Chapter 236

The only person attempting to assassinate Danyerin, aside from Lee Yeon-joo, is the guard warrior.

They basically did it out of necessity because of their family back home. I hope you can understand.

Of course, I can understand. But understanding and forgiveness are two different things. That’s how I feel.

However, I can’t say I have no doubts. It’s just that Danyerin seems to accept death way too easily.

Usually, she would stubbornly fight back against the guard warrior and survive, just like with the assassination attempt on Lee Yeon-joo.

‘Was there some triggering moment that shook her resolve?’

I held Yeohye’s wrist and stared at her face intently.

Even though it’s an absolute darkness that hides everything, I could still clearly see her expression.

She looked flustered by my sudden intrusion. It’s understandable since I approached without any warning.

Crack!

“Ahh!”

“I’m asking you. What are you doing?”

But aside from that, Yeohye is now an enemy that must be taken down. Danyerin’s enemy is my enemy.

She is a guard warrior, specifically assigned to protect a princess, so her skills must be sufficient. She probably has as much real-world experience as Kara.

But what’s the point? As I tightened my grip, Yeohye let out a brief scream before glaring and fighting back.

It wasn’t the hand I was holding, but her free hand’s fist was rushing toward me at high speed.

Whoosh!

Of course, that fist wouldn’t reach me. Not a single ray of light entered this room.

No matter how keen your night vision, in the face of impenetrable darkness, everyone is treated equally.

On the other hand, I’m not. Although I’m not as bright as morning, I can fight without issue.

“Oh?”

I yanked Yeohye’s wrist. Naturally, her face came closer.

Smack!

“Ugh!”

Right after that, I delivered a clean headbutt. I could hear the sound of her nose bone cracking.

When hit properly in the nose, tears stream down to the point where it’s hard to even open your eyes. She must be disoriented right now.

As much as I’d like to keep hitting her, this is a dormitory. If I make too much noise, the sharp-eyed folks will come running.

Especially since this dormitory is where Malboro, the professor, resides. He’s very sensitive to sound, so swift action is essential.

Puh!

So first, I aimed for her jaw. The jaw is directly connected to the brain—one of the vital spots.

If I hit her jaw, her brain will shake, and she might be knocked out for a moment.

Even if she doesn’t get knocked out, she’ll definitely complain of severe dizziness.

“Ugh…”

Yeohye was the one complaining of dizziness. Being trained, she must be holding up to some extent.

But what does that matter? In this darkness, I’m infinitely favored in this fight.

No matter how much Yeohye struggles, the initiative is always mine.

Thud!

First, I stomped on the joint of her knee to force her to kneel.

Then I twisted her wrist back and pressed down on her back with my knee, completely overpowering her.

Having been headbutted and hit in the jaw, Yeohye couldn’t resist at all.

“Stop. That’s enough.”

I was about to go further when Danyerin stopped me.

It seems just overpowering her is enough. I didn’t push it any further.

But not forgetting to twist her arm, since I don’t know what Yeohye might do. No matter how hard she struggles, it only hurts her arm.

“That’s you…”

In the darkness, Danyerin looked at me. She had a somewhat dazed yet bewildered expression.

Her face seemed to say, ‘Why are you here?’ It’s no surprise since she didn’t expect me to intervene.

Just a moment ago, I had been dismissed, and here I am back again. Her feelings must be mixed.

“… It should have been quiet. Did you hear that?”

“No.”

“Then how did you find me? Did you come knowing?”

“I was anxious.”

“Anxious?”

I nodded. Honestly, I didn’t have much else to say.

Who would say they hung around just observing from a distance when it came time to enter?

I had to just go with my gut. I had said similar things to her before.

She probably thought of that now. There wasn’t enough room for me to directly intervene—this was the best I could do.

“That looks like a defeated expression.”

“… A defeated expression?”

“Yeah. A defeated expression. That’s not good.”

More than anything, Danyerin had a face nearing resignation. It was different from what I knew.

Normally, she would fight fiercely for her life, overcoming even failed assassination attempts.

In the future, she might fall prey to an assassination attempt on Lee Yeon-joo, but at least for now, she should be safe.

Yet seeing her expression as if she’d given up only brought unease. It seemed she was really trying to accept death.

“You have to live.”

“…”

“If you live, you can do anything. If you die, you’re gone.”

That was my bone-deep advice. I’d done anything to survive in the wilderness.

It was the mindset Danyerin needed. She harbored ambitions of becoming an empress, yet was so ready to accept death.

No one knows how life turns out. You must cling to even the slightest hope to find an opportunity.

“… Okay. Let’s put that aside for now.”

Danyerin’s gaze dropped. She turned towards Yeohye.

It seemed Yeohye had lost the will to resist once I completely overpowered her.

If she resisted further here, she would know well what would become of her.

Her nose was already broken, and she was bleeding profusely.

Though I couldn’t see well, her blood must be pooling on the floor by now.

“Yeohye.”

“…”

“Knowing you aimed for my life, your own won’t be whole. You should be aware.”

Danyerin was right. From the moment Yeohye attempted to assassinate her, she was already dead.

There’s no way she could remain with us, and she’d have to return. Danyerin will likely inform the Academy.

“I want to live as quietly as possible. So I’d appreciate it if you’d leave now.”

“…”

“Or die here. Sivar.”

“Yeah?”

“I heard you can handle a body if someone dies in the forest. How many days until a corpse disappears?”

I blinked, taken aback by her implication that I should handle the body myself.

But given Danyerin’s nature, it’s probably not the case. She hardly takes lives like that.

That said, she’s no fool either; as I mentioned, Yeohye’s already a dead woman after failing the assassination.

I had to take her out since leaving her alive was too dangerous. If I returned to the Hwan Empire, my superiors would call for blood.

“A week. It’s hot right now.”

“A week… sounds doable.”

“…”

“But I’ll give you a choice. Neither Sivar nor I want to get our hands dirty.”

With a dry voice, Danyerin made her suggestion.

“Will you become a cold corpse to be eaten by beasts? Or will you go back and find a way to live?”

“… I want to live.”

“Why? Do you want to see your family’s faces before you die?”

“… Yes.”

Even rolling around in a pile of dung, life is precious. That’s a true statement.

Only by living can one’s identity become clear.

Hearing Yeohye’s answer, Danyerin nodded and then asked me.

“Sivar. Let her go.”

“Are you sure?”

“You’re here, so it’s fine.”

Isn’t she placing too much trust in me? I released Yeohye without a fight.

Yeohye, lost her will to resist, maintained her kneeling posture.

“Return as you are.”

“…”

“Don’t let me see you again.”

“… Thank you for everything.”

Yeohye said that and stumbled towards the balcony. Then she fell down below.

Seeing her presence fade away, quick and fast, it seemed she was genuinely fleeing.

If you think about it, it was a rather bland development, but this was right. The Academy was already noisy, and there was no need to create more commotion here.

“…”

“…”

With Yeohye gone, a subtle silence fell between us. The situation hasn’t fully resolved yet.

Looking at Danyerin, she appeared troubled with a complicated expression. Her heart must be unsettled.

The moment I intervened, it was basically like jumping into the struggle for the imperial throne.

Right now, things are okay, but the moment I set foot in the Hwan Empire in the future, it’ll be dangerous.

“… Sivar.”

“Yeah.”

“I hope you know what you’ve done, but…”

The problem lies on Danyerin’s side. She’s gradually adapting to civilization from a life in the wilderness.

Now, she has to explain the complex political struggles to someone from the wild—a few difficulties would be unavoidable.

“… Do you perhaps know my situation?”

“What situation?”

“I am a princess of the Hwan Empire, and I am also aiming for the throne.”

“Yeah. I know. You’re a predator, right?”

“A predator, huh…”

The moment I made the best analogy I could, Danyerin mumbled softly. Then she started thinking hard about something.

She’s probably trying to align with my perspective. I silently waited.

“Right. A predator. You’ve stepped into the competition to become a predator since you decided to help me.”

“Yeah.”

“You can’t just slip away freely. Is that alright? You can’t become a predator; you’ll always be in a supporting position.”

“I’m fine with it.”

It doesn’t matter. That was my intention all along.

“I’ll help.”

“…”

“Do you need anything?”

To my straightforward reply, Danyerin looked stunned. She was surprised by my breezy acknowledgment.

Trying to find words, she repeatedly opened and closed her mouth before letting out a snicker. She’d half given up.

“Right. With you around, it’s at least not boring. But remember one thing.”

“One thing?”

“Never betray me.”

That’s easy. The moment I betray her, Danyerin’s favorability would plummet, practically dragging me into the depths of despair.

Perhaps this point is similar to Kara—both are very sensitive when it comes to ‘trust.’

I nodded, as if agreeing with her suggestion. Danyerin’s smile became even brighter.

“Of course, I don’t fully trust you yet. So…”

She trailed off, slowly sliding into her bed. I looked at her in confusion.

Why climb into bed if she doesn’t fully trust me? For a moment, I wondered, but she patted the empty space beside her.

“Sleep next to me tonight.”

“… Sleep?”

“Yep. It’s a kind of test.”

It was a somewhat sudden request, but I accepted without a second thought. I could clean up the blood on the floor later.

I carefully crawled into bed as per her request. The large bed could easily accommodate the two of us.

“Your condition is not to harm me. That’s the requirement.”

“Um…”

“Are you worried about Grace next to us? If so, let her sleep and come to me afterward.”

Is she blatantly suggesting I cheat on her? I looked at her in disbelief.

Danyerin watched me with a faint smile as if it didn’t bother her at all.

“If you meet my expectations…”

What followed was her statement.

“I’d gladly give you my body.”

It was a bold declaration.

“My body?”

“Yep. My body.”

She gently caressed my arm, like handling a delicate piece of porcelain.

Her appearance, her gestures—all were enchanting. In another sense, there was a seductive quality to it.

“After all, it was a life that nearly died. You saved me.”

“…”

“So I can willingly offer my body. More importantly…”

Danyerin slowly moved her hand up and held my face.

Even grasping my face, her caressing didn’t stop. It was filled with affection.

“I’ve never met a man I liked as much as you.”

“…”

“Seeing this, I think you might really be a demon. You charm the hearts of so many women.”

I had no retort for that. I mean, three women have already kissed me.

At that moment, I was about to close my mouth when Danyerin spoke to me with intrigue in her tone.

“And that makes me like you even more. They don’t know I exist.”

“…”

“It’s fine if you leave me lonely. But remember…”

Danyerin came closer and whispered to me.

“Don’t leave my body and heart lonely.”

The impact was astonishing in many ways.

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