Who Stole The Empress

***

“What’s going on?”

Tamon was pushed away by Asha, almost as if he was being thrown out. Perhaps she had an unusual dream, because as soon as she woke up, she immediately made a strange face.

‘You didn’t have a nightmare again, did you?’

Tamon’s expression darkened. When Asha wasn’t feeling well, most likely she had a nightmare. Each time, Tamon would watch her sleep, unable to close his eyes.

She tried to keep her expression like a habit even when she had nightmares. Clenching her teeth, she broke out in a cold sweat and twisted her body and curled up pitifully. And only then did the sobbing pour out as if a dam burst. At that time, Tamon would hold her hand until she calmed down. 

When that wasn’t enough, he would hug her and comfort her all night long. Yes, go ahead and cry. Yet another moment, he wanted her to please not cry. 

Then again, if it wasn’t a moment like this, he sometimes wanted to let this woman cry because he wondered when she would cry at ease.

‘I don’t know. I’m out of my mind too.’

Anyway, shortly after he learned that she was suffering from nightmares, Tamon slept with her more on purpose.

He was the only person who could reach out to her when she was  wandering through her nightmares.

‘All right. If it’s not me, there’s no way.’

He had no desire or inclination to give the role to anyone else.

As a matter of fact, he even wanted to carry the nightmares that Asha had if possible.

If it was hers, he would gladly bear a drop of tear or a piece of nightmare.

“You’re so pure-hearted…….”

A very amazing pure-hearted man came out.

He laughed.

“What do you mean pure?” 

It was a very beautiful and dreamy word. No, all emotions could not be packaged in such pretty words. This was greed.

How amazing would it be if his desire to possess her according to his own greed.

Tamon wanted every hair of her, every shred of emotion and experience, all to himself.

For a moment, he wondered how he could completely monopolize her gaze, if he only hid it behind a plausible mask.

Such blindness, as if the poor child wished for the attention of an indifferent mother…………

Tamon chose to breathe slowly as he stood in the room where Asha was sleeping.

It wasn’t time to be in a daze like this.

He rubbed his bitter mouth and came to his senses.

While she was passed out, they had already arrived at the Caliphate.

It had taken Tamon half a day to come to the Caliphate with her in his arms.

Nyrux’s pirates or whatever, Asha came first. His subordinates greeted him.

He took her to a secret private house not far from the city center.

It wasn’t until half a day later that Asha opened her eyes.

Of course, he knew that she would not die.

Tamon’s wild life force raged inside her like a fury.

Still, his heart sank when he looked at that corpse-pale face again.

How could he drive Asha so close to death when she was by his side? 

‘I swear, I will not let this happen again. Even if my own life will end, I’m sure of it.’

Tarmon, who had captured his expression, looked at the closed door for a while and turned away.

On the first floor, Tamon’s men were waiting for him.

They were the personnel he had planted in Nyrux beforehand a few days ago to find a merchant who used the ‘Red Octopus.’

“Your orders are being carried out, My Lord. I’ve also located the merchant of the ‘Red Octopus’ you mentioned.” 

“Well done. Did you recover the monster’s body?”

“I sent people there. They will be back by mid-afternoon, and I’ll let you know as soon as it arrives.”

Leading Nyrux’s men, the man with the eye patch spoke quietly, prepared words. Sitting on the couch, Tamon beckoned for him to bring things.

At his gesture, a thick box made of silver deerskin was placed in front of him. Tamon opened the box and checked the green horns that lay inside.

Even though the horns had been cut from a corpse, they were still highly poisonous. 

“It’s not something you can touch recklessly, my lord.”

Ferrick, the man with the eye patch, nodded and said.

Tamon nodded, apparently expecting such an answer.

He needed a dismantler who was capable of handling the venom of monsters. Especially since this was the poison of Perharz, which was no ordinary monster, special care was required. Most of the dismantlers with the ability to handle monsters’ venom were controlled by the government.

Of course, there were those who worked without permission in the underworld.

“Now then, the Royal Palace……….”

Tamon, about to give the order, paused. 

He tapped the table and changed the order. 

“Take care of it and bring it with you when you leave.”

“…………… this?”

“I think something will happen.”

Ferrick couldn’t believe he had to leave with poison horns with this much venom in it.

It was so terrifying that a normal person could die instantly just by touching it.

Ferrick packed the box carefully, nervous at the thought that no one else should die today. In the meantime, Tamon checked the time and stood up.

This much seemed to give her (Asha) enough time to think.

“Have the food ready.”

“Yes, sir.”

****

Roselyn, who had been lying in bed, slowly got up. Her hot face had regained its original color, and her breathing was the same as usual.

“My neck…”

Roselyn raised her hand and touched the poisoned neck.

It was bandaged, but there was no pain or discomfort.

“Oh.”

There was absolutely nothing wrong with her voice, after all.

“…he has a great talent.”

She couldn’t believe he (Tamon)  detoxified Perharz’s poison at once.

It was also a neck wound.

“Speaking of which, is Tamon okay?”

Roselyn was only slightly touched once by the poison in Perharz’s tail, but Tamon had taken on Perharz alone.

He even ran all night long to get here with her in his arms, despite his whole body being poisoned by the venom of the monster.

“Tamon of Amor can play the role of a thousand knights all by himself!”

Those words, which the people had made such a fuss over, were not a lie.

‘Anyway, he is even more monstrous than a monster.’

Smiling as she nodded her head, Roselyn was suddenly aware of her feet under the covers.

There wasn’t a single thing that was different from normal.

They were naturally there, just like her hands and hair. They were part of her body.

She licked her pretty lips. 

She could feel her whole body tense up, her chest thumping as hard as it did then.

After a deep breath, she tried to put her feet on the floor. It was then…

Knock. Knock. 

Tamon came in with a small knocking sound.

“I think you need to eat something.”

Stopping where she was, Roselyn stared at Tamon as he approached.

When she didn’t say anything and just watched, the approaching Tamon stood and frowned in annoyance.

“…….. Should I leave again? Do you need more time?”

She didn’t know why, but he said he would be considerate.

Roselyn shook her head and asked.

“Is this Nyrux?”

“It’s a small city near the Caliphate sea. I’ve sent word to the Order. Tell them to stay in Orkins as we are going to be a day late.”

Roselyn glanced outside at Tamon’s words.

The sun hadn’t set, but by the shadows, it was well past noon.

“We don’t have much time. When are you leaving? I’ll get ready…”

“Asha.”

Tamon called out to her in a firm voice.

“I’ll go and get the ‘red octopus’ alone.” 

She looked at Tamon with a look of incomprehension.

“You’ve been injured.” (Tamon)

“I rested enough.” (Roselyn)

“It’s a long trip.” (Tamon)

“Weren’t you injured too?” (Roselyn)

“I’m fine. Look.” (Tamon)

“If that’s your logic, I’m fine too, I’ll go with you.” (Roselyn)

“I’m not taking you with me.” (Tamon)

Roselyn’s face immediately hardened at his words. 

She straightened her back and corrected Tamon’s words in her usual cold, calm voice.

“Tamon, I am not your subordinate.”

Tamon touched his forehead in a pitiful manner. Sighing briefly, he apologized in a brisk voice.

“I misspoke. You’re right. You’re not the one I carry along, you’re my companion.”

“So where you go, I have the right to go too. “

“Don’t be so hard about it, Asha. We are here and I can go collect the holy relics. I’m going to make sure my men do their job.”

Tamon persuaded her in a gentle voice.

But it was difficult to break Roselyn’s willpower.

When Hannah had told her about this place, Roselyn had also said that she would go with him wherever he went. 

Roselyn thought that Hannah was not an ordinary child.

She couldn’t explain it exactly, but there was a strange trust in the child’s world.

“I know you’ll be handling more of the work than I will when we get there anyway. So it doesn’t matter if I’m there or not.” (Roselyn)

“That’s exactly what I’m saying.”(Tamon)

“So I’ll go with you. Just treat me like someone invisible.” (Roselyn)

‘Oh, she’s stubborn as hell.’

He would never win Asha with words or his adherence.

It was even more frustrating because it was Tamon who knew that better than anyone.

“Can’t you just trust me and wait for me?” (Tamon)

“I trust you and I’m coming with you.” (Roselyn)

‘Look at this…….I can’t win with words.’ (Tamon)

Tamon scoffed, his face distorted.

He didn’t think he could beat Asha at anything else either.

“Tamon.”

This time Roselyn called his name softly.

When she called him with a voice like that, Tamon noticed the presence of his name again every time.

It felt like his name was being reborn, Tamon, like a new meaning was being given to it in a new language.

“I trust you.” (Roselyn)

She slowly got up from her seat.

She took a deep breath and stepped toward Tamon, who was frozen in place.

Step by step.

She walked straight towards him with neither shaking or limping. 

As if watching a baby taking its first steps, Tamon watched her intensely without taking his eyes off her. Even though it was only three or four steps, there were numerous emotions and the past packed in those few steps.

 “So you too…” (Roselyn)

She came up to him, opened her arms and hugged him.

“Trust me……………” (Roselyn)

‘I can’t win. I’ll probably never win.’ (Tamon)

But then he thought, ‘So what if I don’t win? This woman said she believed in me.’

Tamon couldn’t do anything about it but to lose his expression and hugged Roselyn’s waist tightly with both arms.

He felt impatient and desperate not to let her escape.

“…Then eat all the food before we go.”

Roselyn nodded with a smile.