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Edited by Sleepypanda
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“Can you give your life?”
Killian’s chest went up and down. His trembling breathing filled the room.
Sneakily, Killian grabbed the blade of a sword aiming at the back of his neck.
As if he’s showing his determination.
Devan’s eyebrows curved.
“…….if I can’t find it……my life is worthless.”
“If I can’t find it. What?”
Killian opened his eyes wide.
“Your Highness, please……please.”
“So …..what?”
“…….Please give me back. Evelyn…….”
Devan’s quick smile burst into laughter.
“……Your Highness.”
“Ha, hahaha!”
Devan laughed out loud.
How big and pleasant he laughed, Killian’s forehead was crumpled mercilessly.
He put down the blade that Killian was holding and took a step back. Blood dripped from his palm.
“Haha… haaah…”
Devan, who was smiling with a bend to his waist, suddenly raised his head.
Paat- He put a sword vertically on the carpet.
Before he knew it, his smile disappeared. Devan shined his eyes in a grand way.
“Whatever it is, you can look for it if you want. I’ll give you a week. My castle, Young Lord….. You can search anywhere.”
Devan added behind Killian, who seems to run out right away even before the end of the talk.
“However, if you can’t find it… You’ll have to give up your life.”
It was a cooler voice than a sword that touched the back of its neck.
However, Killian opened the door without setting up courtesy, as if it was a waste of time to hesitate. As if all the polite attitudes up until just now were lies.
Boom- The door closed roughly and the sound of footsteps running down the hallway rang.
In the room left alone, Devan picked up the sharp sword again.
At the end of the blade, Killian’s blood was buried.
He threw the sword randomly, turned around, and grabbed the yellow pendant.
Devan’s expression when looking at it was full of resentment.
“Because of Evelyn.”
He recalled that Killian never referred to her as sister.
As if to break it, Devan held the necklace in his hand hard.
“Isn’t this like…. a warrior who came to save his lover?”
If so, his role is the devil who locked the princess in the tower.
Golden eyes? It was a kind of coincidence.
A fishy smile was caught around Devan’s mouth.
***
It was all over the place. It was blinding.
I closed my eyes and walked down the familiar street.
Every step I took, snow flashed and made a good sound.
“Haah…”
The same breath burst out with a sigh. I rubbed my hands together and heated it up.
Otherwise, my hands will freeze first even before I arrive at the store.
Ellywoon, where I finally arrived, was a much colder place than expected.
Who said this place was a place where it snows all year round. Ellywoon was not exactly a snowy place, but a place where snow piled up.
It was piled up, piled up, and piled up without giving time to melt.
How long did I walk?
The snow, which had risen to my knees, became ankle-deep, and a sudden bustling distance appeared.
This was also one of the characteristics of Ellywoon.
Community life was taken for granted in this country, where it snowed almost every day. Everyone lived together, and such a small downtown area was formed in the center.
“Hey, Leah!”
I heard a familiar voice.
As I looked around, Heron, the owner of the fish store, was waving his hand at me.
Leah was my new name here.
“Mr. Heron!”
I rushed toward him in a hurry.
Heron pushed the burning bonfire toward me.
As I squatted in front of it and warmed my hands, Heron held out a brass cup this time.
“Here you go.”
“Thank you.”
When I accepted it with both hands, the warmth quickly spread.
“Phew…. I’m barely going to live.”
“You haven’t been able to ride a sledding?”
“I’ll get used to it soon.”
“Didn’t you say that before?”
I looked at him laughing and smiled awkwardly.
People in this country used sledding instead of horses or carriages as a means of transportation.
I tried it again and again, but I still couldn’t adapt, so I used to walk a long distance from home to downtown.
“So what do you give me today?”
“What’s there?”
“Well…”
Heron went into the store and heard the sound of searching this and that.
Since it was a cold neighborhood with so much snow, most of the food here was dried up and used.
Among them, dried fish was the best ingredient.
What should I make for dinner tonight?
I warmed my hands while blowing my breath.
It would be okay to make stew or something. I was able to eat hard-dried fish smoothly and melt my body.
Come to think of it, I think we’re almost out of firewood.
I looked over the shops I had to stop by on the way. As I bought a lot every time I came out, there were not one or two places to stop by.
“I got good meat from my neighborhood. I’ll give you a discount. Will you bring it?”
In the store, Heron shouted.
The neighborhood next door meant an empire. So, the place where I ran away.
“….No. Just give me a cheap one!”
I looked inside the store and shouted.
I didn’t want to touch any fish.
***
I was on my way home with dried fish in one hand and dry firewood in the other.
Still, my eyes were up to my knees. There was a main road to go home and a shortcut to break through the dark forest.
Usually, it was always the former, but today, the luggage in my hand was too heavy.
If I went home like this, I would have fallen down without having dinner and collapsed.
What’s the big deal?
I walked toward the forest with complacent thoughts. It wasn’t sunset yet, and most of the beasts and castles in this neighborhood were gentle.
However, as soon as I entered the forest, I had no choice but to regret my decision.
Tall birch trees surrounded me, and the sun that showed a little bit of its face was completely… covered it.
The wind turned sharper as it crossed the trees, and eventually, it made a strange whirring sound.
I swallowed my gulp and dried saliva and took a quick step.
Fortunately, however, the trees were acting as roofs.
The height of the snow piled up on the floor was significantly lower than outside the forest, so I was able to step faster.
“Well, it’ll be done soon.”
I talked in a cheerful voice for no reason.
Even so, the gloomy atmosphere didn’t go away.
Crunch- I was horrified by the strange sound from the bottom and played. It was the sound of a branch breaking that I stepped on.
“Haah…”
I had to admit that I was nervous to the fullest.
It was only then that I recalled the reason why I had to walk far and insist on the main road.
There have been more than once in a while when crossing the border, I went back and forth between life and death because of the rubble.
“Why did I forget that?”
Creepy green skin, sticky mucus, and a body harder than a rock.
When I remembered the castles I encountered a year ago, my impression was wrinkled.
Of course, there’s no such thing in this forest, but…
“…….Let’s hurry up.”
I almost ran.
The snow piled up on the floor fluttered every time my steps touched.
It was still dark around, and the biting cold was also there.
The wind that made strange sounds continued, and my fear was the same as the first time.
It was then.
Boom- I heard a roar from the back. It was the sound of something falling.
That’s also something very heavy. There was a chill. My body became stiff as it was.
“Crrr…”
There was a strange cry that could only be said to belong to the beast.
It could be a wild animal. Like a bear. Is it a problem if it’s a bear? But it’s better than beasts…..
Thinking uselessly as if escaping from reality, I turned around very slowly.
“Crrrrrr…”
Tung– The fish and dry firewood I was holding fell to the floor.
Coming right in front of me, it was dripping yellow essence from its mouth.
It’s whole body was covered with hard-looking green scales, and there were two long and disgusting tails.
There was nothing more to think about.
It was a magic beast.
This magic beast was obviously after me.
Why?
Elliwoon was famous for being a safe place. It was because it snowed a lot and it was always cold, it was difficult for dangerous beasts or horses to survive.
Young people in the village even used the forest as a hunting ground.
But now… On the first day I came into the forest, a magical beast appeared?
Is this all just a terrible coincidence?
My cheeks are hardened.
“Wow!”
The beast jumped high.
Towards me.
“Argh!”
I quickly threw myself sideways with a fresh scream.
He put his face in his eyes, but fortunately, he didn’t seem to die.
What should I do?
When I slightly raised my head, the stupid horse was looking around. I felt like I was looking for me.
Unnoticeably, I got up from my seat very slowly and hid behind the tree.
I had to think carefully.
I tried to remember a year ago, when the Great Duke kidnapped me.
A strangely powerful force to be precise.
I rode the walls, opened locked doors, and broke the barrier.
I clenched my fist.
The problem was… I didn’t know how I used it myself.
“Wow!”
The tree I was hiding flew to the side.
It seemed that the beast was accidentally hit while turning its tail around.
I inhaled sharply.
The beast stared at me with creepy yellow eyes.
I got caught.
Without any hesitation, the beast jumped to the floor as if it were just following its instinct.
Do I die like this?
After breaking away from abuse and torture, crossing the border and barely setting up a house to catch my breath.
“Hıaagh”
I’m going to die like this? | I looked very slow as the magical beast attacked me.
It was enough to count the terrible scales on the body.
And I saw something flashing white in the gap.
White? That can’t be…
My whole body stiffened at the creepy thought of passing by my head.