To You Who Will Destroy Me - Chapter 149

That evening, Irel finally met the Marquis of the Western Frontier, Tarik Varel.

His return was earlier than expected, causing a whirlwind of activity among the servants preparing a grand banquet in his honor. Irel followed Joshua to greet the lord of the fortress. Unsurprisingly, the first person to spot her was none other than Varkan.

“My fiancée.”

Varkan’s eyes sparkled with warmth as he strode over and swept Irel into his arms. Like a man completely smitten, he spun her around, unable to contain his joy.

“Ah!”

Joshua, standing nearby, narrowly avoided getting hit by Varkan’s elbow. He leaned back just in time to dodge, sparing himself from what would have been an accidental strike.

He’s doing this on purpose, Irel thought, hovering in the air like a doll as Varkan twirled her. Even as she was lifted off her feet, she didn’t miss the imposing figure standing behind Varkan.

That must be the Marquis of Varel.

Tarik Varel looked about ten years older than her father, Calver. His white hair showed the signs of time, though his eyebrows were as black as a young man’s. His intense gaze was fixed on Varkan, giving him an air of sharp authority.

Seems like Varkan rubbed him the wrong way the whole trip, Irel mused. Varkan had a way of irritating people the more he smiled.

“Put me down, Varkan,” Irel whispered, noticing Tarik’s displeased expression. Varkan must have sensed he’d done enough to provoke the marquis, as he obediently set her down.

“I missed you, my love,” Varkan said softly, his eyes flickering to Joshua as if to silently ask, He didn’t try anything, did he?

Irel shook her head gently, her thoughts clear. No way. Who would dare when you’re around?

It seemed her unspoken words reached him. Varkan’s fierce gaze softened, a satisfied glint in his eyes. And with that, the Marquis Varel narrowly avoided the tragedy of losing not one but two sons.

Ah, right. I should go introduce myself, Irel reminded herself. After all, no matter how loyal Tarik was to the crown, this was his territory, and she was a guest in his domain. It was only proper to greet him.

“Thank you for allowing me to stay, Lord Varel. I am Irel Elorance,” she said, gracefully curtsying and offering a polite smile.

Despite her cordial greeting, Tarik stared at her with a cold, expressionless face.

“You’ve grown well,” he finally said, breaking the silence after a long pause. Even toward his son’s childhood friend, he remained curt.

“Your father, Sir Calver, was a man of utmost loyalty. Don’t tarnish his legacy.”

“Pardon? Ah, yes. I’ll keep that in mind,” Irel stammered, taken aback.

“The frontier is no place for a lady. Don’t stay too long,” Tarik added, turning sharply on his heel and walking away, leaving Irel standing there in stunned silence.

What on earth was that? she thought. It was clear that Tarik’s dislike for Varkan had transferred onto her. To someone loyal to the crown like him, her engagement to Varkan, a man eyeing the throne, was an insult. His comments about her father’s legacy and urging her to leave were rooted in that disdain.

I understand, but it still stings. Irel fumed silently, watching his retreating back. I’m a dutiful daughter, thank you very much.

As she muttered inwardly, a soft voice came from beside her. “Don’t take it to heart. He’s always a bit prickly after returning from an expedition.”

Turning her head, Irel saw a middle-aged man with a gentle expression, though his rigid shoulder muscles were on full display.

“Lady Irel, yes? It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Harty, Lord Varel’s lieutenant,” he said with a smile.

Harty reminded her somewhat of Michael—a kind face with a body that suggested he could wrestle a bear.

“It’s nice to meet you, Lieutenant Harty. Irel Elorance.”

“The pleasure’s mine,” Harty responded, clearly in a good mood after their pleasant exchange. He then glanced around, as if searching for someone. “Ah, you haven’t been introduced to Masaka Erich yet, have you?”

Following Harty’s gaze, Irel saw a man with light blue hair standing at a distance. The sight of him immediately brought to mind a cool, clear summer sky.

“Masaka Erich! Come over and meet Lady Irel Elorance,” Harty called out.

Erich turned toward them and approached with easy steps. Up close, his fresh, bright appearance gave off a sense of openness, and his perpetually upturned lips made him seem like he was always smiling.

“Welcome to the Namiève fortress, Lady Elorance. I am Erich Ha Mash.”

“The honor is mine, Lord Erich, son of the Divine,” Irel responded with a warm smile, extending her hand.

Erich took her hand with a polite, yet slightly distant, gesture, pressing a kiss to it. “I’ve heard much about you from Masaka Varkan. Now that we’ve met, I see that his praise wasn’t exaggerated.”

His compliment was smoothly delivered, but Irel noticed Erich briefly close his eyes and take a subtle breath. Like Varkan, he had likely caught her scent—the irresistible fragrance of a Risevra, which Masakas found particularly enticing.

[Ding! Erich’s affection has increased by 4 points.]

Irel chuckled to herself, feeling like a peacock spreading pheromones everywhere she went. But there was more to her amusement than that.

“I must excuse myself now. I need to finish the debriefing from our latest expedition before joining the banquet,” Erich said with a respectful bow before departing.

As Irel watched him walk away, Joshua smiled and asked, “What do you think? Quite the gentleman, right?”

“He certainly is.”

Well, aside from the fact that he doesn’t like me.

Although Erich’s affection had technically increased, Irel knew that was just a physiological response of Masakas to Risevras. When their eyes had met, she could tell that his base affection level had started in the negative.

Joshua, oblivious to this, mentioned he needed to prepare for the banquet and left, chatting about the quality of the chef. However, Irel’s thoughts were elsewhere.

Why is he so wary of me?

All she could confirm for now was Erich’s affection score. Since she didn’t possess mind-reading abilities, she couldn’t pinpoint the reason behind his unease.

I haven’t even done anything yet, she thought, puzzled. Could this also be because of Varkan?

With that in mind, Irel cast a glance at Varkan beside her. He was smiling as if everything in the world was perfect, his expression as serene and satisfied as a winter blossom in full bloom.

“So pitiful. You’ve already made an enemy,” Varkan whispered, wrapping his arms around her from behind as if they were exchanging sweet nothings. Of course, he had noticed Erich’s coldness toward her as well.

That confirmed it for Irel. The source of all this animosity was standing right next to her.

“Come with me. We need to talk,” she said firmly, dragging Varkan toward a private room. As soon as they entered, she locked the door behind them.

Varkan’s eyes gleamed with anticipation as he licked his lips. “The sun’s still up, but if you insist, my love, I’m happy to oblige.”

What nonsense is he spouting now? Yet, when he loosened a few buttons on his shirt with a slow, deliberate motion, it was almost enough to make her heart race.

“What did you do this time, Varkan?” she asked, trying to maintain control over her thoughts.

Varkan put on a wounded expression. “Good heavens, my love. What are you implying? You don’t trust me?”

“Don’t try to play innocent,” Irel shot back, unimpressed. She knew him too well for his act to work anymore. Her sharp tone made him chuckle, as if realizing he’d been caught.

“Well, let’s see… all I did was kill some Kitans and rescue a few villagers from being devoured in the valley below the mountains.”

“And?”

“And… I may have asked Lord Varel a few pointed questions. Strictly for work, of course.”

“What exactly did you ask him?” Irel pressed.

“Oh, just simple things, like why something so easy hadn’t been dealt with yet, or whether the soldiers were just carrying swords for decoration,” Varkan replied, a smirk tugging at his lips.

Good grief. That wasn’t a question—it was outright provoking him! No wonder Lord Varel was already on edge, and now Varkan had essentially poured oil onto the fire.

“And what about Masaka Erich? Why is he acting like that?” Irel asked, hoping for some clarity.

“Well, I had to assess his abilities since he’s a new Masaka, and we’ll be fighting together. I can’t just leave my back exposed without knowing what he’s capable of, can I?”

His words flowed effortlessly, but Irel was skeptical. She narrowed her eyes and asked if he’d tested Erich somehow. Varkan lowered his gaze, looking sheepish as he confessed.

“I tossed him into a swarm of Kitans… just to see what he could do.”

Unbelievable. At this point, it wouldn’t have been surprising if Erich had greeted Varkan with a sword instead of a handshake. Irel stared at him in disbelief, while Varkan merely shrugged his shoulders.

“Well, he wasn’t bad. He can create walls all around to protect allies, almost like a bunker. He can also trap Kitans inside those walls or even raise one beneath charging enemies to make them crash. His ability is perfect for defense.”

Irel sighed deeply, offering a silent prayer for Erich, who must have been scared for his life during this “test.” With little hope, she asked, “So? Can you trust him to watch your back?”

“Hmm, I’m not sure,” Varkan replied, giving her a cryptic smile. It was clear something about Erich had rubbed him the wrong way. Irel watched him carefully, and before she could ask further, Varkan turned the question on her.

“Don’t you think it’s strange? That Masaka Erich is stationed here?”

“Strange? What do you mean by that?” Irel replied, genuinely puzzled. She had thought that Erich’s ability to create walls made him a perfect fit for defending the western frontier.

Varkan, however, had a different perspective. “Whether or not the entrance to the Abyss is really in the Ricador Mountains, one thing is certain: Kitans keep pouring down from there.”

The only way for the people of the west to survive was to kill the Kitans on sight, thinning their numbers whenever possible.

“So why send Erich here? A Masaka who can only defend, but not kill?” Varkan said, his words dripping with suspicion.