The early evening hour arrived with an ominous shift in the heavens.
The pristine daylight vanished entirely, replaced by a thick, rolling canopy of pitch-black clouds that blanketed the Rosenberg duchy.
Treacherous, howling winds violently tore through the high arches of the fortress, rattling the grand windows.
Outside the main gates, a disciplined line of elite Rosenberg soldiers stood rigidly on the cobblestones, holding the reins of their dark stallions.
The atmosphere was thick with urgent military preparation.
Grand Duke Killian stepped out of the grand entrance, his towering frame casting a sharp shadow.
He marched down the marble stairs, approaching his own black steed.
Step.
Step.
A pair of hurried footsteps carried from behind.
Princess Evelyn came running out of the grand doors, clutching a heavy, gold-lined tailored formal coat in her small hands.
She approached his side, her amethyst eyes flashing with deep worry as she handed him the garment and spoke softly, her voice fluttering.
“Please…
look after your own safety with the utmost care, Killian.”
Killian accepted the coat, sliding his arms into the fabric with practiced elegance.
He paused, looking down into her pale face before extending his long hand to rest it gently over her head.
His midnight-blue eyes locked into hers with an unyielding, protective sweetness.
“Do not place any heavy anxiety upon your mind.
I shall return to your side within a few moments.
Proceed to our private chamber and rest comfortably…
and ensure your person consumes a proper meal.”
Evelyn offered a hesitant nod, her voice soft.
“Very well, Killian.”
Killian violently pulled himself up onto the saddle, gripping the leather reins firmly.
With a sudden command, the elite soldiers spurred their mounts, the horses beginning their rapid advance out of the grand fortress gates.
Evelyn remained standing near the iron entryway, her golden hair and silk gown billowing frantically in the fierce gale as she kept her gaze fixed onto his departing figure.
Navigating the winding path, Killian slowly turned his head back across his shoulder.
While his steed ran forward, he smoothly raised his hand, waving to her through the dark mist.
Seeing his gesture, a soft, beautiful smile broke across Evelyn’s pale features, and she raised her hand to wave back, watching him continuously until his form vanished completely into the dark twilight.
The courtyard grew silent, save for the howling wind.
Head maid Maria moved softly from the shadows of the stairs, stepping up to her side.
“My Lady…
let us step inside the sanctuary of the mansion.
The Lord shall return flawlessly very soon.”
Evelyn turned slowly, her posture heavy as she walked back inside the fortress.
She marched straight to the master bedchamber, ignoring the dinner trays, and walked out onto the high stone balcony.
She sat upon the velvet chair, staring blankly into the distance while the cool, damp wind rustled her golden locks.
The temperature outside had dropped drastically, turning freezing.
Maria stepped onto the balcony, her hands clasped in deep concern.
“My Lady…
please proceed inside the room immediately.
Otherwise, the freezing atmosphere will cause you to catch a severe chill.”
Evelyn didn’t turn her gaze from the horizon, her voice dropping into a solemn murmur.
“No…
as long as his presence has not safely crossed these gates, I shall strictly remain right here waiting for his return.”
“But, Princess…” Maria pressed gently.
“Look, Maria…
you may take your departure and rest.
I am completely fine,” Evelyn interrupted smoothly, leaving zero room for argument.
Maria let out a low sigh, bowing politely before stepping back inside, leaving the double glass doors slightly ajar as she exited the room.
Evelyn looked up at the swirling vortex of black clouds, a profound cloud of sadness taking over her thoughts as she murmured secretly within the absolute privacy of her mind.
‘Is…
is this the absolute reality?
Am I truly obligated to abandon this beautiful mansion and leave Killian behind when the time arrives?
Is the track of our shared journey strictly fated to end right here…?’
Drip.
Without a single fraction of a warning, a heavy droplet of rain fell straight from the heavens, landing softly against her pale cheek.
Evelyn blinked, looking at her wet skin.
“Oh…
the rain has officially commenced.”
Miles away at the boundaries of the territory, a catastrophic crisis had turned the neighboring village into a living nightmare.
Thick columns of blazing red fire were violently tearing through the thatched roofs of the residential structures.
Agonizing screams and frantic shrieks echoed through the air as terrified villagers ran blindly across the mud.
A massive pack of vicious, flesh-eating dark creatures was systematically ripping the village to shreds.
Killian’s advance guards were already engaged in a brutal battle, using their iron spears to deflect the claws of the monsters while rescuing the fleeing population.
Killian violently yanked the reins, his black stallion coming to a sharp halt at the entrance of the burning village.
He leapt down from the saddle, his midnight-blue eyes flashing with pure, murderous fury as he looked at the chaos.
He shifted his gaze toward his head butler, his voice snapping into an absolute, commanding register.
“Sebastian!
Take the entirety of the elite guards and focus strictly and exclusively on extracting every single citizen to safety!
I alone am more than enough to slaughter these cannibalistic beasts!”
Sebastian adjusted his spectacles with his usual deadpan efficiency, his posture rigid.
“Yes, My Lord.
I shall execute the extraction immediately.”
The butler drew his rapier, rallying the guards to clear the burning alleys and pull the trapped families from the crumbling structures.
Killian stood dead center in the middle of the blood-stained square.
He dug his boots tightly into the wet earth, centering his weight as a monumental aura of brilliant blue magic violently erupted from his powerful frame.
He extended his right hand into the open air.
WHOOSH!
With a sudden distortion of the space, his massive silver sword materialized directly within his grip, the blade humming with lethal pressure.
Moving with god-like, bullet-like velocity, Killian transformed into a streak of blue lightning, rushing into the fray.
The smaller dark creatures pounced toward him from the shadows, their jaws wide.
Killian violently spun his silver blade in a fluid, horizontal arc.
SLASH!
The sharp metal cleanly severed the necks of three monsters in a single, breathless stroke.
A massive fountain of dark blood sprayed violently into the air as the headless corpses tumbled into the mud.
Killian did not halt his advance for a single second; moving like a relentless hurricane through the heavy downpour, he delivered continuous, devastating slashes, slaughtering creature after creature with absolute, unmatched precision.
Within a short duration, the surrounding alleys fell silent, the corpses of the smaller beasts dissolving into dark mist.
Killian brought his movement to a halt, resting his silver sword over his shoulder as the rain washed the dark blood from his dark coat.
Step.
Step.
Sebastian marched up from behind, his uniform slightly scorched but his deadpan mask perfectly in place.
“My Lord…
we have successfully extracted every single villager and relocated them to an absolute safe perimeter.”
Killian nodded flatly.
“Excellently executed, Sebastian.”
BOOM!
BOOM!
BOOM!
Suddenly, the ground beneath their boots began to violently vibrate and shake.
The heavy, crushing thuds of monumental footsteps carried from the central burning square.
Out from the thick smoke emerged a colossal, exceptionally thick and bloated dark creature.
The monster stood a towering twenty feet tall, its slavering jaws dripping with thick, acidic saliva that hissed against the wet mud.
Clutched tightly within its massive, clawed hand was a crude, heavy iron club laced with spikes.
The beast locked its glowing red eyes onto the silver-haired Duke, letting out a deep, guttural growl.
Killian quietly scanned the towering monstrosity, a dangerous, highly arrogant smirk touching his handsome lips as he adjusted his grip on the hilt.
He sighed softly, his deep voice smooth.
“To think that such a beautiful, refreshing mausam had manifested today…
I had a firm intention to comfortably sit back and enjoy its warmth together with my Evelyn.”
He raised his silver blade, pointing the razor-sharp tip directly toward the creature’s face as his voice dropped into a freezing, lethal rumble.
“But you worthless insects stubbornly chose to thrust your pathetic legs into my business.
Therefore…
Killian dug his heels into the mud, his blue aura erupting frantically as he surged forward at maximum velocity.
Back inside the master bedchamber of the mansion, the heavy downpour continued to crash furiously against the glass doors of the balcony.
Evelyn was still sitting rigidly on the chair, completely drenched as the cool water soaked her gown.
Maria stepped onto the balcony once more, her face filled with absolute panic as she held out a dry linen shawl.
“My Lady!
I beg of you, step inside the room immediately!
The rain is pouring heavily, and Lord Killian will definitely return safely within moments!”
Evelyn clutched her hands together, her amethyst eyes wide with an unyielding anxiety as she whispered, her voice trembling.
“I have complete, absolute faith in his immense strength…
I know he is entirely formidable.
But…
deep within the sanctuary of my heart, a strange resistance refuses to back down.
It truly feels as though…
as though his presence has traveled an infinite, irreversible distance away from my person.”
Maria wrapped the warm shawl around Evelyn’s shoulders, her voice dropping into a gentle, motherly register as she smiled softly.
“My Lady…
whenever a soul falls into a state of profound, genuine love…
an identical anxiety manifests within their thoughts.
Do not worry; Lord Killian shall step through those doors very soon.”
Evelyn’s breath caught, her face flushing a delicate crimson through her pale complexion as she murmured in deep shyness.
“Love…?
Is it truly because of love that my mind is consumed by such frantic worry for his survival?
If…
if this feeling were absolutely not love, I would have been sitting entirely carefree and unbothered right now.
But…
I possess absolutely zero knowledge as to whether his own heart experiences an identical feeling for me.”
Maria let out a soft, knowing chuckle.
“Princess…
have your eyes truly never evaluated the distinct, remarkably tender manner in which his midnight-blue gaze locks onto your face?
The absolute depth of affection he holds for you is visible to every soul.”
Evelyn lowered her gaze, her fingers trembling.
“Yes…
I have indeed witnessed that softness.
But…
I am uncertain whether it is a real reality.”
“It is the absolute truth, My Lady,” Maria reassured firmly.
“He complies submissively with every single command your lips utter, and he continuously stands as an unyielding shield beside your person.
That is the highest proof of love.”
Evelyn paused, a sudden curiosity touching her thoughts.
“Maria…
tell me, has Killian ever experienced a feeling of love for any alternate lady in his past?”
Maria shook her head with absolute certainty, her expression solemn.
“My Lady…
during the years of his childhood, he possessed absolutely zero friends due to his destructive aura.
When an existence is entirely isolated from the world, how on earth could love ever manifest?
Throughout his life, strictly and exclusively Sebastian stood by his side.
Your presence is the absolute, single exception—you are the one and only soul to whom he has completely surrendered his heart.”
Evelyn felt a deep, profound warmth flood her chest, her heart doing a violent flutter.
She looked out at the dark sky, a sudden, fearful thought clouding her mind as she whispered softly.
“Maria…
if a crisis occurs in the future and my presence is entirely erased from this estate…
what exactly will Killian execute?”
The atmosphere on the balcony went completely quiet.
Maria’s expression hardened into a serious, heavy wall of gravity as she looked into the princess’s eyes, speaking with absolute certainty.
“My Lady…
based on the absolute depth of his character, if any harm touches your person, he will personal unleash a tidal wave of absolute destruction and leveled chaos across the entire continent to bring you back.”
Evelyn offered a soft, melancholic smile.
“I see…”
Maria adjusted the shawl, trying to cheer her up.
“My Lady, your arrival has delivered an unparalleled joy to his life.
Throughout his entire existence, we have never witnessed him this genuinely happy.
Did you know…
he absolutely never celebrates the arrival of his own birthday?”
Evelyn snapped her head around, her amethyst eyes widening in shock.
“What?!
He doesn’t celebrate it?!”
“No, never,” Maria explained sorrowfully.
“From the absolute hour his father was ruthlessly slaughtered during his childhood, he completely ceased all celebrations.
He refuses to acknowledge the date; strictly and exclusively, the staff offers him our silent wishes, nothing more.”
Evelyn stood up from the chair, her mind instantly entering a state of absolute determination.
“Maria…
tell me immediately, when exactly does his birthday arrive?”
“My Lady…
it arrives the day after tomorrow,” Maria answered smoothly.
“The day after tomorrow?!” Evelyn gasped, a bright spark flashing in her eyes.
“Listen to me carefully, Maria!
We shall meticulously plan a magnificent celebration for his sake!
Every single domestic member shall participate, and we will deliver a grand surprise to him!”
Maria’s face lit up with absolute delight, bowing frantically.
“Oh, My Lady!
That is a remarkably magnificent idea!
The Lord will definitely experience a wave of profound happiness!”
Evelyn turned back to the balcony railing, clutching her hands as she whispered.
“Yes…
but first, please, Killian…
just return to my side safely.”
Back on the blood-soaked battlefield, the colossal twenty-foot beast unleashed a thunderous roar, violently swinging its spiked iron club straight toward Killian’s head.
Killian moved with fluid speed, spinning his silver sword with immense force to block the heavy strike.
CLANG!
A massive explosion of bright sparks lit up the dark rain.
The sheer weight of the demon’s physical mass pushed against his blade, forcing Killian to sidestep rapidly, sliding across the wet mud to create distance.
He adjusted his stance, his left shoulder throbbing slightly as he muttered in irritation, ‘Shit…
this bloated animal stubbornly refuses to back down.’
Sebastian stepped forward, his claws expanding slightly.
“My Lord…
allow me to extend my assistance to your person.”
“Negative!” Killian commanded sharply, his midnight-blue eyes flaring with an unyielding pride.
“I shall thoroughly handle this bloated beast myself!”
He turned his piercing gaze toward the monster, shouting out with an attitude-filled, mocking smirk.
“Hey!
Tell me, you oversized fat mountain…
how on earth are you managing to drag your bloated mass across the ground with such pathetic speed?!”
The insult violently provoked the creature’s rage.
With a deafening screech, it swung its massive club downward with cataclysmic force, aiming to crush the Duke into dust.
Killian didn’t flinch; moving with a flawless, stylized grace, he violently leapt straight into the open air, executing a majestic jump that allowed him to effortlessly evade the heavy weapon as it shattered the ground below.
Killian landed elegantly on his boots, chuckling darkly.
“It seems the child has hurt your fragile feelings, old man.”
The colossal beast violently threw its head back, unleashing a piercing, blood-curdling shriek that rattled through the valley.
Killian raised his hands, casually covering his ears as his brow furrowed in deep disgust. This chapter was copied from g.com without permission.
“What an utterly repulsive, ghinoni scream.
It is actively inflicting a sharp ache inside my ears.”
Before his hands could drop back to his sword—
SWISH!
Moving with sudden, desperate speed, the creature violently thrust its massive, razor-sharp black talons straight across the space, launching a blindside slash toward his torso.
Killian caught the movement late, frantically raising his silver sword to deflect the claws.
SLASH!
The massive black nails breached his guard by a fraction of an inch, cleanly tearing through the gold-lined velvet sleeve of his left arm, slicing deeply into his flesh.
Fresh, hot crimson blood rapidly erupted from the wound, pouring down his arm as his tailored uniform ripped open.
Killian staggered back a step, his midnight-blue eyes turning pitch-black with freezing wrath as he glared at his bleeding arm.
His voice dropped into a terrifying rumble.
“You…
what on earth have you executed just now…?”
At that exact same fraction of a second, inside the master bedchamber of the mansion, Evelyn stepped off the balcony to pour a crystal glass of water from the silver jug.
The moment her fingers lifted the glass—
SHATTER!
Without a single cause, her fingers trembled violently, and the fine crystal glass slipped out from her grip, crashing heavily against the stone floor, breaking into a million sharp shards.
Maria rushed in from the parlor, her face pale.
“My Lady!
Are you functioning properly?!”
Evelyn stood frozen, her entire body shaking uncontrollably as a sudden, suffocating wave of severe anxiety gripped her chest.
She clutched her heart, her breath coming in shallow gasps.
“My…
my chest feels entirely heavy.
A terrifying panic is taking over my mind…!”
Maria quickly stepped forward, guiding her away from the debris.
“Princess, please stand perfectly still in this spot!
Do not move, otherwise the jagged glass will violently cut your skin!
I shall clean the floor immediately!”
Evelyn clutched the linen shawl tightly around her frame, her soul screaming in pure terror.
‘This…
this is an text-book warning!
Something horrific has occurred!
Please…
just remain safe, Killian…!’
Back in the pouring rain of the village, dark blood was continuously dripping from Killian’s left arm, staining the mud.
Sebastian stepped forward in alarm.
“My Lord!
Is your physical system functioning properly?!”
“Yes,” Killian responded flatly, his jaw clenching with an absolute, demonic wrath.
“However…
this worthless animal has officially summoned its own final execution.”
Killian slowly raised his massive silver sword.
Moving with a chilling, deliberate precision, he dragged his bleeding left arm straight across the metal, coating the entire length of the blade in a thick layer of his own potent, glowing royal blood.
He looked down at the weapon, his voice dropping into an iron wall of absolute pride.
“I had a firm belief that the deployment of this technique would be entirely unnecessary today…
but you have forcefully compelled my soul to unleash it.”
WHOOSH!
The absolute second his blood fused with the silver hilt, a colossal, terrifying wave of violent black flames and blue aura violently erupted from the sword, cloaking the weapon in pure destruction.
Killian surged forward with god-like velocity, transforming into a blinding streak of lightning.
Moving his arm in a rapid, fluid sequence, he unleashed a relentless storm of devastating, crescent-shaped blood slashes straight across the space.
SLASH!
HURRICANE!
SLASH!
The massive blood slashes tore through the air like demonic whips, racing directly toward the beast.
The colossal creature frantically attempted to take a defensive bacchav position, swinging its iron club to block the aura.
But before the metal could cross its torso, Killian materialized directly behind its back in a flash of light.
With a clean, swift stroke, he cleanly severed both of the monster’s colossal legs from its body.
The towering creature let out a final, agonizing shriek as the massive blood slashes systematically hacked its thick torso into hundreds of small, harmless pieces, the flesh dissolving instantly into empty dark mist.
Killian brought his movement to an elegant halt, standing perfectly straight as he casually wiped his blade.
His deep voice carried an arrogant, mocking amusement.
“The larger the physical mass…
the smaller the severed pieces become.”
With a smooth motion, he vanished the silver sword back into the air, turning his cold gaze toward his butler.
“Sebastian.
Command the remaining guards to thoroughly manage the restoration of this village.
We are departing for the mansion this very instant.”
“Right away, My Lord,” Sebastian responded with a respectful bow.
Killian and the elite guards pulled themselves onto their stallions, forcefully spurring the mounts as they raced back toward the Rosenberg estate through the clearing storm.
Back at the fortress, the heavy downpour had finally ground to an absolute halt, the dark clouds parting to reveal the pale light of the evening moon.
Evelyn was still sitting rigidly on the balcony chair, her eyes searching the dark horizon frantically.
Suddenly, the rhythmic sound of galloping hooves echoed from the front gates.
Evelyn snapped her head down, her amethyst eyes locking onto the towering figure of the silver-haired Duke as he rode into the courtyard.
“He…
he has successfully returned!” she cried out.
Without losing a single fraction of a second, she violently threw the glass doors open, sprinting out of the master chamber.
She ran down the grand stone corridors at maximum speed, her breath coming in frantic gasps as she reached the grand main entryway.
Two junior maids quickly threw the heavy iron main doors wide open.
Standing right across the threshold, his uniform torn and a heavy stream of crimson blood still oozing from his left arm, was Grand Duke Killian.
The absolute fraction of a second Evelyn’s eyes evaluated his bleeding, wounded condition, a wave of profound terror and severe panic seized her chest instantly.
She lunged forward, her voice cracking as she clutched his uninjured arm.
“Killian…!
Oh my goodness, Killian, are you alright?!
How on earth did your person sustain such a gruesome laceration?!”
Killian looked down at her panicking, tear-stained face, a soft, reassuring smile touching his handsome features as his voice remained smooth.
“Set your mind at ease, Evelyn.
This is merely a simple, completely minor scratch.
It holds zero importance.”
“No!
This is absolutely not a minor scratch!”
Evelyn yelled out fiercely, her eyes filling with desperate tears.
“This is a remarkably deep and dangerous wound!
Halt your movements right now, I shall personally channel my magic to heal your flesh!”
Evelyn frantically extended both of her palms forward, attempting to channel the emerald-green light.
But the absolute second she began to concentrate her thoughts, the extreme physical and psychological exhaustion of the entire day caught up to her ordinary system.
A violent wave of dizziness struck her brain, and the entire room began to spin frantically before her vision.
Collapse.
Before a single spark of magic could emit from her skin, Evelyn’s eyelids shut completely, and her slender body limped forward, fainting directly into Killian’s strong arms.
Killian’s midnight-blue eyes widened in profound, wide-eyed alarm.
He catch her frame securely against his chest, violently shaking her shoulder as his voice boomed in pure panic.
“Evelyn…!
Evelyn, what has occurred to your system?!
Open your eyes!”
He raised his right hand, placing his palm flat directly over her forehead.
His expression transformed into a freezing mask of absolute horror.
Her skin was burning like a violent furnace.
“What…?!
Her body is radiating an exceptionally high, severe fever!” Killian roared fiercely, turning his head toward his butler as his voice echoed frantically through the grand hall, shattering the quietness of the fortress.
“Sebastian!
Move with maximum velocity!
Summon the royal physician to this chamber right this instant!”
The absolute second the command left his lips, a sudden, massive wave of pure chaos and frantic shouting violently erupted across every single wing of the grand Rosenberg mansion, the peace of the hearth completely fracturing under the looming shadow of the storm.