◈ Episode 14
Irina blinked. It took me some time to properly understand what she said.
Levart’s reputation in the North was overwhelming.
The Levard Territory was an iron fortress territory that did not budge even when enemy nations adjacent to the border attacked using barbarians as weapons.
Irina was the daughter of the entire Levart.
He was also a recognized martial artist who inherited the charisma of his father and mother.
Irina Levart. She had completely forgotten what the name meant.
“haha… … .”
A small, faint, but somehow refreshing laugh came out.
A refreshing smile spread across her face.
Her dry eyes soon returned, but she looked at him with a somewhat more relaxed expression than before.
“I don’t know your name yet.”
“Arkan… “It is.”
He took a moment to choose his words.
“I understand that slaves are given new names by their masters.”
Irina slightly raised her eyebrows.
Something was strange. I was so obedient. If it were any other noble, they would have trained him at the Colosseum.
However, Irina was not a person who let her guard down easily.
How could someone who had such a beautiful look even in the Colosseum suddenly identify himself as a slave like this?
His eyes became slightly bitter as he felt Irina’s gaze.
“The master definitely promised freedom.”
There were many traces of life buried in those words. Irina didn’t bother to ask further.
From entering the Colosseum to surviving. There must have been tremendous ups and downs in life.
“okay. I will give you a new identity in the name of my family. “I plan to have it completely notarized so that no one can force you to obey.”
“Is it okay for me to just be your mistress?”
“that… You don’t have to do everything. My goal is divorce. “It just needs to be accomplished.”
For the first time, something strange appeared in his previously calm eyes.
“… “You are thinking of getting a divorce.”
He muttered as if he was thinking to himself.
“okay.”
Irina sighed softly.
This was because it occurred to me once again that Ferris had gone to his in-laws to ask for permission to take an adulterous woman as his concubine.
When I thought about my husband, I felt sick and tired.
She frowned and shook her head slightly.
“You’re tired. We’ll talk about the rest later. “If you have any questions right now, I’ll answer just one.”
I was about to sink right into Irinan’s bed.
“Who did that to your face?”
Irina’s blue eyes brightened at the sudden question.
It’s all been such a long time.
The informal tone, the careless choice of words, the honest way of speaking that may seem rude at first glance but is only possible because there is no scheming, and the simple gaze without even the slightest hint of malice.
“It was like this originally.”
“I have never heard a rumor that Irina Levart has burns.”
Even just talking around didn’t make any sense.
If the master is like that, then you have to know that it is a slave.
It seemed like those rules hadn’t been ingrained in me.
Irina sighed deeply.
Anyway, it was something I would eventually find out about from servants or knights.
It suited her temperament to finish annoying tasks in advance.
“Two years ago, the mansion caught fire. “My daughter was locked in her room.”
“… “Did you save it?”
“Not a single hair was hurt. It’s still very cute and healthy. “It happened during the rescue process.”
“It’s an honorable mark. “He deserves respect.”
This time Irina’s blue eyes wavered. That was something Irina had never heard in her last two years.
Her burns are filled with pity, ignoring, ignoring, and even pointing fingers at her for neglecting her child.
Irina lowered her head. It was to temporarily hide the fluttering around her eyes.
“… Go out. “I want to rest.”
Her voice trembled slightly. Ar Khan bowed her head respectfully towards her.
He went out of the bedroom and closed the door carefully so as not to make a sound.
The maids passing by were shocked when they saw him.
There was no order where to go, but I found a place to stay.
Arkan stood up straight with his back to the door, like a dog guarding a room.
He raised his head towards the portrait hanging on the wall.
It was a family portrait of Irina, baby Juliette, and Ferris in a pure white bridal dress.
Arkan’s eyes stayed on Irina for a long time.
Her red hair was tied up elegantly and she wore a veil.
Instead of a design that exposes the shoulders, the parts that expose the skin are covered with delicate lace and bead decoration.
It was designed to naturally hide minor scars.
Irina looked happy. Others who looked at the portrait said she looked cold, but she was that way in Arkhan’s eyes.
Is it because he is holding Juliette? Or was she really living a happy married life?
The corners of my ribs throbbed unpleasantly. He looked into Irina’s blue eyes in the picture.
Blue eyes with an intense and fighting light that cannot be hidden even under a veil.
My twisted mind suddenly raised its head.
At least live well.
Then, I found myself bewildered and laughed self-deprecatingly.
He shook his head slightly. Isn’t this a miraculous situation?
‘Do you know me?’
Her husky voice rang in my ears. He chuckled with a bitter expression.
“… “She has a bad memory.”
It was a murmur that no one but himself could hear.
5. Slaves are suspicious
It was a peaceful afternoon compared to the chaos until the morning.
Irina left the slave’s education to Louise and headed to her office.
She was looking at the map of the kingdom spread out on the table.
“… “It would be nice to get my hands on this.”
Irina muttered. She tapped her map with a capped fountain pen.
Purpup Mountains.
It was a mountain range in the northern imperial territory completely adjacent to the Levart domain.
It was originally Levart’s land.
Although it is now officially an imperial land, it was actually an abandoned place.
They brought out a large number of brainwashed beasts from the empire and used them in battle.
And as those wild beasts settled in, it became a place that no country could touch.
But that wasn’t what Irina was thinking.
“It’s definitely a vein of ore. “If it’s clear that I saw it then.”
Irina was recalling a memory from when she was around ten years old. It wasn’t a good memory of her overall.
It was the only day when territory was lost to the invasion of the Northern Empire.
Irina happened to be staying at a villa in the mountains that day.
A cave I entered while wandering around the mountain. She was thinking about it.
The sight that completely changed her colorless life.
The whole place was golden. Her young heart swelled with ecstasy that seemed to blind her eyes.
It was still a brilliant and dreamy memory.
From that day on, gold became her favorite color.
The fact that Ferris’ hair was blonde also had some influence.
“… It seems like someone was with me at that time… … .”
Irina frowned seriously at the scene that suddenly came to mind.
In a place so beautiful that tears welled up, she was holding someone’s hand.
His hands were similar in size, so he was about her age. She tried hard, but she couldn’t picture her face.
All golden. That was all that filled my mind.
“I think it was a boy… … .”
As she worked hard, a low boy’s voice appeared in her mind.
‘I promise, then. By marrying me.’
smart.
Little by little, memories began to surface, and someone knocked on the door. I felt like my heart was completely relaxed.
“after.”
Irina took a deep breath and leaned against the back of the chair. A deep male voice was heard from beyond the door.
“Ma’am, this is Douglas.”
He was the second commander of the Archensis Knights.
The 1st Knight Commander escorted Ferris’s father, the Count.
Therefore, the second knight commander was in charge of the security of this mansion.
“come in.”
Squeak.
I could hear the hinges moving. Douglas entered her office.
Short-cut hair, dark sideburns and beard.
He had a huge body and massive muscles that made the room feel full.
He came to the other side of Irina’s office table and bowed politely.
“What brings you here? “It’s a big deal that you came directly instead of through Sebastian.”
“Douglas, I have something to say at the risk of being rude.”
I thought so. From the way he walked in to the look in his eyes, he was full of dissatisfaction.
Irina nodded with her chin.
“Tell me.”
“I, like all warriors, want to respect you to the end as Levart’s successor.”
“however?”
“It means I don’t want to report you to the royal family.”
Irina frowned. It wasn’t because she was offended or scared by the word accusation. She was embarrassed.
Why are there so many absurd things in life?
Honestly, if there’s a person who deserves to be accused right now, isn’t it Ferris?
Irina calmly stared at Douglas.
When she gave her a strange look, Douglas raised his voice more vigorously.
“Ma’am, please return the slave you brought into the mansion. Or you can leave it to me. “I will take care of it properly, on the honor of being a knight.”
Douglas’ eyes burned.
“… “Why should I do that?”
Douglas clenched his fists at the harsh voice.
How dare you ask such an obvious question!
As expected, it was clear that the owner was in a state of hysteria.
If a husband is upset to that extent, a woman’s judgment will naturally be impaired.
Still, he was a good person for a man from the Kingdom of Trash.
Aren’t you helping the owner, who has lost her temper despite all the hardships, come to her senses?
“You brought a wild man into the mansion! “You don’t even know that you are the main enemy of the kingdom and a spy for the empire!”
“… … ?”
Douglas, who was excited, spat and shouted loudly.
“Arkensis and Levart are the two pillars of the kingdom’s nobility! “Knight Douglas, no matter how much you are a woman, you cannot tolerate such acts that are tantamount to national treason!”
“… … .”
Irina’s expression darkened. She rested her elbows on the table and clasped her hands.
Then, leaning her chin on her clasped hands, she narrowed her eyes and looked at him.
“Douglas.”
“Speak up!”
“I’ve never seen you wild man before.”
“yes?”
Douglas instantly became dumbfounded.
“That slave is not a brute. Just a northern foreigner. What can I say more about wild people… … .”
“… … .”
“It looks like a wild boar. Generally.”
Irina loosened her grip and pointed to her own mouth with the palm of one hand.
It meant that the fangs were long.
Douglas’s neck became increasingly red as he looked at Irina with his jaw wide open.
Before long, my face was on the verge of exploding.
