《Careful When Choosing A Husband》 Chapter 1 0. Escape ¡°Ugh!¡± Elrose pulled at the bottom of potatoes as hard as she could. Then, there was a sound of the roots breaking, and the potato was pulled out from the ground. ¡°Wow, did it grow exceptionally well this time?¡± With a proud look on her face, Elrose shook the dirt off the potatoes, and the basket next to her was filled before she knew it. After she dug for a long time, she got up and stretched her back. ¡°That¡¯s enough for today.¡± She turned her head and looked at the open field in front of her, then she sprayed cool water over the plants. Thanks to this, the soil became moist and the leaves were covered with clear drops of water. As far as anyone could see, it was just a paddy field where everything was growing freshly. ¡®Nobody would think there¡¯s a field like this in such a forest.¡¯ It¡¯s natural. The place she¡¯s standing in right now is called the Viera Forest, also known as the cursed forest by everyone else. It was a dark place because the trees were so big to the point no light could come through. Furthermore, the forest was not easily accessible since it was located behind the Viera monastery. ¡°It¡¯s time to go back.¡± It became a habit for her to talk to herself, so Elrose picked up the basket full of potatoes. Besides that, there were also cabbage, ripe tomatoes, and sweet-scented fruits. The basket was full of appetizing things. Every time she took a step, her apprentice-nun outfit fluttered. It was like a dark rag filled with marks, but Elrose didn¡¯t care. ¡®There¡¯s no one here besides me.¡¯ After struggling through the lush bushes, she walked through the forest and soon after, there was an old cottage at the end. It was an old hunter¡¯s hut. This was the place that the Viera Monastery gave her as she has lived there for 14 years. *** Fourteen years ago, Elrose¡¯s mother, who was the owner of Espencia, passed away. By law, all of her wealth should¡¯ve been inherited by her daughter, Elrose. However, Count Basilin, who is her father, used the excuse of Elrose¡¯s young age to steal his wife¡¯s property from her. Of course, he insisted that it was natural for him to manage his daughter¡¯s property as a father. But everyone knew that the Count didn¡¯t give her a penny and that he will also use it all for he was also a son of a fallen count. Elrose¡¯s maternal grandfather was also greedy for the title and would¡¯ve died at the gambling house if he had not taken her father in as his son-in-law. When her mother died, he quickly remarried and then changed the people who worked in his wife¡¯s mansion to his own. The nanny and maid who took care of Elrose left the mansion overnight. Elrose, who lost the familiarity of her mother, became depressed. Then, Count Basilin told the people: ¡°The shock was too great for Elrose, so she wants to take care of herself in the monastery.¡± She was eight years old at that time. He was good with words, so her life was closer to imprisonment since the Viera Monastery was like a fortress. There was only one hill to go up, with a forest behind it, and there was also no way out of the forest without passing through the monastery because of the high cliff at the end. The day that she arrived, the monastery director stepped out and greeted her. He was very pleased with her, and to be more precise, he was bribed to not let her out of the place and to keep her safe. ¡°A lady from a noble family will need a quiet, private place. That¡¯s why I especially prepared it beforehand.¡± The director then secretly picked up something expensive from her luggage and sent Elrose to the old cabin along with the rest of her stuff. So when his wife died, Elrose¡¯s father drove his daughter away and took over everything. Fortunately, an old nun felt sorry and took care of her. Thanks to that, she was able to grow up safely. However the nun passed away when Elrose was eighteen, and ever since that happened, she remained here alone. After the death of the caring nun, the monastery sent a meal here once every two days. ¡®It was food that even a passing dog wouldn¡¯t eat.¡¯ Elrose sighed when she recalled the meals she used to get. It was garbage that cannot be called food. ¡°Did you think I¡¯ll eat something like that?¡± Elrose smiled and looked at her basket full of food. Over the past few years, she had built a field in the forest without the monastery¡¯s knowledge. ¡°And you think I¡¯m getting sick.¡± She made them think that way on purpose, so the surveillance won¡¯t be strict. Elrose continued to walk through the forest while humming. At night, cursed werewolves would appear. There were quite a few people in the monastery who saw them in person, so no one dared to step foot in here. ¡®That¡¯s all a lie.¡¯ Elrose recalled the hunter¡¯s diary that she had found on the floor when she first came to the cabin. ¡®It said that he deliberately wore wolf skin while wandering around the forest at night.¡¯ It was deliberately devised by the hunter so that the monks who ask to pay a fee for the use of the forest wouldn¡¯t approach him. It wasn¡¯t just that. The hunter pretended to be crazy in front of the monks by muttering a curse and wandering around at night. This made the monks even more reluctant to come. The hunter caught live animals here in the forest where no one came and left his money here. But, rumors still lingered. ¡®Besides, I had to lie by saying things were going around the forest at night.¡¯ When I informed the monks by telling them that with a terrified expression, their face turned white and they haven¡¯t bothered coming back. Since then, no one has come except the person who brings the meal. Crack! Crack! The crows flew up while making a noise. Someone is coming. Elrose ran straight into the cabin. She hid the potato basket under the bed, took out the dirty old robe and flipped it over, then opened a bottle in the corner and sprinkled water inside and over her clothes. ¡°Ugh!¡± The rotten, nasty smell stung my nose, but I had to put up with it. Elrose listened while breathless, and heard a walking sound. ¡®Huh?¡¯ That¡¯s weird. Usually, only one monk comes with a meal, but today there are two of them approaching. Knock knock. One of them who came to the front of the cabin knocked on the door. ¡°Elrose, here¡¯s your meal.¡± She opened her door slowly on purpose. ¡°Ugh!¡± When Elrose came out while wearing a robe, the monk backed away from the rotten smell. ¡°Thank¡­ thank you very much. Cough! Today¡­ cough!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t talk anymore! It¡¯s alright!¡± When Elrose deliberately coughed in a harsh voice, the monk dropped what he had brought in fright and backed away. He then looked at the person who he came together with, and the man nodded his head and turned away. ¡°Well, then I¡¯ll leave you alone!¡± He also quickly turned around to follow the other guy. After seeing them enter the monastery, Elrose entered the cabin and opened the window. ¡°Ugh, I can¡¯t get used to this rotten smell.¡± It was water mixed with all sorts of herbs to make her condition look bad. Elrose threw off the robe and looked at the mean which was brought to her. It was no different. When she dumped it out from the window, the crows that were waiting quickly flew over. Elrose took out the tomato from the basket that she had hidden under the bed, wiped it, and took a bite. Fresh juice rolled around her mouth along with its crunchy pulp, which tasted slightly sweet. She then wipes her lips while lost in thought. ¡®I¡¯m sure my father sent him.¡¯ The man who came with the monk. He was definitely looking for her, and that wasn¡¯t hard to guess. ¡®But why all of the sudden?¡¯ He threw her here and didn¡¯t bother checking on her for fourteen years. ¡®I need to find out.¡¯ As she swallowed the remaining tomatoes, Elrose¡¯s eyes began to sparkle. *** On a dark night, Elrose opened the back door of the monastery. ¡®It¡¯s still here.¡¯ She walked towards the inside familiarly. In fact, she visited this place quite often. ¡®Vegetables, fruits, and meat can be found in the forest, but things like sugar, butter, flour, and milk can¡¯t be helped.¡¯ She had to sneak into the kitchen at night whenever she needed those things. ¡®In the meantime, it became messier.¡¯ Elrose clicked her tongue as she looked at the kitchen which was even more disorganized than last time. The plates were full of meat oil, and the table was full of empty bottles. Looking at it, these people seemed to have been eating and drinking excitedly. She then peaked at the kitchen warehouse. ¡®It¡¯s full of butter and baked bread. I¡¯ll take it with me when I go.¡¯ While she was looking for something to take and tried to get out, she heard voices of people approaching the kitchen from the hallway. Instead of panicking, she smoothed her hair towel and went to the sink to wash the dishes. Soon, two drunken monks came in. When they saw Elrose washing the dishes, they turned away and went to the place where all the bottles were piled up. ¡®Ah, of course.¡¯ Since they¡¯re drunk, they thought she was just an apprentice who¡¯s in charge of chores. Elrose listened to their conversation while pretending to wash the dishes. At first, they talked about the drinks that they were drinking, but the subject soon changed. ¡°Who was the guest that came today? I don¡¯t think the donation was the biggest, but I love it. Thanks to that, I can drink like this.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t know? You know the woman who¡¯s abandoned in the cabin.¡± ¡°Elrose?¡± ¡°The woman who¡¯s waiting for the day to die in this place. Anyways, her father died.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Elrose stopped her hands without realizing it. ¡®My father died?¡¯ She thought he sent someone, but he died? It wasn¡¯t sad news, for she had little memory and was abandoned by him here. She was just surprised. In the meantime, the monks continued their conversation. ¡°What? So now she¡¯s a count?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, but¡­ remember when you asked who the guest was today? It¡¯s the dead count¡¯s wife.¡± Just before Elrose left the mansion, her father remarried. ¡®I¡¯m sure he said her name was Camilla.¡¯ That woman sent someone. She felt a cool chill sliding down her back as she swallowed. ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but the law says that she has to follow the inheritance process within a week of his death. In the meantime, if she doesn¡¯t do it, the problem gets complicated.¡± ¡°So you want to send her there for a week?¡± ¡°That¡¯s stupid. Just leave it alone as it is now. Why would we send her back? We were even sent with a large sum of money to the director¡­¡± The monk said while wiggling his hand as if to demonstrate something. ¡°Just deal with her here so you don¡¯t have to worry about it.¡± Deal with it. The words hit Elrose¡¯s head like a lightning bolt. Chapter 2 ¡°Oh, my gosh¡­¡± In front of the cabin, Elrose took a gasping breath. The smell of blood was mixed with the air she exhaled as she ran crazy fast. ¡®You came here to kill me!¡¯ They came here to deal with her. What the monks have said lingered around Elrose¡¯s ears. The hand that touched the wall of the cabin was strained. At the same time, a crackling sound leaked out. When she was young, she spent her days in shock when she found out that she was abandoned here. Then, as time went by and she grew older, she slowly accepted her situation. Elrose knew that she was abandoned and she didn¡¯t have anyone by her side. When she realized that, she tried to just live here. After reading the hunter¡¯s diary, she went around the forest to eat more fruits since she was hungry for food. After finding land that was good for making fields inside the forest, she started farming. She also learned a lot of things that she needed in order to survive by reading a lot of books that had been thrown away. All the nuts in the forest were planted by Elrose after many failures from reading the books. At first, she thought of running away from here, but she had nowhere to go. In addition, it has been chaotic outside due to a long war and it had only stabilized last year. So, Elrose lived quietly here. She would feel better whenever she thinks that there was nothing for her outside anyways. Still, she never gave up the idea of going back to the capital one day. ¡®I made a promise with my mother.¡¯ Elrose remembered everything about her mother. She had the biggest room in the mansion, and if she stood at the balcony, she could see the garden where beautiful flowers bloomed throughout the four seasons. It was the pride of her mother¡¯s mansion. Whenever Elrose could smell the scent of the flowers mixed within the wind, her mother would smile and hug her. ¡°Elrose, will you promise your mother that you will inherit and protect this beautiful garden?¡± At her strong request, Elrose answered strongly that she would. That was the first and last promise she made with her mom, whom she remembered. Elrose clenched her fist. A promise that has not been kept for 14 years and the moment has come for her to now protect it. She didn¡¯t want to die here! Elrose then ran immediately towards the cabin. ¡°I don¡¯t have much time.¡± She remembered the conversation the monks had in the kitchen before they left. ¡°Come think of it, I can take care of it tomorrow evening. He said no one should approach the hunt until he gets back.¡± Fortunately, he didn¡¯t come to kill her tonight. Well, it seemed like they were having fun eating and drinking anyway. ¡®I brought you a meal today.¡¯ Food was given to her once every other day, so no one will be coming tomorrow. ¡®In that case, no one will notice me when I leave the cabin before he comes.¡¯ There¡¯s a cliff at the end of the forest. No one would think she¡¯s going to run away. Elrose smirked. ¡°I can run away. This is it.¡± The hunter wrote down many things in his diary. One of them was that there is a path down the cliff in this forest that no one knows about. On the surface, it was a place where it cannot be seen unless you¡¯re a bird. It was the way the hunter used to sell the beasts he had caught without the monks knowing. Elrose turned her head and looked at the books that were piled up in front of the bed and the wall. The monks didn¡¯t know, but the amount has decreased a lot since the beginning. ¡®I sold many of them.¡¯ After finding her way down the cliff, Elrose usually went only on the weekends. The monks paid no attention for they greeted the congregation on the weekends. They tried to be more reverent in order to get more donations and didn¡¯t even give Elrose a trashy meal on those days. ¡®Thanks to you, I¡¯m happy.¡¯ She took advantage of the darkness of the wall and climbed down the cliff. Each time, before she would take a book from her place, she had to read it over and over again. Then, she would go to the nearby village and sell them. At the same time, in order for her not to be noticed, she tore off the parts where it had seals and sold the books only to the merchants who were passing by. At first, it was just a bargain price, but as time went by, Elrose became good to the point she was getting paid to sell. She bought various things with the money she made, from crops to plain clothes. Elrose opened the drawer and took out the purse she had hidden inside. When she held it, it was heavy in her hand. With this amount of money, she¡¯ll be able to go down to the village and get a horse. Elrose then felt around under her bed with her hand, and soon felt a piece of clothing. It was a normal dress, not a nun¡¯s dress. While quickly changing into it, she brought her bag and began to collect things. She packed everything in an instant since there weren¡¯t many things she owned anyways. The only thing she treasured was a necklace left by her mother. When things become difficult, she was told to hang on to that and pray while looking at the garden. Then, she¡¯ll get a lot of help. It was the only precious thing that Elrose could keep because she was hiding it in her clothes when she was sent to the monastery. When she took her necklace, left the cabin, and tried running towards the cliff, she suddenly stopped walking. If someone finds this hunt tomorrow evening, he¡¯ll know she¡¯s not there. Although she has about a day, it is clear that she won¡¯t be able to get far and will be caught. ¡®Then¡­¡± Elrose ran behind the cabin and took out the things she had hidden between the bushes. ¡®You should hold him here as long as you can.¡¯ The man had asked the monks not to let anyone come to the hunt until he comes back. ¡°I¡¯ll make you regret it.¡± There was no mercy for those who came to kill her. Elrose took out the things she has hidden and went back into the cabin. ~*~ After finishing all of her work, Elrose ran down the forest path. It wasn¡¯t easy to move around at night even though the place was so familiar to the point she could navigate with her eyes closed. As she went through a vine that was set up to prevent the mountain rabbits from aiming at the crops, a field appeared under the moonlight. It was a field that she worked very hard for. Within a few days, the eggplant will be plump, and the corn will be sweet after being boiled, but¡­ ¡°I can¡¯t eat it.¡± Elrose murmured with a voice full of regret. The memories of coming here over the past years passed through her mind. She searched for a flat land deep in the woods, and she would plow the ground with the shovel that she bought from the village until her hands could no longer work. As she recalled the past, she waved her hand. ¡°Bye.¡± Elrose then stepped deeper into the forest. After a long walk, her hair began to sway from the wind. ¡°Here it is.¡± As she stood at the end of the forest, she saw a large cliff. Under the moonlight, the wind could be seen blowing around there. Even though she went down at dawn, this was the first time for her to go down there in a dark night. Whoosh. Elrose stretched out her arms and hand while swallowing her dry saliva. While she fumbled through the vine that had grown on the cliff, she saw a steel stake that firmly tied the rope down. There wasn¡¯t enough space, so at the end of the rope, she needed to jump. After that, she¡¯ll need to hold onto the stones that are sticking out. The first time Elrose did this, she was very scared, but it was a routine now for she was used to it. After a long time, Elrose arrived safely under the cliff while covered with sweat. ¡°Whoa.¡± Her body, which was hardened by the tension, was still shaking. Elrose patted her cheeks with her hands and muttered. ¡°This is real from now on. Let¡¯s wake up.¡± Elrose had learned a good lesson in and out of the town. The moment she loses focus, she¡¯ll end up getting beaten. One of the merchants who talked with a friendly smile sold goods to Elrose for several times the amount from the original. At then, she was so preoccupied with the food that she didn¡¯t even realize her pocket money had disappeared. That wasn¡¯t the only time, for she was always dragged away once while walking on a side road in order to get back to the cabin faster. However, what she will be doing from now on is far more dangerous than that. ¡®You should not trust anyone.¡¯ While thinking about her past experiences, she reminded herself of that. ¡®My father passed away on Saturday.¡¯ Today is Tuesday. According to Imperial Law, it is necessary to go to the capital before this Friday in order to inherit the title and property. In fact, the title was not needed. She didn¡¯t want anything from her father. However, in order to inherit her mother¡¯s property, she was forced to accept her father¡¯s title as well. ¡®There is one more thing I need to do.¡¯ Elrose frowned. It was something that she couldn¡¯t get right now and here anyways. ¡®I have to go to the capital for now.¡¯ Elrose turned around. The village is in that direction, so if she keeps going further, she¡¯ll spot the capital. After looking at the end of the road for a while, she turned towards the other side. ¡®They come and search through this road as soon as they find out I¡¯m gone.¡¯ If that¡¯s the case, she¡¯ll need to move differently from their expectations. Elrose took a deep breath and quickly walked away from the monastery. ~*~ Swoosh. The man looked at the cabin. ¡®You must have fallen asleep already.¡¯ There was no light in the cabin. He then pulled out a sharp dagger from his waist. The last time he came, the woman was staggering and she could barely get a breath out. In addition, the meals given by the monks were something that would make you sick. ¡®This will be too easy.¡¯ The frail, aristocratic spirit would be trapped here forever. It¡¯s very simple to get rid of one such woman. The man touched the pocket which contained money inside of his clothes and remembered Camilia¡¯s voice whispering to come back after taking care of things. ¡®She¡¯s a scary woman.¡¯ She¡¯s trying to get rid of her late husband¡¯s daughter right after he died. The man approached the cabin while clicking his tongue. ¡®Isn¡¯t it too quiet?¡¯ No matter how sick a woman was, he couldn¡¯t feel any presence. The man, who felt a sense of caution, opened the door of the cabin. Squeak. The door was opened with a small noise. Due to the thick clouds, even the moonlight couldn¡¯t get through. Inside the cabin was blinding darkness. The man then carefully took a step inside. Snap! ¡°Argh!¡± With the sound, there came a terrible pain in the man¡¯s leg. He threw the dagger out from his hands and fell on his face. Thump! This time, he felt a tingling sensation and felt strong pain in his hands. It was as if he¡¯s seeing stars in front of him. ¡°Ugh!¡± While the man was unable to come to his senses due to a series of pain, the clouds parted and the moonlight lit up the place. It was only then that the man could see what was attached to his legs and hands. ¡°Traps?¡± It wasn¡¯t anything big, but it was definitely for catching animals. ¡°How could this be!¡± He was sure the monastery didn¡¯t give her anything besides a meal. So why is this here? While he was still surprised, the sharp part of the trap continued to dig into his flesh. ¡®It¡¯s dangerous.¡¯ Whatever happened, he could see that it was set up to catch him. He had to get out of here quickly, but his legs were still attached to the chains. Only then did the man know what she was up to. With no one coming, he was caught in here and couldn¡¯t move. The man realized the fact and shouted madly. ¡°Help me!¡± However, that cry did not reach the monastery that was far away. Chapter 3 1. Meeting A huge wall can be seen at the end of the plain. Beyond those walls, there¡¯s a sky-high palace. When she was young, she would look at the palace several times back at the mansion. ¡°I¡¯m finally here.¡± Elrose muttered and brushed off the dirty hood with her hands. During the night, she moved quickly to the village on the other side of the road and headed towards the capital. From there, she got on a carriage to the next village and bought a horse with the money she had. Afterward, she ran to the capital. ¡®No one is catching up.¡¯ It was a good thing she chose the right route, for she couldn¡¯t see anyone pursuing her. As Elrose walked along the side of the road, a large carriage in the distance could be seen moving towards her direction without slowing down, and as it passed by, it blew dirt in her face and hair. But, she can¡¯t even stop by a nearby inn to wash up. ¡®I have to be at the mansion by today.¡¯ In addition to covering up her messed-up appearance, there was another reason why she wore a hood. ¡®I don¡¯t want anyone to recognize me.¡¯ Even though she went to the monastery when she was very young, she didn¡¯t want to take any chances. Plus, they might have freed the man who was going to kill her. She had to walk because the horse became exhausted and couldn¡¯t run anymore, so she sold it to a restaurant a while ago. It would¡¯ve been difficult to go quicker anyways on a horse because there were more people on the road than before. Elrose stepped in line with the people who are entering the capital. Fortunately, she was able to enter without any problems. ¡°Wow¡­¡± After coming in while walking on the main road, the capital¡¯s central square appeared. Elrose stood there and looked around. ¡°It¡¯s changed a lot.¡± It was the square that she had passed by whenever she went out of the mansion as a kid. Back then, there were many people, but the numbers can¡¯t even compare to right now. ¡®There¡¯s so much more people.¡¯ While Elrose looked around the square, people of various skin colors and body types wandered around. The northerners and southerners who were difficult for her to see when she was young caught her attention. ¡®It¡¯s because of the war.¡¯ 5 years ago, the Suin people crossed the Eternal Mountains at the northern tip of the country and invaded the empire. They were half human and half beasts. The empire was helpless at first, for they didn¡¯t think it would be such a large-scale invasion. Besides the enemies, they also had to attack red beasts which had never been seen before. As a result, less than a half year later, the empire lost most of its northern land to the Suin people. Refugees who lost their homes and land flocked to the capital. The empire quickly gathered troops, and many of them were from the north or the south. ¡®Among them, the mercenary king Kharkan is the most famous.¡¯ He was originally a mercenary who¡¯s active in large and small wars in the northern regions. No one knew what he looked like or how old he was because he always covered his face with a bandage. He¡¯s been doing it for over 30 years, so Elrose guessed he¡¯s probably at least 50 years old. He fought against the Suin people on the front lines with the other mercenaries under his command. As a result of that, many other mercenaries followed him, and before he knew it, he was nicknamed the King of Mercenaries. Thanks to Kharkan, the imperial army drove out the Suin people and regained peace. The emperor then granted awards and titles to Kharkan and many others who helped the empire. That was already a year ago. The war is over, but the wounds still remain in the north. The restoration work only began this year, so those who had not yet returned stayed in the capital. Elrose was lost in thought while looking at the people around her. ¡®What do I do from now on?¡¯ She couldn¡¯t just go to the mansion like this. It was Camila who sent a man to prevent Elrose from recovering her property. The mansion is already full of people who serve Camila. What if she went to a place like that and said that she was Elrose and she came to inherit her mother¡¯s property and her father¡¯s title? It would be clear that they would take her into custody while saying thank you for coming on your own. ¡®And then they¡¯ll kill me.¡¯ Elrose then recalled the thickest book in the cabin, the Imperial Code. She remembered the inheritance part of the book because she read it over and over again. If she were to object to it right now, the process will be halted. But that didn¡¯t mean the title and property will go straight to Elrose. ¡®Because I¡¯m not married.¡¯ The imperial law will not recognize an unmarried person as an adult, and that law was made a thousand years ago. So a single person cannot inherit his or her parents¡¯ property. Most nobles get married when they¡¯re still young. Of course, it was just a wedding on paper. ¡®I could, but¡­¡¯ As the next Earl and successor to the Espensia property, she remembered the suitors that used to arrive every day. But that was a long time ago. ¡®I need to get married right now.¡¯ Elrose needed a man to register with her for marriage right away. The problem is that she can¡¯t just ask anyone, because her father was a count. Under the imperial law, she had to marry a nobleman in order to inherit her title property in full value. ¡®If my partner is a commoner, the inheritance process will become complicated. That¡¯s why I need a nobleman¡­¡¯ Elrose sighed. She was well aware of the fact that the number of nobles in the empire has increased tremendously recently. After the war, there were many people who won titles. But finding such a person isn¡¯t all. ¡®I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be treated like a crazy person if I ask someone I¡¯ve never seen before if I can marry them for a while.¡¯ Today¡¯s the day that marked the one-week period from when her father died. According to the law, Elrose had until today to express her intentions to succeed the title. Otherwise, the title will be temporarily transferred to her step-mother, Camila, on paper. It didn¡¯t matter if they just passed the title, but it will be a problem if they also passed the property to her. Today, I have to find a nobleman who is unmarried, report to the government office and file for marriage, and then go to the mansion. The office closes at 6 p.m. and right now it¡¯s already 3 p.m. I have to find a man to marry in three hours. In fact, she was trying to think of a way even during her journey when she left the monastery. Elrose asked the security forces who were standing by the road. ¡°Excuse me, which way are the guilds gathered here?¡± ¡°That way.¡± The guard pointed to one of the numerous roads that diverged from the square. Elrose said thank you and then moved on. There were many guilds in the capital. Originally, guilds were a group of people with professional knowledge such as herbalists or artists. However, it has now turned into a place where ordinary people are commissioned to do things that are difficult to do. In particular, the number of mercenaries who had nothing to do after the war increased, and the mercenary guilds now just receive random work. ¡®That¡¯s why the merchants were complaining about this and that problem.¡¯ She remembered a merchant who came to the village once and clicked his tongue saying that such guild people should only be paid for doing illegal things. Elrose approached the largest guild on the road. ¡®I only have 50 gold remaining.¡¯ It was the sum of all the money she had for selling horses. ¡®This should be enough to make a request.¡¯ Elrose had asked a number of things to annoy the merchants who wandered around back when she snuck out to the village. They delivered knowledge that books could not acquire, such as continental conditions to guild commission fees. ¡®They told me that any request can be made at the expense of money.¡¯ What Elrose wanted was simple. A single man with a title who can marry her right now. (t/n note: yeah that¡¯s so simple) ¡®Even if I ask the guild, I¡¯ll need to ask them to find someone who is not trouble.¡¯ After marrying her, that person might become greedy for property and wealth. That kind of person is enough to fit her father¡¯s description. ¡®Even if they¡¯re greedy, they won¡¯t get anything.¡¯ After thinking of what to do after inheriting the title and property, Elrose tried to enter the guild. There were a group of people coming out from the inside. Somehow feeling in a bad mood, Elrose quickly hid in an alley next to the building. ¡°Ugh, the smell.¡± One of the things that were near her was a trash can. Elrose held her nose and looked outside. The men who came out stopped at the entrance of the alley she was in, but luckily, they didn¡¯t go inside towards her. Elrose listened while trying to hold back from the smell. ¡°What do you mean, 10,000 gold? It¡¯s the first time I was ever given such a large sum of money for a request to find someone.¡± ¡°I know, I was thinking of leaving because of the decrease in guild requests, but I can¡¯t believe such a good deal came in.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s kind of weird. The information I have is a 22-year-old woman without a name but has blond hair and green eyes. Besides, it hasn¡¯t been long since she got out of the monastery. What am I supposed to do to find her?¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Elrose stopped breathing at the request. ¡°But let¡¯s go before the others find us anyways!¡± Even after the mercenaries left, Elrose couldn¡¯t move for a long time. Her name didn¡¯t come out, but she could tell that the person they¡¯re looking for is herself. It also wasn¡¯t hard to guess who was trying to find her. ¡®It¡¯s got to be Camila.¡¯ She then realized that there was a problem with what she was going to do earlier. ¡®I¡¯m in trouble.¡¯ Now it was impossible to use the guild. As soon as she enters, she¡¯ll be like gold rolling in. Elrose felt her pocket again. The amount that was put on her is 10,000 gold. She only had about 50 gold total. ¡®Even if I inherit all of my property and then give them the money¡­¡¯ It was clear that the people of the guild would choose the ten thousand gold they can get right away. A bell then rang every 30 minutes could be heard from the distance. It is now 3:30. There are only two and a half hours left. It was not enough time for her to find someone who fits the conditions without going through the guild. ¡°What should I do.¡± The task of trying to get married by asking a guild to find an unmarried noble all over the capital now was in vain. Elrose muttered to herself without realizing it. ¡°God, could you please send me a man to be my husband? If possible, please do it right now.¡± It was then. Bam! The back door of a house opened with a loud noise. Then a man in a robe rolled out and fell in front of Elrose as if it had been delivered to her. Chapter 4 Elrose looked at the man who rolled out in surprise. Soon after, men came out from the door while shouting. ¡°Hey, you must¡¯ve been wandering around and causing trouble!¡± A rough tone could be heard and she could see tattoos all over the guy¡¯s body. At first glance, it would seem very clear that those guys were engaging in illegal work. Their clothes had an emblem of the gambling house. They were the security guards of the gambling house, and then they clenched their fists and murmured. ¡°And you¡¯re talking nonsense that you can¡¯t pay back the money you borrowed.¡± ¡°You used to be tailed by the female customers, and now you¡¯re lucky enough to cut off the necks of the Suin people on the battlefield?¡± The guards giggled at the man lying on the ground. One of them spat on the floor while rolling up his sleeves. ¡°Now, do you want me to tell you how you¡¯re going to pay back the money you¡¯ve lost? By using physical force.¡± Their main job was to borrow money from gambling houses like this and then threaten those who couldn¡¯t pay back in order to extort more. ¡°¡­!¡± In the increasingly harsh atmosphere, Elrose backed away. She felt like she had to get out of there quickly. Crunch. However, the branch made a loud noise as she accidentally stepped on them. The guards then immediately turned their heads. ¡°Huh? Who are you?¡± As the gazes turned towards her, Elrose deliberately lowered her head and spoke in a different voice. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m just a passing person! Keep doing what you¡¯re doing.¡± It was the same trick she used to cheat the monks whenever they came to her cabin. The guards shook their hands when they heard Elrose¡¯s voice which sounded like a beggar to them. ¡°Tsk, get out of here.¡± They didn¡¯t seem to care about her anymore, so she took that moment to turn around and get out of there. Swoosh! Something then grabbed onto Elrose¡¯s robe. What is it? She turned her head and saw the man who was rolling on the ground holding onto her robe with one hand. The man then said as the startled Elrose quickly pulled back her robe. ¡°Honey, don¡¯t go!¡± At that moment, the alley became so calm that even ant steps could be heard. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Elrose had never been so dumbfounded in her life. What did the guy just call her? Honey? ¡°Well, you got the wrong person here¡­¡± ¡°You sent me here to do a big blow! This is all for you!¡± ¡°No, what? I don¡¯t know anyone like you!¡± The guards glared at her as she shouted in surprise. ¡°What? She¡¯s a young woman?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure the voice earlier sounded different¡­¡± ¡°Hey, you¡¯re really his wife?¡± The men looked at Elrose suspiciously. She then felt a cold sweat on her back. They already seem to think she was connected to the guy. ¡°That¡¯s great. In fact, beating up a man doesn¡¯t mean he¡¯ll get us the money.¡± ¡°Yeah. There¡¯s another way to get the money¡­¡± The men¡¯s gaze on Elrose was like looking at new gold that just rolled in. ¡°Hey ma¡¯am. If you want your husband to do his job in bed, you¡¯ll need to pay the 50 gold he borrowed, plus interest rates.¡± ¡®I don¡¯t want to be in bed with him, whether it¡¯s my fault or not!¡¯ ¡°No, I¡¯m not his wife¡­¡± ¡°Baby! It¡¯s 50 gold! Are you going to abandon me?¡± No, it¡¯s not about abandoning him, it¡¯s about her never knowing him in the first place! ¡°I don¡¯t know you! Let me go!¡± Meanwhile, the security guards approached closely. She tried to escape, but she couldn¡¯t resist the strong grip from the crazy man. ¡®Why is this guy so strong?¡¯ In fact, all the days of hard work back in the forest made Elrose confident in her strength to some extent. Of course, she knew she couldn¡¯t beat up a man. Still, there shouldn¡¯t be a problem with trying to just shake off his hand. But somehow, he didn¡¯t even budge. At that moment, the man who grabbed Elrose lowered his head and whispered. ¡°Do you have 50 gold?¡± Suddenly, Elrose got goosebumps from the voice that touched her ears. It wasn¡¯t out of displeasure. ¡®You have a great voice?¡¯ It was a low and deep voice that was completely different from when he was rolling and pestering on the ground a little while ago. At the same time, it was a soft voice that made her body lose strength. Elrose, who had lost her mind for a moment, quickly shook her head. Now¡¯s not the time for this. What did the man say? If she had 50 gold? ¡®I do.¡¯ But the money can¡¯t be spent now. What if there is more? When Elrose refused to answer, the man whispered again. ¡°Lend it to me for a moment if you have it. I¡¯ll pay you back.¡± At that moment, Elrose almost answered unknowingly, but then she shook her head and came back to her senses. ¡®Who is this guy?¡¯ What kind of magic is this guy using? How can he make a person almost lose their soul just by hearing his voice? ¡°What are you whispering about? Let me see your face!¡± The security guards reached for the two of them. Elrose quickly held back. ¡®I can¡¯t be caught right now!¡¯ Camila¡¯s request will soon spread around. Her 10,000 gold award will soon be heard by the guards and then they¡¯ll try to get me right away. As Elrose stepped back, the guards seemed irritated and grabbed the hood she had over her head. No, they tried to catch it. But, it was the strange men that blocked the hands of the guards. As a result, the man¡¯s hood was removed instead of Elroses¡¯. ¡°Hyuk!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Both the guards and Elrose exclaimed at the same time in the alley. Soft black hair like silk can be seen, and his face then looked down. That was the problem. ¡°Oh my god¡­¡± Elrose exclaimed without realizing it. He overall really had a manly face with a firm jawline under his sharp nose. Even in the dark alley, his glistening blue eyes seem to have the power to attract people. ¡®Handsome.¡¯ For a moment, Elrose looked at the man¡¯s face while forgetting the situation. His looks were really perfect, and the sudden appearance left not just Elrose but the security guards speechless also. Meanwhile, the man¡¯s hand can be felt on Elroses¡¯ waist. ¡°Huh?¡± Elrose then noticed the oddity after the purse had already fallen into the man¡¯s hands. ¡°Wait, that¡¯s!¡± Elrose reached out and tried to stop him, but the man was much faster. Jingle. The man threw Elrose¡¯s purse at the guards. Upon receiving it, the guards took turns and counted the money inside Elrose¡¯s purse as if they¡¯ve barely come to their senses. ¡°Okay, that¡¯s 50 gold! You¡¯re lucky!¡± ¡°Now, if you don¡¯t have any more money than that, would you rather work at our store? I think the guests will love it.¡± ¡°Yes. That face and body will make a lot of money!¡± At those words, the man next to Elrose frowned as if he had heard something he didn¡¯t want to hear. Then, he grabbed Elrose¡¯s hand, kissed it, and said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t do that. I¡¯m the type to obey only one person. Don¡¯t you think so, honey?¡± What even is that guy saying. There were voices in Elrose¡¯s head screaming about his handsomeness and her money. ¡®What?¡¯ A slight surprise passed through the face of the man who was holding her hand as Elrose looked around. He then led Elrose as he waved to the guards. ¡°Then I¡¯ll leave now since I¡¯ve given you the money. Let¡¯s go, honey!¡± Without a moment to even gather her senses, Elrose walked out of the alley with him. *** They went into another alley not far from where they just came from. ¡°¡­¡± Elroses¡¯ eyes were wide open. Her money flew away before she could understand what was happening, and she can¡¯t even go back to the place. ¡°Hey, you okay?¡± The man waved in front of Elrose, who was standing in a daze. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to have caught you in that all of the sudden, but it just happens. I¡¯ll give you 50 gold right away. You¡¯ll have to walk a little, but if you come with me to my accommodation in the west, it¡¯s there¡­ Hey, do you even hear me?¡± It was then she heard a bell from afar. Ding. Ding. Ding. Ding. Ding. Five bells to signal that it was five o¡¯clock. At the sound, Elrose finally came to her senses. There¡¯s only an hour left before the government office closes. ¡®I¡¯m running out of time.¡¯ There¡¯s no money and no time. Elrose turned her head and looked at the man. She then remembered what the guards had said to him. Baron. They said that. ¡°Are you really a baron?¡± When Elrose asked, the man looked puzzled but nodded. ¡°I am a baron. Although it¡¯s a win-win situation.¡± Elrose clenched her fist at his answer and remembered her prayer to god. Please send me a person to be my husband. At that moment, this man rolled down in front of her as if her prayer were answered. Then¡­ Squeez. Elrose then grabbed the man¡¯s clothes, and he turned around to face her. Chapter 5 Surprised, Elrose was unable to avoid it. His hand passed by her hair closely, and that movement flapped off the hood she was wearing. ¡°Sorry. It was out of habit¡­¡± The man hurriedly apologized and stopped talking. His gaze was on her face, and Elrose could not move at all. He then looked at her for a long time before muttering. ¡°¡­A beggar hm?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not! I just have some dirt on my face. A beggar wouldn¡¯t carry 50 gold!¡± Elrose hurriedly said, then turned around and asked. ¡°Then what¡¯s your name?¡± The man hesitated for a moment before answering her question. ¡°¡­Lakshan.¡± Lakshan. It wasn¡¯t even a name from the empire. Elrose then murmured the name several times. It was a strange name, but she got used to it faster than she thought so it wouldn¡¯t be awkward. ¡°Okay, Lakshan. My name is Elrose. More than that, you owe me 50 gold¡­¡± Elrose then said with grim determination. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to pay me back with your body?¡± ~*~ Darkness began to fall over the mansion. Today marked the day just a week after the Count died. Ever since he laid down, people have been keen on when he would leave the world. Thanks to him, when he died, people quickly came as if they had waited. They didn¡¯t come in memory of the Count, instead, they just wanted to meet Camila sooner. Most of the guests visited on the first day. Since then, people who had heard the news belatedly came. Today was the last day. There were no more mourners except for a few guests who visited in the morning. ¡°Finally, it¡¯s over.¡± Camila returned to her room and laid down on the fluffy sofa. ¡°Madam, if you lie down like that, your clothes will wrinkle.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s not something I¡¯ll wear again. The funeral is over.¡± While saying so, Camila¡¯s face was filled with relief that the tedious work had ended rather than the sadness of her husband¡¯s death. ¡°It¡¯s no problem. You go get some booze. It¡¯s frustrating that I haven¡¯t had a drink in a week.¡± ¡°But ma¡¯am, the funeral hasn¡¯t finished yet¡­¡± ¡°Who said more people are coming now? Just go ahead and get it, there will be a visitor soon. Take them right to my room.¡± Camila¡¯s chilling voice made the maid quickly bow and leave the room. As soon as the maid left, Camila laid on the sofa in a more comfortable position with her legs on the armrest. ¡°Finally, it¡¯s over.¡± She recalled her husband, Count Basilin. When his wife, who was the owner of Espensia, died, he pretended to be a father for his young daughter and stole the property that his daughter should¡¯ve inherited. Moreover, he used the money to remarry right away. ¡®But I endured it.¡¯ Camila looked at the sleeves of the black mourning suit that covered the back of her hand. A colorful bracelet was revealed on her wrist. They were all jewels used by Elrose¡¯s mother. ¡®Now no one will be able to blame me, for everything will be mine.¡¯ Camila stroked the things she had on with an ecstatic face. It reminded her of the people from the Basilin family who came to the funeral. They pretended to mourn for the death of the deceased but they could not hide their greedy eyes. ¡®Well, I¡¯ve calmed everyone down for now¡­¡¯ She had met every one of them separately and promised to recommend them as the next Count. Camila laughed. ¡®You idiots. You think I¡¯ve been holding it on for you?¡¯ She then looked around the room. It was an old, antique mansion, but it wasn¡¯t her cup of tea. After the war, the capital changed drastically. The quiet nobleman¡¯s quarter had already been filled with many shops. And this was the biggest mansion in the area. She then recalled the guests who had visited this evening. They were the chairmen of the Merchants¡¯ Association. They wanted to buy the mansion and the garden, saying it was a good land to build their own huge arcade. ¡®They asked me to sell Espensia.¡¯ It was run by her late husband¡¯s ex-wife. 14 years ago, the business was at the top, but now it had become very small. ¡®I can¡¯t run the business anyways¡­ It¡¯s in the perfect condition to be bought.¡¯ A deeper smile came to Camila¡¯s face as she recalled the amount they had offered. The Basilin people never seemed to dream that she would sell the place out. While laughing at that thought, she then recalled the original owner of this place. ¡®It was a good idea to put her in a convent when she was young.¡¯ Elrose. A child who insisted on inheriting her mother¡¯s last name before leaving the mansion. None of this would¡¯ve been possible if the child had remained here. ¡®I feel like there might be a problem, but since you haven¡¯t shown up yet, I guess you must¡¯ve given up, haven¡¯t you?¡¯ A mercenary who had been meeting her behind her husband¡¯s back was sent to the monastery. They¡¯re used to killing people, so it wouldn¡¯t be a problem for him to take care of a young woman. But, he hadn¡¯t returned yet, and she hadn¡¯t heard from him. Camila had doubts. ¡®I¡¯m spending a lot of money just for that girl.¡¯ Just in case, she asked the guild to find Elrose. ¡®She must¡¯ve returned to the capital.¡¯ Now that she had put 10,000 gold on the line, people would know about it. ¡®It¡¯s all over anyways.¡¯ Under the Imperial Law, Elrose had until today to reveal her desire to inherit. However, there has been no sign that the funeral was coming to an end. Camila then thought about her future life. ¡®I¡¯m going to sell it all out. I¡¯ll hide for a while and live under a different name and after a few years, I¡¯ll go down to the South where there will be no aristocrats in the capital who¡¯ll ignore me and live in luxury.¡¯ Camila smiled even more as she thought of her future. Then, she looked at the door. ¡°Why is she so late?¡± She wanted to have a pleasant drink, but the maid who went down a while ago didn¡¯t come back. Camila, who was thinking of waiting a little longer, got up. ¡®The wine.¡¯ It reminded her of the expensive wine her late husband had bought in the auction house while pretending to be condescending. ¡®You saved so much to where you didn¡¯t even take a sip.¡¯ She went down to the wine cellar while laughing at her dead husband. On a happy day like today, wine would be perfect. It wouldn¡¯t be a bad idea to hand over a drink to the upcoming guests. While Camila was walking down, she finally heard the sound of a carriage from afar. ¡®Looks like the merchants are here.¡¯ She stood in front of the mirror and arranged her clothes. Finally, the carriage stopped, and the sign of a man coming to the front door was heard. Camila opened the door herself and walked out. ¡°Welcome. I was waiting¡­ who?¡± Camila couldn¡¯t finish talking because it wasn¡¯t the people she was waiting for who stood at the front door, but two people with hoods on instead. The robes they were wearing were old and full of dirt. While Camila was embarrassed, the butler stepped up. ¡°We are not accepting any more guests today. I¡¯m sorry, but please go back.¡± ¡°We¡¯re not guests.¡± The butler looked with surprise at the woman¡¯s cool voice, and that woman then took off the hood that was covering her face. Her long blonde hair flowed down to her waist and her green eyes made the people in the mansion scatter. The old servants felt the familiarity of the gaze. A long time ago, the owner of this mansion had that hair and eye color. But she had already passed away. Instead, her daughter inherited her traits. One of the old servants then stuttered. ¡°E, Elrose¡­ Miss?¡± Elrose replied with a smile. ¡°I¡¯m glad there¡¯s someone who remembers me.¡± The voice made everyone freeze in the hall. Among them, Camila was in the most shock. ¡®She¡¯s Elrose?¡¯ Camila managed to remember Elrose¡¯s appearance which she had secretly seen 14 years ago. She was a child who looked like her mother. ¡°¡­¡± Elrose undeniably resembles her mother. Camila then looked at her outfit, which was very shabby as if she had a hard time getting here. It was a robe full of dirt and it looked no different from the appearance of the refugees in the capital. Despite her appearance, all the servants, including herself, remained still from Elroses¡¯ voice and gaze. ¡°I¡¯m back, to receive what was mine.¡± The owner came back. Dignity was with Elrose. Camila gritted her teeth. She was embarrassed by her sudden appearance, but now she¡¯s a big problem. ¡°That can¡¯t be right. You have to get married if you want to inherit your fortune! That can¡¯t happen since you¡¯ve been in the monastery!¡± Elrose can¡¯t inherit anything without getting married. ¡®There was no way the monastery could¡¯ve taught her anything like the inheritance part of the Imperial Law.¡¯ Since her father died, she must¡¯ve thought she could just inherit the title and property. The corners of Camila¡¯s mouth went up. Now it was Elrose¡¯s turn to panic, but contrary to her thought, Elrose was not surprised. Instead, she pulled out a piece of dry paper from her arms and shoved it in front of Camila. ¡°It¡¯s¡­¡± Camila looked at the writing on the paper. Marriage Certificate Chapter 6 She could tell he was a very fit man. ¡°Right, this is my husband¡­ Lakshan.¡± ¡°Lakshan?¡± The name was clearly not from the capital, but a nobleman elsewhere. Camila bit her lips. ¡°How did you know how to inherit? When did you find a man like that and get married?¡± Camila¡¯s gaze went towards the guy. She couldn¡¯t really see his face as the hood he was wearing covered it. It was almost as if he wanted to hide something. ¡®Something¡¯s up.¡¯ Camila had a weird gut feeling. She pulled herself together and said to Elrose. ¡°It¡¯s hard to believe you¡¯ve been in the monastery all this time, Elrose. When did you meet this guy? Besides, the wedding date is today¡­¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t realize when I got married was so important.¡± ¡°Oh, there¡¯s nothing to be wary of. I¡¯m just worried if you¡¯ve met the right person like a mother.¡± Camila looked at Lakshan, whose eyes shone sharply even under the hood. ¡°There¡¯s nothing for you to worry about. Lakshan is my husband and he¡¯s good enough.¡± ¡°Really? Then why is he covering his face like that? It¡¯s almost as if you¡¯re hiding something from me.¡± ¡°That¡­¡± Camila became even more excited when Elrose hesitated. ¡®I¡¯m sure she¡¯s in trouble.¡¯ Mercenaries who went through war had many wounds, big and small. There were people who¡¯ve lost their eyes, arms, and legs along with their wounds. ¡®His arms and legs look fine. Maybe the problem is his face.¡¯ Besides, it was very obvious that there was something terrible to hide. Before she knew it, the servants were looking at Lakshan from Camila¡¯s words. ¡®I need to see it first.¡¯ If the face under the hood was horrible, then all the servants would talk. ¡°If you¡¯re so confident, then show your face!¡± She shouted loudly and pulled off Lakshan¡¯s hood. As it came off, his face was revealed under the light. Woosh. Snap. Crash! At that moment, the servants who were watching had their mouths wide open and the sound of something being dropped could be heard. It was because a handsome man was revealed under the hood. ¡®Doesn¡¯t this feel great?¡¯ Elrose looked at the surprised faces with a proud look on her face while everyone looked at Lakshan with their eyes wide open. ¡®He really is handsome.¡¯ He was handsome during the day, but even more so during the night. The sunset behind them was more like a decoration to make him look even better. How could such a person exist? While Elrose was admiring him, he looked at her and smiled. ¡°Elrose, I think that¡¯s enough for the greetings. I want to be with you as soon as possible.¡± At Lakshan¡¯s words, the maids who were standing in the corner blushed and were seen hitting each other¡¯s shoulders as if saying ¡®hey, did you hear that?¡¯. ¡°Huh? Oh, right!¡± Elrose quickly came back to her senses as Lakshan frowned and signaled to be alone with her. ¡®You¡¯re good at this, aren¡¯t you?¡¯ Elrose looked at him with astonished eyes. Suddenly, she remembered the words of the guards at the gambling house. ¡®The female guests lurk around you.¡¯ In this situation, it seems that what the guards said was true. Something then came to her mind at the government office. ~*~ ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s going to be okay?¡± Elrose asked Lakshan in front of the government office again, and he answered with a short sigh. ¡°You know you¡¯ve asked me about five times already right? Didn¡¯t you say it was an emergency?¡± ¡°Yeah, but I think it¡¯s a little¡­ to get married for money¡­¡± Lakshan smirked at Elrose¡¯s words. ¡°I didn¡¯t think that would be your concern after what you said to me earlier.¡± ¡°That!¡± ¡°That¡¯s it. You said you will divorce when you¡¯re done.¡± ¡°I said¡­¡± ¡°If you¡¯re going to do it, why don¡¯t you do it quickly? Aren¡¯t you in a hurry?¡± At his words, Elrose came to her senses. ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± He was right. Now it was the time to finally do it. When they entered the government office, the employee who was slowly preparing to leave work greeted the two with a look of annoyance. ¡°What brings you here?¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to file a marriage declaration.¡± At those words, the employee opened the briefcase on the desk and took out a piece of paper. ¡°You can write your name here and sign it. Before you do that, please read the precautions below and check it, then sign here one more time.¡± Elrose picked up the pen as soon as she received the documents that were handed out by the employee. ¡®I know the whole process anyways.¡¯ It was obvious that it was a reminder. Elrose looked at the top of the paper. As expected, there were a lot of things she had already seen in the book. Lakshan also leaned over to look at the instructions. ¡°There¡¯s a lot of things so don¡¯t get caught up in the spur of the moment and decide what matters in marriage. Let¡¯s just put this paper back home and decide if we¡¯ll still feel the same way a week later¡­¡± Anxiety flashed across Elrose¡¯s face while he muttered. She became worried that if he didn¡¯t even want to read this now, there¡¯s no way he¡¯d want to do it later. Elrose gazed at him, and Lakshan caught her gaze and laughed. ¡°What? Are you worried that I won¡¯t do it all of a sudden?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll keep my word, so don¡¯t make that face. Just hand me a pen.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with my face?¡± At her question, Lakshan took the pen from her hand and signed it without answering. Then, he presented the marriage registration to her. Elrose looked at the name he wrote down. Lakshan Asid Elrose felt subtle while looking at his name. All she knew was his name, face, and title. She didn¡¯t know anything else about the person who would be her husband. She had thought of her future husband when she was young. She didn¡¯t know who it would be, but she thought that if she were to get married someday, she¡¯d choose her husband carefully and learn from her mother¡¯s mistakes. ¡®But I didn¡¯t know it would come to this.¡¯ She never thought she¡¯d choose her husband on the street. Elrose looked at the last line of the marriage registration. Lakshan had already signed it, so it would be over when she signed it too. As her hand hesitated, Lakshan whispered. ¡°Go ahead.¡± At that voice, Elrose signed at the bottom of the document as if she were possessed. The moment he told her to hurry up, she got goosebumps on her back. It didn¡¯t feel bad, rather, it was the opposite. If he had whispered a while ago, was there anyone who could even refuse? ¡°Give it to me when you¡¯re done.¡± Elrose stood in a daze while the person who wanted to get off work quickly reached out. The employee roughly accepted the documents and checked that there were no blanks and held the seal. Bam! Bam! While listening to the sound of the stamp next to both hers and Lakshan¡¯s names, Elrose woke up from the complicated feeling she was having. It was then. ¡°Wait, Basilin?¡± The employee who was writing down the statement of marriage blinked when he saw Elrose¡¯s name. ¡°Is he a noble?¡± ¡°Yes, from the time the seal was stamped, he¡¯ll become Count Basilin, although it was not a title I would like to have.¡± ¡°What? Count Basilin?¡± Elrose snatched the marriage certificate from the open-mouthed employee¡¯s hand and turned away. Lakshan then asked. ¡°Are you going to the mansion right now?¡± Elrose shook her head at the words. One more important matter remained. She looked at the bulletin board in the government office. As soon as she found the name of the department she wanted, she spoke in a nervous voice. ¡°No, there¡¯s someone I need to meet before that.¡± ~*~ ¡°Elrose?¡± Elrose woke up from her thoughts at Lakshan¡¯s voice calling her. ¡°I think it¡¯s getting a little weird here.¡± He whispered to her in a small voice so others wouldn¡¯t hear. From there, Elrose looked at Camila. Like Lakshan said, Camila looked miserable. Her sharp gaze had momentum as if she would stab them at once if she had a knife in her hand. Elrose calmly accepted her look and waved the marriage certificate in front of her. ¡°Camila, whatever you think, this is a document approved by the government. It means that I¡¯m the owner of this place.¡± Elroses¡¯ powerful voice rang through the lobby. People stared blankly. Between Elrose and Camila, the butlers and servants read the room. (t/n: or read the situation.) The servants were well aware that the real owner of this mansion was Elrose. If it weren¡¯t for Elrose, Camila, who was no longer the countess, had no authority. Camila then looked up with a sneer. ¡°The owner of this place?¡± It was a cold voice, to the point it made the listeners shiver. Anyone could tell that there wasn¡¯t even a speck of likability there. Chapter 7 A carriage could then be heard approaching from afar. Camila¡¯s face brightened up. The guests she was waiting for were coming. There was a total of three carriages. Soon after, it stopped in front of the house. Camila quickly ran towards the carriage to greet the people. ¡®Who is it?¡¯ Elrose looked at the people who were getting off. The carriage they came in looked expensive, however, a family crest was not attached anywhere on there. It meant that the riders were not aristocrats. Besides, they didn¡¯t just come in the carriages. There were also quite a number of people who came on horseback. ¡°Oh my god.¡± The sight left Lakshan sighing. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°They¡¯re mercenaries. They¡¯re¡­ a bit of a menace.¡± ¡°Do you know them?¡± ¡°A little? They don¡¯t know me.¡± Just as Lakshan had said, those who got off the horses were the type where people could tell they had rolled on the battlefield. Nevertheless, it was a bad impression. There were many rough cuts on their forearms. Under their escort, three men got out from the carriage and approached Camila, and greeted her. ¡°It¡¯s good to see you again, Countess. I¡¯m glad you¡¯re happy to see me.¡± Camila replied with a smile. ¡°Of course, I¡¯ve been waiting for a long time. But there¡¯s a bit of a problem¡­¡± ¡°What problem? What problem can there be? You¡¯re not asking me to raise the price now, are you? We deliberately looked at your place after some work¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like that¡­ someone troublesome suddenly turned up.¡± Camila said so and looked at Elrose. Then, all the men followed her gaze. ¡°This is¡­?¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to ask who you are.¡± The men exchanged glances between one another and replied to Elrose¡¯s tone. ¡°We are the chairmen of the Merchants Association who promised to meet Countess Camila today.¡± Although it may sound polite, their eyes were sharp. Elrose then spoke confidently. ¡°I¡¯m Elrose Espensia Basilin. I¡¯m Count Basilin from today.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± The merchants¡¯ faces hardened as they realized the type of situation they were in. Then, Camila spoke to them. ¡°If Elrose came a little later, then our contract would¡¯ve ended without a hitch¡­¡± Those words made the merchants¡¯ eyes flash. Now they understood what Camila meant. If only Elrose had come later. To be exact, Camila would¡¯ve been able to sign the documents for the authority to dispose of the property if she was still the countess. One of the merchants raised his hand. The eyes of the mercenaries standing behind him then changed. ¡°I see. Then I hope the new Count comes a little later.¡± When he said that, the other merchant continued. ¡°What are you talking about? Didn¡¯t the new count come after the contract was signed? Maybe next week? Or maybe the new count never came?¡± Elrose bit her lips at their words. ¡®They¡¯re going to lock me up.¡¯ That must be it if she was looking at the harsh atmosphere. Maybe she won¡¯t even end up in captivity. Lakshan whispered to Elrose the moment she clenched her fists. ¡°Elrose, do you want me to take care of them?¡± At his words, Elrose doubted her ears. ¡°What will you do? Are you going to beat them up all by yourself?¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing I can¡¯t do.¡± Elrose almost burst into laughter from his reply while forgetting the type of situation they were in. ¡°I almost asked you to do that.¡± She really did because Lakshan spoke so confidently, it was very believable. But of course, it could still be impossible. Their opponents were all mercenaries who looked very strong. In addition, there were over twenty of them. How could Lakshan, who doesn¡¯t even have a single sword, knock themall down? ¡°I know it¡¯s just empty talk, but thank you.¡± Elrose replied. There was no one by her side here right now. All the servants were watching to see where they should stand, and Camila and the merchant association were about to drag her somewhere. But, Elrose was still grateful that there was at least someone who was siding with her. ¡°You¡¯re not going to ask for help?¡± Lakshan asked as if he didn¡¯t understand. ¡°Nope. It¡¯s my problem.¡± At her words, he nodded after a while. ¡°What will you do now?¡± Then, Camila shouted at the mercenaries who were standing. ¡°What are you doing? Come on, don¡¯t just stay there!¡± The mercenaries moved as they quickly followed Camila¡¯s orders without any hesitation. But what they caught was Lakshan, who blocked Elrose from them. Elrose had no idea what was going on. ¡°Leave it alone! Why do you care?!¡± Then Lakshan said. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. You¡¯re my wife. I should worry about you, but it¡¯s a shame that I have to say that.¡± ¡°¡­¡± At Lakshan¡¯s words, Elrose nodded. What was wrong with him? Meanwhile, another mercenary caught Elrose. Eventually, the two were pushed in front of Camila and the merchants. ¡°Who would recognize a long-lost count if she came back?¡± Camila lifted Elrose¡¯s chin. ¡°I guess you haven¡¯t learned any obedience in the 14 years you spent in the monastery. You look exactly the same as when you were a kid.¡± ¡°What contract are you trying to make with the merchants?¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing. Just the countess trying to get rid of the old house while grieving over the loss of her late husband.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± The merchants standing next to Camila laughed silently. ¡°They¡¯ve been begging him to sell the mansion for a long time. He wouldn¡¯t sell it even in the end.¡± Camila recalled her late husband. He was a man who robbed his young daughter¡¯s inheritance from his ex-wife, and he squandered the stolen property with excitement. He also couldn¡¯t stand it if people didn¡¯t treat him well. ¡°He said so proudly that he would continue the pride in the name. But, what pride? He didn¡¯t even sell this mansion at the end. If he had sold it and moved to the south, I would be living in a bigger place now.¡± As the war ended and people flocked to the capital, the commercial district also quickly grew. Thanks to that, shops have now sprung up here, which used to be residences of other aristocrats. Plus, this mansion had the largest land in the old commercial district. So, the merchants all had their eyes on this land. They saw it as a large tract of land that can become a new and huge commercial district. If they bought this place, destroyed the mansion, and took out the garden, they would be able to build buildings here. In a few years, the numbers would multiply. ¡°It¡¯s over now. My husband died and you came back too late. When you open your eyes again, it¡¯ll already be sold. No, maybe you won¡¯t ever see it¡­¡± Camila then said in a whisper. ¡°Because you might meet your parents.¡± Camila thought that with this situation, Elrose will finally realize what¡¯s happening and beg on her knees. But instead, Elrose uttered a completely different phrase from Camila. ¡°Did you think this was unexpected?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I know my situation, and I have no one to stand by me.¡± No one came to tell her of her father¡¯s death. So, Elrose knew that no one could be trusted. She then looked at Lakshan who was beside her. It¡¯s funny. The only person who seems to be on her side was the first guy she saw a couple of hours ago. Lakshan then looked at her as if asking ¡®what are you going to do now?¡¯ while Camila continued to stare at her. ¡®What does she believe in?¡¯ Elrose had a confident attitude contrary to what Camila had thought. It was like someone who had a bone of faith. (t/n: it¡¯s just saying she¡¯s got a lot of faith.) ¡®No way.¡¯ Camila knew very well that there was no one who could help Elrose. She didn¡¯t even think that it was her husband standing next to her. At that time, a servant near the front door shouted. ¡°Someone¡¯s coming!¡± People¡¯s eyes turned towards the sound. Some lights were approaching the mansion on the complete dark road. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± One of the merchants stared blankly at the approaching light. It was rushing toward the mansion at a great speed. Soon, the wagon and the people who were running towards the mansion came into view. Camila¡¯s face hardened as soon as the carriage stopped in front of the mansion. ¡°Who are they?¡± Camila saw a man getting off his horse in a panic. Those people were completely different from the mercenaries brought by the merchants. They were all dressed in imperial court uniforms. The mercenaries then looked at their employers with confused eyes. If Elrose disappeared from here, no one would be able to find her, but the moment something happens to her, the imperial palace people would arrive. In other words, touching them was like pulling out a knife in front of the emperor. Chapter 8 As the mercenaries looked at them to see if they should do something, the merchants hesitated and shook their hands. The mercenaries then quickly hid their weapons in their clothes. ¡°Come on, let go of them!¡± As the merchants shouted that, the mercenaries hurriedly retreated from Elrose and Lakshan. There was tension on their faces. If Elrose accused them and said what was happening here in front of the Imperial guards¡­ ¡°You guys better behave yourself.¡± Feeling a change again, Camila threatened the servants who all had their heads down. She didn¡¯t know why people from the palace came, but she had to put Elrose underground as a madman somehow. Meanwhile, an elderly man got out of the biggest carriage. One of the merchants who saw him then shouted in surprise. ¡°It¡¯s Chancellor Lexion!¡± Chancellor Lexion frowned when he heard his name being called. Even though he was old, he was a person who always gave sharp impressions and made others feel overwhelmed. ¡°Why is the Chancellor here?¡± The merchants and Camila looked at him in disbelief. He was one of the emperor¡¯s most trusted subjects and a powerful man. He was also famous for avoiding personal interactions with other nobles because of his position. But he suddenly showed up here at this hour? With the Imperial Palace staff? No matter how hard they look at the situation, they didn¡¯t think he came to pay a belated tribute. The Chancellor looked around. After seeing Camila and the merchants, his eyes soon moved to Elrose, and then Lakshan who was next to her. ¡°¡­¡± His expression then became stiff. But, it was a fleeting moment, so the only one who noticed it was Lakshan, who made eye contact with him. Lexion then said to Elrose with a blank look. ¡°There are more guests here than I thought. Do I have to wait?¡± Elrose then replied with a smile. ¡°It¡¯s okay. They¡¯re all uninvited, so I¡¯m about to see them out. Thank you for coming here.¡± At Elrose¡¯s greeting, Lexion bowed slightly towards her, seemingly unconvinced. ¡°What do you mean thank you? That¡¯s what I was about to say.¡± The Chancellor¡¯s attitude was very polite, so the merchants and Camila couldn¡¯t understand. He was the Treasury¡¯s Secretary and a Marquis, but why was such a person so polite to a young woman who had just returned from the monastery and succeeded the count? The Chancellor then continued as if to answer their questions. ¡°You are willing to donate all your land and property to the country, including this mansion. It¡¯s the first time in history that such a donation of this magnitude has caused us trouble at this time.¡± ¡°Wait, what!¡± ¡°What does that mean?!¡± At Lexion¡¯s words, everyone¡¯s faces were astonished. They were all suspicious of their ears. Donation? Not just the mansion, but all the land and property? No matter how much money the former count wasted, the amount of property Elrose¡¯s mother owned was enormous. There was still a lot of territory left in the province along with numerous jewels and artworks in the mansion. But she was donating everything to the country? It was certainly the biggest donation that had been made since the Empire was founded. Elrose bit her lips as she felt the pouring gaze on her. In fact, she was expecting this since the time she left the monastery. Even if she takes over the title, the house will still be full of Camila¡¯s people, and in such a place, it will not be easy for the servants to follow her as the new Count. It was a good thing she didn¡¯t die while being trapped somewhere. So, Elrose had to think of how to keep the place safe from Camila since she didn¡¯t have the power to protect what was in her hands yet. There was one answer. Giving it all away to someone Camila wouldn¡¯t dare to deal with. The strongest man Elrose had thought of was also the emperor. ¡°I¡¯m very grateful that you prepared right away. I¡¯ll then leave everything to the chancellor. Please take good care of the terms and conditions that I have mentioned.¡± Lexion replied with a slight bow at Elrose¡¯s comment. ¡°Of course, the terms will be met.¡± There was only one thing Elrose had asked for. She would donate everything. However, on the condition that this mansion and garden will remain intact. Among the merchants, Camila could be seen slumping down with a pale look on her face. From that, Elrose smiled. Her mother¡¯s promise to protect the garden will be kept. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, have you been waiting for a long time?¡± From Elrose¡¯s words, Lakshan shook his head. ¡°Okay. You seem busy, can you still do this?¡± ¡°No matter how busy I am, I still have time to take care of my benefactor. Here, take this.¡± Elrose then put something in Lakshan¡¯s hands. ¡°I searched through Camila¡¯s room and found it. There are gold coins and jewelry. Chancellor Lexion has agreed to turn a blind eye to this, so you can sell it.¡± At those words, Lakshan opened up the bag that was in his hands. It was quite heavy, and it was filled with gold coins and jewelry. ¡°It¡¯s the price for your help today. Of course, you don¡¯t have to give back 50 gold.¡± ¡°It¡¯s too generous.¡± ¡°Well, all this wouldn¡¯t have been possible without you today. It¡¯s rather too little if you think about it. And¡­¡± Elrose hesitated for a moment before continuing. ¡°¡­Thank you.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°You said you¡¯d help. Honestly, I was a little scared back there, but when you said you could knock them all down by yourself, I almost started laughing without realizing it. It helped me relax a little bit.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Anyway, thank you very much. Let¡¯s meet in front of the government office at 3 o¡¯clock on Monday. Don¡¯t tell me you forgot about the divorce?¡± Lakshan, who was listening to Elrose, then asked. ¡°What will you do? You¡¯ve lost everything now.¡± At his words, Elrose crossed her arms and sighed. ¡°Everyone thinks I lost it, but I think I¡¯ve kept it the safest.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°As long as the empire exists, this mansion and garden will be maintained forever.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s a bit of a waste to donate it to the country? It¡¯s all yours.¡± ¡°I¡¯d be lying if I say that I wasn¡¯t greedy, but if I had all of it, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to stay this safe. And I didn¡¯t lose everything. I can still take care of myself.¡± She didn¡¯t like the darkening of the atmosphere. When he recognized Elrose¡¯s attitude to answer more cheerfully, Lakshan turned around. ¡°What are you going to do from now on?¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m thinking of leaving the capital for now.¡± At that time, he was getting ready to leave. ¡°You¡¯re leaving. Then go home safely! Don¡¯t forget to come on the appointed day!¡± Elrose said while waving to Lakshan and then hurried back to the mansion. He didn¡¯t turn around until Elrose had entered the mansion after a while. ¡°Hmm.¡± Every step that he took, a crackling sound of the gold coins in his heavy pocket could be heard. After walking for quite a distance, he came to the western section of the capital. Then, as he entered an alley, neat inns with bright lights appeared. Lakshan headed for an inn at the very end. As soon as he tried to enter the building, someone appeared from the alley next to the inn. ¡°You¡¯re back now.¡± Lakshan looked at the man unsurprised as he appeared out from the dark. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were still waiting. Did the gambling house finish well?¡± ¡°Of course. With your help, we were able to collect all the evidence. Thank you very much.¡± Those words reminded Lakshan of what he did at the gambling house earlier. He deliberately borrowed money from a gambling house and made a big fuss about not being able to pay it back. In addition, he had to approach women and seduce them by saying things he didn¡¯t want. ¡®It wasn¡¯t really planned.¡¯ It was something that he had to do in order to desperately get them out. He had to go around without being detected, and as if doing it on purpose, he also made the guards get on their nerves. Thanks to that, when he was dragged out, most of the security guards were not inside and were outside with him instead. That was exactly what Lakshan wanted. While the guards neglected their duty inside for a moment, his people then looked inside the gambling house. ¡°I didn¡¯t think the mercenary king would do all this¡­¡± When the term ¡®mercenary king¡¯ came out, Lakshan sighed briefly. The man then realized his mistake and closed his mouth. ¡°My bad.¡± ¡°Did you report to my brother that I wasn¡¯t coming back?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You did.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m strictly ordered to report everything.¡± As the man slurred his words, Lakshan pressed his finger against his forehead and said. ¡°Anyways, I¡¯m safe, and I¡¯ve done everything that was asked.¡± ¡°Okay, sir.¡± ¡°And there¡¯s no need to guard the perimeter. It¡¯s just a small matter. I¡¯ll report it to you tomorrow, so you can go home.¡± The man hesitated and the smile faded from Lakshan¡¯s face. ¡°This is not a suggestion.¡± It was meant as an order. Recognizing Lakshan¡¯s meaning, the man bowed and disappeared into the darkness. When the guy¡¯s presence was completely gone, Lakshan entered the inn and went to his room. Chapter 9 ¡°Sigh.¡± After closing the door, he laid still on the bed. It had been a pretty long day. ¡°I even got married, is this even natural?¡± Lakshan put his hand in his pocket and touched the finely folded paper. He took it out and held it under the light from the lamp and looked. Marriage Certificate Lakshan lowered his gaze. He saw Elrose Espencia Basilin next to his name. ¡°Elrose.¡± He muttered the name a few times. It was the name of the first person he met today, but it somehow already became familiar to him. ¡®I didn¡¯t expect this to happen.¡¯ When the guards threw him into the back alley, he knew that he needed a little more time. At first, he thought he¡¯d overpower the guards, but if he did, they would find out that his disturbance was deliberately orchestrated. It was necessary to keep the forces in the gambling house as un-noticeable as possible. He had to find a way to make them think that this disturbance was nothing, and it was caused by just one person. So, Lakshan had to figure out another way to keep the guards out a little longer. It was Elrose who got caught up in his plan. She was an unlucky woman to be in such a place at that time. Lakshan recalled the moment when Elrose¡¯s hood was taken off. She really looked like a mess. There was dirt in her hair and face. At first glance, it would be a perfect misunderstanding to assume that she was a beggar going around the capital. However, even though she looked like that, he could not easily take his eyes off of her. ¡®Sparkling.¡¯ Despite the dirt in her hair, it was still shiny. Having blonde hair isn¡¯t rare, but he had never seen such a shiny color. It would probably be even shinier if she had it washed and brushed. Lakshan shook his head as he thought that it would be very soft to touch. ¡®I¡¯m crazy.¡¯ It was the first time in his life that he wanted to touch someone else¡¯s hair. Lakshan shook his head again to shake off his miscellaneous thoughts and recalled his colleagues heading home first. What would they say when they find out that he got married and then divorced in the capital? ¡°I¡¯ll have to go now.¡± His business in the capital ended a long time ago, but Lakshan continued to stay there. ¡®You keep trying to hold onto it.¡¯ He sighed when he recalled his brother. It seemed that he was trying to keep Lakshan here somehow. He told him many times that he couldn¡¯t do it without him, and he needed his help. Even though there were other people who were more skilled to do these types of things, his brother still wanted him to take care of it. ¡®Not only that.¡¯ ¡°Do you intend to get married?¡± As soon as Lakshan heard that, he knew. His brother would probably introduce him to a woman of a very fine family and try to get him married, to keep him here. ¡®I¡¯m going to have to run away.¡¯ In fact, he thought he¡¯d leave the capitol at night when he finished with his work today. ¡®But I can¡¯t leave until Monday.¡¯ Lakshan recalled Elrose, who asked to meet in front of the government office on Monday. It was more difficult to stay until then instead of just not divorce. Since he was a northern man, this paper-based marriage did not mean much to him. A marriage that can be recognized by a piece of paper. It wasn¡¯t even funny. Which is why it was easy to accept Elrose¡¯s offer. This kind of marriage didn¡¯t affect him at all. Lakshan turned his head and looked at the space next to him. It was quite a large bed, that was why there was plenty of space for him to lie down. If today¡¯s marriage was real, she¡¯d be lying down next to him by now. Since it was the first night. ¡°¡­What am I thinking?¡± After a moment of daze, he became dumbfounded. Anyways, after Monday, they would not meet again. But why was he thinking in vain? Lakshan got up and headed towards the bathroom. It seems like he needed to take a cold shower now. ~*~ Elrose looked around her mother¡¯s room. The room where her mother had lived lost its formal appearance because Camila had already completely renovated it. The only thing she remembered was the garden that could be seen out of the window. Everything was unfamiliar even though she came back home. Besides, she couldn¡¯t sleep easily because so much had happened. Well, she did get married, but it was just on paper though. Elrose smirked as she recalled what had happened during the day. She couldn¡¯t believe she was married, and she couldn¡¯t believe she would get divorced right away. ¡°Alone again.¡± Elrose murmured unknowingly and her eyes opened wide. ¡®Alone?¡¯ She was alone from the beginning. Ever since she was abandoned in the cabin. But Elrose couldn¡¯t believe that she was lonely because she was apart from someone she had only been with for a few hours. It was clear that the air in the unfamiliar capital made her think of that strange idea. Elrose sat by the window while looking out at the garden and fiddled with her necklace. The most precious thing left to her. As a child, her mother would hang this necklace on Elrose and told her to hold it at night and pray when she was in trouble. ¡°It¡¯s not like you¡¯re going through a rough patch¡­¡± It was then, at the moment, Elrose touched the necklace while thinking about what to do in the future. ¡°Huh?¡± She could see something strange through her eyes. t/n: uh for some reason the pov just switched here and I even double checked the raws and it was like this ¡¥_(???????)_/¡¥ Lakshan sat on the sofa and looked up. The gorgeous ceiling caught his eyes. It was the imperial palace he had visited often over the past few months, but it was still strange and uncomfortable to him. ¡°He¡¯s taking a long time.¡± Lakshan grumbled and shook his head in spite of Jae for calling him in during the morning. He couldn¡¯t help it. He¡¯s probably one of the busiest people in this palace. ¡®Because he¡¯s the emperor.¡¯ He understood, but it didn¡¯t mean that the boredom was gone. He thought he¡¯d come after walking in the garden outside, but he stopped thinking about it soon. ¡®There¡¯s nothing good about me standing out to other people.¡¯ Recalling his ambiguous position, Lakshan walked around the room. Then, he looked up and saw a portrait of the former emperor hanging on the wall. It was the portrait of Eucresia, the 27th Emperor and the former emperor. After looking at it for a long time, Lakshan turned towards the mirror near the fireplace. He alternated looking between the mirror and the picture while muttering. ¡°Do we look alike?¡± Eucresia. The former emperor was Lakshan¡¯s mother. But, Lakshan was not a prince. He was born from her (Eucresia) and a man who she met while he lived in exile after she had dealt with the rebels. It was a secret only a few people in the world knew that the man who Eucresia had met was Kharkan, the mercenary king. When Lakshan was born, Eucresia returned to the palace, so he had never seen his mother. When Lakshan asked what his mother looked like, Kharkan drew a picture and explained it. His face looked so happy when explaining what she was like. But, it was not until Lakshan was old enough to understand the weight of his secret when Kharkan told him who his mother was. ¡°Your mother is Her Majesty, the Emperor.¡± Lakshan was not surprised by his words, for he guessed. On the day of the news about Eucresia¡¯s death, his father bought white flowers in memory of the dead, and he didn¡¯t come home for a few days. It wasn¡¯t difficult to guess the truth about his mother by looking at his father. Kharkan once handed a necklace to Lakshan. ¡°If you need help from the Imperial family, bring this with you¡­ okay?¡± Lakshan fiddled with the necklace inside his robe and looked at himself reflected in the mirror again. ¡®Some would say I look exactly like my father.¡¯ In his view, he and his dad looked really alike. ¡®Thanks to you, I was able to pretend to be like my father.¡¯ After his father¡¯s death, Lakshan inherited the name of the mercenary king, Kharkan. It wasn¡¯t that hard to fool people. His father covered his face with bandages that stood out a lot. In addition, Lakshan has almost the same physique and voice as Kharkan. ¡®I didn¡¯t mean to pretend to be my father from the beginning.¡¯ The day that Kharkan died, he was evacuating all the villagers from the battlefield. Surrounded by an overwhelming number of enemies, people moved calmly without any panic. That was possible because they believed that the legendary mercenary king was protecting them. However, Kharkan was severely injured in the attack while trying to protect the children. Kharkan, who didn¡¯t expect to die so soon, told Lakshan. ¡°Son, you are the mercenary king from now on.¡± His joke then became the will. Because Lakshan understood why his father said that, he put a bandage around his face just like his father. Then, he led the mercenaries while pretending to be his father to evacuate the villagers into safety. Kharkan¡¯s death was left in the hearts of Lakshan and his colleagues. Since then, the situation on the continent had become rapidly unstable, and people had asked for Kharkan. Because of that, Lakshan missed several chances to announce his father¡¯s death. In the meantime, the name Kharkan became even more legendary, and Lakshan eventually gave up the idea of telling the truth. ¡®I¡¯ll disappear quietly without anyone knowing.¡¯ Lakshan recalled the reclaimed land in the north. There was a village where his father and colleagues lived when they were kids. He would go back there and put down the tough name, Kharkan, and live as Lakshan with his colleagues. Chapter 10 Swoosh. While Lakshan was thinking about what to do, a man with blonde hair walked in with the sound of the door opening. Lakshan bowed down to him, and the man said with a grumpy voice. ¡°I told you not to say hello to me like that.¡± ¡°Still, I can¡¯t just wave my hand to greet the emperor.¡± It was the emperor of the empire who came in. He sat down on the sofa and said to Lakshan. ¡°I was briefed by the captain. Thank you for helping me clear out the gambling. I think it¡¯ll be easy now thanks to you.¡± At those words, Lakshan kept his mouth shut. In fact, he was going to be quite grumpy when he met the emperor. But, when he saw the emperor smiling at him, he couldn¡¯t find anything harsh to say. Lakshan recalled the day he saved the emperor. It was the final showdown between the Imperial Army and the Suin people and they led each other with all their strength. At first, the Imperial Army seemed to be predominant, but the enemy managed to break through and isolate them. ¡°The emperor said they might die. It looks like they¡¯re completely surrounded by the Suin people.¡± Upon hearing that news, Lakshan and his colleagues jumped into the battlefield where the war was raging. Leaving behind the calls of his colleagues, Lakshan then headed deep into the battlefield. There, he rescued the emperor, who was about to die, against the chief of the Suin tribe. When he was gasping for breath and unable to say anything, the emperor saw the bandage on his face loosen and opened his mouth. ¡°You must be Lakshan.¡± Lakshan back then was dumbfounded by the welcoming voice, which seemed to greet someone who they¡¯ve waited for a long time. It wasn¡¯t until later that he found out, but after returning to the Imperial Palace, Eucresia told her son about the existence of his younger brother. ¡°I came back as soon as he was born, so I don¡¯t know who he might¡¯ve looked like. Still, when he was born, I think he resembled his father a lot.¡± With that, Eucresia explained what Kharkan looked like. ¡®Even so, it was amazing that he noticed it right away.¡¯ While Lakshan was lost in thought, the emperor asked. ¡°What do you think? It reminds me of something you noticed right before. It¡¯s amazing to think about it again. You noticed before you even saw the necklace.¡± ¡°Your Majesty.¡± The emperor raised his eyebrows at what Lakshan addressed him by. However, Lakshan never intended to call him brother. He remembered that very few people knew about his existence. The Chancellor, who he saw at the Count¡¯s residence, was one of them. They all considered Lakshan unfavorable, and seem to think of him as a prospective traitor. It was inevitable. The younger brother who suddenly appeared before the emperor, who had no descendants yet, was like a seed of trouble. Noticing that Lakshan wouldn¡¯t budge, the emperor clicked his tongue once and continued. ¡°You also found me right in the midst of war, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°¡­¡± So he did. It was a situation where blood was soaked everywhere and it was hard to figure out who was who. But Lakshan curiously had a hunch that he was his brother. ¡°There¡¯s nothing to be surprised about. It¡¯s one of the natural abilities of the Imperial family. Should I say you had a good feeling? Rather than that¡­¡± The emperor had a serious look on his face. ¡°Your marriage issue.¡± At the moment, Lakshan almost said ¡®but I¡¯m married?¡¯. Fortunately, he was able to keep his mouth shut before those words popped out. ¡°Your Majesty, you won¡¯t have to worry.¡± ¡°How can I not? You¡¯re already twenty-six years old. You¡¯re six years older than the average marriage age of the empire.¡± Lakshan sighed at the emperor¡¯s words. ¡®Here we go again.¡¯ If it were someone else, it would¡¯ve already happened. But, Lakshan pretended to listen to the emperor. He knew the reason why it was being brought up repeatedly. Even though he was a prince, he felt sorry for him, but at the same time, he also hated to let go of his younger brother who suddenly appeared. When he saw the emperor who seemed to be happy even though he was nagging him, Lakshan lost his motivation to complain. So today, he was planning to pretend to listen properly. He really meant to. But. ¡°¡­So I¡¯m going to contact all the women on the list. You¡¯ll meet all of them, so prepare yourself.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Lakshan felt suffocated from those words. He left the post early, using all sorts of excuses and he could clearly remember the stifling atmosphere. ¡®You want me to do that again? And continue that? I won¡¯t. I¡¯ll never do it!¡¯ The emperor was in a place where he would never back down until he got married. But he didn¡¯t know how to stop the emperor. Lakshan, who was agonizing, suddenly had an idea. ¡°I¡¯ll set up a seat tomorrow, since you¡¯ll be staying at the palace¡­¡± ¡°Brother.¡± The emperor stopped talking at Lakshan¡¯s word. Brother? Did Lakshan just call him brother? Before he could move, Lakshan opened his mouth. ¡°I have something to tell you. Actually I¡¯m¡­¡± ~*~ ¡°I¡¯m here too early.¡± Elrose muttered on the bench while looking at the view of the government office. Thanks to the hard work of the Chancellor and his staff throughout the weekend, the donation process has mostly been completed. Elrose didn¡¯t have to do anymore things because she already signed everything she needed. She thought she¡¯d stay in the Count¡¯s residence a little longer, but she somehow felt uncomfortable seeing the rooms with red lines telling her not to touch for confirmation. The front of the mansion was crowded with people from the Basilin family who came after hearing the news belatedly. Everyone heard what Elrose had done and made a fuss, saying it was ridiculous. It was as if Elrose had taken what was theirs away. She had to sneak out of the mansion to escape the weeping. The Chancellor had told her to tell him if she needed an escort, but she didn¡¯t get the courage to say anything. ¡®Because I can¡¯t tell them I¡¯m going to get a divorce. The marriage then might be considered invalid, and I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll try to do something.¡¯ The reason why she didn¡¯t come out with an escort¡­ ¡®I can¡¯t trust them either.¡¯ She felt a headache as soon as she thought about what happened to the countess. In fact, in order to finish everything, it is better to maintain a marriage relationship until things get quiet. But, there¡¯s no way Lakshan might like that. ¡®He needs to hurry.¡¯ Elrose looked at the clock tower. There isn¡¯t much time left before the appointment. While waiting for Lakshan, Elrose heard someone approaching from behind. Was it Lakshan? The moment Elrose looked back, she felt a sharp pain in her neck. At first, she thought she was stung by a bee. However, she soon felt her vision turning white. Elrose didn¡¯t know what was happening to her, and as soon as her sitting body staggered and fell, someone helped her. ¡°Thank¡­¡± The moment she tried to say thank you, the person who helped her then spoke. ¡°Oh, what¡¯s wrong? Are you not feeling well? It¡¯s alright, just lean back.¡± It was a friendly voice that spoke as if they knew each other well. Elrose felt her body harden. ¡®Camila!¡¯ Elrose turned her head with all the strength that was left. As expected, it was Camila who grabbed her arm, and she wasn¡¯t the only one. There were men standing next to each other, as if surrounding them. Many people were passing by because it was daytime and they were in front of the government office, but no one seemed to notice Elrose¡¯s situation. Camila then grabbed Elrose by her arm and whispered. ¡°Well, you left the mansion. I have been looking at it for a long time. If I were in there, I would¡¯ve killed you sooner.¡± At those words, Elrose bit her lips. ¡®As expected.¡¯ Looking back, the servants, who had no choice but to leave for the arrangement of the mansion, quickly turned their gaze. It was embarrassing, and there was a mix of resentment for being kicked out so suddenly. Elrose clearly felt a stronger animosity towards her from those eyes. It was murderous. That was why she couldn¡¯t even drink a glass of water back in the estate. The meals were all swapped with the ones prepared by the imperial staff people. Now, she was not trusting all the people that the Chancellor had brought, but she was sure some of them had fallen for conciliation. Camila¡¯s face twisted curiously as Elrose looked. She raised her nails and twisted Elrose¡¯s arm mercilessly. ¡°How dare you try to kill the man I sent for you?¡± This morning, Camila met someone who came to see her at a hotel in a hurry. It was a man sent from the monastery. He said that the person Camila sent was found trapped in the cabin where Elrose stayed. Fortunately, he didn¡¯t lose his life, but he lost one leg and two fingers. Camila had hurled everything that was in her hand while swearing. It wasn¡¯t because she loved that man who she sent, but it was because Elrose¡¯s face, who was smiling next to the Chancellor, came to mind. ¡®I¡¯m not going to let you go.¡¯ She wanted her to crawl. Chapter 11 Camila, who was thinking about what happened in the morning, leaned back and laughed at Elrose, who was unconscious. One of the guild¡¯s employees was a drug handler. He definitely didn¡¯t lie when he said a person would lose their mind if they were only stabbed once. Camila then spoke to the mercenaries who were standing next to her to listen. ¡°Gee, I¡¯m going to have to take you back to relax. You¡¯re too weak. Guys, help me.¡± A mercenary who stood on the other side of Camila then supported Elrose. ¡®I can¡¯t hear your voice!¡¯ Elrose somehow tried to say something, but her body staggered as if it were wet cotton. At first glance, it looked like she was naturally leaning on the person next to her, so the passbyers who turned their eyes in her direction would look at her for a split second and then turn away. ¡®Am I going to die like this?¡¯ Seeing how Camila led her into the alley, she didn¡¯t think Camila would try to kill her beautifully. Who would know if she died here? Was there anyone who could even find her when she disappeared? There was one person who came into her mind while she was in an increasingly blurry spirit. ¡®Lakshan!¡¯ Come think of it, there was one person. If she was not where she was supposed to be today, he would be the only person who might come and find her. ¡®If I knew this was going to happen, I should¡¯ve asked for him to meet me earlier.¡¯ Then she would¡¯ve been able to divorce quickly without any problems. If she died, the divorce would be more difficult, and it was clear that he would be charged. ¡®What should I do?¡¯ She felt sorry to force him into this, but she didn¡¯t expect things to turn out this way. ¡°Even if you¡¯re drugged, you¡¯ll wake up with your hands and feet cut off. Let¡¯s try it out.¡± Camila chewed as she lifted Elrose¡¯s chin. Her eyes gradually closed even at Camila¡¯s sharp voice. As soon as her view became dark and the sounds disappeared, a voice could then be heard. ¡°Let go of her.¡± It was a cold and heavy voice that left chills by just hearing it. Somehow, Elrose thought it was similar to Lakshan¡¯s voice. ~*~ ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Lakshan left the palace and groaned with his hood pressed down. ¡®I¡¯m in trouble.¡¯ His face felt white under the hood. ¡°What the hell was I supposed to say! Why did I say that!¡± As Lakshan shouted, people who were passing by said ¡®he must be crazy¡¯, but that was invisible in his eyes. Lakshan walked down the street and recalled what he had said. ¡°In fact, I have someone I consider to be my companion.¡± It was a lie. A lie that he uttered to get away from a series of meetings. No matter how much the emperor clung to his brother¡¯s marriage, he couldn¡¯t just say, ¡®then break up with her and meet someone here!¡¯. And like Lakshan thought, the emperor had his eyes wide open and said nothing. After a long time, he finally opened his mouth and stuttered. ¡°Well¡­ you never told me that before, did you?¡± Somehow, seeing the emperor who seemed to be falsely accused, Lakshan replied naturally. ¡°That¡¯s why if I told you there was someone like that, you would ask me to bring her in right away.¡± ¡°Of course!¡± ¡°So I couldn¡¯t say. We¡¯re meeting seriously. But wouldn¡¯t it be a lot of pressure to come to the palace and meet you?¡± The emperor¡¯s expression hardened from what Lakshan had said, and he continued to speak. ¡°No matter what Your Majesty says, but I am from the north. Didn¡¯t you know that northerners don¡¯t see other people until they die? What if my person is unable to overcome the burden and leaves?¡± If his colleagues were there, it would¡¯ve backfired because they would say ¡®don¡¯t sell the northerner¡¯s honor to such false words!¡¯. But they were not there anyways. The emperor opened his mouth when Lakshan was admiring himself for the flowing lies. ¡°Okay. What¡¯s the other person¡¯s name?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Can you at least tell me the name?¡± ¡°Uh, it¡¯s¡­¡± The emperor¡¯s eyes narrowed at Lakshan¡¯s hesitant attitude, so he hurriedly replied. ¡°It¡¯s Elrose, Elrose!¡± Lakshan had unknowingly said Elrose¡¯s name. The emperor¡¯s question did not stop there. He wanted to know when, where, how, why, and what Elrose looked like. His questions continued to pour out. At that time, it was fortunate the servants came, for they were saying someone was waiting for him. The emperor regrettingly got up from his seat. ¡°Like you said, if I call her to the Imperial Palace, she¡¯ll be surprised. So, I will meet you outside. Let¡¯s talk again sometime.¡± The emperor said that and then left the room. ¡°What do I do¡­¡± Lakshan held his head and groaned again. When the emperor poured out questions, he answered them using Elrose as a model. So, he would need a shiny blonde, green-eyed woman named Elrose to meet the emperor while pretending to be his companion! After thinking for a long time, Lakshan concluded. ¡®Let¡¯s run.¡¯ As expected, that was the only answer. There was nothing more for him to do here anyways. The only thing that kept him here was the emperor¡¯s request. The war was over now and the capital had regained stability. ¡®Go back.¡¯ Lakshan recalled his northern hometown where his colleagues would go. He was told the war left it completely devastated. Now that they have driven out all the Suin people, they need to restore the place to its old self. When he received a letter from his colleagues, he found out the house where he lived with his father was somewhat repaired. He remembered his childhood memories. Rich fields and mountains full of flowers. Lakshan hurried towards the government office. He was going to be there earlier than he promised Elrose, but it didn¡¯t matter. He could just wait. ¡®I¡¯m sorry.¡¯ He couldn¡¯t believe he used her as a model for his lies. Lakshan, who sighed again, stopped walking. Before he knew it, he arrived at the government office. ¡®Should I sit nearby?¡¯ There were sparkles in Lakshan¡¯s eyes, who looked around while thinking so. But, a woman entering an alley surrounded by several people caught his eyes. Her long, golden hair swayed under the sun. The hair he thought he wanted to see one day was clear. His vision definitely wasn¡¯t wrong. It was Elrose for sure. Lakshan, who found her, immediately noticed a problem. Elrose was not walking, she was being dragged. Moreover, the woman next to her looked familiar. It was Camila. Lakshan quietly followed suit. It was easy to notice Elrose¡¯s condition when he saw her movements. ¡®You¡¯re drugged.¡¯ Lakshan gritted his teeth. Meanwhile, Camila grabbed Elrose by her chin. The moment he saw that, Lakshan spoke without realizing it. ¡°Let go of her.¡± The others standing looked at him in surprise. There were two mercenaries with ragged swords, one skinny-bodied guy who appeared to have used drugs, and Camila. ¡°Oh my god, you showed up in person. I was going to catch you too. Do you think you¡¯re a mercenary or something?¡± Camila did not back down even though Lakshan appeared. The mercenaries on the sideline were those who had been hired for quite a lot of money. Their opponent was Lakshan. Besides, he didn¡¯t even have a sword. ¡°Get him first!¡± As if waiting for Camila¡¯s orders, the mercenaries rushed toward Lakshan. Bang! A sound rang through the alley. A few moments later, a mercenary plopped down at Lakshan in front of Camila. ¡°¡­!¡± He then murmured in front of Camila and the other mercenaries, who were hardened with astonishment. ¡°Imitation.¡± Lakshan¡¯s eyes flashed. ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m best at.¡± The mercenaries suddenly felt the change in atmosphere of Lakshan and recoiled by taking steps back. Camila then shouted at them. ¡°It¡¯s all on you! Get him now!¡± At their employer¡¯s comment, the mercenaries came to their senses and took out their weapons. There were three on one side and one on the other. In addition, the two swordsmen were the ones lying on the ground. Even if their opponent was a man with a good body, he still didn¡¯t have any weapons. ¡®It¡¯s easy.¡¯ One of the mercenaries with a sword whistled and thought. No matter how good he was, a fist cannot beat a sword. ¡®I think he¡¯s stupid, so it¡¯ll be very easy.¡¯ The mercenary thought of Lakshan as a man who only burned with a sense of justice. ¡°This is a little different. You said we only needed to catch the girl¡­ Shouldn¡¯t we get extra allowance?¡± The mercenary who approached the front with the sword grinned at Camila. Her eyes went up at the sight. ¡°I¡¯ll give it to you when you get back, just grab him.¡± ¡°Now, how am I supposed to believe that? You¡¯re no longer the countess anymore. I received the money that came here, but you might not be able to give me additional allowance, right? It¡¯s so hard to trust others these days¡­¡± The mercenary glanced at Camila¡¯s hand while saying so. Camila¡¯s wearing a jeweled ring in her hand, which she desperately picked up as she walked out of the mansion. She then realized the mercenary¡¯s gaze, and thought. ¡®These leeches.¡¯ She couldn¡¯t believe he wanted the jeweled ring in return for taking care of another guy. There was no such profiteering. ¡®However¡­¡¯ If she didn¡¯t give it to him now, the mercenaries would let him go. Elrose was already unconscious, but she couldn¡¯t carry her alone. It would become a big deal if the man who claimed to be Elrose¡¯s husband went out to the main street and called in security forces. Camila gritted her teeth, pulled out the ring, and threw it into the corner of the alley. ¡°Get rid of him and pick her up.¡± ¡°Well madam. You¡¯ve got a crazy personality. Let¡¯s do that then.¡± The mercenary spat on the floor and looked at Lakshan. He then immediately ran towards him with his sword. But, Lakshan moved before the man could even swing his sword properly. Bang! The sound of something hard colliding into something harder rang through the alley. ¡°Huh¡­?¡± The mercenary who attacked Lakshan saw stars in the sky, and the world felt like it was shaking. Flop. His eyes rolled back and he collapsed. Chapter 12 ¡°What, what!¡± He thought it would be easy to catch Lakshan, but his colleague was surprised when the mercenary collapsed. ¡°Are, are you a fighter?¡± ¡°Well, I do this and that.¡± When Lakshan answered leisurely, Camila shouted. ¡°What are you doing?! Use poison!¡± The skinny man then took something out from his pocket and threw it at Lakshan. Swoosh! Lakshan grabbed the object that was flying towards him. It was a small ball with thorns on it. The skinny man chuckled when he saw him grab it. ¡°Dumb boy! Do you know what that is? It¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°The spikes are poisoned.¡± The man who threw the ball flinched when Lakshan answered in a nonchalant voice. ¡°Right. You¡¯ll only be carefree now. Soon, you¡¯ll struggle and collapse.¡± ¡°Really? When?¡± ¡°Right now¡­¡± The mercenary who threw the poison looked at Lakshan in bewilderment. The poison itself didn¡¯t kill people. However, it was used as a threat or for torture since it had a quick effect and it brought tremendous pain. So far, all those who got affected by it had fallen to the ground in less than 30 seconds. But¡­ ¡°You, why don¡¯t you¡­!¡± The two mercenaries who remained intact knew he was an extraordinary man. ¡°I¡¯m already used to this poison.¡± Lakshan then moved. In the eyes of the mercenaries, he seemed to disappear in an instant. ¡®Where¡¯d he go?¡¯ The surprised mercenaries looked around. Bam! Bam! Only two dull sounds rang in the alley. A moment later, the two remaining mercenaries fell to the ground of the alley with a plop. ¡°How¡­¡± Camila¡¯s face, which had been in a state of high spirits just a moment ago, was now pale. She thought Elrose bought a man with money and that he was just a poor hunch with a good-looking face. But the three mercenaries whom she hired from the guild were being paid a very high price. Camila then knew that Lakshan was overwhelmingly strong after seeing him against the mercenaries. She stared at him for a moment and then opened her mouth. ¡°How much do you want?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°How much do you want? You¡¯re only doing this for money anyways. You wouldn¡¯t have married Elrose for any other reason.¡± ¡°¡­¡± She wasn¡¯t wrong. He became her husband because of the 50 gold. ¡°Tell me how much you want. No, I¡¯ll hire you. You¡¯re much better than those idiots¡­ and you¡¯re in good shape, so it¡¯s okay to take her along.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Think carefully. If you help me testify that your marriage to Elrose was for money and there was a problem with the inheritance process, the property donation will be stopped. So if I can get it, I¡¯ll give you a big part of it too¡­¡± ¡°Really? How much will you pay me?¡± When Lakshan asked back, Camila¡¯s face brightened. ¡°I¡¯ll give you 5,000. No, 50,000 gold! If you keep working with me, you¡¯ll be able to get more than that!¡± ¡°That¡¯s a lot you¡¯ll give.¡± ¡°Right? So come on¡­¡± ¡°But I can¡¯t because I¡¯ll feel burdened with so much money. Plus, the negotiation broke down. Besides¡­¡± Lakshan glared at Camila¡¯s hand which was holding Elrose¡¯s arm. ¡°The Northerners are people who choose to die rather than betray their faith.¡± At the end of his talk, Lakshan threw the poisonous ball in his hand at Camila. The ball stuck on the back of her hand which was holding Elrose. ¡°Agh!¡± Camila, who was startled from the stinging sensation, hurriedly moved her hand. Her body then collapsed forward as if it were falling apart. Just before Elrose¡¯s body hit the ground, Lakshan approached and caught her. ¡°Darn it!¡± Camila hurriedly turned away at the sight. Like Lakshan said, negotiations broke. It would be safer to go out toward the main road where the security forces are than to be here¡­ ¡°Ack!¡± Camila¡¯s body collapsed again before she could get out of the alley. ¡°Ugh!¡± She was trembling from the intense pain and her entire body felt like it was being beaten. Only then did Camila see the back of her hand again. It was pricked with red marks. ¡®Poison!¡¯ She then remembered the mercenary who dealt with poison and didn¡¯t expect it to work so soon. ¡°Save, save me! It hurts¡­!¡± She was suffocating with pain where she could barely think. However, Lakshan just looked at her coldly while holding Elrose in his arms. A few moments later, Camila fainted with foam coming out from her mouth. Originally, the poison wouldn¡¯t cause fainting, but it was too strong for a countess who lived a comfortable and good life. Lakshan then turned around while holding Elrose and said toward the entrance of the alley where he had come from. ¡°You can come out.¡± There, a man showed up. It was the same man who waited for Lakshan at the inn. He noticed that he was looking inside the entrance of the alley a little while ago, but he didn¡¯t know he would come in handy. ¡°I¡¯d like for you to clean up here. And¡­¡± Lakshan ran his hand through Elrose¡¯s hair that was messed up. The bright blonde shined even in the dark alley. On the day they wrote on the marriage certificate, he thought it would shine even brighter when it was cleaned. ¡®More than I thought¡­¡¯ He then pulled her closer with the touch of her hair prickling his hands. ¡°Where¡¯s the nearest hospital here?¡± ~*~ ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Elrose woke up with a serious headache. After blinking slowly for a couple of times, she leaped to her feet and shouted. ¡°Camila!¡± Apparently, Camila and the mercenaries whom she hired had taken her in an alley. She thought she was going to die¡­ ¡°Where am I?¡± It seemed a little odd, but it was a clean room. Elrose was lying on a bed in the corner of the room. She wondered if Camila had left her in a place like this, but then her hands and feet would be covered, if she even kept her alive. Then where is this place and who brought her here? Just then, the door opened and Lakshan came in. ¡°Lakshan?¡± ¡°Oh? You¡¯re up?¡± He came in with freshly made soup and cold water which he set on the table and then sat down on the chair next to the bed. ¡°Are you feeling better?¡± ¡°I¡¯m a little dizzy, but¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing you can do about it. The doctor says you¡¯ll be dizzy until the poison is completely detoxified.¡± Speaking of detox, Elrose then began to ask questions. ¡°Where am I? Why are you here? What about Camila? And the mercenaries?¡± Lakshan raised his hands as if he understood the questions that were pouring out from her. ¡°This is the inn where I¡¯m staying at. I¡¯m here because I saw you being dragged into an alley near the government office, so¡­ I called the police. Fortunately, the police came and rescued you, so Camila and the mercenaries were taken.¡± ¡°How did they get caught?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ It all happened really fast. They must¡¯ve fought and fell to see if there was a problem. Camila, that woman was also poisoned and she collapsed.¡± Lakshan glossed over the situation at the time with a moderate lie. ¡°I see. Thank you.¡± ¡°Thank you? I have to do this for my wife.¡± Elrose grinned as Lakshan shrugged his shoulders with an exaggerated gesture. She knew it was a fake marriage that was only a few days old anyways. ¡°Other than that, eat this. The antidote is quite strong, so you shouldn¡¯t take it with an empty stomach.¡± Elrose took the soup that Lakshan handed her. Back in the mansion, the hostility she felt all over the place made her extremely nervous when she drank water and especially when eating the food. Because of that, she couldn¡¯t eat properly then. But Lakshan, who was looking at her now, was only worried. Gulp. Elrose scooped up the creamy soup full of solid ingredients with a spoon. It was the first meal she¡¯s really had since she came to the capital. When she finished eating, Lakshan turned the chair around, put his arm on the backrest, and asked with a slightly serious look on his face. ¡°What are you going to do from now on?¡± ¡°What will I do?¡± ¡°Camila went straight to prison, but your relatives seemed quite noisy. Are you going to deal with them?¡± ¡°¡­¡± At Lakshan¡¯s words, Elrose bit her lips. What he said was right. Her relatives, whose faces she didn¡¯t even remember, were shouting by the front door when she snuck out of the mansion. They were relatives who said they had a stake in the inheritance and that they needed to somehow prevent it from being donated. ¡°Let me see Elrose just once!¡± There was even a sense of madness in their voices, which were shouting frantically. They, like Camila, would somehow try to find Elrose and cancel the donation. ¡®They must be more blind than Camila.¡¯ Everyone dreamt of sweet dreams because Camila blew them off saying they will be the next Count. ¡°I¡¯m going to go far away from the capital for now. Too many of my relatives are living here and it wouldn¡¯t be good to run into them.¡± Lakshan nodded at Elrose¡¯s words. It was the right choice. ¡°But do you have the money to leave?¡± At his question, Elrose stared at Lakshan. If someone else asked that question, she would be wary of them immediately because it sounded like ¡®how much money do you have¡¯. But, Lakshan¡¯s face which was looking at her now showed no greed for money. Far from that, he looked worried as if he had put a child on the edge near water. ¡®Well, I would¡¯ve said it already if I was going to get the money.¡¯ Chapter 13 On Friday, when the mansion was overturned, Elrose took her belongings there and handed it to Lakshan. It was quite a heavy bag. Lakshan looked surprised as soon as he opened it, but he just closed it again without saying anything more. He was more worried about Elrose¡¯s well-being than money, and it was the same back then as it was now. His face was full of worries when he asked what she would do in the future. ¡°That¡¯s about it. There were some things that the treasury people stole before the mansion was checked. Well, they turned a blind eye from it.¡± Elrose fumbled through her pocket. Fortunately, the gold coins were still there. But, Elrose knew that it was far from enough to make ends meet. ¡®But I don¡¯t need to worry.¡¯ Elrose put her hand on the necklace she always wore. (t/n: This part below continues from the weird pov switch back in chapter 9 until¡­) On her first day back in the capital, when she was gazing out in the garden at night, she touched the necklace while recalling her mother¡¯s words to wear it and pray when she was in trouble. Then, under the moonlight, the necklace gave off a bluish glow that had never been seen before. In the corner of the room, the same light leaked as it did from the necklace. Elrose then approached the wall in amazement and tapped it with her hand. As expected, unlike the other walls, there was a hollow sound as if it were empty. When she looked closer, she saw a small square crack in the wall. As she pressed her finger there, a spot from the wall turned while revealing a hole inside. Inside the hole, which was barely big enough to fit two fingers, was a rolled piece of paper. Elrose had hurriedly taken out the paper and unfolded it. In the middle, letters and numbers were written in her mother¡¯s handwriting which she remembered. It was the number of the security deposit box. Banks had security deposit boxes for customers who wanted to keep their money or other things stored secretly. Those safes were open to anyone if they knew the exact number and password. Therefore, it was also used as a means of secret transactions. Elrose couldn¡¯t keep her mouth shut as she looked at the name on the bank paper and the number of the security deposit box. ¡°This¡­ is a lot.¡± The total amount contained there exceeded 100,000 gold. At the bottom of the paper was a short sentence. ¡°¡­¡± This was low? She didn¡¯t know exactly what and how much she could buy with that money, but it was definitely not a small sum. When she came to the capital to visit the guild, she passed by the front of a real estate building. There was an advertisement for sale of a large mansion in the capital city center. The mansion that seems to have several servants cost 30,000 gold, and it was not as much as Elrose¡¯s original mansion. But the 100,000 gold¡­ was enough to buy a nice house in a big city and live leisurely for the rest of her life. She couldn¡¯t believe her mom felt sorry for leaving such an amount as an emergency fund. Elrose then realized again that her mother was the owner of one of the best businesses in the empire. She then memorized the bank name number on the paper. Originally, she was good at memorizing things, but she was stronger at numbers. She could still remember a list of numbers she once saw in a book. Afterwards, Elrose tore the paper into small pieces and threw it in the fireplace so only she knew about the safe that was hidden by her mother. (t/n: ¡­it ends here.) ¡°Elrose?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Elrose, who was reminded of that time, came back to her senses when Lakshan called her name. He asked her the same questions again. ¡°And where are you going?¡± ¡°Well.¡± Elrose recalled the names of the cities with security deposit boxes that she had memorized. Wherever she went, she would get a lot of money by opening just one of them. However¡­ ¡®It¡¯s still dangerous.¡¯ Just from Camila, who wanted to kill her because her property was taken away. The same goes for other relatives, who might try to grab and threaten her to cancel the donation. No, she was sure that would happen. ¡®Then¡­¡¯ She would be better off going to a faraway place where people in the capitol wouldn¡¯t go to often and live there quietly until they had forgotten about her. ¡®It¡¯ll be exactly 1 year.¡¯ According to the law, donations to the empire could be cancelled within a year. That meant those people wouldn¡¯t give up on Elrose for an entire year. On the contrary, after a year, everyone would give up. ¡°I haven¡¯t really thought about anything yet. But if I want to avoid relatives and people like Camila, I¡¯ll have to go as far away as I can.¡± Elrose said that and smiled broadly. ¡°Can you recommend any good places?¡± She said it like a joke, but Lakshan replied slightly seriously. ¡°What about my hometown?¡± Elrose looked surprised at his words, but Lakshan was more embarrassed than she was. ¡®What am I talking about?¡¯ He unknowingly recommended his hometown to Elrose. ¡®Why did I do that¡­¡¯ So far, Lakshan had not told others where he was from. Even his brother, who was the emperor, only knew the area, but did not know which village it was. It was the land of his memories and the land of his father and his colleagues. The people who stayed there were mercenaries who had been with them for a long time. But now, he was suggesting to a woman who he had known for less than a week to go there? Sure enough, Elrose was also staring at him while blinking in surprise. Lakshan hurriedly opened his mouth. ¡°No, I just thought you were going to go a long way¡­¡± ¡°Where is your hometown?¡± He hoped¡­ that Elrose would¡¯ve dismissed that. Far from that, Elrose approached with sparkling eyes and asked instead. Her shining green eyes suddenly became burdensome, but he didn¡¯t even think of pushing her away. ¡°Well, it¡¯s in the north.¡± ¡°Of course, you look like a northerner.¡± Elrose looked at Lakshan. Black hair, blue eyes, tall and strong. It was the typical characteristic of the northern people. ¡°And it¡¯s a small town, with about 100 households at most?¡± ¡°I like that.¡± Smaller towns were better off to avoid people¡¯s eyes. ¡°And the land is fertile, so anything you plant there grows well. The wheat there turns golden, and the nearby orchards produce thick fruits every season. The local children are always finishing in the river too.¡± A faint light flashed across Lakshan¡¯s face as he explained. Elrose looked at his face for a moment as it seemed like he sincerely missed his hometown. ¡®You really liked it there.¡¯ The longing on his face was not a lie. Lakshan¡¯s hometown, which was all she had heard so far, sounded like the perfect place for Elrose to go to. ¡®Very few aristocrats go to the north.¡¯ It was only decades ago that the north was incorporated into the empire. Before that, the empire was referred to as the center of the southern part of the continent. Therefore, there was a strong perception that the north was still the land of the barbarians. ¡®In addition, the scars from the war remained¡­¡¯ Restoration had already begun, but it would take a long time for the north to completely erase the traces from the war. In the meantime, the aristocrats would also stay away from there. ¡®The more I think about it, the more perfect the place sounds.¡¯ Elrose then felt Lakshan staring at her. She was momentarily lost in thought, so after a while, she asked him a question. ¡°Lakshan, why are you so nice to me?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I¡¯m saying this because even after the fake marriage, you could¡¯ve just left me in the hospital, but you even took me separately and brought me to the inn¡­ and now you¡¯re offering me a place to get away.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ Oh, just in case, it¡¯s not because I want money or anything!¡± ¡°I know. If you did, you would¡¯ve already robbed me.¡± Elrose slapped the pocket which had the gold coins rolling in there. If he came to the inn with her in his arms, he would¡¯ve definitely heard the noise the gold coins would have made. Plus, anyone who was after money would¡¯ve already taken those. After that, he could¡¯ve abandoned her¡­ but he still didn¡¯t touch anything even after she had woken up. She knew well enough that she should be wary of strangers, but somehow, she felt like she could trust him. ¡°Do you offer this to every woman you meet? And if I go to your hometown, will there be 100 women gathered there (since he said there¡¯s about 100 households earlier)¡­¡± ¡°No!¡± Lakshan shook his head in a hurry. Elrose ginned and asked. ¡°So, is there anything you want from me?¡± Lakshan, who had been thinking for a while, opened his mouth. ¡°Actually¡­ there is something I¡¯d like to ask you.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Lakshan hesitated before asking. ¡°Will you be my companion?¡± Chapter 14 Will you be my companion? At the end of that question, Elrose hardened. She once read about the northerners in a book and it described various characteristics about them in detail. Among them, what Elrose enjoyed the most was reading the part about their customs. More precisely, the part about their wedding culture. A companion. That¡¯s what the northerners called a marriage partner, except it was a little different from the relationship between couples, which was how it was in the empire. Once they become each other¡¯s companion, they could never be separated, and even if the other person died, that person would have to live alone for the rest of their life. The northerners said they didn¡¯t see the marriages happening in the empire as a true union between the two, for they were relationships that could start and be broken off at any time which was not the sacred promise made before God. That was why the northerners were very serious when deciding on who their companion would be. Therefore, there were many people who only enjoyed dating, and some people had children without accepting others as their companion. ¡®But what did he mean? Companion?¡¯ ¡°Oh, uh, that¡­¡± As Elrose opened her mouth in surprise, Lakshan quickly continued after realizing the problem with his question. ¡°Oh, I said it wrong! I was only asking for you to pretend to be my companion! Not for real!¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Well¡­ it¡¯s a long story¡­¡± Lakshan sighed and began the long explanation. ~*~ ¡°So you don¡¯t want to get married, but your half-brother is forcing you to marry? And you lied to him saying you have someone who will be your companion¡­ and told him my name and explained my appearance?¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± Lakshan shrugged his shoulders unknowingly at Elrose¡¯s words as she pointed everything out painfully. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I was just trying to pretend that there was someone I¡¯m seeing, but my brother insistently asked me¡­¡± If the emperor hadn¡¯t asked for the name all day, Elrose¡¯s name would¡¯ve never popped out. ¡°That¡¯s why I told him there was someone who I thought could be my companion. That way, I didn¡¯t think he¡¯d want me to marry someone else anymore.¡± Lakshan sighed deeply. That issue was more difficult for him than exterminating a unit of the Suin people alone. ¡°My brother is persistent. Well¡­ he¡¯s got power. That¡¯s why he¡¯s the one who¡¯s looking for people and stuff.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°The ritual for companionship is originally done when there¡¯s only the two people involved, so it¡¯s natural that he won¡¯t see it, but he wants physical evidence¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s why you wanted to keep the marriage certificate behind.¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± With the marriage certificate, the emperor would likely accept Lakshan¡¯s marriage. He wouldn¡¯t be asking a married man to marry again anyways. ¡°Then do I have to meet your brother?¡± ¡°No, you don¡¯t have to. But I was wondering if we could postpone the divorce a little bit.¡± With that said, Elrose looked for a reason why she should get a divorce right away. ¡°¡­¡± She was thinking for a long time, but there seemed to be no reason to get a divorce right now. ¡®Rather, I was going to ask if we could keep the marriage for a little longer.¡¯ She felt the attack by Camila and her other relatives would try to nullify the donation by any means possible. Plus, if she had divorced and the emperor found out¡­ ¡®It would become easier for them to claim that I didn¡¯t have the right to donate to the empire in the first place.¡¯ Camila had also shouted that she paid for a husband. No one else knew about it. ¡®Stupid Imperial Law.¡± There was a provision in the Imperial Law that marriages made in exchange of money can be nullified. It was made for children who were being handed over for marriages in the past, but the clause was only a small worry and concern for Elrose. If her relatives applied for and received documents regarding her marriage, they would find out that she had gotten divorced three days after the marriage. ¡®Then¡­ they will report me as a suspect in an abnormal marriage.¡¯ A divorce three days after the marriage and the inheritance of title and property. The problem would only get bigger. Elrose didn¡¯t intend to marry anyone either anyways. She could see the dangers of marriage just by remembering her mother. There were many cases in the world where you could mess up your life by meeting the wrong people, but there were no cases where you could mess up your life by not meeting people. ¡®I¡¯m not exactly thinking about marrying anyone.¡¯ It won¡¯t matter if she kept this paper marriage for months, or even years. ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Since it¡¯s a request from someone who saved my life, I can delay the divorce for a little bit.¡± Lakshan had said he didn¡¯t save her himself, but called the security forces instead. But without him, Camila might¡¯ve done something by now. With that in mind, Elrose was able to do whatever Lakshan asked of her, and maybe even more. There was also no reason to not agree to it, since it didn¡¯t involve any money and she didn¡¯t really have anything else to do. Lakshan¡¯s face brightened as Elrose readily agreed. ¡°Well then, please take care of me, Elrose.¡± As Lakshan reached out, Elrose smiled and held his hand. ¡°Please take good care of me as well, Lakshan.¡± 3. Road to the North The day after the both of them agreed, they immediately left the capital. Lakshan lightly knocked out a knight of the Imperial Palace who was on watch and left the marriage certificate and a letter to the emperor in his arms. The unconscious knight would open his eyes in the corner of a restaurant with a nice glass of wine in front of him as an apology for knocking him out. Away from the capital, they found a wagon heading north from a nearby village. Fortunately, it was not difficult to find as there were many people returning to the north after the war. The owner of the wagon then looked suspiciously at the two who were wearing hoods. But, when Lakshan added a few more coins, he let them inside without any further questions. It was the wild people who were going to the north anyways. Compared to others, they paid neatly and didn¡¯t carry any weapons. It was a lot safer than picking up mercenaries who might turn the wagon over. While the wagon owner counted the money, Lakshan whispered to Elrose. ¡°I¡¯ll pay for it on the way.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°I¡¯m the one who invited you, so I¡¯ll have to pay at least that much.¡± ¡°But will it be too much? You should save your money too.¡± Elrose¡¯s concerned words brought laughter to his eyes. ¡®Money.¡¯ On the day at the gambling house, Elrose thought of him as a money-strapped mercenary, probably because of the 50 gold he had been forced to borrow from her. Lakshan never quite cleared up the situation. After all, Elrose was a person who would only stay for a while and then leave. There was no reason for him to reveal his skills or circumstances to her. ¡®She would faint if she found out that everything around my hometown is my territory.¡¯ The emperor was anxious to do anything for his brother-in-law who saved his life. In the end, Lakshan asked for the land of his hometown because the emperor wouldn¡¯t send him back unless he gave him something. This was the land where his father and his colleagues stayed together when he was young. After it was swept away by the war, its lord died and the place became uninhabited. Now that he was going to stay there for the rest of his life, Lakshan said he wanted it. But, he could not receive it in the name of Lakshan. ¡®Since I don¡¯t want to reveal myself.¡¯ Since the war has been over, he just wanted to live quietly and peacefully. He had killed too many. Moreover, he was tired of pretending to be the mercenary king instead of his father. So, he wanted to live with his colleagues like a normal northerner and the emperor offered the land to the mercenary king, Kharkan. It was natural to give the land to the mercenary king who led the war to victory, and no one doubted it. ¡®Of course, it was said that Kharkan rarely came to the estates, since he wanders from place to place.¡¯ He didn¡¯t want to keep using that name and the bandages anymore. The Imperial Palace even sent someone to take basic care of the taxes and territorial residents, so Lakshan wouldn¡¯t be more concerned. His hometown was originally a fertile land, but now the fields had turned into weeds. But, in a few years, they would be able to collect a large amount of tax as they had the best granary areas in the north. In addition, there was already too much wealth given by the emperor. Even if he were to live profusely until he died, there would be no trace of bitterness left behind. And she still worried about him saving his money. Seeing how Elrose was still worrying about his money situation, Lakshan smirked. Still, it had been a while since someone worried about him, so Lakshan decided to enjoy that feeling a little more. Chapter 15 ~*~ ¡°Wow.¡± Elrose was full of excitement. Inside the carriage, across from Elrose, Lakshan looked at her instead of the landscape passing by outside because it was a lot more fun. ¡°Is it really that fun?¡± Lakshan asked with a small smile at the appearance of Elrose admiring the sight of birds flying away. ¡°It¡¯s interesting. The buildings, landscapes, people¡­¡± Lakshan did not understand her response. ¡°Weren¡¯t you just in the capital? Why are you so impressed with this country road?¡± ¡°Uh, it¡¯s¡­¡± Elrose tried to reply while scratching her cheek awkwardly. ¡°Actually, I was sent to the monastery at a very young age, so I don¡¯t know much about other places. I went to the village near the monastery sometimes, but that was it, and after coming to the capital¡­ to be honest, I was so nervous that I couldn¡¯t even take a moment to appreciate things.¡± Elrose said with a smile. ¡°It¡¯s thanks to you.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°If it weren¡¯t for you, I think I¡¯d still be uneasy thinking about who else would come to catch me and where I should go.¡± Elrose looked out of the window again. It was just rural scenery, but everything seemed interesting to her. ¡°Thanks to you, I¡¯m able to be like this comfortably.¡± As Elrose said that, she gently closed her eyes as if she was happy with the wind blowing. Lakshan strangely couldn¡¯t take his eyes off of her face. Elrose¡¯s words of thanks to him continued to ring in his ears. ~*~ The carriage moved for hours without a break. The farther away from the capital, the worse the road became. Elrose¡¯s face, which was initially enjoying the carriage trip, also began to turn white as the carriage continued to shake. And around sunset, the carriage finally arrived at the promised village. ¡°I think¡­I¡¯m dying¡­¡± Even when she got out of the carriage, she felt her body was still a little shaky. She felt her head pounding too. Elrose looked at Lakshan while desperately trying to hold back the rush to vomit. As soon as he got off the carriage, he put on the hood and looked like nothing was wrong, unlike Elrose. ¡°How can you feel fine?¡± ¡°Northerners don¡¯t get motion sickness often.¡± ¡°I envy you¡­¡± Elrose muttered while vomiting a few more times. Seeing her, Lakshan raised his head and looked at the village. Right now the early evening stars were rising, shops were still open, but all the restaurants would be closed soon. ¡°Elrose, can you move? I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m in a hurry to go to a place.¡± Lakshan then changed his mind when he saw mercenaries wandering all over the village. He already saw a lot of northerners because they came up a little from the capital. In a place like this, the bright blonde, green eyes, and short stature of Elrose was a target. If she hadn¡¯t been next to him now, she would have been the target of young pickpockets wandering around the carriage. ¡°Where are you going?¡± Having said that there was a place to go, Elrose took a deep breath and stood next to Lakshan. ¡°A pawnshop and currency exchange. All the gold coins you gave me are imperial gold coins. The problem is that it¡¯s hard to use because of the large unit of money, and the North still uses more of its currency. I think I¡¯ll exchange it to that.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard of it. The drachma currency.¡± Although it belonged to the empire now, the northern part was still a land of strong independence. So, they prefered a specific currency called the drachma currency that was used in the past. ¡°Come on!¡± Lakshan smiled when he saw color return to Elrose¡¯s face, which had been pale from motion sickness a little while ago. ¡®I thought you¡¯d like it.¡¯ The more Lakshan talked to Elrose, the more he felt that he should let her know about this and that. She seemed to be good at counting because she was quick-witted, so if he told her a little bit, Elrose would quickly grasp prices and things herself. As Elrose entered the night street, she soon saw the shops Lakshan was looking for. Lakshan then opened the door and they went in. ¡°Welcome, what are you trying to change? I¡¯m telling you in advance, I don¡¯t accept suspicious stolen goods.¡± Upon entering, the owner, who looked a bit strict, welcomed the two of them. ¡°I want to exchange Imperial gold coins for Northern money.¡± ¡°How many gold coins?¡± ¡°Ten.¡± He needed money anyway to spend comfortably until he arrived at his hometown. When Lakshan handed out the gold coins, the owner made sure it was genuine and then took out the northern currency. ¡°There are now 15 drachma per imperial gold coin¡­ That¡¯s okay, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡± At the number fifteen, Rakshan swallowed a sigh inwardly. He couldn¡¯t believe that the average trading price of about 20 was 15. ¡®Maybe I should go to another store¡¯ However, he soon stopped thinking about it. Elrose¡¯s condition was not good, and there was no time to haggle. It was only five off anyways. It would take about three more days to get home. The moment Lakshan was about to say yes, Elrose took his hand and spoke in a delicate voice. ¡°Honey, do you really need to exchange my mother¡¯s keepsake?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Lakshan briefly doubted his ears. Honey? Mother¡¯s keepsake? Suddenly, he didn¡¯t know why she was doing this especially when he was not saying anything. Elrose slightly turned her head and frowned at him. ¡®I¡¯ll take care of it, so you stay put.¡¯ She didn¡¯t even speak, but her voice seemed to ring in his ears. Elrose saw Lakshan close his mouth and raised his hand to press under his eyes. ¡°You said you worked hard to collect it for us¡­ Even if we don¡¯t have money, exchanging it like this¡­ it hurts¡­¡± Even her voice sounded like she was about to cry. Elrose reached out and touched the gold coin that had been held out in front of her by the shopkeeper. No matter who looked at her, she looked like she was regretting what she loved very much. ¡°And this keepsake.¡± Seeing Elrose¡¯s appearance, the store owner looked a bit bewildered. ¡°These are gold coins that my mother worked hard to collect while doing business in the morning and evening. Then she fell ill.¡± Come to think of it, it wasn¡¯t entirely a lie. After all, it was from the mansion, so it was the money her mother earned before. It was also true that she ran the business from morning to evening, and that she died of an illness. ¡°This is how I say goodbye to her? But if we want to go further north, we need the money¡­ and this is all we have left, so there is nothing we can do¡­¡± Elrose swallowed back the words as if she couldn¡¯t say any more. All he could hear was the sniffling inside the shop. The shopkeeper then sighed as he was listening quietly. ¡°I didn¡¯t know there was such a story¡­ My heart feels hurtful. I¡¯ll change it to 18. Don¡¯t tell anyone.¡± Lakshan was taken aback by the owner¡¯s words. No, she pretended to cry, and managed to get more? Then, Elrose opened her mouth again. ¡°Really¡­ Thank you. My mother will also be delighted to know that the gold painting she left behind as a keepsake has been a great help to us.¡± As she spoke with her head bowed down, she seemed genuinely grateful. ¡°Now that I¡¯ve changed the money, I¡¯ll buy white daffodils and pray. It was my mother¡¯s favorite flower.¡± Then, the owner¡¯s eyes moved. ¡°¡­My mother also liked white daffodils.¡± The owner sighed for a moment and then continued. ¡°The more I hear it, the more I think of my mother. I think it¡¯s meant to be, so I¡¯ll give you a higher price. And¡­¡± The shop owner put a gold coin in Elrose¡¯s hand. ¡°No matter how hard it is, you can¡¯t sell all the keepsakes. Take one with you.¡± While only Lakshan was bewildered, the bargain between the shop owner and Elrose was coming to an end. Chapter 16 ~*~ After a while, the two left the store. ¡°What happened?¡± Lakshan asked Elrose while fiddling with the pouch containing 200 drachma coins. Obviously, the store owner, who initially called for fifteen per gold coin, increased the number the more he talked with Elrose. What¡¯s more, he even returned two gold coins. He said that the first coin he returned was to give to Elrose to cherish, and the second gold coin returned was a gift to Lakshan for having a good wife. She exchanged eight gold coins for 200 drachma coins. Usually 160 was the normal exchange rate, and if he got lucky, it was about 180 at the most. If you did the math, the owner just exchanged the coins with little profit. ¡°Huh? What?¡± ¡°Like I said a while ago, how did the owner¡­¡± ¡°Oh, that.¡± Elrose continued as if it were nothing. ¡°When I looked inside the store, I saw a painting of white daffodils and an envelope with the recipient¡¯s mother written on it. Seeing it set aside like that on the wall, the owner was probably a son who cared for his mother very much. And if she were still alive, wouldn¡¯t he have let that go? So I thought she was dead.¡± Elrose flipped the gold coin the owner had returned with her finger. ¡°So, just in case, I just told a story that brought tears to my eyes. Besides, the owner gave you a ridiculous price in the first place.¡± ¡°How did you know that?¡± ¡°When the owner talked about the amount, you paused a bit. So, I thought you would bargain, but you didn¡¯t. Then, I decided to do that.¡± ¡°You¡­ You thought of all that in a short moment?¡± ¡°Where was your mind? You¡¯re supposed to bargain with your soul. My mother told me that over and over again when I was a child.¡± Elrose recalled memories of her mother and the words she especially emphasized. ¡°Elrose, the most unbelievable saying in the world is that merchants sell at a loss.¡± Elrose, who remembered her mother¡¯s words, turned around and looked at Lakshan as if she had just realized something. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry for suddenly calling you honey and holding your hand a while ago. Were you very surprised?¡± ¡°I was surprised, but¡­¡± It wasn¡¯t something she needed to apologize for. There was no problem with Elrose calling him honey because they were a formal couple on paper. Lakshan somehow didn¡¯t like her apology. While walking and talking, the two entered the alley where the inns were gathered. The road was very noisy as the guests shouted at each inn. ¡°Come to our inn, we will serve you five drachmas overnight!¡± ¡°Our inn offers four drachmas and breakfast!¡± ¡°Our inn provides unlimited meals!¡± Elrose listened carefully to each of the shouting. Lakshan then memorized the cost for each place. As he looked at her, even this seemed to be a pleasant thing for Elrose. From there, Lakshan realized he needed to show Elrose as much as possible before they got to his hometown. Thinking about it, he went into the inn with the most reasonable price and clean place. As they stepped inside, the innkeeper greeted the two. ¡°Please come in. How many nights are you staying?¡± ¡°One night with breakfast please. And¡­¡± Lakshan glanced around at the guests sitting on the ground floor and said. ¡°We only need one room.¡± At Lakshan¡¯s words, Elrose¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. ¡°Lakshan?¡± ¡°My wife seems very tired, so please give me the key first.¡± Then the innkeeper nodded as if he knew. ¡°Oh my god. You are newlyweds. Come on, here¡¯s the key. Our inn¡¯s restaurant is open until late at night. Don¡¯t worry, delivery is also available to your room. We will also give you a special room.¡± Seeing the innkeeper¡¯s eyes which were full of such meaning, Lakshan turned his gaze away and hurriedly dragged Elrose who had a surprised expression and walked up. ~*~ Squeak. The wooden door closed, and the appearance of the room caught Elrose¡¯s eyes. In the middle of the room, there was a large heart-shaped bed with a red sheet. She could tell right away without anyone explaining to her why it was decorated that way. Elrose turned her stiff neck and looked at Lakshan. ¡®You said all men are wolves.¡¯ She never thought Lakshan would do anything. He hastily waved his hand as Elrose looked at him with a distraught face. ¡°Now, let me explain!¡± Then, Lakshan looked at the bed as if it was the most hideous thing in the world. With his hood off, Elrose was stunned for a moment by his appearance. Even though she had seen him many times, somehow, he looked more handsome under the lamp light in the dark room. Elrose rubbed her eyes with her hands. ¡®Well, he¡¯s got an appearance that¡¯ll cause trouble if he takes off his hood.¡¯ If Lakshan had walked down the street with his face exposed, women would have already lined up behind him. Maybe men would too. In other words, if he said that he wanted to spend the night with someone, he¡¯d have no problem finding a partner. Elrose took off the hood she was wearing and looked at herself in the mirror behind the door. The aftermath of motion sickness remained in her messy hair which was scattered here and there, and her face was still a little pale. Elrose sighed and shook her head. There¡¯s no way he¡¯d do that. She felt ashamed of herself for being mistaken when he asked for one room. It was then Lakshan spoke. ¡°Remember the guy sitting in the lobby in front of the entrance? There was a man sitting on the sofa.¡± At first glance, he looked like a regular guest staying at an inn. But he didn¡¯t come to rest. ¡®That tattoo on his wrist.¡¯ It was Lakshan who looked around everywhere the moment they entered the inn. It was his old habit. It was also a habit that he had to get used to in order to live long as a mercenary. Thanks to this, he noticed that the man who was sitting on the sofa had a long-legged spider tattoo on his wrist. Lakshan knew well who made the tattoo. ¡®He¡¯s a professional thief.¡¯ He remembered a former mercenary he met on the battlefield who showed him a tattoo on his wrist and boasted that he could open any door. A tattoo like that was obvious. Lakshan even saw him listening to the conversation as he and Elrose were talking to the innkeeper. ¡®If I said to use a separate room¡­¡¯ That man would definitely visit Elrose¡¯s room at night. ¡®Anyways, it seems like there will be no problems today.¡¯ When he asked for one room, he heard the man with the tattoo click his tongue. He was short, and it must have been because of Lakshan¡¯s size that he decided not to do something. So, Lakshan explained everything he knew to Elrose. ¡°I suppose.¡± After the long explanation, Elrose nodded her head as if she understood. She then fell silently into her thoughts. When he saw Elrose¡¯s appearance, Lakshan regretted it a little. ¡®Did I tell too many scary stories?¡¯ She must have just felt safe after leaving the capital. But anyone who heard that someone might enter their room tonight would be terrified. In addition, he was worried that the mercenaries instilled a bad perception in her mind. Elrose probably wouldn¡¯t like them. The only mercenaries she had met so far had been those hired by Camilla to target her. Besides, there was also another one who tried to rob her room, so her perception could get even worse. Lakshan felt sorry for that. His father was also a mercenary, and he has been living as a mercenary ever since he grew up. The title, mercenary king, inherited from his father, weighed heavily on him. But he never hated it. Lakshan had pride in his career. However, as this happened, he was worried that Elrose might see himself as a mercenary with vigilant eyes. At that time, Elrose asked a question. ¡°Is there anything else beside the spider?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°The mercenary tattoos. On the way, I saw some people who had tattoos that were dragons and others who had lions. They were also in different places on their bodies, so do their tattoos all represent something?¡± Instead, Elrose¡¯s voice was full of anticipation, like a child listening to an exciting story, rather than being frightened. Chapter 17 Seeing Elrose appear different from his thoughts, Lakshan asked, seemingly ridiculous. ¡°Aren¡¯t you scared?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°The mercenaries.¡± ¡°They¡¯re a little scary, but it¡¯s not like all are like that, right? The Empire was able to win the war against the Suin people thanks to the mercenary kings and his people.¡± For a moment, Elrose was showing a liking for the mercenary king to the extent that it was doubtful whether she knew what she was talking about. ¡°And Lakshan is also a mercenary, right? So why do you think I¡¯d be afraid of mercenaries?¡± Elrose looked at him and smiled. ¡°¡­¡± Lakshan was at a loss for words for a moment when Elrose said she was not afraid of them. When he lived in the form of the mercenary king Kharkan, he was thanked by many people. However, when he was just Lakshan, he heard mercenaries being called by many names such as, the money-blind, the troubles of the troubled empire, and the ignorant, barbaric northmen. There were many people who talked about it, especially in the capital city. He wasn¡¯t vulnerable to such words, but he did become annoyed sometimes because he was still a human being. But when he heard Elrose¡¯s words¡­ he wondered what it was like to think something like that. ¡°Anyways, what else is there besides spiders? That way, I can look into it and be careful.¡± Elrose was still waiting for his words with her eyes glistening. Lakshan thought he should answer her properly and began drawing with a paper and pen that had been placed on the table. ¡°First of all, some of the famous tattoos¡­¡± ~*~ ¡°Haa.¡± After washing in warm water, he felt relaxed. Lakshan left the bathroom while shaking off excess water on his head with a towel. ¡°Elrose, I¡¯m done¡­¡± As he came out to tell Elrose, he saw her lying on the bed and hurriedly shut up. Until late at night, Lakshan explained to her about the mercenary tattoos. He was a passionate teacher and she was a good student with a burning enthusiasm for learning. Eventually, the two ordered dinner to their rooms and talked about tattoos for several more hours. Then, when it was time to go to bed, Lakshan had folded the paper and said. ¡°I¡¯m going to bed. You can go ahead and wash up.¡± ¡°No, you can wash up first. You paid for the room, didn¡¯t you?¡± A few more squabbles were made on who should go first, and the losing side was Lakshan. He washed up as fast as he could and didn¡¯t expect Elrose to fall asleep in the meantime. Moreover, she was lying on the heart-shaped bed and sleeping soundly, while not that long ago she said she couldn¡¯t sleep on such a hideous thing. Should he wake her up? He thought it would be better to wash up and sleep, but Lakshan couldn¡¯t shake Elrose to wake her up. Instead, he sat next to her, who was asleep, and looked at her. Elrose¡¯s golden hair, which had become a magpie¡¯s house due to the long use of the hood, was scattered on the bed. Her eyes were closed in the middle. He could see her long eyelashes and her red lips that were slightly parted. Gulp. Lakshan unconsciously swallowed and was surprised by his actions. Why was he so nervous? ¡°¡­There¡¯s really no boundaries.¡± Usually, if someone had to sleep in the same room with the opposite sex, they might seem a little nervous, but Elrose didn¡¯t show it at all. Looking at what she had done so far, she seemed to be wary enough of other things, but why was she so defenseless in this way? ¡®Would it be better to tell her to be careful?¡¯ Then from tomorrow onwards, she might keep a distance from him. At that moment, Lakshan remembered the figure of Elrose who had asked him why he thought she would be afraid of him. ¡°¡­¡± A smile came to Lakshan¡¯s face. He lifted the bed sheets and covered Elrose. It won¡¯t matter if she takes it easy tomorrow morning because they¡¯re not in a hurry. After putting the blanket on her, he went to the sofa to sleep. But when he saw the sofa was short, he just laid down on the bed while keeping a distance from Elrose. ¡®This should be fine.¡¯ Lakshan turned and blew out the lamp next to the bed with his mouth. In an instant, darkness spread in the room, and only the sound of insects outside and the breathing of Elrose could be heard. ¡®Is this the first night?¡¯ Lakshan was so unsatisfied with his thoughts that he clicked his tongue and closed his eyes. Oddly enough, the voice of Elrose, who said the word honey during the day, kept ringing in his ear. ~*~ The moment she saw her mother, Elrose realized that she was dreaming. Her mother was giving advice, saying that if she listens to adults well, she¡¯ll get cake even if she sleeps. Then suddenly, she hugged Elrose tightly. ¡°Elrose, I forgot to tell you this.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°All men are wolves.¡± But not Lakshan, right? She wanted to refute her mother, but instead she bit her lips. She could see her mother clearly in her dream, so she wanted to stay still and listen to her voice more. Her mother then patted Elrose on the back and whispered. The touch made her even more sleepy even though she was dreaming. ¡°So¡­ you have to be careful when choosing a husband.¡± Elrose moved her lips desperately at the next words. ¡®Mom, I¡¯m already married.¡¯ But her voice couldn¡¯t cross her throat and instead murmured away. As she became more conscious, her mother¡¯s voice became distant. ¡°They are¡­¡± At that moment, Elrose woke up. ¡°Gasp!¡± The moment she opened her eyes, Elrose hid her face from the intense morning sunlight that relentlessly stabbed her eyes. After she blinked her eyes moments later, she carefully lowered her hand and saw the white ceiling with the water leaks. Elrose pondered for a moment about where she was, and then remembered. ¡®Wasn¡¯t I waiting for Lakshan to wash up¡­?¡¯ Seeing that she had no memory since then, she seemed to have fallen asleep. ¡°Is it a dream¡­¡± Elrose looked around, wondering what this dream was. And soon, she sprang up with a surprised face. She was lying on a heart-shaped bed with a bright red blanket. It was the place she hated last night, saying ¡®who sleeps in a place like this?¡¯. But it seemed like she slept very well instead. Elrose, who began stretching, saw the crumpled sheet next to her. ¡°Lakshan also slept here.¡± As much as Elrose loathed it, Lakshan also looked at the bed with a frown. While still blinking in a daze, Elrose sniffed for a moment. There was a nice smell coming from somewhere. It wasn¡¯t perfume. What was it? The scent of soap mixed with body odor. Elrose soon realized it was coming from her. ¡®What?¡¯ She just fell asleep, so there¡¯s no way she could smell like this. Elrose tilted her head and stood up. Although the appearance of the bed was not good, it was full of freshness after sleeping soundly since the mattress was good. She just slept under a blanket and it seemed to be quite warm. ¡°First¡­ let¡¯s wash up.¡± Elrose staggered into the bathroom, and shortly afterward, the door opened and Lakshan came in with a tray of food. ¡®Looks like she woke up.¡¯ Listening to the sound of water dripping in the bathroom, he put the tray on the table and yawned. There was a sound as he turned his neck. Although he had never really slept poorly during his career as a mercenary, last night was not comfortable for him at all. To be exact, he was comfortable physically, but not mentally. Lakshan glared at the bed where he fell asleep last night. The red heart shape gave him goosebumps. But that was not exactly why he couldn¡¯t sleep. ~*~ Last night, just when he was about to fall asleep, Elrose, who was muttering and talking in her sleep, rolled over right into his arms. ¡°¡­!¡± Thanks to that, Lakshan opened his eyes in surprise and picked up the dagger that was next to him instinctively. When a familiar body scent hit him, he was able to stop his hand. ¡°Oh¡­¡± He wondered if it was because she didn¡¯t like the shaky bed since he was moving. Elrose frowned and crawled into his arms. ¡®What should I do?¡¯ Lakshan pushed her shoulder with his fingers to get her out as gentlemanly as possible as if saying to go back to her side. Instead, Elrose wiggled her hand as if she were flapping away flies and slapped his finger. She did not give in to Lakshan who was trying to bring Elrose back to her place. Contemplating, he grabbed the sheet from the bed and rolled Elrose back to her side. He thought it would be okay, but after a while, she rolled over again and came into his arms. ¡°¡­¡± It was a natural movement. Chapter 18 Lakshan briefly suspected she was awake. In fact, this happened frequently while he was living as Lakshan with his face exposed. There were people who approached fiercely enough to know that they were doing it on purpose, and fell into his arms pretending to have tripped. It wasn¡¯t just them. It was all the women who he had never met before. He was sure that if he got a room for himself, a stranger would lay naked in his bed and wave as if they were waiting for him to come. As a result, Lakshan eventually had to wear a hood. This was why it was different when he covered his face with a bandage. Anyways, he was quite often attacked for that reason. ¡®Maybe Elrose too?¡¯ From the time they first met, Elrose also looked at his face. Fortunately, she wasn¡¯t trying to force herself into his arms or aim at his lips. Instead, she glanced at his face and nodded her head as if she was trying to convince herself of something. ¡®Don¡¯t tell me Elrose is after me like the other women¡­¡¯ But at that moment, a loud snoring sound was heard. Lakshan glanced at Elrose again. She still had a look of tiredness on her face, and he realized that she was clutching his clothes with her hands. ¡°¡­¡± He remembered her voice saying it was the first time for her to see the outside comfortably in a wagon. This was probably the first break in a while for her. ¡°¡­¡± Lakshan lowered the hand that was going to push Elrose away again and closed his eyes. Her breathing that passed over his chest made his body twitch. After she woke up, he was a little annoyed by her sleeping well, but he decided to let it slide today. ¡®I¡¯ll have to set up a separate room for tomorrow.¡¯ Otherwise he wouldn¡¯t be able to sleep. While thinking of the option of sleeping on the floor until sunrise in the morning, Lakshan tossed and turned on the bed and stayed up all night. ~*~ As Lakshan wiped his face with his hand while recalling what happened last night, the bathroom door opened and Elrose came out. Her long blonde hair was wet and darker than usual. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re back. Where have you been?¡± When Elrose saw Lakshan, she approached him with a happy look on her face. When she approached, the scent of soap filled the air. Lakshan¡¯s face felt hot without realizing it. ¡°Lakshan?¡± Lakshan came to his senses when he heard a voice calling him. ¡°¡­I just brought breakfast here. I thought you¡¯d sleep a little longer.¡± He went to get it in advance because the restaurant would be closed by the time Elrose woke up. ¡°Sorry for oversleeping.¡± ¡°No, you¡¯ve been in the wagon for a long time, so you can¡¯t help it. Besides, it also must have been an aftereffect of the antidote. Let¡¯s eat first.¡± Elrose quickly sat in front of the table because she was hungry. Looking at warm bread, fresh milk, and a tray full of well-crafted fruits and vegetables, she had a happy look on her face. After splitting the bread and spreading a lot of butter on it, she took a big bite. It was delicious. When she lived in the cabin, she had to hide in the monastery¡¯s kitchen to eat bread. Elrose tried to make it in the cabin a few times, but it was hard to get an oven and bake without being caught. The butter-filled bread eaten by monks was delicious, but it was always baked for a long time. ¡®Now that we¡¯re going to Lakshan¡¯s hometown, I can probably bake bread every day.¡¯ Thinking of all the bread recipes she had seen in the book, Elrose¡¯s smile was full of happiness. ¡°What¡¯s making you so happy?¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing. What¡¯s the plan to leave today?¡± When Elrose asked, Lakshan opened a map he had bought at the inn counter on the table. ¡°This is the town we¡¯re in, and my hometown is around here¡­ It¡¯s too small to be marked on the map. Anyways, we¡¯re going to leave here today and ride a horse for another day. Let¡¯s buy more things from there.¡± ¡°What do we need?¡± ¡°¡­You might need clothes first.¡± Elrose¡¯s face turned red with embarrassment at the words. Well, she didn¡¯t even have any clothes to change into, so she just fell asleep. Elrose then took the paper that was next to the table and began to write down what she needed. Bags, clothes, shoes¡­ Her hand stopped as she was writing and then spoke in a serious tone. ¡°Lakshan.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°I¡¯m wondering, where can I stay when I go to your hometown?¡± At Elrose¡¯s question, he went silent for a moment. Where will she stay? He had been thinking about it ever since he told her if he would go back to his hometown. Lakshan began to think. He hadn¡¯t been able to go back since the war broke out five years ago. The letters from his colleagues who went back first stated that there were many people who had not yet returned to the village. The villagers had either gone somewhere else¡­ or lost their life during the war. ¡°There will be some empty houses. If there is a house you want, I can repair it for you.¡± At those words, Elrose felt a little sad. ¡®I was expecting that a little bit.¡¯ In fact, she thought she might be living in Lakshan¡¯s home. So she was thinking about how much rent she would have to pay him. ¡®Well, after all, Lakshan said that he only needed paperwork, so we won¡¯t have to pretend to be married even in the village.¡¯ When they arrive at the village, he would say that Elrose was the daughter of his benefactor and that she came with him because she had nowhere to go after her parents died. It was a story without any room for doubts. There were so many people who died during the war that this happened often. ¡®Can¡¯t we still live together¡­¡¯ Elrose poked an innocent apple with a fork. She lived alone for a long time. Maybe that¡¯s why when she shared a room with Lakshan yesterday, it felt more enjoyable. It had been so long since she spent time talking to someone in the same room. ¡®But we can go out more often.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯ll try to find my own house near Lakshan¡¯s.¡¯ Thinking that, Elrose finished eating breakfast. ~*~ After leaving the inn, the two moved busily. The first place Elrose went to was a different currency exchange shop from yesterday¡¯s place. After converting half of the gold coins into northern currencies, including the gold coins returned by the owner of the currency exchange last time, Elrose began shopping like a storm. After a while, Lakshan took her luggage. ¡°I¡¯ll hold it.¡± Although it was quite heavy, he lifted it lightly with one hand and carried it on his shoulder. She thought he was a mercenary who was not very talented when she saw him begging the guards at the gambling house, but he seemed to have a lot of strength instead. ¡®Well, otherwise, it would be a waste.¡¯ The two of them again wandered around the market and bought more things they needed. Then, Elrose¡¯s steps stopped in one place. ¡°Wow¡­¡± An exclamation came out of her mouth spontaneously. The place Elrose saw was a vendor¡¯s stall selling seeds. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen so many¡­¡± Elrose approached the stall as if possessed and frantically looked at the things lying there. Eggplant, pumpkin, cucumber, tomato, potato¡­ Seeing the name of the seeds written on it, Elrose gulped. She remembered the garden she had cultivated in the forest of the monastery. Vegetables grown lusciously without missing anything thanks to her taking care of it with all her soul. While working hard on them, Elrose always felt sorry for herself. ¡®I want to grow more diverse things.¡¯ However, there were only very few seeds in the market of the village below the monastery. ¡®That¡¯s why it bothered me when I read the cookbook.¡¯ Among the books thrown away by Elrose was a cookbook filled with all sorts of recipes. She always gulped while looking at the appetizing pictures under the moonlight. But, she couldn¡¯t make them. The crops in the garden were limited and she couldn¡¯t use pots or an oven in the cabin. It was impossible to use the monastery kitchen because she had to sneak in around at night. Elrose looked around again at the seeds the merchant sold. It was full of herbs as well as fruit crops. While looking at it for a long time, Elrose suddenly seemed to have a clearer mind. It was good to escape the capital, go to Lakshan¡¯s hometown, and hide for a year. But there was no clear decision on what she would do for the year. If she found all the emergency money left by her mother, she would have no problem living on it for the rest of her life. But, it was boring to stay still. Elrose wanted to work, although others might think it was strange. ¡®Is it because I have my mother¡¯s blood?¡¯ If she were like her father, she would have already spent a lot of that money playing around. But, Elrose had fun growing, making and bargaining. ¡®Then¡­¡¯ It would be nice to practice this and that while preparing for the future in the village for a year. ¡®I¡¯ll go to the village and buy a lot of them.¡¯ Elrose remembered the name of the seeds in her head and imagined her garden in Lakshan¡¯s village. He said it was a rich land. She was sure she would be able to cheerfully grow a pleasant garden. Chapter 19 ~*~ The next day, Elrose had to walk with a heavy bag on her back. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Elrose¡¯s bag was full of things she had bought the day before. Most of them were clothes and shoes. No one else would have had to buy this much at once. But all she had before was what she was wearing now, so she had to buy new pairs of clothes from head to toe. When she was young, Elrose wore clothes that her mother chose for her, and she wore an apprenticeship uniform that was like a girl who went to a monastery. Elrose bought her first decent old clothes in the village near the monastery with the money she sold the book from. So it was the first time in her life where she bought clothes properly. Which was why Elrose didn¡¯t know what and how to choose. Fortunately, Lakshan, who had been waiting outside, came in and gave advice that the North was much colder than the monastery in the West where Elrose used to stay. ¡°I think this will suit you better.¡± He brought clothes from the display case and put them around Elrose while looking for a better color, shape, and sizes for her. Thanks to this, Elrose was able to buy her clothes happily. She saw Lakshan walking ahead, and exhaled a harsh breath. ¡®Lakshan carried everything that was really heavy.¡¯ So, his bag looked twice as big as her¡¯s. Those were all Elrose¡¯s things too. The bag became too heavy, so she tried to buy less, but Lakshan encouraged her to buy a lot of things. He even paid for it instead. She tried to give him the remaining gold coins, but he never accepted them. ¡®I don¡¯t think Lakshan will have enough.¡¯ Later, when Elrose would get the emergency fund, she thought it would be enough to give to Lakshan. ¡°Are you having a hard time? Shall we take a break?¡± Lakshan kept looking back and stopped walking as he saw Elrose¡¯s face turning pale. It wasn¡¯t a very rough road for him, so he didn¡¯t expect Elrose to suffer this much. ¡°No, I¡¯ll keep¡­ Oh! Elrose almost fell down because she couldn¡¯t see the stone in front of her. ¡°Be careful.¡± Fortunately, Lakshan quickly approached and grabbed her arm. He lifted her up lightly with one arm. ¡°¡­Thank you.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s take a break. The road will be uphill in a little while, so you should take a break before that.¡± At the word uphill, Elrose¡¯s face became even paler. ¡°And give me your bag when we go up. I¡¯ll take it.¡± Saying that, Lakshan quickly pulled the backpack off of Elrose¡¯s back, which had been crouched down. Elrose looked at him with a blank face. ¡®No, how can a person carry so much and walk? Are all northerners good at carrying luggage?¡¯ Elrose, who was breathing heavily, lay down on the lawn next to the road. Then a cool breeze brushed past her face. She could hear birds chirping in the forest and the sound of a small stream flowing. Elrose, enjoying her rest while listening to the sounds of nature, spoke to Lakshan, who was rearranging her backpack to fit him. ¡°Lakshan, tell me more about your village.¡± ¡°Again?¡± He looked at Elrose with a look of boredom. It was understandable, since yesterday, Elrose has been asking about his village whenever she had time. ¡°I¡¯m just curious about where I will live in the future.¡± What Elrose said was not a lie. As she started thinking about what she would be doing for the year ahead at the market yesterday, a picture of her future flashed in her mind. She would rent a clean house. In her bedroom, there would be a soft bed with pretty bedding made of silky fabric. When the morning sunlight entered the room, she would wake up slowly and enjoy a cup of hot tea while looking out over the garden. Then she would get up, change clothes, and go shopping. When she returned home, she would have a hearty lunch of fresh vegetables and fruits she bought and freshly baked bread. After that, she was going to plant a garden, read a book, visit the village, and then maybe visit Lakshan¡¯s house. Then, when the sun went down, she would go to a village restaurant to buy dinner and talk to the villagers. ¡®It is perfect¡­¡¯ Eloze smiled as she recalled the resort life she had read in a book back in her hut. Now, if she went over that hill, she would see a village that would bring her that comfortable life. ¡°Okay.¡± Elrose jumped to her feet, got up, and brushed her clothes. She grunted as she put her backpack back on that Lakshan had taken. Although he said he would help, she felt bad. It seemed too blatant to get his help beyond this. Although they were married, it was really a relationship that was made only on paper due to each other¡¯s needs. But to rely on him in the future like a real family¡­ ¡®I¡¯ll have a hard time later.¡¯ She decided she shouldn¡¯t depend too much on someone who would leave after a year anyway. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go!¡± Elrose firmly spoke and climbed the hill again. Just a little bit more. She would go up a little further and see the village. A square with a bell tower, and colorful buildings lined up next to it with wheat fields swaying in the wind. People roaming the streets and children playing. Elrose worked hard dreaming of a beautiful village where her new life would begin. And the moment she finally reached the top of the hill, the village spread out under her feet caught her eyes. ¡°¡­Oh?¡± Elrose¡¯s eyes widened as she looked at the village. She opened her mouth for a long time and looked down, and a bewildered voice came out of her mouth. ¡°¡­Did I get married by fraud?¡± Elrose looked at the village with a puzzled face. Lakshan had said there was a tall bell tower in the middle of the village. There seemed to be a bell tower, but the bell was gone and the tower was half-collapsed. He said that colorful brick houses were lined up along the square. Those houses were there, although they were burned by fire. He said there was a vast wheat field. But no matter how hard she looked at it, all the things that were swaying in the wind were now weeds. ¡°How did this happen¡­¡± Elrose slumped down on the spot. When he came up behind her, she was surprised and rushed up. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Hey, over there, your village¡­¡± Judging from Elrose¡¯s standards, what was below was not a village. It was in ruins. It was also a devastated ruin with great certainty. Maybe the place was attacked. After the war was over, she heard that people who were struggling to make a living were stealing in groups. Could it be that Lakshan¡¯s village was also affected by such people? As soon as Elrose¡¯s face turned white, Lakshan looked at the village and spoke with a sullen voice. ¡°It¡¯s a little better than I thought.¡± ¡°¡­A little better?¡± ¡°I thought that there might be no traces left since this place was involved during the war.¡± ¡°Wait, then Lakshan, you knew that the village was like this?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Lakshan nodded his head with a questionable look. When Elrose couldn¡¯t hide her disappointment, he realized his mistake. ¡®I only said good things.¡¯ When Elrose asked him about her hometown, he explained excitedly, reminiscing about the village at the time when he was a child. Every time he gave an explanation, Elrose pricked her ears and listened to him. Lakshan liked the appearance of Elrose like that. He had never said those things to anyone about the town he lived in as a child. In fact, the story of his hometown had always been a topic of discussion among mercenaries. In his hometown, there was a very high rocky mountain, and when the sun set, it looked like the mountain was made of gold from the light. In the conversation between mercenaries, home was beautiful and full of joy, and a paradise where family who loved them awaited. But Lakshan could only listen to their conversation. On the battlefield, Lakshan lived as Kharkan. And the name Kharkan¡­ ¡®There were too many enemies.¡¯ His enemies weren¡¯t the only ones grinding their teeth if they found him. Mercenaries, who were known to be strong, came to Kharkan (who was Lakshan), saying they wanted to fight against him in any way. In the world of mercenaries, everything was determined by force. Other mercenaries had no doubt that if they toppled Kharkan, the king of mercenaries, honor, money and power would come into their hands at once. Thanks to that, Lakshan had to deal with mercenaries who always challenged him. No mercenaries beat him, of course. ¡°That¡¯s amazing. If you don¡¯t mind, can you put me in this mercenary group from today?¡± Most of the mercenaries used to ask that, but Lakshan refused. That was what he would do because most of the mercenaries who entered the mercenary group would then go after his life. The terms cheap and cunning was more of a compliment among mercenaries. It was a world where whoever survives at all costs wins. So, others were desperate to find Lakshan¡¯s weakness. All his casual words were collected by his enemies and used as weapons against him. Knowing that, Lakshan never talked about his hometown. If his enemies found out, they would go to his home, and he didn¡¯t know what they would do. His colleagues also understood Lakshan¡¯s meaning and never talked about their hometowns. So when he lived as a mercenary king, Lakshan always had to listen to other people¡¯s pride in their hometowns. Then, he became excited because he finally met someone who he could tell about the village where he lived without any worries for the first time. He wanted Elrose to think of his hometown as a wonderful place. So he explained the most beautiful parts¡­ Lakshan came to his senses looking at the village. His beloved hometown was in ruins. Chapter 20 Somehow, he felt ashamed. Why did he talk to Elrose excitedly before? Elrose must have been imagining about her future too. Lakshan¡¯s shoulders drooped. He looked like a puppy waiting for a scolding, unlike his size. Frankly, Lakshan was afraid of what Elrose would say. She couldn¡¯t live in a place like this. Would she go somewhere else? Then, it seemed that he¡¯d have to take responsibility and look after her until she found a place to stay. Elrose then opened her mouth. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡®What do you mean, sorry?¡¯ That was what he wanted to ask. Why did Elrose suddenly say she was sorry? ¡°Come to think of it, it¡¯s your hometown¡­ I¡¯m sure you¡¯re even more upset now that this happened.¡± Elrose felt truly sorry for Lakshan. Of course, it was true that she was disappointed the first time she saw the place. But Lakshan would have been more devastated when he saw his village like this. She couldn¡¯t whine in front of a man whose hometown was destroyed just because her imagination was broken. Plus, along the way here, Elrose noticed something while listening to people¡¯s conversations. The northerners hated the Empire. Of course, now that the North was a part of the Empire, so were the northerners. But, they still called themselves northerners which drew a line with the Empire. ¡°The Empire won, but the North is a wreck!¡± ¡°Thanks to us, the nobility of the capital are proud of winning the war.¡± Because of that, some of the people Elrose encountered on her way stared at her and spat on the floor as if they were unlucky. Of course, they saw Lakshan around and didn¡¯t pick up any more arguments. But Lakshan was also a northerner. Therefore, it would not be strange to see this tragedy and be hostile to the relatively safe southerners. But in front of her, Lakshan had an expression on his face that he was openly disappointed. He thought deeply in his heart that he might have thought too lightly about the loss of someone¡¯s life. Lakshan, who looked at Elrose¡¯s expression, shook his head with a bitter smile. ¡°It¡¯s nothing for you to be sorry about. It was the Suins who set the fire and ruined it.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go faster. You¡¯d better go get some rest, and give me the backpack too.¡± Somehow, Lakshan, who looked strangely better than before, pulled Elrose¡¯s backpack up and strode down toward the village. ¡°Come with me!¡± Elrose scurried after him, who left first, but it was hard to catch up with him because he was so fast. Lakshan¡¯s face as he walked earlier was a little red. A moment ago, Elrose¡¯s face, when she was truly sorry, kept coming to his mind. But as an imperial citizen that had been safe while the northerners were dying, she said she was sorry. Lakshan recalled the people he had met. Of course, the Emperor grieved because the territory was trampled and his people died. The ministers also expressed regret over the loss in the North. But, they weren¡¯t sorry. The citizens he saw in the capital said they were lucky to have been hit only in the North. If the Suins had come down to the capital, there would have been a lot more damage. They acted as if the damage in the North was nothing. But, Elrose apologized first, even though no one noticed. That apology made Lakshan feel a thorn in his heart melt away. A smile caught in his mouth as he strode forward. It occurred to him that he should take better care of Elrose until the day she leaves. ~*~ When the two arrived at the entrance to the village, someone found them from the alley and came closer. He looked at Lakshan and shouted while waving his hand with a happy face. ¡°Oh my god! Who is this?! C- cough!¡± The man was struck in the stomach by Lakshan¡¯s quick approach and closed his mouth. Lakshan then whispered to him. ¡°If you call me captain, I will kill you, Kiyan.¡± ¡°Well then¡­¡± ¡°Just call me Lakshan. Understand?¡± Kiyan nodded his head and then asked in a low voice. ¡°Who is that person?¡± ¡°She is a friend¡¯s daughter. She had nowhere to go, so I brought her with me.¡± After that, Kiyan saw Elrose standing behind Lakshan. Then, he narrowed his eyes and looked at Lakshan suspiciously. ¡°¡­Really?¡± ¡°What¡¯s with that look?¡± ¡°That¡¯s because you¡¯ve never brought a young woman before. So a person from the Empire? Is that your taste?¡± Puck! He struck Kiyan in the back of his head. ¡°Don¡¯t sneak a peek. Just go ahead and tell people. After all, I have to live as Lakshan now¡­ Don¡¯t even call me boss, okay?¡± ¡°But you can¡¯t hide it for the rest of your life¡­¡± ¡°I won¡¯t. She¡¯ll be the one who will leave here after only a year. Maybe¡­ she¡¯ll even leave sooner than that.¡± Lakshan murmured. Seeing that, Kiyan thought to himself. ¡®¡­Really?¡¯ Kiyan trusted his own intuition. And now his intuition was saying: Elrose would stay here for quite some time. 4. Elden Village ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Elose sat on the stairs and rubbed her leg. When she took off her shoes, she saw that her feet were swollen. The soles of her foot tingled while she walked along the gravel road. After massaging her calves and ankles again, Elrose looked back. She was sitting on the porch stairs in front of a small house in the corner of the town. ¡°Elden village.¡± She didn¡¯t know the name of this town until she arrived here. Welcome to the rich and peaceful village of Elden. She remembered a wooden sign attached to the fence that was half burned down. It didn¡¯t seem rich or peaceful at the moment, but that did not change the name of this place. ¡°Nice name.¡± Elden means ¡®paradise¡¯ in the ancient language. It was probably the name given to the people who first settled here in the hope that it would be a beautiful place like paradise. Elrose, who had been rubbing her legs for a long time, looked at the front door of the house. ¡°It¡¯s late¡­¡± As soon as Lakshan entered the village, he met an acquaintance who ran to greet him. It was hard to hear what the two were saying because they were far away, but they looked very close to each other when they hugged each other. The man, who introduced himself as Kiyan, said, ¡®we need to let people know that Lakshan is back¡¯ and then went somewhere. Afterwards, Lakshan took Elrose to a house and asked her to wait there, saying he would meet some people. This was Lakshan¡¯s house. Elrose turned her head. It was a small two-story house. The white walls were stained everywhere because they were left unattended for a long time. In addition, the dried branches of ivy were attached to the wall disgustingly. Still, she thought it would be able to go back to what it used to be in no time if it was fixed with a little care. Elrose then approached the porch and opened the door carefully. Creak. The black wooden door opened with a creaking sound. Before leaving, Lakshan said she was allowed to enter the house. But, he said he didn¡¯t know if it had been properly cleaned or not. Still, it was not like she went in first without the owner. She kept sitting on the stairs, but Lakshan didn¡¯t come back, so she got bored. ¡°Excuse me.¡± After asking for forgiveness from the owner who was not present, Elrose entered the house. As she stood on the porch and looked around the house, an exclamation flowed from Elrose¡¯s mouth. ¡°Wow, it¡¯s dirty.¡±