Chapter: 16
“…It seems direct skin contact has the greatest effect.”
Until now, he had tried subtle forms of contact—holding hands, hugging—but the most effective method was clearly kissing.
The moment he met lips with Renia, Calias felt a strange sensation, like a shiver running through his entire body.
And that wasn’t all.
When their breathing briefly mixed, it was sweet, like drinking clear spring water.
He had to exert tremendous self-control not to devour Renia’s lips like a thirsty beast.
How could he impose his desires on a precious woman who had saved him from a long, endless darkness?
If she discovered the twisted thoughts hidden beneath his composed exterior, she might become afraid and run away.
“…Right. I must never be found out. At least not until the day I can reveal my identity.”
Calias had returned to the Empire to meet someone important to him.
Someone very, very precious.
‘For now, I need to meet the Duke first. The rest will be solved step by step.’
Putting on the gloves he had taken off with practiced ease, Calias lay down on the bed and quietly looked out the window.
The moonlight silently soothed his lonely heart, just as it had always done through the long years.
The next day, Renia and her group boarded a newly purchased carriage.
Every time they entered a city or town, they sold their old carriage and bought a new one.
Sometimes it was a shabby carriage that even commoners would use, and other times it was so expensive it would make one’s eyes pop out.
This was done to erase any possible traces of them, serving as a foundation for changing identities at any time.
Moreover, for Renia—who had lived a turbulent life as much as Calias—frequently changing transportation was reassuring.
Calias did not object to her policy at all, but Rakan seemed to have a different opinion.
The carriage they had chosen this time was old and rattled heavily, causing Rakan to puff out his cheeks in discomfort.
“Ugh… the carriage we used before was way prettier and more luxurious. I think I’m getting car sick.”
“Just bear with it a little, Rakan. We’ll change to a better carriage in the next city.”
“Do we really have to go this far? Even changing the driver and everything.”
“In movies, cool villains usually change their rides often.”
“Movies? What’s that?”
“It’s like a story drawn with pictures… or maybe it’s different since it moves.”
She ended up spending quite a bit of time answering Rakan’s endless questions about whether magic made drawings come alive.
If she had known, she would have just called it a novel from the start.
As Rakan’s curiosity continued without end, she quickly changed the topic.
“Want some snacks, Rakan? I bought some good seasonal fruit at the market. It should taste great.”
Renia pulled out a basket full of delicious-looking fruit, and Rakan’s face lit up with a bright smile.
“Mmm, it’s so good! Mom is the best!”
That wasn’t me—it was Calias who bought it.
After a moment of hesitation, Renia glanced at Calias, who was pretending not to notice.
‘He really has no intention of showing it, huh.’
Rakan and Calias were still constantly bickering, and Renia was the only one mediating between them.
With a small sigh, she patted Rakan’s head.
“You can eat as much as you want, Rakan. Calias prepared plenty just for you.”
“…That old man did?”
As the two of them stared at him, Calias looked troubled.
After a moment of silence, as if he didn’t know how to respond, he turned his head sharply toward the window.
“He’s quite small for someone who said he’d take Renia away from me. That kid.”
“Ggh—! That’s unfair! You’re targeting my weakness!”
“Eat a lot and grow taller, kid. You’re pretty weak for your age—don’t be picky with food.”
“Grrr…”
Rakan trembled in frustration and grabbed a handful of strawberries and blueberries, stuffing them into his mouth.
Even though fruits were nutritious, eating that much wouldn’t suddenly make him grow taller.
“Eat slowly, Rakan. I packed plenty more separately.”
“Mmm, munch… just you wait. I’ll eat a lot and grow way taller than that old man!”
“That’s impossible. I was already the tallest among kids my age.”
“Ghh!”
Rakan clenched his tiny fists in anger.
His face was red, tears welling up, making it painful just to watch.
‘He’s really impossible.’
Unlike the frustrated Rakan, Calias’s expression remained unnervingly calm.
When his smile faded, his face looked especially cold.
Anyone who didn’t know him would definitely think he was a heartless man.
“Hey. Be a bit nicer to Rakan. What kind of father disciplines a child like that?”
“I’ll correct it. I don’t really have proper reference for a father’s role.”
“That’s my situation too. At least try to act like you’re making an effort.”
Neither the past Hye-min nor Renia had ever had proper parents.
Because of that, her behavior toward Rakan was less like a mother and more like an overly protective older sister.
But one thing was certain—she was doing her best as his guardian.
That was why she scolded Calias.
“If you’re going to act, do it properly. I’ll pay you well once everything is over.”
“You really talk like money is everything in the world. That’s a bit disappointing.”
“Isn’t it cleaner when relationships are based on money? You should know that well if you’ve worked as a mercenary.”
“I do. Very clearly.”
And yet he acts like this?
‘Not sure why, but Calias sometimes feels emotionally attached to me. Getting too close would be troublesome.’
From all her missions, Renia had learned one thing: mixing emotions with work is dangerous.
Before Hye-min possessed this body, Renia had died because of someone she trusted the most.
When emotions develop toward someone, disappointment follows—and that turns into resentment.
Once unstable emotions become tangled, mistakes happen quickly.
While she studied Calias’s expressionless face, trying to read his thoughts, something happened.
From outside, a horse let out a loud neigh as the carriage jolted violently.
“R-robbers!”
At the same moment, arrows shot in from somewhere and struck the carriage, and the driver’s scream echoed out.
When she quickly looked out the window, she saw armed men approaching with weapons in hand.
