<Chapter 100>
I muttered blankly to myself as the incessant sound of liquid dripping echoed in my ears.
When I absently looked down, I was startled into awareness.
“Blood…?”
Before me, a man knelt on the deck, his arm stretched toward me as though shielding me.
His arm was covered in scars, as if it had been slashed countless times with blades, and fresh blood dripped from the wounds, pooling onto the wooden planks below.
The strange sound I had been hearing all along was the steady fall of his blood.
Realizing this, I was struck by the sharp metallic scent of blood, so strong I couldn’t fathom how I had failed to notice it before.
Gritting my lips, I looked up at the man’s face.
The sky had darkened, stars twinkling faintly against the night’s veil.
But when I had boarded the ship—when I had last looked out from the cabin—it had still been bright daylight.
How long had I been lost in that horrible illusion? And who was this man?
“You called me princess, didn’t you?”
I glanced back quickly, searching for an escape route, before speaking in a stiff voice.
This was the very end of the ship. Behind me was only the icy, pitch-black river swallowing the night.
I had no idea how I had gone from being inside the cabin to standing here.
“Who are you? Who are you to have shown me such a horrifying vision…?”
“…It seems I failed to introduce myself.”
Unbothered by the gruesome wounds on his arm, which continued to bleed without pause, the man rose slowly and spoke in a calm, measured tone.
“I am a messenger sent personally by the Lord of Nisha. I have come to take you with me, Lady Rose Hacardella.”
“!”
Despair clouded my vision, and I clawed at the deck with such force that my nails threatened to snap, spitting my words like venom.
“So they won’t stop at anything to drag me back… resorting to such vile tactics!”
The terror they had subjected me to was immeasurable, leaving behind a bitter hatred that chilled me to my core.
Fixing my gaze on him, trembling with fury, I seethed with contempt.
He observed me in silence before letting out a small sigh, his voice dropping into a subdued murmur.
“I’ve come to carry out the Lord’s command. For the suffering this has caused you, I extend my sincerest apologies.”
His unexpected words left me momentarily dumbfounded.
The people of Nisha were notorious for their disdain for the weak, trampling them with cruel contempt.
Yet this man, from the moment I had come to my senses, had treated me with an unyielding courtesy.
I had no recollection of his face…
“State your name and rank. If you’ve chased me down in the name of your Lord, I demand to know who you are.”
My voice was low and cold, betraying none of the fear twisting inside me.
The man studied me as if to read my intentions before finally answering.
“I am Khalid Ilkai, head of the New Moon family, a cadet branch of the Einar royal lineage. You may address me as prince, Lady Rose.”
The night sky hung above him like a shadowy shroud, with a crescent moon glowing faintly amidst the darkness.
“Khalid… Ilkai?”
His name stirred something in my memory, an unshakable familiarity.
‘My name is Riat Ilkai Khalid. I am the sovereign of the Nisha Kingdom.’
Had I misunderstood Riat’s name all this time? Could it be that Khalid wasn’t a family name but his given name, while Ilkai referred to his lineage?
A wave of confusion swept over me, though it wasn’t the time to dwell on such matters.
“So, Prince Khalid, you’ve come to take me back.”
Would throwing myself into the river make him give up?
No, even if he did abandon the chase, could I possibly survive the icy, lightless depths in my current state?
“Indeed.”
“To find the whereabouts of the Water Relic?”
I snapped bitterly, my voice sharp with frustration.
He hesitated briefly before replying softly, “It is the will of the Lord.”
A hollow laugh escaped my lips.
I hadn’t even reached the kingdom of Dryas yet. I hadn’t reunited with Marie or confirmed the safety of the Water Relic.
‘The past is just the past. The current king…’
The past is just the past?
Then who will pay for the agony and disgrace endured by me and Hacardella?
How am I supposed to endure a future where such suffering is erased from history, leaving no trace behind?
“You mock me, knowing full well,”
I muttered, coughing harshly as I struggled to remain upright.
Dragging myself up with trembling hands, my voice was quiet but biting.
“I don’t even have the strength to resist anymore.”
My long, dark blue hair lay splayed across the deck, its ends fluttering slightly in the cool wind.
“Even if I throw myself into the river, you’ll simply fish me out again.”
“…Don’t attempt to harm yourself. As you said, I won’t let you go.”
I stared at the gently rippling black water, Khalid’s affirmation sounding as inevitable as the currents below.
Perhaps that’s why I began thinking about what would come next—how to endure the questioning and torture awaiting me.
Just then, a change in the river’s flow caught my attention.
“What is…”
“This…”
Khalid’s voice sharpened with recognition, his ash-gray eyes widening before narrowing in a grimace.
“It’s a Water Elementalist. Stay on guard!”
“A Water Elementalist?”
I blinked at his alarm, trying to piece together who it could be.
“!”
Suddenly, the water surged violently, spiraling into a massive vortex that rose toward the deck.
The force of it missed me entirely, as if it aimed only for Khalid.
“Ugh…”
Khalid summoned a crescent-shaped blade, its arc trailing dark energy. With a powerful sweep, he cut through the oncoming attack, scattering it back into harmless water.
“Rose.”
Before I could comprehend what was happening, someone pulled me into their arms, whispering my name softly.
“…You know me?”
Nestled against an unfamiliar chest, my wide eyes darted upward.
Kwoooosh!
Water cascaded down in a roaring torrent, yet somehow it avoided us entirely, falling heavily around the deck.
“Rest easy. I’m here to take you away.”
“Who—”
“I’ll explain later.”
Before I could identify him, the man tightened his hold and leapt from the deck into the river below.
The icy water enveloped me, stealing my breath and burning my skin with its relentless cold.
After breaking the water surface, I gasped for air, my body shivering uncontrollably.
Through my blurred eyes, I caught sight of his silvery hair, faintly glowing with a pale blue hue.
“Are you cold? Bear with it for a little longer,” he said gently, his silver eyes strikingly familiar as they met mine.
Those eyes… so hauntingly similar to Rose’s.
“Rezeck…”
“I’m sorry I’m late, Rose.”
At my whisper, he tightened his grip, his eyes glinting with determination as the river roared anew under his command.
