Chapter 170

Kyle’s ruthlessness was well known on the battlefield.

He was the one who wielded his sharp blade towards both adults and children alike.

Although he may appear incompetent, he had no choice but to tell a visible lie to protect Ayla.

He didn’t know if the quick-witted Kyle, who was so talented that he didn’t lose a single war prisoner that ran away, would be deceived.

“Drink.”

Kyle’s dry voice resounded in the silence-filled interior.

As Eden reached out to receive the glass he had poured, Kyle applied a strong force to the glass he was holding.

Crack!

Unable to withstand the power emanating from Kyle’s grasp, the glass slowly cracked, making an unpleasant sound.

The clear liquid and red drops of blood burst out from the pieces of glass in his hand.

‘Damn it…’

Eden frowned and kept his cold gaze, as if feeling a bad omen coming from his behavior.

Kyle, who threw away the pieces of glass he was holding without even an expression of pain, violently raised the front of Eden’s collar.

“Eden. Am I funny?”

“There is no way.”

“It’s not like you didn’t know that Zenia wasn’t the Princess of Ruit. Why were you hiding it?”

“I never… Did so.”

At Eden’s words, who was feigning innocence, Kyle, who was holding his collar, gave a little more strength to his grip.

Thud!

Soon, Kyle’s eyes became ferocious, and at the same time, Eden’s large body drew an arc and fell to the floor.

Eden raised his sleeve and wiped the blood from his mouth as he felt the fishy taste, and then breathed roughly.

“I think I said it clearly. Don’t let me down, and don’t belittle me.”

“…”

Kyle, who had the hilt in his hand, was suddenly holding the sharp blade against Eden’s neck.

If he pushed the blade in his hand a little deeper, he might have stopped breathing just like this.

Eden, who smiled as if he had no regrets, calmly lowered his gaze.

“Don’t you regret it?”

“I am ashamed.”

As Kyle’s low-pitched voice resonated, a sad smile caught on Eden’s lips and at the same time, he trembled slightly.

Was it anger? Was it a feeling of loss?

If it wasn’t that, it must have been a feeling of disappointment that nothing had been accomplished…

Eden’s life should have ended in the first place.

He couldn’t even fathom how much of a shame he felt when he saw the countless lives sacrificed for him. That’s why he lived his life here and there as a wanderer, claiming to be useless.

Even though he couldn’t achieve his goal, it would be meaningful to be able to protect the person we wanted to protect.

Eden slowly closed his eyes while trying to comfort himself.

***

Ayla, who grabbed both her reddened cheeks, hurriedly turned towards the maid’s quarters.

“It’s raining quite a bit…”

The security was not tight because, at this time, it was still possible to pass through, but no one was going around due to the rain.

She looked at the falling raindrops with resentment while the sky maintained its cloudy appearance.

Ayla stopped after passing through the main gate and looked down at the blouse that was clinging to her body.

She was bound to get surrounded by useless rumors if she got caught by others while going around in this state.

There was no need to give them any prey because it was a situation where bad rumors had already been circulating.

Ayla, who rolled her blue eyes and looked around slowly, turned towards the natural forest.

If she goes to the shortcut that connects to the maid’s quarters, she might be able to get there quickly without being seen by other people.

“I should have brought an umbrella.”

Ayla, who was rushing with her body bent forward, started frowning heavily.

The falling raindrops became thicker and thicker, and their strength grew to the point that it hurt when they hit her.

Seeing herself soaking wet, she had the absurd thought that, no matter what happened, she should have just stayed in the detached palace.

She didn’t know it when the weather was good, but in this cloudy weather with rain pouring down, the natural forest was giving off a gloomy atmosphere.

“Cough, cough.”

Ayla, who was rushing her steps, heard a low cough behind her back.

She couldn’t hear it well because of the heavy rain, but it was definitely the sound of coughing.

‘A… ghost?’

Ayla shook her head again and again, trying to erase the absurd thoughts that ran through her mind. Muttering that she must have heard wrong, she picked up her pace.

“Cough… Cough, cough. Cou…gh…”

Ayla’s eyes shook wildly as the sound of a rather rough cough resounded in her ears, as if to ridicule such efforts.

It was obvious that this was not a normal situation.

And this was the west palace natural forest, not somewhere else.

A low and heavy cough that seemed like a life was about to end at any moment echoed in a place where it was difficult for outsiders to enter.

It made no sense.

Still, Ayla turned towards the source of the sound as if possessed by something.

“Cough, cough… Cough! Cough…”

The deeper she went into the natural forest, the louder the coughing sound that hit her ears got.

When she reached a big tree, something that looked like a human figure under it came into Ayla’s eyes.