Volume 6 part 1
Time seemed to stand still. At some point, it had stopped moving altogether. To her, he was trust, affection, and peace.
Every minute and every second with him was filled with happiness, making her feel as if she were living in an eternal moment. In this instant, life in Orlank felt endless.
Daon reached out and gently touched Ixor’s neck. As her thumb brushed over the pulse beneath his skin, as if teasing it, he responded by tucking her hair behind her ear while locking eyes with her.
She really liked his large, warm hands.
Unlike the rough, forceful hands she had encountered in the past, on the day she was dragged onto a pirate ship after her merchant vessel was wrecked, or when she was sold to Zelgirk and forcibly taken to a basement, Ixor’s hands were different.
Daon looked up at him with deep, thoughtful eyes. His presence was comforting, unlike the fearsome hands she had once known.
Tuk.
After slowly dropping her exhausted hands on the bed sheets, she closed her eyes, heaving her chest and breathing shallowly.
Having caught her breath for a while, Daon pulled the black satin sheet over her chest and sat up. She didn’t have any strength left in her cold lower body.
She barely managed to straighten her back and stand up, but Ixor suddenly grabbed her wrist.
“Yes.”
She said, slowly releasing the hand that was caught.
“Where are you going?”
“I have to do kitchen work in the evening.”
“You can’t.”
The kitchen was an excuse. In fact, she wanted to wash her body and hair after several days of nonstop mixing, but she was embarrassed to admit it honestly.
Since the door was not opened except at certain times when they received food arrays, and the weather was cold and ventilation was not possible, the entire room was filled with an animalistic, lewd smell.
The two of them couldn’t stay in the room like moles. But in the morning, when Zephar came by to report on work and knocked on the door, he was scolded and just left.
“Only until tonight. I’ll let you go tomorrow morning.”
He crossed his fingers and held them out straight, facing each other.
He was shadow playing.
A shadow bird flapped its wings on the wall. After flying leisurely for a while, the shadow bird moved toward the thin white curtain and landed on Daon’s shoulder, on her smooth bare skin. Then, it slowly moved to her chest.
Daon rolled her eyes slightly and smiled.
Ixor changed the shape of his hand. This time, it was the shadow of a dog with short ears. As he moved his fingers, the shadow dog opened and closed its mouth and barked.
Daon smiled brightly and joined in the play.
“Ah, it’s a swan.”
When she made a shadow on his chest, Ixor immediately recognized it and was delighted.
The two kept creating unidentifiable shadow beasts on each other’s naked bodies. An innocent and lewd play for adults.
The glances exchanged with low smiles became increasingly intimate.
Suddenly, Ixor bent the fingers of his right hand and held them out. At first, Daon was puzzled as to what it was, but she quickly understood after seeing his expression. So, she quietly held her left hand.
She reached out and pressed her wrist against his then folded her fingers in the same shape.
A shadow of a heart was created on the translucent inner curtain.
Daon lowered her voice and laughed like a little girl. Even though it was just a small game, she felt happy and touched like an idiot.
She thought that his hands were warm, and even the shadow heart looked warm.
The shadow heart opened upwards like a flower bud that was blooming, and soon ten fingers interlocked tightly.
Daon held onto his hand tightly.
This had been going on for about four days.
She was in the same room with him, completely absorbed in love.
It was the first time in a long time that she was with someone else.
.
.
Later, the two of them finished bathing together and rested for a while before preparing to go out. Her legs still felt weak, making it difficult to descend the stairs. As she hesitated, gripping the banister, Ixor swiftly lifted her into his arms and carried her down the steps with ease.
“Ha”
She let out a small breath as the front doors opened. Snow had fallen again, covering everything in a thick white layer. A brisk wind brushed against her flushed cheeks and tousled hair.
Ixor dragged a large sled behind him—the same one he had used for carrying supplies before. Daon grasped his hand with her right and held onto her long skirt with her left as they walked close together. Their breaths formed white clouds in the cold air.
The forest ahead was blanketed in snow, the trees bending slightly under its weight. The mountains, hills, Orlank Castle, and the plains beyond were all painted in a pure, pristine white.
Though the air was biting, she found it refreshing.
The two of them made their way along a quiet path toward a nearby hilltop.
“Shall we ride, my lady?”
Ixor asked, his tone playful yet polite as they reached the highest point.
She settled onto the cushioned seat, where a layer of fur had been placed for warmth. Once she was seated properly, Ixor pushed the sled forward, sending them gliding smoothly over the thick snow.
As the sled picked up speed, he swiftly climbed on behind her, wrapping his arms around her securely.
“Woaah”
A delighted laugh escaped Daon’s lips as the sled raced down the hill.
Snow sprayed up around them as they slid faster and faster, the landscape rushing past in a blur.
Then, suddenly, the sled tipped slightly to one side as it hit something beneath the snow. Ixor reacted instantly, pulling Daon back against him, shielding her as they tumbled from the sled.
They landed in a soft pile of snow, breathless but laughing. Looking up at the bright winter sky, Daon let out a joyful sigh.
The world around them was cold, but at that moment, she felt nothing but warmth.
While the empty sled slid down on its own, the two tumbled together in the snow, tightly embracing each other.
“Phew.”
Daon brushed the snow off her nose with the back of her hand and lifted her head. Snow clung to her disheveled hair in little clusters. Seeing this, Ixor burst into laughter.
Feeling slightly annoyed at his teasing, Daon grabbed a handful of snow and shoved it into Ixor’s chest.
Ixor, a man who always paid back in kind, smirked and immediately began packing the snow tightly. Though the shape was rough, the size was nearly that of a cannonball.
Daon quickly got up and ran away. However, her feet sank deep into the snow, making escape difficult while behind her, Ixor loudly counted down.
“Oneee, twooo, threeee… nine! Ten!”
Skipping numbers suddenly, he leaped to his feet and started chasing her.
“Kyaaah!”
Daon let out a clear scream as his arm suddenly slipped under her armpits, pulling her into his chest before rolling over with her.
Managing to wriggle out from under him, she scooped up snow from below and flung it at him as if she were washing laundry in a stream. Ixor, using his left forearm as a shield, immediately retaliated.
Laughter and shouts echoed as they played wildly in the swirling snow.
She had never shouted this loudly before. Never laughed so freely and wildly.
The thick snow was as soft as a bed. Even the harsh winter chill felt refreshing today.
“I surrender!”
Ixor gave in first, raising a handful of snow instead of a white flag.
At this point, both of them were covered head to toe in snow, looking like walking snowmen.
Daon panted heavily, her shoulders rising and falling. Her cheeks burned red from laughter and screaming, and her throat was parched.
Ixor chuckled, picked up a bit of clean snow, and placed it against her lips. Daon did the same for him.
“It looks like someone wants a ride on the sled.”
Ixor muttered, sweeping back his wet hair while gazing sharply down the hill.
Though his tone was joking, his eyes were not.
Daon followed his gaze.
Down below, a knight as burly as a bear—Rob—stood with his arms crossed, his fists tucked under his armpits, watching them.
She quickly straightened her expression.
Rob had likely been waiting in the cold for quite some time, as he exhaled warm breaths over his frozen lips before subtly signaling to Ixor with his eyes.
Daon immediately understood.
Zephar must have summoned him.
And it was urgent.
Ixor dusted the snow off his knees and stood up with a blank expression, extending a hand to Daon.
“Did we play too much? You’ll catch a cold. Let’s go inside.”
She gathered her skirts up to her shins and trudged down the snowy slope.
Rob, still holding the sled, reported in his deep voice,
“Zephar has been looking for you.”
“Why?”
“Princess Anna is coming.”
Her heart sank.
She was far more shocked than she expected.
Ixor, who had been pressing his lips tightly together, asked coldly,
“Where is she now?”
His tone revealed no emotion.
But his expression was razor-sharp and terrifying.
He didn’t bother to hide his irritation and anger.
Rob flinched slightly before promptly responding,
“She’s at the border of the territory. She should arrive at Orlank Castle within a few hours.”
A sudden chill ran down Daon’s spine.
But she wiped away her emotions, leaving only an impassive face.
There was no reason to waver.
This was all according to the plan.
Princess Anna would be instrumental in Ixor’s rise to power—a noble, pure, and powerful wife.
Daon had refused the drink he offered on their wedding night because she knew that someday, someone else would take the place of his wife.
It was inevitable.
She just hadn’t expected it to happen this soon.
***
Princess Anna’s gaze turned icy.
A quick-witted maid immediately pulled back the golden curtains, revealing the monotonous scenery outside the window.
There were no well-maintained lakes, no elegant countryside estates—just barren, desolate land.
If not for Ixor, she wouldn’t have even considered coming to this remote backwater.
Suppressing her irritation, she inhaled sharply.
Suddenly, a foul stench filled the air.
Peasants had gathered in droves to gawk at the passing carriages.
Did these fools not recognize the royal insignia?
They didn’t even bow their heads, instead they were laughing and cheering like mindless animals.
A young boy hesitated with a yellow wildflower in his hand, only for a grimy middle-aged man to hoist him up in his arms.
The sight of the dirt-streaked child’s cheek made nausea rise in her throat.
Her chest heaved as she narrowed her brows.
A maid hurriedly pressed a handkerchief to her lips, but Anna snapped coldly,
“You fool! Don’t cover my mouth—close the window!”
The maid hastily shut the curtains.
Taking a deep breath, Anna commanded,
“Instruct them to show proper respect for the royal procession.”
At once, the maid pulled a small cord.
Jingling bells rang outside the carriage, summoning a royal guard to the window.
The maid relayed Anna’s orders, and soon, a loud voice issued commands.
A brief scream was heard, but the commotion quickly settled.
“Open it.”
At her command, the maid once again pulled back the curtain.
The once-boisterous crowd was now prostrated in the snow.
Anna finally allowed herself a smile of satisfaction.
Ixor was undoubtedly noble and ruthlessly dominant, yet he had an unfortunate habit of being too lenient with the commoners.
.
.
At last, Orlank Castle came into view.
It was a small and wretched castle. But the flag fluttering from the tower was unmistakably Ixor’s.
At last, she had arrived.
Princess Anna let out a short laugh and ordered the curtains to be drawn. She had no desire to soil her eyes by looking at the low-roofed houses of commoners. The carriage sped toward Orlank Castle.
She had been deeply displeased when she received Ixor’s reply, which essentially told her not to come. But expecting a polite response from him had been unrealistic in the first place.
More than the message itself, what truly irked her was that he had remained in Orlank without moving.
Had he lost his senses, utterly captivated by the dead Drewbury’s slave?
Her brother, Prince Dirk, had spoken of it.
[Ixor seems to be more invested this time. It makes sense—she had an air of mystery about her. She was quite alluring.]
There had been clear regret in her brother’s tone. Regret that he had not been the one to claim that slave woman.
What kind of woman was she, exactly…?
By the time the carriage passed through the castle gates and entered Orlank, Anna’s displeasure had deepened further.
The carriage came to a halt, and the door swung open. Princess Anna stepped down onto the back of a kneeling servant.
The castle’s front yard was covered in snow that had accumulated throughout the winter, left uncleared on purpose.
She swept her gaze around with a look of disdain, then flinched in surprise.
A snowman stood in the shade, its head densely stuck with twigs, glaring eerily in her direction.
“Destroy it.”
She commanded sharply, calming her startled heart.
The royal knights immediately followed her order, smashing the snowman to pieces. But the irritation within her did not subside.
Even though she had not announced her arrival, there was no way they did not know she had entered their domain. Yet, no one had come to greet her.
Yes, the servants and maids were lined up, but to her, they were not people.
Not a single one of Ixor’s knights, not even his steward Zephar, had rushed out to kneel before her.
Fury boiled within her as she walked forward with a resolute expression.
After a few steps, she suddenly halted.
Slowly, she turned her head.
Among the servants bowing their heads toward the ground, one figure stood out—a kitchen maid, clad in a neatly pressed apron, gazing at the shattered snowman.
Even at a glance, she was foreign. Her features were elegant yet sensual, giving her an air of unique allure.
Sensing Anna’s gaze, the maid lowered her head with quiet composure.
For a moment, Anna mistook her for a noblewoman’s daughter. Her posture, her glances, they were graceful and effortlessly refined.
Anna fully turned toward the kitchen maid.
This woman… she was irritating.
Without a word, she extended her hand, and a lady-in-waiting quickly placed a riding crop into her grasp.
Anna reversed her grip and struck the maid’s cheek with the handle.
Smack!
A sharp sound rang out as the maid’s head snapped to the side, yet she did not so much as cry out.
Not even a flicker of emotion crossed her face, which was as cold as ice.
What a tough one.
Anna raised the crop higher, intending to strike her harder this time…
“What… what is this?! Ah…! Aaargh!”
Just as she was about to swing, a massive man—towering like a bear—suddenly appeared and seized her wrist in an iron grip.
Her hand trembled violently, and the riding crop slipped from her grasp.
At the same time, the royal knights drew their weapons and rushed to form a protective circle around her.
“Rob, let go.”
The kitchen maid spoke, her voice quiet but commanding.
When Rob did not immediately obey, she firmly repeated herself.
“Now.”
Only then did Rob, growling under his breath, release her.
Anna’s face turned deathly pale as she screamed,
“You insolent brute! Do you know who I am?!”
“Who might you be?”
Rob’s shameless retort left Anna speechless.
“So, your name is Rob? I’ll carefully consider the punishment you deserve.”
A lady-in-waiting hastily prepared a damp cloth and pressed it to Anna’s wrist, but she angrily shoved it away and stormed into the castle.
This was exactly why she despised leaving the royal palace. The outside world was filled with barbarians who lacked proper respect.
“Wipe it.”
Inside the castle, she extended her hand, and a maid bent slightly before dabbing at her wrist where Rob had grabbed her.
Yet, the foul sensation of his touch would not disappear.
Anna’s fingertips trembled as she briefly gestured with her chin.
A short-statured maid was hurriedly summoned.
Anna struck her across the face with her leather glove.
Smack! Smack!
The crisp sound of the strikes and the maid’s swelling face helped soothe her frayed nerves.
Regaining her composure, Anna straightened her back and entered the great hall.
What had they been doing?
At that moment, Ixor appeared, descending the stairs alongside Zephar, who upon seeing her, raised a single eyebrow.
“Well, well. An uninvited guest.”
Anna ignored his teasing remark.
She came to a halt and held out her hand.
Ixor strolled up to her at an unhurried pace, stopping before her.
“Even a scoundrel like you must know how to greet a lady, yes?”
She elegantly extended her hand, refusing to move.
Ixor merely bowed, offering a polite nod instead of a kiss.
Not even a kiss?
Anna narrowed her eyes slightly and withdrew her hand.
Ixor did not invite her in.
Instead, standing right where he was, he coldly mocked,
“I told you not to come. Surely, you can read? Should I assume my letter was lost?”
Anna scoffed and answered immediately,
“I saw it but ignored it. Does that answer your question?”
“Then why visit the man you wanted to ignore?”
“I have a royal decree to deliver to you.”
At the mention of “royal decree,” Ixor’s expression subtly shifted.
Anna caught it and was pleased.
She added,
“Of course, I was also curious to see the famed Drewbury slave. Was her name Daon? Yes, that’s right, isn’t it?”
She lightly placed her hand on Ixor’s forearm, a gesture inviting him to escort her inside.
But his response came immediately, in a playful tone,
“Your hand.”
“My hand? What about it?”
“Take it off.”
“Ixor!”
Ixor flashed a broad grin, revealing his teeth, yet his eyes were icily cold.
“In a house where my woman resides, I cannot allow another woman to touch me.”
“Ha! Did I hear you correctly? Have you lost your mind in my absence? And that wording—’my woman’? Slaves cannot legally be lovers.”
Zephar hastily interjected,
“Of course, Your Highness. My lord was merely speaking metaphorically.”
But neither Anna nor Ixor spared him a glance, staring each other down instead.
Ixor smirked, his tone laced with sarcasm.
“I warned you not to come. If my reaction displeases you, you can always pack your things and leave.”
“And let you run wild in celebration? Do you think I’d go so easily?”
Anna let out a soft chuckle.
Ixor was a difficult man to subdue.
But that made him all the more enjoyable to challenge.
The courtly men who flattered her endlessly were, truthfully, quite dull.
Ixor had spice to him.
Most of the time, he was too spicy, enough to drive her to anger.
At Ixor’s signal, Zephar immediately reported,
“She is not here. She said it would be proper etiquette to go out and greet the princess.”
Ixor frowned. From Zephar’s words, it seemed that the slave girl obsessed with etiquette had gone outside to wait… greet her? She had never seen such a woman on the way.
Reading Anna’s expression, Ixor subtly tilted his head. In his sharp eyes, she saw relief—relief that she hadn’t encountered the girl.
Annoyance bubbled up from deep within her.
At Ixor’s command to bring Daon, Zephar immediately obeyed and withdrew. Before long, a young woman appeared at the entrance.
Just as she had suspected—it was that kitchen maid.
Ixor’s expression turned ice-cold as he saw Daon. He strode toward her, reaching out as if to touch her cheek, but immediately pulled his hand away.
He must have assumed she would be in pain if he touched her. Even an outsider could see that his brief, instinctive action carried deep affection.
With a chilling voice, Ixor asked, “Who did this?” His low voice pressed heavily against her heart. He was truly angry.
Daon, who had been calmly gazing into his eyes, was the one who answered. Her voice was so calm and steady that it starkly contrasted with his.
“I fell in the kitchen.”
“The truth.”
“I tripped and scraped myself on the floor.”
Princess Anna did not bother to hide her sneer. At least the girl knew her place and status. Speaking to Ixor’s back, she jested,
“She’s quite a clumsy one.”
Without warning, Ixor strode toward the wall, grabbed the sword hanging high up, and unsheathed it. It was a ceremonial sword with a golden hilt, displayed on the hall’s wall for special occasions.
A nearby maid turned pale, recoiled in fright, then dashed off to call the royal guards.
Almost simultaneously, Zephar signaled, and the knights near the entrance slammed the heavy doors shut with a resounding bang.
At first glance, Ixor appeared eerily calm—and that made him all the more terrifying.
He swung his sword at the decorative suit of armor standing near the stairs.
Clang!
The heavy breastplate split apart, and the iron helmet rolled all the way to Anna’s feet.
He swung the sword again.
The cold blue blade cut through the air without a sound, sending shivers down spines.
A maid’s sharp scream echoed through the high ceiling.
“Kyahhh!”
