Chapter 24 - Why Don’t You Break The Contract

Chapter 24 – Why Don’t You Break The Contract?

Tilting his head slightly as he raised his chin, Kaligo made eye contact with her. Arms crossed in front of his chest, it was as if he was bragging about something great. “Yes, that was docile.”

“Ha…”

“And… no priest or person from the temple has ever said anything about the thing under my pants.”

Ashia shrugged. “That’s because I’m different from others.”

“…In what way?”

She stopped organizing her tools and looked at him at his continued questioning. “They were probably afraid of the Grand Duke, so, they would have to risk their life if they wanted to say something.”

“…”

Even if he’d already changed his conduct, the rumors surrounding him weren’t at rest at all. But still, Kaligo was one of the great powers of the Karhan Empire and was revered as a tyrant in power. No matter how well-spoken one was, if one day they got on his nerves, their neck would have flown away without fail. Who would have said such a thing in such a situation?

But Ashia was different.

“…Are you saying you’re not?”

“Yes, at least I’m not afraid of you.”

“…”

In fact, she feared nothing in this world except for a situation caused by deviating from the original novel. Besides, it was clear to her now that the original male lead wasn’t Kaligo, but her ex-husband Kaligo. She knew he wasn’t the kind of person to commit such a cruel thing. So there was nothing to be afraid of. Instead of avenging the past, she intended to be more selfish.

“That’s why I’m going to say what I want. If you don’t like it, then why don’t you break the contract first?”

“…”

‘You remember the twenty-fold penalty, right?’

Ashia smiled as she wrinkled her nose.

Kaligo’s eyes widened slightly as he looked at Ashia being like that.

“…”

“…Why? Are you really going to break the contract?”

His hand approached her face. “Oh?” With the tip of his finger, Kaligo carefully swept down her high, slender nose bridge. “…You’re still the same. This habit.”

“…”

It was a habit since childhood. Her playful personality was finally revealed. She often wrinkled her nose and laughed like that when teasing or playing pranks on someone.

‘…Habit?’

Ashia shifted her gaze from his fingers to his face. Even as Kaligo lowered his hand, he did not avoid her gaze.

“There will be no breach of contract. Do whatever you want to do.”

“…”

Kaligo moved away, but the heat lingered on Ashia’s nose.

Did he use his aura? Her neck, shoulders, and the bridge of her nose he just touched – all the places he touched were scorching hot.

“…Anyway, I thought we should be careful with each other when the potion you’re drinking isn’t working,” Ashia said as she gently rubbed her nose.

“No way. Did you think I would touch you without your permission?”

“Yes.”

Kaligo didn’t seem to remember that he definitely lost to his desires when he was in a seizure.

‘No, it’s not because it’s me, it probably didn’t matter who the other person was.’

Kaligo, who had no way of knowing what he had done, had a puzzled expression on his face. “There were rumors about me that way, but now…”

Cutting off his words, Ashia answered naturally. “Am I not pretty?”

“…”

Her question was bold, arrogant, even. Even so, Kaligo couldn’t answer because he wasn’t good at telling the truth. As he stared at Ashia, her two big blue eyes were arching and curved.

Kaligo’s gaze went down as the corners of his mouth tugged up playfully.

“Aren’t I a beauty everyone coveted? I’m a little shirt, but I definitely got good body and height ratio.”

“…”

As Ashia took a step back and flapped her robes, her silhouette briefly came into view. Was it to test his self-control, or was she just flaunting it? She smiled brightly when she saw Kaligo staring at her blankly, then put the tools back into her bag. “What would you do to me if you suddenly had a seizure in the middle of the crowd?”

“…Crowd? Who are you talking about?”

“There are a lot, but you should be able to count them.”

“…”

Having organized the tools and materials, Ashia turned around and headed for the bed. “Then, I’ll let you rest as I know you don’t need the potion right now.”

“…”

Ashia snuggled into the warm, cozy bedding. “We will be busy when the day is bright, so we have to sleep.” Shifting into a moderately comfortable position, she lifted the top of the cover and looked up at Kaligo. “Aren’t you coming?”

Kaligo, who had been standing crookedly with his arms crossed, widened his eyes in shock and carefully put down his arms.

“If you’re not coming, I’ll sleep firs…”

“Coming.”

“…”

Kaligo took off his cloak, threw it on the floor, and walked over to the bed.

“No, it’s cold if you take it off…”

Before Ashia could finish her nagging, Kaligo entered.

‘Oh, it definitely feels cramped. Is this really capable of fitting four people?

The temperature increased, the two inadvertently facing each other.

‘Wow… I think this is closer than before?’

There was no place to look at. It would be strange to look at his face, but it was even stranger if she looked down and stared at his body. If she turned her eyes to another place, it was too awkward.

Ashia gulped, turning around despite feeling his gaze bore into her back.

However, it was not as uncomfortable as the first time. Ashia couldn’t sleep when other people were by her side, but for some reason, it seemed like she could sleep deeply now.

Was it because there was a commotion earlier? Or because her face was uncovered?

“…”

“…”

Eventually, his breathing slowed. The heat on her cheeks and her pounding heart cooled as well.

Ashia, who became more comfortable, spoke in a small voice. “Sleep well, Kaligo.”

‘Is he already asleep?’

His answer did not come immediately. Blinking slowly, she was about to give up and close her eyes,

“Yes… Ashia.”

She smiled, falling into a deep sleep without realizing it.

“Aww!! Be gentle!! Ah, hyung!”

“Stop exaggerating.”

“Aww! Can’t I complain because it was painful?”

Butler Redin was applying medicine to Kyrian’s wounds.

“Then why do you keep fighting? You’re ignorant.”

“Who’s ignorant? Wow, really…”

“You’re from the same village. You should’ve known in advance.”

Kyrian grunted while pouting his lips. “Tch. What village…?”

“What?”

“No, he wasn’t such a monster back then.”

“Even so, the fact that you didn’t know about the Imperial Knight Sir Teros while you were at the Academy proved your ignorance.”

At Redin’s words, Kyrian said in a hoarse voice, “…Is that person that great?”

“You haven’t been able to hurt Sir Teros the whole time, are you still asking that?”

“No, that!”

“Right arm.”

When Redin removed his left arm after treatment, Kyrian, who was trying to make an excuse, closed his lips and extended his right arm full of scars to him. “If it weren’t for Sir Teros, you wouldn’t have been running like a crazy pony for a week. I was surprised to see you knelt down after half a day.”

“I got down on my knees. I just had a break.”

“So you like resting. You lost your mind for a moment and stretched.”

“…”

Redin turned Kyrian to sit down and began to apply medicine on his back.

“Keuk!”

“Anyway, he must be a monster. If you look at his skills, there will be no one who can match him in the Imperial Knights.”

“…”

“It’s a talent coveted by both the Imperial Knights and the Temple Holy Knights.”

Kyrian raised his arm, showed Redin the wound on his back, and spoke bluntly. “Why? Did he make any great achievements? If he’s that great, he should be a general now.”

“…Do the two of you even have to be enemies? Why are you so dark?”

Redin, who sighed briefly as he looked at Kyrian with his mouth shut, continued his conversation. “Even though one has superior skills, it’s not easy to rise up the ranks…”

“…”

“…You also know that.”

Kyrian tightened his jaw, realizing what Redin meant. “Listen. Don’t just swing your sword.”

“I’m not interested in that.”

Redin’s fingers tightened at his belligerent answer.

“Aww! Ah, hyung!!”

“If you keep acting like you are now, I think you will be stripped of your knighthood.”

Kyrian with his chapped lips looked at Redin and sat down. “…But that’s where I came from.”

“Oh.”

“It’s not that I don’t look like it, but how do you know that?”

“…It’s obvious.”

“…”

He wiped his hands and closed the lid. “An informant.”

Kyrian barely contained his shock.

“Greed and selfish people are everywhere. It’s no wonder that one or two of them come out.”

“What informant…?”

“It could be one… two, three, or more.”

“Then, you mean that guy was caught because of someone too?”

“You’re fussy… And talking about it.” Redin shook his head and sighed. “It was said that he was a close friend who had applied for the Imperial Knights as well. Only Sir Teros passed, so he blew up.”

“…”

Redin finished tying the bandage. “Anyway, take care of your wounds and rest until the day His Excellency returns.”

“Yes.”

As Redin left the room, Kyrian, who was left alone, furrowed his eyebrows.

Friend… and informant.

On the day the village was burned down, Kyrian was wandering through the forest as he looked for Teros. He found out that there was a fire in the village, but he was caught in a landslide and was buried in dirt and rubble on his way there. Fortunately, there were many people who came to rescue the Grand Duke that day.

When he regained his senses, the village was engulfed in flames and was out of control. But, wasn’t this like a story of those who barely survived the chaos biting each other?

‘It’s all because of her.’

The culprit, a witch-like woman who gained people’s trust and burned everything in the end.

‘Ashia Bliss…’

Kyrian clenched his fist.