Chapter 4.0
The smell of blood. The gleam of sharp weapons.
The soldiers’ shouts. The sound of metal clashing. The thunder of hooves shaking the ground.
The noise of the battlefield lingered in the ears even after the fight ended, keeping people tense.
Rayan closed his eyes, trying to shake off the echoing hallucinations. He was tired.
It had been about two years since the last expedition, which followed the seven-year war between Lezan and Jenaire.
The Torgen barbarians were just as hard to deal with as the Jenaire.
They moved through mountains, fields, wilderness, and deserts alike. They looked different from normal humans and had far better physical abilities.
Because of their habit of eating human flesh, they kept attacking relentlessly, even if their shoulders were torn or they had several arrows stuck in their bodies.
After facing such enemies for a long time, reality started to feel distant.
His country, his people, his lord… such thoughts faded, and before he knew it, he would find himself fully focused only on killing the enemy.
Even though he didn’t feel much guilt about killing, it wasn’t pleasant to kill a certain number of people every day for months.
But he couldn’t show that to the soldiers. The composure of the commander on the battlefield was directly connected to the morale of the army.
In that regard, the Eleanor army could be said to have one of the strongest mental strengths.
After all, their lord didn’t even blink when he saw human limbs torn apart in front of him.
“We should first build a defensive wall in the wilderness, Your Highness.”
“There are many suspicious points. I’ll start a thorough investigation into their connections with the central Jenaire.”
Rayan opened his eyes. The battlefield echoes that had lingered in his ears slowly faded.
“Good. Start by searching the paths connecting their territory to central Jenaire.”
His reply was cold and indifferent, as always.
“If there are signs of contact, report immediately. It could be a valuable card for the second treaty with Jenaire.”
“Yes, sir.”
The army was moving out of the wilderness and getting closer to the capital of the principality. They were returning about half a day earlier than planned.
Rayan spurred his horse and thought to himself.
“Has it been five months?”
Summer had already passed.
Autumn had come fully to Eleanor.
Thinking about autumn reminded him of a promise made just before he left.
Let’s go out together in the fall.
Blue eyes full of sparkling affection flashed through his mind. Rayan’s lips, which had been tightly shut, curved slightly.
The memory of Ines appeared in his mind in unexpected moments, breaking his calm.
It always happened when he was away from the mansion.
He thought of her quite often.
Her gently curved eyes, her slim and soft body.
Her body that took away all his twisted feelings and brought him back to peace—an addictive comfort.
There’s nothing unusual at the mansion. Her Highness the Archduchess has stayed inside all summer.
Even though he had received such updates several times, impatience still built up.
It had already become a fixed habit for him— since two years ago—to check if Ines was still in place the moment he returned.
The comfort of finding something you own exactly where you left it, always within reach.
Rayan liked that feeling. Even more so because it was Ines.
And she was always there, just below his bedroom, in her own room.
Ines Eleanor was always in his mansion, on his land.
She would be there today, too.
The Eleanor army passed through the capital gates. They followed the straight road leading directly to the mansion.
At the house he returned to after five months, Rayan saw his wife smiling at another man.
When the news that the Eleanor army had crossed the capital walls reached the mansion, Ines was in the greenhouse reading a letter.
“He seems to be doing well. His leg healed a long time ago.”
“That’s a relief.”
Sitting across from her was Edgar. He had come after two weeks, bringing the reply to the letter she had sent to Robert last month.
A bright smile appeared on Ines’s face.
“Thank you, Your Highness. I feel much less worried now.”
Sending letters through Edgar was much faster than through the mansion’s servants. He gave a playful shrug.
“I should be the one thanking you. For letting me be your postman.”
“I mean it.”
It took over a week to ride from Lezan to Eleanor, even at top speed.
According to Edgar, since he was already staying in a border city of Lezan, it wasn’t too hard to come all the way to the principality.
Still, visiting twice a month wasn’t something easy to do.
This was already their sixth meeting since early summer.
“Thanks to you, I think I got through the summer just fine.”
Edgar was a kind and gentle man. It felt like someone had made him out of all the warm things in the world.
It was clear he kept visiting because he was concerned that she was living like a prisoner in this huge mansion.
He smiled lightly.
“If I’ve helped you in any way, I’m glad. I feel like I’ve done something useful, even if I’m just a lazy man.”
“You’re not lazy. I never thought of you that way.”
Ines, flustered, added a few words in defense. That was when a noise came from outside the greenhouse.
“…?”
Ines looked up in surprise. In the distance, she saw a green flag waving at the mansion entrance.
Startled, she stood up quickly, causing the teacup on the table to wobble dangerously.
“Oh… He’s back.”
Edgar also stood up, apparently having seen the same person.
Through the glass of the greenhouse, under the fluttering green flag in the autumn wind, a man stood and immediately caught everyone’s attention.
Even though he was dressed in plain black training clothes and a black cloak, he stood out.
“…Ah.”
Her heart began to pound. The peaceful, warm afternoon was completely shattered.
The master of this place had returned. The tension—or maybe excitement—made Ines tremble slightly.
But her feet moved toward him, like a well-trained animal.
Rayan had been watching her long before she noticed him.
At first, he looked at her expressionless, but then slightly turned his head.
As soon as he saw his cousin standing next to the table, Rayan’s expression cracked.
It was a small change, too subtle for Ines or Edgar to notice.
He just stood still, watching her come toward him.
“Your Highness.”
Behind him, the knights and soldiers of Eleanor, still not dismissed, were lined up.
Even Kyra, who had heard the news earlier, was outside.
All their eyes were on Ines and the crown prince walking out of the greenhouse behind her.
“…?”
Ines, who had been walking toward him happily, paused at the unfriendly looks.
She saw two maids standing near Kyra exchanging glances. The knights looked back and forth between her and the crown prince, then straightened their postures after looking at their lord.
“Ines.”
Rayan called her. His lips, which had been tightly set, curved in a forced smile.
“Come here.”
Just then, Edgar, who had quietly followed behind, spoke in a cheerful voice.
“It’s been a while, brother. I guess you didn’t see me—”
“Ines Eleanor.”
Rayan didn’t even respond to the greeting. His green eyes didn’t return to his cousin at all.
Ines slowly began to walk again. The ten steps between them grew shorter.
When only three steps remained, Rayan suddenly closed the gap with large strides.
Ines’s chin was tilted upward.
Before she could even prepare herself, his lips touched hers.
It was a rough motion—more like a collision than a kiss.
“…!”
As she gasped in surprise, his hot tongue slipped between her parted lips. Ines’s eyes widened.
People are watching.
Rayan had never touched her like this in public.
The only time he grew passionate was at night, in bed.
When she tried to turn her head away in shock, he grabbed her neck and held it firmly.
It was far too indecent a kiss to share in the middle of so many watching eyes.
She couldn’t tell if everything around them had gone quiet or if her mind had gone blank from the overwhelming sensations.
After an immeasurable moment, Rayan finally pulled back.
“Your… Highness.”
She was out of breath. Ines didn’t dare look into his green eyes and focused on catching her breath.
Rayan’s face was calm—so dry that one would never believe he had just shared such a passionate kiss with his wife.
In the past, a kiss like this would’ve set his body on fire, but now his head was colder than ever.
He turned his eyes away from Ines, who was blushing and covering her lips with her hand.
His gaze moved to the man behind her.
Edgar, his cousin who had grown up with him, stood stiffly with a hard expression.
