Chapter 5
Chapter 5
In the bottomless abyss, Arslan wandered through the labyrinth of his long memories.
'You cursed demon, trying to tear my soul apart and take my body. What will you use this time to plunge me into despair?'
Creak, creak, creak.
With the eerie laughter echoing like tinnitus, the scene changed.
The Imperial Palace's splendid banquet hall. But it was slightly different from what Aslan knew. The view was all dark red, as if splattered with blood.
Tap, tap, tap. The rhythmic sound of heels approached. Aslan lowered his gaze.
"Vivian Eleonora greets Grand Duke."
The woman bowed politely as always, and he ignored her as if it were natural.
Laughter and whispers were heard from the surroundings watching the scene. The arrows made of sharp tongues were always aimed at Vivian.
There was no way she couldn't hear it.
"……."
Eyelashes, as thin and delicate as butterfly wings, fluttered slowly. That was the only reaction.
If she had screamed or shouted, he might have pitied her weakness, but her eyes, which never revealed any emotion, felt repulsive.
'Like an emotionless doll. Just like the Empress would send.'
He could not rule out the possibility that she was the Empress's person, so he was wary of her and sometimes trampled on her honor as if to show off.
More than anything else, the very existence of Vivian Eleonora was the most definite proof that he had succumbed to the Empress.
He felt angry every time he saw her.
'I'm so sick of it. When will she ever leave me?'
Nevertheless, he strangely couldn't take his eyes off her. He couldn't understand why he was drawn to the Empress's person.
Time gathered to form days, and days passed, and the seasons changed.
On the third year of his engagement to Vivian Eleonora, Aslan finally declared the annulment.
"There is no way the position of Grand Duchess will ever be yours. A letter of annulment will be sent soon, so wait quietly."
"……."
The expression she finally revealed.
A terrible resentment seeped into her deep-sea eyes. Lips pressed tightly as if holding back tears, and a low, trembling breath.
Crimson blood was spreading on the handkerchief of the woman who collapsed and coughed.
You will regret this day someday.
At the demon's mocking whisper, his vision faded as if a fire had gone out.
Aslan sank into the abyss of darkness once again.
＊ ＊ ＊
"Don't worry. I'll take responsibility and save you."
Who are you? Why can you talk to me so casually, so hideous and disgusting? How can you smile like that?
When did Aslan's consciousness, wandering through the abyss, return? He, who was being possessed by the demon after being deprived of his body, suddenly blinked.
His vision returned. Vivian Eleonora, that tiresome woman, was in front of him.
In a short period of time, countless possibilities flashed through his mind.
He was cursed while fighting the assassins. And when he woke up, Vivian Eleonora was in front of him. He couldn't help but think.
'Was I lured?'
That was the first suspicion that came to mind.
'Did she see it?'
That was the next suspicion.
His true form. The fact that Arslan Rezef Astalot, the Second Crown Prince who had built a reputation in aristocratic society and was revered like a god by the knights, was actually a dirty and hideous Demon Hand.
But when he lowered his gaze, he realized that something was wrong. His body was still covered in rough, bristly fur.
Aslan realized that he was still in the form of a Demon Hand.
'Why is this happening...? Am I finally crazy?'
Whenever he was possessed by a curse and transformed into a beast, he lost his ego and memories. But now he was maintaining human consciousness while in the form of a beast.
It was the moment when Aslan's eyes were filled with bewilderment.
Bang!
Vivian Eleonora began to strike the iron bars with an ax.
Even though she was panting with a pale face as if a Consumption seizure had started, she did not give up.
When the lock was finally broken and Vivian fainted from exhaustion, Aslan decided to kill her.
Considering that his Demon Hand form had been exposed, it was right to kill her immediately. He could easily dispose of her with just one stomp on her fragile neck.
"……."
But why? When he thought about it, he couldn't move his feet as if he was bound by something.
Aslan looked down at Vivian with confused eyes. Her reddish cheeks were gradually turning pale.
Aslan's teeth gnashed.
'Yes, I still need this woman. To prevent the Crown Prince faction's political attacks, to do even a ridiculous play.'
Heh heh, isn't that right?
'Shut up. Be quiet.'
Forcibly shaking off the whispers ringing in his head, Aslan put the fainted Vivian on his back.
＊ ＊ ＊
Even though he had transformed into a Black Lion, Aslan's consciousness remained clear.
Inside the cave where he stayed to avoid the impending rainstorm, he watched Vivian's every move and realized.
'The Princess Consort doesn't know about my true identity.'
She treated him like an ordinary beast. She treated his wounds and talked to him like a child.
The sight was so natural that Aslan unknowingly lowered his guard against her.
'Come to think of it, the Princess Consort enjoyed taming beasts.'
Before she contracted Consumption, she enjoyed hunting, and she was also accustomed to taming the beasts she captured in the process.
Among them, the silver wolf she cherished the most was one that Aslan had seen several times. She cherished the wolf as if it were a pet dog and took it everywhere like her own body.
Of course, threatening people with it was a bonus.
'It bothers me that she mistook me for an ordinary beast, but it's good that she didn't run away anyway. It saved me the trouble of finding her twice.'
Aslan settled down in one corner of the cave and watched Vivian's actions.
She was a terminal Consumption patient, so it would be difficult for her to take care of her own body, but Vivian was constantly rustling around, investigating the cave.
Aslan couldn't understand her.
'Stupid woman.'
Even though her body temperature dropped even slightly, she coughed up blood and fainted from time to time, she didn't know how to protect her own body and tore her warm dress and gave it to him. Without any sign of regret.
She was left wearing only a thin slip.
The slender silhouette under the shoulder straps was clearly visible. Her hands and feet had long since turned white.
'No, I don't want to see it.'
The emaciated body of a patient.
Every time he saw the traces of death engraved on her body, an inexplicable anger rose.
He wanted to turn away from the horror. It felt like he was being pressured to remember her current weak and pitiful appearance forever.
Even though he knew that she wouldn't do that to a beast, he felt unpleasant as if she was deliberately doing it to show off.
Thud-
Aslan pushed Vivian, who was investigating the cave, and made her sit still.
When she leaned comfortably against him, the chaos in his head calmed down. He even had the absurd thought that he wanted to be closer to her.
'Let's not think about it.'
Deliberately turning his gaze away, Aslan looked out of the cave where the rain was pouring down.
He heard a low, pleasant breath from her, who had fallen asleep. He felt Vivian's warmth and quietly leaned his head.
But the peace did not last long.
"I think I heard something just now."
"Where?"
Even though they hid in a cave in a steep valley, the Crown Prince's dogs managed to find this place.
Aslan's mind raced. Among them, the most worrying thing was whether he could protect Vivian Eleonora.
She was a well-bred noble lady. Moreover, she was a terminally ill patient who could hardly take care of her own body.
She would not be able to withstand even a small wound and would die.
"No matter what happens, you must not kill her. Keep that in mind... Ugh!"
Aslan's eyes, which had been guarding the surroundings while holding Vivian in his arms, were filled with instinctive murderous intent.
The one word that he must not kill him, the anger towards Johannes, paralyzed Aslan's reason, which he had barely been holding on to.
He had already leaped and was tearing at the assassin's neck.
A bloody battle ensued, and many lives were lost. But the tense tug-of-war did not last long.
"The inside of the cave is suspicious!"
"There's definitely something there. Break through!"
The enemy's attacks to enter the cave became more fierce. The more that happened, the more desperately Aslan struggled. He had to protect Vivian.
'She has to be there. She has to be there...'
Why.
It would be easier to prevent the Crown Prince faction's attacks if she was there, but does that mean her life is more precious than my own?
My power, my kingdom, which I barely built up after crawling out of a seething hell.
Is the life of one Princess Consort more important than all of that?
Aslan was confused. He couldn't understand himself desperately protecting her.
Ah, his mind is turning black.
"A gap!"
The assassin did not miss the moment when Aslan froze. Aslan belatedly discovered it and twisted his body...
'Damn it, am I too late?'
The assassin's sword was raised above Aslan's head. It was the moment when he gritted his teeth, prepared for the pain.
"Kuaaak!"
"Wake up, you, you, you mutt! Do you want to die here?!"
Vivian, who had leaped in the blink of an eye, pierced the assassin's nape with a dagger.
Aslan couldn't believe the sight before his eyes.
Vivian Eleonora, holding a dagger only about the length of her palm, was instantly killing the assassins who were attacking him.
Her splendid platinum blonde hair went so well with the swirling blood. Like a goddess of war wrapped in a thick scent of blood, she was lightly killing the rushing enemies.
'Such skill...'
He had never heard of the Princess Consort using a sword.
Such embarrassing emotions were only momentary. Her every moment was engraved in his mind like a picture.
Like a sunflower chasing the sun, there was his figure instinctively capturing her in his eyes.
"Did you think I wouldn't have prepared an escape route? I'll decide where I die. And it's not now."
When the cave collapsed, it felt like his heart was about to burst, and when she appeared from the collapsed rocks, playing with a dagger and smiling, he couldn't help but admire her boldness and wit.
And…….
"I've been preparing myself since I found out I had Consumption, but I didn't want to die so lonely."
The moment he thought he wanted to save her as she was dying, the dark energy that had been urging Aslan slowly disappeared.
The hideous and violent beast had already transformed into a charming and beautiful man.
Aslan, who was kneeling on one knee, carefully held Vivian's nape. Vivian, who felt his touch, smiled sadly.
"It's really, the end now..."
"Not yet, Princess Consort."
Aslan blocked the raindrops falling on her with his body.
When he swept up the hair on Vivian's forehead, her pale face became even more visible.
"Open your eyes, Princess Consort."
"……."
"Breathe!"
He was afraid of her fading breath. Aslan, who was desperately muttering while caressing her cold body, lowered his head as if he had made up his mind.
The hot breath of the man fell on Vivian's pale lips.
Soon, a faint breath burst out.
'Why do I feel so hungry the more I touch you? I can't stand wanting to get closer and touch your skin. Like a greedy beast...'
What the hell did you do to me?
Aslan, holding Vivian's cold body tightly in his arms, finally found the answer.
