Chapter 6

Count Helsington had received the reply from House Noverdic the previous day. It had only been three weeks since the Black Wolf Knights left his manor. Given the distance between the central and northern lands, he couldn’t believe how quickly they’d received a response. But there was no doubt about the sender of the letter as it was sealed with House Noverdic’s crest, a black wolf atop a moon.

“Father.”

“Come in.”

Count Helsington tore his eyes away from the letter to look up at Isabella, who was entering her father’s office after his reluctant invitation. Why would an up-and-coming noble family take a dying woman as their daughter-in-law?

Isabella looked paler than usual as she stumbled in. Most fathers would rush over to help their daughters, but the count merely sat there with a scowl on his face. She stopped for a moment, and Joanne rushed to steady her.

“We received a response from House Noverdic.”

Isabella’s blank face cracked for a moment.

Not missing her reaction, Count Helsington’s lips twisted into a grimace. “You still haven’t changed your mind about going to the North?”

“No, Father, I have not.”

He sighed. “Then you got what you wanted.”

“Sorry?”

“House Noverdic agreed to take you in as their daughter-in-law.”

Isabella blinked. This was what she’d wished for, but now that it had happened, she didn’t know what to say.

“They even refused a dowry and requested that you come as soon as possible.”

Oh… She sank to the floor.

“Are you okay?” the count finally asked, rising from his seat to stare at her sitting on the rug. “You can leave as soon as you’re ready.”

He clicked his tongue, frustrated that things hadn’t gone the way he’d wanted.

***

Isabella’s engagement was officially announced, and a strange atmosphere descended on House Helsington. Not a single person congratulated her on her engagement. Ijar scowled at her whenever they crossed paths and the servants stole furtive glances at her. Their gazes held some concern, but they also carried a sense of superiority as if to say, How are you supposed to perform the duties of a married woman?

Everyone looked down on Isabella.

So what if you’re from a noble family? You can’t even eat or walk properly. You think you’re all that just because you’re pretty? You won’t live long anyway. Any sympathy or kindness they showed was patronizing, stemming from the belief that they were inherently better than her.

So Isabella began to dislike even their kindness. Nevertheless, the manor began to bustle with preparations for her marriage. Even though House Noverdic said they had no need for a dowry, Count Helsington still felt obligated to prepare one.

It consisted of a few articles of clothing, jewelry for her husband, gifts for the rest of the family, and gold. In truth, Isabella didn’t need a dowry. Dowries were to be used by the husband’s household in case there were any issues after marriage, but Isabella wouldn’t have a chance to cause any issues in her new husband’s home.

Even if something did happen, she only had a year left to live. She wouldn’t live long enough to use any of it. Even so, Count and Countess Helsington prepared a variety of things for Isabella’s dowry in order to quash any rumors.

Isabella’s blank stare drifted over to the pile of boxes. Giving a dowry benefits this house more than it does theirs.

She tried to get out of bed.

“You should rest, Lady Isabella.”

It was late in the afternoon, but there was something Isabella had to do before she left. Joanne’s words felt more like a command than a recommendation. The maid desperately wished that Isabella would quietly stay put out of fear that she would get sick before their departure, but the girl raised her hand and called for her maid.

Joanne’s face hardened as she approached her, grabbing her icy hand and helping her out of bed. There was something vital she had to pack. She didn’t need clothes or gold. The most important thing was medicine, which she could only get from Solstella’s Temple. That was why Isabella had to go out today.

“Let’s go to the temple.”

The carriage carrying Isabella pulled away from Helsington Manor.

***

“No, no! That’s not the right fur! Go try again!” Clara, dressed in leather pants and a fur vest, shouted at her brother.

Cleor had a fluffy blue ball of fur in his hand. It was the fur of a demonic beast called the Raterbit.

“A Raterbit’s fur is perfectly fine! What more do you want?”

“No, a Grand Raterbit!” Clara shouted as she snatched the fur from Cleor’s hand. A mountain of demonic beast corpses were stacked on the cart, each with fluffy fur.

“A Grand Raterbit? Clara, you need to get better hobbies. I’d have to go deep in the forest to find Grand Raterbits.” Not only did it take more time, but the demonic beasts deep in the forest were particularly fierce as well. What was the point of going into the forest to fight them if they never came out? Cleor shook his head.

“No! It has to be a Grand Raterbit’s fur!”

The Grand Raterbit was the king of Raterbits and also the size of a house. Raterbits were docile creatures, but not Grand Raterbits. Because their role was to protect and feed their colony, they were incredibly vicious and had nasty tempers. They weren’t that hard to fight, but Cleor didn’t see the point in it.

“Why would you want to mess with a giant animal like that? You’re literally asking for trouble.”

Clara had a habit of buying useless things, a habit that usually burned a hole in her pocket. She usually went hunting to earn pocket money, but if she wanted to hunt grand demonic beasts, that meant she must’ve had her eye on something very expensive.

“Wrong! You really don’t know why?” Clara lowered her bow as she gave Cleor a disappointed look. These days, most people in House Noverdic gave him that look. He drew up his chin and shrugged.

“I’m asking because I don’t know.”

“Stupid Cleor!”

“I don’t have to take that from a thirteen-year-old girl.”

“You’re so clueless!”

“Says the girl who bursts into our parent’s room without knocking.”

“You think you’re better than me?” Clara ended their childish fight with a smirk, shaking her head from side to side. “Who’s the one doing nothing around here?”

Cleor’s mouth snapped shut. He thought momentarily and realized that although he was usually the busiest one, it seemed like he was idling around these days. This was a relatively recent change.

Since when? Since they received word that Isabella was on her way.

“Wait, the reason you’re pestering me to go Raterbit hunting with you is for Isabella?”

Clara nodded vigorously.

“Why?” he asked, scratching his forehead. “Did Isabella say she wanted the fur of a Grand Raterbit?”

“You’re so stupid, Cleor! How on earth would I be in contact with Isabella? Right now, she’s making the hard journey to the North! We need the fur because she might get cold! The fur of a Grand Raterbit provides excellent heat.”

Cleor didn’t need to ask how she knew that. His sister had always been into researching demonic beasts ever since she was young. The North was Clara’s playground and laboratory—a perfect fit for her.

“Raterbit fur is good enough for the—” Cleor suddenly stopped talking. He tensed and pulled out his sword as he noticed a murderous aura in the air. It was clear that their opponent was a master at their craft. How else were they able to mask their aura and sneak up on him?

Who could it be? One of Terra’s assassins? Cleor moved in front of Clara, protecting her from whatever was approaching.

“We’ll talk about this later, Clara. Pick up your bow.”

“Why should I?” she clicked her tongue as she made a mocking face behind Cleor.

They should have both felt the aura, but her sister didn’t even blink. Something was strange. Cleor turned around. Just then, a dagger sailed by, dangerously close to his cheek.

“There’s no such thing as good enough for Isabella. Lead the way to the Grand Raterbit hole.” Angela Noverdic, Cleor’s mother, warrior of the North, and the true power behind House Noverdic, appeared wielding a large spear.

***

Isabella closed her eyes quietly, feeling the sway of the carriage. Although she looked calm on the outside, she was anything but on the inside. Her stomach churned. She felt like she was going to throw up the few sips of milk she’d had that morning.

She wanted to open the window, but the fear of catching a cold from the chilly air held her back. If she caught a cold now, she would cough up blood for over a week. Even so, she didn’t want to stop the carriage as they were already behind schedule.

Reaching the North should have taken three weeks at most, but it had already been more than four weeks. She wanted to reach the North as soon as possible in case House Noverdic changed their mind.

Cleor Noverdic. Isabella repeated her future husband’s name to herself. Actually, she didn’t know if he would be her husband yet. Although House Noverdic agreed to take her in as their daughter-in-law, Isabella worried that she would just be a nuisance in their household.

Still, she was eager, despite knowing that she could damage their reputation. Isabella had a plan to cause as little damage as possible. She had less than a year to live. It was common to live in the home of your betrothed for a year to learn the family customs before getting married.

If Isabella died during that time, Cleor would remain a free, unmarried man. That way, little harm would be done. That was what she wanted—to buy time by pushing back the marriage. Given her current condition, it wouldn’t be unreasonable to delay it.

***

“Whoa, whoa,” the driver said. Joanne opened the window and looked outside.

“My lady, we’ve arrived in the North. I see knights bearing black flags.”

She thought the sound of the wind was unusual, so they must have reached the North. Isabella wrapped her shawl tightly around her, shielding herself from the intense cold. Her hands were turning red, and the ends of her fingers were blue.

Joanne glanced at her, then looked away. There was nothing she could do. She was going to die in the dreary and desolate North. It finally hit her. She had left the central part of the empire, her birthplace, and come to the North.

The driver stopped the carriage as they finally arrived.

“Be careful, my lady,” Joanne said. She removed the blanket from Isabella’s lap and wrapped a thick shawl around her shoulders. Finally, she placed a fur cap on her head and opened the door.

An icy wind washed over Isabella’s body. Despite her best efforts to protect herself from the cold, nothing could have prepared her for the wind. She trembled in the bone-chilling cold.

“Welcome to the Grand Duchy of Noverdic.”

A man with black hair, dressed in a black uniform with a black cape, approached, looking like he had absorbed all the darkness in the world. The moment their eyes met, Isabella felt like all the energy was being sucked out of her. Even as they stood in the sunlight, his eyes were so dark that it felt like they were absorbing every trace of light.

“Come down. Your horses will never make it through the forest,” he said, gesturing to the carriage with his chin. It was an arrogant gesture, but Isabella wasn’t offended. How could she be when she saw the horses behind him, nearly twice the size of her own?

“Here, take my hand.”

As he held out his hand, Isabella flinched. His hands were large, rough, and unfamiliar. She took a tentative step toward him but lost her balance.

“Damn it!” Cleor cursed.

In a flash, he closed the distance between them and caught her by her waist. She was remarkably light, like the feather of a snow-white swan. Unlike the women of the North, her slender frame fit easily into his arms.

Didn’t they feed her over there? Cleor’s eyes narrowed.