4 - How to Survive as the Wife of a Monster Duke
How to Survive as the Monster Duke's Wife
Episode 4: It's Okay.
Illyin covered her ears and squeezed her eyes shut.
She hadn't dreamed of dying.
There were no Monsters in her dreams, and in her Precognitive dream, she was perfectly fine without a single scratch.
—Kyak!
—Kyak!
Something was scratching roughly against the carriage wall.
The carriage sped up, and the scratching stopped, but the Monsters' howls remained.
"It's okay."
Her heart was racing like crazy.
It's okay.
I'll be safe.
She exhaled again.
At least she wouldn't die before the first night she had foreseen.
Bang!
Illyin opened her eyes, startled by the sound of something hitting the window.
She involuntarily looked out the window and met eyes with a bright red creature.
Red scales were visible next to eyes that were nothing but black pupils.
White snow was stuck between the scales, making it look like something mottled with red and white.
Even in that short moment, she could see the black pupils darting back and forth.
The excited Monster opened its mouth wide.
"Kyaa!"
Just then, the carriage swerved sharply, and the Monster, unable to maintain its grip, fell off.
As if trying to hold on until the end, the sound of scratching against the wall passed by the window and disappeared behind the carriage.
Fortunately, the window, which hadn't broken, was left with rough scratches.
—Ggggeuk!
It felt like she was being scratched, giving her goosebumps.
She was sweating and trembling.
Illyin thought again.
I'm not dead yet.
But I'm scared.
I'm scared.
Her body trembled, whether from the cold or from fear.
She squeezed her eyes shut and covered her ears.
She didn't know what might jump out from where.
There was no way she could shake off a Monster that could keep up with a carriage moving at this speed.
"Heeheehing!"
The excited horse ran without slowing down.
It was then that the castle walls came into view beyond the window marked with fingernail scratches.
Illyin involuntarily half-raised her crouching body.
There was only one castle in this Winter Territory.
They had arrived at Bifalten Castle.
Now it was a safe zone.
Or so she thought.
"Damn it!"
She could clearly hear the coachman cursing.
Illyin couldn't believe her eyes.
The things crawling up the castle walls looked exactly like the red-scaled Monsters that had been clinging to the carriage earlier.
They were surrounded by Monsters trying to climb over the walls in front and Monsters chasing them from behind.
The coachman turned the direction to the side.
He was trying to get away from the castle walls.
—Kyak!
Giggiggik!
The sound of Monsters scratching at the back of the carriage was clear.
As her body leaned towards the wall, Illyin's shoulder hit the carriage handle.
"!"
She couldn't even scream.
If they found out she was inside, those red claws would mercilessly tear through the carriage.
"Kyaa!"
At that moment, the carriage tilted sharply and eventually skidded to a halt, almost buried in the snow.
And Illyin saw the coachman fighting Monsters outside the window.
Clang!
As the Monsters' claws clashed with the sword, a sharp, metallic sound rang out.
Illyin's body stiffened.
The coachman was skilled with the sword.
But there were too many Monsters.
The coachman was strong enough to protect himself among the many Monsters, but not strong enough to protect the large carriage as well.
—Kyak!
When the Monsters realized the coachman wasn't easy to deal with, they turned their attention to the carriage.
Illyin noticed this and grabbed the doorknob with trembling hands.
If necessary, she would have to get out of the carriage.
She bit her lip hard enough to draw blood.
She wouldn't be able to escape.
How could she shake off Monsters that could keep up with a moving carriage?
No, I haven't dreamed of dying yet.
Even if it wasn't a dream, Illyin didn't want to close her eyes and wait for death.
If she had, she would have committed suicide in the mansion long ago.
The reason she had endured in the mansion for nearly twenty years, being despised and treated like a Monster who saw terrible futures, was because she didn't have the courage to wait for the short time until she hanged herself.
Death is scary.
She didn't want to be lonely and desolate.
Bang!
Monsters crashed into the carriage.
At that moment, Illyin opened the opposite door of the carriage and jumped out.
"!"
Illyin stopped breathing.
The breath that escaped from under the blue cloth covering her face turned into frost and scattered.
The biting wind scratched her bare hands.
The snow was sharp, not soft.
Red scratches appeared on her delicate hands in an instant, but Illyin couldn't stop.
She had to run!
It was hard to run because her feet sank deep into the snow, but she clenched her legs and ran.
It was then.
Thud, something touched her face.
It was cold on the outside, but better than the blizzard.
Surprised, she pulled away, and the blue cloth slipped and fell to the ground.
"…What is this."
She could see red tassel decorations on the black uniform.
It was a vivid red that would stand out even in the middle of white snow.
A low, clear voice that pierced her ears was as wild as the sound of a growling beast.
There was no protective gear above the exposed neckline, as if he wasn't even cold.
A sharply defined masculine jawline, a strong nose that revealed his pride, and blue eyes with a dry gaze.
His eyes met Illyin's.
Illyin paused for a moment but felt relieved.
Was it because she only thought of Aden de Bifelten when she thought of a Bifalten man? For a moment, she thought the man was the Duke.
But it seemed he wasn't the Duke himself, since it was okay to make eye contact.
The man's black hair was tossed roughly in the blizzard.
"A woman?"
It was the moment he looked at the carriage.
The Monster that had been chasing Illyin pounced on her from behind.
Before Illyin could even turn to look at the Monster, she felt the Monster's humid, foul breath covering her Exposed neckline.
The man swung his sword without hesitation.
Illyin, who was between the Monster and the man, saw the sword flash and closed her eyes.
She could only think that it was the end.
"Kiek!"
At that moment, a shrill scream erupted right next to her.
The man grabbed her face and pulled her away from the Monster.
Her face was covered by his large hand.
It didn't seem like he was trying to cover her eyes.
It was just like pulling away a bothersome object.
But the inside of his hand was warm, and for a moment, Illyin opened her eyes without thinking.
She could see the Monster falling through the gaps in his fingers.
"Ah…"
The man, who had stabbed his sword into the ground, looked down at the ground instead of Illyin.
"This is—"
He narrowed his dark blue eyes and leaned down next to Illyin.
As his large body, which had been blocking the wind, disappeared, the blizzard blew fiercely as if it would sweep over her entire body.
Her cheeks froze instantly.
"Unless you want to freeze to death,"
The man dropped the blue cloth on her head with his black-gloved hand.
It was the one he had just picked up from the ground.
Illyin then realized that she had dropped the cloth in surprise.
"Take good care of this."
As her vision was covered in blue again, the blood returned to her frozen cheeks.
"Your Highness!"
Your Highness? There was only one person in Bifalten who could be called that.
The Duke of Bifalten was nearby.
She mustn't make eye contact.
Illyin closed her eyes and lowered her gaze.
At that moment, the man next to her disappeared, leaving her alone.
As if he had never been there in the first place.
The cold wind blew fiercely, as if it would blow away the blue cloth.
Illyin shrugged her shoulders.
The battle seemed to be ending, and the surroundings moved busily.
A knight who found her saw the carriage and recognized her identity, leading her inside the castle walls.
She was wrapped in a blanket, but her body still felt frozen.
The only place that felt warm was where the blue cloth covered her.
Bifalten, covered in blue, looked even colder.
Still, Illyin held the cloth tightly, lest it fall.
'I didn't even get to say thank you.'
She remembered the deep blue eyes that needed no extra blue.
The man who had picked up the cloth had already disappeared without a trace.
The knights clearing the area around the castle walls were efficient, but they didn't pay much attention to her.
They saw her shivering from the cold and took her back to the carriage, but that was it.
"Please wait a moment."
They were using honorifics, so they seemed to know who she was.
Still, she had to be left alone for quite some time.
Illyin felt the carriage moving after a long time and thought.
She was used to this kind of indifference anyway.
This place was better than the hostile Arlen Fief.
It was several hours later that Illyin arrived at the Bifalten Dukedom.
"Welcome!"
It was a passionate welcome that hadn't been present at the castle walls.
The attire of the person rushing towards her was unique.
A wide cloth was wrapped around the body over the suit that was visible here and there.
Was it because it was a cold region?
Illyin glanced at the blue cloth she was still wearing on her head.
It was a different cloth from the one she was wearing.
"To leave the young lady standing in a place like this!"
The old man pointed at a passing Maid, scolding her loudly.
The blue tassel decoration on the man's clothes shook roughly.
"…I will guide you."
The Maid, startled, reluctantly led Illyin.
A red decoration swayed in the Maid's hair, which was let down.
It was fine up to that point, but Illyin wasn't the only one being guided by the Maid.
The man who had followed her bowed deeply to Illyin in front of the room the Maid had led them to.
"This is the room where you will rest for a week."
A week? Illyin tilted her head.
"What happens after a week?"
"Oh, dear. Weren't you given any explanation?"
The coachman had been a silent man.
They had been driving non-stop, and then there had been the Monster attack, and then now.
Illyin hadn't heard anything.
"I haven't heard anything at all."
Then the old man clicked his tongue.
His graying hair moved as he shook his head.
Illyin clearly heard him muttering in a small voice.
Useless Delos bastards.
Who were the Delos?
Was he talking about the knights or the coachman? Sometimes, families had separate names for their knights or private soldiers.
Was the Bifalten family like that too?
"Ah, I'm late with my introduction."
The man said, belatedly.
"My name is Lidan of the Blue Nose."
"Blue Nose?"
He didn't look like a knight.
Even Illyin, who didn't know swords, could tell the difference between someone who had trained and someone who hadn't.
The man who introduced himself as Lidan was neither muscular nor carrying a sword.
"Oh dear… Ah, I heard you had a hard time outside. We will arrange for our children to attend to you and inform you about Bifalten."
He was the kind of person who seemed like he would say something but ended up just saying what he wanted to say.
