Predatory Marriage

Chapter 126. Trying To Evade Him (1)

After playing with Leah’s hair, Cerdina picked up a few strands that had fallen out and Leah escorted her to the main entrance of the Princess Palace, then returned to her office. Sitting down at her desk, she picked up some documents. There was no lady-in-waiting to serve her. A sneer curled Leah’s mouth as she read.

Bring her back to the palace? Cerdina just wanted to keep tormenting her. No other reason would bring her back. She wouldn’t allow it.

Leah smiled bitterly, slumping against her desk. Closing her eyes, she counted the days until the wedding. There wasn’t much time left before she could rest forever. Her will to live was long gone. Death was the only revenge she could have, and the only way to be free.

Cerdina had promised the day Leah left the palace, she would free her ladies-in-waiting from brainwashing. She had only gotten Cerdina to promise this by wagging her tail like a dog. So after the wedding, she could commit suicide on the first night with Byun Gyeongbaek….

“……”

Leah covered her face with her hands. She couldn’t think clearly lately. Since that day, all the thoughts she had were interrupted and she was sunk in melancholy. Her mind felt like wet earth after rain.

The pain Cerdina had caused and the horrible feeling of strangling herself kept replaying vividly in her mind. Whenever she tried to rid herself of those memories, his name always popped into her mind. It hurt. She was trying to forget that name.

—Have you ever strangled someone you love?

—Have you ever stuck a knife in a heart?

That soft voice rang in her ears again and her shoulders shook as Leah covered her ears with her hands, silently sobbing. Alone, she closed her eyes and tried to eradicate the overflowing tide of fear.

Misfortune only becomes greater when shared. He didn’t belong in her darkness. Leah wished with all her heart that that radiant man would always be in the sunlight.

***

Time flew by. It seemed to go even faster because she wasn’t in her right mind. But it didn’t matter. Rather, Leah wished that it would go.

Tomorrow was the day the Kurkans would leave.

Leah walked alone in the garden of the Princess Palace late at night. Cerdina had been bothering her all day, and she was exhausted and wanted to go to bed immediately, but she could not. As before, she was sure Ishakan would visit her tonight.

She missed him so much. But she didn’t want to see him. She didn’t want to have to say cruel words to him or reject him to coldly push him away. She would rather he just left. If he did, then she could believe the love he had whispered to her was a lie and he had simply been trying to steal Estia’s secrets.

Then she could end her life without regret.

Leah kept walking slower, hoping he would find her, hoping at the same time he would not. Her aimless steps stopped in front of the garden of tuberoses. Or what had been a garden. All of them had been pulled up and scattered on the ground, in preparation for new flowers. Looking carefully through the crushed and broken blossoms, she found one that was still intact.

The moment she reached out a hand…

“……”

A small stone fell in front of her feet. Slowly, she looked up.

There was a man sitting on a branch in a tree with his back against the thick trunk, smoking. Exhaling, smoke drifted in front of his solemn face. It seemed natural the way he looked down on her from above. In the darkness, his bright golden eyes stared at her as if he knew why she was walking around the garden, unable to go to her bedroom.

Leah lowered her eyes and put a solid wall around her heart. This time she hoped this man couldn’t reach her emotions.

As soon as Leah stopped looking at him, Ishakan dropped his pipe and jumped lightly from the tree. Despite the considerable height, he landed without a sound. His movements were incredibly agile. As he approached her, she could smell the scent of tobacco.

“Greetings, King of the Kurkans,” Leah said.

Ishakan smiled bitterly at the cordial tone. His eyes narrowed.

“I guess there are different ways to refuse.”

Leah spoke, still avoiding his eyes.

“It’s late,” Leah said, avoiding his eyes. “It’s not good for us to be gathered in the garden of the Princess Palace, so…!”

Her words stopped as she inhaled in surprise.

“You don’t need to reprimand me.” A warm embrace enveloped her tightly. Soon, she heard his voice again. “Let me hold you for a moment, Leah.”