NLS Ch3

Eyes closed, breaths mingling.

Rustle, paper crumpled. Ashin glanced sideways at the desk. Documents were being crushed in Leotar’s clenched fist. Veins bulged on the back of his hand, throbbing.

The face he turned back to her was, unlike his hand, excessively calm. So much so that she couldn’t believe he was a man with an attractive woman right in front of him.

“Judin, are you drunk?”

“I’m perfectly fine?”

The man, who seemed like he would be stuck to his desk forever, stood up.

“Uh oh?”

“I’ll take you back to the barracks.”

After that, Ashin couldn’t manage to run into Leotar during the entire return trip. It wouldn’t have been easy not to run into each other, since Ashin was also a commander, but Leotar somehow managed it.

Ashin was certain that he was desperately avoiding her. How much did he hate her? So she didn’t bring up that incident again. Whenever that day suddenly came to mind while walking, she would shudder and tremble, mortified.

‘No, I thought Lord Mur wanted me too!’

Wasn’t that the case? Even if the situation that day was miserable, Ashin hadn’t thought so without reason. It couldn’t have been a misunderstanding. Surely Leotar also…

A knock broke her train of thought, and the chamberlain announced,

“Lord Mur has arrived.”

Ashin replied sullenly.

“Let him in.”

Leotar entered the room, having finished his private audience with Vize. Ashin glanced at him and then, as if too lazy to sit up, buried herself in the pile of cushions.

It was hard to resist being mean whenever she saw his handsome face.

Everyone in the empire praised Leotar Van Mur as a noble man, but even if she, just one person, threw a stone at him, it wouldn’t make a dent in his bright future. So Ashin steadfastly thought to herself. No matter how much she thought about it, it was definitely not a misunderstanding, and he had only cowardly backed out at the last moment.

There were countless reasons why the coward Leotar had turned away from her.

The biggest reason that would account for most of it immediately came to mind.

Ashin was a commoner from a foreign land. She owned a fiefdom of the imperial family, and the emperor, Vize, treated her like a sister, but she wasn’t a real member of the imperial family. In reality, there was a difference in status as vast as the sky and the earth between her and Leotar, who was practically a collateral relative of the imperial family.

‘So, when the war ended, he chose to ignore me. How annoying. When he looked at me so passionately.’

Her memory seemed a little distorted, but anyway.

“Judin, are you asleep?”

“No, I’m not?”

She opened her mouth while lying face down, and her voice was muffled by the cushion.

“You must have gotten the promise from Her Majesty to withdraw the decree, right?”

“Of course not. Her Majesty is firm.”

Ashin blew a hot sigh into the cushion.

It was hopeless. She raised her head, touching her forehead. But Leotar seemed to be looking around the room, or something, and didn’t seem interested in Ashin at all. She really hated that kind of attitude, even after coming into her space.

“Is the decoration of your home to your taste?”

“No, Her Majesty gave it to me. I can’t handle it, so I just pile it up and live with it. Even if I try to give it away, no one takes it.”

“Why is that?”

“The last time I gave something away, the guy who received it almost got his head chopped off when he was caught.”

“It seems Her Majesty cherishes you as much as I’ve heard.”

“It’s so extreme that it’s hard, but that’s all it is. I won’t go so far as to go against Her Majesty’s will, so she just sees me as cute when I whine. Mur, we have to get married no matter what. Do something about it.”

“What do you think I can do?”

“I don’t know. But don’t you lords do politics and stuff? Bring Her Majesty something good.”

Even when she raised her head, she could only see the back of his head. The fine fabric of his top gleamed whenever he moved. Ashin wondered why she was even looking at the back of his head, thinking that there was nothing pretty about a guy like that, and lay back down on the cushion. Her cheeks were pressed against the cushion, but she didn’t care.

“Do you not want to marry, or do you dislike me?”

“I don’t like the idea of marriage in the first place. So suddenly? And it’s not even something I wanted, and it doesn’t seem like it’ll be good even if I do it. It’s sure to fall apart rather than be good, so why should I do this? Right? You don’t like it either, do you?”

There were many prestigious families in this empire, even if they weren’t as famous as the Mur family. If she had to marry to preserve the tower, it would be better to find a new partner with whom she could establish a friendly relationship. It was already hopeless with Leotar. She couldn’t stand looking at his face without wanting to argue, so it would never work.

“What, why aren’t you saying anything?”

When he didn’t answer, Ashin secretly turned her head and peeked out. The man was already standing tall in front of her. Their eye level was not at all aligned to look at his face. Ashin wondered if she should lift her eyes a little more, but stopped.

Her gaze, which had been resting on the man’s chest, slowly lowered. It was a humiliating fact, but when Leotar was close, she couldn’t help but look. Ashin scanned his firm bare chest and abs, which were revealed through his court dress, and unconsciously licked her lips.

In Riyat, with its hot and dry climate, clothing that exposed skin during the day was the exclusive property of the nobility. Those with status all carried parasol bearers, so the less likely they were to be exposed to the sun, the thinner the clothes they wore, made of linen. They mainly wore wide cloths wrapped around their bodies and tied with knots or fastened with waistbands, like Ashin, or wore long, unbuttoned tops over pants, like Leotar.

In the imperial palace, a temple of ostentation, there were even those who wore only pants without a top. But Leotar always wore a top, and each time, Ashin had to be satisfied with the muscles that filled the gaps between the clothes. Her eyes were drawn to him, regardless of her dislike for him, it was a matter of instinct.

Just as she was salivating, Leotar opened his mouth.

“Judin. Do you have a rival in life?”

Ashin, who had changed her posture and was sitting on the cushion, answered without much thought.

“A rival? Hmm… I had one, but they’re all dead.”

“Have your own family ever become your enemies?”

“Would that ever happen? Do you not know my mother?”

“If those who brought me into this world and raised me by hand can become rivals….”

His gaze, which had left Ashin, reached the window.

“There’s no need to even think about others.”

His usually indifferent face looked tired for a moment.

“I also don’t want to add any more troublesome things to my life.”

“Why….”

“But I can’t go against the decree. Especially if the future of Ailem is at stake.”

“Why are you so serious?”

“I wouldn’t ask for anything more if you just don’t betray me, Judin.”

It was understandable that he, who was at odds with his family, was full of distrust. But Ashin was unfamiliar with his sudden seriousness. It was a decree that had been issued like a lie overnight, so wasn’t it strange that he was already taking it so seriously?

Even if the imperial family continued to push for the royal marriage, she could just run away. She had whined in front of Vize because she hated the marriage itself, but Ashin was already considering running away. It would be easier to feel comfortable if she took it as lightly as she did, but Leotar didn’t seem to have any intention of doing so.

Ashin pretended not to understand his words and said nonchalantly.

“You’re worrying about nothing.”

She rounded her fingers and put them to her eyes. When she winked only one eye, Leotar’s profile was caught in the rounded field of vision like a telescope. Ashin grinned and added words that he would hate.

“If you just take good care of that handsome face of yours, we won’t become rivals, and I won’t betray you.”

As expected, he frowned. It felt strangely good to see his neatly stretched eyebrows contort. Strangely, Ashin found it amusing whenever Leotar reacted like that. Was it because he was always expressionless?

Anyway, Ashin didn’t want to get involved with Leotar now… No, did she? No! She didn’t. She had been rejected so thoroughly, so why bother? She could probably meet someone similar if she lived long enough. Well, unless Leotar begged her to marry him, Ashin would refuse his attitude of acting like he had no choice.

If Vize didn’t withdraw the decree, she could just run away. There were few people in the empire who could catch Ashin if she was determined to run away.

…Not that she was planning to run away forever from the start.

“About ten days?”

First, she had to test the waters. Ashin muttered.

“That should be enough for Her Majesty to forgive me…”