A few nights later, the Cathedral of Erementas welcomed an unwelcome guest.
“Ugh!”
“Thud!”
Two soldiers guarding the main entrance collapsed with short groans one after another. The intruder, Lee Hwan, laid them down in a place where others could not see them.
Those who guard the sacred relics were not confined to the main building. Two groups, consisting of two people per group, patrolled the cathedral grounds. There was only about an hour left until the next patrol passed through here, as long as he wasn’t caught until then, he would be fine.
Lee Hwan opened the massive door of the main building and entered. The place where the relic was kept was quite a distance away. He walked briskly through the corridors. Despite that, not a single sound of footsteps came from him.
Spotting a patrolling soldier midway, Lee Hwan quickly hid. He concealed himself behind a pillar, and soon the soldier passed by. He waited until the soldier disappeared completely.
He didn’t want to encounter anyone if possible. Suddenly, memories of the dreadful past resurfaced. Lee Hwan shook his head vigorously to dispel the thoughts.
Eventually, he reached the door to the room where the relic was kept. He paused for a moment and assessed the situation. There were a total of six people inside. He had to get through them and retrieve the relic within an hour.
Lee Hwan drew his sword and leaped into the room. He aimed at the closest soldier and swung his sword.
Swish!
Hot blood splattered on the stained glass. Before the severed head hit the ground, Lee Hwan charged at the second soldier. Flesh and bone severed, organs pierced. He wanted to erase the vivid sensation transmitted through his palms. But time was not on his side.
“Intruder!”
“Stop him!”
At that moment, the soldiers noticed Lee Hwan. Their weapons gleamed in their hands. Lee Hwan darted between them.
Life faded with a light flick of the blade. Lee Hwan gritted his teeth. He swiftly dealt with the remaining four soldiers, and as two reinforcements rushed in at the sound of the commotion, he cut them down too. Now, only one remained.
Approaching the relic, Lee Hwan lifted the glass cover. His touch seizing the golden chalice was grim. He promptly left the place.
With a dizzy head, he mapped out the patrol route. Exiting through the main gate of the main building would lead to an encounter with patrolling soldiers. After finalizing his plan, Lee Hwan opened the window and jumped out.
Little did he know, that was just the beginning.
In that brief moment, a familiar face looked up at Lee Hwan. The white nightshirt and the shawl fluttered in the wind. Lee Hwan stared at the flowing blonde hair.
The gaze, scanning Lee Hwan in horror, stopped at his eyes. Suddenly, he remembered that every time he met Solino, only his eyes were visible.
“P-pilgrim?”
He must kill him. Didn’t he kill the soldiers to leave no witnesses to confirm his identity?
Lee Hwan raised his sword. Solino slumped down. Another figure overlapped his horror-stricken face.
Would you ever face this fate?
The blood-soaked blade hung in the air. Solino’s mouth opened. Just as the first scream was about to escape through his lips, Lee Hwan struck down with the sword.
The cold steel sliced through the heart that had been pounding moments ago. Solino fell silent without even a scream.
Lee Hwan sheathed his sword. As the soul departed, the cooling body shriveled. Even the shining blonde hair was stained and dulled by blood.
That person with the beautiful blonde hair.
Lucian.
“Ah….”
Lee Hwan let out a groan. His trembling body, standing tall, took a faltering step forward. A hand emerged from the darkness and covered Lee Hwan’s eyes.
It was a warm hand, radiating the warmth of a living being.
“Why are you here,” Lee Hwan whispered, adding quietly, “Absalom.” It was the name of the one he had decided to wait for, having ridden up the mountain a little way from the cathedral.
“I came because I was worried about you…”
Absalom’s voice trailed off, and he turned Lee Hwan around. His eyes, darker in the night, seemed somehow relieved.
“You did well.”
His words made Lee Hwan shudder.
“Good job? What’s this for?”
“Let’s Go, Lee Hwan.”
Absalom coldly caught a glimpse of the bloody blond and pulled Lee Hwan away. It was an incredible display of power. Lee Hwan had no choice but to be dragged along helplessly.
They arrived at the mountain shortly after. A jet-black horse awaited them. Absalom sat in the front, with Lee Hwan behind him. Absalom held the reins.
The cold night wind whispered in their ears. To Lee Hwan, it sounded like the final groans of the dead from tonight.
He had killed before. During large-scale operations, there were always those who disobeyed orders or attempted desertion. Fear was one means to prevent recurrence. At twenty-one, Lee Hwan had cut off the deserter’s head with his own hands in front of everyone and fought the battle without a single hesitation.
The operation was successful. The valley was filled with the corpses of monsters, and the streets of the imperial capital were adorned with flowers celebrating the improved Lee Hwan.
But for Lee Hwan, it was all a nightmare.
He couldn’t eat or drink. Nausea overwhelmed him at the slightest taste. He couldn’t tell if what he chewed was food or the soldiers he had killed.
Dead soldiers haunted his dreams. Begging for mercy, they faced Lee Hwan’s blade repeatedly.
The torment continued until Lucian embraced Lee Hwan.
“It’s not a bad thing,” Lucian said, explaining that Lee Hwan’s actions were to protect everyone, and the true evil lay with monsters and dragons. “You’re not bad,” Lucian added. Only then could Lee Hwan finally sleep.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
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And today, he killed again.
“If you want something.”
Someone whispered close to Lee Hwan’s ear, lips almost touching. A low, deep voice. It was Absalom.
“Just say one word and I’ll do anything for you.”
It was truly sweet words.
“Anything?” Lee Hwan asked.
“Anything,” Absalom replied.
“If you wish, I will kill as many humans as you want.”
Absalom pulled the reins, bringing the horse to a stop. The rugged mountain path ahead was impassable on horseback. They dismounted. Absalom, who had untied the horse, approached Lee Hwan.
“Or should I destroy this world?” The king of monsters, the dragon, the only one of its kind in the world, declared to Lee Hwan. He realized the sincerity behind those words.
A whole world rested on Lee Hwan’s three-inch tongue. It was a world he could crush if he wished. The realization weighed heavily on the air. Amidst the dizziness, Lee Hwan couldn’t take his eyes off Absalom. A being stood before him, vastly different from anything he had known.
This was the dragon, Absalom.
Lee Hwan’s lips moved on their own accord. “Who are you, really?”
What meaning did the question hold when he already knew the answer? Yet Lee Hwan waited for something. Eventually, Absalom’s crimson lips parted slowly.
“You probably already know. I am Absalom… your cherished friend.”
However, the high expectations quickly disappeared.
What did he hope for? Lee Hwan mocked himself.
Despite feeling betrayed, Lee Hwan found himself hoping. If Absalom would only tell the truth, if this version of Absalom in this time wouldn’t betray him. But once again, his hope turned to ashes.
“A friend?” Lee Hwan murmured. His lips twisted into something resembling a laugh.
“You’re kidding,” Lee Hwan’s own voice sounded vile to his ears.
“You’re lusting after me. Did you think I wouldn’t notice how desperate you are to have me? What kind of friend does that make you?”
He wanted to hurt. Whether it truly hurt Absalom or not didn’t matter.
Lee Hwan shoved Absalom’s chest hard. Absalom staggered back. His pale face still fixed on Lee Hwan. Lee Hwan felt a desire to scream, yet he choked back his words.
“Don’t you get it? It’s give me chills.”
As he spoke, Lee Hwan realized why he said those words. Self-loathing and anguish pierced his heart. Eventually, Lee Hwan turned away.
Expressing a desire to inflict pain, those words were the most painful Lee Hwan had ever felt in his life. If there’s no affection towards the other person, even a passing attack is too much. To think that this was all he could muster in this golden opportunity. Lee Hwan cursed his own foolishness.
As he walked briskly, the distance between him and Absalom quickly widened. It was when Lee Hwan had taken about ten steps. The sound of urgent footsteps drew closer.
“Lee Hwan! Wait!”
But Lee Hwan didn’t stop walking. Eventually, Absalom started running. He caught up, blocked Lee Hwan’s path, and pursed his lips. They trembled, yet, after much hesitation, the words he chose were painfully ordinary.
“I’m sorry.”
Absalom, who whispered anxiously, lowered his gaze.
“I, I just…”
A feeble voice followed. Lee Hwan received the words with a bitter smile.
“Just, what? Just wanted to test me?”
Absalom looked at Lee Hwan with a pained expression, almost on the verge of tears. Don’t fool yourself! Lee Hwan lashed out at the swirling emotions.
“Get lost.”
Lee Hwan growled low as he walked past Absalom.
Originally, Lee Hwan’s plan was as follows: First, create a record of leaving Sankonia City. Then, after booking a room at an inn in a nearby village, sneak into the cathedral at night and steal the relic before fleeing. To achieve this, he had already learned how to enter and exit Sankonia City through the mountains.
Separated from Absalom, Lee Hwan left Sankonia City through rugged mountain paths. He arrived at the inn just as the faint light appeared in the eastern sky. He stealthily made his way to the room on the third floor.
In truth, Lee Hwan hadn’t expected Absalom to distance himself this much. It wasn’t just about being hurt; it was about being utterly ignored. However, until the sun rose and set again, Absalom did not return.
Into the early hours of dawn, in the midst of a distant night, Lee Hwan, tormented by nightmares, woke up with a start. Cold sweat trickled down his cheeks. As he wiped it away, he noticed something blurry in front of him. The liquid running down his cheek wasn’t cold sweat; it was tears.
Since his return, he had spent countless nights awake with nightmares, but he hadn’t woken up crying for a while. Perhaps today’s dream was particularly painful. He tried to recall the dream, but it was no different from other nightmares.
‘If it’s something different from usual…’
Lee Hwan chased away the face that came to his mind and closed his eyes.
His breathing gradually calmed down. A faint sound approached. Even in his drowsiness, Lee Hwan realized that Absalom had entered.
A chilly breeze, as if just outside a moment ago, wafted over Lee Hwan. It carried a scent similar to that of his parents when they returned from work during his childhood. Unconsciously inhaling deeply, something warm and gentle touched his cheek.
“Again today…”
It was a soothing voice fitting for the night. Along with it, delicate fingers brushed over Lee Hwan’s cheek and around his eyes. The partially dried tears were gradually wiped away. It was a familiar gesture.
Suddenly, Lee Hwan remembered what Absalom had said before entering the reception room of the Erementas Cathedral.
‘Are you okay?’
Absalom had asked because he knew. He hesitated as if afraid to hurt, handling Lee Hwan delicately.
Lee Hwan opened his eyes. His sharp brown eyes glimmered in the darkness.
“Leave.”
Absalom’s absence meant he was affected by Lee Hwan’s words. It brought a strange sense of satisfaction to Lee Hwan.
Lee Hwan still brushed away the hand that was still touching his cheek. The sound of flesh hitting flesh rang out coldly.
“did you hear what I said? I said it gave me chills.”
Absalom slumped his shoulders. Lee Hwan looked up. He could see Absalom’s tightly clenched lips, which were almost white from the pressure.
As Lee Hwan and Absalom’s gazes met, Absalom, visibly startled, lowered his eyes. His lowered silver eyelashes trembled slightly. It was the reaction of someone clearly hurt, visible to anyone.
Lee Hwan, being human, couldn’t boast that he had never hurt others in his life. However, he had never acted with the sole intention of hurting someone out of malice.
Yet, what was this emotion now? Finding satisfaction in someone else’s pain. He wasn’t originally that kind of person. Lee Hwan clenched the blanket tightly. That’s when Absalom spoke up.
“I’m sorry.”
“I heard that before…”
“I won’t distance myself from Lee Hwan. This is an apology to him.”
Absalom looked up. Lee Hwan read determination in his eyes. Perhaps it was greed that prompted Lee Hwan to act.
“Who decides whether or not to distance themselves? Who are you to decide?”
“You can use me.”
“I don’t need…”
“I can be quite useful. I have money, information, and, most importantly, I can make all your wishes come true. If I’m not enough, I’ll even stake my name.”
Absalom spoke to Lee Hwan with eyes and voice that seemed sincere. Stop it. Lee Hwan gritted his teeth. Doubts, bred in self-loathing, whispered to him.
‘Think about what it means that Absalom was hurt by those words.’
Don’t fool yourself. Lee Hwan twisted his lips.
“You’ll make everything come true? Then killing the monster would be possible too, right? Of course, you’d wager your name.”
It was a demand Absalom, being a dragon, could never affirm. Lee Hwan prepared to mock Absalom’s hesitation or silence. Then Absalom smiled brightly and responded.
“Is that all?”
There was no hesitation. Lee Hwan’s lips hardened.
“All right.”
Absalom turned away, perhaps interpreting Lee Hwan’s silence as affirmation. Lee Hwan reached out, but Absalom’s garment slipped through his fingers.
He hastily leaped off the bed and grabbed Absalom. Fear flickered in Absalom’s deep blue eyes as Lee Hwan tried to turn him around.
Absalom removed Lee Hwan’s hand. Lee Hwan grabbed Absalom again with his other hand.
“Please let go, Lee Hwan.”
Absalom’s voice sounded almost pleading. Don’t give in. Lee Hwan’s fragmented heart whispered in fear. But Lee Hwan eventually asked.
“What are you really?”
It was a question similar to what Lee Hwan had asked Absalom just a day before. Absalom hesitated before moving his lips. Lee Hwan’s voice echoed again.
“Is it nothing to you? Is it that easy?”
A warm hand covered Lee Hwan’s back of the hand. It was the same hand that had tried to pull away moments ago. A brief response came as Lee Hwan attempted to push back.
“Yes.”
He was said to be the king of monsters. That statement implied Absalom was a monster too. So, he declared he would kill his own kind and himself.
Was it sincere? Lee Hwan found himself staring into Absalom’s eyes. They were resolute. Beyond them, a faint glimmer hinted at hope.
“Why?”
Lee Hwan muttered absentmindedly and bit his lip. What was he hoping for by asking such a question? It was as if he was someone eager to hear certain words.
‘That can’t be true.’
Lee Hwan bit harder. Despite knowing better, his heart wavered at the slightest doubt.
Absalom pursed his lips then. Not wanting to hear whatever he had to say, Lee Hwan shook his head.
“Enough…”
“This is the path to Lee Hwan’s comfort.”
It was a meaningful statement. Lee Hwan looked at Absalom with a puzzled expression. If the meaning behind those words matched what Lee Hwan had in mind, then Absalom was breaking down one of the many false walls between them.
“I knew. Knight of Salvation, Alexander. I approached you knowing that.”
Lee Hwan swallowed dryly, almost involuntarily.
“Why?”
“Just… I became interested. So, I approached you to get to know you better.”
That’s the truth. Lee Hwan stared blankly at Absalom. So what if it’s the truth?, noticing Absalom’s trembling lips. After a moment of realization, Lee Hwan shook himself out of his daze and pushed Absalom’s hand away.
What difference does it make if it’s the truth? Are you going to let yourself be shaken by just that? Lee Hwan chastised himself coldly as he glared at Absalom.
“How foolish. Do you really think I would wish for the annihilation of monsters?”
Despair filled Absalom’s eyes. Lee Hwan returned to the bed, with Absalom following.
“Well then, what should I do? What do I need to do to stay with you?”
“What did you say earlier? That you wouldn’t leave me? My intentions don’t matter, huh? So, your apology wasn’t about me at all?”
Lee Hwan grumbled as he lay on the bed, pulling the blanket over his head. Meanwhile, Absalom showed no reaction. The last glimpse of the waxen, lifeless face haunting him.
‘You might regret it.’
It was a faint and fleeting whisper, like a spark about to be extinguished. It mingled with Absalom’s pale and distant face, growing within him. Finally, Lee Hwan threw off the blanket abruptly.
Absalom stood motionless where Lee Hwan last saw him. It was an absurd comparison, but he looked like a child rejected by its mother. Lee Hwan was troubled by the awkwardness of having lashed out at him like a child.
As Lee Hwan stood before Absalom, his trembling eyes met his. There was a clash between his smoldering desire for revenge and his hesitation. In the end, the latter prevailed.
“…Talking to you makes me feel like a real scoundrel. So just go. Before I start acting worse here.”
Lee Hwan had lived his whole life upright, and he had been forced into such a life. For someone like him, emotional aggression felt too harsh, even though it was deserved.
Feeling somewhat relieved after revealing his inner thoughts, Lee Hwan turned away. Then Absalom approached him with long, sturdy arms reaching out to embrace him.
It happened in an instant. Lee Hwan, who couldn’t comprehend the situation, remained still for a moment. He regained his senses when Absalom’s lips touched his cheek.
Unexpectedly, Absalom’s lips were cold, not warm as usual. A lukewarm breath followed. Lee Hwan, who had opened his mouth in anger, couldn’t utter a word. It was because Absalom’s lips were trembling.
The lips quickly retreated. Lee Hwan, who had rubbed his cheek, spoke in a low voice.
“What are you doing?”
The emotionless tone had a chilling edge even to Lee Hwan himself. Absalom tightened his grip on Lee Hwan’s arms and said,
“It’s okay to be mean.”
Once again, this time his lips touched his neck. Lee Hwan struck Absalom’s thigh with his fist. Though it was surely painful, Absalom didn’t utter a sound.
“Look, you see, I’m still in the wrong. So, Lee Hwan, you have every right to be angry. It’s not misbehavior; it’s rightful anger.”
Lee Hwan looked down at the arms firmly crossed over his chest. Let go. When he said it with a heavy sigh, Absalom released his arms. The feeling of being able to move someone with just a word, after struggling to move them physically, felt strangely surreal.
Turning to face Absalom, he saw a face trying to suppress something. Yet, Lee Hwan could still sense the underlying sadness behind Absalom’s eyes.
Every time Absalom wore such a face, delusions arose. The problem was that Lee Hwan wanted to believe that delusion was hope. He grabbed Absalom by the collar and pulled him close.
Absalom’s silver hair swayed like a veil due to the rough movement. The cool scent that came with it enveloped Lee Hwan. He looked at Absalom for a while and then opened his mouth.
“I won’t trust you.”
“Yes.”
“I might hurt you out of anger. I might lash out and hit you.”
“It’s okay.”
“I might treat you like a dog.”
“That’s what I hoped for.”
The more Lee Hwan spoke, the more hope blossomed in Absalom’s eyes. Was even that a lie? With self-reproach, Lee Hwan finally gave Absalom the answer he wanted.
“Do whatever you want.”
Absalom smiled with a face radiant with joy. Lee Hwan let him go as if pushing him away.
The dawn had not yet brightened. After chasing Absalom out of his room, Lee Hwan lay back in bed. However, sleep, once driven away, did not return. Amidst tossing and turning, one question arose. It was something he had never considered during the heat of the moment, so justifiable it seemed.
‘Why is Absalom acting that way?’
Lee Hwan might have regressed, but from Absalom’s perspective, only about a year had passed since they met. Counting the number of times they met, it might have been around ten or so.
Yet, Absalom still embraced Lee Hwan with determination. He handled everything on his own, and if Lee Hwan asked, he did it all. Despite having no apparent reason to do so.
‘Could it be that all of this is because of love?’
It’s not impossible. Wasn’t Lee Hwan exactly like that? Not even a year had passed, yet he fell in love within just six months of meeting. Ignoring even the most apparent suspicions, he blindly followed Lucian’s directions like a blinded warhorse with blinders on. Thinking back to that time, it wasn’t impossible to understand Absalom’s actions.
However, it presupposes that Absalom must love Lee Hwan. Lee Hwan couldn’t believe in that assumption. Amidst the hazy light diffusing from the east, a long sigh dispersed.
***
“I might treat you like a dog.”
“That’s what I hoped for.”
TL/N: Wow, Absalom can’t believe he said that ‘∑(; °Д°) I’m starting to wonder if our ml is actually a dragon or a golden retriever, lol. I love every reaction he has when interacting with Lee Hwan; every time he blushes, he acts like someone who’s never been kissed or touched. I bet he’s wild in bed. Anyway, thank you for the Ko-fi, @Rakshiere! It’s my first time receiving a Ko-fi, so I’m so happy and excited! (˶˃ ᵕ ˂˶)
Hi Kuzuha, thanks for this story, I like it very much
I’m glad you’re liking it 😄❤️
My pleasure ☺️ I look forward to next chapters. Thanks for your work 🙂
🤗❤️❤️
Good luck with exams ☺️