Dark Fantasy: Magical Eye Knight – Chapter 19

Chapter 19: Rest

“Your Highness!”

“Silence!”

Lyos let out a cry of surprise, but the princess did not even turn around, continuing to shout.

Since she began speaking, her gaze had been solely on Russell. Her golden eyes met his purple ones.

Russell, looking into those golden eyes, puffed out a breath of smoke. Everyone looked at the two of them, not daring to even open their mouths.

It was just like a scene from a story or a fairy tale, with the monarch personally seeking out a capable person and asking them to serve her. Zeona flushed her face, watching the two of them with her hands clenched.

Russell’s eyes moved in sequence from the smoke to where it drifted into the air and the clearing sky above. The dark clouds that had been thick and solid just moments before had lost their strength and disappeared after Karugon’s death.

The fluffy white clouds took on an unreal pinkish-purple hue, bathed in the glow of the sunset to the west and blue to the east. It was a landscape that brought the saying “nature is the greatest painter” to life.

Russell’s gaze fell once more on the princess, enveloped in the radiance of the sunset. She was just under 170 centimeters tall(5.5ft). Her graceful curves provided splendid armor for her slender body. For some reason, she tightly clenched her outstretched hands.

Russell smiled slightly when he saw the princess’s face. The princess’s eyes, staring at the silent Russell, were shaking slightly but finely.

Excitement, agitation, and a little fear were visible. Russell knew what she was expecting, but he did not say it.

Russell had not yet accomplished the goal he had failed to achieve until his death in his previous life. He had barely left home, so what could he do?

And perhaps he would never be able to do it until he died. But the important thing was not the completion, but the process, wasn’t it?

Russell said,

“I refuse.”

The princess’s beautiful golden eyes widened.

“. . .Why?”

“Do I have to give you a reason?”

“Yes. Tell me.”

And before she could hear the answer, she uttered the words that had been pressing down on her chest.

“Am I lacking?”

“What?”

She wanted to say to the man in front of her what she could not even say to her close knights. An incomprehensible emotion arose within her like a wildfire.

“Do you believe that being the child of a concubine makes me inadequate or unqualified?”

“. . . . . . .”

“Do you believe that I have no future and should only serve as a political tool?”

‘What is this?’ Russell scratched his head. It seemed that she had a sense of self-worth(inferiority complex) after all.

Russell knew people like that. They had high self-esteem but low self-worth. In his past life, he encountered individuals whose minds were not as strong as his frail physique.

Some of the more vicious ones lived in their closets, even though they had strong bodies and lived in a virtual world. They would hide behind anonymous names and criticize, curse, and mock others.

In the virtual world, they could do anything that they would not dare to do in real life. That was because the real-world version of themselves was too insignificant compared to their brilliant online personas.

Hmm.

Of course, that did not mean that the princess had the heart of a snake. Rather, she seemed to have the kind of character that would embrace and comfort even such people.

One could tell just by looking at the current situation, in which she had tried to knight Russell without even meeting him. For some reason, she desperately needed strength and someone who was hers.

Russell’s purple eyes flickered briefly with magic. Then strange things began to appear.

These purple eyes normally had the ability to paralyze opponents like rabbits in front of a tiger or to understand the principles of magic.

However, sometimes they would exhibit unexpected and strange abilities, and this was one of those times.

He seemed to be able to see her inner feelings. For some reason, drawing a certain line created an emotion that had no form. A figure emerged from within the princess’s armor, piercing her chest.

It was a wilted sunflower. The yellow petals crumpled, the stem and leaves wilted, but a sunflower, unable to find the sun, hung its head.

Russell couldn’t determine if his enigmatic eyes were creating an illusion or if the princess’s emotions were truly manifesting in this shape.

Russell simply said,

“I rejected Your Highness’s offer not because you are lacking, nor for any other trivial reason. I have my own things to do, things I want to do, and things I have to do. I do not want to lose my freedom by serving someone else before I finish those things.”

Russell, who could not bring himself to say that he had dreamed of traveling the world since his previous life, uttered a moderately packaged statement.

The princess’s eyes, which had been lifeless, gradually regained their light at his answer.

“Is that so? You rejected me, not because I am lacking.”

Russell let out a small sigh. Why are there so many people here who do not match their appearance and act so immaturely?

“Your Highness, you are a very charming person. Do not lose yourself. Do not act like a child just because you failed to recruit a single person.”

As she listened to his words, the princess’s face, which had been filled with dark clouds, began to brighten.

The sight of the withered flower coming back to life with sunlight and water made the people look surprised again. He thought that today would be a day full of surprises.

“. . .I see. For some reason, I end up saying strange things when I’m in front of you. I’m sorry. Will you forget what I just said?”

Russell nodded. The princess smiled brightly and shouted, “Ha!”

“I’m starving because I’ve been running all day. Will you make me something to eat? And I’d like to meet the City Lord as well.”

At her bold declaration, Albert spoke.

“I will escort you. Let’s go.”

“Okay. Then let my soldiers come in with us.”

“Excuse me? Your soldiers?”

The princess raised an eyebrow at Albert’s question.

“Why should I only bring six escort knights? There are about two hundred soldiers waiting behind that hill. I also need to bring them.”

“. . .I understand. I will have the city gates opened wide.”

Albert thought that he might have to seriously consider taking out a loan from the Dwarven Bank.

And so Calisden’s soldiers and mercenaries, the princess’ knights and soldiers, began to enter the city. As the day drew to a close, the last rays of sunset painted the entire sky orange. Night would soon fall.

🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷

Lord Frederick personally came out to greet the princess, her Dawn Knights, and her soldiers with a bright smile. It seemed that he had received word from Albert beforehand.

Zeona wanted to talk to Russell, but when the Lord raised his eyebrows, she returned to the castle without saying a word. The Lord’s knights accompanied her.

The city’s remaining soldiers packed up their belongings and went to the barracks. After receiving words and tokens promising handsome compensation the next day, the mercenaries scattered.

The grateful Lord offered Russell a room in the castle, but he declined. He did not want to bother moving his belongings from the inn, and he also declined the invitation to an awkward dinner.

The Lord tried to persuade him a few more times, but when Albert whispered something in his ear, he made a surprised expression and then quickly backed down. It was probably a statement that the princess had also rejected.

The princess also appeared to want to call Russell, but she vowed to see him again because she didn’t want to face rejection twice. Russell ignored the curious gazes of the Dawn Knights (including Lyos, who was still clutching his red nose).

The Lord, Albert, the princess, and Elenora headed for the castle. Elenora, who was trailing behind, looked at Russell with an unreadable expression, but she nodded slightly and walked on.

The only ones left were Russell, Evelyn, and Lexi. Russell flicked away the almost-finished cigarette butt and walked towards the inn street. Evelyn and Lexi followed behind him.

The city had completely regained its stability. The clearing of the scattered rubble on the ground allowed the citizens to walk the streets in peace.

As they entered the Breezy Winds of Lanshmoore Inn, they saw the staff cleaning the tables. Among them was Shasha, who spotted Russell and beamed. Then, seeing his appearance, soaked in blood and rain, she ran over in surprise.

Shasha ran over in one breath and examined Russell’s body, checking for any injuries and asking if she should call a doctor. She was unable to hide her concern. Russell shook his head and only asked if he could take a bath.

Fortunately, there was plenty of hot water available this time. Russell ordered some food and went to the bathroom. The bathroom was in the basement.

He took off his armor and clothes and stepped into a large wooden tub filled with hot water. As he sat down, water splashed on the floor, displacing his weight. Thick white steam billowed up.

“Whew. . .”

Russell closed his eyes, feeling a wave of fatigue wash over him. It felt like it had been a very long day.

It was just past noon when the bell tower rang, and now it was dark night, so it had only been about six hours.

However, it felt as though he had been there for more than a day. That was because those six hours had not been ordinary six hours. Russell’s mind was filled with tightly compressed hours of immense density.

The bell tower rang, and the market became noisy. People ran this way and that, each carrying something precious in their arms.

He climbed the city wall and saw an army of monsters. The laughter of harpies. The screams of soldiers. Zeona’s shout. The minotaur has a dull expression.

Karugon’s lightning. The black giant. The clouds cleared. The dazzling glow of the sunset. The princess.

Russell chuckled. He remembered the princess’s bold expression when she asked him to be her retainer.

He did not know what her dream was, but with her attitude and character, she would be able to achieve it without much difficulty. She would succeed even without Russell.

Just then, Russell heard footsteps descending the underground stairs. Shasha’s footsteps were there. Shasha appeared to be standing in front of the door, taking deep breaths for whatever reason.

He could hear her trembling breath and heart pounding. Russell let out a small snort at his own senses. ‘Damn, now I could even hear people’s heartbeats outside the door.’ His monstrous physical abilities were getting a little scary.

Shasha, who had been standing there for a few seconds, knocked on the wooden door and said,

“Russell-nim. I’ve collected your armor and the clothes you were wearing. And I’ve brought your clothes from your room.”

“Leave it outside. Thank you.”

However, Shasha did not leave and hesitated. He could hear her heartbeat even louder than before.

“Excuse me, if it’s not too much trouble, can I help you wash yourself?”

“. . . . . . .”

Russell remained silent; his body was still submerged in the water. He did not understand what was going on for a moment. Then, as if she had interpreted his silence as an affirmation rather than a denial, Shasha opened the door and entered the bathroom.

Creak. The hinges of the wooden door creaked loudly. Shasha’s face was bright red as she entered the bathroom, filled with white steam.

She was dressed in a one-piece dress that came down to her knees, with a cloth tied around her waist and an apron over it. However, her face was shiny with something, and her lips were even redder than before.

She glanced at Russell in the wooden tub and nodded.

“I, I’ll help you wipe down. . . . . .”

“. . .”

Soon, Russell was sitting on a wooden chair. Shasha was wiping his back with a towel soaked in scented oil.

Swoosh. Swoosh. Swoosh.

“. . . . . . .”

“. . . . . . .”

Only the sound of Shasha’s hands rubbing the towel on Russell’s back filled the silence. With careful hands, she wiped his broad shoulders, arms, and back, then pulled back his midnight-like hair and lathered it with foam.

It felt like the feeling he had when he visited a ‘salon’ a long time ago, which he could not remember. Shasha pressed down on his scalp, but she also scratched it lightly from time to time, giving Russell a strange sensation that was both refreshing and ticklish.

Shasha’s breath touched Russell’s ear. Her heart was beating as fast as ever. Shasha scooped up water with a wooden bowl and carefully poured it over Russell’s head. Warm water ran down his hair.

“I, I’ll wipe your chest now. . . . . .”

Shasha, her voice trembling, slowly moved in front of Russell. Russell revealed a towel-covered chest. Shasha wiped his neck, collarbone, and chest with the towel in the same way as before.

“. . . . . . .”

Shasha kept her head down, unable to meet Russell’s eyes. Russell could see her bright red ears.

Shasha’s hands were almost perfect. When she moved her hands as she pleased, Russell silently extended his arms and hands, and she carefully washed his armpits, the insides of his elbows, and his palms and fingers. Her hands, which caressed his firm muscles, were initially cautious, but now they moved freely over them as if she were enjoying it.

Gulp.

There was only one place left that her hands had not touched. She swallowed unconsciously as she carefully tried to remove the towel covering Russell’s lower body.

“You don’t have to do that.”

“. . .Ah.”

Shasha raised her head abruptly at Russell’s words. Then, she could see his purple eyes straight ahead. Like amethysts, they were beautiful. Mesmerizing. It is impossible to take your eyes off of it.

Steam condensation caused a cold drop of water from the ceiling to fall to the floor with a plop.

When she came to her senses, Shasha was already pressing her lips against his. She was surprised to see Russell’s face and eyes right in front of her.

His expression was the same as before. There was no sign of any emotion. Her heart ached terribly at the sight.

She slowly pulled away her lips. The sensation of the mucous membranes sticking and pulling apart sent shivers down her spine. Shasha exhaled heavily, struggling to open her unyielding lips.

“I, I’m so sorr━Mn♥?!”

Shasha’s lips, about to spit out those words of apology, were swallowed up by Russell’s. Shasha responded unreservedly to the soft tongue invading her mouth.

She hugged him with her whole body, not caring if her clothes got wet. She felt her plump breasts pressing against his firm chest muscles.

For some reason, tears streamed down her face. But her heart was pounding as if it would burst, and her head was spinning.

The water in the wooden tub gradually cooled, but the heat between the two of them grew hotter and hotter. The oil lamp on the bathroom shelf flickered, casting a glow over the two bodies.

🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷

. . . Evelyn and Lexi sat in the dining room. The other staff members placed the food that Russell had ordered in a pile on the table. Evelyn stuck her head out and muttered as she looked at the bathroom.

“Why isn’t he coming out?”

Lexi looked at the bathroom with a strange expression. A certain moaning sound began to reach her pointed ears. It was not out of pain. It was a strange sound of pleasure, as if she could not bear it.

The sound, which was growing louder and louder, abruptly stopped when the dark elf’s body had half-risen.

“. . .Ugh.”

“What? What’s wrong, Lexi?”

“It’s nothing. Let’s eat first. Russell will be out late.”

“Huh?”

Evelyn tilted her head at Lexi’s incomprehensible words. Lexi nonchalantly picked up a piece of bread and brought it to her mouth. She chewed on it while staring at the bathroom.

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