You Were My Sl*ve - Chapter 79

“But Elona never even demanded the throne. Why did he take his anger out on her?”

“He was afraid,” Sir Xerox replied. “No one ever questioned his legitimacy, but he lived in constant fear, convinced that Princess Elona was a potential threat. So he sought to control her, to crush her spirit completely—to ensure she could never rise against him.”

The memories of Antonio filled Kazan with renewed fury. Even though he had already killed Antonio in a brutal execution, his rage still simmered. The more he thought about how Antonio had tormented and wounded Elona, the more he wanted to resurrect him just to kill him again.

But Elona had always been heartbroken by Kazan’s cruelty, too.

“I know how much you hated my brother,” she had once whispered with tears in her eyes. “But you were too cruel. He was cruel, yes… but so were you.”

Was I no different from Antonio in her eyes? Kazan wondered. Did she see me as someone just as ruthless?

Thinking back, he realized just how many times he had made her cry—at the royal banquet, in their bedroom, even in the temple.

‘…Time was so precious, and I wasted it all.’

Time that could have been spent loving her had been squandered in bitterness and revenge. Kazan felt a pang of regret for the man he had once been.

But still… he had his reasons. Justified reasons, or so he had believed at the time.

“Sir Xerox,” Kazan said, his voice low and serious. “You mentioned there was something about Elona that I didn’t know. What is it?”

His crimson eyes burned with determination, and for a moment, Sir Xerox hesitated. Was this the moment he had come all this way for? He took a deep breath and began to speak.

“Three years after Princess Elona was confined, I left the royal knight order and returned to my hometown to live a quiet life. One day, I received a visitor—none other than Duke Windras. That distinguished man invited me to dinner and asked me to join his duchy’s knightly order. I declined his offer, but… I gained something far more valuable from that meeting.”

“Duke Windras was one of the three ministers who had attended Princess Elona’s trial,” he explained. “When I asked him about her well-being, the duke sighed deeply and began to recount what had truly happened that day.”

Her trial.

Kazan felt his heartbeat quicken, his lips pressing into a tight line. Sensing his reaction, Sir Xerox spoke carefully.

“Kazan… the princess never betrayed you.”

“…What do you mean?”

“I mean it exactly as I said. Princess Elona never testified against you. Not once. We were all misled.”

Misled?

Kazan took a deep breath, trying to remain calm. How could that be true?

“But everyone told me she accused me that day,” Kazan said, his voice trembling with controlled anger. “Samira told me. You told me.”

“That’s because neither of us was at the trial. We heard everything from Prince Antonio.”

“But the royal records… they clearly state her accusations against me.”

“The records were altered,” Sir Xerox said firmly.

Altered?

Kazan stood in stunned silence. Seeing his disbelief, Sir Xerox continued.

“Duke Windras told me everything. During the trial, Princess Elona’s testimony would have deeply damaged her honor and that of the royal family if recorded accurately. So, after she was dragged away, the king summoned the royal scribe and had the records rewritten.”

“Then… what did she really say that day?”

“Princess Elona never insulted or betrayed you,” Sir Xerox said softly. “Instead, she defended you. She testified that she loved you—truly and deeply. That is her truth, Kazan.”

It was as if time had stopped.

Kazan felt like the air had been sucked out of his lungs. His head spun as he gripped the edge of the table with trembling hands. Slowly, he buried his face in his palms, struggling to breathe. Finally, as if punishing himself, he clutched his hair in frustration.

The truth that had wounded him the most… was a lie.

Because of that lie, he had hated her, doubted her, and hurt her endlessly.

That lie—an ugly fabrication—had drowned her love for him in false accusations and turned her devotion into something twisted. He had rejected her love and crushed his own feelings, believing she had betrayed him.

But she hadn’t.

Elona had begged him to trust her, again and again.

“Sir Xerox, I…” Kazan gasped for breath, struggling to form words. But he couldn’t continue. The moment her name reached his lips, he felt tears threaten to fall.

Sir Xerox didn’t offer words of comfort—there were none that could mend such a wound. Instead, he left Kazan with a final request.

“Please, cherish her. Princess Elona loved you and longed for you her entire life.”

Kazan exhaled a long, shaky breath. He couldn’t even bring himself to answer aloud. Instead, he fought back the tears and rose from his chair.

“Thank you, Sir Xerox. I’m sorry I couldn’t stay longer… but I have to go now.”

Sir Xerox smiled faintly and nodded in understanding.

Without hesitation, Kazan turned and left.

The chains that had once bound his heart were gone. The thirst for revenge that had shackled his love had vanished without a trace.

Now, only deep regret… and an overwhelming love remained in his heart.

*

A harsh sandstorm tore through the desert, tangling Elona’s golden hair into a wild mess. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to protect them from the stinging grains of sand. Despite her best efforts, a dry cough escaped her lips. Meanwhile, Zahhak mercilessly drove their horse forward with relentless cracks of his whip.

He had taken her—tied hand and foot—and ridden deep into the desert. Helpless and bound, Elona couldn’t resist as he carried her away.

Where is he taking me? she wondered, anxiety creeping up her spine. We’ve already gone far off the main road.

Zahhak had veered off the paved stone highway connecting the cities and led the horse straight into the open desert. The desert steed’s broad hooves kept it steady on the shifting sands as it picked up speed.

Elona fought to suppress the growing unease in her chest.

It’s okay… Stay calm. Zahhak won’t kill me. My child has been chosen by the god Lu.

The only thing she could cling to for protection was the unborn child in her womb.

She needed to protect the baby, just as the baby needed to protect her.

“Whoa, whoa.”

Several hours passed since they had left any recognizable path. The barren wasteland stretched endlessly around them—just sand and sky. Finally, Zahhak brought the horse to a halt in the middle of nowhere.

Without a word, he jumped down from the saddle, grabbed Elona like a sack of grain, and tossed her to the ground.

“Aagh!”

Elona cried out as she hit the burning sand. The fall hurt, but the heat from the scorching grains seared her skin like fire. She gasped for air, struggling to push herself up.

But as she lifted her head, she saw Zahhak unsheathing his sword.

The gleaming blade caught the sunlight, sending a flash of panic through her heart. Trembling uncontrollably, she tried to scoot backward, only for him to close the distance between them with a slow, deliberate stride.

Lowering himself to her eye level, he smirked. He was enjoying her terror.

“Tell me, little slave princess,” Zahhak sneered. “Do you know why Sindar is called the god of wind and death?”

Elona couldn’t speak. She just stared up at him, eyes wide, heart pounding. Zahhak held her gaze with a predator’s patience, savoring her fear.

Meanwhile, back in the palace…

“My lord… Zahhak Omar has taken her,” Miriam said, her voice trembling.

Her tearful confession caught Kazan like a blow to the chest. He closed his eyes, bracing himself against the heavy weight of despair. But it wasn’t time to give in yet—not while there was still hope.

He steadied himself and asked,

“Did he kill her?”

“No… We don’t know. He took her on horseback and fled Ferma, but he didn’t tell anyone where he was going.”

“He didn’t kill her on the spot?”

That was strange. Kazan knew Zahhak’s brutal nature well. There was only one thing he could be sure of: Zahhak hadn’t taken Elona just to kill her. He had another purpose.

But what was it?

“…You said Zahhak attacked the temple of Lu. Was High Priest Aslan there as well?”

“Yes, my lord. Elona was receiving treatment from him when Zahhak stormed in.”

Then Zahhak must have spoken with Aslan.

Did Aslan manage to convince him not to kill her? Kazan’s thoughts spun in a thousand directions. While he was lost in his own mind, Miriam spoke again, her voice quivering with fear.

“My lord… there’s another reason I came to deliver this message myself. I couldn’t entrust anyone else with the news.”

Now that Kazan thought about it, it was strange for Miriam to act as the messenger instead of a military courier. He stared at her, waiting for an explanation.

Miriam hesitated, shifting uncomfortably under his gaze. Finally, she confessed.

“Elona… is carrying your child. She’s about a month along.”

“What?”

Kazan froze, his eyes wide in shock. Miriam, trembling, fell to her knees, tears streaming down her face as she continued.

“Forgive me, Your Majesty,” Miriam sobbed. “The royal physician wished to inform you immediately, but… Elona pleaded with him not to. She begged us—begged us—not to let you know.”

Miriam’s voice broke as tears streamed down her face, but Kazan stood frozen, his expression utterly blank.

The rebellion, the abduction—none of it compared to the pain of learning that Elona had hidden her pregnancy from him.

He could barely breathe, his heart splitting open from the raw, searing ache that swept through him.

His grief twisted into something sharper—an unbearable storm of blame and fury. It raced through his veins like fire, consuming him from within.

It was a karmic flame, the punishment for the man he had been.