Chapter 34: CH 34

‘You’ve been there since I started smoking?’

It was unbelievable. Dean was sensitive to presences, and instinctively recognized that the man was above him. He was dangerous.

“What do you want?”

Dean turned to negotiating instead of fighting. Did he come to take his place? Dean couldn’t feel his instincts. His fists trembled at the thought that he might have to let go of his hard-earned position as Master.

“So…….”

The man slowly opened his mouth.

“You took Juliana?”

The tone was mixed with anger.

“You can’t do that. That role is mine.”

Dean’s expression darkened. He looked at the man with an eyebrow raised and frowned.

To be precise, they were slaves who would be sold as products. But Dean realized it was not something he could say in this situation and shut up.

At that, Louis smiled a fishy smile under the robe.

‘What to do. A great human who took my place without fear.’

Louis clenched his teeth slowly. Recently, thanks to the woman, he had become so gentle that it made him doubt himself.

However, he was so annoyed that his original temperament resurfaced and now he was filled with blood lust.

‘You dare.’

Louis’ face was smiling, but his voice wasn’t. He opened his lips with a cold voice.

“There cannot be two suns in the sky.”

“…..”

“Likewise, there can’t be two lunatics.”

He took a cigar on the table and said.

“You have a dirty heart. You.”

At those words, Dean automatically thought of the blonde-haired woman. She was the best of all the goods that came in yesterday.

“I guess I was right.”

A cloud of smoke came out of Louis’ dry lips. Dean feared that he might die just from the killing intent exuded by Louis. The aura weighed down on his breathing and felt like he was suffocating.

“Oh, no, I.”

“No?”

No. But,

The man who spoke in a languid tone slowly pulled down the robe that had been covering his face. His dark hair and insensitive face were bizarre. Dean flinched as he met his black eyes.

Fear from the murderous intent emanating from the man swept over him.

“The beauty of empire-“

Dean couldn’t finish his words. This was because he belatedly felt the sensation of his organs twisting with the contents pouring out. He fell to the floor, grabbing his neck.

“Uuk.”

A lump of blood came out of his mouth. Dean collapsed.

‘You fainted.’

Louis stared at the man whose eyes had rolled backwards with a bored expression. He opened his mouth and the smell of cigarette smoke spread out along with the hazy smoke.

“…Cough.”

Louis frowned as he coughed.

‘This tastes awful.’

That man was puffing the smoke so deliciously that he tried it out too.

“I feel cheated.”

Louis stuck his tongue out at the bitter taste. Then he stepped on the man that had fallen to the floor. Cigarettes did not taste good.

Instead of a place that smelled like cigarettes, he wanted to be in a place where Juliana’s fragrant smell could be smelled. There was a refreshing smell when he was near the woman.

“……Juliana.”

Louis put out the cigarette and called out the girl’s name in a low voice.

“Julie.”

The corners of Louis’ eyes, as he spoke Juliana’s name, gently curved up.

***

“Sister, I… I’m scared. Ugh.”

Juliana comforted the tearful little child. Was she a little over 10 years old? The child was crying as she held her on her lap.

“It’s okay, maybe support from the Imperial Family will come in a little while.”

Juliana patted the child on the back as she trembled in fear.

‘Still, It’s a relief.’

She was only confined underground, and they made no attempt to imprint a slave seal on her body. Juliana calmly took action.

Just then, a clatter was heard outside. Juliana overheard what the prison guards were talking about as she approached the iron window frame.

“First, move the slaves to another place. Just make sure that they don’t find the hidden underground warehouse.”

‘The Imperial Knights have arrived!’

Juliana quickly grasped the situation, as the conversation went back and forth between the two prison guards.

Then there was no reason for her to be like this anymore.

Juliana smiled as she saw the slave trader trying to use a key to enter. The slave trader was a big problem for her to solve alone.

There was a risk of failing to save the captives, so Juliana remained quiet and calmly watched the situation.

‘But not anymore.’

The slave trade was a huge crime, even moreso that they were trying to make a noble like herself a slave. Their future would only be filled with days of rotting in prison. Worst of all, they might be sentenced to death,

‘Serves you right.’

As Juliana was thinking about it, someone grabbed her collar. It was the girl who had been taken as a slave like her.

“Uh, sister…”

As she saw the child trembling softly, she felt pity for her. She could see the child’s bones protruding which meant that she was malnourished. Judging from the clothes she wore, she must have been a child who lived in an orphanage.

“Close your eyes and cover your ears for a moment.”

Juliana said as she knelt down matching the child’s eye level.

“When you open your eyes again, we will be outside.”

“…..”

“Do you trust this elder sister?”

“…….Yes.”

Juliana gently stroked the child’s head whose eyes were closed. She then smiled at the slave trader who had just entered the cell.

“Then would you like to play with me?”

Juliana said, hiding the child behind her. In her hand, the ice spheres she had just created were aimed towards her opponent.

Juliana’s magical powers radiated a chill that was stronger than ever.

As if everything would be frozen soon.

***

“……This is unexpected.”

Louis’ eyes blinked blankly. If you follow the end of the gaze of his black eyes, there was a blonde haired woman and Imperial Knights. He watched the situation from a distance.

“It is these people. I tied them up so they couldn’t escape.”

Juliana was handing over two prison guards to the Imperial Knights.

Before the Imperial Knights appeared, Juliana had subdued the prison guards and bound them.

She handed over the prison guards and several mercenaries that she had caught with her magic to the Imperial Knights. They would transport the captured women to a safe place.

“It seems that the slaves in the western sector have not yet been released.”

“We will take over from here, Princess Hariens.”

The Imperial Knight who recognized Juliana spoke to her. She nodded her head lightly.

“Yes, please.”

As he stared at the situation from a distance, Louis’ jaw loosened.

After he tracked Juliana’s whereabouts, Louis found out that she had been caught by slave traders.

In a situation where there was nothing he could do to help, Louis closed his eyes with only his hand raised in the empty air.

“Juliana.”

He called the woman who was left alone with a strange expression. The Imperial Knights disappeared to investigate, leaving only her.

‘…..Who?’

Juliana tilted her head at the sound of her name being called. A man with his robe covering his face was staring at her.

Juliana’s heart pounded at the familiar voice.

“…Louis?”

How did he get here?

An unknown tension took over her. It had only been one day since she left the Grand Duke’s residence. No, maybe not even half a day.

Juliana’s lips tightened as she saw Louis approaching her quickly. That was then.

“Die!”

A man appeared from behind her and pointed his sword at Juliana. Juliana froze at the attack she wasn’t prepared for. She shouldn’t have let down her guard until the very end…… Juliana squeezed her eyes shut.

Chwak!

Blood splashed all over her. Juliana opened her tightly closed eyes at the warmth of a body hugging her. Louis was covered in blood. Juliana’s face turned white.

“Louis!!!”

“…..”

“Are you okay? Why… Why? Why did you……..”

Juliana grabbed his collar and stuttered as blood splattered everywhere. Her fingertips trembled. It felt like blood was dripping all over her body.

‘Because of me, Louis…’

“This is not my blood, Julie.”

Then, Louis’ serene voice brought Juliana back into reality.

As she heard his voice, Juliana dazedly looked at the man who fell to the floor.

“But I’m happy. Julie is worried about me.”

Louis and Juliana’s eyes met. Juliana belatedly realized that their faces were so close to each other. She tried to move her face away.

“…Why did you leave, Julie? I found you.”

Louis grabbed the back of Juliana’s head to prevent her from running away. Boom, thump, Juliana’s heart was beating fast.

“Why why…….”

Juliana felt compelled to ask the question.

‘Why did you look for me?’

But instead of spitting it out, she swallowed it in her mouth. Juliana raised her hand and covered her mouth. She was startled as she touched her chapped lips.

‘Oh my gosh, I don’t think I even cleaned my eye gunk…!’

Juliana reflexively snapped her body back. Louis thought that the woman was about to run away again and he quickly grabbed her wrist.