Chapter 1

Your Walk Is Over(1)

Asella ran for her life.

It was a pitch-black night, even the moon was covered behind clouds and was nowhere to be seen. The path in front of her was dark so it was hard for her to see the way, but she couldn’t stop now.

Asella walked through rough branches and thorny bushes, clearing her way with her bare hands, but now wasn’t a great time to think about the pain in her body.

Her slender white fingers were now filled with cuts and wounds, but her mind was only filled with only one thought which was running away.

‘I have to get away.’

Silence befell the forest, and the only things breaking the silence were her gasping for breath and the sound of her weak footsteps.

But she knew…

Once he found out that she’s gone, his people would chase her relentlessly.

The Grand Duke Calix Benvito. Her husband.

‘Just a little bit, just a little bit more…’

Her body wasn’t strong enough to be running through a dark forest, as she spent her whole life doing nothing other than walking in mansion gardens.

Right now, her heart was beating like crazy. Even taking a breath seemed like a difficult task; she was running for so long through the rough forest and mountain road that her steps started to get slower and slower due to the severe pain.

But Asella couldn’t stop.

To stop meant to die.

‘Oh no…’

Her legs began to betray her and failed to keep her standing. She fell on the moist earth. Her long silky silver hair that was tied neatly got loose and scattered around her touching the ground beneath her.

‘Come on, get up…’

She struggled helplessly to lift her body from the ground. Perhaps due to the shock from falling, her body was trembling like a leaf in the face of the wind and her leg was throbbing with pain, but there was no time to delay. Even at this moment, the pursuers were approaching, narrowing her escape.

‘Please…’

But God turned a blind eye to Asella’s earnest wish.

‘…!’

She managed to finally straighten her upper body, but once she did, her body froze….

Since when did these people in black uniforms surround her?

They were covered in black from head to toe with only their eyes visible. It was hard to identify who they were due to the darkness.

But Asella knew.

They were an assassination group that controlled the underworld under the name “Karma”. Their name alone spread fear in the hearts of all citizens in the Kharmenian Empire.

The realization of her chaser’s identity sent goosebumps down her spine.

Her body trembled with fear.

‘I didn’t think he would go this far and send Karma to catch me.’

“…….”

However, even after finding her, they didn’t make any move on her and a strange silence filled the dark forest. Not even the sounds of cricket could be heard.

After a moment, the black figures split into two lines, as if making a path, then knelt on one knee.

Before she could process what was happening in front of her, someone appeared.

“Long time, no see.”

Her blue eyes widened with the echo of the cold voice and a deep fear started to suffocate her.

Someone Asella never thought she’d see was here. Someone who shouldn’t be seen was here.

Most of all… it was someone she didn’t want to see.

“Ah…”

Her mind went blank, and only meaningless groans escaped her mouth. She felt as if she was dragged back into the abyss and no matter how she tried to escape, all of her attempts failed.

“Three days.”

Calix spoke with an expressionless face. A man whose eyes shone as red as blood, and looked so beautiful as if he was from another world.

“You lasted longer than I expected this time.”

She was on the edge of losing consciousness, breathing under his gaze was difficult. His gaze was putting her under so much pressure that it felt like her body would be crushed at any moment.

He continued.

“But all of this comes to an end now.”

It was another way of telling Asella that all of her efforts were fruitless and she should just give up.

Her vision became blurry, her world became distorted again.

“…….”

Before approaching her further, Calix looked at her silently for a moment.

Her terrified appearance was like a deer caught in the neck by a predator; she looked pitiful and pathetic.

But he couldn’t listen to his wife’s wishes, He would grant her any other wish, but this was one that he could never accept.

Finally, he began walking slowly towards her.

***