. In her garden, some rabbits lived in harmony with cats.


    ¡°Ugh¡­¡±


    Rosetta covered her mouth with her hand, barely holding back her nausea.


    The ignorant boy tilted his head. ¡°Rigaina, what¡¯s wrong with you? Are you feeling unwell all of a sudden?¡±


    ¡°Hey, why are you calling me that name from before?¡±


    ¡°Name? Oh, you mean Rigaina? Rigaina is the title of the chieftain¡¯s wife. It¡¯s like calling a chieftain a Riga.¡±


    ¡°So Riga isn¡¯t his name? Then what else is Nazar Quat?¡±


    ¡°Nazar Quat is just a nickname that outsiders call Riga. You don¡¯t even know Riga¡¯s real name until now, do you?¡±


    Rosetta nodded at the boy¡¯s cautious question. That¡¯s only natural since he and she aren¡¯t in a relationship where they can¡¯t leisurely share each other¡¯s names.


    More than that, how many alternate titles does that man have? Nazar Quat and Riga¡­ you mean he still has another name?


    Suddenly the boy glared at the man with reproachful eyes.


    ¡°Riga, please don¡¯t do that. No matter what, you should be more considerate of her and treat her better as your wife. Even today¡¯s schedule is the same. Rigaina must be very uncomfortable with her body, isn¡¯t it too harsh to have her ride a horse all day without resting properly?¡±


    Are you saying I¡¯m not feeling well? Why?


    Rosetta tilted her head. That¡¯s right, her butt was numb and tingling.


    But it felt like that wasn¡¯t what the boy was saying. The boy¡¯s face turned bright red in an instant.


    ¡°Well, so, last night¡­¡±


    ¡°What happened last night?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve lost a lot of blood!¡±


    ¡°Blood?¡±


    Rosetta finally realized the reason and breathed in. So, this boy thinks she¡¯s sick because of the first night ritual.


    ¡°No, I¡ª¡±


    Rosetta tried to make excuses with a red-hot face, but the man who was listening to the story opened his mouth first with a low sigh.

 Chapter 11

    Answer Me, Please ¨C Chapter 11


    ¡°Shika, looks like you are very free now, seeing you meddling even in trivial matters.¡±


    ¡°Riga, don¡¯t you know that women have a hard time at first, unlike men?¡±


    The boy named Shika did not give in at all and shouted with more fire.


    ¡°Please treat her well. We all know that you don¡¯t like this marriage. But shouldn¡¯t you at least show that you care for your wife so that others will see and learn?¡±


    ¡°Rather than that, what happened to the firewood I asked you to get?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not the point now!¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s very important. If you don¡¯t get up and get the firewood right away, I¡¯m going to set your ass on fire.¡±


    When he lifted his knees, the boy jumped up in fright.


    ¡°A-alright. I¡¯m on my way!¡±


    The boy quickly disappeared into the forest, leaving only the two of them there. An awkward silence followed immediately. Rosetta unreasonably grabbed the grass from the ground and tossed it into the bonfire.


    ¡°Rashid.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    He looked at Rosetta and said, ¡°My name is Rashid. I think you should know that.¡±


    Rashid?


    Rosetta stared blankly at him. Surprisingly, she had heard the name before.


    A few years ago, a bard from the Ardenn had visited the palace. It was a small banquet attended by only the immediate royal family and close royal family members.


    The royals were excited about their long-awaited entertainment and were very interested in whom the bard would write poems and sing songs about.


    Everyone expected the bard to praise the wisdom of the first princess or sing of the bravery of the second prince. It was because they were the two that were widely known in the world, while the youngest princess had little presence.


    But unexpectedly, the one he chose was neither the first nor the second, but the youngest princess, Rosetta.


    ¡°Today I will sing for Princess Rosetta.¡±


    The moment his fingers caressed the harp, the small drawing room was filled with clear tones. Soon after, a voice more beautiful than the melody of the harp rang out.


    As rumored, he was a man with a heavenly voice. The elegant poetry became a song and sprinkled a brilliant light on Rosetta¡¯s soul. The moment that seemed like a dream continued and everyone was soaked in ecstasy, then the song that seemed to last forever finally came to an end.


    The bard named the song ¡®The Light of Rashid¡¯ and ended the day¡¯s performance by saying that it was dedicated to the Princess of the Kingdom Lisa, Rosetta.


    ¡°Why is the title ¡®The Light of Rashid¡¯?¡±


    The bard answered the king¡¯s question that followed.


    ¡°If you read the name of the princess in the Ardennian way, it becomes Rashid[1]. If, by any chance, you were angry at me for changing the princess¡¯ name at will, please forgive me.¡±


    At that, the king laughed out loud.


    ¡°I can¡¯t be angry. I am glad to know another name for my daughter.¡±


    ¡°Rashid¡­.¡±


    Rosetta put the name in her mouth.


    What does it mean that the name of the man I met by chance in this strange land is Rashid?


    Rosetta decided to put complicated thoughts aside for now. Now that she had heard the name, it was her turn to say her name.


    ¡°I see. Thank you for telling me. My name is Ro¡ª¡±


    ¡°Rosie.¡±


    She almost spat out her real name, but thanks to him saying it first, she avoided that mistake.


    Rosetta nodded quickly, feeling fortunate that Rosie¡¯s name has the same prefix as hers.


    ¡°T-that¡¯s right. Rosie. That¡¯s my name.¡±


    ¡°My subordinates will never treat you like they did yesterday. Whoever you are, since you are my wife, they have no choice but to acknowledge you.¡±


    ¡°Well, those are very reassuring words.¡±


    Rosetta snorted. None of this would have happened had he not kidnapped her in the first place. However, when she heard the words that seemed to be giving her great consideration, deep down she was really uncomfortable.


    ¡°Should I say thank you or something?¡±


    He didn¡¯t show any different reaction to her sarcastic question. Instead, he warned of one thing.


    ¡°Make sure you know this one thing. The Quat tribe is different from yours. Whoever you are will be safe as long as you¡¯re my wife, but the moment you break it yourself, they¡¯ll start biting you right away. So be quiet until you go back to your family.¡±


    ¡°Are you saying that after going back to my family, I can just live like before?¡±


    ¡°It will be like that.¡±


    ¡°So you think my life can go back to how it was before?¡±


    Rosie accepted this marriage for the safety of her tribe. However, on the day of the wedding, she was kidnapped by another man, so the marriage was already broken.


    If Rosie¡¯s husband-to-be is a good man, he may be able to handle everything and accept Rosie, but for now, that seems unlikely.


    Rosie¡¯s father, as seen by Rosetta, was also never a person who could take care of her injured daughter. He must have done a slap on the cheek blaming Rosie again this time.


    So if Rosie were here instead of her, what would Rosie¡¯s life be like now?


    Before she could rejoice at not marrying an old man, her life would probably take a turn for the worse. Because she had lost all her value as a bride for a political marriage.


    ¡°Rather, wouldn¡¯t it be better to just leave me as a hostage? This marriage will be broken anyway.¡±


    What I still don¡¯t understand is why he chose to make me his wife instead of just keeping me hostage. If he did, he wouldn¡¯t even have to do this kind of acting.


    ¡°Riga!¡±


    Then Shika, who had gone to the forest to get firewood, came running with a loud cry. Unlike a moment ago, the expression on his face was unusual. Rashid, too, sensed something different and hardened his face.


    ¡°Shika, what¡¯s going on?¡±


    Shika pointed at the forest and shouted, ¡°Monsters! Monsters have appeared!¡±


    He continued, ¡°People who went hunting were attacked and are now fighting the monsters. Riga, you must hurry up and help them!¡±


    Rashid immediately grabbed his sword and spoke quickly to Rosetta. ¡°Stay here and don¡¯t go anywhere else. Monsters can¡¯t get near fire.¡±


    After that, everyone ran to the forest. In an instant, Rosetta was left alone.


    And only after a bit of time had passed, Rosetta realized, that the moment of escape she had been longing for had come much sooner than expected.


    ***


    ¡°How many monsters are there?¡±


    ¡°There are five left!¡±


    In a quick exchange of words, Rashid swung his sword, cutting off the monster¡¯s arm at once. Monsters have the characteristic of continuing to live and move unless they are decapitated; therefore, he immediately cut its throat cleanly.


    ¡°Put them to one side. Nell, Fahd, and Mui to the right. The others stop them from escaping.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    The men moved in perfect order at his command. As they narrowed the distance and pressed on, the monsters screamed in strange voices.


    In the West Continent, these ferocious monsters always appeared. It wasn¡¯t a big problem for warriors trained in swords and martial arts, but whenever these monsters attacked the village, great damage followed. In particular, weak women and children often became the first victims and were eaten.


    On the other hand, the Kingdom of Lisa, located in the East, was the only country that was not invaded by monsters. People in the world say that it is because the Kingdom of Lisa is blessed because it is a country ruled by the royal family, the descendants of God.


    No one knows the exact story behind it. Is it really because they are descended from God that monsters can¡¯t touch them? Or is there some unknown reason?


    The mysterious power of the Kingdom of Lisa has always been shrouded in veils, and the royal family has never leaked it out. No one will ever know the secret until the kingdom is conquered and brought to its knees.


    ¡°Shoot arrows!¡±


    Numerous arrows flew toward the monsters gathered in one place. As the monsters struggled with arrows stuck all over their bodies, the men rushed in and cut off their necks with swords.


    Meanwhile, Rashid found a monster hiding in the grass. The monster was aiming for Nell, who was defenseless while shooting an arrow.


    ¡°Nell!¡±


    Rashid warned of the danger, but Nell noticed the monster behind him only belatedly. When the monster rushed in and tried to bite him, Rashid threw the sword he was holding. As soon as the sword penetrated the monster¡¯s neck, another nearby monster swung its arm at Rashid.


    ¡°Riga!¡±


    This time, Shika¡¯s cry of shock rang out.


    Rashid narrowly escaped the attack, dodging sideways. However, it was impossible to stop the sharp monster¡¯s fingernails from scratching his shoulders.


    ¡°Riga, take it!¡±


    Shika picked up his sword that had fallen to the ground and threw it. As soon as Rashid grabbed it in the air, he slashed the monster¡¯s head clean.


    Soon after, all the monsters became dismembered corpses and rolled around the place.


    -thud.


    Rashid wiped the blood off his sword. Looking at the black blood soaking the ground, he frowned slightly. He hurriedly came to the first thought that he must return to the camp.


    These days, there were times when monsters also acted unexpectedly like before, probably because their intelligence has increased. There have even been cases where some attacked from the front, while others went back and secretly attacked the defenseless humans.


    Perhaps by now, monsters might have appeared in the campsite. It would be safe to stay near the fire, but that woman might get scared and run away if she encountered a monster.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go back to camp.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    At his command, all the men moved in unison. Shika came straight up to him and stuck close.


    He grinned and asked, ¡°Are you going back quickly because you¡¯re worried about Rigaina?¡±


    He added, ¡°Still, I am relieved that you seem to take care of your wife in your own way. I knew you would.¡±


    Rashid ruffled Shika¡¯s hair with his big hand. ¡°You couldn¡¯t scold me before, so you got impatient and are doing it now?¡±


    ¡°That was something I deliberately told Rigaina to listen to. Don¡¯t you think Rigaina will be relieved to know that she has at least one person by her side? When strangers come to a foreign land, the first time is the hardest.¡±


    Rashid turned his head to look at Shika.


    Shika shrugged and continued, ¡°You know how it was when I first came to the Quat tribe. If it weren¡¯t for you, I wouldn¡¯t be able to live here.¡±


    [1] In Korean, Rosetta is written as ??? (rojeta), and Rashid is written as ??? (raside). Apart from that, the pronunciation of J&S and T&D is almost the same. Both names have the same three consonants, so you could say they have almost the same name.

 Chapter 12

    Answer Me, Please ¨C Chapter 12


    Shika is from the northern Katan tribe. Five years ago, when there was a great battle between the Katans and the Quats, he was the only blood of the chieftain who survived in a ruined village.


    Everyone said that Shika, who might be the spawn of revenge, should be killed, but Rashid liked the child¡¯s extraordinary fighting spirit and talent. So he was kept alive.


    It was in the last battle against the Katans that Shika¡¯s abilities really shined. Shika, who has the appearance of the Katans and is fluent in their language, easily managed to hide behind enemy lines and play the role of a spy.


    Now, no one can ignore Shika and treat him as a stranger. However, it was clear that Shika had struggled to adapt over the previous years.


    ¡°You know, Rigaina is like a doll made of sugar and gold thread. I have never seen a woman as beautiful as her in my life. I understand that Krell has his eyes on her.¡±


    At Shika¡¯s words, Rashid recalled the woman¡¯s appearance. The expression ¡®made of sugar and gold threat¡¯ is not an exaggeration. She certainly has a striking appearance.


    Her wavy hair shines like pure gold, and her white skin is clear, almost transparent. On top of that, her large green eyes have an exceptionally innocent light, which made him feel strange.


    Since she is the daughter of the Basque chieftain, he thought she would be like a fierce female fox, but it turned out that he had caught a baby roe deer.


    ¡°¡­she definitely doesn¡¯t look like a doll.¡±


    She looked like someone born and raised in a greenhouse. She didn¡¯t know how to ride a horse alone, and it was clear that she had never eaten rabbit meat before.


    Originally, it is natural for the Ardennes to learn how to hunt on horseback from an early age, regardless of gender, but the woman did not even know the basics even though she is an adult.


    He knew the Basques had long since embraced the Kingdom¡¯s culture and abandoned their traditions and customs. At least, the formality of marriage is all of the old customs they still have.


    Maybe she became like that because she grew up in such an environment. I guess that¡¯s why. But how could she not know anything? She didn¡¯t even seem to know what her father had done in the past.


    ¡°Aha, I see. Riga fell in love at first sight, right?¡±


    Suddenly, Shika from the side was excited and started babbling.


    ¡°I knew that. I knew something was up when you said you¡¯d make her your wife. When you brought her, you wanted to have her, right? Right?¡±


    Rashid sighed lightly. ¡°Shika, why are you curious about that?¡±


    ¡°Of course I have to. Because my life belongs to Riga.¡±


    Shika gazed at Rashid with his eyes shining fervently.


    ¡°I told you. Since you saved my life, I will give mine to you, Riga. So I have a right to be involved in your life.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a strange logic I¡¯ve never heard of before.¡±


    ¡°Ah, don¡¯t keep changing the subject and answer first. You fell in love at first sight, right? When exactly did you fall in love? Huh?¡±


    Rashid recalled the first time he met the woman last night. The first thing that made him know where she was was a shining lantern.


    Following the bright light that illuminates the darkness, he saw two women there.


    Among them, the one holding the lantern was a small, slender woman. Her veil hid her face from view, but the bridal dress she was wearing convinced him that she was the woman he would take.


    Originally, he had intended to search every inch of the tent if the bride was not found, but there was no need to. The woman was standing there as if she wanted to be taken.


    While she openly revealed her presence as a bride, her words claiming that she was not one were so preposterous they made people laugh.


    At first, he was confused as to whether she was naive enough to think others would believe such a lie, or whether she was cunning and used to lying, but it soon became clear.


    Her clumsy lie was quickly exposed, and the woman was pitifully depressed. She then curled up in a corner of the tent and sniffled incessantly, but soon became quiet.


    Hearing the sound of her regular breathing, Rashid got up from his seat. It was less than half an hour after their conversation. Under these circumstances, it was hard to believe that she had fallen asleep so quickly.


    He drew closer to see if she was acting ¨C trying to run away, but she was really defenseless and deeply asleep.


    ¡°It¡¯s ridiculous.¡±


    Muttering to himself, he stretched out his hand toward the woman. She might catch a cold if she was left here, he thought. This may hinder his movement. Because taking a healthy woman and a sick one are two different things.


    The moment Rashid lifted her up, she gave a soft ¡®ugh¡¯ groan. He stiffened up as he thought she was about to wake up.


    Before she went to sleep, she had shown strong distrust, saying she didn¡¯t know what he would do to her. This was a situation worth misunderstanding if she woke up now.


    But instead of opening her eyes, the woman stretched out her arms and wrapped them around his neck. She then buried her face deep in his chest.


    ¡°¡­ha!¡±


    Rashid laughed bitterly. He had no idea whether the woman had any sense of wary or not. Even after the woman lay down on the blanket, she hardly tried to separate from him. Rashid was able to relax his stiff body only when he managed to separate himself from the woman, trying hard not to wake her up.


    Surprisingly, the woman slept soundly until morning. She has very good adaptability. Is this really a woman who was kidnapped by an unknown man last night?


    And the woman woke up late in the morning and made a fuss about whether they slept in the same place.


    Recalling last night¡¯s event, Rashid sighed quietly. Perhaps it is fortunate that she is a woman who can¡¯t do anything. Such a timid woman at least won¡¯t cause trouble.


    ¡°Love at first sight is something that happens at your age,¡± he said.


    ¡°Wow, you sound like an old man. Anyone who hears it will know that Riga is a grandfather.¡±


    ¡°By the way, where did Krell go? I haven¡¯t seen him since before.¡±


    Everyone is here, but only Krell isn¡¯t. At Rashid¡¯s question, Shika looked around.


    He replied bluntly, ¡°He must be playing around somewhere, complaining that Riga didn¡¯t give him Rigaina.¡±


    ¡°Shika.¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay. I¡¯ll stop. But Riga, I really don¡¯t like him. He always complains about you as if his place had been taken over by you.¡±


    Rashid murmured quietly, ¡°If I hadn¡¯t been born, Krell would have been the chieftain.¡±


    Krell is his uncle¡¯s son and a cousin to him. Had it not been for Rashid¡¯s presence, the position of the next chieftain would have most likely passed to him.


    No, in fact, he almost could have been.


    ¡°By the way, there didn¡¯t seem to be many monsters around here, but the number suddenly increased.¡±


    At Shika¡¯s words, Rashid suddenly realized one thing. Come to think of it, this area was a place where monsters did not usually appear. In areas close to the borders of the Kingdom of Lisa, the frequency of appearances of monsters is low. It is rare for so many of them to appear together.


    ¡°Riga!¡±


    Then an urgent voice rang out. Those who had left first, as the vanguard, were running back to him. The look of bewilderment was clear on their faces.


    ¡°Oh no! We couldn¡¯t find Rigaina!¡±


    And when he arrived at the camp, as they said, she was nowhere to be found.


    ***


    The forest at night is dark. The sound of her light breathing dissipated into the cold air. Only the dim moonlight shining through the clouds illuminated Rosetta¡¯s path ahead.


    Rosetta ran and ran through the bushes, ignoring the scratches on her limbs. Every time a monster¡¯s cry resonated loudly in the distance, Rosetta startled and shuddered.


    What if that monster comes this way? Wouldn¡¯t it have been better to just stay there? If I¡¯ve done something too reckless, I better go back now¡­


    It wasn¡¯t just the monsters. The cries of what seemed to be a large beast also echoed throughout the darkness.


    How many chances to escape safely from this forest?


    Rosetta was constantly conflicted in her mind while running. In fact, she was not at all sure about her decision. Come to think of it, she never had the experience of making a decision like this on her own. She always followed someone else¡¯s opinion.


    ¡°Please, please, help me, God Elheim.¡±


    She prayed to God. They say that the hand of salvation comes to those who call God¡¯s name in a desperate moment. But now, no matter how much she invoked God¡¯s name, nothing changed.


    Rosetta closed her eyes tightly. Maybe this is God¡¯s punishment for me for being unfaithful.


    In a kingdom where belief in the heavenly god Elheim is absolute, Rosetta is free from the strict temple discipline. The King and Queen, who were by nature merciful to their youngest daughter, were lenient to Rosetta in that matter as well. They said there was no need to study difficult and boring theology, so they removed it from the class list, and even if she skipped worship services, she never got scolded.


    Except for one time, when she recklessly entered a place she should never be in and got a huge scolding.


    She had once sneaked into the basement of a shrine inside the palace while playing hide-and-seek with her ladies-in-waiting. It is a place only allowed to the King and the heir to the throne among the royal family and is always tightly guarded. However, the guards¡¯ vigilance loosened for a moment for the young princess, who monopolized the love of the royal family.


    Rosetta avoided the eyes of the guards and secretly opened the door and descended the stairs leading to the basement. Inwardly she was very happy because her maids would never find her hiding here.


    And what Rosetta saw there was¡ª


    -rustling.


    At that moment, an unfamiliar sound interrupted her thoughts.

 Chapter 13

    Answer Me, Please ¨C Chapter 13


    Rosetta stopped immediately on the spot. It was the result of the body reacting before the head.


    Something moved slowly in the dark behind the bushes.


    Rosetta clenched her teeth tightly. Still, her chin trembled on its own. It was an obvious thing to encounter in a place like this. It must be a monster or a ferocious beast.


    Was it a foolish decision to leave the camp? Should I have just kept quiet and looked for another opportunity?


    -rustling.


    Even as it got closer and closer, Rosetta just stared at the bushes, unable to even think of running away. She was already completely frozen from head to toe.


    And the moment something black suddenly jumped out from among the bushes, Rosetta sat down screaming.


    ¡°Ahh¡­¡±


    Rosetta thought her whole body would be chewed up and swallowed right away, just like what happened to the horse in the lake. But even after a while, that didn¡¯t happen. Instead, an unexpected voice rang out.


    ¡°Who is this?¡±


    She had heard that slow tone before. Rosetta finally opened her eyes and raised her head. In front of her is neither a monster nor a beast, it¡¯s Krell.


    ¡°Why is Rigaina alone in a place like this? Could it be that you are running away?¡±


    Seeing the man frowning, Rosetta jumped up and stepped back. It was fortunate that it wasn¡¯t a monster or beast, but that didn¡¯t mean she was happy to meet him.


    ¡°You, why are you here instead of going to fight monsters like everyone else?¡±


    ¡°Me? Even if it¡¯s not me, there are other people who do it. In the meantime, I¡¯ll just do something fun.¡±


    Rosetta felt chills run down her spine at the word ¡®fun¡¯. She just didn¡¯t feel good.


    ¡°By the way, I asked you. Are you running away?¡±


    The man¡¯s voice lowered momentarily, filled with threats. Rosetta grabbed the hem of her skirt. She didn¡¯t know anything else, but it was clear that she shouldn¡¯t be caught trying to run away by the tribesmen.


    The attitude of the tribesmen changed completely after she spent the night with that man. It was unknown how they would change again when they found out that she was trying to run away.


    ¡°No way.¡±


    Rosetta forced her lips up. She smiled at him, but her heart raced and her hands trembled. Rosetta prayed that the expression she was making now would not look awkward.


    ¡°I was at the camp and a monster suddenly appeared. I got scared, ran away, and got lost.¡±


    At that, the man¡¯s expression softened.


    Does he believe it? I hope so.


    ¡°I¡¯m really glad I met you like this. Now tell me the way back. Everyone must be very surprised that I am gone by now.¡±


    Rosetta hoped that he would at least pretend to be duped, even if he did not believe all of her poor lies. However, the man brutally broke Rosetta¡¯s wishes.


    ¡°Is that the only thing you¡¯ve come up with? You got lost you say? Then why are you running in the opposite direction to the camp?¡±


    Krell came towards her and smirked. He moved slowly as if he were going to pick up an animal caught in a snare. Rosetta, on the other hand, backed away, her perplexed look evident on her face. However, the distance from him gradually narrowed.


    ¡°I-I must have forgotten, I am your chieftain¡¯s wife. You better remember that.¡±


    ¡°You just threw it away yourself, didn¡¯t you? Do you think no one knows you ran away while the others were out fighting monsters?¡±


    The man seemed convinced that she was trying to run away. Seeing no way to escape the crisis, Rosetta looked like she was about to cry at any second.


    ¡°You¡¯d better take me to Rashid.¡±


    Oddly enough, she felt much safer with him than with the man in front of her. It¡¯s funny how she feels about her captor, but at least he didn¡¯t threaten to harm her in this way.


    ¡°Even if what you say is true, you have no right to decide my disposition. It¡¯s up to Riga to decide about me, so¡ª¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never once recognized him as Riga!¡±


    But he suddenly showed his teeth and growled.


    ¡°He didn¡¯t deserve to be Riga in the first place. He has the fox daughter of the old Basque chieftain to be his wife? In what part could this be called revenge? I can¡¯t get rid of my anger even if I tear you apart for four years!¡±


    His grudge against the Basques seems to be filled with a much deeper hatred than she thought. Rosetta bit her trembling lips.


    ¡°What the hell happened in the past to do this to me?¡±


    Rosetta tried to keep talking to him. First of all, I have to take his time. That way, I¡¯ll find an opening and run away.


    ¡°Tell me. What happened?¡±


    ¡°Did you just say Rashid? Did he tell you his name?¡±


    But instead of answering, he asked another question. Rosetta¡¯s eyebrows furrowed at the sudden question. Why did he ask that all of sudden?


    ¡°Do you know how that name came about?¡±


    ¡°Is there a story behind it?¡±


    ¡°Yes. A very deep story.¡±


    His lips twisted. ¡°Because that proves that he doesn¡¯t deserve to be Riga.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°You saw the color of his eyes, too, right? Do you really not know what that means?¡±


    Rosetta recalled his blue eyes, which stood out among the people here. In the Kingdom of Lisa and some tribes living in the cold north, blue eyes are not a special color. Most of them have light pigmentation, so they have pale skin and mostly blonde or silver hair.


    However, the Ardennes here have a slightly different appearance. They have bright, healthy-looking skin, and their hair and eyes are generally dark. As for the Quats she was with, most of them have brown or black hair and eye colors.


    In particular, shining blue eyes like Rashid¡¯s were not a color that could be commonly seen in the Kingdom of Lisa.


    ¡°That means he¡¯s a dirty bastard of Basque.¡±


    At that moment, a stone beak caught on her back leg, and Rosetta¡¯s body staggered. Without missing the opportunity, he rushed at Rosetta.


    ¡°Go away!¡±


    Rosetta pushed him madly on top and resisted, but the man was not pushed at all. Rosetta raised her hands and scratched his face, as she had done to Rashid before.


    ¡°You!¡±


    Instead of being gentle like Rashid did, the man slapped Rosetta on the cheek. Her slapped cheek stung. She could taste blood in her mouth.


    However, Rosetta couldn¡¯t say anything. Because it was more of a shock that she was hit by someone than the pain she felt.


    ¡°Listen carefully if you don¡¯t know anything.¡±


    Rosetta blankly looked up at the man.


    The man grabbed Rosetta and said quickly, ¡°A long time ago, your father kidnapped and took Rigaina from the previous generation. After that, that woman who came back alive after getting her husband killed, gave birth to a blue-eyed beast, shamelessly.¡±


    He smiled mockingly as he looked at Rosetta¡¯s face filled with shock.


    ¡°Do you have any clue now? What happened in the past?¡±


    ¡°No way, Rashid¡¯s father¡­¡±


    He burst into laughter. ¡°Are you asking if his father is a Basque chieftain? If that was the case, he wouldn¡¯t have taken you as his wife. No matter how crazy he is, he wouldn¡¯t do that with his little sister.¡±


    ¡°Then¡­¡±


    ¡°The Basque chieftain, humiliated by being stabbed in the face while trying to hug that woman, threw her in a rage where the slaves were. His father must be one of the slaves there.¡±


    The man continued talking while looking into her trembling green eyes.


    ¡°Long ago when Rigaina was kidnapped, everyone stopped Riga. Since she had already been plundered, she had become someone else¡¯s woman, so he had to forget about his stolen bride. We just had to win the war and get revenge. But he didn¡¯t. He went there alone, abandoning all his duties as chieftain to save just one woman. Do you know what the result was? Rigaina was rescued, but he was killed there. And our tribe, which lost its chieftain overnight, was brutally trampled by the Basque tribe. We were almost extinct.¡±


    His eyes burned with fierce anger. ¡°But the guy who shouldn¡¯t have been born eventually became a Riga. That shameless bitch gave her son the name Rashid to make him Riga before she died.¡±


    Rosetta doesn¡¯t know what the name Rashid means. But from his words, she realized that the name has a certain meaning.


    ¡°How dare she give the name of the only son and only heir of Ark, the god of light, to an illegitimate child. She deceived us all and insisted on the fake being recognized as the real one!¡±


    Unlike the Kingdom of Lisa, which only believes in one god, Elheim, many gods have existed here since ancient times. Their longstanding beliefs didn¡¯t change much even during the reign of the Kingdom of Lisa.


    Instead of abandoning their gods or rejecting the god of the Kingdom of Lisa, the Ardennes chose to accept another new god. While acknowledging Elheim¡¯s position as the supreme god, they still believe in the existing gods.


    Ark, the god of light, is a god who occupied an important position among the gods of Ardennes. In the world, light is absolute and contrasts sharply with the darkness on its opposite side. That is why, in numerous myths, the god of light always possesses extraordinary divinity. The god of light is the noblest, the best, and the one who sacrifices himself through an endless struggle with his adversary, darkness.


    ¡°It¡¯s obvious that he¡¯s trying to protect you rather than seek revenge. He¡¯s no different from his father. He¡¯s so weak. Such a man is incapable of taking revenge on the Basque tribe!¡±


    A mischievous smile crept across the man¡¯s lips. ¡°So if you hate this state of affairs, blame your father. All you are going through now is paying back all the sins your father committed in the past.¡±

 Chapter 14

    Answer Me, Please Chapter 14


    He stretched out his hand toward Rosetta. Knowing what was about to happen, Rosetta froze and couldnt do anything about it.


    Anyway, from the beginning, your position was that of a slave. Thats only natural since you are none other than the daughter of the Basque chieftain. Things got messed up because Rashid suddenly took you as his wife.


    Only then did Rosetta understand why Rashid had pretended to spend the first night by making fake bloodstains. Because if you dont have the status of a chiefs wife, you will be in this situation, facing those who are full of revenge.


    You are stupid too. If you had just stayed calm, Riga would have protected you to the end.


    His hand stroked Rosettas slender neck and gradually moved down. And he started groping her body. Rosetta learned that Rashid tried to keep his hands off her body even under similar circumstances. He forced himself on it too, but he didnt intentionally touch her like this man is doing right now.


    Stay put. Then Ill make you feel better.


    The moment the mans face drew closer, Rosetta turned her head away and closed her eyes tightly.


    Is it going to end like this? So in vain.


    When the mans unpleasant breath touched her


    Ugh!


    With a painful groan, the heavy weight that had been weighing down Rosetta suddenly disappeared. When she opened her eyes, the man was already away from her and was rolling on the ground. And Rashid stood before her eyes.


    What are you doing?


    Rashids voice was surprisingly calm. To the point where it sounds like hes asking whats for dinner right now. But deep within, there was a deep hatred.


    Rigaina, are you okay?


    And the urgent voice that followed was Shikas. Shika came over and helped Rosetta get up. Soon, in an instant, the Quat tribesmen surrounded them.


    Dont worry, Im fine now


    Shika found Rosettas cheek was swollen and there was blood around her mouth.


    My God, is this what that man did? How dare that crazy bastard!


    Shikas voice trembled with anger. But Rosetta couldnt understand why he was so angry right now. It hadnt been long since she met the boy, and even then they only exchanged light greetings.


    Moreover, to her, this boy is no different from the other tribesmen. Even though he is young, he ignored the kidnapping and just sat quietly on the sidelines.


    After cursing, Shika immediately hugged Rosettas shoulders.


    Were you very scared? Dont worry, you are safe now.


    Nevertheless, Rosetta couldnt help but feel her heart thump at the comfort and touch of the young boy. Rosetta bit her lip trying to hold back the tears that were about to burst out.


    Yeah, its all right now. Nothing happened. So this is nothing.


    Riga will take care of that guy.


    At those words, Rosetta looked over Shikas shoulder. Krell was still groaning with his hands wrapped around his side. The part where he was kicked by Rashid earlier seemed to still be in pain. Rashid looked at him with a cold gaze.


    What were you doing here, he asked.


    I-I just


    With his body curled up like a bug, Krell shouted, I found that woman running away. I just did what she deserved!


    Rashids gaze turned to Rosetta, who was with Shika. Seeing Rosettas face harden instantly, he slightly furrowed his eyebrows. He seemed to think about something for a moment, then quickly returned to his normal expression and stared at Krell.


    She was running away?


    Yes!


    Confidence started to appear on his face. Since she herself refused to become Rigas wife, that woman is no longer Rigaina. You accepted the enemys daughter as a wife, but seeing her run away like this, she is an ungrateful woman.


    Did she say that herself?


    Not really, but I clearly saw her running away from the encampment


    If its running away, Krell, the same goes for you. What are you doing here instead of fighting monsters?


    Only then did Krell notice that the conversation was taking a strange turn. Not only that, but all those who returned from fighting monsters were looking at him with negative looks.


    Krell laughed bitterly. His status as the chieftains cousin and the elders son made it possible for him to do something like this, so this wasnt the first time for him.


    But now youre going to take issue with that? If so, isnt the implication too obvious?


    What do you mean? Are you saying I was doing something else dubious?


    No, I dont recklessly doubt others until clear evidence is found.


    You mean we shouldnt suspect that woman because there is no clear evidence?


    It means that you shouldnt have been the first to do something dubious.


    If you intend to cover that woman now


    There is one fact that everyone here has seen with their own eyes. That is, you tried to do something disgraceful to my wife.


    Krell gritted his teeth. Just be honest. Whether that Basque slut ran away or not, you only intended to embrace her.


    Be careful with your words, Krell. She is already my wife and the woman I have recognized as Rigaina.


    No. Blood doesnt lie.


    The moment those words were spoken, a terrifying stillness came over the place.


    Theres no clear evidence you say? Well, if your blue eyes dont count as evidence, nothing in this world can be used as one.


    Shika suddenly slammed into the ground with his fist, as if to jump to attack at any moment. Are you crazy? What are you talking about now?


    Having already heard the story from Krell, Rosetta knew right away what he meant. Now he is saying that Rashid is defending the daughter of the Basque chieftain because he inherited Basque blood.


    Rashids face also grew cold rapidly. He stared at Krell with a cold gaze.


    For those words, you must be held accountable.


    Krell grinned. Of course.


    He got up from his seat and immediately drew his sword. Rosetta unwittingly grabbed Shikas shoulder and shook him.


    Why are they suddenly pulling out their swords?


    Krell just publicly insulted Riga, so Riga must immediately punish him with a duel. If Riga avoids this, he will be accused of being a coward. Then it will be difficult for him to maintain his position as Riga.


    Shika gritted his teeth. By the way, Riga suffered an injury to his shoulder from fighting the monsters earlier


    Only then did Rosetta discover that Rashids right shoulder was wet with blood. No way, is he trying to fight with his injured arm?


    Then shouldnt this duel be stopped? This is so unfair.


    That despicable bastard must have seen Rigas wound and deliberately threw insulting words at him. Because he knew that Riga would not avoid this duel. He used such a shallow trick because he had no confidence in fighting Riga in a normal state. Damn!


    In the meantime, a sharp sound was heard. The two swords cut through the air and began colliding with each other.


    Rashid is a man with great swordsmanship as much as his notoriety. The sound of tearing the air rang out every time he swung the heavy sword. He clearly injured his arm, but he showed no signs of the aftermath of the injury. Krell could barely dodge or counter his attacks.


    Normally, it is difficult to possess strength and flexibility at the same time, but Rashids sword was destructive yet fast. His body movements were also completely fast, as if he had measured everything with a ruler, his sword slashes and thrusts never missed.


    Krell, whose skills are above average, was easily pushed back by Rashid. But even as he was staggered by Rashid, he aimed precisely at Rashids neck and heart at every opportunity. Nevertheless, Rashid has not yet suffered any significant injuries.


    He never let his guard down when fighting against such a person. This is because he is the one who can stab his opponent at any time with just one chance.


    Rosetta had already seen this confrontation countless times. Tournaments of knights are held regularly in the huge Colosseum in Terra, the capital city. The knights of the kingdom are loyal subjects who obey only the king, but differ when it comes to tournaments. Because they duel for a woman of their choosing in a tournament.


    Rosetta. Who are you going to give the flowers to this time? Me? Or Issel?


    Before the tournament, Rosettas brother Arman always asked such a question even knowing how his little sister would react and what answer she would give. Issel then stood beside him, pretending to get Rosettas attention, as if he wanted to be chosen.


    I gave it to Issel last time, so now is Armans turn.


    Hearing those regretful words, Issel pretended to collapse while holding his heart. Then he buried his face in Armands shoulder and pretended to cry. On the other hand, Arman exhaled a victorious snort and shouted loudly.


    What should I do with this, Issel? In Rosettas eyes, I think you and I are still on the same level.

 Chapter 15

    Answer Me, Please Chapter 15


    No way. Rosetta likes me more.


    Then let Rosetta choose. Rosetta, is it me or Issel who you like more?


    By the time Rosetta was at a loss due to the twos mischief, her older sister Tanit would come to her rescue. Just as usual, at that moment Tanit appeared while Rosetta was in trouble between the two. Tanit hugged Rosetta and narrowed her eyes at the two of them.


    Here we go again. Are you guys having so much fun bullying my little sister?


    Bullying her? Were not like that


    Noisy. What time is it now and are you still doing this? Did you forget we have dinner tonight?


    U-uh, right!


    Arman was the first to run hurriedly. Tanit, who was following him, turned to Issel who was still standing beside Rosetta.


    Issel, you too, come quickly!


    Issel smiled softly at Tanit. Yes, I will follow soon. Go first, princess.


    Turning his head again, Issel lowered his body to Rosettas height. Rosetta, who was twelve at the time, was growing up healthy, but she was still very small compared to Issel, who was already entering his teens.


    Rosetta, when you grow up, will you give flowers only to me?


    Rosetta tilted her head. Is it that important?


    Its important to me.


    Why?


    Because I hate it when you cheer for other people.


    Even if its Brother Arman?


    I still hate it, let alone any other man. He lifted the corners of his lips and added, I want you to cheer only for me.


    Riga!


    Then, suddenly, an urgent voice rang out. Returning to reality, Rosetta jumped up from her seat when she saw the scene unfolding in front of her.


    Rashid, who was far superior just a moment ago, was now being pushed back by Krell. Not only that, but his light movements as if he were flying seemed strangely heavy. It seems like hes become a completely different person in a moment.


    Rosetta asked, Whats going on? His movement is strange.


    Shika bit his lip and growled softly. When you are attacked by a monster, the poison gradually paralyzes your body.


    Poison? Is he going to die then?


    Shika hurriedly shook his head. He wasnt poisoned that much. Hell be fine in time. However, Riga seems to have intended to end the duel before he becomes paralyzed, but Krell held up much better than I thought. I didnt know he would last this long.


    Krell doesnt have the same skills or strength as Rashid, but he does have the tenacity to endure until the right time. Thanks to that persistence, he finally got the upper hand now.


    As Rashids movements slowed, Krells confidence quickly rose. He, who had been busy blocking attacks just a moment ago, was now leading the way with his sword.


    Eventually, his sword grazed Rashids side stomach. Seeing the red blood splattered from his wound, Rosetta momentarily closed her eyes tightly. Fortunately, it wasnt a big wound, so Rashid blocked the attack and opened up the distance with Krell.


    Looking at him who was breathing heavily, Rosetta asked Shika, How is the end of the duel decided?


    Its up to the winner of the duel. The right to live and die rests entirely with the winner.


    You mean theyre going to keep doing this until one of them dies?


    Yes.


    Rosetta grabbed her skirt. As time went on, Rashid was at a disadvantage. His body was getting more and more paralyzed by the poison.


    Shika, who noticed Rosettas uneasiness, shrugged his shoulders slightly. Dont worry too much. Unlike Krell, Riga has a lot of practical experience.


    Worry?


    At that, Rosetta became a little dazed. Am I worried? To that man?


    I am not


    Rosetta tried to deny Shikas words, but soon realized he was right. Until just now, she was obviously worried about him and hoping he would win.


    Why? Hed rather die since hes the one who dragged me here.


    Then Rosetta quickly shook her head. No, no matter what happens to him, I myself would be in trouble if that man were to die like this. Wouldnt it be a big deal if a man named Krell were to become the next chieftain? So Rashid cannot die here. He has to survive somehow.


    -clang.


    Just when Rosetta finished rationalizing, an ominous sound rang out. It was the sound of Rashids dropped sword hitting the ground. Rashid was clutching his right wrist, missing his sword. His fingers didnt move, as if the numbness had already reached his fingertips. Shika, who had relaxed by saying not to worry just a moment ago, drew in a sharp breath.


    Are your hands paralyzed already? No way!


    The first person to notice Rashids condition was Krell. He saw that Rashid couldnt move his fingertips, and a smile bloomed across his face.


    Oh, my. I guess Odette, the goddess of fate, is not on Rigas side this time. Krell aimed his sword at Rashids heart and said, Dont resent me. It was meant to be like this from the beginning anyway.


    He ran towards Rashid at high speed. Even though the tip of the sword came right in front of him, Rashid didnt even seem to have time to dodge. The moment Rosetta was about to turn her head away without seeing the whole scene, Rashid leaned forward deeply. Krells body staggered as the target suddenly disappeared from his sight. Rashid grabbed the sword that had fallen to the ground with his hand, which hadnt even moved a moment before. Then he turned around and slashed Krells back ankle to the ligament in one strike.


    Aaaaaagh!


    A cry of pain broke out. Blood gushing from the back of his ankle quickly made the ground soggy.


    Aaaaaagh! My ankle!


    Krell rolled on the ground complaining of pain. His ankle, which was torn wide enough to fit the fingers, was appalling at first glance. Rashid pointed the tip of his sword at his neck as Krell squirmed on the ground.


    Krell raised his eyes and groaned. How dare you cowardly tricked me!


    I dont think this is something one who deliberately fights a duel against an injured opponent would say.


    His blood oozed out as a sharp blade poked his throat little by little. Krell couldnt even groan as he shuddered. The wound on his ankle was no longer a problem. He finally realized that his head was about to part ways with his body.


    S-save me.


    He, who had been elated until a moment ago, prostrated himself at Rashids feet and cried servilely. I was wrong, so just this once


    Rosetta smiled at the sight. The look of the man begging with tears and a runny nose was shabby and miserable. She even hated herself for being stuck with such a man.


    Please spare my life.


    Krell continued to humiliate himself. Rosetta looked pathetically at the man who looked as if he would lick Rashids toes to live, and suddenly became curious about how Rashid would deal with that man.


    In the Kingdom of Lisa, criminals are put on trial. Depending on the seriousness of the crime, systematic executions were carried out ranging from the death penalty to fines. However, unlike the kingdom, other neighboring countries do not implement this system.


    I think I heard that it is usually handled according to custom.


    Customs are scarier than institutions.


    She recalled something her teacher once said. Then Rosetta asked again, Why is that?


    A custom is an order that has been followed for a long time by the members of a society that they believe is right. Therefore, it is difficult for those who were born and raised in it to realize the reality of the custom. Even if the custom is a bad habit, you will consider it right. Princess, if you look at them personally, you cant call them bad people. Because they never think theyre doing anything wrong.


    Isnt that just because they dont have the shame they should have as human beings?


    No. Its another matter with shame. There is definitely a sense of shame in them too. Its just that the standard is different from ours.


    Anyway, since he challenged the chieftains authority and even tried to kill him, perhaps that man would be executed. While Rosetta was thinking of such thoughts, to her surprise, Rashid drew his sword away from Krell.


    I will give you a chance to save your life.


    Rashid continued coldly, Apologize for what you did. However, the only thing you gain from doing so is your life. When you return, you will be punished separately for the sins you have committed. Your wounds will be treated. But even if you get better, you wont be able to walk around unscathed.


    Krell immediately put his nose in the dirt and fell face down. I sincerely apologize. I will never again challenge Rigas authority.


    Krell waited with his head bowed, but no answer came from him. Puzzled, Krell carefully raised his head and looked at Rashid. Rashid pointed at Rosetta in the distance with his chin. Only then did Krell realize what he was asking him to apologize for. It wasnt about insulting Riga, but because he laid his hands on his woman.


    Krell bowed to Rashid again. I-I apologize


    Not to me.

 Chapter 16

    Answer Me, Please Chapter 16


    Krell could not understand the meaning of what he was saying. Since I touched his woman, shouldnt I apologize to him?


    However, it was only after a little more time had passed that he fully understood Rashids meaning. Now he is telling me to apologize to that woman.


    Krells fingernails scratched the ground. A heat rose in his head, and a deep sense of shame crept into him. Its not a problem to beg and crawl to Riga, the chieftain, for his life. However, doing it for a Basque woman is another matter entirely. Usually, if you are caught stealing someone elses livestock, you apologize to the owner, not to the livestock.


    Under these circumstances, anyone would think it would be less shameful to slit their throats and die. However, since he was determined to live somehow, there was only one path he could choose now.


    Krell began to crawl on the ground with his elbows. Because the ligament in his ankle was severed, there was no other way to reach Rosetta than this. As he touched the ground, a long stream of red blood ran behind his feet.


    When he finally reached Rosetta, he was bleeding not only from his ankle but also from his arms.


    Rigaina


    He struggled to open his mouth. It was clear that every last drop of energy in his body had been squeezed out. It wouldnt be strange even if he died right now.


    I-I made a big mistake. Please forgive me


    He barely managed to utter those words, and then dropped his head to the ground. And everything quieted down. Rosetta stared at the man as she stood still. Could it be that he died from too much blood loss?


    Rashid ordered, Take him and treat him.


    Another tribal man carried him on his back to the encampment. Shika ran straight to Rashid. And he chatted around Rashids side.


    Of course I was sure Riga would win easily! I didnt worry about anything! Theres no way Riga can lose to a guy like Krell, right?


    Rashid frowned slightly before dropping the sword from his hand. From the way his fingers trembled, he knew that the paralysis had spread to his fingertips. He let out a small sigh and picked up his sword with his left hand. Shika held back a groan as he leaned over and saw blood flowing from the wound on his side stomach.


    Riga, go back quickly and treat your wounds first.


    At Shikas words, Rashid nodded and put his sword into the scabbard. Then he turned his gaze straight to Rosetta.


    The moment she met his cold eyes, Rosetta felt her body freeze. She was more scared now than when she heard the strange noise in the grass. At least at the time, she had a glimmer of hope that she could escape, but now there is nowhere left to run.


    Lets go back for now.


    He gritted his teeth low and grabbed Rosettas arm. Rosetta sincerely wanted to disappear anywhere, whether in the sky or on the ground.


    ***


    Upon returning to the encampment, Rashid put Rosetta inside the tent. Rosetta wanted him to go somewhere instead of entering the tent more than anything, but her hopes were in vain.


    Rosetta hurriedly tried to run away from the entrance of the tent to the furthest place. But he immediately grabbed Rosetta by the shoulder.


    I told you not to leave the fire


    The moment she was forced to turn, Rosetta shuddered and reflexively closed her eyes tightly. She still hasnt forgotten how Krell hit her earlier.


    She ran away ignoring his warnings and this all happened. On top of that, he was injured because of it. This time, he definitely wouldnt leave her alone. Rosetta expected him to wield violence like that man earlier.


    If youre going to hit me, please finish it with just one punch.


    But time passed and nothing happened. After a long time, Rosetta carefully opened her eyes and saw Rashid with a puzzled expression.


    I


    Rashid let go of Rosettas shoulders. Then he rubbed his face and let out a deep sigh.


    I have no intention of hitting you. So dont make that face.


    What kind of face do I have right now?


    Rosetta, who was absent-mindedly thinking about it, soon felt like she would know without looking in the mirror. She knew that now she had the most servile and miserable expression in the world. Like Krell, who just crawled on the ground like a bug to save his life.


    Not anyone else but me, the princess of the Kingdom of Lisa.


    Hic


    Suddenly, Rosetta burst into tears. Rashid became more surprised to see Rosetta bursting into tears.


    Why are you crying


    This is all because of you! Rosetta started punching him in the chest. If only you hadnt brought me! It all happened because you kidnapped me!


    Her eyes filled with tears were sparkling with a darker green than usual. The sadness, anger, and injustice that had been suppressed so far were intertwined and burst out with tears.


    I wanted to go back to my family, so I ran away!


    I told you I will send you back when the time comes


    I dont know you. Do you want me to believe you unconditionally? Do you believe what others say so easily?


    Rashid, who had a very troubled expression because of Rosettas non-stop crying, wiped away her tears with his hands like comforting a child. He had never soothed a crying woman, let alone a crying child, so he had no idea what to do. But it didnt seem like a very good way to yell more here.


    All right, stop crying now.


    Rashid stopped Rosettas cotton candy-like fists that hadnt done any damage since before. Rosettas body leaned toward him as he grabbed her swinging hands. The moment Rosettas head hit his chest, the entrance to the tent opened.


    Riga! I brought medicine and bandage needed to treat wounds


    Shika stopped on the spot with his eyes wide open when he saw the scene. He then threw the things he was holding in his hands on the floor.


    I-I will leave it all here, so you do the treatment yourself!


    And the tent door was closed again. After a moment of silence, Rosetta came to her senses and struggled to release her hands. Rashid let go of her hands easily.


    Rosetta stood far away from him and continued to sob. And just as her tears stopped to some extent, Rashid opened his mouth.


    let me explain again from the beginning. As I said before, I have no intention of continuing marital relations with you.


    Rashid sighed, staring at the green eyes still glaring at him.


    He continued, The reason I made you my wife was to prevent the union between your tribe and the Croa tribe. So, until your marriage is completely annulled, I intend to let you go immediately.


    If you wanted to prevent the marriage so badly, why didnt you put a knife to the neck of both chieftains and threaten them? After seeing it myself, I think youd do that much better.


    If that happens, it will give the Lisa Kingdom a reason to intervene.


    Rosetta flinched as he mentioned the Lisa Kingdom all of sudden.


    Lisa Kingdom?


    You mean you dont know that the Lisa Kingdom does that by putting the Basque tribe in front and hiding behind to get the benefits they want?


    I beg your pardon? asked Rosetta in bewilderment.


    Now his words sounded as if her motherland was doing something nasty behind it. The real villains are themselves, who kidnap and threaten a woman.


    What kind of


    However, on the matter of marriage, the Lisa Kingdom has no choice but to remain silent. Just like they did twenty years ago.


    Hearing the next words, Rosetta stopped arguing. She then asked, What do you mean?


    when something like this happened in the past, we asked the Lisa Kingdom for mediation. At that time, they refused, saying that they could not intervene in the matter of personal marriage.


    Rosetta realized that it had to do with his parents, as Krell had said.


    Are you talking about what happened to your mother?


    At those words, his blue eyes quickly froze.


    Rosetta, realizing that she had made a slip of the tongue, immediately shut her mouth. This man still thinks she is the daughter of the Basque chieftain. Therefore, the enemys daughter must not carelessly talk about it.


    I mean


    Did Krell tell you about the past?


    Rosetta nodded. Then she glanced up again. Fortunately, he didnt seem to have any intention of venting his anger over things from the past. He seemed to choose his words for a moment, then opened his mouth.


    If you knew about it, the conversation would be a little easier. In the past, when my mother was kidnapped by your father, my father requested mediation from the Lisa Kingdom but was rejected, saying the culture and customs of the Ardennes must be respected. It was really funny considering they were always pointing fingers at us, saying we were savages.


    If it was twenty years ago, it was during the reign of the previous king. The days when my father, the current king, was still a crown prince and my grandfather was on the throne.


    It was so long ago that Rosetta knew nothing about it. In fact, aside from that, she knew very little about her grandfather. She was very ill when she was about ten years old and partially lost her memories after surviving near death. Maybe thats why she remembers very little about her grandfather. Except that he was a strict and very scary person.


    Did my grandfather just say that because he didnt want to get involved in complicated things?


    Actually, that was just an excuse. The Lisa Kingdom stirred up the Basque tribe and plot everything behind the scenes.

 Chapter 17

    Answer Me, Please Chapter 17


    What do you mean?


    Rosetta couldnt understand what he was saying. Why did the Lisa Kingdom plot everything behind the scenes?


    She asked again, What benefit did the Lisa Kingdom gain by doing that?


    Lets stop talking about it. It has nothing to do with you anyway.


    No, I


    Rosetta shut her mouth with a questioning face. She had been overreacting to the Kingdom of Lisa since earlier. He might be suspicious of this if she inquired further.


    Fortunately, he went back to the original subject as if he didnt notice anything else strange.


    Thats why I brought you and called you my wife. Because if you become a hostage


    something terrible would happen. Like what happened today.


    Rosetta bit her lip, remembering what Krell had done. The mans actions indirectly explain how the people of the Quat tribe viewed her. She was the enemys daughter, so no one cared how she was mistreated.


    Right. Because they want you to get the same revenge for what happened in the past. Because it is our iron rule to pay back equally.


    Rosetta looked into the blue eyes of the man with the long eyelashes. His bright eyes, as if not one impurity had been mixed, were still shining in the darkness. It is certainly of a kind rarely found among the Ardennes.


    The Basque chieftain, humiliated by being stabbed in the face while trying to hug that woman, threw her in a rage where the slaves were. His father must be one of the slaves there.


    Recalling Krells words, Rosetta involuntarily shrugged her shoulders a little. If thats true, that would be terrifying. Although revenge is wrong, the hatred of the Quat tribe itself is understandable. Besides, wasnt even the chieftain brutally killed trying to save his wife?


    What if my father and mother had gone through something like that? Without a second thought, I would never have forgiven them.


    All I want is to break this marriage, thats all. So you only have to stay with us until then. Do you understand up to this point?


    Rosetta quickly nodded her head. She had no choice but to admit now that she had no other impure intentions toward him.


    I plan to ask the Croa chieftain to marry another woman within a month. As soon as he is officially married, I will send you back to your father.


    As long as I did what he said, there would be no problem. It was originally a trip scheduled for a month. If I stay still like this for a month and then come back to Lisa, thatll be enough.


    However, now he doesnt know about the change of bride. If he finds out about this later, what will he do?


    One thing for sure. I have never deceived you.


    Confused by the meaning of Rosettas sudden words, Rashid stared at her face.


    She continued, I definitely tried my best. Anyway, Ill do as you say, so dont blame me later.


    I dont know what youre talking about, but can I assume that you understand and accept my words?


    Yes.


    Okay then, Rashid said curtly, making an expression as if it was all over.


    On the other hand, Rosetta started to think about what to do next.


    Clearly, Allen will do his best to save her somehow. And he was more likely to move first on his own rather than wait for someone from the royal family to come. The Allen she knew was not one to stay silent the moment he found out she had been kidnapped. Because he has the personality to let go of his intuition when he has to do something.


    For now, it would be better to stay still until Allen arrives. This man didnt seem too dangerous, and he could be in trouble again if I ran away recklessly.


    So when Allen comes in later, better to explain the whole story


    Ahh! What are you doing?


    Rosetta was horrified to find that the man suddenly took off his shirt. Rosetta crossed her arms and rushed backward, covering her shoulders.


    Hey! I said I would accept your opinion. I never said I would accept you!


    The moment he took off his entire top, the scratches on his shoulder and the scars on his side stomach from the duel earlier were revealed. Rashid then picked up the bandage that Shika had left behind.


    Rosetta couldnt say a word. It was because she realized belatedly that he had taken off his shirt simply for the purpose of treating his wounds.


    The man looked at Rosetta, whose ears had been fully red in an instant, with narrowed eyes, and then shook his head with a short sigh. That made Rosetta even more embarrassed.


    Rashid sat in a chair and examined his wounds. The wound on his shoulder wasnt too bad, but the one on his side stomach was pretty serious. Even though his blood had stopped to some extent, the cut was deeper than expected. Rosetta couldnt believe that that man had been talking casually so far with such a body.


    Could it be that he doesnt even feel pain?


    Then Rashid tried to bandage his wound without properly cleaning it or applying medicine.


    Hold on!


    Despite being frightened, Rosetta approached him. Since she had spent a lot of time with doctors since she was young, and because Allen, who had once hoped to become a doctor, was always by her side, Rosetta has a bit of knowledge about medicine.


    If you dont disinfect it properly, the wound may get worse later.


    But he didnt listen to Rosetta at all. Seeing that he spread the bandage in complete disregard for her advice, Rosetta snatched it away from him.


    You need to pay more attention to the wounds from iron. Otherwise, you could die if youre unlucky.


    It was only after seeing his stern expression that Rosetta realized that she had interfered too much. Now he may be offended that she is doing something presumptuous to him.


    However, it was now impossible to return the bandage she had snatched away.


    Ill help you since you got hurt because of me. As a thank you for saving me.


    He furrowed his eyebrows. There seems to be a misunderstanding, but I did not duel with Krell because of you. Krell insulted me, so I did what I had to.


    I know. But its true that I was the cause.


    Rosetta brought a wet towel and started wiping the blood stains from his wound. This was her first time tending to someone elses wound, but she was less reluctant than she thought.


    After all the bloodstains were gone, she brought medicine to apply to the wound. The white powder appeared to be dried and ground plant roots. While pouring medicine over the wound, Rosetta discovered scars all over his body. He had serious scars that looked like he had gotten them during his swordsmanship training. The wounds he got today seem to be nothing.


    After becoming a chieftain, why does this man have such scars? What kind of life does he usually live?


    While looking closely at the wounds on his body, she felt a gaze piercing her head. Rosetta raised her head and made eye contact with him. Rosetta was unknowingly startled and pressed hard on his wound, causing the man to take a weak breath.


    I-Im sorry!


    Rosetta hurriedly apologized and folded a clean cloth several times.


    Im going to do the bandaging now, so hold on to this.


    Rashids long fingers grasped the cloth and Rosetta began to bandage his stomach. However, as this was her first time bandaging someone, it didnt go as well as she thought. Besides, she didnt know it when he put on his shirt, but his body was much thicker and harder than it looked. As Rosettas head moved back and forth while she was bandaging, her face repeatedly hit his body.


    Every time her cheek brushed against his bare skin, her face turned bright red again. Rosetta thought shed have to distract herself before he let out another unpleasant sigh.


    But what will happen to me when I go back?


    Didnt I explain it before?


    No, not that. Am I going to be a woman who is abandoned after spending one night with you?


    Suddenly, his heart was beating fast. The wind blew away the bandage that had been painstakingly wrapped around.


    Dont move!


    Rosetta gave a warning. Rashid rubbed his forehead and groaned.


    What are you talking about now


    Thats why I asked you before. Do you think that if I go back to my family, my life will go back to the way it was before?


    In fact, it was something Rosetta had been curious about before. He hadnt actually done anything to her and said he wouldnt, but he had already made it seem like they spent the first night. And thats what people think.


    Thinking about it, Rosetta felt really bad. If I go back to the Lisa Kingdom, I will do my best to ensure that what happened here wont become known outside.


    But she herself is not sure, maybe this will leak with Rosie as the kidnapped bride. Then the other royals and nobles would chatter a lot about this behind the scenes mockingly while pretending to be sorry.


    After all, isnt he responsible for that? No, he wouldnt think about it at all.


    When you go back to the Basque, I will tell them that I never had any sexual contact with you.