‘Why did I have to fall into the arms of a madman?’
Edwin never releases anything that comes into his possession.
The only time he releases someone from his grasp is when they become a corpse and are no longer useful.
None of the people he kidnapped in the original work has ever succeeded in escaping.
[Please… please kill me. No…no more…]
Those who were caught trying to escape had to suffer through an endless amount of torture and horrific pain until it finally killed them.
Then their bodies were added to the growing pile of corpses that littered the blood-splattered floor.
‘Do I have any hope of surviving?’
I shuddered as the scenes from the original story flooded my mind. Suddenly, Edwin’s words popped into my head.
[My bride, God has finally sent me a gift.]
Among the abductees in the original story, not a single one was said to be his bride.
Then…
“Um, Ed?”
When I summoned up the courage to speak, he gazed at me with a smile that reached his eyes.
“I have a question.”
“Answering questions is a pet peeve of mine. But I’ll give my bride special permission to ask one.”
Edwin playfully tapped my nose to show how generous he was being with me.
I swallowed hard and asked carefully, “Why do you think I’m your bride?”
“I received a prophecy. The oracle foretold that my life wouldn’t be short-lived if I married a woman who fell from the heavens.”
‘A prophecy?’
It was customary for the royal family and nobles of the Assyrian Empire to receive an oracle’s prophecy from the Great Hall at a young age.
However, only the prophecy of the Crown Prince was mentioned in the original work.
Of course, there was no mention of Edwin looking for or finding a bride.
“After receiving the prophecy, I wondered for a long time if God was making fun of me.”
He still had a smile on his face, but his narrowed eyes were cold.
Somehow, the temperature in the room felt cooler, so I rubbed my arms to warm myself a little.
“After all, it seemed like God was telling me to die early.”
I didn’t say anything and just nodded reluctantly.
“So, I killed every oracle who insisted that the prophecy was accurate. F**k God and his prophecies.”
Edwin laughed like he truly thought his actions were funny. The way he smiled made him look really insane.
I flinched and tried to pull away, but I couldn’t move because of the firm arms wrapped around my waist.
“But, after a lifetime of waiting, I never expected someone to actually fall from the sky. Or anticipated that my bride would be a Jueri.”
When he smiled, he looked so happy.
“Maybe I should apologize to God for doubting him.”
On the other hand, I was still reeling from shock.
‘I’m the bride of prophecy? The bride of Edwin, the Wild Dragon of the West?’
‘God, are you trying to send me to an early grave?! Why are you doing this to me?!’
As my resentment towards God grew, a question suddenly came to mind.
“Wait a second. I’m a Jueri?”
There was not much information about the Jueri in the original work.
They were simply described as a race of people, who inherited the blood of fairies and once resided in the desert that is now a part of the Duchy of Crawford.
After receiving a prophecy that the Jueri would bring destruction to the empire, the emperor took it upon himself to exterminate the race.
After death, they left a curse on the land that caused demons to appear.
“Yes, the Jueri are the only ones who naturally have pure silver hair like this. Their eyes were like jewels and would change colors depending on the angle of the light.”
‘That sounds so beautiful.’
Edwin kissed my temple as he spoke.
Distracted by the possibility that I could be a Jueri, I was unable to avoid his kiss.
‘What if someone discovers that I am a Jueri?’
Considering that the emperor personally conquered and exterminated the Jueri, I would most likely be killed immediately upon discovery.
Suddenly, I recalled the crimson eyes of the group I met in the desert.
Members of the Crown Prince’s secret organization, referred to as the ‘Ravens,’ were said to have red eyes.
‘They must have recognized me. Don’t tell me the Crown Prince is searching for the Jueri as well?’
The thought made my blood run cold.
“Are you surprised?” Edwin smiled as he gently stroked my back.
Unexpectedly, my anxious heart found some comfort in the gentle touch of the psychotic killer.
‘Have I triggered two death flags already?’
I felt like I was being strangled by the dark future that awaits me.
However, I couldn’t just sit in despair like this. I must find a way to survive somehow.
Since I was pretending that I lost my memory, I proceeded to act like I knew nothing about the Jueri.
“Who are the Jueri?”
“You can say they are like fairies.”
“Fairies? Then, will people try to capture or kill me?”
Just the thought of the emperor coming for me was enough to make me tremble, so there was no need for me to act scared.
“Who would dare to touch what’s mine?”
The combination of Edwin’s low voice and his cold expression caused my body to harden with tension.
“Don’t worry. If anyone dares to attempt such a thing, they will be cut down before they even reach my bride.”
His lips curved into a smirk as his eyes flashed coldly.
Under that intense gaze, the fear that he would cut me down as well, made my mouth go dry. However, beneath those feelings, I felt a sense of relief.
“You only need to stay by my side,” Edwin said as he smiled gently and kissed the back of my hand.
My stomach churned at the thought that he was trying to mark me as his with each kiss.
“My bride is easily frightened. At this rate, can you even escape from my arms?”
He stroked my head gently and clicked his tongue slightly.
“Go ahead, you can try it if you like.”
His smile felt somewhat ominous. I quickly shook my head, but Edwin wasn’t happy with my response.
“You are safe with me; I won’t allow anyone to touch my bride.”
Feeling uneasy, I slowly started to pull away from him, but he noticed it right away and quickly pulled me closer.
Then he pulled the rope beside him to summon a servant. After a few moments, Seth entered the room.
“Bring my dagger and a marriage certificate.”
Seth’s eyes shifted to me for a brief moment, then he bowed his head and exited the room.
“What?! Why do you need a marriage certificate?!”
“Initially, I intended to get married right away, but I decided to be patient because I thought the shock would be too much for my poor bride.”
When he gazed at me, his bright eyes seemed to be asking, ‘Did I do a good job?’ I was overwhelmed with a sense of terror.
I felt like I had no choice but to eagerly go along with his whims if I wanted to stay alive.
“But didn’t we just meet for the first time today?”
“You are the companion that God has gifted to me. The moment I laid my eyes on you, I knew it was fate. Didn’t you feel the same?”
‘Fate? Sure, if you think it’s fate for a prey to land at the feet of a starving predator.’
Swallowing a sigh, I tried to emphasize the troubled expression on my face.
“Honestly, I’m very confused right now. I don’t understand why I fell from the sky or why I don’t remember anything, and it scares me.”
“I’m so sorry. I was so distracted by my happiness that I forgot to consider my bride’s feelings.”
‘Did it work? Does he believe me?’
I was just about to ask him for some time to organize my thoughts and get to know him better, but the following words that flowed out of his mouth rendered me speechless.
“I should have reassured you from the beginning. You have nothing to be anxious about, I won’t leave your side for even a second.”
‘No, you’re the reason I’m so anxious! I’m afraid you will never let me go!’
While I was screaming and crying on the inside, Seth returned with the requested items.
He quietly placed a silver dagger and a small towel on the table.
“Are you sure you want to do this?” Seth asked.
“My bride is very anxious. Instead of words, I should show her that I will never leave her.”
‘No, that’s not it!’
The situation made me feel like I was going to explode out of frustration. My chest tightened uncomfortably, and feelings of uneasiness grew.
After dismissing Seth once again, Edwin picked up the dagger and unsheathed it.
At first glance, it seemed like an ordinary dagger, but once Edwin touched it, the blade began to glow.
The exposed blade was gracefully engraved with strange symbols and text from an unfamiliar language.
Fearing that I was about to be stabbed, I frantically struggled to escape his lap, but Edwin firmly pulled me against his chest and gently rubbed my back.
“There is no need to be afraid, I will only use it on myself.”
Then, he pierced the tip of his index finger with the dagger without any hesitation.
I frowned as it was painful to look at, but Edwin’s expression didn’t change.
“Now, say aaah…”
I gave him a perplexed look when he lifted his finger close to my lips.
The sight of the finger dripping with blood was quite bizarre.
“Come on now, open your mouth.”
‘Why should I? What are you trying to do?’
Edwin’s lips curved into an ominous smile when I shook my head in refusal.
Eventually, he pulled his finger away since I refused to open my mouth.
“Hmm, maybe it was too much?”
I felt relieved that he changed his mind.
After digging through his pockets, Edwin suddenly pulled out something and handed it to me.
“I forgot that my bride has a weak stomach. Here, it’s a piece of chocolate. Eat this first.”
Looking at the unidentified black lump in his hand, I shuddered in disgust and wondered what the hell was going on.
However, I knew I could no longer refuse once I saw Edwin’s eyes gradually turning colder.
‘If it’s just chocolate, there shouldn’t be a problem, right?’
I closed my eyes and tried to calm my anxious heart. After a brief moment, I parted my lips slightly and the chocolate slipped into my mouth.
I felt a sense of relief when the familiar sweetness hit my tongue. But then something firm pushed between my lips and pressed against my tongue. Soon after, a metallic taste filled my mouth.
“…..?”
Thinking that something was amiss, I opened my eyes and saw Edwin’s hand hovering near my mouth. I immediately realized that his finger was in my mouth and quickly pushed his hand away.
“Why did… What are you doing?!”
“You have to consume my blood so we can form a bond. What do you think? It doesn’t taste too bad with chocolate, right?”
His words sounded so absurd that I couldn’t do anything but stare at him in shock.
‘You maniac! Why are you forcing me to drink your blood?! You did the same thing to Lillian after you professed your love for her!’
Attempting to understand the thoughts of a madman would only lead to more confusion and a headache, so I didn’t even try.
Edwin just stared at me silently while I groaned inwardly.
“Fortunately, you seem fine. As expected of my bride,” he murmured while patting my head.
‘Did you really think I would faint after swallowing a few drops of blood?’
As he stared at me, his gaze grew more intense.
“Now, it’s your turn.”
“You said you wouldn’t use it on me!”
‘Liar!’
While Edwin was wiping his hands with the towel, I quickly escaped his arms and tried to run away. But before I managed to even reach the end of the sofa, I was caught and placed on his lap once again.
“Don’t run away from me. I want to treat you kindly since you’re my bride.”
When his expression became cold, I started hiccupping in fear.
“Hic.”
“Oh my.”
The narrowing of his eyes felt like a warning, so I quickly covered my mouth with my hands.
A cold sweat ran down my neck as I tried to hold in my breath to stop the persistent hiccups.
“You need to breathe. Are you trying to make me a widower?” Edwin smiled softly and gently pulled my hands away from my mouth.
“You only need to stay in my arms. I’ll keep you safe and happy.”
When he smiled and spoke with a soft voice, he didn’t seem to be angry anymore, so I relaxed a bit.
Then, I felt a sharp pain on the tip of my index finger.
While I was distracted, Edwin used the dagger to pierce the tip of my finger. I was startled by the sight of blood dripping from my finger.
Anticipating what would follow next, I struggled fiercely to keep my finger away from his mouth, but it was useless as his grip was strong.
In the end, my finger was sucked between his lips, and into the warm dampness of his mouth.
His soft tongue gently lapped at my finger like it was a piece of candy.
For a moment, I frowned at the unfamiliar sensation.
My face grew warmer as a strange heat radiated from my finger.
When I couldn’t stand it any longer, I tried to pull my hand away again, and Edwin finally released my finger.
I quickly grabbed the towel and wiped off my finger.
Edwin, who was watching my actions, laughed as if it was funny.
“Are you done now?”
“Yes.”
It was then that the tension left my stiff shoulders. Shortly afterwards, the hiccups stopped.
“Why are you doing this? What are you up to?”
Considering everything, his actions were beyond crazy.
And the dagger had a strange glow as well.
“We just made a blood pact.”
‘A blood pact?!’ Just hearing the words made me feel dizzy and faint.
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“This dagger is enchanted. If you consume the blood of someone pierced by the blade, it will bind the two together in body and soul.”
As Edwin held the dagger in his hand, the blade started to glow again.
“Not only will I know where you are at all times, but I can tell when your life is in danger.”
I’m screwed.
I was caught in a trap that I had no hope of escaping.