Episode 28
“Why do I feel this way…”
Yuriel didn’t know the reason.
She gently wrapped her arms around her stomach.
Just before she lost consciousness from Fiona’s attack, she had seen something.
She couldn’t shake the feeling that it had been real.
All she remembered clearly was a blinding white light that surrounded her.
And even though it was a vague memory, the warmth that came with the light still lingered.
“What was that light? Was it something unknown to me?”
She placed a hand over her belly and whispered:
“Baby… was it you who protected me?”
Her stomach felt warm, as if she was hugging something alive.
She was carrying a child born of dragon blood.
So the pregnancy didn’t follow normal rules.
Even though she had only just passed the early stages, she had already felt the baby move.
And sometimes, even if it was only her imagination, it felt like she was communicating with the baby.
“I can’t wait to meet you…”
She wondered: Would the baby look like her?
Probably not—the child carried strong blood from Akron, so maybe it would look just like him.
Whether it was a boy or a girl, she already knew they would be adorable.
Tiny fingers like newly sprouted leaves…
A smile that glowed like sunlight through the window…
Thinking about these precious and warm things made her heart flutter.
But along with the happiness, a shadow of sadness crept in.
“You’ll leave my arms so quickly, won’t you…”
Because of the dragon blood, the baby would grow very fast.
It would leave her side in the blink of an eye.
And after that… maybe they would never meet again.
It felt like someone had spilled dark ink over her peaceful picture.
That dark fog began to steal her warmth, like poison.
“It’s okay… I’m still okay.”
Yuriel whispered, trying to comfort herself.
As long as she was with the baby, she could stay close to him, too.
She could think of that moment as something far in the future.
She missed him—the man who had held her in silence when she had lost something precious.
“Baby, will you pray with me… that he comes home safely?”
She wasn’t alone.
And that made her feel a little stronger.
Rustle. Murmurs.
“…?”
As she was gazing up at the night sky, she noticed a change.
Lights were turning on all across the castle.
There were voices, hurried footsteps—something was happening.
Even deep inside the castle, in the couple’s bedroom, the noise reached her.
At the same time, she felt a kick in her belly.
“He’s back.”
She knew it instantly.
Before she could even think, her body was already moving.
She didn’t remember opening the door.
She ran down the cool hallway, heart pounding wildly.
She didn’t even realize she wasn’t wearing a shawl.
“Hah… haah…”
By the time her breath was ragged and her face flushed, she had reached the grand hall.
Standing in the entrance was Aubrey, looking shocked to see her.
Then the double doors burst open, and a rush of cold air swept in.
“Akron?”
There he was.
A man clad in pitch-black armor, darker than the night.
He stopped when he saw her.
His once-bright blond hair was now stained so dark, it barely reflected light.
“Why… is my wife out here?”
His voice echoed through the hall, low and dangerous.
His red eyes gleamed like a beast’s.
He looked like a monster still trapped in the instincts of battle.
“Forgive me! It was my mistake!”
Aubrey quickly stepped forward and bowed.
Monster hunting was like war—a place of blood, death, and rage.
Even back in his home, Akron’s nerves hadn’t yet settled.
He hadn’t intended to see Yuriel tonight.
After hunting, his body would always be drenched in dark blood, in a terrible state.
He remembered how she had looked frightened the last time she saw him like this.
He didn’t want to show this side of himself.
Even if he was a monster inside, he wanted to be treated like a normal man, at least on the outside.
[You’re nothing but a monster.]
A whisper echoed in his mind—an intrusive voice that always followed him.
While he was away in the contaminated lands, that voice constantly taunted him.
But Akron never responded.
[In the end, she’ll hate you too.]
Flinch.
His gloved hands curled into tight fists, trembling.
That voice laughed cruelly in his head, feeding on his doubt.
Akron tore off his cape and gave a cold order:
“Take her back inside.”
“Yes, my lady. Please, let me escort you,” Aubrey said, stepping toward Yuriel.
“This way, my lady—”
But before Aubrey could reach her, Yuriel moved first.
“…?”
Akron’s eyes widened.
Step by step, Yuriel was walking toward him.
“You’re not hurt, are you?”
Her voice shook with worry.
There wasn’t a trace of disgust on her face.
“…”
Akron couldn’t respond.
He had never realized that being caught off guard could make his body freeze like this.
Yuriel’s eyes began to shimmer with unshed tears.
Akron instinctively reached out to hug her, but his arms froze in the air.
He was covered in monster blood.
If he touched her now, he’d stain her.
“You’re covered in blood.”
Just as he tried to step back, a small pale hand reached out and touched his bloodstained cheek.
“…!”
Akron flinched and stepped back in shock.
After a moment of silence, he muttered:
“I… should clean up.”
His armor had just been removed.
A servant rushed over with news:
“The bath is ready, sir.”
“I’ll go up.”
He turned, but looked back at her and said softly:
“I’d like to bathe with you… But I’m a mess today. Go up first.”
He was calm enough to even joke now.
At least on the outside—inside, he was still a storm of tangled feelings.
“Escort the Grand Duchess.”
If he stayed near her any longer, he might not be able to hold back.
So he quickly turned away and headed toward the bath.
Yuriel stood quietly, watching his retreating figure.
She looked down at her hand—it was now stained with thick, black liquid.
Monster blood.
She had only gotten a few drops on her.
But he was soaked in it.
“Let me clean your hands.”
Aubrey brought a warm cloth and gently wiped her fingers.
“He tends to be… very sensitive after a hunt.”
He spoke cautiously.
Soon, her hand was clean, but the sticky feeling of blood still clung to her skin, in her mind.
“You don’t need to apologize, Aubrey. It wasn’t your fault.”
“No, I should’ve warned you sooner.”
But truthfully, Aubrey hadn’t expected Akron to return today.
Normally, his hunts lasted at least two weeks.
He always sent a signal before coming back.
“I’ll head up now.”
“Allow me to escort you.”
Yuriel gently declined and walked alone.
The hall to the couple’s bedroom was quite far.
She didn’t even remember how she’d run all the way earlier.
Now, her footsteps were heavy.
By the time she got back, the bedroom door was still open.
“I didn’t even close the door when I left…”
She must have been too distracted.
After shutting the door behind her, she sat on the bed, and only then realized her body felt cold.
Sitting alone on the bed where she was waiting for Akron, Yuriel couldn’t calm her thoughts.
“So this… is the life he lives.”
A warrior of the empire.
A member of the dragonblood line that slayed monsters.
Everyone praised his achievements.
But no one spoke about the burden he carried.
Yuriel had been the same.
She had thought about him every day, worrying constantly.
But now that she had seen the truth, it was more than she imagined—he carried the weight of bloodshed.
Click.
At a quiet sound, Yuriel looked up.
“…You were waiting.”
A deep voice, lower than usual.
Akron stepped in, closing the door behind him.
He wore only a bathrobe.
His damp hair stuck to his forehead—he must have just finished bathing.
“Your hair’s still wet. You’ll catch a cold.”
Yuriel stood and approached him.
There was nothing nearby to dry his hair.
So she lifted her sleeve and gently dabbed the dripping strands.
“Haha…”
A soft laugh escaped him.
Yuriel blinked, surprised by the sound.
He was smiling with his whole face, like something amusing had just happened.
