You Were My Sl*ve - Chapter 89

The god appeared enormous because Kazan could no longer stand and had fallen to his knees. Even Sindar’s own son had finally succumbed to the unbearable heat and thirst that surpassed human endurance.

“No… I’m still….”

Kazan reached out to steady himself, pressing his hand against the ground. But he couldn’t keep his balance and collapsed onto the dry sand.

A soft, powerless sound dispersed into the empty air.

The scorching desert wind swept over his fallen body, like a ruined statue left to erode. Sindar, the god, stared down at him like a vulture eyeing a corpse.

“Remember this. In the end, you too will become this.”

Sindar scooped up a handful of sand, as if clutching a heart. The grains slipped through his skeletal fingers, scattering into the wind.

At last, everything was gone, and his hand was empty. But the god did not turn over Kazan’s hourglass.

No. Not yet.

Kazan wanted to shake his head, to resist. But his body held no strength. His vision blurred; he could no longer see the blue sky or the golden sand. The only thing left was the pitch-black shadow of death.

“Go ahead, struggle all you want. I will wait, watching with delight.”

Even as the sensation faded from his body, the mark of death pressed against him with undeniable force, consuming him whole. He felt as if he would suffocate at any moment. Like a wicked serpent coiling around its prey, the dark crimson curse spread swiftly toward his heart.

For the first time, Kazan thought:

I’m afraid.

I don’t want to die.

Pain throbbed in his chest. He clutched desperately at the ground, but it was all just grains of sand slipping through his fingers.

This isn’t what I wanted.

In his fading consciousness, a deep, burning desire—one that had ruled him from childhood until now—rose to the surface.

I want to hold Elona.

I want to hear her laughter.

I want her by my side.

I want Elona.

Elona…

“Kazan.”

He heard her voice, clear and unmistakable. Kazan clung desperately to the last shreds of his consciousness.

Before his darkened soul, Elona’s radiant image appeared.

She was twenty years old.

On the day of her coming-of-age ceremony, she wore a crown woven from red flowers, sitting inside the lakeside cottage. Her white dress, symbolizing innocence and purity, was soaked in the hues of the sunset, glowing with a warm, soft amber—just like the blush on her face.

“Look at this. I made it myself.”

Proudly, she showed him the flower crown on her head.

Kazan reached out, brushing his fingers over the thick petals. Her neatly combed hair tickled his fingertips as he touched it. When he gently traced his fingers along her cheek, she smiled.

Kazan bent down and gently pressed his lips against hers. Her delicate arms wrapped tenderly around his neck. He did not rush, instead holding her softly as he lowered her onto the worn-out bed. The scent of aged wood and sweet flowers lingered at the tip of his nose, but the moment his lips touched her pure white nape, everything became her. Her subtle fragrance, her breath made shallow by nervous anticipation—it all enveloped his world.

Kazan pulled her closer. The rapid, fluttering beat of her heart, like that of a small bird, made his own heart race. Beneath her dress, the skin beneath his touch was warm and soft. Looking down at her in his arms, he felt utterly captivated.

I want to have her. I want to make her mine forever.

He kissed her again, wishing—

Be my lover, forever.

“Elona….”

The memory of holding her for the first time slowly faded from his consciousness. At some point, even the cold shadow of Sindar was no longer present. The curse spreading toward his heart no longer felt painful.

There was only the wind—an indifferent, sweeping wind that erased all things as it passed.

Facing an irreversible death, Kazan finally closed his eyes.

*

Twenty years old.

Having successfully completed her coming-of-age ceremony, Elona found happiness in each passing day. Now officially recognized as an adult, she could go out freely without needing her father’s permission. Antonio, preoccupied with his own upcoming marriage, had become somewhat less attentive to her. Even the attitudes of the maids and knights toward her had changed.

“The world looks different.”

Her expression had become noticeably brighter than before. Above all, her love with Kazan filled her with joy. Ever since they first shared their love on the night of her coming-of-age ceremony, she felt as if she had been awakened to an entirely new world.

The two would secretly meet at the lakeside cottage or in secluded clearings deep in the forest where no one else would come. There were too many watchful eyes within the royal palace, so they sought out places where they could love each other in secrecy.

“Elona….”

Whenever he called her name in that low voice, her face would instantly flush. She loved the way his voice carried affection. She had always liked him, but ever since they had been together as lovers, just meeting his eyes made her heart race.

“Don’t go, Elona. Stay here with me.”

His whisper, as he held her close, was languid and sweet. Elona let out a soft laugh and nestled deeper into his embrace. He smelled of fresh grass. In the quiet northern forest, where no one else was around, only their murmuring voices filled the air.

“I can’t. I have to return early today. My father asked me to join him for tea—it’s been a long time since we’ve had one together.”

Kazan brushed his fingers longingly over the hem of her dress as she got up. She kissed his forehead before making her way back to the palace.

Dressed neatly, she headed toward the royal garden with a smile still lingering on her face.

But the words that came from the king’s lips completely erased that smile.

“Your engagement with King Bahalen has been successfully arranged. It will be formally announced tonight, so I’m telling you now so you won’t be caught off guard.”

“Father, what are you saying all of a sudden…?”

“The preparations have been in place for a year now, so everything should proceed smoothly. Their royal family will take care of the wedding arrangements.”

“B-But… he is much older than me, and he already has many children….”

“Elona. Once you become a part of Bahalen’s royal family, it will greatly benefit Antonio when he ascends the throne. Better to marry into their kingdom than wed some noble from Parsion—this is what’s best for our country.”

Elona could not find the words to respond. She lowered her gaze, speechless.

Marriage had never been something she expected—at least, not so soon. She had assumed that such discussions would only arise after Antonio was married.

The king, trying to console his disheartened daughter, began listing the advantages of Bahalen. But Elona, lost in thoughts of Kazan, suddenly asked,

“Father, then who can I take with me to Bahalen?”

Thinking she had accepted the marriage, the king replied with satisfaction.

“They will allow you to bring about three maids. You also have a female slave as your personal servant, don’t you? You may take her as well. Bahalen already has Ashatra slaves, so bringing one more won’t be a problem.”

“Only… women?”

At the unexpected question, the king fell silent for a moment and stared at her. He surely knew she was thinking of Kazan. But he pretended not to notice and answered nonchalantly.

“My dear princess, that should be obvious. A bride cannot bring a male servant with her. Or—” he paused before adding with a laugh, “Are you saying you want to bring along Sir Zerox? Our deputy commander of the royal knights?”

The Parsion king deliberately made a joke and laughed heartily.

Elona, unable to press further, closed her mouth, her face stiffening.

After the somber tea time ended, she returned to her room, lost in deep thought.

‘If I get married, I can finally leave this palace. I can escape from Antonio.’

She tried to think as rationally as possible. But the moment she thought of Kazan, her eyes welled up with tears.

‘But… if I marry, I will have to say goodbye to Kazan forever.’

Freedom from Antonio and a life with Kazan—those two things could never coexist.

No, there was only one way to achieve both…

“Should I just kill Antonio?”

Elona shuddered as she recalled Kazan’s words.

‘No. I can’t… I can’t do that.’

No matter how much she despised him, Antonio was still her blood relative. She had hated him enough to want him dead, but actually carrying it out was an entirely different matter.

She couldn’t even imagine killing him herself. And even if she hired someone to do it, it would create countless complications. She had no confidence she wouldn’t get caught. She wasn’t ruthless or meticulous enough to kill her own brother.

‘What should I do?’

What if she caused a scandal and had the engagement to King Bahalen annulled? That would cancel the immediate marriage. She would be able to keep Kazan by her side for a little longer.

But how long could she delay her marriage like that? Eventually, she would have to wed someone, and no husband would allow his wife to bring along a male slave.

‘What if I just refuse to marry and stay in the palace?’

If she lived that way, Antonio would eventually become king. Could she endure in a palace ruled by him? Could she protect Kazan while living under Antonio’s reign?

‘No… this won’t work. I can’t even take care of myself. The only reason I could stay with Kazan this long was because I was still young. But as time passes, our relationship won’t be able to last….’