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Chapter 17…………………………………….
“Not just one.”
There were five presences coming through the window. Even with the murderous intent that felt like it was piercing her skin, Melina kept her thoughts cold and sharp.
Right now, Shan was out spying on the Emperor, and Ran was also away due to a tracking device.
That meant she had to handle everything alone.
Melina grabbed the dagger she had hidden under her pillow.
The cold touch of the metal sharpened her mind further.
Pretending to sleep, keeping her breathing steady, she suddenly sprang up and swung her blade the moment the presence came close.
“Ugh.”
One of the assassins groaned, clutching his arm.
It seemed they hadn’t expected her to strike first, and confusion rippled through them.
“Heh. A dagger? I heard she was just a common girl who can’t do anything. Guess that’s true. Still just a woman.”
One of the assassins mocked her in a rough voice. Judging by their presence, all five were professionals.
Melina tightened her grip on the dagger and sharpened her senses. A faint smile curved her lips.
“Five of you came for a ‘useless woman’? You must really lack confidence in your skills.”
Her words provoked them. Their killing intent flared violently.
“We were just told to make sure it’s certain. You’re the one who should be careful not to get hurt flailing that around.”
Certain. That meant they intended to kill her completely.
Melina’s smile turned sharp.
“So assassins talk this much? Stop wasting time and come at me.”
With a flick of her finger, their killing intent deepened.
‘So they have pride after all?’
Even so, Melina remained composed, mocking them.
The injured man attacked first. She dodged lightly and stepped off the bed.
The others watched, as if trying to confirm whether she truly knew how to fight.
‘This works in my favor.’
Melina grinned and swiftly severed the tendons in his arm and leg.
The assassin collapsed with a scream, dropping his weapon.
“So they really are just talk.”
As if that was the signal, the remaining four rushed her at once.
From then on, only the sound of blades clashing filled the room.
A dim room lit by moonlight. Dense killing intent that made her body tingle. Simultaneous attacks from all directions.
It felt like that night again—the first night she had ever killed.
Fear and horrific sensations resurfaced, and her body trembled.
Melina bit her lip hard. She tasted blood but had no time to care.
If she had hidden weapons, she could have subdued them easily without killing them.
But against four strong assassins with only a dagger, it was not simple—especially if she tried not to kill them.
Once again, the past Melina and the present “Berta” within her clashed.
But the answer was still the same.
‘I survived before. I’m not dying here.’
If they were sent by the Emperor, she did not want to give them even a drop of her blood.
She shifted her stance and began striking their vital points. The sudden change made them hesitate.
She didn’t miss the opening.
One by one, they fell.
Soon, only the overly talkative man remained.
“Wow… I guess I got beaten by someone I underestimated.”
Melina clicked her tongue as if disappointed. The man’s eyes widened in shock.
“Shall we see how skilled you really are?”
She drove him backward, striking his side and shoulder alternately.
Their daggers clashed as they struggled in a stalemate.
The longer it lasted, the worse it was for her.
Reading his force, she twisted her blade free, breaking his balance. She immediately drove her dagger into his shoulder and pinned him against the wall.
“People who talk too much are usually weak.”
She whispered close to him.
His glare burned with killing intent.
When she removed his mask, his grimacing face was revealed.
“Which organization are you from?”
He stayed silent.
“You think I won’t know if you don’t speak? There’s no assassin group in this empire that would target the Duke or the Duchess. Temno protects them.”
At that name, his eyes widened.
After learning the Emperor had sent assassins to Cheroian, Melina had given Temno orders:
Anyone who harmed the Duke Castor or the Duchess Duchess would be punished under Temno’s rules, regardless of affiliation.
Assassins were to accept contracts but report failure.
Because no assassination attempts on Cheroian had succeeded so far, it was possible.
That was also why Melina had withdrawn the Black Wolf except for Shan.
“So you came here without fear… meaning you’re not from this empire. But you can’t escape Temno’s reach, can you?”
Temno’s influence extended everywhere, even connected to underworld leaders of other nations.
The man’s face darkened in despair, but he still refused to speak.
“Your organization will disappear soon anyway.”
As she applied pressure to the dagger in his shoulder, he trembled.
“Next question. Who hired you?”
Silence.
“The Emperor?”
No reaction.
So it wasn’t him.
Then there was only one possibility.
“Then who—”
Before she could finish, the man suddenly went limp.
The moment Melina loosened her grip to check him—
A burning pain struck her side.
“Ugh.”
She staggered back. Blood stained her hand.
“This is why women shouldn’t be trusted. Too careless.”
The man smiled, twirling a dagger in his left hand.
“You’re left-handed?”
Even with a dagger in his right shoulder, he still moved freely with his left.
She had made a mistake—she had left him alive for interrogation.
“Didn’t even consider that? You’re really inexperienced.”
Despite his pain, he grinned.
“I admit I underestimated you. I’ll take you seriously now.”
“You’ll regret it,” he snapped.
He charged.
Even with one arm disabled, his attacks were precise and sharp.
Melina fought bare-handed, dodging and disrupting his balance until she found an opening.
She kicked his vital point, knocked the dagger from his hand, and in one fluid motion, pulled out the dagger from his shoulder and stabbed it into his neck.
It all happened seamlessly.
Blood splattered across her face.
“Mel!”
The door burst open.
Cheroyan rushed in urgently.
“Mel! Are you alright?”
Seeing her covered in blood, he froze in shock.
Melina instinctively stepped back, making him hesitate.
“I’m fine. Just some intruders. Did you also get visitors?”
“…Yes.”
“You’re not hurt, are you?”
Worried despite knowing his skill, she took a step toward him—but stopped.
She suddenly realized how she must look.
She wiped her face with her left hand. It came away soaked in blood.
Without realizing it, she hid her hand behind her back.
Cheroyan’s expression changed—anger, sorrow, something heavy.
She couldn’t meet his gaze.
“I’ll… go clean up first. We can talk later.”
Unlike Berta, she couldn’t simply brush off blood.
Killing people was already painful enough; being covered in it made her feel like a monster.
‘I want to leave. Somewhere no one is there.’
Tears threatened to fall, so she bit her lip hard.
Cheroyan said nothing.
That silence felt like condemnation.
She turned to run—
But he grabbed her.
She froze, unable to shake him off.
“What could he possibly say?”
“Leave this.”
His voice was not hatred. Not judgment.
It was gentle.
She looked up.
He looked pained.
Warmth touched her hand. He was taking something from her.
Only then did she realize—
She had been clutching the dagger behind her back so tightly her hand was trembling.
Cheroyan placed it on a nearby table.
“Tch… your lips are torn.”
He gently touched her lips. The tension in them finally loosened.
She had bitten them so hard they were already bleeding.
As he pressed a handkerchief to stop the bleeding, she winced.
He frowned too, as if it hurt him more than her.
She stared at him, unable to comprehend the feeling.
“Should we call Ran?”
“He’s out investigating.”
“I see.”
Without warning, he suddenly lifted her into his arms.
