NLS Ch5

It was a night when sleep simply wouldn’t come.

“I can’t do this!”

Ashin sprang up and quickly got out of bed. No matter how much it was for the tower, she couldn’t just rush into marriage like this. Especially not with a man who had always avoided her and disliked her. That man was cowardly, annoying, and even treacherous.

Though she had merely expressed her dislike, the essence of the aristocratic society Ashin felt was somewhat different.

Should she say they were reluctant to mix with other groups?

After enduring a long war, the previous emperors, including Vize, had employed numerous warriors from commoner backgrounds and foreign technicians. Despite serving the imperial family and dedicating themselves to the empire, they faced subtle disdain. No matter how much Vize publicly acknowledged their contributions and bestowed titles upon them, and no matter how much they handled practical affairs throughout the imperial court, the limitations based on their origins were clear.

Ashin’s situation was not much different. With Vize backing her, everyone treated Ashin as if she were royalty. However, she constantly had to remind herself of her roots. Whenever Ashin showed even a hint of freedom, there were secretive glances that seemed to say, “Of course.”

If Ashin had a single weakness, it was her origin. She didn’t want to acknowledge it as a weakness, but if she were attacked from somewhere, she would recall it herself. A sense of pride coexisted with a feeling of inadequacy.

Sometimes she pretended not to care about anything, while at other times, she secretly longed for something more. As long as she belonged to the rigid class society of the empire, it was something she could never easily shake off.

In contrast to Ashin, Leotar Van Mur was a flawless human being.

With impeccable origins and abilities, as well as leadership that encompassed not only his subordinates but also the allied forces, even those who had never seen his face would gladly obey his commands. Just mentioning the name “Mur” meant there was no place on the continent where he could not tread.

In the barracks of Ismil, where the world recognized her excellence, Ashin briefly deluded herself into thinking she was equal to Leotar. But in reality, that was not the case. The thought that Leotar might consider her an unsuitable match made her feel frustrated, yet she hated to admit it to some extent. Every time she saw his face, the memory of her devastating defeat that day resurfaced.

So, the family pact was worthless; if things continued like this, only destructive outcomes awaited them both. Ashin didn’t want to be in the same space as someone who despised or ignored her.

Then the only answer was to flee.

Before she knew it, Ashin was moving around the room, changing clothes and gathering her belongings. She even went down to the stables to check on her horse.

She planned to be gone for just ten days. In that time, if she found any trace of the King and confirmed he was dead, there would be no need for her to leave the tower, and the reason for marriage would vanish. Although the likelihood of the decree being revoked was slim, she couldn’t just wait for her death without doing anything.

“Still, I should be able to make it back in ten days, right? It might be a stretch to avoid him, but, hmm… I’ve never traveled before, so I’m not sure. Well, I’ll manage somehow.”

Ashin spent a while packing the items she needed for her journey. She had thought she would just be going for a short trip, but before she realized it, she was about to take almost all her belongings. After stuffing a bundle of books into her backpack, it became so heavy she could barely lift it.

“What should I do?”

In truth, Ashin wasn’t accustomed to packing. Such tasks were always handled by her attendants, so she was used to everything being prepared in advance. Even though her origins were commoner, her life had been no different from that of royalty.

After scratching her head, Ashin carelessly removed some items that didn’t seem important. Knowing it was a mess, she nonetheless had to set off, so she stubbornly slung the mountain of a backpack over her shoulder.

It was her first time carrying such a large backpack, and Ashin staggered for a moment. Her body, which had only been focused on research, wasn’t particularly strong. Still, during her time in the battlefield, she had been forced to train, but now it had been nearly a year since the war ended. In addition to her muscles fading, she had also gained weight in a rather noticeable way.

With determination, Ashin tightened her shoulders and opened the bedroom door and-

“Ahhh!”

Someone stood tall in the pitch-black hallway. They were even right in front of the door, and Ashin, startled, unintentionally sparked flames from her fingertips.

The figure simply tilted his head to avoid Ashin’s attack. This time, as she prepared to strike properly, she hesitated. The shape illuminated by the light was a familiar face.

“Goodness!”

She thought her heart would drop. Clutching her chest, Ashin slowly crumpled to the ground, her enormous backpack supporting her back, making it look as if she was leaning against it.

The figure stepped into the room.

In a voice that somehow sounded ominous, he asked, “Where are you going?”

“Ah, no? Where would I go?”

“You’re carrying a backpack.”

“What… what are you talking about? I’m just moving some things.”

It was an excuse that even she thought didn’t make sense. Ashin bit her lip in frustration.

The man standing at the door, Leotar, closed the door behind him.

“The emperor will never revoke the decree, so you’re trying to run away?”

“Run away? What about you? What are you doing here at this hour?”

That was the question. Was Leotar someone who would be in her residence at this hour? He appeared as if he had casually come from the next room.

“But how did you arrive just in time?”

“……”

“Did you perhaps plant a spy in my house?”

He remained silent, but it could be taken as a confirmation. Ashin immediately recalled the people who followed Leotar like shadows wherever he went. The elite guard that protected him, the heir of Ailem, who would obey his orders without question. They could easily excel at espionage.

Moreover, Ashin’s home had alarmingly lax security. It was partly because the owner, Ashin, didn’t pay attention, but also because there were no audacious individuals trying to invade a sorceress’s home. Even if someone did break in, they wouldn’t pose a threat to Ashin.

“Judin.”

“Yeah?”

“Do you like the night of Pche?”

The night of Pche was the day of the wedding ceremony. Ashin’s mouth fell open. Her eyes widened as if they would pop out, alternating between pointing at herself and him.

“Mur. Seriously? You and me?”

“The decree has already taken effect. You must have heard it from the emperor.”

In response, Ashin retorted sharply.

“No, don’t let the emperor get to you. Try harder. You dislike me, don’t you?”

Leotar, standing at the door, looked down at Ashin intently.

“Why do you think that?”

“You’ve been avoiding me all this time. Throughout the return. No, even after returning, I didn’t see a single hair of yours. Do you think I wouldn’t know? You openly ignored me because we wouldn’t have to deal with each other after the battle. No matter how much I made, uh, a mistake…”

“Well, I don’t know why you think that, but if that’s the reason… come to think of it, you said you disliked marriage, but you never said you disliked me.”

Sitting on the floor, Ashin couldn’t see his face, which was much higher than hers. However, she could sense that his voice was lower than usual.

“You also said it wouldn’t be good.”

“……”

“How can it be improved?”

“What’s there to improve? Do you want to marry me?”

Contrary to her expectation that he would immediately deny it, he remained silent. Ashin, who had briefly stiffened, furrowed her brows in genuine concern.

“What’s going on? Did you hit your head or something?”

“Say what you want. Is there anything besides the conditions for the tower?”

“Or did the emperor really threaten you? If so, just hold on for a moment. I’ll escape today…”

“So you were trying to run away.”

“It’s not running away.”

“If you think this isn’t running away, that’s dangerous.”

“I was going to come back.”

“Would you act the same after the marriage?”

She couldn’t guarantee she wouldn’t. No, the thought of marriage itself was so unimaginable that Ashin kept her mouth shut. No matter how much she tried to playfully escape, the unusually low voice made the atmosphere feel tense.

“Whether you want it or not, running away isn’t an option.”

Ashin relaxed her shoulders and sighed.

“Neither of us wants this, so why does it have to be so deadly serious? Can’t you just let me go?”

The night of the empire was dark. The only lights were one beside the bed and one on the desk. Leotar, standing at the door in the pitch-black darkness, felt extremely cold.

“I told you not to betray me, but you can’t even last a day.”

“Why is this betrayal? I’m just going to be gone for ten days!”

“Whether it’s ten days, a month, or several years, how would I know?”

“That’s….”

“You probably didn’t even plan to inform me.”

Leotar was not someone who expressed his emotions. So Ashin couldn’t understand why he was blocking her path so resolutely. No matter how much he negotiated or made deals with Vize, that shouldn’t be a reason to force Ashin’s position.

A year had passed since the war ended. During that time, they had neither met nor spoken. In such a situation, was she supposed to move according to his wishes just because the topic of engagement came up?

She retorted sharply.

“I don’t need your approval to go on a journey.”

“The decree has taken effect, and you and I are engaged. Disliking this marriage and showing respect to the other are two different things.”

“I don’t think this is something I should hear from someone who barged into my house in the middle of the night. What do you expect from me when you don’t show me any respect?”