Chapter 5

Eventually, I made a decision and grabbed the burning spirit stone.

“!”

Instantly, as if blood was flowing backwards through my body, a hot energy swirled through me. It felt like Rixus had grabbed and shook my whole body.

I swallowed my groans and endured the moment, and the stone that was pulsing in my hand shone brightly.

As soon as the imprint was finished, the tails of Rixus’ eyes drooped as if he was smiling.

…Why did he do that? It was never a bottom-up negotiation, but when I saw that smile, I felt like I was caught in a trap, and my heart was pounding.

His ‘heart’ shone softly in my grasp.

Rixus finally got up from his seat and made a promise to me.

“I’ll pick you up at Breathbridge in a week.”

He said, a week later? The conditions were generous, but the period felt sparse.

‘The week is going to go by staggeringly fast.’

Because there was a lot of work to prepare.

I had a hunch that it was going to be one of the shortest weeks of my life.

* * *

‘A week must be as long as eternity.’

Rixus was standing on the terrace, enjoying Andions snow.

Far in the distance, a lofty mountain stood, gracefully draped in white snow, like a dress.

The snowy mountain shone even in the middle of the night.

Beautiful and splendid.

In the past, Rixus had seen a person who shone beautifully in the darkness like that snow mountain.

In the darkness, only she shone.

The light captured Rixus’ heart and soul, and eventually brought him to Spinel.

Rixus looked into the distance with his eyes as still as dawn, and suddenly whispered.

“You have the same face as the one I saw when I was young.”

Underneath his wild black hair, his hard expression slowly melted away, and a fluttering smile passed.

“Did you grow up like that on purpose to make my heart explode?”

It was a very sweet, low tone; pleasing to hear.

The servant, who mistakenly thought he had given him an order, stood behind him like a shadow, then lowered his head and asked.

“Yes?”

“No.”

Rixus turned around, his black robes fluttering like midnight.

“I will return to Aktoum right now.”

His lips twisted to the side secretly with pleasure.

“I have a lot to prepare.”

* * *

As expected, the week was too short.

On the weekend evening, I thought, ‘Shall I take a break now?’ But it felt like it was already Monday.

Surprisingly, it didn’t take much time to pack up. Because I pursued simplicity as much as possible.

However, I had limited time to organize a system to take care of Spinel’s state affairs while I was living in Aktoum.

It was decided that some of my maids, servants and officials would come to Aktoum only after the wedding.

Originally, when the people of Spinel entered Aktoum, it was a strict and demanding process, often requiring more than a month to get permission. Conversely, it was the same when the people of Aktoum entered Spinel.

‘Until the holy marriage takes place, it would be right to follow the existing continental laws.’

Strictly speaking, it was still an enemy country.

In such a situation, the nobles must be anxious that I would go to an enemy country alone.

“Your Majesty, you must be especially careful when you go.”

“They are said to be as fickle as the ever-changing weather! …Don’t believe them easily.”

“We will follow soon.”

I looked at the servants who were anxious today and answered calmly.

“Okay, don’t worry.”

Amid everyone’s concern, I got into the carriage.

Andions was all white today. It was midday, when snow the size of a fist piled up quietly.

On my way out of the royal palace, the people of Spinel entered my view.

The women who stopped singing for a while came out.

The miners in the magic mine whose noses turned red after drinking strong alcohol to overcome the cold.

A chef holding a ladle as if he rushed out while stirring the soup.

Girls holding flowers with fern-like hands towards me.

Children with their plump cheeks turned red, their round eyes open, and their noses dripping.

When I saw them, my heart was strangely moved.

‘I can’t believe I’m leaving Spinel, these people…’

Each and every one of them was loveable and precious to me.

‘They don’t know.’

‘How much I love them.’

People might only know that the ‘Odd-Eye Tyrant’ wielded her power and defeated the opposition, but I was just trying to save my people and myself from the cold and cruel royal castle.

My people misunderstood and feared me because of that effort, but I cherished and loved them very much.

I loved the land where I had lived and died seven times, Andions.

‘Can I not regret it?’

If I went to Aktoum and did not hold out well, my life would be miserable. I would die without warmth in a strange and cold land…

However, the answer to the question that I asked myself – that was, whether I would regret it – came immediately.

‘Never regret it. It’s a decision for them.’

If only these good people could lead peaceful and happy lives.

I would go to Aktoum to stop the war, and see how my wretched fate would unfold this time.

Even if a tragic death comes, I would be willing to bear it.

‘Maybe this is the last chance God has given me.’

“Roll the wheels faster. There’s a long way to go to Aktoum.”

I closed the curtains of the carriage window and sat up straight.

“Yes! Your Majesty!”

The coachman urged the horses. The sound of a powerful horse’s hooves rumbled out of Andions.

* * *

As we approached the neutral country of Breathbridge, the snowstorm stopped.

Instead, a voice starker than ice was heard from the border.

“It would be better to kill garbage like you and make you into horse fodder!”

Neigh!

The brown horse, which was caught by the reins, wobbled wildly and staggered.

“Damn, you aren’t doing it right? I’m going to grind you ten with this whip every time it squeaks.”

The old coachman threatened, waving a heavy whip in front of the black eyes of the brown horse.

It couldn’t understand human speech, but as if it knew what he was talking about, the brown horse looked afraid.

It was probably hit a lot. Countless times. Traces of harsh and severe whip lashes on the horse’s back were evidence of that.

He was a human who would kill horses and give it as food to another horse.

I thought that it was fortunate that that poor horse could not understand human language.

‘You’re making me upset. Such an animal abuser.’

I was watching the scene in the carriage.

Discomfort and hatred welled up from the depths of my heart.

I… I had a particularly weak heart towards those who were weak, abused, or abandoned. Perhaps it was because of what I had experienced.

“Stand properly. If you can’t carry this much luggage, you’re not worth living. Where would I use you?”

On the horse’s back was an excessive load that seemed to exceed five times of its own size.

At that time, the words were a little staggering.

Wheeik-!

Again, the harsh whip came onto the horse.

The horse howled painfully. A frown form on my face.

‘Oh my, do I see a bastard who should be kept locked up for the rest of his life and eat only horse dung instead of dumplings…?’

A person like that had to be hit hard with a horse’s hoof before he would come to think, ‘Oh, I shouldn’t be bothering my weak animal friend.’

“Open the door.”

“Yes?”

“Open the door!”

The coachman was startled by my order and opened the door in haste.

I wanted to wait as quietly as possible for Rixus to come, but it was a situation where I couldn’t just watch.

I got off the carriage and walked without hesitation to the other coachman.

Then he slapped the coachman on the cheek as he was about to hit the whip again.

Slap!

A cracking sound was almost heard.

“Gasp!”

The coachman staggered and took a few steps back. But without blinking an eye, I continued slapping his cheek.

Oh, I did it three times in a row.

Slap! Slap! Slap!

“Aaah! Argh! Ahh! I’m going to die!”

Beaten to death? Shut up.

The old coachman was pushed back five steps while being hit by me.

“…H-Her Majesty…?!”

The coachman, who recognized me belatedly, grabbed his red cheeks and looked at me with a stupid expression.

There was no one here who didn’t know my face. Especially with the characteristic of the infamous Odd-Eye.

“Okay.”

I slowly picked up the whip and held it with both hands.

The old coachman’s eyes widened.

“Your Majesty…! Please forgive my disturbance and rudeness!”

He hurriedly fell to his knees and groaned.

“I was rude, it’s because I was training!”

I was not the type who usually used force like this.

However, a person who uses his position to brutally beat a powerless animal. It seemed that he would come to his senses only when he was subjected to the same thing.

“Really?”

“Yes! It was educational…!”

I twisted the corners of my mouth coldly as I looked down at the garbage.

“Then how many whips would it take to educate a naughty person?”

“Yes?”

The coachman raised his head, and it swung at the same time! A whip that ripped through the air and flew down struck his back.

The coachman let out a painful scream and rolled over from his kneeling position. Soon, the skin on his back was torn and blood was oozing out.

I harshly advised.

“Remember this pain. Animals feel the same pain as you.”

“Uhh…”

Leaving the coachman rolling on the floor, I looked at the poor brown horse.

I should take that poor horse. I didn’t know if it had eaten, it’s too skinny.

It was when I was thinking for a while.

“Berylia.”

A languid voice pierced my ear like a poisoned arrow. Carried by the wind, a seductive and cool body scent brushed the tip of my nose. I could tell who it was without turning my head.

“…Rixus.”

As I slowly turned my head, he jumped from the saddle engraved with the black Aktoum imperial emblem and walked over to me.

Seeing his beauty under the shining sunlight was enough to bring out admiration again.

Black hair that was fluttering like a pitch black skirt. The arrogantly soaring nose bridge between his sharp eyes. His intense blue-purple pupils. They were all stunning today too.

He walked with a cool gait and asked me with a dry face.

“What’s going on?”

His gaze was on the whip I was holding.

“!”

This… Come to think of it, he arrived at the worst timing.

There could be a misunderstanding.

“This…….”

Just when I was about to speak.

“Your Highness the Crown Prince!”

The old coachman prostrated himself at Rixus’ feet. Then, with tears in his eyes, he pulled something out of his arms and held it up with both hands.

It was an identity card. An identity plate indicating that he was the citizen of Aktoum.

“I dared to be slapped in the cheek and whipped as punishment for training a horse on the path of Her Majesty the Queen…!”

“!”

That crafty guy was cleverly explaining the situation in his favor.

For a moment, I was completely perplexed.

‘What is that bastard talking about now?’

If he explained like that in front of Rixus, my personality would be ruined?!