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chapter 04
The Lion Begins the Hunt
“The more I do as you say, the less you seem to trust me.”
Lion King Rachi was utterly frustrated. He had waited a whole year to meet Adeline, but she didn’t understand his feelings even a little.
At first, when he heard her story, he thought lightly that he should someday go to Marma and meet her. But the more he learned about her, the more he felt he absolutely had to win her over to his side.
As he had heard from Aizen, the King of Nova, Adeline didn’t trust people. Considering the harsh past she described as tragic, her distrust of humanity was only natural.
Still, wanting to win her heart as soon as possible, Rachi called his subordinates and asked them, almost commanding:
“Think of a way quickly if you don’t want to die.”
His men, who favored black clothes like their king, gathered seriously and shared their opinions. But the desert warriors, who had spent their whole lives training their bodies, had no idea how to persuade a woman like Adeline, who guarded her heart so fiercely. Even the smartest among them, his adjutant, was the same.
Hearing no satisfactory answer, Rachi sighed deeply.
“I really don’t know.”
“Don’t rush too much. What woman would immediately agree to marry a huge, dark stranger who suddenly appears? Naturally, they’d be cautious and suspicious. And a princess would be twice as wary as anyone else.”
“I know that. That’s why I’m telling you to figure out a way, you idiot.”
“Is she really that pretty?”
The adjutant asked, having heard that Baltica’s lion—the man they all respected—couldn’t even speak or smile in front of her, only frowning sharply.
“Don’t talk nonsense. She’s not pretty at all.”
Lion King Rachi scowled.
Adeline was a strange woman to him. Her white hair like clouds was odd, her eyes shining with different colors each time he saw her were strange. Sharp words always came out when she spoke, but when she smiled, it took people’s breath away. Her moderately high, husky voice sounded like raindrops falling on the dry desert.
“Not pretty.”
He repeated firmly.
“What if the princess refuses Baltica to the end? Will they just push forward from the southern border?”
One of the men asked, but the answer came from the adjutant, not Rachi.
“You idiot. What do we know about Marma?”
“Well… someone must know.”
“Know more than the princess?”
“She was sold to another country for 11 years, right?”
“Damn it, idiot!”
The adjutant snapped angrily. Then Rachi spoke for him.
“They say she’s been preparing for 10 years.”
“What do you mean?”
“Revenge.”
His voice dropped low.
Though youngest among the warriors present, Rachi had the deepest voice. When he sighed heavily, the noisy warriors fell silent and listened.
“They say she sharpened the blade of revenge every day without fail for 10 years, only waiting to return. If I were the king of Marma, I wouldn’t be able to sleep peacefully once I knew that.”
So, he vowed once again, he would definitely make her his ally.
“How was the Marma banquet?”
As the meeting ended, the adjutant asked. Rachi hesitated briefly then smiled slightly.
“It was funny.”
“What was?”
“Parrots and poisonous toads gathered yelling ‘Long live His Majesty the Emperor!’ while secretly looking down on me. But when I met their eyes, they quickly looked away. I didn’t know what they wanted.”
“Parrots and poisonous toads… that’s terrifying.”
Though this banquet would go down in Marma’s history, the Lion King’s judgment was harsh. The adjutant who smiled with him asked again.
“Did the princess appear?”
“No, she said she was going to be ill.”
“Only a few days have passed since the banquet ended. You should check for news.”
“I heard she moved the palace today.”
Adeline’s palace was on the edge of a huge imperial palace that reminded one of a small town. Unlike the inner palace protected by three layers of walls, hers had only one outer wall, making it look like a place where a prisoner they wanted to hide was locked away.
The adjutant stopped walking seriously after hearing Rachi’s words.
“Go immediately.”
Something felt wrong. The adjutant scratched his white hair nervously.
“You know how much the radicals who hate peace between Nova and Marma want to kill the princess.”
“I know.”
Adeline had been attacked by assassins several times on her way back. If she were killed by some unknown faction, Marma would claim it was Nova’s doing, and Nova would counterclaim Marma had framed them.
The two nations had long-standing grudges, enough that even a small spark could ignite war. Adeline Vita had stopped that war with her bare hands. So those who wanted the war desperately hoped she would die.
“Someone like her is locked alone in a remote palace. Since she just moved today, the defenses must be weakest now. If I were an assassin aiming for her… I wouldn’t miss this chance.”
Before the adjutant finished speaking, Rachi’s hand was already on the sword hilt.
“I’m going.”
“Aren’t you taking men?”
“Alone is better. If we go in a group, we become the attackers. Marma’s royal family are all cowards.”
Of course, except for her.
Covering his mouth with the black cloth wrapped around his neck, Rachi lightly jumped through the window.
Sol-Maruma, the thousand-year capital of Marma, had many huge old trees. The three forests surrounding the imperial castle were the same. Thick, broad trunks blocked out the night sky.
Rachi ran through the middle of the forest.
His long legs moved like a wild beast. He leaned forward with his upper body, using both arms to balance. Running through the dizzying forest as if on flat ground, he narrowed his eyes, watching carefully as he changed direction. He sensed footsteps far away.
The dark forest completely concealed his figure wrapped in black clothes.
“The princess is in danger.”
Rachi trusted his adjutant’s words. He always respected his men’s opinions, and this time was no different.
There was more than one assassin. Somehow, news of where she moved had spread, and assassins were stealthily moving through the forest less than a day after the palace transfer.
Adeline.
Even while running, he thought of her cloud-like hair. Though it was midnight and pitch dark, it felt as if only in his mind white clouds drifted slowly.
Covering his mouth with black cloth, he smiled silently.
“Here to propose again?”
When they met the third time, she said just that. Her cold, deep blue eyes first widened then narrowed into an almond shape.
She didn’t know how tense that fleeting smile made people.
As Rachi neared Adeline’s palace, footsteps increased. Running between the pathless trees, he stopped and hid in the shadows.
He promised her that as long as he was by her side, the paper-doll men of Marma would never dare harm her.
She didn’t believe him. Then he just had to prove it.
Rachi drew the long sword from his back. The assassins advancing toward Adeline’s palace could not stop the black lion who jumped out of the shadows.
“Who’s there…?”
“No!”
There was no time to scream. The blade plunged silently, then withdrew. At the moment one died, the neck of another nearby was snapped. The assassins noticed the death too late and became cautious, but it was already too late.
The lion was everywhere.
Each time Rachi swung his sword, one more died.
People thought rumors of the Lion King’s strength were exaggerated. How could a human be so strong? Everyone thought he was only slightly better than others of similar level. The tales of the Lion King from Odium were clearly fabrications by his followers.
But the real Rachi El Baltica was beyond those rumors.
Having instantly defeated six assassins nearby, he resumed running. Crimson blood dripped from his sword. The fresh forest was faintly tinged with the smell of iron blood.
The closer to Adeline’s palace, the more footsteps there were. Too many for just one fragile princess.
He stopped running and looked back.
“If you don’t want to die, leave.”
The shadows surrounding him stopped moving and stared cautiously.
“I warned you.”
Rachi pulled the black cloth back up over his nose and ran again.
The assassins had already reached the building. They were thoroughly trained, hiding in trees, behind shadows, and between forest paths, each approaching from a different direction.
No matter where the princess ran, they would kill her.
Rachi first climbed a tree and cut down an assassin aiming a crossbow. The man gave a short groan and hung limp from a thick branch.
The second was on the forest path. Two long daggers, gloves stained with poison. Rachi approached from behind, twisted his arm, and stabbed the man in the chest with his own knife.
While dealing with these two, Rachi saw another climb the railing to the second floor, where candlelight flickered late at night.
Adeline was there.
Before the assassin could step onto her balcony, Rachi threw his sword. With a sharp crack, blood spurted down the white stone pillar.
Having taken care of all the assassins outside alone, Rachi moved quickly inside. Passing the empty entrance, he couldn’t help but chuckle.
Only two guards were protecting the princess in this huge palace—and both were gathered in her bedroom.
“Who is it?”
Before he could knock, her voice sounded. Rachi was already holding the doorknob halfway turned.
“It’s me.”
“How am I supposed to know who you are by saying that?”
Adeline grumbled. Rachi smiled, about to say his name.
Then one heartbeat inside was unusually loud and fast—an incredible speed. He thought the scared coward guarding her was just nervous, but it wasn’t fear.
Confirming the speeding heartbeat, Rachi suddenly burst into the room.
“Move!”
Two knights stood by Adeline. One guarded her closely, the other watched the balcony and door from a short distance.
Suddenly, the knight beside Adeline turned and slashed at her.
“Adeline—!”
Rachi shouted loudly.
Running to her, he tore off the long buckler strapped on his arm and threw it. The rough iron armor flew and hit the knight’s temple.
Though bleeding from a cracked skull, the knight did not stop attacking. Just as his sharp sword was about to stab her abdomen, a white hand slashed across his neck.
Adeline was holding a sharp dagger.
Her long gown was stained with hot blood. Her dark sapphire eyes glowed icy cold. She steadied her trembling eyes and spoke in a calm voice.
“…I won’t die.”
“I absolutely won’t die.”
Blood gushed from the fallen knight’s neck. He clutched it with one hand and groaned unintelligibly.
The other knight rushed over, pulled the sword from his hand, and looked at Adeline in shock. She still held the dripping dagger.
Rachi lifted her up in his arms. She staggered but stood firmly.
Adeline stared directly into the eyes of the assassin she had killed. She never looked away until his breath ceased.
Rachi looked silently at her. She casually adjusted her bloodied gown and addressed the remaining knight, who stood awkwardly.
“Knight, what did you say earlier?”
“…Your Majesty.”
“You said that in such a remote palace, two guards were enough protection—that it was a waste of manpower? Say that again.”
“Apologies.”
The knight bowed stiffly. His name was Richard Selmore, who had met Lion King before. Though not bribed by assassins, he still showed no respect for her.
“Get out. Seeing your face is worse than these bloodstains.”
Richard dragged the dead assassin’s body outside.
“You incompetent fool.”
Adeline watched the scene without batting an eye.
The two of them silently looked around the devastated room for a while. The palace had been empty for a long time, making it extremely barren. With the added bloodstains, it looked like a haunted house.
Adeline looked despondent.
“It seems they really wanted to kill someone badly. I expected an attack soon, but I didn’t expect they’d bribe a knight. Richard is a fool — it’s lucky he brought only one… if there had been two, it would’ve been dangerous.”
Listening to her words, suddenly a heat rose inside his throat. His anger surged and his heart raced.
Adeline was still tightly gripping the bloodied dagger. Her shoulders were straight, and her voice did not tremble. But Lachi noticed her fingers holding the dagger had turned white and were trembling slightly. He roughly turned around and approached her. Then he snatched her hand and gripped her wrist.
“Adeline.”
“How do you know…?”
“Do you even have a clear mind or not? After being attacked so many times, how can you be so careless? Only two attackers. I dealt with over ten of them on my way here. The actual number must have been even higher.”
He hadn’t meant to get angry, but as soon as he opened his mouth, the words he had been holding back came pouring out.
“You’re not trying to die, are you? Is that why you live recklessly like this? I thought you weren’t the kind of person to do that.”
Adeline shot a sharp glare at Lachi.
“Don’t speak recklessly. Just because you saved me doesn’t mean you can insult me.”
“You were like that from the start. The knights of Marma didn’t actively protect you. Even while we were killing the attackers, they just stood around watching.”
“Is that so?”
“You knew all along.”
Adeline’s gaze briefly shifted outside the door. Lachi said confidently to her:
“That cowardly knight is far away. He’s outside taking down a corpse caught on a tree branch, so don’t worry.”
“You can even tell that?”
“Yes. So tell me, why do you treat your life so lightly?”
This was a very important question to Lachi. If Adeline intended to recklessly charge at revenge like a moth to flame without thinking, it would be better to give up on her now and retreat.
She was a woman he thirsted for, but he had no intention of escorting her to death.
“No.”
But then Adeline came close, almost to his chin, and lifted her head sharply.
“That’s not true.”
“Adeline.”
“My life is important. How important? Do you know there are over ten thousand people living inside this vast palace? I wouldn’t trade my life for all of theirs. Not even if all those people inside were bastards—which they aren’t all—but still, I don’t care. I won’t trade it. Satisfied now?”
“Then why act like this?”
Adeline furrowed her thin eyebrows at Lachi’s insistence that he wouldn’t back down until she explained. Her long eyelashes fluttered like butterflies, fanning him.
“You…”
“Tell me. You’re very important to me. So…”
As Lachi seriously tried to persuade Adeline, suddenly he tensed his shoulders sharply.
“Who’s there!”
He wrapped his slender body with one arm and quickly pushed her behind him. While Adeline swallowed a short scream, Lachi stood protectively in front of her and said:
“I know you’re hanging from the balcony. Come out right now or I’ll split your head in two.”
Someone was hanging outside the window balcony. Despite Lachi’s fierce warning, the person stayed silent for a while, then cautiously moved along the balcony.
“Hey… it’s me, don’t kill me.”
It was a messenger. A round head popped up with a sly smile. As soon as the messenger entered Adeline’s bedroom, he raised both hands high and shouted:
“I’m sorry!”
Adeline let out a loud sigh.
“This is all because of that sparrow-eyed bastard.”
“What?”
“That guy promised he’d take care of everything.”
Her gaze was as fierce as Lachi’s. The messenger raised his hands like a scolded child and started explaining apologetically.
“This is all because of the Lion King.”
“What?”
Lachi was stunned. He threatened the messenger that if he spoke nonsense, he’d kill him. But the messenger, with drooping eyes, muttered complaints.
“We definitely stationed people in the forest. Skilled ones. We brought thirty of them. Suddenly, the Lion King appeared there and started killing all the assassins! Our guys were shocked—right? If things went wrong, the Lion King would be mistaken for an assassin, and they’d all get their heads chopped off…”
“So you’re saying everyone ran away because they were scared of the Lion King?”
Adeline asked incredulously. The messenger shook his head violently.
“I can’t say they ran away! The strongest on the continent was warning them to back off unless they wanted to die, dripping with deadly intent. What kind of lunatic would defy that… Since the Lion King appeared, the princess would obviously be safe. Instead of us rushing in and making a mess of the palace… it was better to trust and stay back…”
“Do you say that after seeing me like this?”
Adeline pointed at her chest. She was covered from her neck to toes in assassin blood. Dark crimson stains disfigured her white nightgown.
The messenger muttered again.
“I’m sorry, princess…”
He slowly lowered his hands and glanced at Adeline, who glared at him fiercely, while the Lion King quietly observed the two.
“First, we need to find out who this sparrow-eyed bastard really is.”
Lachi asked. Adeline hesitated briefly but then decisively said:
“He’s a messenger assigned to me by Ordo, the information dealer.”
“Ordo? You’ve joined hands with them?”
“Not exactly. We made a small contract.”
“What kind of contract?”
“That much I can’t tell you. I swore a confidentiality oath.”
Revealing the messenger’s identity already broke the oath, but she didn’t care much.
“Thank you for saving me.”
“No need to thank me. I was just keeping a promise.”
“What promise?”
Adeline looked genuinely confused. Her eyelashes fluttered softly like butterflies toward him. Lachi took the handkerchief she offered and wiped the dried blood off his face.
“I promised to protect you.”
“What? That was the promise?”
She didn’t seem to think the conversation back then was a promise. Lachi frowned and looked at her, but Adeline shrugged.
“I thought you were just bragging about your strength.”
“Adeline.”
“Just kidding.”
She laughed out loud.
It started again. Every time she laughed, it sounded like raindrops falling on a dry desert. This woman was strange. He realized again. The sound filled his ears, his mind, and soaked his heart like rain.
How could she laugh like this after nearly dying just a moment ago?
Lachi looked at her seriously. When she saw his sudden silence, Adeline asked:
“What are you thinking?”
“You… should change those clothes.”
He couldn’t say he stayed silent because her laughter was pleasant to hear. Rarely hesitating, the man spoke with a hint of reluctance. Adeline lowered her head and checked her appearance.
Her long gown was soaked and heavy with so much blood. She sighed and nodded.
“You’re right. I should wash up and change.”
“Then I’ll be going.”
“Lion King.”
Adeline called him. Lachi turned back toward her, and her slender finger pointed to the bathroom.
“Shall we wash up together?”
“Are you crazy?”
“Why? Didn’t you say you wanted to marry me?”
Upon hearing that assassins had entered the princess’s room, the maids who rushed in screamed.
Lachi couldn’t resist Adeline’s invitation and washed himself in her palace. Although the offer to wash together was probably a joke, he was genuinely embarrassed.
After cleaning himself with hot water and changing into fresh clothes, he was led to a cozy parlor. The maids brought food and wine, but he didn’t touch any of it.
Adeline appeared in the parlor a little late.
“I’m done. You should go now.”
“Huh? But…”
“No, go now.”
After the maids left, she sat across from Lachi and began eating.
“Did they leave?”
“The maids?”
“Yes.”
“They went downstairs.”
“How do you know? By the way, you noticed the messenger hanging outside the window too.”
“I can hear heartbeats. I can hear breathing if someone is nearby.”
Adeline envied his senses. She asked if all warriors from the desert had such abilities. When he said no, she nodded and said again:
“I have something to tell you.”
“Say it.”
“You asked what the next plan is.”
She spoke. Lachi shook his head without drinking the wine she offered. Alcohol clouds the mind. He didn’t like drinking.
“Should I tell you?”
“Why the sudden change of heart?”
“You saved me, and also… I think we can help each other.”
“From this incident?”
“Yes.”
Adeline put down the wine bottle on the table and picked up a glass. Though she offered him wine, she didn’t drink either. Her changed clothes were pajamas.
“You know there’s a slave market in Marma, right?”
“I’ve heard.”
“Do you know which slaves sell for the highest price?”
“Gypsies.”
More precisely, women called guides among the gypsies. They could navigate by stars even in the middle of the desert night sky, and use those stars to divine fortunes.
Adeline twisted her lips into a smile.
“I never understood why Marma’s nobles crave desert gypsies… but they’re traded at unimaginable prices. They keep these mystical beings connected to the gods chained in bedrooms, defiling and degrading them.”
“Stop. It’s unpleasant to hear.”
Lachi’s face contorted fiercely. After a brief silence, Adeline spoke to him in a heavy tone.
“In ten days, there will be a high-priced slave auction at the Sol-Marma underground ruins. What I want is to rescue one woman from there.”
Lachi pushed his wet hair back with one hand and leaned toward her.
“A gypsy, huh.”
His voice was very low.
