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Chapter 8
The northern fortress city of Yeshken—
Known as the northernmost place where people live, with more than half of its territory still wild and unexplored.
Naturally, it wasn’t a tourist spot, so visitors from other regions were rare.
“The coachman was right,” Belaxina thought as she looked at the heavily guarded city gates.
If she had come alone, they definitely wouldn’t have let her in.
Especially not while wearing a torn-up dress like this.“Aren’t you cold?”
Redek asked.
Belaxina was just examining her dress when he spoke, so she could guess why he asked.
Her outfit was ripped in several places, exposing skin, so he probably thought she was freezing.
“Not really.”
She replied with little interest. Complaining wouldn’t magically get her a warmer dress anyway, and she actually wasn’t that cold.
She didn’t know it, but that was thanks to the unicorn magic Avalkin had cast the night before.
Redek looked at her with genuine admiration.
“Impressive. Most other noble ladies couldn’t handle it—they turned back before even reaching this far.”
“Other noble ladies?”
Belaxina, who was leaning with one arm on the window frame, turned her sharp gaze toward the back of Redek’s head.
Feeling that sharp look, Redek shivered a little.
“That was careless of me. Please forget I said that.”
“You can’t take back words once they’re spoken. Don’t make me suspicious. Just tell me the truth.”
“Now she’s acting like some noble master,” Redek muttered internally.
She was just a slave in rags, but she had the pride and tone of a duchess.
He kind of regretted not treating her more like a slave from the beginning. But it was too late now.
“Better say it in a way that won’t upset Lord Avalkin,” Redek thought, and began explaining.
“As you may know, our Lord is thirty-one. Considering he inherited his title at a young age, he’s a bit late for marriage.”
“I know he’s an old bachelor.”
“Hmph. You’re twenty-six yourself,” Redek grumbled inwardly.
In the Calhorn Empire, the standard noble marriage age was between fifteen and twenty-five.
So technically, both Belaxina and Avalkin had passed the “ideal” age—hers just slightly, his by a lot.
“Anyway, it’s not like Lord Avalkin never met anyone. Things just didn’t work out.”
As a loyal follower of Avalkin, Redek didn’t like the idea of his lord seeming like the one being rejected.
So a bit of irritation showed in his voice.
“It wasn’t his fault!”
Redek turned to face her.
“Yeshken is cold. Way colder than the capital ladies imagine.
They all claimed they were prepared, but none of them could even get through the gate in the middle of summer. That’s not Lord Avalkin’s fault, right? Personally, I think it shows they lacked determination!”
“Eyes on the road. You’re not a very careful driver, are you?”
Belaxina’s cold comment made Redek grumble, but he obediently turned back to face forward.
He wasn’t mature enough to stay calm all the time, but he wasn’t so immature that he’d ignore fair criticism either.
“I think I get the picture.”
Belaxina leaned back in her seat with arms crossed, piecing it all together.
She had been promised to someone since childhood, so she’d never cared about the noble matchmaking scene.
But for most nobles, it was a battlefield of finding a suitable partner.
That must’ve applied to Avalkin too.
If “other noble ladies” had come all the way to Yeshken, it meant a few of those relationships got pretty close to marriage.
But they all fell apart in the end. That was suspicious.
“Noble marriages aren’t just about feelings.”
They were more like contracts—or even business deals.
So giving up just because the land was “too cold” made no sense to Belaxina.
Something much more serious must’ve happened.
“Hmph. I bet the man just talked horribly.”
Avalkin’s awful social skills probably insulted those noble ladies and made them leave.
That’s likely why he ended up buying a slave bride with 10,000 gold coins.
If he had treated those proud young women like livestock—like he did with Belaxina—this outcome was inevitable.
“Pardon? What did you just say?”
“Nothing. Anyway, how much longer do we have to wait in this line?”
“Not long now.”
As Redek spoke, he jumped down from the carriage.
Just removing his cap was enough to make the guards stand up straight and salute, suggesting Redek was a fairly high-ranking figure here in Yeshken.
“…Yeshken.”
Belaxina let out a deep sigh.
It had only been a few days since she jumped off a carriage, shouting that she’d rather die than live as a slave—
and now, here she was, willingly entering Yeshken’s gates.
“Who would’ve guessed there wasn’t another village nearby…”
It wasn’t the unicorn’s fault.
The unicorn had taken her to the closest village, just as she asked.
The real issue was that in this vast northern land, Yeshken was the only proper settlement.
That kind of situation was unimaginable in the capital, Rikresa, but it was reality here.
She didn’t want to die, and to stay alive, she had no choice but to go to Yeshken.
And since outsiders weren’t allowed in without proper identification, riding Redek’s carriage had been her only option.
Knock, knock.
There was a dull knock, and Redek quickly came to the window.
“Sorry. The guards want to inspect the inside of the carriage.”
“Didn’t you say it’d be fine if we came together?”
“I thought so too, but…” Redek scratched his head awkwardly.
“Lord Avalkin’s been away for a while. I’ll explain more later. This won’t take long.”
Belaxina frowned in irritation, but there wasn’t much she could do.
The guards were even glaring at Redek now for taking so long.
“Excuse me.”
Without waiting for permission, a guard wearing Yeshken’s colors—white and blue—opened the door.
The moment he met Belaxina’s red eyes, he muttered:
“…A vampire?”
“How rude,” Belaxina replied coldly.
The guard quickly cleared his throat, realizing now wasn’t the time to mention that red eyes were common among magical beasts and vampires.
“Please look here.”
He held out a talisman—a blessed item from the Holy Church.
It was a round wooden bead ring with a dagger-shaped pendant.
Made from a rosewood tree struck by lightning, it had the power to dispel illusions and detect magic.
The guard waved the talisman slowly in front of Belaxina, then put it away.
“Confirmed human. Thank you for your cooperation.”
“Relieved I’m not a vampire?”
Velaxina didn’t hide her annoyance.
“Very relieved,” the guard replied honestly.
“Especially since it’s Redek standing next to you. I don’t even want to imagine him being tricked by a monster.”
Redek?
“I thought he was just a coachman.”
“Redek? Just a coachman? Of course not!”
The guard laughed more casually now that Belaxina’s identity was verified.
“He’s been serving Lord Avalkin since he was a boy. The Lord trusts him enough to never double-check his words.”
“Yet you checked anyway.”
“Well, that’s my job.”
The guard grinned.
His thick dark-brown beard made it hard to see, but Belaxina appreciated that he wasn’t trying to flatter her or act afraid.
“Someone who does his job without sucking up. I like that.”
“Please accept this talisman as an apology for the trouble. It’s not fancy, but it works. You’ll find it useful in Yeshken.”
Belaxina looked at the talisman for a moment, then accepted it.
If she ever had to escape, it could help her pass as human.
“Your name.”
“Pardon?”
“Your name. I like people who do their job well. I don’t have anything to give right now, so I’ll remember your name instead. Be honored.”
The guard didn’t really think it was an “honor” for Belaxina to remember his name,
but he also figured it was best not to get on this proud woman’s bad side.
“Jan Barak.”
“How bold of you. Do you expect me to remember your last name too?”
She grumbled but still memorized it.
Redek, watching all this, felt annoyed.
“You didn’t even know my name after a whole month.”
“You didn’t leave a strong impression as a coachman.”
Redek pouted.
To be fair, he wasn’t that great at driving.
“…I’m a pretty good squire, though.”
“We’ll see about that.”
“Just wait. One day, I’ll make you remember both my name and my family name.”
Redek was irritated—but also weirdly motivated.
Even though she was technically still a slave, he wanted her to acknowledge him.
“Hyah!”
The carriage started moving again.
Crossing the long bridge, they passed through Yeshken’s only gate.
Soon, a fortress made of brick came into view.
Its name? Simply Yeshken Castle.
It wasn’t built for beauty—it was built for survival.
Sturdy, plain, and aged, it had its own kind of charm.
And at the top of its highest tower…
“My woman has arrived.”
Avalkin looked down at the approaching carriage with calm, knowing eyes.
