You, My Devil - Chapter 13

The journey from Nike to Constance was a distance that would take more than twenty days, even if one rode a horse tirelessly all day and night without sleep.

Despite their small group, they had to move with two camels loaded with supplies, servants, and the soldiers who accompanied them. Inevitably, the journey grew longer and longer. They could only travel during daylight hours, as the desert darkness, once it began to seep in, would spread uncontrollably, bringing with it the bitter chill of the night.

Yuri’s party moved toward Constance from dawn until dusk. When darkness fell, they lit fires on the sand dunes and set up temporary tents to sleep in.

“Only about two more days until we reach Constance, right?”

“Thank goodness we’ll get there before our supplies run out.”

“I’m sick of being covered in sand. I can’t wait to drown myself in drinks once we arrive.”

“I heard there’s no shortage of food in Constance. Should we ask that slave from Constance about their country’s specialties? Haha.”

“Shh! Watch your mouth. If Yuri hears that, you’ll lose your head!”

“Was I speaking that loudly? Haha. But, doesn’t Yuri seem a bit off these days?”

“What nonsense are you trying to spout now?”

“No, it’s just… his complexion doesn’t look good, and I heard from the maids that he’s barely sleeping.”

“Would it be normal for him to sleep well in his situation? Forced to leave Nike like a castaway, practically exiled to Constance after losing the power struggle with his brothers…”

“Our situation’s not much better, is it? Who knows when we’ll set foot in Granada again…”

As the journey dragged on, the exhaustion on the faces of Yuri’s entourage became more apparent. Heina was no exception. For someone unfamiliar with the desert, the blazing sun during the day was even more punishing than the cold.

Having spent the past year confined indoors, traveling for such long hours was almost unbearable for Heina. No matter how much of the water from Nike she drank, it felt like pouring water into a bottomless jar—her thirst was never quenched. Her whole body felt as brittle and parched as a dry leaf, ready to crumble.

“How much farther until we finally reach Constance?”

Sleeping beside Yuri at night didn’t help her situation at all. Ever since Yuri woke from a nightmare and tried to strangle her a few nights ago, she hadn’t managed a proper night’s sleep.

Though he hadn’t tried to strangle her again since that night, her anxiety kept her from closing her eyes. Every time she saw the bandages wrapped around his shoulder, a chill ran down her spine, reminding her of the terror she felt when she thought he would kill her.

When she tried to nap on the horse during the day, the scorching sun burned the top of her head, leaving her with a pounding headache.

“I’ll probably collapse before we even reach Constance at this rate…”

Heina licked her parched lips and raised her water flask to her mouth, unsure of how many times she’d done so already. The Nikeans, who rode their horses in silence without a word of complaint, seemed immune to the heat. She was the only one in the group suffering from dehydration.

From atop her horse, Heina silently glared at Yuri’s back as he rode ahead. She struggled to straighten her slumping back, longing to lie down in some shade. But no matter how desperately she wanted to stop and rest, the words wouldn’t leave her mouth. She didn’t want to ask him.

“Ah…”

The water flask slipped from her weakened grip and fell to the ground. Heina let out a small groan as Yuri, who was riding ahead, sharply turned his head to look at her.

His horse began to approach hers slowly, and he tilted his head as he scrutinized her.

“You… What’s wrong with you?”

“…What do you mean?”

Heina dryly responded to Yuri, who was looking her over from head to toe, cold sweat trickling down her face.

“What are you doing?”

Yuri frowned as if interrogating her, his expression one of clear dissatisfaction, as though he truly didn’t realize she was on the verge of collapsing.

“Your face looks like the color of a dead fox’s corpse. Why is that?”

His words stabbed at her, utterly indifferent to her condition. Heina could feel her breath growing heavier, the heat rising in her chest. Even inhaling was a torment. The dry, coarse air that filled her lungs clouded her mind further with every breath she took.

“It’s… nothing you need to worry about.”

“Ah, so the thought of returning to your homeland is so moving that it’s making you faint, is it?”

Yuri smirked as if he’d solved a riddle, watching her gasping for air with a twisted curve of his lips.

“Ha… haah…”

By now, Heina was convinced he was deliberately tormenting her. Her eyes, bloodshot from the heat, glared at him as she finally managed to snap back at him.

“That’s right. I’m just dying to get out of this hellish place.”

Yuri’s tone turned cruel, his words dripping with scorn.

“By tomorrow at sunset, you’ll see the land of your beloved homeland, Constance. A dream come true for you, isn’t it? You wanted so desperately to be buried there, even in death. Yet, you look like that—pathetic and irritating.”

Yuri’s temper was beginning to boil over. He couldn’t hide his irritation at her sluggish pace, which had been holding him back all day. Now, seeing her pale as a corpse, teetering on the edge of collapse, he couldn’t concentrate on anything else.

“Come here, you.”

Just as he reached out toward her, intending to move her to his own horse—

Whoosh—

The sound of something slicing through the air. Instinctively, Yuri yanked Heina down, shielding the back of her head as he ducked with her. A split second later, an arrow whizzed past, narrowly missing Yuri, and embedded itself deeply in the side of a camel carrying supplies. The camel staggered, its legs folding under it as it collapsed to the ground.

“Your Highness, Yuri!”

Someone screamed. Yuri turned sharply to look behind him, scowling. What greeted his eyes was a cloud of sandstorm being stirred up by a group of assailants charging toward them. Every fiber of his being screamed danger.

“Ambush! Scatter!”

His gray eyes widened as his instincts kicked in faster than his thoughts. Yuri barked orders at his soldiers, who scrambled onto their horses, trying to regroup. But the chaos of the sudden attack had them in disarray. The enemy soldiers, clad in armor and helmets, numbered at least twenty. Arrows from their vanguard were already taking down the maids one by one.

“Damn it!”

Yuri hissed through gritted teeth, his eyebrows arching sharply. The only way to stop the barrage of arrows was to close the distance between them.

“What’s going on?”

Heina’s eyes darted in panic as the sudden assault overwhelmed her. Yuri grabbed the collar of her clothes and hissed urgently.

“Crawl under the camel. Don’t move a muscle until I come back.”

“What are you—!”

“If you get even a scratch from one of these arrows, I’ll be the one to kill you.”

Before she could respond, wide-eyed with shock, Yuri effortlessly hoisted her up and tossed her onto the pile of supplies atop the fallen camel. She landed with a muffled thud among the soft bags.

“Ah!”

Yuri, having removed Heina from his horse, clenched his jaw and turned his mount around. Without hesitation, he charged toward the enemy. Even at a glance, they were significantly outnumbered.

If they had any chance of victory, he needed to reduce the enemy’s numbers quickly. By taking the lead and buying time, Yuri hoped the others would have enough time to regroup and join the fight.

His mind calculated his moves instinctively as his horse galloped forward.

Whoosh—

Yuri’s sword flashed in the air, slicing cleanly through the arm of an enemy soldier who had been about to draw his bow.

“Argh!”

Within seconds, another man’s head was severed, rolling to the ground with a dull thud. Before another soldier could process what had happened, Yuri’s blade drove straight through his chest, piercing his armor and flesh alike.

The number of lifeless bodies grew with each passing moment. Five armored soldiers fell from their horses in rapid succession, their deaths so swift that they barely had time to scream.

“Aaargh! Die!”

Two more soldiers lunged at Yuri simultaneously.

“Go, Atlas!”

Yuri urged his horse forward, positioning himself to face the dual attack. His sword gleamed again, ready to strike.

Yuri leaped gracefully from his horse into the air. His black steed, trained to understand its master’s commands, obediently moved aside. The moment Yuri landed on the enemy rider’s horse, he slashed the throat of the man holding the reins with lightning-fast precision.

As the lifeless body slumped against him, Yuri shoved it away, sending it tumbling to the ground. But another enemy was already charging toward him, thrusting a long spear. Yuri quickly pulled a small dagger from his leather boots and hurled it with deadly accuracy. The blade pierced the enemy’s unarmored leg, causing him to stumble and miss his target. Wasting no time, Yuri grabbed the fallen spear and drove it horizontally into the enemy’s abdomen, knocking him off his horse and into the sand.

“Argh!”

As Yuri dealt with one foe, another lunged at him with a furious yell. Yuri gritted his teeth and cursed under his breath.

“Damn it…!”

Who had sent these men?

The number of attackers was far greater than expected. No matter how many necks he severed, their numbers didn’t seem to dwindle. He couldn’t keep this up forever.

Surrounded by enemies on horseback, their blades closing in on him from all directions, Yuri stopped thinking and let his instincts take over. He suddenly jumped from the running horse and rolled across the sandy ground.

The enemies, emboldened by the sight, shouted and charged toward him in a group.

“Now! Kill him!”

The sound of pounding hooves grew louder as the enemies whipped up clouds of sand in their rush toward Yuri. His heart raced wildly in his chest—a feeling he hadn’t experienced in a long time.

Yuri looked up, his lips curling into a cruel smile.

“Fine… I’ll kill every single one of you. Not one will be left alive!”

Crouching low on the ground, Yuri waited until a horse was almost upon him. Then, with all his strength, he thrust his blade into the horse’s underbelly. Blood gushed like a torrent, soaking his body. The rider, caught off guard, tumbled off the horse, and Yuri swiftly kicked the man’s helmet off before slicing through his neck. Picking up the spear the fallen rider had dropped, he hurled it at another enemy on horseback, striking him squarely through the helmet.

“Argh!”

The other soldiers hesitated, their confidence wavering at the sight of Yuri’s ruthless efficiency.

“Who’s next?”

Yuri, drenched in blood and gripping his equally bloodstained blade, grinned menacingly.

The battle was already half-won. In every fight Yuri had ever faced, fear in his enemies marked the turning point. His steely gray eyes glinted with murderous intent as he stared down the trembling soldiers.

“I asked… who’s next!”