Lycan - Chapter 7

They ran endlessly. For three days, without proper rest.

At sunset, they would set up camp, have a rough meal, close their eyes for a brief sleep, and then move again before dawn. At first, the carriage was comfortable enough to endure.

But as the first day turned into the second and then the third, the inside of the carriage started to feel like hell. It shook and rattled nonstop, and eventually, her head throbbed so badly that she felt as if her body was moving on its own.

She could only step out when they stopped for a short break, which barely amounted to two hours a day. There was no torture worse than this.

“Did you notice there’s an elven warrior among the knights? Looks like a half-elf. Did you see?”

Sheila struck up a conversation. Callie, struggling to settle her churning stomach, nodded.

“Yeah.”

If she didn’t respond, Sheila would get upset. Then her voice would rise, and if others overheard, there’d be no saving her from Sheila’s endless chatter.

“But how is a half-elf in the Black Wolf Knights? I’ve never heard of an elf becoming a knight in a human order.”

“He might not be a knight.”

“Idiot. The Black Wolf’s Thor Order consists only of knights—the best in the entire continent.”

Callie frowned.

“Why?”

“Because, obviously, countless warriors want to join Thor. It’s the most elite order on the entire continent. If Thor appears on the battlefield, soldiers lose their will to fight. So all the men—every single one—are desperate to become one of them. Even a three-year-old knows that.”

“But Duke Warren is from Decons. Shouldn’t the Thor Order be made up only of Decons’ people?”

“Well, technically, yeah.”

Sheila shrugged slightly.

“But Duke Warren’s territory is different from other lands.”

“How?”

“It’s Beatum. A barren land covered in ice and snow, teeming with monsters and beasts. Humans alone can’t defend the fortress. If someone is skilled, whether they’re an elf, a dwarf, or anything else, they’d be useful, right? So the Duke accepts them all. They say all sorts of races live there. No discrimination. They coexist like they’re the same people, living peacefully together.”

Callie’s frown deepened. Black Wolf, Duke Warren, and peace—those words didn’t belong in the same sentence. He was… He was… too big, too rough, too menacing…

Suddenly, her thoughts stopped. As countless fierce words tumbled through her mind, a memory surfaced—a large hand, gently caressing her. It was… warm and soft…

Damn it. What the hell am I thinking? That night was painful. Brutally so. That’s all there is to it.

Callie shook off the thoughts of the Duke and looked at Sheila.

“But the Queen of Sorte is even more generous. The Duke accepts people to defend his land, but the Queen welcomes half-elves without conditions.”

Sheila clicked her tongue and gave Callie a pitying look.

“She only welcomes elves. The others are just merchants. The Queen, Elaine, is an elf herself, so of course she accepts half-elves. They’re considered part of the elven race.”

“They’re also human.”

“Obviously. They’re both human and elven. That’s exactly why Queen Elaine accepts them—because she doesn’t want to fight humans. Sorte is wedged between two human kingdoms—Decons to the north and Ospia to the south. The elven queen has no choice but to get along with humans, whether she likes it or not.”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about. The Queen is kind. Humans reject and ostracize half-elves, but she welcomes them warmly. That alone makes her worthy of respect—a great ruler.”

Sheila clicked her tongue again.

“You really don’t know how the world works. Do you know the real reason the Elven Queen can’t just cast out the half-elves?”

“The real reason?”

“Yeah. Pureblood elves are naturally lazy. They love poetry and music, prefer a slow, peaceful life. So, of course, they don’t have enough warriors to defend their land.”

“Are you saying Queen Elaine uses half-elves as warriors?”

“Exactly. Half-elves have human blood, so they’re at least better than pureblood elves. Some of them are even closer to humans than elves. And let’s be honest—there aren’t many places where half-elves are treated well. The Queen takes them in, and they benefit from it. It’s a win-win.”

“Why do you always think so negatively? Maybe the Queen just has a generous heart and embraces them out of kindness.”

“Why do you always think so naively? Do you really believe the world is as kind and peaceful as you imagine?”

“No. But Queen Elaine isn’t that calculating.”

Callie’s voice was firm, and Sheila flicked one of her wings in response.

“Ah, sure, sure. Who am I to argue with your unwavering devotion to the Queen? Anyway, all I’m saying is, that young, handsome elven warrior looks way better than that barbarian brute, Wyatt Gordon. What was his name again?”

“Owen.”

“Right, Owen. And that slightly dim-witted squire… Jeffrey, was it? He actually seemed decent.”

“In what way?”

“He looks like someone you could win over.”

“What?”

Callie scowled, and Sheila let out an exasperated sigh.

“Callie, we have a long road ahead of us. You need allies. People who might help you when things get dangerous.”

“You seriously think any of the knights would betray Duke Warren and help me? Really?”

“Of course, outright betrayal is off the table. The knights traveling with us are the elite of the Thor Order. But when you’re in danger, you need someone willing to truly help you. That’s not betrayal. I’m not telling you to convince them to help you escape.”

“Lower your voice.”

Callie tensed at the word “escape” and quickly warned Sheila. But Sheila just shrugged again.

“With the carriage wheels rattling and the horses’ hooves pounding like thunder, do you really think anyone can hear me? Worst case, they’ll assume you’re just talking to yourself. Honestly, from what I saw last night, the knights already think you’re crazy.”

“What? Why?”

“You stabbed their lord.”

Sheila spoke indifferently, but Callie became serious.

I completely forgot. I was just fighting to survive, but from everyone else’s perspective, it must have looked like a bride trying to kill her husband on their wedding night.

Now she understood why the knights kept their distance and avoided looking at her.

And Duke Warren—since leaving the castle, he hadn’t come near her once. It was as if she didn’t exist. He didn’t seem to care at all.

“But what’s with that dwarf? A servant? Did the Count assign you an attendant?”

Sheila’s question made Callie shake her head.

“I don’t know. But he seems less like an attendant and more like a watcher. Probably keeping an eye on me to make sure I don’t screw things up.”

“And a spy too, no doubt. The Count needs to know exactly when the Black Wolf catches on to you so he can prepare accordingly.”

Callie let out a small sigh.

She was becoming more and more aware of just how enormous this scheme really was.

Before meeting Duke Warren in person, it hadn’t felt like such a big deal. She had been confident she could fool them all and make it safely to Sorte. But now…

She recalled Warren’s face—those deep, piercing eyes that seemed to see straight through her.

Can I really do this? Can I keep up this act as the Black Wolf’s wife all the way to Sorte, all the way to Queen Elaine, without being discovered?

No—I have to.

Determined, Callie steeled herself and looked at Sheila. Noticing the sudden change in Callie’s expression, Sheila gave her a puzzled look.

With unwavering resolve, Callie spoke firmly.

“There’s a better plan than winning over the knights.”

“What?”

Callie smiled.

“The Duke.”

“…What are you saying?”

Callie’s eyes gleamed.

“I’ll win over the Duke himself. That’s the most effective way.”

Another day passed. Though the road seemed flat, not every path was smooth. Each time the carriage jolted violently, her stomach lurched along with it.

Forget winning over the Duke—at this rate, she was going to die first.

She had finally reached her limit.

Callie stuck her head out of the carriage and shouted to a knight riding alongside on the left.

“Stop!”

The knight had been riding next to the carriage for days, but the bastard acted like he hadn’t heard a thing.

“I said stop!”

The knight glanced at her briefly, then pressed his heels into his horse’s sides and galloped forward.

Her stomach churned again, and another wave of nausea hit.

She clamped a hand over her mouth just as the carriage finally came to a stop.

Without thinking, she stumbled out and sprinted toward the nearest thicket.

“Ugh—”

Only liquid came out. It was expected—she had barely eaten anything.

She had survived the past three days on just a few pieces of bread.

After throwing up, her stomach felt a little more settled. No, just being outside the carriage made a world of difference.

Someone held out a waterskin.

“Thank you.”

Still bowing her head, Callie simply reached out and took it. She swished the water around in her mouth before spitting it out.

Repeating the motion a couple of times cleared her head, and she finally had the energy to look around.

That’s when she noticed the large shadow looming over her.

Slowly, she lifted her gaze—and flinched at the cold eyes staring back at her.

It had been four days since she last saw her fake husband, and he looked even more intimidating than before.

“I… um… the carriage was just so bumpy, and I got dizzy, and it was so hot, and…”

She rambled, saying whatever came to mind, hating herself for it—but Duke Warren’s gaze was terrifying.

Then, suddenly, he turned his head and called out.

“Owen.”

The elven warrior approached swiftly.

“We’re taking a break.”

“Yes, understood.”

Owen immediately barked orders to the other knights.

“Rest!”

She watched as the knights dismounted with swift precision.

Before she could react, the Duke took hold of her arm, pulling her up and walking away.

The path was sloped, and his strides were too long. Keeping up in her dress was nearly impossible.

She struggled to match his pace, stumbling until she lost her balance.

A strong hand shot out, catching her waist and pulling her close.

Callie, now unexpectedly leaning into his chest, gasped and tried to pull away—only to stumble again.

His grip tightened, and instead of escaping, she found herself pressed even closer.

With her cheek against his solid chest, she heard the deep, powerful sound of his heartbeat.

She had never heard anything so loud before.

The memory of their wedding night flashed through her mind, and she quickly pushed him away.

“…Thank you.”

Muttering the words, she turned around—only to sigh when she saw how steep the slope was.

Determined to descend properly, she lifted her skirt just enough to see her feet.

And then, without warning, her body was lifted into the air.

“Ah—!”

Startled, she let out a yelp and instinctively clung to his neck.

But the Duke paid her reaction no mind.

Holding her securely in his arms, he strode down the slope without hesitation.