CHAPTER 37……………
. Doesn’t the fish you missed look bigger?
Late at night, in the bedroom of the Empress of the Haren Empire, the emperor’s heated, excited breaths flowed continuously.
“Your Majesty…”
Hailey’s sultry, coquettish voice followed.
Normally, the emperor would leave her room within an hour, but this time he stayed much longer. The sounds of sticky, overwhelming desire continued until dawn, stimulating anyone who heard them.
“Something feels different today.”
After a storm of passion, Emperor Haren, holding Hailey in his arms, gently stroked her hair and asked.
“I suppose I’ve finally gotten used to being in Your Majesty’s arms. Earlier, I got a little too excited… Did I surprise you?”
Blushing shyly, she pressed her cheek against the emperor’s chest. To him, even that looked adorable.
“It’s the first time holding the Empress and feeling such satisfaction. You bring me such joy. Tell me, Empress, if there’s anything you want.”
“May I really ask for what I desire?”
“I permit it.”
The emperor expected her, like her greedy father, to request jewels or money. But Hailey’s answer was unexpected.
“I want to see my younger sibling in Pritan.”
“My sibling? Why all of a sudden?”
“Unlike how they look, my sibling has experienced many things. In fact, I tried what I heard from them today, and since Your Majesty was so pleased, I feel eager to meet them and learn more.”
The emperor, surprised, looked down at Hailey.
“I can’t believe it. I saw them briefly as a child, but could that mischievous little one be more skilled than the Empress?”
“Oh, Your Majesty~ how can you judge someone by appearances alone? In the capital, it’s said that no young nobleman hasn’t had a romantic experience with them.”
“Heh, that’s quite remarkable.”
“If that one had become the Empress, Your Majesty would have enjoyed even greater satisfaction. I feel regretful.”
At Hailey’s whisper, the emperor wore a contemplative expression.
“I haven’t seen them myself, so I can’t know, but some noble said that they make one taste heaven just before death.”
The emperor’s eyes sparkled with curiosity. Seeing this, Hailey smiled knowingly.
‘See? Doesn’t the fish you missed look bigger?’
Mikrok, William, and ten Pritan knights traveled all night to reach a small village in the northeast.
The village had fewer than twenty households, yet for some reason, it was unusually noisy from early morning.
William grabbed a man rushing out of a house, wearing his coat backward, and asked:
“Wait. What’s happening in this village?”
The man, surprised to see armed knights, desperately held William’s hand.
“Knights, please help us! The children—our children—are missing!”
“What?”
“The children who were sleeping quietly in their rooms last night… were all gone this morning. Please, knights, help us find our children!”
As the man pleaded, villagers began gathering around Mikrok and the knights.
When desperate cries for help erupted from all directions, Mikrok raised his hand to quiet them.
“Who is the village chief?”
“That would be me.”
An elderly man with tangled white hair but sharp eyes stepped forward.
“How many children are missing?”
“Thirteen. All thirteen children in the village disappeared at once.”
“Has anyone unfamiliar come to the village recently? Perhaps someone named Ludric Maon?”
“Ludric? Why do you ask about him?”
At the word “youth,” Mikrok and William exchanged glances.
“Do you know him?”
“He first appeared in the village ten days ago, asking for work. Though wary at first because he was an outsider, we hired him immediately when we saw him break the ice of the Dalron River and fill the communal water jars in no time.”
“Where is he now?”
“At dawn, he usually drew water from the Dalron River, so he’s probably at the river now.”
The chief looked worried as they pressed for more details.
“Could this incident be his doing?”
“We’ll find out soon enough.”
“But who are you?”
“This is Mikrok, the supreme of Pritan.”
When William introduced Mikrok, the village chief and residents bowed in surprise.
“Is there anyone among you who can guide us to the Dalron River?”
Two young men volunteered.
“From now, we go to rescue the children. Ludric is dangerous—if he appears, fall back behind the knights. Understood?”
“Yes, we will.”
Mikrok and the knights set off for the Dalron River with the young guides.
As the villagers worriedly watched, a woman ran out carrying a five-year-old child—a child unable to speak since birth, pitied by the village.
“Chief, I found my baby, Juni.”
“Where was Juni?”
“I heard a faint cry from the attic and found them crying in a basket. The goddess must have protected them. Oh, thank you, Goddess.”
The mother kissed the child’s forehead and cheeks in relief.
‘Why was one of the thirteen children left behind?’
The chief felt a bad omen.
“Tom, Tom, where are you?”
“I’m here, Chief.”
“Go to the Dalron River immediately and inform Mikrok that the missing children are twelve, not thirteen.”
The Dalron River, though not very large, was a vital water source for several northeastern villages. Due to a recent cold snap, the river was frozen to its center.
“To fetch so much water from a frozen river… impossible without fire-wielding demons.”
William muttered, frowning.
“Look over there.”
One guide pointed to the river’s edge. A large wooden wagon teetered precariously on something, swaying dangerously.
Faint cries of children came from it.
“The river’s edge is a waterfall. Since it’s frozen, if we don’t act fast, the wagon will fall and shatter.”
The knights dismounted and cautiously approached the wagon over the ice.
When they were about five meters away, William shouted:
“Kids, are you okay?”
The crying stopped, and one child barely poked their head out the window, shouting:
“Save us! Save us!!”
“How many of you are there? Are you all tied up?”
“Thirteen. We’re all tied!”
Mikrok and William carefully approached and inspected the inside.
The children were tied in pairs to wooden posts, and at the back, a young girl held an even younger sibling.
Seeing the two outside, the children cried in relief.
“I’ll go in and get the children out,” William said, drawing his dagger.
“No, the weight distribution on the tied posts is calculated precisely. If we’re careless, the wagon could fall. First, we’ll secure it with ropes.”
Suddenly, one child screamed. Looking inside, Mikrok and William saw flames at the child’s feet.
“What do we do? There’s no time to tie ropes!”
“Hold onto the wagon’s edges so it doesn’t fall.”
Without waiting, Mikrok jumped into the wagon.
The wagon tilted toward the cliff. William and the knights rushed to stabilize the opposite side.
Mikrok carefully removed the child’s burning shoes and threw them out.
“Where did the fire come from?”
“I don’t know. Suddenly it felt hot beneath my feet, and my shoes caught fire.”
“Don’t be afraid. We’ll save you all. Move slowly as instructed.”
Meanwhile, the knights tied ropes to stabilize the wagon, but its weight made it difficult.
“Will, remove the wagon door. I’ll stabilize the center of gravity and pass the children out one by one. Catch them outside.”
“Yes. Be careful.”
As the knights held the ropes, William removed the door.
Mikrok cut the ropes binding the children, passing them to William, who handed them to the guides. Each child freed brought tears of joy.
After eleven children were safe, Mikrok reached for the girl holding the youngest child.
“Don’t be afraid. Hand me your sibling first.”
The girl slowly handed over the baby. Mikrok passed the child to William, then noticed a cross-shaped scar on the girl’s cheek.
Immediately, Mikrok threw his dagger at her.
The girl ducked, but another sword pinned her to the wagon floor.
Seeing this, William tried to intervene.
“Will, step back! Order!”
At that moment, a pillar of fire erupted from the wagon, engulfing Mikrok.
With a massive explosion, the wagon—containing Mikrok and Ludric Maon disguised as the girl—blew up.
Exhausted from worrying about the lobby until dawn, I woke to the noisy commotion outside my bedroom.
“Where did you hear such nonsense?”
“…”
“It’s all a rumor. I swear on my life, it’s absolutely false!”
Though I couldn’t see the speaker, the voice was clearly Millie, agitated to the point of risking her life.
Pulling the rope, Millie rushed into the bedroom.
“What’s the matter, Millie?”
“The palace maids heard some strange rumors and told me. I got a bit worked up.”
“Strange rumors?”
Millie frowned and lowered her voice.
“Well… the rumor inside the palace is that Lord Robby is the queen’s lover.”
“What??”
