Evan gritted his teeth tightly. With the last scraps of strength slowly fading away, he raised his dagger, preparing to use his remaining breath for one final attack against the dozen or so goblins charging at him all at once.
However, before those filthy weapons could reach his skin—
BOOM!
An unbelievably powerful, invisible wave of magical pressure slammed into the air! In an instant, the heads of the dozen or so goblins surrounding Evan exploded and shattered into pieces simultaneously! Green blood and chunks of flesh splattered across the ground.
Evan stared in disbelief, his body trembling. "??-??????????’?? ???? ?????? ?? ???????? ?????????? ???????? ??????????????, ???????????!"
"Evan! Are you all right?!"
From behind the dense bushes, Anna came sprinting toward him. Her beautiful face was filled with panic and blazing fury when she saw Evan’s back drenched in blood.
"I’m sorry... I’m sorry for being late!" Anna cried in a trembling voice. "There was a group of stout knights in the village who kept asking about you, so I had to take the long way around!"
As Evan’s consciousness began to waver and his body collapsed forward, Anna quickly caught him. She held Evan’s limp body tightly in her arms, tears welling up in the corners of her red eyes.
"Rest, my Husband... I’ll heal all your wounds now," Anna whispered softly.
A warm, golden-red glow radiated from Anna’s palm, enveloping Evan’s body. The burning pain in his back slowly faded, replaced by a soothing warmth.
Evan could only surrender himself, allowing Anna’s magical energy to restore his body. In this woman’s embrace, he felt a warmth and sincerity he had never experienced before.
Ever since transmigrating into this harsh medieval world, Evan had always lived alone. He was a skeptical criminal. Every time he tried to trust a companion or form a group, it always ended in betrayal or a tragic death.
Yet somehow, Anna’s embrace always managed to tear down the walls around his heart. It felt so comfortable and peaceful. Like a wanderer finally finding his way home.
With what little strength he had left, Evan slowly shifted his position and rested his head on Anna’s soft lap.
From below, he looked up at Anna’s face so close to his. She was breathtakingly beautiful, her eyes filled with genuine concern. Evan gave a faint smile, one he rarely ever showed.
Slowly, Evan’s dirty fingers rose and gently caressed Anna’s soft cheek with warmth. "Thank you... for coming and staying by my side..."
Anna smiled sweetly, tears falling onto Evan’s cheek. Her heart swelled with indescribable happiness. "You don’t need to thank me, Darling. This is my duty as your wife. Whether you’re a criminal, a hero, or a poor man without a penny to his name... I will still love you with all my soul."
Hearing such a sincere confession, Evan’s heart trembled violently. His consciousness gradually faded beneath the weight of his overwhelming drowsiness, yet deep down, he wanted to savor this warm moment a little longer.
When Evan’s vision finally went completely dark, Anna leaned down. She placed a gentle kiss on Evan’s lips, then whispered lovingly right beside his ear.
"Sleep, my Husband... Everything will be all right as long as we’re together."
In his deep sleep, Evan had a beautiful dream.
He imagined that if, when he had transmigrated, he had been born as the son of a wealthy noble family, perhaps he would never have become a con artist or a thief on the run. Perhaps he could have helped many people and would never have lost his childhood friend who died of starvation, or his companions who met gruesome deaths.
But this was the path fate had given him. He was merely an ordinary man struggling to survive in a world that was deeply unfair. Everyone had their own burdens and problems, and Evan chose to accept himself as he was.
Even though he knew the road ahead would certainly be filled with dangers and obstacles, there was now a small hope blooming in his heart... he wanted to keep walking together with Anna.
Gasp!
As his eyelids slowly opened, the first thing Evan saw was the familiar ceiling of their wooden house. The warm morning sunlight streamed through the gaps in the window.
Evan immediately sat up on the bed and looked around the room.
"Anna...? Anna, where are you?"
The house was completely silent. Instantly, dark thoughts slammed into his mind. What if Anna’s existence had been discovered by the Imperial Knights? What if that woman had been captured by Jack Cheep’s men and executed in the village square?!
A wave of panic burned through Evan’s chest. Without caring that his legs were still slightly weak, he jumped off the bed and staggered around, checking every corner of the house.
"Anna?! Where are you?! Why aren’t you in the house?!"
Empty. Anna was nowhere to be found. Evan rushed out the front door and stared at the quiet yard covered in morning dew. His legs froze in place, his heart being consumed by overwhelming anxiety.
Srrt...
The sound of footsteps from the right side of the house suddenly broke the silence.
"Why are you shouting so anxiously, Evan? Did you think I would run away and leave you?"
Evan quickly turned around. There, Anna stood gracefully while holding a woven basket filled with fresh wild vegetables.
"I just went to the edge of the forest for a moment to pick—"
Before Anna could finish her sentence, Evan rushed forward and HUGGED ANNA TIGHTLY!
Sreet! The basket of vegetables slipped from Anna’s hands and fell onto the ground.
Anna flinched in surprise, her eyes widening. Usually, she was the one who aggressively hugged Evan, but this time... the man himself had rushed into her arms first.
"Why didn’t you tell me before you went out, huh?!" Evan protested in a slightly hoarse voice, burying his face against Anna’s neck.
Anna giggled softly, gently stroking Evan’s back. "How could I tell you when you were unconscious, my Husband?"
"At least leave a note beside the bed!" Evan complained again.
Evan did not release his embrace for quite some time. After his emotions had settled somewhat, he whispered honestly, "Anna... if I’m being honest... I think I’m starting to be afraid of losing you."
Anna’s cheeks immediately flushed bright red, her heart pounding rapidly. "R-Really...? In that case, I want to be honest with you about something too..."
Anna smiled sweetly, a smile accompanied by an intense flash of obsession in her eyes.
"Actually... I put a curse of misfortune on you, so that you would always suffer bad luck whenever you tried to run too far away from me..." Anna confessed innocently. "And about the goblin attack yesterday? I actually knew about it from the very beginning! I deliberately let them slash your back for a while so I could come and save you like a hero! You know... I really hate and get jealous whenever I imagine another woman in the village looking at you. Sometimes I even feel like gouging both of their eyes out."
Hearing that string of insane confessions, Evan’s eyes widened completely. His embrace immediately loosened.
"W-WHAT?! SO MY SUSPICION WAS RIGHT ALL ALONG?! I REALLY AM UNLUCKY BECAUSE OF YOU?!" Evan screamed in disbelief. "AND YOU DELIBERATELY LET THE GOBLINS SLASH MY BACK JUST SO YOU COULD SHOW OFF?!"
Anna nodded rapidly without the slightest hint of guilt. "Of course! I have to make sure you always need my help. In fact, I already bound you with a permanent contract while you were unconscious yesterday."
Anna lifted the lower part of her dress slightly, revealing her smooth stomach. An intricate, glowing golden-red magical seal was engraved there like a tattoo.
"When I kissed your lips yesterday, I planted this ’Soul Bond Magic’ inside you," Anna said with a terrifyingly obsessive smile. "With this, I can sense your heartbeat and your whereabouts for a full twenty-four hours without interruption, no matter where you go!"
Evan gave a bitter laugh, clutching his suddenly dizzy head. "T-Then... why would you tell me about all these crimes you’ve committed, huh?!"
"Why?" Anna tilted her head in confusion. "Of course, because you’re my husband! Shouldn’t a husband and wife always be honest with each other without keeping any secrets?"
"Are you actually innocent, honest, or just stupid?!" Evan snapped in frustration. "You said you’re over 200 years old, but your behavior is seriously giving me a heart attack!"
Anna’s cheerful expression slowly faded. Her smile disappeared, replaced by a sorrowful gaze filled with bitter memories.
"You know, Evan... when I was very young, my parents were brutally slaughtered by the villagers simply because they protected me after I was born as a witch," Anna told him quietly. "For hundreds of years, I’ve never had friends, family, or anyone to hug me... because everyone was afraid of me. But now... I have a husband. If I don’t know how to be a good wife... please teach me. And if I get sick... please take care of me..."
Drip... Drip...
Before Evan could process those words, fresh, dark-red blood suddenly began pouring heavily from both of Anna’s nostrils!
Evan jolted in shock. "A-Anna! Your nose...!"
Anna’s red eyes trembled violently, her vision suddenly becoming blurry. Both her legs went weak at once, causing her graceful body to collapse forward. With a quick reflex, Evan leaped forward and caught Anna before she hit the ground.
"Anna! What’s wrong?! Hey, wake up!" Evan cried in panic, patting the woman’s cheeks repeatedly.
With what little consciousness she had left, Anna gave a weak smile. "It seems... I’m sick..." she murmured faintly before finally closing her eyes and completely passing out in Evan’s arms.
Without thinking twice, Evan immediately scooped Anna up in a bridal carry and brought her inside the house. He gently laid the woman’s body down on their soft bed.
Evan took a clean cloth and carefully wiped the remaining blood from Anna’s nose and lips. The woman’s face now looked extremely pale, and her body felt incredibly hot.
"A 200-????????-?????? ?????????????? ?????????? ?????? ???????????????? ?????? ???????? ???????" Evan wondered. "??????... ?????? ???? ?????? ???????????????? ???????? ?????????"
Evan fell silent for a moment, observing Anna’s innocent face as she slept.
Suddenly, his logic made him realize something. Anna had only just broken the powerful curse seal that had bound her for hundreds of years.
After that, she had repeatedly used high-level magic, creating household furniture in an instant, killing the Village Chief, healing the fatal stab wound in Evan’s chest, blasting away dozens of goblins, and even installing twenty-four-hour tracking magic. What body could possibly withstand such a tremendous strain of magical energy without side effects?!
Evan looked at the dagger at his waist.
Right now, Anna was completely unconscious and utterly helpless. Evan could simply draw his dagger, slit the dangerous witch’s throat, and walk away with all her gold coins to start a new life free from the terror of a yandere.
Evan gripped the hilt of his dagger... then let out a long sigh and released it.
"??????????... ?????????? ???????????????????? ???????? ?????????? ?????? ???????? ?????? ????, ?????? ?????????? ?? ???????????????? ?????????? ???????????? ???? ???????? ?????? ???? ???????? ?????????????? ?????? ???????? ?????????" Evan grimaced, lamenting the last bit of kindness remaining in his heart.
Evan walked into the kitchen, took a basin of warm water and a piece of linen cloth. He returned to the bedroom, wrung out the wet cloth, then gently placed it on Anna’s forehead to lower her fever.
Just as Evan was about to stand and get another blanket, Anna’s cold fingers resting on the bed suddenly moved instinctively. Those small fingers tightly grabbed the edge of Evan’s robe, as if afraid that the man would walk away.
Anna’s brows drew together in her sleep, her lips murmuring anxiously, "Evan... don’t leave me..."
Evan was stunned for a moment as he looked at the anxious face of the woman who usually appeared so dominant and frightening. A sincere smile once again appeared on the lips of the seasoned criminal.
Evan abandoned his intention to stand. He moved the wooden chair closer to the edge of the bed, then sat there and held Anna’s cold hand tightly between both of his hands.
"Rest peacefully, Anna..." Evan whispered gently as he stroked his wife’s fingers. "I’m not going anywhere."