Haymand’s Blood - Chapter 5

“Why do you ask, child? Are you already worn out?”

The lingering anger that had clung to her like remnants of ash had dissipated while sparring with Asild, but Serenity, with a languid smile on her lips, decided to provoke him.

If he had approached her with malice, she would have beaten him within an inch of his life. Yet, the man before her harbored none of that. All she sensed was a pure longing for mastery of the sword—no other emotion clouded his intent. She found that quite appealing.

“Not yet,” Asild replied, moving his body once more. His sword thrust sharply toward Serenity’s shoulder. She parried the strike, deflecting it with ease. He retreated briefly before unleashing a barrage of attacks aimed at her vital points. Using every technique he possessed, he launched fierce and relentless strikes, finally bringing a look of satisfaction to Serenity’s face.

“Impressive,” she said.

Now resolved to take him seriously, Serenity moved swiftly toward him.

“Ugh!”

As their blades collided, the weight of her strikes felt twice as heavy as before. Asild groaned softly. Her downward slash, which had seemed to aim for his head, veered toward his side.

He barely managed to block it, but she quickly followed up with a direct thrust toward his center.

Clang!

His sword flew into the air, landing with a clatter on the ground. Asild looked down at the blade now poised at his throat, stopping just short of his skin.

‘It’s over.’

It was a flawless defeat. Yet, it felt like a good one. She had kindly pointed out the weaknesses in his technique.

“I’ve lost…”

As Asild was about to concede, he froze. The sword that had been aimed at his neck vanished, replaced by a radiant, crimson gaze that filled his vision. Her stunning face was close enough that he could feel her breath. Slender, porcelain fingers brushed against the corner of his eye, making his body flinch involuntarily.

“What beautiful eyes you have. I quite like this deep violet hue—it’s such a mysterious color.”

Her tone was devoid of emotion, but it wasn’t cold. In fact, it felt warm—perhaps even gentle. Serenity’s voice echoed softly in his ears, causing Asild’s heart to skip a beat, though no swords were clashing now.

As he marveled at his reaction, her fingers, cold and delicate, trailed up from his sweat-slick forehead, grazing his dark, tousled hair.

“…”

Without a word, Serenity began to stroke Asild’s hair. The silky texture of his black locks stirred an inexplicable, peculiar feeling within her.

Why…? Why does this feel so familiar? Her crimson eyes shimmered with a faint trace of longing.

‘What is this…?’

Asild, silent, gazed down at her as she absentmindedly ran her fingers through his hair. Though her gaze was directed at him, it was clear she wasn’t truly seeing him. Her eyes, hazy and unfocused, wandered as if lost in a distant memory.

There was a sorrowful air to her expression that left him unable to look away or even move. He might have remained frozen forever had it not been for Kairas’s enraged voice breaking the moment.

“What is the meaning of this?!”

The sound seemed to snap her crimson eyes back into focus. When Serenity withdrew her hand, Asild felt an inexplicable pang of regret rather than relief.

“What are you talking about?”

Turning toward Kairas, Serenity tilted her head in innocent confusion. Her expression betrayed no understanding of what she might have done wrong, leaving Kairas dumbfounded.

Marching toward her, he seized her arms tightly and glared at her with blazing intensity.

“First, you kill my knights, and now you intend to cripple the rest of them? Who gave you permission to lay hands on them?!”

A voice, low and strained with suppressed anger, slipped from Kairas’s lips. Only then did Serenity seem to realize why he was upset. Her crescent-shaped eyes sparkled as she curved her lips into a mischievous smile.

“Ah, you mean them? Are you angry because I dealt with them?”

“Don’t laugh! Do I look like I’m joking to you?!”

Sparks seemed to fly from Kairas’s silver eyes as he tightened his grip on her delicate arms. But before he could even blink, his hands were empty.

Serenity had slipped from his grasp as effortlessly as if by magic. With an amused smile, she raised her hand and gently stroked his stunned face.

“If you hold on so tightly, it’ll hurt, child. But more importantly—have you made up your mind?”

“…!”

She leaned in closer, inhaling deeply as though savoring his scent. “Ah… no matter how many times, it’s always delightful… the scent of you Haymand bloodline folk…”

Kairas froze, unable to speak, as he felt the soft sensation of her body pressing against him. Her other hand had somehow moved behind him, tracing his back. Her fingers slid slowly up his spine, making his body twitch involuntarily. Serenity felt his reaction through her fingertips and looked up at him with a seductive smile.

“One more day,” she murmured.

Serenity buried her face in his chest, indulging in his scent to her heart’s content. The heady, intoxicating fragrance enveloped her like a drug, momentarily clouding her judgment. For a fleeting moment, the temptation to embrace him here and now tugged at her, but she suppressed the impulse, stepping back. After all, there was still the agreed-upon grace period.

When she abruptly pulled away, Kairas’s raised hand, meant to shove her back, instead swiped through empty air, its target gone.

“…”

Kairas clenched his now-empty fist, his face a picture of irritation. He disliked everything—the royal knights sprawled across the ground, his own body stiffening under her touch, and most of all, Serenity’s casual attitude as she shifted her focus to Asild, as though she’d finished with him entirely.

Watching her turn her attention to Asild, Kairas felt an inexplicable sense of annoyance.

“What’s your name?” Serenity asked.

“Asild Ormandd,” he replied.

Serenity repeated his name softly once or twice before smiling brightly. “Asil. Asil has a nice ring to it. May I call you that?”

“…It’s fine,” Asild replied after a brief silence, nodding slowly.

Kairas, who had been ready to explode, instead looked at Asild in stunned disbelief. Asild had never liked others calling him “Asil,” a reminder of his dark past. Kairas himself had waited a long time for the privilege. Yet here he was, granting Serenity permission without hesitation.

‘That guy… Is he playing favorites or something?’

Before Kairas could voice his frustration, Serenity spoke again, her tone tinged with an odd sense of regret.

“Your deep violet eyes and flowing black hair—truly my taste. I’d love to embrace you just once. It’s a shame you aren’t of the Haymand bloodline.”

“What?!”

Kairas’s head whipped toward Serenity so fast it almost made a sound. His mood plummeted even further, though he couldn’t quite pinpoint why.

He glared at Serenity with murderous intent, but she remained unbothered, her attention entirely on Asild. Irritated, Kairas shifted his gaze to his friend.

Surely Asild, with his high pride and haughty demeanor, would be seething at her teasing. But instead of the outrage Kairas expected, Asild simply stared at Serenity with a blank expression.

Then Kairas noticed it—Asild’s ears, red and flushed.

‘What on earth…?’

For a moment, Kairas was dumbstruck, caught between disbelief and betrayal. A hollow laugh escaped his lips. Deep within, an unexplainable rage began to boil. Grinding his teeth, he stormed toward Serenity, seized her slender wrist, and growled at Asild.

“I’ll deal with you later.”

“…….”

Asild watched Kairas dragging Serenity away, an odd expression on his face. His friend seemed genuinely furious for some reason.

‘Is it because of her…? Come to think of it, I never asked her name.’

He realized he had only answered with his name and had forgotten to ask hers. Looking toward Serenity, he found himself chuckling unconsciously.

Though she was clearly being dragged along, a composed smile graced her lips. When their eyes met, she even raised her free hand to wave at him.

‘What a strange person….’

No one had ever called his eyes beautiful before. Across the empire—indeed, the entire continent—purple eyes were seen as a symbol of demons, a color people avoided at all costs. Even his birth mother had refused to hold him after seeing his eye color.

From a young age, Asild had grown used to hearing words like “ominous” and “creepy.” Yet Serenity had looked into his eyes and told him they were beautiful, even mysterious.

And then there were her words:

“Your deep violet eyes, your black hair—truly my taste. I’d love to embrace you just once.”

Recalling that, Asild felt his face grow hot. Shaking off his daze, he bent down and picked up his fallen sword. To clear his mind, he decided to train—it was always the most effective method.

Just as Serenity had done, he lightly shook his wrist to dust off the dirt from the blade, then scanned his surroundings for any knights still capable of sparring. His gaze landed on the royal knights, who stood frozen, staring at him.

Unbeknownst to Asild, they were stunned to discover that he could actually smile. He, in turn, had no idea why they were so shocked. Tilting his head in confusion, he walked toward the knight who looked the most unscathed.

Serenity glanced at Kairas’s broad back as he stormed ahead, gripping her wrist. By now, the two had entered the palace. Thanks to his long strides, she was half-running to keep up with him.

‘How bothersome….’

Catching sight of the long hallway before her, Serenity came to an abrupt stop. She didn’t mind exerting herself in battle, but running was not to her liking.

Kairas stumbled forward as her hand slipped free from his grasp.

“…?!”

Regaining his balance, Kairas stood still, momentarily flustered. He had been gripping her wrist tightly, yet it had slipped away like a mirage, leaving him lurching forward. If he were an ordinary person, he might have fallen flat on his face.

“How…?”

Looking down at his empty hand in disbelief, Kairas was lost in thought. How had she slipped free so easily—again?

Just as confusion overtook him, her soft voice reached his ears.

“Child, I don’t particularly like running.”

“…!”

Startled, he turned his head. Her face was suddenly right in front of his, mere inches away.