Chapter 28

“My Cersinia, I’ve missed you.”

Cersinia gasped and inhaled as she looked at his softly curved crescent-like eyes. Thinking she was hallucinating, her eyes blinked slowly. Everything was quiet. Only the sound of the wind blowing could be heard. Everyone held their breath and looked at the men and women standing in the middle of the square.

The scent of the man, which flowed through the wind, once again brushed the tip of her nose. Unfamiliar but familiar scent. The scent that she missed. But, it was a male scent that she had never smelled from Ben.

“Ben…?” a subtle trembling voice flowed through her gaping red lips.

Cersinia was looking up at him. The height difference was enough to make her neck stiff. Obviously, Ben was at a similar high with her, but was this man, who grew up well, really Ben? She couldn’t believe it.

“Cersinia.”

He gently raised the corners of his mouth and called her name affectionately. With a smile, he took a step closer to Cersinia.

“You look thinner.”

His hand, which was going up to touch her cheek, stopped. He lowered his hesitant hand as he looked at her crimson eyes that were still in disbelief. Leaving his hand behind, he only looked at Cersinia. The face that he missed. The eyes that he always wants to see. His eyes towards Cersinia were full of worry and concern.

“You’re really…” Cersnia swallowed her word.

Now this man’s face was a face she knew well. In an instant, Ben’s face appeared in the face of the man who was worried about her. This man had Ben’s face, a face that was always worried about her first. Although his appearance has changed a lot, his dark hair shining in the sun and dark purple eyes that only contained her remained the same. Cersinia’s heart beat lightly.

‘He was really Ben.’

“I’m…” Ben blurted out his words. Whether it was difficult to connect words or what he was trying to put up with, he was biting his lips hard.

“I’m too late. Cersinia… I’m sorry,” Ben’s mouth only opened long after.

Cersinia looked at the boy who had grown up. He was a real man now with a low and thick baritone voice.

“Are you okay?”

Ben looked at Cesinia’s wrist once again. When he saw the traces of the rope that were enough to hurt Cersinia, he was angry.

‘Dare, who dares to do this!’

Ben’s face turned cold in an instant.

“I’ll kill him.”

“What?”

Cersinia shivered at his terrifying cold voice. Soon after, a well-maintained silver blade flashed from his grasp, revealing its sharpness, accompanied by a shrill sound.

“This guy. I’ll kill him.”

His fierce eyes turned to Charles, who was struggling on the ground. Ben walked over to Charles. His coldly sunken eyes were sharp as if he knew everything. A strong aura flowed out of his body as if he would cut Charles at any moment. Cersinia was absent-minded for a while. Her head couldn’t keep up with what was happening in front of her now.

‘Ben grabbed his sword? Is he going to kill Charles?’

When did Ben become a man who could do things like this or even talk in such a manner… Everything was strange. Especially about Ben.

The man, who was holding Charles, bowed his head and stepped back as Ben approached. Charles struggled on the floor with his hands tied to a rope.

“A-Aren’t you going to untie this? Who are you!”

Charles struggled like a fish. Funny enough, his figure was so insignificant. Ben stared at the struggling Charles with no mercy in his eyes. When Charles saw Ben staring at him as if to kill him, he gasped and shut his mouth. His blazing eyes penetrated all over Charles’s body as if he would tear him apart at any moment. Charles clearly felt Ben’s desire to kill him.

Ben strode up to Charles. As if he was really going to kill him, he held the sword high toward Charles without hesitation.

“Aaaargh!”

Charles shouted with a pale face.

“Stop!” Cersinia hurriedly shouted at the sight in front of her eyes.

Ben stopped his action immediately at Cersinia’s voice. But his eyes were blazing and fixated towards Charles.

“But this guy…to Cersinia…”

He shut up to put up with his soaring anger. The torch, which was still emitting a gray smoke, set fire in Ben’s heart.

‘If I was a little late. If it had been a little late, Cersinia would have…’

The corners of his closed mouth twitched slightly in anger.

“Stop. Stop it,” Cersinia intercepted Ben and said firmly.

She didn’t want to get blood on his hands like this. And there was something more important than this.

“But now, Cersinia…!”

“Ben, I told you to stop.”

At her firm tone, Ben gently lowered the sword he was holding. The aura from his body also disappeared. No one could stop Ben when he was angry, but he lowered his tail at Cersinia’s voice. As if a large dog obeying its owner.

“Why are you here?”

Cersinia’s voice was very cold.

“Cersinia…?”

Realizing that her voice toward him was cold, he looked at her with anxious eyes. His droopy eyes were pitiful.

Cersinia now stared at completely grown-up Ben. The boy, who was about her height, grew up well and became a man. Three years was quite a long time. His soft and thin forearms had turned into a strong physique with muscles. His face was clean without any scars, and his neatly trimmed hair shone. The clothes he was wearing were gorgeous, and anyone could tell he was living well.

Cersinia looked away from him and slowly lowered her head. Bitterness came out from the corner of the mouth that went up to one side. His changed appearance proved that he was doing so well.

‘You’ve been doing very well. I was the only one who couldn’t move on.’

“Ha…”

A burst of laughter came out of Cersinia’s mouth. She worried that maybe something bad had happened to Ben and it was completely useless. She felt like an idiot when she was checking over the window several times a day.  She clasped her hands tightly. Her shriveled lips swelled as if they were about to burst with blood.

Cersinia didn’t know how to describe the feeling she was feeling right now.

‘Do I feel betrayed to see him alive and doing so well?’

No, she wished for him living well. She hoped that Ben was alive somewhere. But when she found out that he was really doing well, she felt something boiling inside her.

“Where are you hurt?”

Ben called her anxiously, as she kept her head down and her fist clenched. He was worried that he might have been too late, and she might have been hurt somewhere.

“…”

Cersinia didn’t give any answer. She just kept her head down.  Ben, who was restless, bowed carefully and checked her face. Cersinia looked up as his face appeared under her gaze.

“Cersinia, where are you feeling the pain?” He once again anxiously asked Cersinia, who was finally looking at him.

He had a desire to tear Charles apart and kill him right away, but he tried hard to hold it in. He wouldn’t do anything she didn’t like.

“Why did you come here?”

Cersinia looked at him slowly. A cold air sank in the crimson eyes.

“Yes? What do you mean…”

Ben’s face seemed embarrassed by the unexpected cold response.

“Mind your own business and go.”

Cersinia turned her body without any regrets. But she felt frustrated, and a lump had started forming itself in her throat. Her crimson eyes were painfully distorted as if trying to hold back something. Cersinia never looked back. Blood leaked through her lips. The iron taste of blood flowed into her mouth. The bitter taste made her heart throbbed as if it had reached her chest. Cersinia left the tingling pain behind and swallowed with difficulty.

Three years. During that time, Cersinia was completely alone. It wouldn’t have been this hard for her if she had been alone from the beginning. However, once she felt the warmth, it was terribly cold to be alone again. She didn’t even remember how she lived after that. The morning came when she just opened her eyes then closed her eyes as the night came by. The time when she was alone passed too slowly. Cersinia has endured that for three years.

“Doing whatever you want…”

Ben disappeared without a word and now appeared again. Time had passed…three years had passed!!!

Cersinia’s fists were pale. She strode forward with a large stride. She wanted to get out of this square as soon as possible.

“Cersinia!”

In tears, May squirmed through the troops and ran towards Cersinia.

“Clean it up.”

“Yes, sir!”

With that command, Ben quickly followed Cersinia’s footsteps. It was heavy, as if he had a weight on his chest. His eyes shook greatly with guilt. It felt like time had stopped. He was worried that it would be the last time they would meet. He couldn’t forget the last look on her face. The distorted expression was as if she had been hurt. Cersinia’s expression became a thorn in his chest. His steps were hasty as he walked, ignoring the pain in his chest. His tenacious and pained gaze followed her.