RR 02

Chapter : 02

That was the moment. Someone suddenly blocked the way. Emblin looked up with a cold scowl. In an instant, her breath caught without her realizing it.

Of all people… Emblin quickly tried to sidestep past him. But it was useless. He caught her immediately. The pungent smell of alcohol assaulted her senses, almost paralyzing them.

“Hahahaha. Where are you off to in such a hurry, my cute little cousin?”

Tuk Kysling. The eldest son of Duke Kysling and her cousin. The Kysling ducal house originally shared blood ties with the royal house of Accurs. However, this time, Accurs V’s younger brother had ascended to the ducal title because the previous duke, having no sons, had adopted an heir early on. That adopted child was Accurs V’s brother, Baron.

Tuk had been notorious for his cruel disposition since childhood. The number of servants who had died by his hand was countless, and the women he had touched were beyond reckoning. Yet he had never once been punished.

Partly because Duke Kysling doted on Tuk as the apple of his eye, but more importantly, because as a knight, he was exceptionally skilled and had achieved great merits in territorial disputes time and again. Sloeland was a world ruled by the strong.

Emblin’s face hardened. To be caught by this madman. What terrible luck. But she had to stay calm. Any misstep, and she would face humiliation again.

“Let me go.”

“Huh? I can’t hear you.”

Emblin pushed him away as he tried to pull her into an embrace and repeated herself.
“I said, let me go.”
This time, she spoke with more force. Tuk was drunk. She tensed up instinctively. The only things she could rely on were her status and her composure. No one would come to save her.

Tuk staggered as he spoke.
“Why so angry, my pretty?”
At the same time, his hand brushed against Emblin’s backside. Gasp! Emblin pushed him away in panic, but he didn’t budge an inch. He smirked and whispered into her ear with a chilling tone.
“So, are you doing well, sending it every month without fail?”
“Let go!”
“I heard you’re to be married off to some old man? How pitiful. Should I hold you just once before that? You should at least know what a real man is like.”

It seemed the marriage was already a foregone conclusion. A fact known to everyone except her and her mother. Rage surged to the top of her head. She couldn’t think of anything else.

Emblin spoke in an icy tone.
“Who do you think you are, daring to speak of holding me? You’re not even worthy of licking my toes!”

Suddenly, a collective “Oooh!” erupted from the mouths of those who had gathered around them to watch. It was an incitement.

They were all scions of nobility, well aware of the treatment Emblin received in the capital. It was impossible not to know, given the king’s open contempt and disdain for her.

That emboldened them to treat Emblin recklessly. If she acted composed, they wanted to torment her until she cried; if she acted proud, they wanted to break her.

But Emblin had never cried nor been broken so far. She had fought a constant, silent battle against the contemptuous gazes. Emblin’s eyes seemed to spit fire. One wrong move, and she would become their plaything. She really had to keep her wits about her.

She snapped.
“Move aside, now!”
Tuk’s expression changed completely. To him, women were worth less than the dirt under his toenails. Moreover, he had awakened to his desires early and was sadistic. He didn’t respect his opponents, so he committed cruel acts without a second thought.

Every time he came to the capital, weeping could be heard from the back alleys where secret transactions took place. No matter how much money was offered, after he left, the women were often unable to work. He was the type who felt ecstasy in breaking women.

Tuk’s eyes glinted dangerously. He glanced over his shoulder, gauging the atmosphere of the hall. Emblin sensed the danger instinctively. Running away now wouldn’t be about saving face. It was a matter of life and death.

Swiftly, Emblin turned and ran. But before she could get far, she was blocked by a wall of people. She was furious. They all seemed to be in on it, smiling as they barred her path. Her pupils shook wildly. Were these even people? Were those laughing at her predicament truly human?

Tuk pointed at Emblin and sneered.
“I really like you, Emblin. I wish I could be your husband. Who would want a madwoman’s daughter? Unless she had a hefty dowry.”

She felt keenly what it was like to have nothing. Her heart pounded violently. Disillusionment, fear, despair, and more despair… But she didn’t show it. The more panicked, the more cornered she was, the colder she became. That was her nature. It was how she survived in this hell.

But now, mere survival wasn’t enough. As Maser had said, she had to find a way to live and leave. For now, she just had to escape this crisis.

Emblin spoke haughtily.
“You dare worry about me, Tuk Kysling? You, who have thrown the dignity of nobility into a pigsty, meddling in my affairs? Do you think you have the right?”

The drunkenness vanished from Tuk’s face. He had probably never heard such words before.
“Is taunting women all you’re good at? You should be ashamed, Tuk Kysling.”

It happened in an instant. Tuk reached out and roughly grabbed her arm, holding it tight.
“You really know how to pick a fight. Truly the daughter of madwoman Meril.”
“Hmph! Don’t forget it was thanks to my mother that your territory even survives.”
Tuk flared up. Forgetting the place, he raised his hand to strike her. That was the moment. Someone grabbed his wrist.

Tuk looked up. Instantly, a smug smile spread across his face. He actually came. He had been waiting for this.
“Well, well, look who’s here. Coming to play the knight in shining armor?”

Tris glanced at Emblin, then tightened his grip on Tuk’s arm, forcing him to release her. He said coldly.
“Step aside.”
Emblin instinctively took a step back. It was Tris Aike, the eldest son of Duke Aike. He had also come for the capital festival, but he was hard to catch a proper glimpse of. That was because Tris preferred horses and swords, enjoyed mingling with people without pretense, and was always out and about.

So, he had received much criticism. They said he tarnished the dignity of a duke. Yet, he remained consistent. He still roamed outside. And now he had appeared…

Emblin unconsciously rubbed her sore arm and looked at him. Being helped at such a perfectly timed moment made her think something she normally never would. Could it be… to save me? She felt a foolish flutter of excitement. Her eyes, once filled with defiance, now sparkled with life.

Tris glanced back at Emblin. Just as he thought, seeing her expression, she seemed okay. But she looked a bit different than usual. He couldn’t quite pinpoint it, but something was off.

Suddenly, his gaze met her eyes. Unconsciously, his eyes lingered. Pupils like a sea imbued with light. He’d never seen them lit up like that before. They were usually filled with arrogant coldness. At any rate, he was glad she was unharmed.

Tris said bluntly to Tuk.
“Let’s change location.”
“Why?”
“So we can duel comfortably.”

Hahaha. Tuk burst into scornful laughter. How predictably he acted. Tuk fanned the flames of his anger.
“Is there a reason for that?”
“There is. You harassed my sister. I’ll have to rip your mouth apart or break your wrist to appease her.”

Emblin’s mouth fell open slightly before she hurriedly clamped it shut. Of course. There was no way he came to save her. A bitter taste filled her mouth as if to remind her to get a grip.

If it was Tris’s sister, that would be Idella. Now thirteen, she was incredibly spirited and popular with the boys. But it seemed she hadn’t escaped Tuk’s clutches. Emblin felt both pity and envy. To have a brother who would stand up for you like that. What would that feel like?

Meanwhile, the two men glared at each other. Both were nearly 190 centimeters tall. Their shoulders were similarly broad, but their builds differed. Tris was sleek with lean muscle, while Tuk was bulkier. In short, strength versus speed.

Tuk taunted.
“If you have the skill, then bring it on. Where shall we go?”
“To the training grounds.”

Just as expected. Tuk laying hands on Idella was to provoke Tris. He had grown bored just one day after arriving in the capital. The women were dull, and drinking held no fun. What he needed now was an outlet to unleash his strength fully. But among his peers, there was no match. Accidentally killing someone would be troublesome. This was the capital, not the Kysling territory.

Tuk had some sense too. So, his target was Tris. He had heard rumors that when Tris took his knightly vows, his skill was said to be unmatched in generations, but rumors were just rumors. Being the best where he wasn’t present was meaningless. So, he had wanted to test himself against Tris someday.

And then, he spotted Idella passing by. Knowing Tris was famously protective of his sister, he expected a reaction. The thought of drawing blood excited him already. Tuk licked his lips and followed Tris, who strode ahead.

A crowd swarmed after them. They wouldn’t miss such a spectacle. Watching a fight was the most entertaining thing. Especially a clash between ducal heirs. It was a thrill money couldn’t buy.

Now Emblin was free again. But she didn’t know where to go. The banquet wasn’t over yet, so she couldn’t return to the tower. She had to hide. Hide and think. Emblin straightened her back and headed for the castle gardens. There were plenty of places to hide there.