Deertes took in a deep breath. The last breath she would take in this land. And all she could think of was her younger sister. Serene, I am so sorry. If I die you will end up following suit, I am so sorry.
Her fingers moved.
Bang!
At the same time as the gun sounded, she could feel the smell of gunpowder and the sting that came with it. Is she still able to smell it even after death? Why does it not hurt much more than she had thought it would? Is it because the spirit has already left the body the moment she died, as the priests would say.
Then suddenly, a hand reached out and grabbed her chin, pulling her towards them.
“You…!”
His voice was rough, resembling metal on metal grinding. Slowly, Deertes opened her eyes.
She could see the figure of someone looking at her in the dark. As for the lighting of the area, asides from the far-out bonfire, the lighting from the moon and the stars were all that she had. Even so, she could make out the dark blue eyes that looked straight at her. The same colour of the sea that she saw during the day, eyes that she too looked into deeply.
It was a very tall man who was stood there looking at her.
When she faced his blue eyes, she stopped moving. Unable to lift her finger as her gaze fixated on his. She was simply looking at him, yet it seemed like everywhere she looked her gaze was stuck in place. Feeling such a sensation, Deertes forcefully twisted her body and started to pray.
“Death, save me…”
She had tried to kill herself a while ago, but the words had popped up in her mind to save herself from doing so. After spitting out those words, she suddenly felt cold for the first time in a long while. This allowed Deertes to turn aside and avoid the man’s gaze. Desperately, she reached out and crawled to the floor, trying to get away from the man.
Ever since she was young, she has received a lot of attention. Considering how she was born with the appearance of a forest fairy, she has lived a life accompanied by the sticky sexual gazes after her debutante. So it can be said that she was somewhat immune to such gazes. If not, she would not have been able to continue living such a life.
However, that was not what the man she had met was looking at. A blue flame seemed to be burning in the dark. The flame seemed as if to stick to the body, giving the skin a beautiful sensation.
Deertes could sense the murderous aura the man seemed to emit. At the same time, his eyes held a deep sense of affection. The kind that made it seem as if they had been together for an incredibly long amount of time. For a brief moment, it made Deertes wonder if she had mistaken the person.
‘Why me?’
He was the first man that she had seen with a darker skin tone than the other people of Ramedes. Very often, she would see those people near the harbour. Those who have the blood of both Ramedes and Saul.
So naturally, they and Deertes, a high-ranking aristocrat, have never come into contact. Hence, she could not fathom why the man was looking at her in such a manner.
Deertes crawled on the floor with her arms trembling. The movements she was making seemed like a wiggling bug-like one. Her body had sunk to the floor multiple times in pain but she did not stop crawling.
‘I have to get out of here. Out of here. From that guy.’
When she had laid down before the King, when she had to escape from the ship, or even when she was captured by Alex, it was not as bad as this. This time around, the amount of fear she felt throughout her body was immense. Even though she had yet to be caught and they had only looked at each other.
The man held Deertes waist gently and carefully as if he were picking up a piece of paper to turn her body back to face him. Next, he grabbed her chin, making sure she is unable to look away.
“Why are you…”
The man, who had been staring for a long time, had a slow and rough voice that seemed to be heard from deep in the ground to high up in the sky above.
Carefully, she raised up her hand.
Her first thought was that he was strangling her, as his hand moved to touch her hair. His hand swept away the hair that had been clinging onto her face from the blood and tears. Slowly, one section at a time, Deertes was speechless as his touch was delicate.
While doing so, the man’s gaze did not fall from hers for a moment, compelling her to keep looking into his eyes, unable to avoid it. She could sense the burning emotions held in his dark blue eyes.
Soon, his eyes swirled with other emotions. Shock, confusion, and joy. The man’s voice rang out again.
“…Are you from this land?”
At his words, Deertes realised that the man knew her. However, no matter how much she tried to bring up her memories, she could not remember this man. Still trapped in his gaze, another man soon appeared from behind.
“What are you doing here? As you said, we’re ready for the auction…”
Once he glanced at Deertes face while walking towards them, he stopped in his steps. He blinked in disbelief and said in a voice that sounded as if there was something stuck in his throat.
“Lady… Deertes?”
How does this man know her despite her having not a single inkling or memory of who he is?
“…Do you know me?”
“How many people in Ramedes do not know of your name. You may not have been aware but I was able to take a look at your face under the veil thanks to the wind that was blowing at the inspection ceremony that I attended. Ah, my name is Brian Greenwood. I know this is not a good situation or place to be happy about such a meeting, but God will always be watching over you.”
Brian reached out a hand and bent down a little. He was wearing a different kind of white clothing but the perfect greeting that he gave was similar to one of a Ramedes soldier.
Deertes could barely breathe as she found comfort and stability upon looking at the familiarity in his words and actions. Thanks to that, Deertes at least had an idea of what he was like now.
“…!”
Breaking from the man’s gaze, she shook his hand off and stood up quickly from where she sat. As Deertes had hurriedly stood up, she was immediately hit with a wave of dizziness but at least she was finally glad to be able to move her body. The pain in her shoulder still ached at every movement, but Deertes quickly fixed her posture and greeted Brian.
“Deertes Evelyn Russell. Please excuse me for having to greet you in such a manner and situation.”
After saying her name, Deertes bowed to Brian briefly and took a look at the man that had caught her. She remembered how Brian had spoken respectfully to the man. So Deertes was such that he knew as much as or even more manners than Brian.
Far from taking the lead to introduce himself, the man just continued to stare at Deertes.
After waiting for some time, the man had yet to open his mouth. Eventually, Deertes gave up waiting for his introduction and turned to ask Brian.
“I’m sorry… But might I ask where you belong to?”
“We are…”
“Brian.”
The man who had caught her raised his hand as he stood up. Immediately, Brian shut his mouth.
Somehow, Deertes felt a sense of anxiousness. Anyway, they seem to be Ramedes’ soldiers, plus, Brian does not react as if this were the first woman he met with.
Expecting them to act with courtesy and intelligence, Deertes looked around as she blurted out. At the back of her head, she held many expectations. One of which would be that they might be Bernst’s soldiers instead.
“Hey, I was on my way to marrying Richard Fraser, the governor of Bernst, at the suggestion of the king. However, on the way, the ship I was on was attacked… So, if possible, can you please take me to Bernst? Or, could you send a message to Bernst if you’re not from Bernst? If you could do that for me, I’d like to thank you both for your kindness in helping me…”
Deertes, who was about to mention how ‘God would surely repay them back for their kindness’, swallowed her breath. Instantly, Brian’s face turned so white she could easily make it out even in the dark. Noticing his look of astonishment, Deertes wondered if what she said was really such a terrible thing.
Her gaze turned to the blue-eyed man. He too had a hard look on his face, but it was a slightly different expression than Brian’s.
“A marriage to Richard Fraser? You?”
“…Yes, it is.”
Hearing her reply, the man seemed to be deep in thought for a long time before he turned to Brian.
“Brian, hurry up and get ready for the auction. And…”
He paused, glaring at Deertes before continuing.
“Tell everyone that the woman who covers her face is excluded from the auction.”
“…I see.”
With eyes filled with sympathy, he looked at Deertes and answered. He sighed briefly before walking towards the men standing far away.
At least, this time around, Deertes was aware of what an auction is. After all, she did witness the scene of Alex’s group buying and selling various women. So, it would not be a bad idea for her to be out of the auction. However, what she was confused at was why Brian had made such a face upon hearing the man’s words.
“If there’s going to be an auction… will there be the buying and selling of girls as well?”
Her words that were filled with contempt escaped from her lips. For a moment, those words caused a distortion in the blue-eyed man’s face as he opened his mouth, about to spit out a reply.
“I see… so that was what the dead were doing a while ago.”
“Please answer my question. Do you guys also do the same thing? Are you a better person than that? Where am I? Are you a soldier from Ramedes? Am I able to get in touch with Bernst?”
Her voice grew louder and louder at every question. A multitude of questions poured out yet the man had not answered a single one. Finally, Deertes, who was tired from all the questions was breathing heavily, stared at him before voicing out her final question.
“What’s your name?”
The man looked at Deertes for a long time as she asked the question before he finally answered.
“…Cassar.”