CH 222

Dearest Sabina,

If Miss is reading this right now, it must mean that you found my note safely.

As your knight, I’m glad you remembered the secret place I had only told you in passing.

It’s a relief that Miss did not remember me as a rude person who left without saying goodbye to you.

Miss, do you know that there is a port if you ride a horse for fifteen days to the south?

Taking a small boat from there, you can go to Naphtha, a trade city.

I’m going there. An old friend of mine, Garnet will tell you which trading ship I will board.

I’m sure Miss too will remember the story of my best friend.

Of course, it will be troubling if it’s known that I’m riding there, so I rented a cargo compartment.

Miss, I don’t know which land I will settle down.

But wherever it is, it would be the land that the Miss and I had dreamed of.

You and I can be anything there.

Miss, I will be waiting for you, Sabina, in the land of dreams.

With lots of love, A

It was all thanks to A that Sabina was doing fine despite all the physical and mental abuse she suffered.

A. Allen. A middle-aged knight who had stood by Sabina’s side all her life.

He influenced her will, her thoughts, her dreams, her beliefs, her knowledge, her way of speaking, her way of life, her attitude, in everything.

It was also Allen who had taught Sabina swordsmanship.

Allen was more like a father she can’t be without than Sabina’s own father.

‘But Allen suddenly disappeared one day.’

He left without a word to Sabina.

It happened three years ago, when she was fifteen.

Sabina resented and missed him, then she suddenly remembered the secret place Allen had casually mentioned. She ran down that road and dug under the biggest zelkova tree.

She found the note there.

There was a small cloth pouch with that note. When she opened it, there were several small jewels inside.

It was the money Allen had provided for Sabina.

‘Since then, I had been looking for an opportunity to escape…….’

Sabina’s escape ended in failure, and she ended up coming to Valentine.

Allen said he would wait for her in the land of dreams.

‘Three years have passed since then. I wonder if Allen is doing well.’

She believed so. He resembles Sabina. No, Sabina resembles him. So he will be alive.

Sabina swallowed a sigh and peered at Tristan.

‘If I say I have a lover, will he give up?’

Even if Tristan wanted to marry her in order to bear a successor, he was also a person with feelings.

What if his bride-to-be loves another man so deeply?

If she had even planned to elope with her lover, wouldn’t he let her go even if it hurt his pride?

She thought that way at first.

Sabina remained silent for a moment, then turned her eyes away in trouble.

“If so?”

“……”

“Actually, I was going to run away before coming to Valentine. I want to be with him forever in the land of dreams.”

Except for the lover part, the rest was true. That was why Sabina could say it shamelessly without batting an eye.

“There will never come a day when I will forget him even in my whole life… Can you let me go?”

“Aahh.”

Tristan shook his head in acknowledgement.

Sabina was puzzled by Tristan’s unexpectedly mild reaction. Then he said,

“You missed one thing.”

He said, folding the note neatly and placing them in her hand.

“Give up your love too.”

It was so. This wasn’t surprising either.

Sabina tightened her eyes as she glared at him before shaking her hand away from his.

“How many times have I told you? I’ll kill you if you try to make me give up.”

Captivated by her smile, Tristan grabbed her hand when it slipped out of his grasp and said,

“I have told you too. Please make it as painful as possible.”

The two’s eyes collided in the air. Their raw gaze did not hide their feelings for each other.

Sabina glared at him, burning with anger and hatred.

At that moment, she felt like she caught a glimpse of fluttering shimmering in Tristan’s pitch-black eyes. She had only thought it was devoid of all humanity before.

Although it disappeared quickly without a trace, giving Sabina no chance to take a closer look.

“Shall we make a bet?”

A bet? The devil offered a bet. It was never a good sign.

She wanted to say she doesn’t want to, but beggars can’t be choosers.

‘Well, nothing could be worse than my current situation where I have to give birth and die.’

Sabina shook off his hand again and crossed her arms to deliver her point.

Tristan looked down at his hand, where her warmth had left him. He then said,

“It will take a month to prepare for the wedding. Until then, the one who breaks the other person’s will first wins.”

“What if I win?”

“If you win, I will let you go. Even after the marriage is annulled, I will take measures to ensure that the Valois family can no longer harm you.”

It wasn’t a bad idea for Sabina.

‘No, rather, the conditions are too good to be true.’

Tristan didn’t even have to make such a bet. He can just ignore her, no matter how much she rebels then proceed with the marriage. With that, what he wanted will fall into his hands.

Sabina narrowed her eyes in doubt and replied.

“No harm or torture to my body.”

“……I don’t know what kind of trash you see me as, but yes.”

He looked quite confident. Sabina didn’t know what faith Tristan had, but she had no choice but to accept.

“If I win…well, you’ll know even if I don’t tell you.”

Tristan politely took her hand this time and pressed his hot lips to it.

Sabina’s fingertips trembled. But she didn’t avoid his gaze and glared at him instead.

“It’s a bet then.”

“Hmm, right.”

His light laugh and breathing tickled the back of her hand.

“Once you’ve given up everything.”

He laughed and said, revealing his blatant and pure display of madness. Like a child tearing off the wings of a butterfly.

“Let me have everything of you.”