🔊 TTS Settings
Chapter 50
On the night of the coming-of-age ceremony, they were taught sex education. Both of them were old enough to know what came after a kiss. Old enough to understand how a man and a woman shared a bed. And old enough to know that even if the wedding ceremony had been left unfinished, it didn’t really matter if the order was reversed.
But still—
Aleksei’s rule remained unchanged: he would never force the duties of husband and wife onto someone without love.
So don’t corner me too much.
Like you did in the forest.
Aleksei tensed as a hand rose toward his face.
Ghk—
His throat was seized. Her target had not been his face, but his neck.
“I won, didn’t I?”
Angelina whispered, cheeks flushed with excitement.
“You surrender?”
Only after Aleksei nodded did she loosen her grip.
“You really…”
Coughing repeatedly, Aleksei looked at Angelina.
That smug expression. Honestly, it was such an infuriating face.
“We absolutely have to get that key.”
“…If it looks like the two of us can’t handle it, then step in.”
“Okay.”
“There’s still time, so get some sleep.”
“If I fall asleep, I don’t think I’ll wake up.”
“I’ll wake you.”
“Even if Emperor Tordi himself came, I wouldn’t wake up. I’ll stay awake.”
“Do as you like.”
“And don’t even think about sneaking out without me.”
“I won’t.”
After promising again, Aleksei left Angelina’s room.
* * *
Aleksei did not keep his promise.
He had never intended to.
After leaving Angelina’s room, he bought tea leaves with sleeping effects from the innkeeper. Large inns in the central district usually stocked simple medicines for travelers.
Aleksei knocked on Angelina’s door again and handed her tea brewed with the leaves.
“It’s a restorative tonic. We drank some too.”
“Oh, something this good?”
Angelina quickly emptied the steaming teacup.
“They say the effects work better if you lie down and stay still.”
Angelina immediately climbed into bed and closed her eyes. After confirming she had fallen asleep, Aleksei quietly left the room.
The innkeeper had said the tea wasn’t very strong, so she would probably wake up after a few hours.
He could already imagine her fury at being tricked, but there was no other choice.
“Will this really be okay?”
Franz asked as they left the inn. Aleksei turned back to look toward Angelina’s room before answering firmly.
“This is the best option.”
3 a.m.
After checking the clock at the end of the corridor, Aleksei quickened his pace.
Huff, huff.
The two men cut through the cold night air and crossed the bridge.
The chapel windows would open at five.
There were still two hours left, but their goal was to arrive first.
Even if they had to fight to keep first place, they at least needed a legitimate claim to it.
As expected, the square was empty.
Aleksei stood close to the window.
“She doesn’t seem like someone who’d lose easily. Did we really need to go this far?”
“This is my promise. My responsibility. Angelina shouldn’t be involved.”
“Then what about me?”
“You’re getting paid.”
Franz let out a dry laugh.
“The tea wasn’t supposed to be very strong, so she might wake up before the prayer service starts.”
An hour later, footsteps echoed in the distance.
One shadow, then two, then three crossed the bridge at high speed.
As if familiar with this routine, they formed a small circle, fists clenched and ready to fight at any moment.
“I heard it’s first come, first served. We got here first.”
Aleksei spoke toward the dark silhouettes.
“What the hell are you?”
The glares directed at him were sharp.
“We absolutely need to climb that bell tower. They said the key goes to the first arrivals, so we came early.”
“Never seen your face before. Which village are you from?”
“What does that matter?”
“If you’re not from this village, don’t butt in.”
“I heard anyone could earn the right.”
The men burst into mocking laughter.
“We’ve been doing this for over a month now, trying to get that damned key.”
“……”
“Doesn’t matter who got here first. Whoever wins the fight gets it.”
“Then I guess we’ll have to win.”
Aleksei clenched both fists. Beside him, Franz slowly raised his hands and whispered,
“Are you good at fighting?”
“No. Never done it before.”
“…Haah.”
“What about you, Franz?”
“I have fought before.”
“Ever won?”
“…If you run away, that counts as winning.”
“No running.”
“If it looks like we’re going to die, we should.”
The men naturally circled each other. Everyone waited to see who would make the first move.
Then the man on the right threw a punch.
Aleksei dodged, and the fist flew straight into Franz’s face.
“Ah.”
Franz clutched his face. This time it was Aleksei who whispered,
“You should’ve dodged it. Like I did.”
The second punch struck Aleksei’s shoulder. Watching the crown prince grab his shoulder, Franz clicked his tongue.
“I told you not to get cocky.”
The silent square soon filled with dull thuds and groans.
At an hour when even God should have been asleep, the men freely unleashed violence on each other’s bodies and faces.
One by one, people began collapsing.
Breathing heavily, Aleksei and Franz finally sat down.
“Looks like we won.”
“I don’t think so.”
One of the men sprawled on the ground suddenly began cackling. Following the finger he pointed with, the two men turned their heads.
A massive shadow was crossing the bridge.
“What a pointless fight.”
“We just trained the rookies for free.”
Voices filled with grumbling and resignation followed.
“Who’s that?”
“If you’re from another village, you wouldn’t know. His name’s Thompson. Nickname: Goliath.”
“It’s over. Don’t even think about challenging him. Just move aside quietly.”
“He’s that strong?”
Franz asked.
“He uproots trees and swings them around.”
The moment Thompson stepped into the square, it felt like the ground itself shook.
“What the—”
The heavy pressure bore down on the two men. Like before, they raised their fists.
Their legs trembling was definitely because they were exhausted—not because they were scared. Absolutely not.
“Let’s take him down with a surprise attack.”
“Alright.”
“One, two—”
“Three!”
The two of them charged straight for Thompson’s chest.
The start was magnificent.
Only the start.
“Aaagh!”
It took less than thirty seconds for Thompson to grab them by the scruffs of their necks, slam their faces together like flintstones, and throw them to the ground.
Seeing stars glitter near his head, Aleksei closed his eyes. A dark shadow flickered in his vision, but he couldn’t tell what it was.
* * *
Angelina’s eyes snapped open with a strange feeling.
It felt like when it was almost time for school but your mother still hadn’t woken you up.
What is this? Why do I have such a bad feeling?
Angelina immediately realized it.
Aleksei had left the inn without her.
4:40 a.m.
Maybe she wasn’t too late.
Instead of her chemise gown, she hurriedly pulled on undergarments and threw on the dress she had taken off earlier.
She dashed across the bridge like an arrow.
When she reached about halfway, the scene in the square came into view.
People were sprawled all over the ground, and standing alone among them was the so-called Goliath.
Thompson had Aleksei by the collar and was shaking him around. Then he smashed what he held in both hands together like striking flint.
At the end of the bridge, Angelina picked up a stone.
She threw it, but missed.
Once more.
Rolling her shoulders, she threw another stone.
Thwack—
A direct hit.
“Who’s there?”
Thompson spun around with a fierce look, searching everywhere except the woman standing plainly at the bridge entrance.
Angelina threw another stone.
Thwack—
This time, his knee.
Thompson grabbed his knee and frowned.
“Over here. Here.”
When she waved her hand sparklingly, Thompson’s eyes widened into circles before relaxing again. A sound like air escaping a balloon came out of his mouth.
“If you came to pray, miss, then quietly pray.”
“I came to pray and ring the bell. Those two are with me.”
Angelina jerked her chin toward the two men collapsed beneath Thompson. As she rolled up her sleeves, Thompson snorted.
“I can’t tell if you’re fearless or just brainless, miss.”
“If you were late, you should’ve politely given up your place. Why are you beating people up? What are you, some thug?”
“If you want to ring the bell that badly, you could just pay money.”
“I don’t have money to waste on thugs like you.”
Angelina’s voice rang loudly through the silent square.
