“Rosena!!”
Yerhan, who never looked away from Rosena until the end, shouted.
Rosena frowned at the pain she felt in her lower back. The wounds were agitated as if on fire.
“Ugghh!”
After losing Rosena and barely being able to deal with the monsters, Zigrit screamed.
The monster’s hand pierced his stomach.
As Zigrit dropped his sword and stumbled, the monsters nearby rushed in all at once. The monsters bit his limbs and ripped them apart, tearing apart his flesh.
The empress’ torn voice resounded. But no one helped Zigrit.
After a while, Zigrit’s screams stopped completely.
“…..”
Rosena drooped as she watched Zigrit’s end.
Rosena, who had fallen on the dry grass, raised her head with difficulty.
Screaming and splashing blood. And there was Yerhan in it.
Yerhan’s eyes, seen right in front of her, were dark navy. It was the same eyes she saw when she first met Yerhan in the forest of echoes.
Yerhan, who approached her at once, grabbed Rosena’s body. His contorted face was full of pain.
“Yerhan…. I’m fine, so.…”
….Don’t look so distressed, whispered Rosena.
Rosena knew how much pain Yerhan was feeling now. Even when they first met in the forest, he was in pain and had destroyed himself.
Yerhan, who once had a close grip on the strings of rationality, seemed about to go berserk.
The monsters around Yerhan froze.
Feeling the overwhelming difference in power, the monsters instinctively retreated, and a strange confrontation took place.
The nobles who watched did not scream any more, they just held their breath and looked at Yerhan.
Yerhan had no time to care about the monsters. All he needed now was a doctor who could treat Rosena.
Just when Yerhan was about to hug Rosena, a man who had been watching until now walked over to him.
Unlike the other monsters, this man had a sword in his hand.
– Put her down. Human.
But Yerhan could not understand the man’s words. It just looked like this man had come to take Rosena.
Yerhan, who was barely holding onto the string of rationality, picked up the sword that had been placed down on the floor.
At the same time, the man ran to Yerhan first.
Clank.
The two swords clashed violently. The blades trembled and rattled along with the sound of iron scratches.
Yerhan, who was pushing with force, quickly struck the man’s sword. He dug into the man’s empty side.
The man followed the movement of Yerhan while blocking the sword that was flying belatedly.
However, Yerhan’s movements were almost instinctive. Like a flying beast, his body moved first before thinking.
Their movements were invisible to ordinary people. Only the sound of metal piercing the ears indicated that the two were engaged in a fierce fight.
Rosena watched the two of them fight.
Yerhan had to be stopped.
At this rate, Yerhan would have been eaten by himself and would never come back.
Rosena tried to call Yerhan. But no voice came out as if a grain of sand had lodged in her throat.
Even when she breathed, her throat hurt, and only silent moans faintly flowed out.
Yerhan tilted his sword at an angle and raised it up. As the sunlight reflected off the blade, the man crinkled his eyes.
Yerhan did not miss even the slightest gap. His sword pierced the man’s shoulder deeply.
The movement of the man who had his shoulder pierced stopped for a moment.
Yerhan, who twisted and pulled out the sword at once, drove the man away without a break.
Rather than getting tired, he ran even faster as time went by the way.
In an instant, the man opened his eyes at the blue energy that wrapped around his body.
Claankk.
With a loud resonant sound, the sword the man was holding rolled away.
In an instant, Yerhan pushed his sword against the neck of the man who had lost his weapon.
The man, with his long ripped black pupils, immediately dug his nails into Yerhan’s arms.
But Yerhan reflexively reached out and kicked the man in the face.
With the sound of bones breaking, the man’s face turned wide.
The staggering man floundered on the dry grass.
Yerhan, who had the man kneeled on the floor, raised his sword high. And it was the moment when he was about to behead the man.
“Yerhan!”
The locked voice finally burst out.
It was only one call. Nevertheless, Yerhan stopped his movements, like a man who had forgotten all his actions.
Rosena, who was panting for breath, got up completely.
Very slowly Yerhan turned his head and looked at Rosena. Dark navy eyes fluttered like deep night.
He could no longer be called a human, with that lust only for destruction. Nevertheless, Rosena believed that she could bring him back.
“Stop…. stop it.”
Rosena staggered and walked over to Yerhan. He didn’t move until her hand reached Yerhan’s arm.
Even breathing was difficult, but for Rosena, Yerhan came first.
“I, heard him. He… he didn’t… come, to harm me…”
Rosena squeezed her voice with all her might. But her voice was shaky.
Rosena ran her bloody finger across the back of Yerhan’s hand.
When their bare skin touched, Yerhan flinched. A soft and warm energy swept through his ferocious body.
Rosena stretched out her arms and hugged him.
Yerhan, who was motionless, released his sword. His sword fell on the dry grass, and his trembling arms embraced Rosena.
“….Rosena.”
Yerhan twisted his face as if he was about to cry.
As his eyes returned to their original clear blue color, Rosena gave a faint smile.
It was the Yerhan that Rosena knew.
That was a relief. Because he didn’t hurt himself.
Her legs trembled as he relaxed with a sense of relief. Her vision was hazy as if it was foggy. Apparently she had shed too much blood.
Rosena, who was in Yerhan’s arms, blinked slowly. She couldn’t hear what Yerhan was saying.
“I’ll…. sleep for a while.”
Leaving just those words, Rosena lost consciousness.
***
The warm sunlight drenched her forehead.
It was cozy as if covered with a thick blanket. The sound of fire flickering and burning was heard.
After listening to the sound for a long time, Rosena moved her fingers after a while. Then she slowly lifted her heavy eyelids. Her blurry vision slowly returned, and the scenery around her came into eyes.
The high white ceiling, and the large fireplace located opposite the bed that was covered with a thick blanket as soft as a feather.
Rosena blinked blankly, then slowly got up. She frowned upon the excruciating pain.
Rosena carefully patted her back. A bandage wrapped tightly under the thin clothes was felt.
It was like waking up from a long dream. It was the same as when she woke up after being poisoned by Rania before.
Rosena, who was sitting still on the bed, traced her last memory.
So at Yerhan’s funeral…
“Yerhan…!”
Rosena fully lifted the blanket.
She had to look at Yerhan’s face right now. She wanted to prove that it was not a dream that he returned alive.
Rosena almost rolled out of bed. She was sitting on the floor with no strength in her legs, and the door swung open. A familiar man stood in front of the open door.
“Rosena!”
Seeing Rosena sitting on the floor, Yerhan was startled and called out her name. He immediately approached Rosena. Then he stretched out his arms and hugged Rosena.
The gentle breath and familiar scent enveloped Rosena like sunlight. Even after a long time had passed, she could never forget this embrace.
The sound of his heart beating came through her chest. A trembling hand ran down Rosena’s body.
Rosena slowly closed and opened her eyes in the endless care and tender touch. When she raised her head, their eyes met. Blue eyes captured Rosena cleanly like a mirror.
Rosena reached up and stroked his cheek. When she thought that this warmth was completely hers, her heart was full.
“I thought you were dead.”
Yerhan’s eyes widened at her trembling voice.
“Did you not receive the news?”
“…Did you contact me?”
When Rosena made an expression that she didn’t know at all, Yerhan frowned. He buried his head in Rosena’s shoulder with a deep sigh.
“I’m sorry. I thought you would have received the news.”
Yerhan sincerely asked for forgiveness.
He added that he had sent a contact letter to inform her that his death was a lie. However, Rosena departed for Astania a little earlier, so the news was not delivered.
After hearing all the stories, Rosena’s body was completely relaxed. She didn’t even know that, and she thought that Yerhan was dead until now.
So she tried to let him go several times. She tried so hard to bury him deep in her heart, even for Illian.
However, in the end, Rosena could not forget Yerhan. She knew how to receive him, but not how to let him go.
Yerhan, who had been holding Rosena for a long time, grabbed her and lifted her up. And he gently placed her on the bed. He knelt on the floor and met Rosena’s gaze. It was a face she saw properly after a few months.
Just looking at each other made it hard to breathe and her heart swelled up. The increased heartbeat circulated through her body like a pulse.
Yerhan lightly grabbed Rosena’s wrist and pressed his lips on the back of her hand.
“I’m back now.”
He, who caught her eyes again, coughed up a desperate feeling.
“I’ve missed you so much…. so much.”
During the months of separation, Yerhan did not pass a single day without missing Rosena. The thing he feared the most while he was at Haylor was the prolonged separation.
Seven years have passed since the first meeting until he found Rosena. He wondered what would happen if so much time passed like that time.
Yerhan grabbed Rosena’s head in his hands and gently pushed it back. After staring at her face for a long time, he gradually got closer.
Finally, a soft touch touched Rosena’s lips. A warm breath flowed through the slightly opened lips.
The tender kiss was sincere, yet painful.
This time seemed like a dream, so Rosena only looked for his lips. A shrill voice could be heard from between the wet lips.
Rosena, who had been immersed in the reunion for a long time, flinched. Yerhan immediately removed his lips and looked at Rosena.
“Does it hurt so much?”
“It doesn’t hurt too much.”
Maybe because of the good treatment, only bitterness remained. She only felt the pain when she moved her body too much.
Belatedly embarrassed, Rosena blushed.
As Rosena’s cheeks blushed, Yerhan raised her head. He rubbed her cheek with his finger as if it too was lovely.
“By the way, how long have I slept?”
“You were sick for two full days.”
It was shorter than expected.
Rosena was overjoyed to meet Yerhan and brought up a story she had forgotten for a while.
“By the way… what happened?”
Yerhan was silent for a moment. He was contemplating what to say first. Then he opened his mouth with difficulty.
“For now, the crown prince, the empress and the emperor have been detained.”
Rosena raised her head in surprise. She thought the crown prince was dead, but he was still alive.
“The crown prince is on the verge of losing limbs one by one, but he is still alive.”
Yerhan added that he had noticed Rosena’s thoughts.
Rosena’s face darkened as she thought of the crown prince.
Zigrit not only tried to use her power, but threw her at the monster.
When Rosena didn’t say anything, Yerhan gently wrapped his hands around hers. His actions were friendly, but his voice was soft.
“I don’t mean to just kill him.”
There was only one reason Yerhan kept Zigrit alive. It was a luxurious end to die like this, and he was planning to put him in pain until the very end. However, Yerhan hid the dark thoughts.
Rosena didn’t need to know that. It was not enough for her to see and hear only good things.
Yerhan thought of the emperor and the empress for a moment. Emperor Barmun escaped from the situation, but was captured by Yelvin, the Tiriad knight. It was only criticism that returned to the emperor who had abandoned his duty to survive alone.
The knights of Tiriad immediately detained him.
The empress went mad when Zigrit was bitten by monsters. Perhaps she thought that Zigrit was dead, so she was still screaming and glowering even while she was imprisoned in the deepest palace.
“What about the monsters?”
At Rosena’s question, Yerhan stopped thinking and opened his mouth.
“Most of them died, but the surviving monsters were imprisoned in the dungeon.”
“And that man?”
Yerhan immediately understood which man Rosena was talking about. She was talking about the man who was at the forefront of the demons.
Even now, he couldn’t tell if the man was a monster or a human. He looked like a human, no matter who he was. However, communication didn’t work at all, and the monsters were following him, so even calling him a human was somewhat uncomfortable.
“He was locked up in the dungeon where the crown prince was kept.”
Rosena rolled her eyes for a moment without saying a word. She remembered the words of the man who had come to help.
Neither the man nor the monsters showed any signs of hurting her. On the contrary, they treated her like their kind.
Rosena hesitated for a moment. If she turned a blind eye to the man like this, he would have died. It was only two encounters, and she didn’t have any special feelings for him.
But she wanted to talk to him at least once. Why did he think of her as a fellow, and what was the purpose of the monsters?
If they found out the reason, they might be able to end the battle between humans and monsters. Then, Yerhan will no longer have to go on expeditions to subdue monsters.
“Yerhan.”
Red eyes full of determination looked straight at Yerhan. Yerhan looked at her face and paused.
“I want to meet him.”
“It’s dangerous.”
Yerhan answered without even thinking about it. Rosena said calmly, not disappointed, as if she had already expected it.
“I, I think I can understand the words of the monsters.”
“Rosena!!”
Yerhan, who never looked away from Rosena until the end, shouted.
Rosena frowned at the pain she felt in her lower back. The wounds were agitated as if on fire.
“Ugghh!”
After losing Rosena and barely being able to deal with the monsters, Zigrit screamed.
The monster’s hand pierced his stomach.
As Zigrit dropped his sword and stumbled, the monsters nearby rushed in all at once. The monsters bit his limbs and ripped them apart, tearing apart his flesh.
The empress’ torn voice resounded. But no one helped Zigrit.
After a while, Zigrit’s screams stopped completely.
“…..”
Rosena drooped as she watched Zigrit’s end.
Rosena, who had fallen on the dry grass, raised her head with difficulty.
Screaming and splashing blood. And there was Yerhan in it.
Yerhan’s eyes, seen right in front of her, were dark navy. It was the same eyes she saw when she first met Yerhan in the forest of echoes.
Yerhan, who approached her at once, grabbed Rosena’s body. His contorted face was full of pain.
“Yerhan…. I’m fine, so.…”
….Don’t look so distressed, whispered Rosena.
Rosena knew how much pain Yerhan was feeling now. Even when they first met in the forest, he was in pain and had destroyed himself.
Yerhan, who once had a close grip on the strings of rationality, seemed about to go berserk.
The monsters around Yerhan froze.
Feeling the overwhelming difference in power, the monsters instinctively retreated, and a strange confrontation took place.
The nobles who watched did not scream any more, they just held their breath and looked at Yerhan.
Yerhan had no time to care about the monsters. All he needed now was a doctor who could treat Rosena.
Just when Yerhan was about to hug Rosena, a man who had been watching until now walked over to him.
Unlike the other monsters, this man had a sword in his hand.
– Put her down. Human.
But Yerhan could not understand the man’s words. It just looked like this man had come to take Rosena.
Yerhan, who was barely holding onto the string of rationality, picked up the sword that had been placed down on the floor.
At the same time, the man ran to Yerhan first.
Clank.
The two swords clashed violently. The blades trembled and rattled along with the sound of iron scratches.
Yerhan, who was pushing with force, quickly struck the man’s sword. He dug into the man’s empty side.
The man followed the movement of Yerhan while blocking the sword that was flying belatedly.
However, Yerhan’s movements were almost instinctive. Like a flying beast, his body moved first before thinking.
Their movements were invisible to ordinary people. Only the sound of metal piercing the ears indicated that the two were engaged in a fierce fight.
Rosena watched the two of them fight.
Yerhan had to be stopped.
At this rate, Yerhan would have been eaten by himself and would never come back.
Rosena tried to call Yerhan. But no voice came out as if a grain of sand had lodged in her throat.
Even when she breathed, her throat hurt, and only silent moans faintly flowed out.
Yerhan tilted his sword at an angle and raised it up. As the sunlight reflected off the blade, the man crinkled his eyes.
Yerhan did not miss even the slightest gap. His sword pierced the man’s shoulder deeply.
The movement of the man who had his shoulder pierced stopped for a moment.
Yerhan, who twisted and pulled out the sword at once, drove the man away without a break.
Rather than getting tired, he ran even faster as time went by the way.
In an instant, the man opened his eyes at the blue energy that wrapped around his body.
Claankk.
With a loud resonant sound, the sword the man was holding rolled away.
In an instant, Yerhan pushed his sword against the neck of the man who had lost his weapon.
The man, with his long ripped black pupils, immediately dug his nails into Yerhan’s arms.
But Yerhan reflexively reached out and kicked the man in the face.
With the sound of bones breaking, the man’s face turned wide.
The staggering man floundered on the dry grass.
Yerhan, who had the man kneeled on the floor, raised his sword high. And it was the moment when he was about to behead the man.
“Yerhan!”
The locked voice finally burst out.
It was only one call. Nevertheless, Yerhan stopped his movements, like a man who had forgotten all his actions.
Rosena, who was panting for breath, got up completely.
Very slowly Yerhan turned his head and looked at Rosena. Dark navy eyes fluttered like deep night.
He could no longer be called a human, with that lust only for destruction. Nevertheless, Rosena believed that she could bring him back.
“Stop…. stop it.”
Rosena staggered and walked over to Yerhan. He didn’t move until her hand reached Yerhan’s arm.
Even breathing was difficult, but for Rosena, Yerhan came first.
“I, heard him. He… he didn’t… come, to harm me…”
Rosena squeezed her voice with all her might. But her voice was shaky.
Rosena ran her bloody finger across the back of Yerhan’s hand.
When their bare skin touched, Yerhan flinched. A soft and warm energy swept through his ferocious body.
Rosena stretched out her arms and hugged him.
Yerhan, who was motionless, released his sword. His sword fell on the dry grass, and his trembling arms embraced Rosena.
“….Rosena.”
Yerhan twisted his face as if he was about to cry.
As his eyes returned to their original clear blue color, Rosena gave a faint smile.
It was the Yerhan that Rosena knew.
That was a relief. Because he didn’t hurt himself.
Her legs trembled as he relaxed with a sense of relief. Her vision was hazy as if it was foggy. Apparently she had shed too much blood.
Rosena, who was in Yerhan’s arms, blinked slowly. She couldn’t hear what Yerhan was saying.
“I’ll…. sleep for a while.”
Leaving just those words, Rosena lost consciousness.
***
The warm sunlight drenched her forehead.
It was cozy as if covered with a thick blanket. The sound of fire flickering and burning was heard.
After listening to the sound for a long time, Rosena moved her fingers after a while. Then she slowly lifted her heavy eyelids. Her blurry vision slowly returned, and the scenery around her came into eyes.
The high white ceiling, and the large fireplace located opposite the bed that was covered with a thick blanket as soft as a feather.
Rosena blinked blankly, then slowly got up. She frowned upon the excruciating pain.
Rosena carefully patted her back. A bandage wrapped tightly under the thin clothes was felt.
It was like waking up from a long dream. It was the same as when she woke up after being poisoned by Rania before.
Rosena, who was sitting still on the bed, traced her last memory.
So at Yerhan’s funeral…
“Yerhan…!”
Rosena fully lifted the blanket.
She had to look at Yerhan’s face right now. She wanted to prove that it was not a dream that he returned alive.
Rosena almost rolled out of bed. She was sitting on the floor with no strength in her legs, and the door swung open. A familiar man stood in front of the open door.
“Rosena!”
Seeing Rosena sitting on the floor, Yerhan was startled and called out her name. He immediately approached Rosena. Then he stretched out his arms and hugged Rosena.
The gentle breath and familiar scent enveloped Rosena like sunlight. Even after a long time had passed, she could never forget this embrace.
The sound of his heart beating came through her chest. A trembling hand ran down Rosena’s body.
Rosena slowly closed and opened her eyes in the endless care and tender touch. When she raised her head, their eyes met. Blue eyes captured Rosena cleanly like a mirror.
Rosena reached up and stroked his cheek. When she thought that this warmth was completely hers, her heart was full.
“I thought you were dead.”
Yerhan’s eyes widened at her trembling voice.
“Did you not receive the news?”
“…Did you contact me?”
When Rosena made an expression that she didn’t know at all, Yerhan frowned. He buried his head in Rosena’s shoulder with a deep sigh.
“I’m sorry. I thought you would have received the news.”
Yerhan sincerely asked for forgiveness.
He added that he had sent a contact letter to inform her that his death was a lie. However, Rosena departed for Astania a little earlier, so the news was not delivered.
After hearing all the stories, Rosena’s body was completely relaxed. She didn’t even know that, and she thought that Yerhan was dead until now.
So she tried to let him go several times. She tried so hard to bury him deep in her heart, even for Illian.
However, in the end, Rosena could not forget Yerhan. She knew how to receive him, but not how to let him go.
Yerhan, who had been holding Rosena for a long time, grabbed her and lifted her up. And he gently placed her on the bed. He knelt on the floor and met Rosena’s gaze. It was a face she saw properly after a few months.
Just looking at each other made it hard to breathe and her heart swelled up. The increased heartbeat circulated through her body like a pulse.
Yerhan lightly grabbed Rosena’s wrist and pressed his lips on the back of her hand.
“I’m back now.”
He, who caught her eyes again, coughed up a desperate feeling.
“I’ve missed you so much…. so much.”
During the months of separation, Yerhan did not pass a single day without missing Rosena. The thing he feared the most while he was at Haylor was the prolonged separation.
Seven years have passed since the first meeting until he found Rosena. He wondered what would happen if so much time passed like that time.
Yerhan grabbed Rosena’s head in his hands and gently pushed it back. After staring at her face for a long time, he gradually got closer.
Finally, a soft touch touched Rosena’s lips. A warm breath flowed through the slightly opened lips.
The tender kiss was sincere, yet painful.
This time seemed like a dream, so Rosena only looked for his lips. A shrill voice could be heard from between the wet lips.
Rosena, who had been immersed in the reunion for a long time, flinched. Yerhan immediately removed his lips and looked at Rosena.
“Does it hurt so much?”
“It doesn’t hurt too much.”
Maybe because of the good treatment, only bitterness remained. She only felt the pain when she moved her body too much.
Belatedly embarrassed, Rosena blushed.
As Rosena’s cheeks blushed, Yerhan raised her head. He rubbed her cheek with his finger as if it too was lovely.
“By the way, how long have I slept?”
“You were sick for two full days.”
It was shorter than expected.
Rosena was overjoyed to meet Yerhan and brought up a story she had forgotten for a while.
“By the way… what happened?”
Yerhan was silent for a moment. He was contemplating what to say first. Then he opened his mouth with difficulty.
“For now, the crown prince, the empress and the emperor have been detained.”
Rosena raised her head in surprise. She thought the crown prince was dead, but he was still alive.
“The crown prince is on the verge of losing limbs one by one, but he is still alive.”
Yerhan added that he had noticed Rosena’s thoughts.
Rosena’s face darkened as she thought of the crown prince.
Zigrit not only tried to use her power, but threw her at the monster.
When Rosena didn’t say anything, Yerhan gently wrapped his hands around hers. His actions were friendly, but his voice was soft.
“I don’t mean to just kill him.”
There was only one reason Yerhan kept Zigrit alive. It was a luxurious end to die like this, and he was planning to put him in pain until the very end. However, Yerhan hid the dark thoughts.
Rosena didn’t need to know that. It was not enough for her to see and hear only good things.
Yerhan thought of the emperor and the empress for a moment. Emperor Barmun escaped from the situation, but was captured by Yelvin, the Tiriad knight. It was only criticism that returned to the emperor who had abandoned his duty to survive alone.
The knights of Tiriad immediately detained him.
The empress went mad when Zigrit was bitten by monsters. Perhaps she thought that Zigrit was dead, so she was still screaming and glowering even while she was imprisoned in the deepest palace.
“What about the monsters?”
At Rosena’s question, Yerhan stopped thinking and opened his mouth.
“Most of them died, but the surviving monsters were imprisoned in the dungeon.”
“And that man?”
Yerhan immediately understood which man Rosena was talking about. She was talking about the man who was at the forefront of the demons.
Even now, he couldn’t tell if the man was a monster or a human. He looked like a human, no matter who he was. However, communication didn’t work at all, and the monsters were following him, so even calling him a human was somewhat uncomfortable.
“He was locked up in the dungeon where the crown prince was kept.”
Rosena rolled her eyes for a moment without saying a word. She remembered the words of the man who had come to help.
Neither the man nor the monsters showed any signs of hurting her. On the contrary, they treated her like their kind.
Rosena hesitated for a moment. If she turned a blind eye to the man like this, he would have died. It was only two encounters, and she didn’t have any special feelings for him.
But she wanted to talk to him at least once. Why did he think of her as a fellow, and what was the purpose of the monsters?
If they found out the reason, they might be able to end the battle between humans and monsters. Then, Yerhan will no longer have to go on expeditions to subdue monsters.
“Yerhan.”
Red eyes full of determination looked straight at Yerhan. Yerhan looked at her face and paused.
“I want to meet him.”
“It’s dangerous.”
Yerhan answered without even thinking about it. Rosena said calmly, not disappointed, as if she had already expected it.
“I, I think I can understand the words of the monsters.”
