Chapter 1

Chapter 1

When the place was built, it was intended to be a fort and not a living space. The rooms weren’t meant to be lived in, particularly the drawing room that was always dark and gloomy. No one spoke in this room and was only filled with the sound of the northern wind crashing against its walls.

She was the first guest to have come since his confinement half a year ago and yet the Duke Regnart lune Bastite did not seem pleased to see her. If anything, he looked at her as if she was the person that he hated the most.

“It’s been a while, Ren,” she said, waving at him awkwardly as she shrugged off her wet hood. “Have you been well?”

Most of her hair was already gray even if she looked to be in her early 20’s. Her face was pale and sad, her long eyelashes looking stretched out as she stared at the floor. She stood in front of him like she was ready to collapse and fade away at any given moment.

“The saintess, the Empire’s Jewel,” Regnart spat out, trying to manage his obvious impatience. “All alone in the deep north.”

She raised her head to look at him. Her eyes were a deep black, distinctively hers. The moment their eyes met, he raised his hands and raised it towards her. Ignoring the way she flinched at that, he fixed her hood.

“Mora,” he said, his cold eyes starting to smile. “You should be prepared to lose your life by standing before me. You know that, right?” His large hand wrapped around her next. Then, he started to squeeze it.

Mora just stood still and stared back at him. As the pressure of his hand increased, her eyelids began to flutter. His grip was hard enough to leave a mark. She opened her lips slightly, as if she was about to say something, then she stopped.

It was Regnart that frowned first, not Mora.

It was because he had noticed that none of the knights in the fortress who were guarding the door seemed to have any intention of helping. He squinted. All the knights and attendants in the fort were Marquis Cententa’s people, they were supposed to keep their eyes on him.

Kirkalas Cententa, the Marquis Cententa who was being hailed as a hero of the Empire. He was the person who was responsible for dethroning Regnart. And the woman that was now standing before him was the marquis’s strongest weapon. And rumored lover.

Mora had betrayed Regnart for Kirkalas. The thought of this hurt Regnart like a gushing open wound.

But Kirkalas adored this woman. It was only right that the knights would swoop in and stop him so that they could save her. So why weren’t they helping? Why didn’t it seem like she was expecting their assistance either?

His eyes grew wide. It finally clicked.

“You refused to become the mistress,” he said. Had she been abandoned by Kirkalas then?

When she froze in his grip, he realized that his assumptions were correct.

Even if he had been locked up, he still managed to know the important news of the Empire. The fort’s attendants were particular about bringing him all the newspapers they could. Probably to piss him off.

About ten days ago, the front pages of the newspapers announced the news of Marquis Cententa and the saintess. Apparently, despite the blessing of Lady Garcia who was supposed to marry the marquis, the saintess still left Cententa.

When Regnart loosened his grip on her throat, her voice came out like a whine as she said, “I thought I should visit you at least once, but the opportunity never came.”

“Why would you? For what reason?”

She avoided his eyes just as she hoped to avoid his question. She looked around at the knights, as if she was mindful to not let them hear anything they shouldn’t.

Regnart followed her gaze and scoffed when he finally understood. “To use me?”

It would obviously bother Kirkalas if he heard that his former lover had visited the king that he himself had dethroned. No matter what, she was still the one and only saintess of the Empire with a multitude of people behind her for support. “Is this what she came for?” Regnart asked to himself.  She was like poison, useless to keep but dangerous to lose.

How selfish, Regnart thought. She retains her innocence no matter how cruel she may be.

“If this is uncomfortable for you, I’ll leave,” she said softly as she tried to rid herself of his grasp. “I just wanted to…” she trailed off.

Did you think you could leave just like that? His rage was boiling over. He stopped smiling and slid his hand away to grab the front of her cape and pull her in. “What should the cost be?”

Mora blinked. “Pardon?”

“There must be a cost for you to pay for trying to use me.”

“No, Ren,” she tried to speak more but their lips came together before she could. His lips burned against hers without any consideration. His tongue slipped deep inside of her mouth as her lips parted in surprise. Unlike her icy cold exterior, her mouth was surprisingly warm.

His tongue wrapped around hers as she tried to escape, kissing her deeper and deeper. He tasted iron. Blood.