Chapter 2
When Jeryl came to, the air smelled faintly of smoke. She pushed herself out of the strong arms that had been holding her.
“Seriously, what is this? Why does someone always die right in front of me?”
She was getting traumatized.
She didn’t really feel sad — most of the dead people she’d seen were either killers or terrible people anyway.
“Thank you for saving me—”
“Tch.”
She blinked.
Had he just clicked his tongue at her?
The man who’d saved her walked past, crouched by the body on the ground, and muttered,
“That damned emperor will start his crap again. What a nuisance.”
She couldn’t hear everything, but the glare he gave her afterward definitely wasn’t friendly.
Still, Jeryl was distracted by something else.
“Why can’t I see his karma?”
The space above his head was blurred, like a censored photo.
She had never seen that before.
A person whose karma couldn’t be read?
“You look like a noble. You should really have a knight with you at this hour,” the man said coldly. “Don’t cause trouble for other people.”
“What’s wrong with this guy?”
“What?”
Oops.
Jeryl froze. She’d said that last part out loud.
The man frowned, looking annoyed, then turned away as if she wasn’t worth the effort.
But Jeryl couldn’t just let her savior walk away.
“No, he saved my life — I should thank him properly!”
She quickly spoke up, her smile bright.
“Haha, no, that’s not what I meant! Anyway, thank you for saving me. I’m Jeryl from House Rubian. If there’s any way I can repay you…”
The man’s head snapped around sharply. His aura turned even darker.
“…House Rubian?”
“Yes!”
“Jeryl Rubian?”
She nodded.
The man took a few slow steps toward her. He was huge — over 190 cm easily — and his shadow fell across her face.
His gaze assessed her, while hers shone with gratitude. Their eyes met — his cool and dangerous, hers bright and naive.
Then his lips curved into a grin.
If his butler had seen it, he’d have sighed, “Oh no, the master’s up to something again.”
“I’m Kar— no, call me Cal,” he said. “You said you wanted to repay me?”
“Yes. You saved me, after all. Even if you were a bit rough about it…”
The predator smiled. The bird who’d meant only to return a favor had just stepped into the trap.
“There’s something I’d like you to do.”
“What is it?”
“I just arrived in the empire recently. I don’t know my way around yet. Could you give me a little tour?”
An easy request — or so she thought.
“Oh, of course! I’d love to.”
“Good. Then I’ll send you a letter with the exact time. Let’s meet at the café in the plaza tomorrow.”
“Sure! But are you sure that’s enough of a reward?”
The man holstered his sleek silver gun and smiled like a satisfied predator.
“That’ll do.”
***
The next day…
To sum it up, Jeryl got stood up.
“Miss! Weren’t you supposed to have a dinner appointment today?” her maid asked.
“Uh… yeah. But, well, things happen.”
It had started raining. She shook the droplets from her cloak and frowned.
“Did I get the time wrong?”
But no — the letter clearly said ‘6 p.m., plaza café.’
She flipped it over, sniffing lightly.
“This smell… like fallen leaves?”
She gave up figuring it out and sighed.
“Maybe something happened to Cal. He’s a foreigner, after all — maybe he got lost.”
Worried, she grabbed her pen.
***
Dear Cal,
Hello, this is Jeryl Rubian — the one you rescued yesterday.
I’m worried because you didn’t show up to our meeting today. I hope nothing happened to you. If you need any help, please let me know.
She handed the letter to her maid Bell, thinking little of it. Maybe he just forgot.
The next morning, a reply arrived.
To Lady Rubian,
My apologies. I was unable to come due to personal matters. I feel terrible for making you wait. To make it up to you, may I treat you to dinner tonight at 6 p.m.? Let’s meet by the fountain in the plaza.
So he did have a reason!
Relieved, Jeryl picked up her sightseeing list again and set out happily.
She got stood up — again.
She stood alone by the fountain as the sun set.
“What the hell is wrong with this guy?”
Now she was just mad.
And then another thought hit her.
“Come to think of it, the duke hasn’t sent me any letters lately.”
After that terrifying ‘Hey.’ letter, she’d been sure the correspondence nightmare would start again. But it hadn’t.
“Maybe I’ve escaped the death flag after all.”
She smiled faintly. “Good. I’d rather live long and quietly.”
Her reflection rippled in a puddle nearby. The smile faded.
She hesitated, then leaned closer to look.
The number hadn’t changed since she’d first checked it.
“So this karma isn’t Jeryl’s… it’s mine.”
Her eyes dimmed as memories flashed by.
The reason she’d chosen to work in a children’s therapy center, of all places—
[Big sis, I like you ‘cause you’re my sister!]
[Big sis, why do people call you adopted? What does that mean?]
SCREEEECH! CRASH!
[No…! I’ll save you! Please, just hold on…]
***
The memory cut off. The puddle stared back at her, silent.
“Miss, it’s getting dark. That Cal, or Curry, or whoever he is — I don’t think he’s coming. Let’s go home.”
“Oh… right. Cal.”
Jeryl glanced around one last time, but there was no sign of black hair or red eyes.
She sighed. “Yeah, let’s go. I’ve had enough of this.”
***
Meanwhile, elsewhere…
“Your Excellency, a letter has arrived from His Majesty the Emperor.”
“Burn it.”
Karon — Cal’s real name — scowled darkly.
“But, sir, ignoring letters from His Majesty for weeks—”
“I’ve no interest in wasting time on my idiot brother’s nonsense. Burn it. No, wait. Bring it here — I’ll burn it myself.”
He snatched the golden envelope from his butler’s hands, and flames instantly licked across it.
Red magic fire — his specialty.
‘What a waste of talent,’ the butler thought miserably.
If the emperor — already jealous of his younger brother — had seen it, he’d have raged for days.
“Any mail from House Rubian?” Karon asked.
“No, sir. Perhaps it’s time to stop being angry with Lady Rubian?”
Karon smirked, amused.
“Check again. I’m sure she sent one.”
His red eyes gleamed — just as a servant hurried in with a silver tray.
“Your Excellency, a letter from House Rubian!”
Karon grabbed it eagerly.
To Cal.
The handwriting was heavy and indignant.
He chuckled as he read it, imagining her fuming.
“She even tore the corner of the page. She must’ve been furious.”
Satisfied, he waved a hand.
“Butler, write a reply. Use some fancy words. Tell her to meet me tomorrow at 6 p.m. in front of the museum.”
“…And are you actually going to show up this time, sir?”
Karon’s grin turned sharp.
“Yes. This time, I will.”
His red eyes narrowed with dangerous amusement.
“It’s time she learned who I really am.”
***
“Miss, there’s a letter from that Curry guy again.”
“It’s Cal, Bell.”
Her maid clearly held a grudge on her behalf.
Still half-asleep, Jeryl opened the envelope. It smelled faintly of gunpowder.
“What kind of excuse will it be this time?”
To Lady Rubian,
Good morning. I hope you slept well. Please forgive my behavior yesterday…
Huh?
The letter was suddenly polite — full of flowery, poetic language.
It was obviously written by a butler trying to make his boss sound civilized.
Of course, Jeryl had no idea — and she fell for it instantly.
…Would you meet me today at 6 p.m. in front of the museum?
“Will you go, miss?” Bell asked.
“Well, he did save my life. I should at least show some manners…”
But this time, she decided: If he doesn’t show, that’s it. I’m done.
**
It was 5:30 p.m.
Thirty minutes left till she got off work at the therapy center.
“Jeryl, how have you been?”
She turned. It was Ian — the tall man with soft brown hair and clear green eyes.
The Empire’s First Knight Commander, and heir to House Persch.
Years ago, she’d treated him after a serious injury, and they’d stayed in touch since.
But something about that bugged her.
“Wait, in the original story, Ian wasn’t the First Knight Commander…”
That character had been a side male lead she remembered clearly.
“Well, maybe that’s a good thing. If the story’s changing, maybe I can avoid dying early.”
She smiled.
“I’m good. You look great today — your eyes are really bright. Are you secretly wearing magic lenses or something?”
Ian only smiled.
“Jeryl, would you have dinner with me after work?”
“Oh, I’m sorry. I actually have plans tonight.”
“A date?”
“No, not exactly—”
Just then—
“Emergency! We’ve got patients with mass seizures!”
Staff rushed in, wheeling in stretchers.
“They’ve got the blue rash again!”
“Is it spreading through the lungs this time?”
“Yes. That’s already the third case this month.”
The same strange illness — blue spots around the mouth and nose, and violent convulsions.
Before she could think, people were calling her from all sides.
“Jeryl! Over here, please!”
“Here too!”
She ran nonstop.
By the time she looked up, the clock hands were already pointing to six.
And then seven.
***
“Mommy, that man is scary!”
“Shh! Don’t look at him. Come here.”
7:30 p.m.
The man who’d spent his life making others faint, not getting rejected, stood alone in the empty plaza — and smiled dangerously.
