TBLY 10

Episode 10

You Are Not My Child

In a room where the tightly drawn curtains blocked out sunlight, only a thin stream of light leaked through the gaps—not a blinding white, but a soft, pale orange.

“…Kalia?”

Shaymon called her name with a hoarse voice from shouting all night. His husky, sensuous tone echoed through the empty space.

Even someone as sensitive as Kalia hadn’t responded, so she must still be asleep. Well, that made sense—last night had been intense, after all.

With a slightly dazed expression from sleep deprivation, Shaymon let out a faint, foolish smile. His whole body felt sore and sluggish, as if it had been beaten, after exerting himself with such passion until sunrise.

The pleasure he had experienced for the first time was astonishing, and their night hadn’t ended easily. Every place their lips touched burned with heat.

The places where they joined each time brought new sensations, driving them wild. Yet, the faint smiles that kept escaping were unstoppable.

‘Damn… even Kalia must have had a tough night. She still hasn’t woken up.’

Shaymon felt a small sense of pride for waking before Kalia and a slight arrogance at having worn her out so completely. After all, who else but Kalia Taxicate?

The Empire’s strongest woman—monstrous stamina, incredible endurance, a symbol of patience and strength.

…And now, Shaymon’s woman.

Shaymon buried his face into the pillow, stretching his arm across the empty space, trying to hide the twitch at the corner of his mouth.

“Kalia.”

He wanted to touch her smooth, firm bare skin. It had been something he had longed to do for years.

He wanted to hold her wounded body tightly, to soothe her with gentle strokes. He wanted to hold her warmly and strongly, with his own two hands and arms.

“…Kalia?”

But for some reason, his outstretched hands touched nothing, and calling her name received no answer.

Feeling an unfamiliar chill, Shaymon opened his eyes and scanned the room.

She wasn’t there.

No matter how much he looked around, Kalia was gone. The large bed, still messy from the previous night, was now occupied only by Shaymon.

For a moment, Shaymon froze, a chilling thought crossing his mind—what if everything from last night had been a dream?

But then he noticed a strand of pale, long hair lying on the white bedding, and his unease vanished instantly.

That single strand was enough. He exhaled in relief.

“…That was almost crazy.”

He took a deep breath and got up, walking straight to the terrace. Drawing back the curtains, he let the orange sunlight bathe his body.

Although he was a mage, Shaymon had trained his body regularly, conscious of someone who exercised daily. He hated the idea of his body appearing thinner or weaker than hers, no matter the circumstances.

Not bulky like a knight, but the well-placed lean muscles beneath his skin moved rhythmically as he stretched.

He gazed at the palace beyond the red sunset, laughing at himself in disbelief.

‘…So I just lay around all day.’

He chuckled at his own absurdity. Kalia, who always rose early even in the harshest battlefields, would never oversleep like this.

She must have woken up slightly later than usual, lingered in awkward hesitation for a while, and then returned to the mansion—he could imagine it clearly without seeing it.

Alone and naked, he pictured her frozen in thought, recalling last night while seeing him asleep beside her.

After several faint laughs, Shaymon lazily dressed himself. Kalia had probably left the room quietly, careful not to wake him.

‘…Maybe I’ll check on her leisurely tomorrow.’

Shaymon anticipated her reaction with amusement. Would she blush and feel embarrassed, unlike her usual self? Or hide from him, which would be cute? Or perhaps… deny last night’s events entirely?

A confident smile curled his lips.

‘Doesn’t matter. I left plenty of evidence that she can’t deny it.’

He had kissed all the marks on her body, licked and claimed every rough nail and adorable ankle. Last night, Kalia had been his completely—from head to toe.

Living passionately at every moment, she had been fearless even in the first instant. In every moment, she had wanted more and urged him on.

A skilled general, she knew how to invigorate and push forward with tactical precision. She was a born strategist and a conqueror.

‘Oh, Kalia. Kalia.’

He recalled the warmth of her embrace, candidly expressing pleasure as her simple nature allowed. It felt good—until he spotted someone waiting in the lobby of the magic tower.

Descending the stairs, Shaymon noticed a stranger sitting comfortably on a large sofa, reading a book as if in her own study.

Dressed in a voluminous blue dress, she looked up upon sensing his presence.

“Finally, you’ve come down. I almost finished this book here. And I only brought one,” she said in a confident, clear voice.

She marked the page and rose to meet Shaymon, her ruby-red eyes locking onto him.

Though unfamiliar, he felt he knew her face. Perhaps she had been introduced somewhere, but she wasn’t someone significant to him.

“Finally, we meet. Did you sleep well?”

At her provocative voice, Shaymon retrieved his monocle from his pocket. On particularly tiring days, his right eye weakened—perhaps that was why he couldn’t recognize her at first. But even with clear vision, this woman wasn’t someone who should act so boldly.

Her peculiar smile, lifting one corner of her mouth, reminded him where he had seen her.

‘Ah, the third princess of Ains.’

It had been during the victory party last night, when Kalia had just finished her 26th glass of wine. Even Kalia couldn’t drink so much without getting tipsy.

When she drank, her laughter became careless, which irritated Shaymon—he didn’t like such a precious smile being shown to anyone.

‘I need to stop her immediately.’

Shaymon was held back by Ruymond.

“This is Princess Ruina from Ains. She seems bored. Any special events to entertain her?”

Surrounded by the talkative Marquis Karuloi, his son, and foreign guests, he whispered to Shaymon alone.

‘Help me, please.’

He ignored Ruymond and, without speaking, stretched his hand to the sky and unleashed fire magic.

Fwoosh! Fwoosh! Whoosh!

“Oh my, look at that! Fire!”

“My goodness, such colors!”

“Beautiful like a flower!”

Everyone’s attention turned skyward—the foolish men offering wine to Kalia, Princess Ruina by the crown prince’s side, all captivated.

Seizing the moment, Shaymon swiftly took Kalia outside. His encounter with Princess Ruina ended there—no further connection existed between them.

“Since morning, I’ve been waiting for you. Other mages made excuses about not knowing your whereabouts, but General Kalia came out earlier. I waited because I thought you’d appear eventually,” Ruina explained.

There was no reason to wait from morning till evening, especially for him. Yet she smiled faintly, meeting Shaymon’s golden eyes.

Her ruby-red eyes and shiny honey-blonde hair were undeniably beautiful, but Shaymon felt nothing. His love wasn’t for mere appearances.

Still confident, Ruina stood straight before him.

“Do you know why I’ve been waiting for you, Duke?”

“I have no idea,” Shaymon replied, disinterested.

Her gaze wavered slightly at his cold tone, but she quickly steadied herself and spoke with a trembling voice.

“I’ve come to propose marriage to you, Duke Shaymon Terloan Mado.”

Shaymon frowned. Marriage?

Hearing such an absurd word from a woman he had barely met was ridiculous.

In the Rohaas Empire, gender equality was notable, so women proposing wasn’t unusual. Shaymon had already received dozens of proposals, so that wasn’t shocking. But this approach was entirely improbable.

The last trace of patience in him cooled instantly. Without hesitation, Shaymon responded plainly, as if rejecting a business offer.

“I am honored, but I cannot accept. I refuse. Let it be as though your proposal was never made, for the sake of your dignity.”

He lightly bowed, erasing her proposal from existence.

Ruina’s cheeks flushed with embarrassment, yet she didn’t retreat. She struck at his weakness:

“Is it because of General Kalia?”

Shaymon lowered his gaze, his mood plummeting. Very unpleasant.

Hearing Kalia’s name from a stranger felt deeply disrespectful. Yet Ruina, seemingly unaware of his frozen glare, smiled warmly and continued:

“This morning, I saw her descend here. Too early to be visiting a friend. But that’s fine. I don’t blame the time I spent not knowing you.”

Shaymon’s expression went blank.