Episode 31

?????? (15)

He is a jeweler in the upper tier who has a longstanding relationship with the Argonod family. He is sure to bring the finest.

It was Ragnar who picked up all the items, but Christa was already exhausted. Do ladies do this every time? It was a life far away from hers.

In addition, Ragnar looked very used to choosing women’s items. Is it because of his rich experience? How many women did he choose clothes and jewelry for? It made her dizzy to have such thoughts.

“What are you thinking?”

“Nothing.”

For a moment, a sweet scent came from the depths of Christa’s lungs. It was the scent from Ragnar’s wrist, as his hand touched the back of her neck. It smelled like warm sunlight and grass.

“Nothing. But it’s wrinkled here.”

His long fingers gently touched Christa’s forehead.

“I just thought that the life of a noble lady was more difficult than I thought.”

“Is that so?”

To be honest, it was a life far from Christa. From the moment she became a soldier, she thought she would probably live as a soldier all her life.

The knights were a suitable fit with Christa. It was the most appropriate place in terms of her aptitude. She didn’t have to think about anything voluntarily since she joined the army. She liked that part the most. She must only execute orders that have been given under strict discipline and control.

Has she ever made so many decisions on her own in her past and present life?

“I’m not used to this.”

“What is it?”

Christa hesitated to answer. But Ragnar patiently waited for her heavy mouth to open. Red eyes and golden eyes met. Christa sighed and poured out her words.

“……to decide something and make my own judgment.”

Until now, she had never made an independent decision in her life. From the breakfast menu to a political marriage.

“If you become a duchess in the future, you’ll have to decide a lot of things.”

“Will I do well?”

There was a deep frown between her brows. But Ragnar’s fingers pressed against it.

“That’s why I’m here.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes, we are good partners.”

Ragnar’s fingers once again wrapped around the back of her neck.

Then she heard a knock.

“An invitation has arrived from the palace…did I disturb you?”

She saw Mervin Feride, who didn’t look sorry at all. He coughed a few times and pulled up the frame of his silver glasses.

Chrsta blushed and tried to escape from Ragnar’s arms, but his arm had already become like a solid cage and did not fall from her waist.

“Invitation from the palace?”

“They are holding a hunting festival for the upcoming Spring Equinox.”

“And what else?”

“It’s one of the annual events. However, this time, His Highness the Crown Prince personally sent the letter.”

Upon receiving the letter, Ragnar glanced at it quickly. Then he quickly crumpled the paper.

“He’s still shameless.”

Prince Elio, when he thinks of that crazy man, he always feels a deep emotion. It was unpleasant because the inside of his mouth felt like he’s chewing sand.

“How should I send a reply?”

Mervin Ferride picked up the crumpled letter and opened it.

“Write that we will announce our marriage at this hunting festival.”

“I suppose so.”

Mervin, who had already shook his head, left, saying, “I understand.”

??

The separate room at the imperial palace, the northern tower, was entirely under the control of Crown Prince Elio. Rumors about the tower were rampant. They can hear a woman’s scream every night, or the person who enters in there once can never get out.

The servants employed in the northern tower are people with nowhere to go. When one of them disappears, no one will look for them and there are a lot of people to replace them with. Even today, the wailing of a sad woman continues here.

“……please, Your Highness, save me. I, I won’t tell anyone!”

The silver-haired prostitute sobbed for her life. Her life was exchanged for 14 gold coins. Her pretty makeup has already been stained with tears and has become a black and dirty mark.

“Shh, I told you not to move that much.”

Elio, in a sweet and soft voice, whispered in the prostitute’s ear as if he was talking to his lover. His long, thin fingers clenched the woman’s cheek.

“Huh huh…. Heut, huhu.”

“Yes, good girl. Stop that.”

“Heuk, ugh, huh huhu.”

As if disciplining an obedient dog, Elio touched the woman’s hair. Despite the gentle touch, the woman was terrified.

At that time, the woman looked at him with regret and shouted,

“I, I can do anything for you……!”

At the same time, the crossbow in Elio’s right hand fired a bolt.

Tung—

“Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!”

At the piercing sound, the woman cried out a single cry. The bolt, which was placed less than an inch away from her ear, trembled gently.

“I told you not to cry. Don’t you understand?”

Now, the woman was shaking with a loud, annoying gasp at Elio’s voice.

“She wasn’t this loud.”

Elio reloaded the crossbow with his left hand.

“She didn’t move like this.”

When he pressed hard on her shaking shoulders, a moan flowed out of her mouth. The woman gritted her teeth tightly. But she couldn’t hide the hiccups that were coming out.

“She wasn’t like this.”

He covered the woman’s mouth with his thick palm. In his hands, life began to tremble like a fruitless rebellion. However, her fate had already been fixed since she was sold for 14 gold coins in this northern tower.

Her body, where life had disappeared, was still a bit warm, but once her blood cools down, her body will cool down quickly as well. After he cleans up her body well, she will resemble the doll he wanted her to be.

Elio felt hunger deep in his throat. For days now, he has not been able to quench this thirst.

‘She didn’t look alive at all.’

Christa Palmaril. Elio could feel it when he grabbed her shabby, sulky wrist. He was good at detecting that kind of feeling.

Hers were simply not the eyes of the living. She was longing for death more than anyone else. He liked her dry eyes and her cool body temperature.

The drooping body collapsed. At that moment, he saw brown hair peeking out from the top of the woman’s head. It was dyed.

“It wasn’t really silver.”

He sighed deeply. In an instant, all interest died down. As expected, these substitutes were not satisfactory.

“Christa… …Palmaril.”

When he uttered her name out with his mouth, he became greedier. His red tongue slowly moistened his lower lip.

It was a longing that he felt for the first time in a long time.

??

Sebastian dropped his head in grief.

The money and jewels the Duke promised the other day arrived the day after Christa left. At that time, he felt like he had the whole world. However, Sebastian fell victim to gambling when the money came into his hands, and as all addicts say, “I can’t give up on my habit.” So he quickly squandered all his assets.

Gambling debt paid off at best has snowballed again. He nibbled his thumb nails with impatience.

“Come to think of it, we shouldn’t have let Christa go like that!”

Sebastian smacked his lips with regret. Since then, he has sent messages to the Duke several times, but there has been no reply. It was good to think that Christa was deliberately avoiding them.

“Christa, she doesn’t answer our messages at all! It’s obvious how she manipulated the Duke and made him curse us.”

Eva looked disappointed and was overcome with despair.

“That girl does not know how to pay respect to the people who clothed and raised her!”

The couple quickly became enraged.

“I don’t know if she manipulated the Duke well, but considering what the stupid girl used to do, I don’t know what she can do properly.”

That’s not how they should let Christa go. They had to hold onto her a little longer and educate her firmly. Most of all, they should have held her in their hands and pulled everything they could from the Duke.

When they thought about it that far, they thought that Sebastian had finally done something unfortunate.

“Where is Andrei?”

“I already sent him.”

“Andrei?”

“To take a look at Christa. Do you remember the doctor I told you about last time?”

Sebastian smiled with satisfaction. It occurred to him that he had a really good wife.

??

Andrei, who came to the Duke of Argonod, sat on the couch in the drawing room under the guidance of the butler. He whistled as he swept the high-end mahogany table with his hands.

‘This girl has really made it.’

The touch of high-quality wood felt at his fingertips was smooth as if touching silk. A maid led a trolley in.

“I brought you some tea to drink while you wait.”

“Thank you.”

The duchess’ maid has a pretty smooth face. He’s familiar with Argonod’s wealth and reputation, but it was impressive that they even gave a maid a uniform embroidered with the symbol of the family.

In addition, he could smell the scent of wealth as they served flavored tea, a popular product from the South continent, which is known to be expensive. The corners of Andrei’s mouth couldn’t close.

Feeling the gloomy gaze, the maid offered Andrei refreshments and quickly walked away. When she opened the drawing room door, fellow maids were waiting outside in a small group.