《A Guide to a Perfect Death》 Chapter 1 ¡°If you heard it wrong, I¡¯ll tell you again.¡± Christa Palmaril, a knight, is a member of the Knights Templar. Staring right into the eyes of Duke Ragnar Argonod, the general and supreme commander of the knights. Ragnar had doubted that his ears were wrong for a moment. But soon after hearing her voice, he realized that there was nothing wrong with his hearing. ¡°I asked if you¡¯d like to spend the night with me.¡± There was nothing wrong with his hearing. There was something wrong with this woman. He was so embarrassed that he had to stand up and think about his next words, not knowing what to say. ¡°Knight Palmaril. Are you drunk? Aren¡¯t you too excited because of the banquet to celebrate the end of the war?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not.¡± There was no change in Christa¡¯s expression. So far, it¡¯s like she¡¯s known him well. She has a consistent expressionless face as usual. The only difference is that she wore an alluring apricot dress, and not the light armor he saw every day in the battlefield. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I didn¡¯t drink. Tonight, the leader and I¡­ Uhm..¡± He quickly shut her up before she spits up half-baked and blatant word ¡®sex¡¯. The thick palm of his hand stopped her small lips. ¡°There are eyes to see and ears to hear. What kind of prank is this?¡± Of course there is no answer from her blocked mouth. Ragnar is looking around. When he confirmed that there was no sign of movement.. Sigh Through a year of war, the three continents became one empire. It was a feast day to celebrate their accomplishment. The Knight Commander of the Templar Knights and soldiers under his command was a contributor to the victory of this war. The new empire Cassidenia, the capital¡¯s palace, and the small garden within the palace were quiet in contrast to the noisy atmosphere of the inner banquet hall. It was still the height of the ball. The cicadas sing in tune of the waltz music. The sound came softly, and the dim moonlight shone on the two. It had to be a little deeper into the night for this garden to be turned into a secret place for lovers. Her lips moved gently in his grasp. A small tickle in the palm of his hand. Feeling that, he hurriedly let her go. ¡°I mean it.¡± ¡°Hah¡± Instead of replying, Ragnar let out a heavy breath. ¡°What the hell are you up to?¡± He could feel the drunkenness from the wine he had just drank earlier. It¡¯s a victorious banquet, and it¡¯s a bit of an exhilarating atmosphere, so it¡¯s a way for him to get a breather. But there he met a more powerful opponent. ¡°If you have a previous engagement¡­¡± Ragnar looked at Christa for a long time. Her bloodless white skin looked paler in the moonlight. Her long silvery hair was untied and slightly blown away by the night wind. Her dense appearance, slender build, and large red eyes were still looking at him as if to devour him. Christa Palmaril was a person described by the adjective ¡®white¡¯. Even from a distance, her color looks like it has been discolored. She had red eyes that looked like a drop of blood had spattered on her eyes with only one splash. Like her appearance, even her personality was bland and close to tasteless. She rarely manifested her desires as clearly as she did not even have the basic needs of a human. Therefore, she gave the impression that she was more like a wise person who reached a transcendent level than a soldier even in a battlefield where life and death crossed. The bright apricot-colored dress that Christa wore subtly emphasized her slender figure. The gentle scent of the night breeze stimulated his sense of smell. Whether it was this woman¡¯s perfume or her body¡¯s scent, there was a spark of fire in her lifeless eyes that had usually only been seen as ascetic. The flame was of the kind Ragnar was familiar with. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Ragnar swung back. He wanted to watch her reaction more. ¡°I heard you wouldn¡¯t say no to this. Am I not your preference?¡± Ragnar smiled a little at the bold answer. It was the first time he had been seduced so honestly. Although it was a rumor that he made up, it was awkward to explain that it was a lie. Ragnar was a member of the old royal family. Growing up with his life threatened by his status from an early age, the survival plan he chose was to live a life of debauchery and thoughtlessness. She sighed softly as if the long silence had signaled a refusal. ¡°You can¡¯t do it with me.¡± Christa said that, and then she picked her dress lightly and bowed down to him. It was a very gentle move. ¡°What¡­?¡± Before Ragnar could say anything more, she turned her back and walked away. ¡°I apologize. Please forget about what just happened.¡± Her indifferent words touched his pride squarely. ¡®Why are you making decisions so fast?¡¯ He grabbed her by the shoulder in a hurry. She waited as he held her shoulders, and as she turned her head, the subtle scent from earlier throbbed and tickled the tip of his nose. It¡¯s not a perfume, it¡¯s this woman¡¯s body scent! He could feel the burning desire in his depths. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you regret it?¡± Her eyes fluttered for a moment. ¡°The Captain must not regret it.¡± Her eyes fluttered slightly with a voice mixed with laughter. Red eyes shone brightly. Then an unfamiliar sensation flowed down Ragnar¡¯s spine. He had been accustomed to reigning over others all his life. So he couldn¡¯t easily define his previous senses. Even until this time, he didn¡¯t notice what it was, but he had a sense of instinct. It was awe. It was not a matter of being able to twist Christa¡¯s wrist with Ragnar¡¯s strength at any moment. Even beyond her physique, he was her superior and the most powerful commander of the knights to which she belonged. There is no reason for him to feel fear when he sees a knight with a mere small physique. But by analogy, it¡¯s a sensation of a beast that¡¯s been unleashed without a leash in front of him. It was a sense that gave him chills and a thrill, stinging his skin. That strange and hard-to-define tension is a unique pleasure that came to him with a heavy feeling. ¡°You won¡¯t regret it?¡± Christa Palmaril, who heard it, slightly raised her lips. Up to now, her whole body was stiff with tension, but she relaxed as the other party bit her bait so easily. Chapter 2 She had no idea that all the methods she had devised to seduce him over the past few days would work so easily at once. Ragnar Argonod was easily fooled to the point where Christa¡¯s worries were overshadowed. The rumor that he does not mind any woman who comes to him was indeed true. ¡°The Captain must not regret it.¡± A sense of relief and accomplishment have loosened her body¡¯s tension. Then suddenly his hands overlapped hers. There was a feeling at that time. He is a knight. She knew Ragnar was a senior knight, but this may be the first time she had proper contact with him. They just held hands for a while, but her mind has already cleared up and her tension has been relieved. ¡°I thought you weren¡¯t interested in this¡­¡± Ragnar¡¯s face is close. Christa flinched in surprise as if she had been attacked unexpectedly. But her body was already in his thick grasp. ¡°I wasn¡¯t.¡± All senses are focused on his fast hand movements that naturally wrapped her waist and climbed up. ¡°Ah.¡± His blue-tinted black hair, tanned skin, and golden eyes reminiscent of a black leopard now contained only her. ¡°Knight Palmaril.¡± A moderately low voice softly called her name by her ear. At that moment, Christa realized that she had done a great job. ¡°C, Captain¡± The question flashed through her mind: ¡°No way here?¡± And soon, the feeling of flesh on her lips and the feeling of their lips touching each other came. Christa with her surprised rabbit-like eyes forgot to close her eyes. Ragnar was a little grumpy. He was a little upset that he had just been overwhelmed by her straightforward attitude for a moment. ¡®It¡¯s a reckless push, considering that she¡¯s so bad at this!¡¯ Ragnar paused and stared down at Christa. She had a face like a herbivore on the verge of being eaten. ¡°Sir?¡± As a beast pierces the neck of the prey, it is bound to give up life and stiffen the body. She didn¡¯t even breathe with her surprised eyes. ¡°It¡¯s hard to hold your breath while kissing.¡± ¡°Hah¡­¡± Only then did he see her exhaling the breath she had held and a calm smile caught her mouth. He played a subtle joke with his usual soft-spoken manner. ¡°Where¡¯s the momentum you¡¯ve been pushing me for? There¡¯s nothing to be nervous about.¡± ¡°C, Captain¡­¡± But being called by his title was not funny. So he swallowed her little lips as if he was going to eat them again. As expected, her lips were soft. He pushed his tongue through her closed lips. His tongue touched the sensitive flesh of the inside of her mouth. Then it passed. Her body flinched. An inquisitive kiss. This time he felt her neat teeth and licked her lips with his tongue. ¡°Hu¡­¡± Christa¡¯s body was shaking lightly. When he saw her not knowing what to do, he felt a fierce excitement in the corner of his heart. Her expressionless face, which was like a wooden stone that he had seen every day, was turning red with shame. ¡°Call me by name¡± She shook her head, unable to answer him, but she answered in a small voice that he could barely hear. ¡°Ra¡­ Ragnar¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re gonna keep calling that name tonight.¡± The room where Ragnar stayed was located in the annex. After a short search, Ragnar naturally moved around holding Christa¡¯s hand. She was brought straight in like a feverish child. As soon as the door closed, he immediately gave her a devouring kiss. Whenever that happened, her reaction was reminiscent of a fish jumping out of the pond and flapping. ¡°Oh, w-wait.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Everything was faster than expected. Christa closed her eyes tightly and breathed heavily. ¡°I¡¯ll take off my clothes. Turn off the lights¡­!¡± Christa hurriedly touched the buttons on her gown. At that moment, her lips, which spouted funny words, were covered again. Again, some inquiries followed. Ragnar took off his lips for a moment and examined Christa. Her gasping look was worth seeing. ¡°Haah¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t take my fun away.¡± Then her big red eyes filled with moisture. When he put his mouth on her white eyelashes, he tasted saltiness. Christa was not very short for a woman, but Ragnar¡¯s size was so big that she¡¯s swallowed in his arms. Again, his hot tongue squeezed in from the closed place. While the moist touch grappled through her mouth, his big hand began to steadily grope. Christa, who was pushed away little by little, could feel a soft touch behind her back. It was the bed sheet. Ragnar grabbed Christa¡¯s slender wrist and raised it to the head of the bed. The thin wrists that could be held in one hand trembled. It was so thin that he felt like he was going to break it with a little force. He grabbed her wrist with one hand and roughly peeled off her gown with the other. The buttons and ribbons on the thin piece of fabric make a sound. It was easily ripped off. Every time she breathes in and out, her chest flutters up and down. Ragnar slowly rolled up her chemise, which managed to cover her knee. Her long white legs are revealed. It was overly erotic, seeing her bend both knees and tremble finely with tension. ¡°Damn it.¡± Ragnar gently bit her flesh in his mouth. It was more racy than he thought. The unbearable heat seeps into his stomach with a bubbling desire. Because of that reaction, he wants to tease her more. At this rate, it could hurt the other person. He took a breather for a moment. When nothing happened even if she stayed still, Christa opened her eyes that she had closed only then. Her long silvery eyelashes, like her hair color, wobbled pitifully. It looked like a butterfly¡¯s wings. ¡®I didn¡¯t know she could make such a face!¡¯ She was a woman who endured without moving an eyebrow even in a battlefield where soldiers also screamed. Always with a consistent expressionless face. She didn¡¯t cry because she was tired, and she doesn¡¯t get frustrated even in desperate situations. The face, which seemed calm even before death, showed a somewhat transcendent appearance. His desire-stained finger ran over her silver hair wrapped around her chest. The contact was short, but when his hand touched her, she trembled with astonishment. Given this vehement reaction, he had no choice but to ask a banal question at this point. ¡°Is this your first time?¡± Christa didn¡¯t answer. However, he didn¡¯t think she was a woman with a deft experience even without hearing an answer. The thought expanded in his mind. Chapter 3 ¡®Why did she choose me? A good match for her first experience¡­ definitely not.¡¯¡¯ His evaluation of himself was quite cold and accurate for Ragnar. But he didn¡¯t mean to come all the way here and bite. Already, the heat like lava that is boiling inside him has not cooled down. Then it was the next assumption. ¡®Did she have feelings for me?¡¯ There was a time when they recognized each other¡¯s existence and looked at each other. It was an almost one-sided whim of Ragnar. Did she feel the same way then? Somehow he felt better. He couldn¡¯t stop the corners of his mouth going up. ¡°It may hurt a little at first, but if you hang in there, you¡¯ll feel better.¡± Christa could not help but feel uncomfortable with his words. ¡®What do you mean I¡¯ll feel good?¡¯ Since earlier, this man has shown completely different behavior from what she knew about sex. So she was very embarrassed because she didn¡¯t know how to react. ¡®This is so different from what I know. This¡­ This is¡­¡¯ Then there was the sound of wetness. A hot tongue landed on the tip of her chest. Gently he chewed on the tip of her nipples with his lips. She wanted to say something, but she couldn¡¯t concentrate as the moist and warm feeling touched her breast. Her whole body was stained red with shame. The only thing that came out was a groan. ¡°¡­Ugh!¡± Her breasts changed shape as he grasped and moved his hand. She was breathing too hard. She was nervous at the thought of her heart beating so loudly being heard like this. Before she knew it, Ragnar began to put his other hand on her chest. Every time he touched the tip of her chest, the sensation was so strange that she couldn¡¯t help but shake her back. All Christa could see was Ragnar¡¯s golden eyes. It is filled with heat. This is what he looks like at times like this. The heat of his eyes seeped into her body and made her tremble. She couldn¡¯t bear it. A soft, itchy sensation that seemed to boil from the depths disturbed her. It was as if a fire was burning in every corner of her body. His touch, which penetrated through her thighs, is now a little more persistent. It gently swept and rubbed her sensitive spot as if to find something. Every time he did that, she squeaked and between her legs got wet. Tension went into her lower abdomen. His long fingers moved slowly across the place. The calluses from his holding the sword were coated with a sticky fluid. ¡°Ha¡­¡± Warm breath penetrated her ears and her back straightened. The sound of wetness from below her was clear. His hot tongue startled her earlobe. ¡°Ah.¡± Next, his lips touched her chest from over her neck and collarbone. Even though he maintained a short distance, he soon gave a short, peckish kiss. Somehow, every time he did that, her body recoiled. Before she knew it, she couldn¡¯t help but be embarrassed when the man¡¯s hot tongue crossed her navel and came down to her pelvis. ¡°W, wait!¡± But he didn¡¯t seem willing to stop. His hot tongue slowly stayed as if exploring around a drinking fountain, and soon headed for the part where she was dripping fluid. ¡°Hah!¡± The strange sensation gave Christa a shrill cry. She tried to avoid him by struggling somehow, but even that was not possible because his hands were already firmly holding and pressing her thighs. His firmly erected tongue penetrates her thin and soft entrance without mercy. There was a sense of a narrow interior splitting. Soft and sticky fluid kept coming out, and hot flesh squeezed in. The tingling sensation of his tongue forced Christa to grab the sheets. ¡°Ah, huuh, heut¡­!¡± She couldn¡¯t believe it. She can¡¯t believe he¡¯s kissing a place like this. It was filthy. She felt immoral at the same time. The great Ragnar Argonod is the supreme commander of the knights and her boss and he is licking a woman¡¯s groin. Her miscellaneous thoughts didn¡¯t last long. This is because the unknown sense dominated her whole body. Even if something was awakened, the wick in her body seemed to melt away with the same soft sensation. ¡°Ha. Ugh¡­¡± He was very persistent. He was sucking it up like honey, but she couldn¡¯t get over it. Her burning body just wriggled mercilessly. There was an uncontrollable moan coming out of her mouth. ¡°Oh, huh, ahhh, ah. Huuuh.¡± Her lips opened automatically. Flames burst before her eyes. What sensation is this? She was anxious. She felt like she was losing her mind to the hot sensation that swept over her. At the same time, she could feel his fingers squeezing into her narrow interior. There was no pain because she was already melted to the point of being soggy. The sound of fluid in her ears was clear. ¡°That, that, that, uh¡­¡± She grabbed and begged him. But he remained silent. His eyes turned a little red, perhaps because of the mood. It was eyes full of lust. In addition, the area around his lips was full of shiny liquid, so she was very ashamed. Her face burned with shame. She knew she had to endure it as it is, but she had the urge to knock the man down and run away from this place right away. For a moment, Christa was under the illusion that she was in the middle of a storm. She was alone in a storm only once when she was young. No matter how strong the wind was and the rain was blowing, she had to get caught up without anything she could do at her disposal, and now it felt just like that. She had to squeeze his shoulder in an unbearable sense. Her nails dug into his skin, but Ragnar didn¡¯t seem to mind. All kinds of emergency signals rang out in her head. She had a sensation of boiling water pouring all over her body. This is similar to the sensation she had before she went mad. From a long experience, Christa was aware of the premonitory symptoms. But at the same time, guidance was clearly being done. The connection made her senses very sensitive. ¡°Ha¡­ah.¡± She was out of breath. The thick veins on the back of Ragnar¡¯s neck stand out. It fluttered every time he breathed in and out. It occurred to her instinctively that was the essence of his life and the fluid that was the basis of his guidance. Christa couldn¡¯t stand it and jumped at the back of his neck. As if one day she extorted someone¡¯s life in that way. ¡°Huh¡­?¡± Ragnar was stunned by the sudden aggressive behavior of Christa. Until just now, she was helplessly swayed by his touch. But she bit his neck. How many steps have she skipped? (t/n: lol ????) There was a small scratch on the back of his neck and a few drops of blood. Christa¡¯s little tongue licked his neck violently. She¡¯s like a young beast sucking milk. Along with the pungent pain, the feeling of pleasure came up like water. At the same time, the scent that he just smelled was strong. It was the scent of a woman. ¡®This is not my usual cup of tea¡­¡¯ Ragnar let out a thin groan. His waist flinched and his breathing grew louder. He moved his hands slowly. When he pressed onto her pussy, her sticky liquid filled up seamlessly. ¡°Ah¡­!¡± Chapter 4 The trembling Christa finally let go of his neck. Her blood-stained mouth is colorful like red stains on a white cloth. The caress started again. This time, he stretched his fingers to two. The wetter sound became clearer than before. When her inner protrusion was rubbed, her inner walls responded as if it were sticking. ¡°Well, wait a minute. Argh¡­ Ahh!¡± She could feel the slippery liquid flowing down her thighs. In her head, she constantly sent warning signals, and her lower stomach was heated, and everywhere he touched it was hot, so she couldn¡¯t keep her sanity. ¡°Haaah, ha, ah, ah¡± ¡°Ah¡­ Ah!¡± Her body trembled automatically. Her lower part was constantly twitching. Christa hung helplessly on Ragnar¡¯s shoulder and breathed heavily. Only then did Ragnar stop moving. Christa held her breath slowly. ¡°Now¡­ Is that the end?¡± Then Ragnar laughed softly. And whispered in a low voice. ¡°No, it¡¯s just the beginning¡± Christa shook her head slowly. She didn¡¯t have the ability to accommodate all these sensations. She instinctively recoiled. But Ragnar came close. And then something hard touched her navel. She gently lowered her head and checked his swollen genitals. Oh, my God. In addition, it is the size of the forearm of a child shaking its head, revealing its majesty. And what about the color? The dark red fleet was glossy and vomited glandular fluid. In the meantime, the prominent veins rose to the point of ferocity. Ragnar is a Northerner. The Northerners were, by physique, quite large. So naturally, that was also big. It was easy to predict. But now it was far beyond her imagination. ¡®There¡¯s no way this would go in.¡¯ No matter how much I think about it, this is not it. Christa shook her head slowly. She doesn¡¯t know how Ragnar took it, but he kissed her on the cheek many times. ¡°I¡¯ll do it slowly. Shh¡­¡± He didn¡¯t say she wouldn¡¯t die soon. Christa was now in a choking mood. She begged in a frightened voice. ¡°Oh, no. Like that¡­¡± However, the tips of her glans have already been touched by his penis caressing around the entrance of her vagina, and the friction area has burned hot with a tickling sound. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Relax.¡± She doesn¡¯t know what the hell is okay, but Ragnar soothes Christa and stroked her hair. But she couldn¡¯t have calmed down. Her heart was about to pop out of her mouth from tension. After several round trips, he squeezed in between her crack. The size was painful even though she was wet enough. ¡°Breathe¡­¡± His voice was very kind, but it didn¡¯t mean he would stop pushing his genitals. ¡°Heuk¡­.¡± The heavy feeling of something cutting her body in half made her gasp. Her heart was about to burst under the pressure. She stared at him with half-closed eyes. Abominably, he looked at her with admiration. Christa asked in a trembling voice. ¡°Did you put everything in?¡± Ragnar smiled apologetically at the question. Somehow she had an ominous hunch, and struggled to pull back in a hurry. But he was first. There was a sound of flesh clashing and her genitals swallowed him all at once to the root. With intense stimulation, dull and beautiful pain poured in. ¡°It¡¯s all in now.¡± She couldn¡¯t say anything to the unfamiliar sensation and only heard a groan. She felt like a giant skewer came into her body. She was out of breath. ¡°Now, let¡¯s relax.¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­ Ugh, if it¡¯s easy.¡± Her voice was hoarse. The tears she had endured flowed down the sharp corners of her eyes. Ragnar licked it slowly. He coaxed her into kissing her cheek and neck. Then, caressing the tip of her chest carefully, his waist began to move slowly. He took it out a little bit and put it back in, took it out and put it back in. When the inner wall was stretched to the limit, it was as if the shape of his large genital was engraved inside. ¡°Ah, huuu, euk.¡± ¡°Are you okay?¡± She heard a friendly voice in my ear. ¡°It¡¯s okay, heuk, Ah¡­¡± ¡°Breathe in and take a rest¡± She took a slow breath as he led me. She exhaled. It¡¯s better than before. Little by little the movements were tantalizingly repeated. ¡°You¡¯re doing great, there you go.¡± The voice made her tear up again. The pain seemed to gradually fade. His warm hand touched her back. ¡°Ha¡­uh¡­¡± This time, he moves slowly as if to soothe a child. The body, which had hardened by the movement that seemed to be making a way, gradually loosened and the sound of fluid again came out. ¡°How do you feel now?¡± He paused and whispered languidly. It¡¯s much better than the first insert. But it wasn¡¯t really all right. A slow turn of the head. Then a big hand pats her cheek. The touch was too sweet to be kind. So she had courage. She touches his neck. ¡°That¡¯s all¡­ Huuu. I¡¯m going in.¡± She stroked her stomach without realizing it. To have such a thing inside her, she even pressed it hard to see if her lower stomach was protruding. However, Ragnar¡¯s eyes changed because of what that act stimulated. ¡°¡­I¡¯m going crazy.¡± His golden pupil grew and shrunk a little. He licked his lips with his tongue and made a small groan. Christa was terrified at the moment. She may have stimulated something wrong now, but that look in his eyes was unusual. His eyes, filled with burning longing, seemed to chew and swallow her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I can¡¯t take it anymore.¡± He whispered like that and hugged her tightly. ¡°Oh. What?¡± Soon a heavy thing poked persistently below and came in. There was a primal sound of puck, puck, puck. Every time he stabbed her stomach, a dizzying pleasure flowed. ¡°Haah, ah, hah, ah!¡± It wasn¡¯t a tingling shallow sensation like before. Her waist was bent and she felt numb. Deep down, something like a huge wave pushed. It was a feeling that she was not used to. She was out of breath. No, it may have already stopped. Only then did she try to push Ragnar with her hands, but his body is as hard as a stone and he hardly moved. Her face is full of heat. The waist fluctuated a couple of times. An uncontrollable sense poured out as if a water bank collapsed. The pleasure surrounded her whole body like a star exploded in front of her. Her thighs trembled and her mouth opened automatically. ¡°Haa, huh. Ahhhh¡­¡± Her breath tangled and her waist twisted. Because of his rough hammering, her upper body that shakes at will is crushed by his flat, sleek chest. Chapter 5 She needed something to hold on to. To stay sane in this violent whirlpool, she had to reach out and grab anything. She set up her nails and scratched Ragnar¡¯s back and shoulders, but that was not enough to stop him. The pulsating sound in her ear was painful. The place where they touched was so hot, to the point that it seemed to melt. It was the first time in her life that she¡¯s ever felt this way. At the same time, the waves of the gentle guiding penetrated her as if touching her whole body. The wavelength seemed to melt her brain in the midst of the chaos. ¡°Yes, uh, ah, ah!¡± ¡°Oh, damn it.¡± Ragnar¡¯s expression turned dark. Now his movement is a little more persistent and urgent. The sensation became a little sharper and more intense. Something huge and hot squeezes her whole body. A hot and thrilling sensation dominated her body. ¡°Hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh¡­ Ah! Ah! Ah!¡± Painful pleasure rises in every spot he scratches. There was a cry that came out of her from the strong feeling that was hard to bear. Her head, which had become muddy, could no longer accept anything except for the sense of climax. Her inner wall, which was being swamped randomly, trembled and convulsed. Then, his penis, which she wondered if it could get any bigger, swelled up, and was eager to scan and scratch her groin. Her toes curl up automatically and she feels numb all over. Her body shook incessantly. She felt like I was going to die. She¡¯s afraid she won¡¯t be able to sleep easily. ¡î*: .?. .?.:*¡î It was a week before the banquet that Christa Palmarill went back in time. ¡°Why in the world¡­¡± It was the liberation of her long suffering that ended her life of 28 years. She didn¡¯t imagine there would be a second life because she took her last breath after being tortured until she died. ¡°Why?¡± She wailed for a long time in the mirror. She¡¯s back. That was 5 years ago. It was not yet time for her to wake up as a complete ¡®Esper¡¯. That¡¯s why she decided to send a present herself. The gift of death. Christa Palmaril, born as a daughter of a baron. Her mother gave birth to her from an extra-marital affair and died of postpartum fever. As an illegitimate child, who was raised without parents, she was handed over to her aunt, Baroness Eva Palmaril, and her husband, Baron Sebastian Palmaril, while moving from house to house of several relatives. Since then, she has been severely abused and disrespected by the Palmaril, and has become a scoundrel of the family. Sometimes when she asked about her parents, it was a day when she had to put up with Eva¡¯s strong beating all day. But Christa endured that silently without screaming. ¡°Monster bitch!¡± It was the title she heard more than her name from Baroness Palmaril. The reason for this was Christa¡¯s eccentricity. She often did strange things that she couldn¡¯t understand herself. A burning sensation in one¡¯s head. She knew it was the beginning. ¡°Ah! Mom! She¡¯s doing it again.¡± That day was the day when she and her cousin Andrei had a particular quarrel. She ripped Andrei¡¯s face and she could not get out of her room for days afterwards. The problem was that she couldn¡¯t remember anything after the incident. It was dark as if she had sprayed black paint all over her mind. She was in fear that she did not know what she had done. This was during the time when it was not yet well known about the special ability called ¡°Esper.¡± Their frequent outbursts were merely regarded as a freakish psychosis. This bustle became more frequent as Christa grew older. Everything was ruined by her hands. And then she was beaten without fail. To the point where she doesn¡¯t die. What¡¯s surprising is that no matter how badly Christa got hurt, most of it healed the next day. A few days later, there was not even a trace. Regenerative ability. That was her awakening ability. Thanks to her ability, she healed quickly even if she had been injured severely. The ability to regenerate was, after all, the ability to deal with vitality. This was not limited to healing power. With Class F to C healing ability, self-healing is possible, but if it exceeds Class B, it can absorb other people¡¯s lives and use them as energy. Christa was drafted into the Unification War on behalf of her cousin Andrei. At that time, her heartless aunt also hummed and begged her. ¡°Please? Shouldn¡¯t Andrei continue the family? Think about the bond we had when we¡¯ve raised you so far.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go.¡± Christa did not reject the request she received. It was boring, but considering her healing power, she didn¡¯t think she would die at the very least. So she headed to the battlefield. Christa¡¯s eccentricity was not revealed until she entered the military. She was an ¡®awakening¡¯ who was at the center of the recent controversy. Ether, the source of magic, disappeared over the years. It was the appearance of an awakening person with new power that appeared sporadically after the Ether disappeared. The title Esper was later given. In the early days, awakening was considered a new ability to replace magic. However, it was quickly revealed that this idea was wrong. As can be seen in the choice of the word awakening, their characteristics were always in a state of continuous awakening. As time went by, they suffered from sleep deprivation, persistent headaches, hallucinations, nausea, and even phantom pains. In addition, in the end, they could devastate an area by an explosion. When Esper explodes, their ability is opened to the fullest. If they had the ability of fire, they could make their surroundings a sea of fire, and if they had the ability to water, they could drown people one after the other. The inability to control it is a kind of disaster. The awakening people gradually became a nuisance. The public opinion began to change little by little when it discovered the ability of a ¡°guide¡± to lead awakening people. The beginning was the screening. Soldiers who joined the military had to undergo screening twice a year. Depending on the potential of the force, it was managed by dividing it into ranks from S-grade to F-grade-level to measure. The runaway of the awakening was a more serious problem as the rating went up. Therefore, Esper with grade C or higher had to be managed by a group and assigned a dedicated guide or carry an inhibitor, a drug extracted from the guide¡¯s blood. Christa was able to endure without a guide for a long time because of her low grade. Christa earned trophies and money by making several contributions to the conscripted war instead of Andrei. All the money was brought to her aunt. The Palmaril baron¡¯s finances have been in bad shape ever since Baron Sebastian took up gambling. Christa didn¡¯t covet anything more than she needed. Just enough money to maintain and keep her own armor and sword. However, if she was obsessed with something, it was the battlefield. Even after the mandatory conscription period ended, she continued to go to war. It may be because her mettle did not seem strange there, which was on the border between life and death. She gradually gained credit and became a knight. ¡°As she went to the battlefield, her eyes became even more creepy. I feel bad.¡± ¡°She¡¯s going to die soon. I heard that an Esper often runs wild and ends their life.¡± Every time Christa returned home, Baroness Palmaril whispered as if she had come back from the undead. But Christa went back to the battlefield silently. This is the only place that she can relieve her anxiety that she will not be able to control herself someday. So the battlefield was the place she really needed to be. But the war ended. The three countries were unified and Christa lost her place. ¡î*: .?. .?.:*¡î Chapter 6 Her aunt wanted to marry off Christa, who had returned to the Count of Pasquier. Although rumors about him were not good, the marriage proceeded smoothly because she had already received a dowry from Count Pasquier. ¡°It¡¯s a practice, and he¡¯s a count. How nice is it that you don¡¯t have to live with two children and have no one to raise? You¡¯re going to be a rich woman. Besides, Count Pasquier is a guide.¡± Through the war, ¡°Esper,¡± with new abilities, and ¡°Guide,¡± who has the ability to control them, were magnificent. However, the number of guides itself was small compared to Esper. In other words, it was quite expensive for civilians to seek guides due to their scarcity. Therefore, it was a very tempting suggestion that Count Pasquier was a guide. Christa couldn¡¯t refuse her marriage as she did when she went to war. It was because there was no other option. However, contrary to what my aunt explained, marriage was terrible. Count Pasquier was sadistic. She had to endure the beating of her husband after marriage, just as she did at home. She was whipped for a small mistake. In addition, the Earl¡¯s guidance was poor. Rather, he is inferior to the general-purpose guide of the military. The incongruous guidance came as a pain. But she couldn¡¯t resist. Instinctively, Esper has a hard time refusing a guide. Going against the guide¡¯s will itself was an act that went against Esper¡¯s instinct. Therefore, Christa had to control herself by pressing down on her emotions for a long time. One night when she was being hit on her back countless times with a dedicated horse whip. It ended up happening. Rather, it could be said that she endured it for a long time. It was her eccentricity that went wild. On that day, she felt her inner switch reversed, and soon lost her reason and rushed to the count. He literally hit the ground. In order for Esper to maintain their reason, she needed a guide. Guiding was based on deep mental communication with the guide, and furthermore, it was possible by exchanging body contact and body fluid. That was why the inhibitor was made from the guide¡¯s blood. Christa, who has not been receiving inhibitors or proper guidance for a long time, suffered the extreme consequences. The count died instantly on the spot. She was sucking his blood to the point where he had no blood left all over his body. His sons, who were watching her, died the same way. Because his sons also have the blood of a guide. Normally, it would have ended there, but this time it didn¡¯t stop for some reason. Christa, like her husband, absorbed the life of the people around her. Her casualties stood at 49 in total. Her body, which gained 49 years of life energy, felt a force so strong that it could not be compared to before. The power of a human treated like a trivial delicacy boiled like lava deep inside her body. Christa understood that her abilities were completely open. And the fact that this power cannot be controlled at the same time. Not only did Christa swallow the life of the count¡¯s family, but she wiped out the Golden Knights, which she belonged to. Eventually, even a heavy weapon for a monster appeared. The casualties she caused for two days were barely over 300. Her awakening ability was not measured numerically. However, it was a skill that surpassed those of the higher-level awakening knights who appeared to catch her. Although unofficial, Christa Palmaril was recorded as the first SS-level awakening. The title Baroness Palmaril called Christa has always been ¡°monster-like bitch¡±. She only resolved her doubts of that title before she died. ¡®She said I look like a monster because I¡¯m a monster.¡¯ Her sentiments were monstrous enough. She was taken like an animal being brought to the slaughterhouse with a cannabis restraint on. Countless people watched the scene, spitting and throwing stones. ¡°Death to the Witch!¡± ¡°Monster!¡± Christa was locked up in a dungeon. Her power was still rampant, and when someone got near her, she took away their life. It was imperial law for the monster who murdered her husband to be beaten to death. On top of that, Christa Palmaril was a villain who took hundreds of lives. Therefore, she had to undergo severe torture until she died. The torturer performed the torture in a protective suit designed by the great wizard Aquilio to block Esper¡¯s ability. Christa was in pain. It is not that torture was painful, she thought. The fact that she took so many lives with her own hands was so terrible. Among them were her colleagues who crossed the line. Through ¡°awakening,¡± she felt that she turned into a ¡°monster,¡± not a human. However, the remaining human emotions dug through her heart. The fear of not being able to control oneself was an anxiety that she had felt vaguely since she was young. And the anxiety has become a reality in the worst way possible. The torturer boasted that Christa would die in a week, but she could not. She lasted a record long time in the torture chamber, where the average person becomes half a fool in a day. Christa didn¡¯t die even after 15 days, and she was alive until a month later. It was because of her terrible regenerative ability. The matter was left to the denomination when everyone found her treatment difficult. Soon an order was issued from the parish. [Crista Palmaril proves to be a witch and must be burned at the stake.] A burning without trial. That was the final sentence she received. Wood and oiled straw were piled high in the square. The parish monk brought a torch and threw it and caught fire. The onlookers who came to watch the witch burn cheered. ¡°Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!¡± Christa didn¡¯t even scream properly even after a month of torture. However, when the fire burned her skin, the pain came as if she was going to lose her mind. She wishes she could have died. But her regenerative powers kept her alive the whole time. Because she used her ability, her head hurt like it¡¯s splitting. She felt nauseous. She¡¯d rather die. ¡°I¡­ Please¡­¡­ Kill¡­ Give¡­¡­!!¡± The fire lasted half a day, and the smell of burning flesh and oil was all over it. The square, which was filled with cheers, quickly became filled with surprise and fear. Everyone closed their eyes and closed their ears to the scream of a woman who could not die. The beheading was inevitably decided. The use of the sword was authorized. The end was vainly quick. It was only when she felt the silver blade digging into her nearly blackened neck that tears of relief flowed out of her burnt tear glands. Christa Palmaril died at the age of twenty-eight. No, she should have died. Christa has gone back in time five years ago. ¡î*: .?. .?.:*¡î ¡®Why did I come back?¡¯ That was Christa¡¯s biggest question. She lay absentmindedly on the bed of the embankment of the Palmaril mansion. It was a narrow, dusty attic. Fortunately or unfortunately, the war was over. ¡®Was marriage the problem?¡¯ Chapter 7 Sooner or later, her aunt and her husband will propose a marriage of convenience. Her aunt¡¯s unique nasal voice went around her head. It¡¯s a voice that only comes out when she asks her a difficult favor. ¡°Ha¡­¡± Christa is a person who doesn¡¯t show much emotion. But for now, she couldn¡¯t help laughing. The whole thing was funny. ¡°Hahaha¡­¡± Unbearable pain and nausea came, but the strange sound coming out of her mouth was the sound of laughter. Christa caressed her face. She can feel her fine skin without a scratch. She looked at her slender fingers. Not a nail was missing and not a finger was cut off. It was a normal hand that wasn¡¯t even burned black. The clean hands reminded her that her regression was not a lie. She felt like she was having a terrible nightmare. At this rate, the terrible pain will be repeated again. She will get married, she¡¯ll kill people, she¡¯ll become a monster¡­¡­. ¡°I want to die.¡± Indeed, it was what Christa wanted. She got out of bed and pulled her sword out of its sheath. A well-brushed sword appeared. She inflicted a deep wound on her thin, white forearm that was cut by a blade. However, little blood flows out and soon stops. ¡°Damn it¡­¡± She frowned. The pace of recovery is faster than usual. Seeing that she recovers so quickly, if she measures her ability now, she will definitely get a grade F or higher, maybe a grade C or higher. If it was a grade C or higher, it was necessary to take inhibitors or to continue guiding. With inhibitors alone, withdrawal will come quickly. All she needed was a guide. The fact seemed to wring her neck. The increase in ability means that there is a risk of her power running wild. In addition, the higher the grade, the greater the rebound if she uses her ability. Her head throbbed and her ears rang, perhaps because she used her regenerative ability. It was then that she saw an unprecedented trace on the back of her hand. ¡°What the hell is this¡­.¡± It wasn¡¯t in her previous life. It¡¯s more like a tattoo than a wound. It looked like a small red dot. She rubbed nervously and scratched it, but it was useless. ¡°Well, who cares?¡± What can she do to the extent that something strange has occurred the moment she regressed? Christa flung her sword and lay down on the bed again. It was her personal experience that she could not die easily thanks to this regenerative ability. She survived the torture and burning at the stake after all. She tried lying down, but the throbbing headache didn¡¯t go away. She turned her head with a frown on her face. A paper bag decorated with luxurious gold is placed on a table next to the bed. It was an invitation to the banquet. She was not interested in group activities or banquets, so she looked through them once and threw them randomly. Then an idea crossed my mind. ¡°Holy Sword Alisar.¡± For the sword awarded to Duke Argonod, the Knight Commander of the Order of the Golden Knights, the first contributor to imperial unification, by Emperor Pelias I of Cassidenia at the end of the war banquet. There was a shudder through her body. The sword was known from ancient times as the sword to destroy demons. It is known as the sword used by the saint Zenaba, who appeared 300 years ago to fight off evil, but no one knows its exact origin. But Christa knew. ¡®It was the sword that struck me in the neck.¡¯ The sword that gave her body the last goodbye, which could not be harmed by ordinary things. The holy sword, which is usually managed under strict surveillance deep in the palace, was to appear at the upcoming banquet to commemorate the end of the war. It was a kind of symbol of harmony given to the Duke of Argonod in the War of Unification because he was highly regarded by the imperial family. ¡°If I have it.¡± It may be possible to end her life in a moderate way. She can end this pain. She can get a dignified death. For Christa, every moment of her life was just a pain. ¡°The Holy Sword¡­¡± Christa quietly put the word into her mouth. It was necessary for her moderate and benevolent ending. The pain she felt when her airways burned became black, and the touch that the cold silver sword gave me, came to mind. Christa touched her neck without realizing it. Her mind was filled with ways to get the sword. And she shook her head quickly. She was not confident that she could beat Argonod¡¯s power in an ordinary way. Christa knew her limitations well as a soldier. ¡°No matter how much my abilities are out of Class F, it¡¯ll still be hard to raid the Captain.¡± The Duke of Argonod. A man called the Great Lord of the North and the Mencius of the Battlefield. The northern territories of Argonod were the Surrey Giant to the north, the Union Tribe of the Eastern Archipelago to the east, and the Military Boundary and Border Region infested with dangerous beasts to the west. Born as the successor of Argonod, who ruled Wiscious, he learned the family¡¯s sword skills from a young age and has already stood on the battlefield at the age of 12. Youngest Knight Commander, the title of the youngest Sword Master was just one of his numerous titles. He excelled not only in swordsmanship, but also in horsemanship and hand-to-hand combat. Even as a tactician, he has outstanding resourcefulness. He was an experienced commander with hundreds of victories. Christa knew Ragnar well because she had watched his feats on the battlefield many times. There was not a single exaggeration in his skills and reputation. His battles were always won by him. Besides, he is an excellent guide. Officially, he was recorded as an S-class guide, and the number of A-class guides was ranked in 10 in the Empire, and there were no S-class guides. Many Esper, like Christa, became a soldier, mainly taking advantage of his ability, and wandered around the battlefield. However, due to the lack of absolute number of guides, there has never been a Knight¡¯s Corps that fully utilized an Esper¡¯s ability. The Golden Knights, formed by Ragnar, became the first Knights of Awakening to be led by an S-class guide and gained the highest reputation. This was a very happy thing for Esper, who was previously despised. Since there has been no proper research data, awakening people have been known only as dangerous beings. However, their treatment changed since the proper Knights were established. The Knights, led by a senior guide, became a haven for Espers. Just being around him makes her calm down. In particular, the scope of guides above the S-class was different. Christa, who was only in the F-level, also felt stable when she was near Ragnar. Above all, Esper couldn¡¯t defy the guide. Going against the guide¡¯s will itself was an act against their instincts. This was a characteristic that stood out as the class gap widened. It was very difficult for her to raid Ragnar, who is only a Class C awakening at best. But there was one thing she remembered. It was the great saga of Ragnar Argonod, who was famous in the capital. It¡¯s not about his militant prowess, it¡¯s about the reputation of his lower body. Ragnar Argonod, the duke who likes to play around. Following his handsome appearance, promiscuous rumors, and family background, women continued to flock around him. He was known for his temperament, which never resented women. And by not dating the same woman for a long time. ¡°He didn¡¯t get married for that¡­¡­.¡± He lived alone in the northern territories until the end of his life after the war. Even before his return, his marriage was always a hot topic. This is because there was no successor to the northern territorial waters of Wiscious. Therefore, Christa, who was insensitive to such rumors, vaguely remembered. ¡°¡­¡­that¡¯s not important.¡± What was important to Christa was the Holy Sword Alisar. There is a saying that a person who decides to commit suicide cannot see or hear anything else. That¡¯s how Christa is now. ¡®I should seduce him.¡¯ He was not an opponent whom she could overpower one-on-one. Fortunately, he was the playboy Ragnar. Isn¡¯t it said that he¡¯ll be happy with anyone wearing a skirt? It was considered fortunate that her gender was a woman. It won¡¯t be difficult. Probably. After spending a night with him, she¡¯ll take the sword while he is asleep. In her head, she pictured herself with the Holy Sword. Christa looked at the old mirror without saying a word. She saw her body that was like a skinny wooden stick. She hurriedly lowered her sleeve and covered her thin wrist, but it was useless. Her face was pale and sunken. She could see herself with a shabby look and dead eyes. Chapter 8 ¡°Can I¡­¡­.¡± She felt her confidence drop to the floor. Christa quietly took a wooden comb out of the drawer and brushed off her long silver hair. Her hair that was not trimmed while rolling on the battlefield was dry and lackluster, so it kept getting caught. The comb kept falling off because of the tips. She slowly cleared her breath. There was a flash of memory. It was about the end of Ragnar¡¯s life. ¡®If I remember correctly, Ragnar will soon die.¡¯ That will happen again in this life. If so, it would have been more trouble. ¡î*: .?. .?.:*¡î Christa woke up early in the morning. Last night¡¯s fatigue did not go away, so her eyelids were heavy. She barely opened her eyes and blinked a few times to shake off her sleepiness. Silver eyelashes move busily in the morning sunlight. ¡®How many times did he do it?¡¯ Suddenly, she remembered the memories of last night one after another, and her face turned red. This man acted completely differently from what she knew. Her first experience was, of course, her husband, Count Pasquier, before returning. The act of starting without any foreplay was so different from that of last night. Christa had to take off her clothes and wait for her husband to come, and the count came in after drinking and clung to her. Sometimes he choked or put her cheek up and spouted abusive language and violence every time. For her, it was just a time of pain and patience. But last night, it was so different. How can she forget that intense gaze? The golden eyes with burning flames were intense as if they would swallow her. In addition, no matter how persistent he was, hot emotions came out with one gesture. It wasn¡¯t that she didn¡¯t know his sincerity, but this went too far. Even now, Ragnar¡¯s thick forearms did not release her waist and is tightly wrapped around her. She felt his high body temperature from him. His breath that touches the back of her neck is hot. Did you do this with other women? Did they share such passionate feelings? Did he look at them with burning, longing eyes? ¡°¡­¡­.¡± She managed to tear his forearm off her hand. She looked at Ragnar¡¯s sleeping face just in case he woke up, but she still heard a series of even breathing sounds. ¡°Phew¡­¡± Christa carefully shifted her weight out of bed. She put one foot on the floor and moved her waist. ¡°Ugh.¡± I almost groaned. Her lower abdomen was followed by unspeakable pain. She held on by biting her molars tightly. ¡®There¡¯s no time to hesitate.¡¯ Christa¡¯s eyes were only looking at one place from the beginning. It¡¯s the Holy Sword. She carefully slid down the sheet with her gown and chemise on the floor. As she stood on her two feet and took a step, the pain, which was more powerful than before, came in. In case sound might come out of her mouth, she covered her mouth with her fist and bit her thumb tightly. The steps she took were so heavy that she felt like she was going to collapse. ¡°Um¡­.¡± She heard Ragnar tossing and turning. Christa looked back quickly in amazement. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Before she knew it, his hand was holding the hem of her dress. ¡®You¡¯re not awake, are you?¡¯ Fortunately, he was breathing and exhaling evenly. She felt like he was sleeping. He must have been tired because he embraced her, who was about to faint just before dawn, and pushed her so persistently. The sound of even breathing echoed through the bedroom. ¡®He won¡¯t let go.¡­.¡¯ She had no choice but to give up her clothes. She thought he would wake up if she touched it more clumsily. More important than that is the Holy Sword. A jewel-decorated sword was thrown together on the pile of clothes Ragnar had taken off. Originally, it would be something that can be handled more preciously. At any rate, she caught the sword. It was a sword decorated with colorful jewels such as diamonds and sapphires around a large ruby with elaborate silver work. Christa carefully pulled out the sword from the sheath. The silver sword was decorated with delicate patterns and ancient characters. It won¡¯t be able to cut anything off because it¡¯s made of soft silver. It was more of a decorative sword than a combat sword. However, even an ornamental sword was well forged for that day. ¡®The sword that destroys everything.¡¯ And what gave her death before she went back in time. Christa touched the blade without hesitation. The burning pain came through her fingertips. A drop of blood fell on the floor, forming a red, small circle. Unlike ordinary sword cuts, the wounds on the fingertips did not heal easily. Christa put her finger in her mouth. ¡®This is real!¡¯ Her heart fluttered wildly. ¡î*: .?. .?.:*¡î Ragnar, who had fallen into a deep sleep without dreaming for a long time, was amazed by her. As soon as he opened his eyes, he felt next to him, but as expected, the bed was empty. He had only a thin camisole in his hand that she had left behind. To some extent, he expected it, but when she actually did, he didn¡¯t feel so happy. ¡°Ha¡­¡± Although it was an impulsive night, at least he was sincere. Usually, he pushed the other person away appropriately, who offered him a blatant temptation. The young ladies, who were rejected by him, began to spread rumors that he was more clingy or an irredeemable promiscuous playboy after doing so. That¡¯s how he got the rumors of his promiscuous lifestyle. That¡¯s what he¡¯s after. As rumors spread that he liked to play and was promiscuous, the imperial family¡¯s checks decreased. By the way, his mouth felt as if he had been beaten in the back of his head from the morning breeze. But there was nothing much he could do, so he rose from his bed and looked for clothes. And belatedly, he realized that the Holy Sword had disappeared. He hesitated for a long time about what to do. The sound of the breath escaping came out of his mouth. He felt a tingling sensation at the back of his neck. ¡°Should I say she¡¯s bold or stupid?¡± Why? Questions arose before anger. Christa Palmaril¡¯s behavior has been strange since last night. She, who seemed indifferent to the world, came to him on her own and seduced him. When she acted so aggressively, she was as stiff as a wooden stone on the bed. He thought she would run away, saying she couldn¡¯t do it quickly, but that wasn¡¯t the case. Her icy body melted into his hands and shared joy. Her unstable mind gives off the same energy as if her powers were about to run wild, but when he stabilized her through guiding, her even wavelength returned. He felt good because he met an Esper, who was such a good match to him after a long time. A very good match. And she disappeared like dawn. With the Holy Sword. He couldn¡¯t fathom what she was up to. Does she want to sell the Holy Sword for money? He doesn¡¯t remember well, but it was just a silver sword with a few jewels embedded on the outside. Although it was a national treasure-level religious relic, is it something she would covet so much? He¡¯ll catch the tail in no time if he looks for her, right? Why did she do something so obvious? There were countless question marks in Ragnar¡¯s head. Come to think of it, a woman named Christa Palmarill was always a stain in the corner of his mind. It is her he sees in a white, long distance. Thinking something would break her body if she¡¯s hit. She was not worthy of being a soldier. Chapter 9 2. Disappointment It was the first time he saw Christa Palmaril. No, Ragnar first met her during the Battle of Logolian Gorge, the last battle of the Three Kingdoms Unification War. At that time, they were stranded for days near the Logolian Mountains due to supply delays. It was already the second day since he learned that the supply unit was attacked by enemy troops from the rear. Perhaps because his legs were tied up in a position where he might be attacked at night, the tension of his subordinates was at its peak. The most serious problem was the shortage of supplies. There was a lack of water, food, and stamina. During this period, Logolian Gorge was warm and humid before entering the rainy season. It was scorching hot even though it was morning. The lack of water in such heat was a serious problem. The fourth unit consisted of ten skirmishers. She was the commander-in-chief who led them. ¡°The skirmisher team is off to find a water source.¡± Christa Palmaril didn¡¯t seem to have the skills to take the helm of the rearguard at all. She had a completely unreliable appearance and atmosphere. She was a terribly thin woman who looked like she had been bleached white and was not like a soldier. Above all, her face seemed to collapse at any moment. Her red eyes, as if they had dropped blood droplets, could not be seen in spite of their intense color. Ragnar¡¯s beautiful brows frowned. He moistened his dry lips with his tongue. It¡¯s already been days since the water ran out. Three days have passed since the water conservation began to dry. Everyone suffered from burning thirst. Ragnar did not enjoy that right, despite being the supreme commander in chief. He was drinking water sparingly, just like the junior knights. Some of his men took their pee and drank it, but he couldn¡¯t drink water alone. He distributed water mainly to the injured. Thanks to this, Ragnar himself suffered from thirst all night. He could drink his wine, but then he would be more thirsty, so he didn¡¯t drink it. ¡°Even if she looks like that, her skills are good. She¡¯s a Class F, also an Esper.¡± The Chief of Staff Mervin Ferride was a vassal who served the Argonod family for generations. Mervin, who has been assisting and watching Ragnar¡¯s every move since childhood, closely noticed his master¡¯s distrust and defended her. Christa Palmaril was quick to recite the fact that she had made a mark in some big battles and that she had good capabilities. And the fact that she¡¯s an Esper who has a better temperament than ordinary people. But such a defense never reached his ears. ¡°It doesn¡¯t suit her.¡± She didn¡¯t belong in this war zone at all. It¡¯s not like he¡¯s in a war, but he has to rely on a skinny woman who can¡¯t seem to be able to kill a single ant cub like that. It was hopeless. Recently, a new group of talented people called ¡°Esper¡± stood out. Their physical abilities were superior to those of ordinary people, but instead their mental state was poor. Although Ragnar himself awakened as a ¡°guide,¡± unlike Esper, who has new abilities, a guide was seemingly no different from before their awakening. Therefore, there were many cases where they were not aware of their abilities. The woman in question, Christa Palmaril, came close to the barracks where they sat and saluted. Therefore, he couldn¡¯t trust an Esper, who was always on a rampage. Therefore, saying that it is okay because she is an Esper only fueled his distrustful feelings. ¡°Crista Palmaril, the 10th Captain of the 4th Cavalry. I see Chief Argonod and Chief of Staff Mervin Ferride. We will leave at 07:00 today.¡± A calm tone that was neither high nor low; a tone that was neither tense nor exalted. She spouted a word in a businesslike manner and swirled around. It was impulsive even to Ragnar¡¯s mind. He was suddenly holding her hand before he knew it. ¡°Wait a minute.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Your badge is out of place.¡± She was silent. She didn¡¯t even rush to answer. She just looked at his hand with no expression. The single-winged eagle-shaped badge made of iron was a sign that she was the head of one of the Golden Knights. One wing because she is a decadent. It didn¡¯t really matter how, but he pointed it out. He wanted to try holding her hand. He didn¡¯t want to make a sexual contact, he just wanted to make sure she was really alive. Because her face was like a corpse on the verge of death. It was a cold hand. Even in the face he saw up close, he couldn¡¯t find any color. He didn¡¯t mean to guide her, but he guided her lightly. ¡°Are you nervous? Your hands are cold.¡± ¡°My body temperature is naturally low.¡± A dry answer came right back. She was not at all disturbed when her immediate boss suddenly grabbed her hand or tried to guide her. Then something came to mind. His guide rating was S-class, the highest level in existence. A low-grade Esper said he did not even recognize whether he received guidance if the gap in the grade was large. That¡¯s why she doesn¡¯t even know she¡¯s being guided. For a moment, he thought he did something useless, because she just didn¡¯t recognize it, and he thought it was okay because the guiding would have worked. ¡°I see. I wish you good luck, Captain.¡± Then Christa bowed her head slightly and saluted. At that moment, Ragnar was following her silver thread-like hair with his eyes. And at the same time, he was under the illusion that a cool wind was blowing from her. The freshness was pleasant. Even though it was still early in the morning, the cruel sun was in full swing to show its dignity. Knights wearing tens of pounds of iron armor could experience what it is to be boiled alive. But where does this coolness come from? It was coming from her. His frowned face straightened. It felt like a cold frost was flying. Perhaps the place where she should be is not this scorching battlefield, but a far northern ice castle. The idea that the place was the best fit for her was rich in his head. Ragnar recalled the northern frozen Wiscious, the fief of Argonod. Standing on the endless white snowfield, she seemed to fit perfectly with the snow-fluttering landscape. ¡°I¡¯ll leave now.¡± She saluted again and turned back and went her way. And exactly half a day later, she found a water source and came back. In addition, the third unit that went hunting was found and led the supply unit. The morale of the knights, who were exhausted both physically and mentally, rose at once. After water and food were secured, he was energized. The water-saving ordinance was also lifted. A small banquet was held that evening. While waiting for water and supplies, the hunted animals were dismantled. It¡¯s been a long time since he¡¯s had a rough meal that he¡¯s soaked in order to provide proper nutrition. In the meantime, Ragnar saw Christa Palmaril sneak up and leave. Ragnar approached Christa. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since you had a proper meal. Aren¡¯t you going to eat?¡± In any case, she was the biggest contributor today. It was a job deserving of praise. Chapter 10 ¡°I¡¯ve eaten enough.¡± A soldier should eat well whenever he/she can. ¡°Tomorrow is also a forced march.¡± She only had one bowl of stew. He¡¯s been watching her eat the most savory food in the world with a forced look on her face. ¡°I¡­¡­ already had enough¡­¡­.¡± When he saw her with a really troubled look on her face, he felt an unexpected anger. ¡°Eat this, too.¡± On Christa¡¯s plate, two large pieces of well-grilled deer meat were placed. It was a deer that Unit 2 caught earlier. Of course, Ragnar got the best part for himself. He wanted to feed it to her. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± She already had a face as white as a sheet of paper. ¡°I¡¯ll be watching you until you finish eating.¡± In the end, Ragnar fed Christa two pieces of deer meat, which was not enough, so he fed her one more whole boar and one more piece of wings of a wild grouse. He let her go only after he saw her eat it all up. ¡°Well¡­¡­ Captain. Now, it¡¯s really¡­¡­.¡± Her complexion was now bluish and more weary. ¡®This isn¡¯t it¡­¡­.¡¯ In addition, he could see fellow knights sitting around her, staring only at the bottom of the water. Everyone fell at a certain distance, as if a radial shield had been placed around Ragnar and Christa. The knights who were bowing their heads and rolling their eyes were all trembling with anxiety. Only then did he remember his own iron rule that he must not stay with low-ranking knights during their free time. He didn¡¯t want to look like a boss like this, but how did this happen? Ragnar got up with a small cough. ¡°Excuse me. Anyway, eat and drink as much as you want tonight. Today¡¯s credit is due to you, Sir Palmaril.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Yes.¡± She grabbed her stomach, barely able to respond. He¡¯d rather refuse an order than feel so sick. But Christa Palmaril had constantly insisted that she could no longer eat. He just forced her to eat this and that because of his greed. He felt even more shabby to see himself shifting the blame on her. ¡°For some reason, the leader even took care of his subordinates¡¯ eating habits.¡± An idiot suddenly appeared in the place where junior knights were relaxing. It was also a kind of disaster that the chief of the Knights, the highest ranking official, intervened senselessly. All the knights, including Christa, could not hide their embarrassment. ¡°I don¡¯t know. She¡¯s done a great job.¡± ¡®Damn it.¡¯ Ragnar quickly entered the barracks, swearing inside. He took medicine out of his pack. It was an indigestion medicine. And he took out the Aubrisian wine that he had saved. He ordered it to be delivered to the Knight Palmaril. ¡®Causing her to get sick and giving her medicine.¡¯ It was the worst. He might have been excited because the long tension had eased. ¡°I¡¯m such a fool.¡± It was only after she received the goods handed over by the servant from afar and watched her, that he was relieved. That¡¯s how the day ended. He cared about her anyway. It was a lie if she didn¡¯t bother him. To that extent he was aware of himself. ¡î*: .?. .?.:*¡î The war was like a long tunnel with no end in sight. Ragnar has just received a report from the search unit. It was said that the passage to the enemy¡¯s camp was blocked. He asked, pointing at the map. ¡°Is this the only bridge?¡± Chief of staff Mervin Ferride touched the river stem marked on the map. ¡°If we go back east, we¡¯ll find a shallow pool, but the forest across the street is quite suspicious.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a good chance of an ambush.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°How long will it take to repair the bridge?¡± Mervin calculated the date by nervously turning over the pile of papers. ¡°About three days¡­¡­ No, it will take two days if we do well.¡± ¡°Try to shorten it as much as possible.¡± He had to choose whether to go forward by fixing the bridge or going where it was obvious that it would be a trap. It was about three days after the rear reinforcements arrived, but time was running out to wait for the reinforcements that might or might not come. ¡°Let¡¯s split in two. The first, second, and third units go east with me and cross the river. The 4th and 5th units join the rear reinforcements, repair the South Bridge with second Lieutenant Aibar.¡± ¡°It could be a trap.¡± Mervin said with a stiff look on his face. ¡°Maybe it is. But there¡¯s no other way.¡± If they delay further, they will be stranded again due to a lack of supplies. Rather, he decided to make a forced breakthrough. Ragnar¡¯s choice was largely correct. His judgment was for the majority of his subordinates to survive. Arriving in the shallow waters of the east, he chose a night attack instead of rushing straight toward the forest. The operation succeeded, but the number of enemy troops was smaller than expected. It was half the force he expected. The other half was ambushed at the broken bridge. Hearing that the battle had begun in Unit 4 and Unit 5, which had been entrusted with the restoration of the bridge, he quickly moved the entire army. If he held out a little longer, support would have come from the back. ¡®If you can hang in there a little longer.¡¯ It occurred to him for a moment that he wished she was alive in Unit 4. He ran straight on the horse. He bit his molars hard. It wasn¡¯t good to think nonsense now. However, once the tide began to open, it would eventually overflow as if a large bank had burst. When Ragnar arrived at the battlefield, he saw a familiar figure at a glance. It was Christa. It was no exaggeration to say that her situation was a desperate crisis. Surrounded by two enemy troops, with shield nowhere. She was fighting with a sword of blood alone. Her abdomen was covered with one hand, bleeding, as if it had been a fatal wound. But her expression was still surprisingly calm. ¡°She¡¯s really¡­¡­!¡± Suddenly there was a seething feeling with a burning sensation. Chapter 11 Christa moved before he could say anything. Her body reeled very precariously. She seems to give up her weaknesses like that, but she is attacking her opponent nonetheless. By a hair¡¯s breadth, like throwing her body out as bait. This is what the strategy of giving away flesh and taking bones is. She was literally giving away her flesh. Her original white color showed no trace. She is painted in dark red from head to toe. As she was covered with her own blood and the enemy¡¯s blood. ¡°This bitch is running away from me!¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Despite the opponent¡¯s harsh provocation, Christa did not fall for it at all. In the first place, her opponent was completely belittling her. That¡¯s why she launched a blatant attack with her hand clenching her abdomen. But that was Christa¡¯s target. The enemy¡¯s blade penetrated her left arm. ¡°!!¡± At that moment, Christa¡¯s eyes twinkled. If Ragnar¡¯s eyesight was not wrong, it was not an illusion that the corners of her mouth were curled up now. She swung the sword in her right hand and penetrated the enemy¡¯s neck. Warm blood covered Christa¡¯s face. ¡°Are you crazy because you want to die?¡± Watching the scene from afar, Ragnar finally came to his senses and uttered harsh swear words. He spurred on the horse. There is still one more enemy force left. Ragnar shot the enemy in the neck, who was ready to attack, aiming for the back of Christa¡¯s head. She turned around when she heard the bubbling sound. ¡°Oh, Captain.¡± She found Ragnar and answered. With a calm face as if it were a morning greeting. Somehow, she seemed very vivid now, unlike usual, when he felt like she was going to die soon. It was strange that this woman was so lively. ¡°Sir Palmaril, your injury is serious.¡± Christa tilted her head when she heard it. And she held and unfolded her injured left hand a few times. Every time that happens, blood drips on the ground. ¡°I can still move.¡± She answered so naturally and then suddenly moved her body sharply. There was something red that poured over her face. Her sword stabbed an enemy running from behind Ragnar¡¯s back in the neck. It was a neat move without any unnecessities. ¡®Was the wound in her abdomen a trick?¡¯ He¡¯s sure she was covering her stomach, but now she doesn¡¯t seem to care at all. But it was certainly true that she had just injured her left hand. Ragnar got off the horse. They cut off the approaching enemy forces one after another, facing each other¡¯s backs. She lured the enemy with a staggering motion and then took the lives of several people. ¡®I thought she couldn¡¯t kill a single bug.¡­ It wasn¡¯t the case at all.¡¯ A white woman was struggling to move, coloring her whole body with blood. The corpse-like face that he thought was dead seemed to be full of vitality now. She was closer to death, but she seemed more alive than ever. Christa¡¯s red tongue licked the splattered drops of blood around her mouth. At that moment, the image was deeply embedded in Ragnar¡¯s mind. It wasn¡¯t an appreciation to come up with in this situation, but it was very erotic and colorful. Somehow, everything moved slowly, just as time passed slowly in that scene. Her red tongue, blood, white to red contrast, and black smoke were clearly etched into Ragnar¡¯s eyes. The rear reinforcements and the first, second, and third units led by Ragnar wiped out the remnants of the enemy. The damage was limited to the loss of one-third of the combatants of the 4th and 5th units. It was a relief. And how long has it been? The battle, which seems unlikely to end, is gradually entering the final stage. At that moment, Ragnar seemed like a little kid caught playing pranks he shouldn¡¯t have. His heart sank and his heart seemed to have fallen into the deep ground. It was so hot and noisy that he couldn¡¯t stand it. He ordered the junior knights and his servants to clean up. Cleaning up refers to stabbing through the gap between the armor of the enemy¡¯s dead body with a sword, who might be pretending to be dead. And of course, it includes taking loot. Christa approached Ragnar in the middle of cleaning up. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± However, Christa stood around for a long time and was silent. Ragnar had to wait impatiently. What he¡¯s been waiting to hear for a long time was a very unexpected remark. ¡°Blood.¡± ¡°Blood?¡± Blood was all over the place. What blood are you talking about? Ragnar looked around for a moment. Then Christa pointed directly to his gauntlet. Only then did he realize that red liquid was flowing between his gantry and falling to the ground. ¡°Leader, you¡¯re bleeding. Blood¡­¡­.¡± He seemed to have been stabbed in the forearm. It was a minor wound that wasn¡¯t deep. ¡°I think you are more hurt than I am.¡± The wound in Christa¡¯s abdomen and left hand were fatal. Isn¡¯t it she who is bleeding? However, she was distracted by the bloodstains of Ragnar falling through the gantry with an expression that she didn¡¯t care about her own wounds. ¡°Hurry up and treat it.¡± ¡°A, alright.¡± I answered by surprise. Was she worried about him? However, Christa turned back and ran out, covering her mouth with her hand, with a frown on her forehead with an expression that she had seen the most unpleasant thing in the world. ¡°¡­¡­what was that?¡± However, it was strange that a person with blood all over her body overreacted to his small wound. As expected, Christa Palmaril is a strange woman. ¡®She doesn¡¯t like blood? Well, who likes blood?¡¯ Maybe the combat experience at that time was too intense. Since then, Ragnar has been watching Christa more closely. And he quickly came to a conclusion about her. ¡°In a word, she¡¯s crazy.¡± The more he saw her, the more he couldn¡¯t help thinking she was a crazy woman who wanted to die. She didn¡¯t care even when she came back with several injuries here and there. Like she¡¯s not interested in the safety of her body at all. Still, she survived persistently. The prognosis for her wound recovery was good. Her ability seemed to be focused on healing power. It was useful for a grade F. At least she didn¡¯t fall. Poor medical facilities and inadequate supply. It was the battlefield where when an injury occurred, it will become a life or death situation. But she¡¯s like¨C ¡®It¡¯s like she¡¯s fighting to die.¡¯ Chapter 12 If one goes through war for a long time, he/she will see many people who are out of their minds. Maybe Christa could be said to be of that kind. Her recklessness has plagued Ragnar for a long time. ¡°I think it¡¯s because the expedition was too long.¡± ¡°What? What are you talking about, Captain?¡± In his barracks, he confided his secret feelings to Mervin Ferride, an old friend and his Chief of Staff. Mervin, who knew him best, seemed to know his pain. ¡°My type of women are just cute and lively¡­¡­.¡± ¡°The kind of person who doesn¡¯t get in the way, isn¡¯t clingy, and a person whom I don¡¯t have to take care of.¡± Watching the leader talk nonsense while spouting his false views of women, he felt sorry for his situation. Mervin Ferride sighed quietly. ¡®What should I do with that guy¡¯s unreasonable view of women?¡¯ When he uselessly seduces women, it was mostly Mervin¡¯s responsibility to take care of them. Rather, he thought it would be better for him to date someone rather than do that. It was a nuisance anyway. But the chief of staff¡¯s job was to solve the leader¡¯s problems using their brains. Mervin had long been aware that the subject of his boss¡¯s excessive interest and concern was related to Knight Palmaril. No, he showed such a blatant interest, but unless she¡¯s a fool, there¡¯s no way she wouldn¡¯t have noticed. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be better not to seduce a colleague here in the future?¡± ¡°What nonsense are you talking about again?¡± Seeing that he was bringing up a story about a woman, it was clear who the woman he was referring to. He thinks it¡¯s time to end this fruitless conversation. The victory of the Battle of Logolian marked the victory of the war. Now, the end was on the horizon. ¡°It¡¯s because you haven¡¯t seen a woman for a long time.¡± ¡°Maybe it is. Still, it¡¯s the end of the war.¡± Mervin didn¡¯t deny that they hadn¡¯t seen a woman for a long time. His boss was really a man who seduces people without a thought. For Ragnar, it was a kind of play. He seemed to enjoy the boundary of the emotion that seemed to give him attention. But he didn¡¯t give his sincerity to anyone. The rumor of him being a playboy deserved to spread. Such a person is now only interested in the woman nearest to him because his supply and demand have been disrupted. It was because the war was too long. Mervin decided to think so. ¡°Still, don¡¯t seduce your colleague here. It¡¯s quite a headache for me to clean up.¡± Still, Ragnar was not yet a man without dignity enough to seduce his colleague here, and Christa Palmaril was not much worried because she was a million light years away from Ragnar¡¯s taste. Besides, doesn¡¯t Ragnar say it himself? ¡°Am I crazy? If I go to the capital, the women who are looking for me will be waiting for me, pulling out their turntable.¡± His eyes kept turning to her while saying that. Seeing her eat as much as a bird¡¯s feed made him want to feed her something else. So, especially during mealtime, he wandered around her and made her eat even one more bowl. Christa also seemed to be feeling burdened by her boss¡¯s excessive interest. So she quickly disappeared somewhere during mealtime. But Ragnar quickly found her. Even if she hides with all the best of her ability as a skirmisher. ¡®Why are you so skinny?¡¯ He doesn¡¯t feel good seeing a skinny woman. It was because he remembered the old memories that he tried to forget. ¡°Yudina¡­¡± It¡¯s been a long time since he¡¯s said that name. He doesn¡¯t know how many years it¡¯s been. His mouth tasted bitter. He¡¯s sure he¡¯ll have nightmares tonight. Ragnar tried to get rid of his disbelief by washing his dry face one after another. An overly thin woman who always whispers her death to him. ¡î*: .?. .?.:*¡î Her long hair slowly wound around his neck. No matter how hard he tried to escape, he couldn¡¯t get out. Ten fingers clasped around his neck. Her pale, thin fingers were stuck in Ragnar¡¯s throat. The pressure was so high that he could hardly breathe. A breathtaking swamp of despair enveloped him. She still begs him again and again. Hot tears rolled down the back of her hand. Everything about her was cold, but only tears had warmth. How come this feeling doesn¡¯t change over time. Why can¡¯t these tears stop? He didn¡¯t want to see the resentment in her eyes, so he turned his eyes away. No, he had to go back. He couldn¡¯t stand that empty look. But in his dream, it wasn¡¯t even possible. Ragnar noticed that he was in his usual nightmare that was hard to wake up to. And at that moment he woke up. When he blinked, the stark scenery inside the barracks where he usually slept came into view. He felt alive only when he saw the tarpaulin ceiling, dirty table, map, and random boots. ¡°Heok¡­Heuuuk.¡± At last he breathed heavily. He didn¡¯t even remember how to breathe until a while ago, but his sly lung now needed oxygen to burn life. Since when did he start having sleep paralysis? He had that dream again. A cold sweat ran down his spine. His sweaty body was unpleasant. It was a dream that he didn¡¯t have recently. It was all because of the strange woman that made him dream like this. Christa Palmaril. Because of her. ¡°¡­¡­I need to turn my attention off of her.¡± Ragnar murmured, inhaling a tepid breath. If he could erase it, he wanted to get rid of the stains on the white cloth as if he¡¯s cutting out paper. However, Ragnar¡¯s mind was filled with thoughts about the woman, as if the more he thinks he shouldn¡¯t think of her, the more she occupies his mind. Sometimes his thoughts become so excessive that he thinks he¡¯s going crazy. The war that lasted for 10 years ended in the form of imperial unification led by Tiernat after the final battle. Tiernat, Kalandi, Barich. The former three kingdoms became the new empire Cassidenia. The war came to an end. Fragments of paper flowers burst out here and there. Everyone was having a toast and cheerful music played in the street. The era of peace has started. That¡¯s how Ragnar thought his short, unpleasant relationship with Christa Palmaril was over. It¡¯s a shame, but that¡¯s it. Emotions fade when there¡¯s nothing to see. It will no longer be his concern if her horribly slender limbs, pale face, dead eyes, and weak-looking gait does not catch his eye anymore. I had to be. Chapter 13 It was at the banquet hall that he met her again. ¡°So I, Emperor Pelias I grants the Holy Sword Aliasar, which is known to have been owned by Saint Genava, to repay the loyalty and good faith of Ragnar Argonod.¡± His impression of being granted a Holy Sword was roughly the same. It would have been a tremendous honor for those who were eager to get something from the emperor, but it was only a bothersome and burdensome burden for him. A ceremonial sword without practicality was nothing more than a bothersome affair. It was even labeled as a symbol of harmony between the imperial family and the Argonod family. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s an honor.¡± Ragnar said as politely as he could¡­¡­ He tried to. Because he¡¯s in front of the emperor. Originally, he had to add a little more rhetoric and praise for the emperor, as well as words that add to his humble and touching feelings. From afar, Mervin, the chief of staff, seemed to be seen screaming silently. In fact, Mervin was now in despair, tearing his hair out. ¡°Well, that¡¯s good. Yes, Natalia. Come here and greet the Duke of Argonod.¡± But Pelias I didn¡¯t seem to care much about that. Rather than that, it was more important for him to call out the princess and make her meet him. ¡°The Duke of Argonod. It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you.¡± ¡°Princess Natalia. It¡¯s an honor to meet you, too.¡± It was an uncomfortable, thorny meeting. The emperor was secretly trying to promote a political marriage with the princess. ¡°I¡¯ve heard a lot about your performance on the battlefield. You are the number one contributor to the unification of the empire.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m flattered. It is all thanks to His Majesty that the Empire became united.¡± Under the current emperor were a princess and a crown prince. However, Prince Eilio was a man of many unsavory scandals. The private life of the imperial family was not hidden because they wanted to hide it. In such a situation, Ragnar Argonod, who won the hearts of the people by setting up countless victories, was bound to be a thorn in their eye. In addition, he was a member of the remaining lineage of the Old Tiernat family, which is the precedent of the pre-Casidenian Empire. He has a pedigree background that can sufficiently threaten the emperor¡¯s position. He couldn¡¯t help feeling offended. But he couldn¡¯t let it out easily. The unified empire needed a loyalist like Ragnar, who assisted the Crown Prince who did not win the public¡¯s hearts. They didn¡¯t know when the rebels of the former Three Kingdoms would appear. Ragnar Argonod was now a clear-cut war hero and must have been the first contributor to the unification of the three countries. He was best suited to be the husband of the princess. He marries Natalia and leaves the throne to Prince Eilio when he becomes emperor. That was the image thought by Pelias I. This banquet was the cornerstone. The emperor left his seat and left the two together. As soon as the emperor left, Ragnar said to the imperial daughter Natalia. ¡°Please excuse me.¡± It was Ragnod Ragnod, known for his insolence. He was a person that trembled when it came to the imperial family. He didn¡¯t have a topic to talk about with the princess alone. ¡°Captain!¡± As expected, Mervin, who looked pale and ran quickly. ¡°Are you crazy?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not crazy yet.¡± ¡°No, you¡¯re crazy. Why did you leave the princess alone?¡± ¡°She¡¯s not my cup of tea.¡± Mervin felt a lump in his stomach at his wonderful answer. ¡°You like everything wearing a skirt, remember?¡± At least Ragnar, whom Mervin has seen, did. If so, what can¡¯t be said to Princess Natalia? ¡°The royal family can¡¯t run without their skirts.¡± It came as a great tragedy for everyone that his delicate and broad tastes did not include those of royal blood. Even to Ragnar himself. ¡°I heard that if you play with the princess, it will leave a record every time you play. Besides, the maid and the escort are next to each other to check their position, right?¡± It was true. But Mervin remained silent about that. From his point of view as a vassal, he would rather tell him to marry the princess. It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t know the basis for Ragnar¡¯s hate for the imperial family, but marriage is politics. Moreover, since the war was over, it was a marriage that had to be done anyway. So there is no need to scrape and crumble. Wouldn¡¯t it be reasonable to get the back of the imperial family rather than the wrath of the emperor? ¡°Do you think you can keep avoiding her at the banquet for a week?¡± ¡°I have to run away well, then.¡± Ragnar smiled a playful smile. Mervin sighed deeply. It was because it was obvious that if Ragnar disappeared, everyone would ask him for his whereabouts. He could feel his stomach squirming. It was a chronic stomach ache. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯m going to say that I didn¡¯t even meet the leader today.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± He thought a sarcastic reply would pop out, but surprisingly, he was quiet. ¡°Captain?¡± At the end of the Knight Commander¡¯s gaze, there was a person who was also familiar with Mervin. ¡°Christa Palmaril.¡± Ragnar looked somewhat puzzled. ¡°Wow, it¡¯s my first time seeing Palmaril in a place like this. Even wearing a dress.¡± As Mervin thought, Christa Palmaril was a valuable talent. He knew that if she had been a little more tactful, she would have had the ability to get promoted quickly. Except for character flaws, it was a waste of skill to stop as a decadent. Class F but she is an Esper. She could not use combat capabilities due to her low rating, but her regenerative capabilities were decent. Therefore, if it was used well and the ability value was corrected through guidance, at least she could aim for a chief position. As is the case with all places in the army, the ability to mix well with the superiors is very much appreciated. She had excellent personal skills, but unfortunately lacked social interaction skills. Very lacking at that, too. ¡°Well, since the war is over, she¡¯s here to look for a job.¡± Christa Palmaril would not have even shown her face to group activities. It was unexpected for her to appear at the banquet, but now that the situation has changed, it was not very incomprehensible. Ragnar asked. ¡°Since the war has ended, the army will gradually shrink. I don¡¯t know how many positions there will be left here, but the treatment won¡¯t be as good as it used to be.¡± ¡°Then?¡± Chapter 14 ¡°If she gets a job, it would be as an escort of a lady or something like that. Besides, she¡¯s a member of the Golden Knights. It¡¯s a profession that can give her enough extra points. It¡¯s wise to have her face seen at the banquet.¡± ¡°¡­¡­ Sir Palmaril?¡± ¡°Yes, I can¡¯t imagine it well either, but she has to live with that.¡± In fact, there were many knights with ambiguous positions, including her, at the end of the war banquet today. Because they had to meet a noble to be employed as a regular knight of a nobleman, instead of a mercenary. Ragnar turned his poor imagination. Christa Palmaril, running after a lady and guarding her. It didn¡¯t suit her at all. ¡°It doesn¡¯t suit her.¡± Somehow Ragnar clenched his fist. He could feel his nails digging into his flesh. ¡°Is that so? I think she looks pretty good in a dress.¡± She dressed up in a light and bright apricot dress, not the usual uniform he always sees her wear. Perhaps it was because of her outfit that highlighted her slender body and her unique appearance and atmosphere, she was secretly attracting attention from those around her. ¡°It doesn¡¯t suit her at all.¡± Ragnar snarled out as if he were growling. Somehow he was so angry that he couldn¡¯t bear it. He thought she didn¡¯t fit in on the battlefield, but it was the same here. He felt a sense of incongruity as if only ¡°Christa Palmaril¡± was cut with scissors and pasted on a completely different picture. It was red that suits her. The lively expression that he saw once came to mind. The image of her sticking out her tongue and licking blood. ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°To get some fresh air.¡± Somehow he was frowning. Even more so after seeing Christa. He didn¡¯t want to know what was wrong with him, but Mervin noticed that he was in a bad mood and stepped back. ¡°Then I¡¯ll run away in moderation. We didn¡¯t meet today, alright?¡± Ragnar responded by waving his hands moderately. Mervin sighed deeply when he saw him exit the garden. ¡°What if he gets caught by the emperor? No, I guess he¡¯s already caught his eyes?¡± Ragnar escaped the noisy atmosphere of the banquet hall and went into the garden. Fortunately, there was no one around. A gentle song was heard in the distance, and the cicadas were heard nearby. When the cool night air penetrated his lungs, he finally breathed a little. The moon was beautiful tonight. ¡°I¡¯m tired.¡± He hasn¡¯t been feeling well since a while ago. He didn¡¯t like everything from the emperor¡¯s attitude to the music of the banquet hall. The best wine he¡¯s ever had tasted sour. The food cooked by the imperial chef was like chewing stone and sand. Everything was bad. It was noisy and he could feel his stomach boiling. ¡°Captain.¡± Then a clear and pure voice was heard in his ear. It was a sweet voice. ¡°¡­¡­Sir Palmaril.¡± She showed up. Soft in the moonlight glow breathy, her silver hair. Contrasting red eyes that only contain himself. ¡°Are you free tonight?¡± ¡î*: .?. .?.:*¡î Ragnar sat blankly on the bed. Yesterday, wasn¡¯t she possessed by something? The camisole and silver strands of her hair in his hand are clear evidence of last night. It is more realistic but he feels haunted. It was the moment he felt like having a cigarette so badly. Small bloodstains on the floor at the time came into sight. ¡°Blood.¡± He made a third assumption. What if Christa Palmaril didn¡¯t betray him and steal the Holy Sword but was hurt by someone else? Of course, it was not his blood. There was no wound in his body. But there was blood in a place like this. Of course, it¡¯s a ridiculous story. If there had been another intruder here, he would have noticed right away. Even if it looked like that, she couldn¡¯t have been easily beaten. He didn¡¯t even know what the hell he was delusional for. He felt his heart beating hard. Whether his reasoning was true or not, he didn¡¯t have a good hunch. A very ominous premonition came. In general, his intuition was always on the right side. Ragnar quickly put on his clothes and stormed out of the door. He focused his whole body¡¯s senses as much as he could in order not to miss a single trace. ¡°Where did she go?¡­.¡± He sped up his pace and eventually ran. He never ran except for training. Because he didn¡¯t have to run. He who had everything was bound to walk leisurely. Because it was his life. He ran looking for all the traces of Christa. Usually, it was the characteristic of a skirmisher to leave no trace of themselves. But¡­ The dirt marks, grass, dry mud, and her scent, led him to her location. There was Christa. She¡¯s aiming the sword at her neck. ¡®This woman!¡¯ ¡î*: .?. .?.:*¡î Christa hesitated for a long time. She successfully ran away with the sword. But when she got it, she didn¡¯t know what to do and was lost in confusion. She had a plan from the beginning, but now nothing came to mind. The weight of the ornamental sword in her right hand weighed on her. Chapter 15 In exchange for one night, she obtained the death that she longed for. The only thing left was to pierce her neck the same way as she usually does when slaughtering people. It¡¯s so easy to die. However, no matter how indifferent Christa was, she was afraid of her second death. She remembered the terrible pain of being tortured and burned at the stake. What if she fails? What if she can¡¯t die and suffer instead? Her whole body trembled. When she took someone¡¯s life, she was able to stab them without a blink, but she was afraid the moment it became her life she¡¯s about to take. ¡®Most definitely¡­¡­ If I¡¯m going to do this¡­¡­.¡¯ Cold sweat runs through the nape of her neck. She¡¯s been painting death like that, but she realized that even in her head, she naturally excluded direct words related to death. ¡°Haha¡­¡± Christa remembered what she had thought while smelling the mold at the dungeon the whole time she was imprisoned. A burst of laughter broke out. What the hell is she hesitating for? The victims of her blood-stained hands, the painful screams. Among them were innocent civilians. There was a colleague of hers who crossed the line with her. Didn¡¯t she tear up all those lives mercilessly as if laughing at them? She was a monster. It had to end now so as not to repeat the same mistakes. She recovered her breath and carefully lifted the silver sword. The sharp blade reflected the sunlight and created a rainbow of light. It¡¯s blinding. Then she heard someone¡¯s voice. ¡°Christa!¡± It was Ragnar. His figure suddenly appeared in front of her. Then he grabbed the blade with his bare hands. ¡°C, Captain?¡± Christa tried to figure out what was happening now with her surprised rabbit eyes. Why did this guy show up here all of a sudden? How did he know? There was only one answer. ¡®Oh, he wants to get the Holy Sword back¡­¡­.¡¯ Christa¡¯s red eyes fluttered relentlessly. ¡°Are you crazy?¡± Ragnar grabbed the blade with his left hand and pulled it down. At the same time, he grabbed Christa¡¯s hand holding the sword handle with his other hand. ¡°Ah¡­¡± An emergency signal rang through Christa¡¯s head. She stiffened with embarrassment. She doesn¡¯t know how to deal with this situation. This situation was unexpected. Therefore, she had no choice but to stay still like a frozen frog in front of its natural enemy. The two have been in such a close standoff for some time. It was Ragnar¡¯s side who spoke first. ¡°Like that¡­¡± Ragnar¡¯s voice was rather exasperated. She felt like he¡¯s about to explode and that he¡¯s trying so hard to be patient. His right hand that wrapped around Christa¡¯s hand, was trembling. She could feel the humid heat through her palm. His rough breathing and his flushed face seemed quite angry. So it will be. She¡¯s been caught stealing. Christa was prepared to be beaten up a few times. She closed her eyes tightly and bit her molars. However, what Ragnar said was a word that was difficult to understand. ¡°Was it that bad? You wanted to die right after you did it with me?¡± ¡°What?¡± She was prepared for a punch, but the violence she had been waiting for did not return. What did this guy just say? She had to repeat in her head what she heard. ¡®Was it bad? What is? After doing it? It?¡¯ ¡°Ah!¡± At once her pale face heated up as if it had been painted red. His next word was hard to hear. Last night¡¯s persistent affair came to mind. The act of connecting with excellent guidance was very pleasant. She even bit the back of his neck last night without realizing it. To be exact, it was an unconscious act of finding the source of guiding, the essence of life flowing under his skin. Even now, the teeth marks she made are clear between the hem of his clothes. Even before her regression, she took life by biting the back of a person¡¯s neck like this. At that time, the memory was faint and sparsely cut off. But it wasn¡¯t like that last night. The act had a good intention. Christa knew she was desperate for it. The fact that she can never forget what she¡¯s already experienced once. How dare she do such a thing and think of staying alive. Blood rushed to her face to the point where her hot face became stiffer. At that moment she was seized with a great sense of sin. When she got back to her senses, Ragnar¡¯s blood was dripping on the floor. It was a natural result because he grabbed the blade with his bare hands. The blood on the floor created a small puddle and gradually expanded her power. Christa felt her senses becoming extremely sensitive. Even though there¡¯s no way, the sound of blood dripping on the floor hit her ears like thunder. She heard a vibrating sound like a bug¡¯s wing. She felt like every cell from the top of her head to the tip of her toes was waking up. Her back is tingling. Now Christa knew this sense well. This is a symptom of her power about to run wild. Her head was boiling with water. It was obvious that if she did something wrong here, she would lose her reason again and attack people. It was hot as if her throat was burning. Warm hunger comes from deep in her stomach. There is only one thing to do to satisfy this hunger. ¡°Say anything¨C¡± ¡°Please¡­ stay away.¡± That was the most resistance Christa could muster. Her eyes keep blinking black. At this rate¡­¡­. ¡°Haa¡­ Haah¡­¡­.¡± Chapter 16 Her breathing gradually became weak. Her shoulders move up and down, shaking. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Ragnar seemed to have sensed a sense of incompatibility closely. He had a good sixth sense. ¡°It¡¯s dangerous¡­¡­. Get away from me.¡± ¡®Monster!¡¯ ¡®Monster bitch!¡¯ It wasn¡¯t that she didn¡¯t know why her aunt called her that. What she heard many times before she died in her previous life was truly true. She was a monster who hurt people. She doesn¡¯t even remember how many people she killed with this hand. Power entered Christa¡¯s hand holding the sword¡¯s hilt. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about this first.¡± However, Ragnar¡¯s left hand was still stubbornly holding the blade. Naturally, there was a burst of blood, and the red liquid flowed down the back of Christa¡¯s white hand. Ragnar took off Christa¡¯s fingers one by one, holding the knife with the other hand at the same time, regardless of his wounds. Her bony fingers were released one after another. Ragnar did not miss the opportunity and quickly snatched the knife with his right hand. After lowering the weapon, he finally relaxed. In fact, he has been unhappy with the sight of Christa pointing the sword at herself since earlier. ¡®It¡¯s supposed to be a decorative knife that can¡¯t even cut meat. However on the contrary, it cuts very well.¡¯ Belatedly, Ragnar realized that he had grabbed the blade. He didn¡¯t even feel the pain earlier, but after he became conscious of it, he felt a sharp pain. Blood came out of his veins as if they had been cut. He was glad that he didn¡¯t use his left hand very much. However, this woman is in worse condition than his injured self. She looked like a crazy person somehow. ¡°Christa?¡± It wasn¡¯t until he called her name that Ragnar realized that he had been with her for quite some time without calling her name. He called her Sir Palmaril, or the position of a decadent, or you, there, that, and so on. Even last night he didn¡¯t call her by name. But now, he thinks he just wanted to call her by her name. But Christa was still silent with her head down. ¡°Christa¡­¡± He couldn¡¯t lift his right hand holding the sword, so he grabbed her with his injured left hand. When he saw the red blood stain on her light dress, he was like, ¡°Oh, my.¡± At that moment, Christa¡¯s upper body shook irregularly. ¡®Are you crying?¡¯ Ragnar¡¯s body stiffened. A thin woman touches an old wound on him. In a word, it was terrible. In addition, her crying made him more so. But he can¡¯t believe this skinny woman is crying in front of him. It was a combination that made him feel numb. But seeing her in tears, he felt more sorry for her than his inner situation. He felt like all this was his fault. ¡°Chris¡­¡± But what happened next left Ragnar¡¯s mind blank. He couldn¡¯t believe the sight before him. Christa put her mouth on his palm. Then, following the wound in his hand, she moved her tongue. Perhaps because of the stimulation wetted by the throbbing wound, the pain spread brightly. It was not only painful, but also a completely new sensation. ¡°¡­¡­¡­wh, what?¡± Her red tongue was continuously licking his hands. He felt like he heard a drum beating somewhere. This sound is an emergency drum. This is a sign of an enemy attack. His mind went blank and time stopped. Everything moved slowly and slowly and he seemed to exist only in this world with a woman named Christa Palmaril. Anyway, it was clear that things were going crazy to the point where he didn¡¯t know what was what. His face was as hot as a fire. The noise in his ears was not the sound of drums. It was the sound of his heart beating. His heart was constricting and relaxing like crazy enough to hear a sound in his ear. It¡¯s as if he¡¯s been on a sprint. Only the sharp and sweet pain of his palm woke up his sense of reality. ¡®What the hell is this woman?¡¯ Ragnar¡¯s brain cells moved quickly. The woman in question, Christa Palmaril, is now a huge mystery. A sense of helplessness pours in as if he¡¯s encountered an unsolved mathematical challenge. He knew she was a strange woman from the beginning, but she was so bizarre that it went far beyond his understanding. After seducing him so boldly, she showed an innocent and stiff attitude. What was her sudden act of biting a person¡¯s neck? It was like that yesterday. As expected, he thought that Christa came to him because she had some feelings for him. There¡¯s something that doesn¡¯t necessarily have to be said. He thought they were like that last night. He thought they connected to each other to some extent, but Christa disappeared with the sword at dawn. Even so, with his broad generosity, he can let it go. However, how should he explain the situation in which she licks her superior¡¯s hand while aiming the Holy Sword to her neck as if she was trying to commit suicide? ¡°Christa?¡± ¡°Ha!¡± She stopped doing what she was focused on at his call. Then she slowly raised her head with a face that seemed to collapse at any moment. Her mouth was stained with red blood. The color combination was so colorful. It was like seeing a red fruit falling on the soft snow. ¡°I, I¡¯m¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡­ yes.¡± Her face was whiter than ever. In a way, it was Ragnar who was hurt and injured, but Christa seemed to be on the verge of collapsing. There was an awkward and long silence between the two. Ragnar hesitated to say something. No matter how eloquent he was, he couldn¡¯t think of what to say in this situation. Then Christa shook Ragnar¡¯s hand. ¡°Uh¡­¡± Ragnar had no choice but to make a silly noise. Christa didn¡¯t even seem to have Ragnar in sight anymore. Then, she turned her back and quickly ran somewhere. Somehow he couldn¡¯t go after her right away. So he had no choice but to watch her back for a long time until she appeared to be a small dot. ¡°¡­¡­W, what the hell?¡± He stood there blankly for a long time. He alternately looked at the wound in his palm and the direction in which she ran, and turned to the sword caught in his hand. The sword, which seemed dull, absorbed Ragnar¡¯s blood and flashed. ¡°Am I possessed?¡± Ragnar staggered with dizziness. He kept muttering to himself and touching his chest. His fluttering heart showed no sign of calming down. ???©¬???©¬? ?? advanced chapters available here Chapter 17 3. The Shadow The victory banquet lasted for a week. Since it was mandatory to participate for three days, most of the Golden Knights did not leave the banquet hall for three days. Ragnar visited the banquet hall again just in case. She came here last time, so he thought maybe he could see Christa there. ¡®Christa is¡­ As expected, she¡¯s not here.¡¯ But she was nowhere in sight, as expected. It was only natural since they parted in such a strange way. He asked her fellow knights for her whereabouts, but he couldn¡¯t get a proper answer. In the first place, there seemed to be no one within the Knights who could be considered close to her. At that point, Ragnar¡¯s remaining patience snapped. ¡°What am I doing here?¡± It was very unusual for him to show his face to royal banquets consecutively. ¡°Well, that¡¯s all I need to do.¡± The first thing to detect Ragnar¡¯s disturbing behavior was Mervin Ferride. ¡°Captain, what are you thinking now? Do you know how difficult it was for me when you disappeared suddenly yesterday? Where on earth did you go yesterday?¡± ¡°Are you curious?¡± ¡°Am I curious?¡± Ragnar asked, smiling with a natural face. At that moment, Mervin waved his hand. ¡°Oh, no, wait, just don¡¯t talk.¡± ¡°It¡¯s an interesting story to know¡­¡­.¡± Ragnar smiled broadly. It was a heavenly smile. ¡°I don¡¯t want to know. Where are you going?¡± Predicting his behavior based on his boss¡¯s expression. Ragnar thinks he has a great subordinate, so he¡¯ll give him a reward one day. He made up his mind. ¡°But I¡¯ve endured it for a long time. He showed his face for two days. I think he¡¯s going back to the mansion now.¡± As expected, he is trying to run away. It was a fact that everyone in this banquet hall was aware that the emperor kept staring at this place from afar. Moreover, Ragnar has yet to even greet Prince Elio. ¡°P, please bear with me a little longer. Why don¡¯t you greet the royal family? Yes?¡± The word ¡°please¡± seemed to pop out of Mervin¡¯s mouth. However, he knew that such pleas would not work. Sure enough, his determination to leave the whole situation to his staff and disappear was unchanged. Then someone came up to them. ¡°Who is this, Duke Argonod?¡± It was Elio the Crown Prince. There were plenty of vassals surrounding him. Ragnar¡¯s expression when he saw him quickly turned into a face that seemed to have chewed on a bug, but he quickly recovered his expression and greeted him. ¡°It¡¯s an honor for His Highness the Crown Prince to greet me himself.¡± Prince Elio was a delicate-looking man with platinum blonde hair as pale as his face, light green eyes resembling Peridot, and a sleek jawline. As much as the delicacy of his sculpture-like face, the dignity of the imperial family permeated throughout his body. ¡°How could I let the General, the first contributor to the unification of the Empire, lead his heavy butt and go to me himself?¡± Elio¡¯s green eyes were quite bright today. But Ragnar did not lose either. ¡°Doesn¡¯t Your Highness know that my butt is heavy?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not here to talk about your lower body.¡± ¡°Long time no see, Your Highness Elio.¡± ¡°Long time no see, Ragnar.¡± The two shook hands and exchanged formal greetings. The conversation felt very friendly, but he couldn¡¯t feel any emotion in his expression. Elio coughed softly. ¡°Yeah, Natalia was so upset that you didn¡¯t ask for a dance even once.¡± At that time, the imperial princess Natalia appeared behind Elio. ¡°Oh my, brother.¡± Natalia was wearing an alluring dress. The front of her inflated dress, which pulled up her chest to the fullest, showed off its bursting charm. Her fake mole had various social meanings depending on its location. For example, a mole located at the edge of her cheek meant presence, and the center of the cheek meant elegance. However, Natalia¡¯s mole¡¯s position was very significant today. If one interprets the meaning, it could mean that she¡¯s going to get engaged soon. Ragnar pretended not to see anything and looked calm. Natalia gently covers her face with a fan made by a top craftsman on the eastern continent. She seemed to be waiting for a dance request. He put up with a sigh that came out of him. Natalia and Elio¡¯s expectant eyes filled his stomach. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I injured my hand in the morning by a small mistake.¡± His left hand was sewn, hemostatic grass was crushed and applied to it, and a bandage was roughly wrapped around it. It was a treatment that would only be done in a field hospital. However, if he showed it to his doctor, he had no choice but to take care of it roughly because he did not know what reprimand he would receive. It¡¯s more of an ignorant thing than an actual mistake. Holding the blade with bare hands was something that even a child would not do. ¡°Oh, did you get treatment? Should I call the royal doctor?¡± When Natalia made a fuss, Ragnar gently stopped her. ¡°As you can see, I already had it treated. However, unfortunately, I am not in a state where I can escort the lady.¡± ¡°The Duke¡¯s health comes first.¡± Natalia lowered her eyes. Like Elio, platinum blonde hair and peridot-colored green eyes shook softly. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry to have troubled you.¡± ¡°No, don¡¯t be.¡± That said, Natalia didn¡¯t know how to hide her sulky expression. Her fan was flapping disapprovingly and waving her head under her ears. The fan soon snapped and folded. ¡°I¡¯m going to rest now.¡± She bowed her knees and left. He thought it would be better to leave as well, but Elio caught Ragnar as he was about to leave. ¡°If dancing is hard, it¡¯ll be okay to chat for a while, right?¡± He didn¡¯t think any more rejection would work here. Emperor Pelias was waiting in a separate room in the banquet hall ¨C mainly an arcade for male guests. His mouth was filled with the thought that he had been dragged into it. ¡°Welcome, Duke Argonod.¡± Pelias personally inquired after him. Elio took out a cigar and cut the tip with a cutter. A long silence filled the space. ¡°So what did you want to talk about for bringing me here?¡± It was Ragnar who broke the silence. The emperor, who was silent when he cut to the chase, opened his mouth. ¡°Well, as the duke expected. Isn¡¯t it time for you to solidify your position?¡± ¡°Position..?¡± He meant, of course, an engagement with Natalia. Ragnar¡¯s forehead wrinkled. ¡°His Majesty¡¯s suggestion is to open the stage for the two families¡¯ reconciliation again. Of course, that¡¯s what I also think.¡± As if to support that remark, Elio said. He heard the same thing a decade ago. It was Ragnar¡¯s sister, Judina, who was engaged to that crown prince Elio. It was an engagement in the name of harmony. But the harmony didn¡¯t end in such a beautiful form. ¡°I¡¯ll decide whom I am going to marry.¡± Elio lit a cigar, pulled a smoke, and slowly let it out. The acrid smoke filled the space. ¡°You don¡¯t deny marriage.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You would have refused to marry normally, but now you¡¯re giving me a different answer.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± At that moment, a woman came into Ragnar¡¯s head. Her afterimage, which he wanted to erase so much, turned horribly clear. ¡®Why am I thinking of this woman all of a sudden?¡¯ When he noticed his hesitation, Elio raised his voice. ¡°Is it really true?¡± His green eyes shone with curiosity. ¡°Who is the lucky woman who stole the heart of Ragnar Argonod!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what you mean.¡± He pretended not to know, but they both knew it was too late. Both Elio and Ragnar had excellent beastly senses in this aspect. The emperor seemed even more indifferent. ¡°Well, of course. My daughter Natalia seems to like you quite a bit.¡± ¡°It¡¯s an honor.¡± He said so, but it was a lame answer. ¡°If it¡¯s a man in your position, it won¡¯t be a flaw to have as many concubines as you want.¡± Elio¡¯s words meant that even if he was seeing someone, he could just get married for formality. It wasn¡¯t an appropriate thing to say to his sister¡¯s would-be husband. ¡°I have no intention of bringing in a concubine.¡± But the emperor took a step further. ¡°Well, I won¡¯t even tell you to love Natalia. All you have to do is get married and give birth to children.¡± His stomach, which had been upset for a while, was now boiling. One of the reasons he loathed the imperial family was this attitude. This very insolent attitude that only seeks gain and does not give the slightest thought of being rejected. Even if it was his daughter, it was hard to adapt to their black heart of selling her. ¡°You don¡¯t understand.¡± ¡°Did you ever fall in love?¡± Elio¡¯s tone contained an unmistakable sneer. ¡°I just said I didn¡¯t intend to bring in a concubine. I didn¡¯t know you¡¯d over-interpret it like this.¡± Ragnar swallowed the contents of his glass. The spirit of the distilled liquor flowing through his esophagus was painful. ¡°Duke, are there any conditions that could be as good as marrying the princess of the empire? Think about it.¡± ???©¬???©¬? ?? advanced chapters available here Chapter 18 His stomach is boiling hot. ¡°With such good conditions, a better candidate will appear soon. I don¡¯t intend to marry the Princess.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you need a successor, too? In marriage, it doesn¡¯t matter what you want.¡± They were simply not a compatible match. They were not used to rejection and did not understand it. ¡°Is that all you have to say?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯ll be waiting for a positive answer.¡± Ragnar showed his bandaged left hand. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll have to go now because my injury is still healing.¡± The emperor nodded. ¡°I can¡¯t help it, take care of yourself.¡± Ragnar rose from his seat without saying a word. Then Elio calls him. ¡°Ragnar.¡± He turned back. Elio¡¯s expression was not visible due to the place filled with cigarette smoke. ¡°Do you still have nightmares?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Ragnar gave no answer. Then he quietly left the separate room and headed to the terrace. He felt like the heat in his heart would disappear only when he inhaled the cold air outside. When he opened the terrace door and went out, the cold night air welcomed him. ¡°Damn it.¡± ¡°Captain, are you okay?¡± Mervin Ferride followed Ragnar. It was expected that his boss was not feeling well. ¡°Do I look okay?¡± ¡°Well, you look good.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Mervin didn¡¯t say much. As he can see, the emperor or Elio must have turned the leader¡¯s mind upside down. ¡°They want me to marry the princess.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you get married?¡± ¡°Who¡¯s good?¡± ¡°I¡¯m saying this for the leader.¡± It was Ragnar, who had been deviating from politics. However, it was unlikely that his opponents would leave him alone, who had once scored a point in the imperial family. Ragnar stared at his bandaged left hand. ¡®That woman, then. She had that knife on her neck.¡¯ What would have happened if he hadn¡¯t stopped her by the blade yesterday, if he hadn¡¯t found her? ¡°Leader, what¡¯s with that wound? Did you have a fight somewhere?¡± ¡°Did you ever see me lose?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Mervin, I have one thing I need you to investigate.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Christa Palmaril.¡± Mervin paused. ¡°¡­¡­¡­Why, all of a sudden?¡± ¡°Just, look into it.¡± At that moment, Mervin once again suffered from a sensation of pain in his stomach. ¡®No, I don¡¯t think so. I hope not¡¯ It was a reality that he desperately wanted to deny. ¡î*: .?. .?.:*¡î Soon after, Ragnar was briefed on information about Christa Palmaril, which was investigated by his loyal and oldest friend, his Chief of Staff, Mervin. ¡°¡­¡­She was born as an illegitimate daughter of Baron Palmaril and became a soldier by applying herself during the Three Kingdoms War. Maybe she applied instead of the son.¡± ¡°The battlefield is a good excuse to deal with illegitimate children,¡± Mervin¡¯s words stuck in Ragnar¡¯s heart. ¡°Finance. What¡¯s the financial status of the house?¡± Mervin rummaged through the report. ¡°Well, it¡¯s not good. Oh, Sir Palmaril¡¯s uncle, Baron Sebastian Palmaril, seems to have a hobby of gambling.¡± Ragnar said, frowning unconsciously. ¡°How bad is it?¡± ¡°To the point where she has to get married to a Count Pasquier?¡± ¡°Who is that?¡± He felt a sudden chill at the word of a political marriage. ¡°There is a rumor that his ex-wife was beaten to death by him. Given his clean record, I think he spent money. They¡¯re quite a wealthy family. He has two grown-up sons. Well, of course there¡¯s no decent family who¡¯ll marry their daughter to a man whose wife died mysteriously.¡± ¡°What do you think is the reason for marrying into such a family?¡± ¡°It¡¯s usually this.¡± Mervin rolled his thumb and forefinger round. ¡°As expected, is that so?¡± Ragnar was lost in thought. Obviously, she was trying to kill herself if he wasn¡¯t mistaken. Unwanted political marriage, financial difficulties, suicide. The ominous imagination lingered in his mind. ¡®But is that why she tried to kill herself?¡¯ Then soon came to mind the assessment he himself made of her on the battlefield. ¡®It seemed like she was fighting because she wanted to die.¡¯ However, there was something inconceivable about the series of events that was not convincing enough just because of her unfortunate background. ¡°But why are you suddenly interested in Sir Palmaril¡¯s background again¡­.?¡± Mervin felt his stomach prickling and squeezed by an invisible hand. He¡¯s seen his boss for a long time, so there¡¯s something he can tell. There are times when a kind of ominous foreboding comes as it is now. ¡®No way, no way, no way¡­¡­ I don¡¯t think so. There¡¯s also the case of the princess.¡¯ He watched his boss¡¯s reaction carefully, tearing his nails nervously. But what came out of his mouth was completely unexpected and outlandish. ¡°Women¡­¡­ What do I have to do to make them feel better?¡± ¡°What?¡± What kind of change is this? He can¡¯t believe Ragnar Argonod, who is arrogant and knows nothing but himself, asked this question. It was as surprising to him as the sun rising in the west. ¡°It depends on what kind of woman she is, what kind of woman is she?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think she has enough money, she¡¯s thin, she¡¯s at risk, and I think she¡¯s going to die soon.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Mervin has been assured that he will have a hole in his stomach before the end of the year. He managed to keep his head above water. He hasn¡¯t received a definite answer yet. There was still hope. So her financial situation is bad and she¡¯s skinny¡­¡­ Maybe he met another girl. Half the world was a woman. There are many women in the world. ¡°¡­¡­¡­ Captain.¡± ¡°Why?¡± He spoke in a brooding voice, breathing heavily. ¡°Why did you sleep with your subordinate?¡± ¡°She seduced me.¡± Having heard the absurd remark, Mervin managed to overcome the urge to throw the cup in his hand onto the floor. ¡°Don¡¯t lie! If you¡¯re going to lie, tell me you didn¡¯t sleep together! I want to pretend I didn¡¯t hear that!¡± His cry resounded through the room. Sir Palmaril seducing him? It couldn¡¯t have been the case. He¡¯s sure that the mean Knight Commander of the Order put out a spell to her. Whether or not it is the case, Ragnar had the nerve to say what he had to say. ¡°So what should I do to make her feel better?¡± ¡°What kind of shamelessness did you do that bothered her so much?¡± That was purely a question. To the best of Mervin¡¯s knowledge, Ragnar was not a great man to care so much about women. For him, women were a kind of consumable. More like a tool to fill his emptiness. Isn¡¯t he a man who is so rude even to the empire¡¯s princess? He didn¡¯t even want to imagine how tough and terrifying this man has to go through before worrying about relieving a woman¡¯s mood. ¡°It¡¯s hard to say.¡± ¡°Yes, it must be hard.¡± Already, Mervin¡¯s mind was stained with the most shameless acts he could imagine. Poor Sir Palmaril. She was an innocent woman who didn¡¯t know anything, but somehow she got caught by such a human mongrel¡­¡­. Mervin glanced at Ragnar¡¯s face again and shook his head. ¡°You¡¯re talking with your face. Once again, that¡¯s not it.¡± ¡°Oh, I see.¡± Now that Mervin felt no excuse was available, Ragnar quickly gave up. In any case, Ragnar¡¯s reputation is disastrously low, so it was not a big blow even if he fell further from there. ¡°So I¡¯m asking you what to do.¡± Mervin looked carefully at his boss¡¯s face, which seemed to be more serious than he thought. In any case, he was not entirely responsible for noticing to some extent how he felt for her. But he can¡¯t believe he¡¯s shameless enough to touch his subordinate¡­¡­. No, his boss was the most shameless man in the world! ¡°Well, she doesn¡¯t have any money. Why don¡¯t you solve that part? Oh, but if you interfere too much, you can hurt her pride. You have to keep the right line.¡± It was too abstract and esoteric for Ragnar to understand. He had plenty of money. However, it was not easy to understand that it was a line that didn¡¯t hurt her pride. He was a man who never gave up his pride. The correlation between money and self-esteem was difficult for those who had everything. He was a man who never gave up his pride. The correlation between money and self-esteem was difficult for those who had everything. But he knew a good solution. His old friend and loyal helper, the chief of staff, was a very capable man. He also handled everything neatly by demonstrating the delicacy he did not have in solving these complex problems. ¡°Then, please.¡± ¡°Huuh¡­¡± ? advanced chapters available here ? Chapter 19 Mervin sighed deeply and bitterly. He expected this to happen anyway. If so, it is better for his mental health to carry out charity work thinking that it will help poor people¡¯s situation. ¡°Is there anything else besides that? If I give her money, that¡¯s it?¡± ¡°Standardly, you could give her flowers.¡± ¡°Flowers?¡± ¡°Yes, but you can¡¯t just send flowers. It must not be too cheap, but you should send a gift of good quality that¡¯s expensive and doesn¡¯t burden her. I¡¯ll arrange the gift on my own, so think about the type of flower.¡± ¡°A flower¡­¡± ¡î*: .?. .?.:*¡î The small parlor of Baron Palmarill was filled with bouquets of flowers. Lunar Silver. It was the name of the flower. It was a rare species of rose with mysterious silver petals with a subtle blue hue. The flowers, which were equivalent to the monthly salary of a low-ranking knight, were piled up so thick that the floor of the drawing room was invisible. ¡°What the hell is going on?¡± Baroness Palmaril, Christa¡¯s aunt Eva, grabbed the delivery man and asked him. It was because, as far as she knew, such expensive items had never been delivered to her house. ¡°This is for Lady Christa Palmaril.¡± The delivery man was carrying a box that was quite packed luxuriously. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s something to deliver directly to the young lady.¡± The delivery man looked at her suspiciously. ¡°I¡¯m her aunt. Give it to me. I¡¯ll give it to her.¡± ¡°Ah, yes, then¡­¡­.¡± Then Sebastian came. When he saw the mess in the front door, he looked for his wife with a bewildered look. ¡°Honey, what¡¯s this fuss about? What the hell happened?¡± ¡°It¡¯s in for Christa. I don¡¯t know what this is about either.¡± ¡°More than that, Count Pasquier hasn¡¯t sent money for the wedding yet. I¡¯m in a hurry for money right now. Don¡¯t tell me he¡¯s canceling it? Sebastian was nervous because he had a lot of debt here and there. Recently, he even invested in a new business and he¡¯s been having trouble lately. ¡°No way. Just wait a little longer. By the way, who sent this?¡± ¡°Hey, can¡¯t you tell who sent this?¡± Sebastian grabbed the delivery man and asked. ¡°We were only instructed to deliver this flower and gift to Lady Christa Palmaril at the request of a man. I don¡¯t know anything else.¡± ¡°What kind of person was he?¡± ¡°Since he was wearing a military uniform, he must be a soldier, right? He seemed like a tall person.¡± The delivery man went back after he had unloaded all the goods. The couple alternately looked at the expensive flowers and gift boxes in front of them. And then they smiled at each other. ¡°Even a worm has a knack for rolling. I thought she was only going to fight in the war, but she must have brought a man.¡± ¡°This rose, this is priceless. He must be rich to send so many expensive things, right? Besides, the packaging is different.¡± Her aunt opened the gift box delivered to Christa without any hesitation. ¡°Oh my god! Isn¡¯t this a real diamond?¡± ¡°If she does well, she might hook someone better than Count Pasquier.¡± It was a hairpin densely embedded with small diamonds and sapphires. ¨C With respect and love. Argonod The bottom of the box was enclosed with a card in fluent cursive. Eva turned pale as soon as she read the words on the card. ¡°A, Argonod?¡± ¡°N, no way. That Argonod.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the possibility of having the same name?¡± ¡°How can there be two Argonod in this world?¡± Only then did Eva rush into the box with the diamond hairpin she had brought to her head many times. ¡°Oh, what should I do? I ripped this off.¡± ¡°How did you open it? What a bloody wife!¡± There was a small disturbance in the Palmaril drawing room. ¡î*: .?. .?.:*¡î Christa walked and walked aimlessly through the streets all day after injuring Ragnar¡¯s palm. There was no destination. It was because she didn¡¯t even dare to enter the house right away. In fact, she¡¯s had a hard time maintaining her sanity now. ¡®I¡¯ve taken the Holy Sword.¡­.¡¯ The reason was that she hesitated because she could not use the Holy Sword she had obtained through her hard work. The more she looked back, the more she lamented her own patheticness. The most regrettable thing was that she dared to hesitate. ¡®I can¡¯t believe I still have lingering feelings in this life like this¡­¡­.¡¯ It¡¯s like watching a comedy play. She participated in the war because she couldn¡¯t die, and she survived because she couldn¡¯t die there. She¡¯s never thought that she was attached to life. What was the reason for having lingering feelings about a life with a fixed end? Was it because it was the second life that even death had crossed? Ironically, at a critical moment, she valued this sinful life. The fact was so terrible. When she sighed loudly, there was something that caught her eye. The red dot on her hand appeared the other day. ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt. Why did it get bigger?¡± What used to be a mole now stretched out in a straight line as if it had been drawn with a straight ruler. Somehow she had an ominous premonition and couldn¡¯t bear it. She rubbed the spot with her right hand. The delicate skin heats up with heat. She wanted to cut it out with a knife. She felt very uncomfortable and felt like she had a stone in her heart. This red dot seemed to suggest something. She was afraid of that. It was not the only thing that she feared. When she saw the wound and blood on Ragnar¡¯s hand, she lost her reason. Although it was a moment, the fact that the memory was lost came to her in pain. ¡®He must think I was crazy.¡¯ What she did was an irreverent act that wouldn¡¯t be strange if she was taken for contempt of her superior. It won¡¯t end up with a pay cut. It was a sense of honor. Perhaps there will be greater punishment. The soles of her feet crumble away. It was well past the usual time for Christa to return home. Her aunt and her husband were at the front door to greet her. It was the first time this happened. Something was out of the ordinary. As soon as the couple saw her, they ran happily as if they had waited and questioned her. ¡°So!¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t he ask you to marry him?¡± ¡°What the hell are you talking about¡­¡­.¡± She looked around when she saw her aunt talking nonsense. The drawing room was covered with flowers. ¡®What the hell is this¡­. What is it? Eva presented her with a crumpled box and a card with a message. ¡°Is Argonod really the one? Huh? Child, just tell this aunt.¡± She was engulfed in confusion. She looked at the paper silently for a while. ¡°Quickly answer me. The Duke of Argonod. It¡¯s him, right?¡± ¡°Honey, don¡¯t rush her too much. So Christa, are you sure he¡¯s the Duke of Argonod?¡± Without a word, she ran into her room with the note and locked the door. Her aunt and uncle persistently beat the door, but she crawled into the bed without answering back. ¡°What¡¯s going on¡­.?¡± She was confused. She didn¡¯t know why this happened. ¡°What is the captain thinking?¡± ¡î*: .?. .?.:*¡î Ragnar is sitting at the study desk in his mansion. He was reading a book with a face that looked bored. However, the contents of the book did not catch his eyes. He just pretended to flutter through the pages without meaning. Watching Ragnar parrotting the same question several times already, Mervin was in a fit of anger inside, but he managed to hold it in. ¡°Why isn¡¯t she responding?¡± ¡°What is her reaction?¡± ¡°You said I should send flowers and gifts.¡± To be exact, this was the ninth question. Mervin was uniformly suffering from the same barrage of questions. And he was just tired of giving the answer ¡®wait and see¡¯ in the same tone every time. ¡°If it bothers you that much, you can go find her first.¡± ¡°As expected, right?¡± As if he had been waiting for that answer, Ragnar slammed the book he was holding and got up from his seat. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to go.¡± That¡¯s right. Mervin uttered a raw curse inside. He wondered if he had been waiting for this answer for a while. ¡°It¡¯s amazing.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it your first time showing interest in a woman for so long?¡± ¡°What?¡± Now his boss was hooked on one thing. That is, Christa Palmaril. It wasn¡¯t the first time Ragnar was so preoccupied with something. However, at ordinary times, the target was not a ¡°woman.¡± He used to concentrate his interest and passion on something from time to time, such as a well-bred famous horse, a rare old book, a legendary famous sword, and an old wine. And that interest didn¡¯t last very long. It was because he was as fast as easily absorbed in something and fell into it. ¡®In a way, this must be the same case. An escape from reality that comes because he doesn¡¯t want to marry the princess.¡¯ Mervin pressed hard under his eyes as if he was tired. His hatred of the imperial family is a deep-rooted problem and it was fully understandable from the point of view that he had seen since he was young. ¡°It¡¯s okay to escape from reality or anything, but you haven¡¯t forgotten about the marriage with Princess Natalia, have you?¡± ¡°Natalia? What about her?¡± Ragnar put on a natural face and quickly closed the door and disappeared. ¡°Phew¡­¡± There was a deep sigh. He can¡¯t decide whether he should be happy or unhappy about Ragnar paying attention to an ordinary woman for the first time. Mervin didn¡¯t bother to block Ragnar¡¯s attention. This is because it is not the first time for him to act like this, so he thinks the heat will cool down quickly. It was an act that contained the calculation that he had to endure well until then. He had the discretion to prevent the deviation of his master ahead of an unwanted political marriage as a staff member. ¡°Until then, I have to deal with it well so that he doesn¡¯t get caught¡­¡­.¡± ? advanced chapters available here ? Chapter 20 Mervin was the first to receive the documents that came to Ragnar. There were numerous letters on the desk where he sat, along with a pile of papers. Various invitations, documents, certificates, etc. Among them, there was one of the most troublesome letters. It was a personal letter from the Imperial Palace. Although it was not an order, the content earnestly said that the Emperor was pushing for marriage with the princess. ¡°Having the Emperor as a father-in-law is something that ordinary people don¡¯t have to worry about.¡± But his boss wasn¡¯t a man with an ordinary mindset. Even the imperial family was unlikely to budge on this one. Now that the Unification War is over, the external enemy is gone. The visibly dangerous enemy inside was rather Argonod. The one who is next in line for the throne and has enormous wealth. It was a background that could threaten the imperial family. Political marriage was indispensable to keep him in check. Mervin felt a burning sensation in his stomach and agonized over how to reply to the letter from the palace. It was not anyone but himself who was involved in the fight between the two whales. It was a perfect case for his stomach to break. ¡î*: .?. .?.:*¡î ¡°Oh, my God, Duke, to whom do we owe the pleasure of you visiting such a shabby place!¡± With the appearance of the distinguished guest, the Baron widened his surprised rabbit-like eyes and froze. It was the very Duke of Argonod who really came to the barony. About an hour ago his attendant sent a message, but it was a very rude act. But who dared to refuse Argonod? Eva spent an hour cleaning up the house, changing the layout of the furniture, and decorating the flowers. The baron¡¯s maids had to move around diligently with the master¡¯s wife. Eva was so surprised that she couldn¡¯t close her chin. Ragnar said with a friendly smile, ¡°Sir Palmaril¡­¡­ No, I came to see Lady Palmaril.¡± Sebastian whispered, poking Eva in the ribs. ¡®If the Duke comes all the way here himself, then they are not in a typical relationship! Hurry up and drag Christa out and try to get the most out of the conversation.¡¯ It was Sebastian, who was anxious that Count Pasquier was on the fence for the wedding. But heaven didn¡¯t abandon him. A bigger catch took the bait. Sebastian rejoiced, saying, ¡°I¡¯ve grabbed the biggest rod of my life.¡± However, his niece, who was actually involved, somehow got stuck in the corner of the room and did not come out. Because of this, Baron Palmaril had to worry nervously. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll get Christa! Why don¡¯t you join us for dinner, Duke?¡± ¡°Well, yes. Duke! Our family¡¯s cooks are very good. Come on, let¡¯s go to the dining hall with me.¡± Eva rushed out somewhere, and Sebastian led Ragnar to sit in the dining hall. It took a long meal time to dig between the two effectively. Bang bang bang! Christa¡¯s old attic door was smashed. Then, she heard the sound of kicking. In the end, she had no choice but to open the door. ¡°Now, greet the duke.¡± Eva pushed her back and finally brought her to the dining hall. Ragnar was sitting at the top of the table as if it was his own home. Next to him, Sebastian was clinging to him and rambling hard about something. ¡°Oh, Christa! My dear niece. Come here.¡± Sebastian called Christa¡¯s name very softly, unlike usual. Not knowing what harmony this was, Christa had no choice but to stand idly. ¡°Lady Palmaril.¡± Then Ragnar rose from his seat and approached Christa. ¡°How are you feeling?¡± Christa was startled. She was too unfamiliar with etiquette. It wasn¡¯t until Eva poked her in the ribs that she could bend her knees and say hello. ¡°Not enough to be concerned about.¡± The bandage wrapped around his left hand was more concerning than the well-being of her own body. The wound, which still smelled faintly of blood, was clearly a trace of that time. ¡°So am I. Oh, just in case it bothers you.¡± But, ironically, isn¡¯t this man raising his bandaged left hand and pushing it to her as if he wanted her to see it? ¡°No, how did this happen? Don¡¯t tell me you got hurt because of this kid! Oh, my God, Christa, what have you done? Duke! Shall we call the doctor?¡± Eva¡¯s scream-like fuss sticks in her ears and stimulates her eardrums. In addition, the inference was largely close to the correct answer. That¡¯s why Christa had no choice but to bow her head more. ¡°Sorry, I am¡­ sorry¡­.¡± She really had nothing to say about that wound. She felt as if her throat was full of sand. ¡°It was just an accident. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Ragnar said, thankfully. Was it just the kind of thing to call an accident? Christa couldn¡¯t hide her wonder. She couldn¡¯t figure out why he came all the way here. Christa stared at Ragnar. He looks at her as if he has noticed her look. Then he laughed. Why is he laughing? ¡°Now, now! We don¡¯t have to do this. We have prepared dishes that our chef put his best to prepare with the best of his abilities.¡± Sebastian was sweating profusely. She felt sorry for the sweat that was coming out. He needed an excuse to keep the Duke. Argonod himself, their best candidate and their lifeline, was in front of him. But Ragnar flatly refused. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s all right. I stopped by here today because I had an appointment to go see a play with Lady Palmaril.¡± ¡°What?¡± Christa¡¯s head finally rises at the sound of a promise that she doesn¡¯t even remember. ¡°Now, Lady?¡± Ragnar reached out his hand. She didn¡¯t know if it was intended or not, but it was his left hand he used. Christa had no choice but to hold out her hand. Somehow she felt like she should. ¡°Shall we go?¡± The two naturally escaped the mansion. In front of the door was a luxurious carriage. The carriage is hung with metal relief. A golden shield was engraved on the front, and two black lions emit fire on both sides. It was a black lion, the symbol of Argonod. The inside of the carriage was also luxurious. Christa looked bitter until she got into the carriage under Ragnar¡¯s escort. So far, she couldn¡¯t even figure out what Ragnar was doing. When Ragnar knocked, the carriage moved. The unshakable ride and cushion of the chair gave more comfort than expected, but her mind was the opposite. Either way, Ragnar opens his mouth. ¡°Do you like the theater?¡± ¡°When on earth did we make such a promise?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you remember that night?¡± Christa recounted the day¡¯s conversation in her head. When on earth did she make such a promise? ¡°I remember that night vividly. And we never made such a promise¡­¡­.¡± Then he spoke in a rather strict tone this time. ¡°You don¡¯t mean to run away like that and just end it like this.¡± When the memory of that day suddenly came to mind, she quickly felt her face burning. She bowed her head and looked at her toes in unbearable shame. ¡®Is he trying to punish me? It wouldn¡¯t be surprising since I stole the sword and ran away.¡¯ I was prepared for it. However, Ragnar¡¯s expression was not angry, but somehow seemed to be happy. However, Christa¡¯s ability to read other people¡¯s facial expressions is worse than that of a five-year-old. ¡®Will I be stripped of my knighthood?¡¯ The war was over anyway, so it didn¡¯t matter. Her mind was busy. Considering one¡¯s own disposition, this amounts to high treason. She¡¯ll be moving into the permafrost of the North and face a labor edification. She thought maybe it might be better. Because many prisoners of war met their end there. When she firmly clenches her skirt while determining her determination to die, her knuckles are revealed. Somehow Ragnar frowned at it. ¡°Well, as expected, you¡¯re too thin. I¡¯d rather we have a meal than a play. Do you like meat dishes?¡± When Ragnar opened the window near the coachman and said something, the destination changed. Christa plucked up the courage to ask him. ¡°Are we going to a presiding judge?¡± ¡°Huh? No, we¡¯re going to my house¡± It was not a lie that they¡¯re going to the Duke¡¯s house, because the carriage really stopped in front of the mansion owned by the Argonod family. A town house owned by the Duke of Argonod, just outside the capital. It was a mansion that could not be compared to Palmaril¡¯s. The square building, which has a six-stories and symmetrical structure, consists of classical arched pillars from east, west, north, and south, and there was a huge courtyard and fountain in the middle. Argonod¡¯s estate was in the northern Wishus, but the capital¡¯s townhouse, the Palatium, was used from spring to early summer during the capital¡¯s social season. It was an admirable wealth to own and manage such a huge mansion just for social use. ¡®Why the hell did we come here?¡¯ Rather, the fact that she had been dragged home amplified her fear along with the terrible anxiety. Obviously, what she committed was a serious crime, so it was natural for her to be sent to court-martial. But the fact that he brought her to his private land¡­¡­. ¡®Does he want revenge?¡¯ It would be no business for him to get rid of a humble woman like her in this spacious mansion. Argonod, the hero of the North and the guardian of the border. Wishes is a border area that frequently checks forces that target the empire in all directions. There was a rumor that the army guarding the border was larger than the standing army of the capital. That force alone can sufficiently threaten the current state of the Imperial Family. She dared to touch Ragnar, the head of such a dukedom. She was not only deceiving him and extorting things, but she even caused injury. It was obvious why Ragnar suddenly visited the Palmaril estate. Of course it was to reprimand Christa. It is inevitable. It¡¯s what she¡¯s thinking now, but she can¡¯t stop her hands from shaking. It was something that she¡¯s done without any context. Her pale face faded even more. But it worked out for the better. It didn¡¯t make much difference to Christa, whether she died on her own or on his hands. Thinking about it like that made her feel much better. The carriage door opened and somehow Ragnar reached out to her. Christa hesitated for a long time whether to hold that hand or not. She had no choice but to hold it. At the front door of the mansion, the employees who were waiting for the return of the owner stood in line. ¡°Are you back, my lord?¡± ? advanced chapters available here ? Chapter 21 The butler stepped forward. He was a gray-haired gentleman. He took Ragnar¡¯s coat and cane. At first glance, the Knights were not visible. ¡°You don¡¯t know how surprised I was to hear that you were suddenly inviting a young lady. So this is her.¡± ¡°Yes, make sure you treat her properly.¡± Christa was elusive. She was prepared to be wrapped in a rope by the Duke¡¯s knights, but it was the butler¡¯s polite greeting that she received instead. ¡°Bjorn, the butler of the Argonod family.¡± ¡°Yes¡­?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll show you around the house.¡± ¡°Well, let¡¯s take a look around and get some tea.¡± Ragnar grabbed Christa¡¯s hand without formality. Stunned, she was caught up in him¨C as always. ¡°H, hey!¡± Ragnar laughed as Christa shouted hastily. ¡°What, didn¡¯t you want to see the house? That is a relic of the old royal family, and this portrait is our ancestor. The front door handle was made of the ebony of some western continent. Is that right?¡± The butler Bjorn politely added flesh to his brief description. For example, about the origin and style of marble columns that they¡¯re passing through ¨C a huge painting that even Christa had heard of ¨C must have been a classicist master of painting ¨C and the parlor tables and chairs that they¡¯re sitting in were a series of stories that began with the history of the first Argonod. ¡°It¡¯s a boring story. It¡¯s an antique.¡± Then a set of teapots, probably worth Christa¡¯s three-year salary, comes in a trolley. An elderly woman pushed the trolley with a delicate touch, and a tea cup with a shiny gold border was placed in front of them. ¡°Oh, thank you.¡± Christa, who still didn¡¯t understand the current situation, just looked around with her eyes wide open. No matter how long she waited, the Duke¡¯s knights did not invade. ¡°Well, you don¡¯t look very well. Are you cold? Do you want me to bring you something to wear?¡± The very elegant-looking lady came to ask after Christa in a kind voice. ¡®She didn¡¯t come here to punish me?¡¯ When the woman beckoned, the servant and maid immediately brought the heater next to her and gave her a soft blanket. ¡°This tea has a relaxing effect. It will warm you up.¡± Then, wouldn¡¯t it be better to try the pastry or the caramelized ones that she said she baked herself? ¡°Tatiana, you¡¯re troubling Christa.¡± ¡°Oh, Young Master brought such a beautiful girl. Then, can I stay still?¡± ¡°That name again.¡± Ragnar complained in a discontented voice. The head of Argonod and the guardian of the boundary, Ragnar Argonod, is called a young master. No wonder the tone was so funny that she laughed and burst out laughing. ¡°Now you¡¯re laughing. It¡¯s nice to see.¡± Tatiana spoke with a warm face. At that moment Christa was appalled that she had loosened the tension. Nothing has been decided yet. ¡°Oh, no.¡± The answer came out reflexively, but it was also a strange answer, so she had no choice but to bow her head again. ¡°Tatiana, I think Christa and I need to have a word.¡± ¡°Would you like to be alone?¡± When Ragnar nodded, Tatiana led the surrounding servants with a flowing gesture. The colorful drawing room door with golden hues closed without a sound. There were now only two people here, Ragnar and Christa. A hellish silence ensued. ¡®I guess we¡¯re starting now.¡¯ She doesn¡¯t know what¡¯s starting, but Ragnar¡¯s purpose for calling her was clear. Gradually, she could see his mouth dropping. ¡°Chris¨C¡± ¡°I have sinned to die!¡± Now that this has happened, Christa has decided to take the lead. She quickly got up from her seat and turned around the long drawing room table and stood in front of Ragnar. Now that this has happened, Christa has decided to take the lead. She quickly got up from her seat and turned around the long drawing room table and stood in front of Ragnar. Her heart beats like crazy. But she had to. She slipped to her knees. Her body was shaking, but she had to say this. ¡°As of today, I will give up my post as the 10th Commander and the post of being a Knight of the 4th Skirmishers. I left my sword because I came in a hurry, but if you give me a chance, I will return it immediately without running away. Also¡­.¡± ¡°No, wait.¡± Ragnar¡¯s voice was imbued with embarrassment. But Christa didn¡¯t stop talking. ¡°I won¡¯t die easily because of my ability. As much as you like¡­¡­. You can hit me until you feel better. But since¡­¡­.¡± Christa tried to say the next thing. No, she had to. ¡®Since you have it, please pierce my neck with the sword you have.¡¯ However, she kept choking up and her voice penetrated inside. Now. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Ragnar sprang to his feet and grabbed Christa. ¡°Don¡¯t say anything weird and get up. I don¡¯t have that hobby.¡± ¡°Ha, but.¡± ¡°Why do you keep saying that you¡¯re going to die?¡± The word Ragnar hated to hear the most in the world was that when someone says they wanted to die. He also hated it when a skinny woman said that. This woman is really getting on his nerves many times. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to punish me?¡± Christa slightly raises her head and rolls her big eyes. Watching it made him crazy in a word. Christa Palmaril was the only crazy woman in his life. With them like this, they wouldn¡¯t even notice if the world would come to an end like this. ¡°¡­¡­for what reason?¡± He asked back patiently. Because he needed to know the cause of the misunderstanding. ¡°I¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ we had an inappropriate relationship¡­¡­¡­ I stole a valuable thing and even caused you injury¡­¡­.¡± Christa¡¯s stuttering words scratched Ragnar¡¯s nerves surprisingly. ¡°Inappropriate¡­¡­ Relationship¡­¡­.¡± Suddenly, Ragnar, who darkened in front of her, was in front of her eyes. She was so stuffed that she couldn¡¯t breathe. A groan popped out of her mouth. Should she drink more tea that has the effect of relaxing the mind that Tatiana said earlier? ¡°I didn¡¯t know the day would come when I would think that it would be better to hang on to the sake of responsibility because I was attacked by a Knight Commander of the Templar.¡± ¡°But, I, I¡­¡­ Forcing the leader¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Crista, please. I think I¡¯d really want to die if you say more.¡± She¡¯s already fallen into the bottom of the stir, but she can¡¯t bear to force the leader¡­She didn¡¯t want to confirm the following words. No, she was afraid to check. She couldn¡¯t even imagine how much her words would make him miserable. ¡°So Chris¡­¡­ In Palmaril¡¯s opinion, this relationship is forced onto the innocent Ragnar Argonod¡­¡­ That¡¯s how it was forced.¡± ¡°I, I¡­. I have sinned to die.¡± Christa¡¯s expression saying so was as if she was prepared to die. It was so solemn that he couldn¡¯t find a single piece of paper to fit in. Ragnar was stunned. It was as clear as it was that this woman¡¯s way of thinking had jumped the path he couldn¡¯t keep up with. When and where did it start and how did it get so tangled like this? He had to untangle this tangled thread. However, he just couldn¡¯t think where to start. Christa was nervous the whole time. The longer Ragnar¡¯s silence lasted, the more anxious she was. It would have been helpful to grasp the situation if she had been put into a dungeon suddenly. She glanced at the refreshment table. The warm teacup still steamed, and the sweet refreshment she tasted for the first time in her life tasted so good that she wanted to put one more in her mouth. ¡®Why the hell¡­¡¯ Isn¡¯t it too strange to treat a sinner like this? She couldn¡¯t guess what the hell he was trying to say here. But it was hard for her to ask first. In particular, whenever she saw the bandage wrapped around Ragnar¡¯s hand, she was appalled. Therefore, there was no other way but to sit hesitantly. ¡°Well, yes, it¡¯s time for a full-fledged conversation.¡± The long silence was broken. Ragnar¡¯s thoughts seemed to have finally been sorted out. When he said so, Christa felt like her heart was about to pour out of her mouth. She quickly covered her mouth with both hands because she thought a strange sound would leak out. Ragnar, who was staring at such a figure, slowly opened his mouth. ¡°Why did you want to die?¡± It was a key question. Christa hesitated for a long time to answer. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Ragnar waited for her long silence. Where in the world can she begin to explain? No, can he even understand her situation himself? Ragnar¡¯s eyes were immediately looking at her. She thought she should at least tell the truth. After a long silence, the answer was so. ¡°Because the war¡­ ¡­is over.¡± Battlefield, that was her true salvation. Read more chapters here