SV – 68

「 “Oh my… . What happened?” 」

The blue-eyed man’s voice fell bleakly and sank. The only thing left at the site where he had summoned the gate was the black ash mark left by divine energy.

「 “I didn’t know that there were people of power in Marcania. It was my negligence.” 」

「 “I told you we needeth not rush.” 」

「 “Please punish me, Lord.” 」

The blue-eyed man looked down at his kneeling subordinate with narrowed eyes. Every time he moved his hand, blue ice picks formed and disappeared repeatedly.

His eyes were filled with cruel interest as if contemplating how to take the life of the poor, weak bug kneeling at his feet. However, the man had no intention of killing his subordinate.

“They have been establishing the Sentinel Knights. And Marcania is quite good too. They were strong, our gate was perfect.”

“My Lord.”

As if his master’s generosity deeply moved the masked man, he knelt on the floor and kissed his shoe.

The blue-eyed man looked down at the city of Everdio with a refined smile. The place where they were standing was the top of the bell tower. Their robes fluttered whenever the wind blew. At the end of their robes was elaborately embroidered gold thread illustrating an open-mouthed snake.

“Finding the fragment of time, is to be postponed until later. The Crown Prince of Marcania will soon respond to our request.”

“I will not make a mistake again.”

“As it should be. Too much has already changed. No more. Do you understand?”

The masked man raised himself up and cut through the air with the sword in his hand. A black curtain unfolded in the air, and a vast desert city appeared with a hot sun pouring through.

「”He will call upon us. The Golden Balcantera.”」

***

Hot.

Dahlia let out a laboured breath, barely able to lift her heavy eyelids.

Is it a dream… .?

It was strange. She couldn’t smell the annex’s characteristic aroma where she resided. Besides, the color of the curtains was different… The bed was too big.

So, it must be a dream.

After making a simple conclusion, Dahlia closed her eyes again. Then, her eyes opened wide in surprise, startled by the force suddenly pulling her into an embrace. A man’s thick arms and long legs wrapped around her body that had not a single thread.

Needless to say, it was Jurgen.

Dahlia gasped and covered her mouth with her hands. Her heart pounded, and incomprehensible memories began to rush into her head one by one.

The Prisoners of Ishiriyria.

The heads of those monsters.

Phone.

Scalding water.

Cool lips… . Kissing, again and again.

And… .

‘I, Jürgen Axel Edelred, take Dahlia Von Klose as my wife, and I swear to continue the holy covenant even if the day comes when blessings run out and Delis’ skies fall.’

‘… When you wake up, I promise we’ll do it again properly.’

Altera’s oath.

Dahlia recalled Jurgen kissing her, the night sky beyond, and the terrible pain when the seal broke. She remembered everything.

The heat at the tips of her toes rose to the top of her head. Her hands covering her mouth trembled, and her fingers and toes turned cold.

It can’t be.

Dahlia, who had half-extracted herself, carefully tried to escape his embrace. But even though she only moved her toes a little, it ached as if the muscles in her whole body shattered.

“Ah… !”

Dahlia involuntarily let out a scream, curled up in surprise, and covered her mouth.

“Hmm… . trying to run away?”

Since when have you been awake, he languidly whispered and overlapped his warm body over hers.

“Jurgen. Uh, I—”

“What?”

Flustered, Dahlia started to stutter. His big hand caressed her trembling chin. Then, turning her around, they faced each other when he lifted her torso and covered her lips with his.

“If you call me, I’ll answer, Mrs. Edelred.”

His lips lightly grazed Dahlia’s open lips, then fell off. Then he looked at her shocked face and swept back her messy hair.

“Ah, you look like you have a complaint… Those are a lot of expressions. Am I right?”

“Edelred—Mrs. Edelred… Your wife?”

“Of course. Yesterday, clearly, I made an oath. Wife, you also swore. So we are a married couple.”

“I didn’t! Only you!”

When she angrily shouted at the man’s brazen lie, he whispered mischievously while raising the corner of his smooth mouth into a smirk:

“You remember everything. Every. Single. Moment.”

“Tha— that’s not…. I don’t remember everything.”

“Then it can’t be helped.”

With his murmur, he got up and trapped her between his arms. His great intimidating aura was not unfamiliar. The face of the man looking down on her in the same manner as before glimmered in front of her eyes like an afterimage.

“If you don’t remember, shall we start from the beginning again?”

With a brilliant smile, he pressed his lips against her collarbone and brushed up her neck and then her chin with his nose.

“Until the body remembers.”