Translator and Editor: Skye and Vnovember

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Chapter 4

“Oh, my God.”

Arnoah blocked her mouth when she was just about to scream. She didn’t want to wake up the sleeping leopard.

She closed her eyes once and slowly opened them. Alas, the leopard was still there.

“Is this a new method to kill me?”

The former assassin had sneaked in and shown up in front of Arnoah. However, she had quickly left the room and called for the guards.

So you sent a predator this time? Do you think I won’t catch this thing?

Arnoah felt it was absurd as she swept her gaze across the leopard on the bed.

“Grrrrr.”

It was sleeping with a pleasing sound as if her bed was very nice. Its appearance was clearly revealed by the moonlight coming through the window.

It was not just an ordinary leopard, but a snow leopard. This predator is hard to encounter by an average person even once in their lifetime.

Its shiny fur that shone in the moonlight looked more sacred than snow, and on top of that fur was a clear black pattern. A curve from the neck to the back up to its waist was as smooth as a brush.

Along with this, its rich and long tail stretched to the bottom of the bed, shaking slowly.

Its face, with both eyes closed, was so fluffy over its large feet and looked peaceful.Beautiful!

Although it was a dangerous moment, Arnoah had been mesmerized just by glancing at it.

Sleeping in front of her was the most dazzling animal she had ever seen in her life.

‘Crazy.’

She shook her head in a hurry. This was not the time to appreciate its beauty.

She had to go out to the hallway and call for someone.

Click.

A sound was heard at the moment she reached behind her back and turned the doorknob.

“Grrrrrrr.”

The snow leopard that was breathing evenly suddenly moved its ears.

“…no.”

It then opened its eyes.

Arnoah was barely breathing, stunned at her spot. She couldn’t avoid its gaze, because they had already made eye contact.

Its unique silver-gray eyes were glaring at her.

It was like a cloud over the water, and if it had been a picture, she would’ve thought it to be pretty.

“Grrrrrr.”

But this situation was neither picturesque nor a play.

It could always run to her and bite her neck.

The snow leopard, who had been looking at her for a while, slowly lifted itself up from the bed.

It moved without a sound.

In the midst of danger, the thought of the figure being ridiculously elegant crossed her mind.

Tap.

The snow leopard jumped onto the carpet gently, its eyes still on her.

Then it slowly began to approach her.

“Cha, good boy.”

Arnoah trembled as she spoke. She tried to grab the doorknob behind her back again, but could not find it.

Tap.

The snow leopard stretched once, and with a flying movement, it landed a step in front of Arnoah.

“Kyah.”

Under the tremendous energy and terrifying glare of its eyes, Arnoah sank down on the carpet with a small scream.

“Grrrrrr.”

The leopard looked down at her pathetic state and shook its head. Then it put its head on her and growled.

It was a strange growl that seemed like a threat and a laugh at the same time.

Arnoah’s eyes grew bigger.

‘Is this how I die?’

The image of Larisa dancing in joy flashed through her mind.

It was a tragic end that the last scene she saw before her death would be Larisa’s dance.

Arnoah was just about to close her eyes in despair when the snow leopard’s figure became blurry. She saw another shape in the leopard’s spot.

Swing.

“…Huh?”

Slowly.

The silver-gray eyes that were staring at Arnoah remained the same, however, the owner was no longer a predator.

“How the hell is this…”

It became a human who was kneeling on a knee while looking at her.

She saw his snowy white skin and dark hair like the night sky.

As she blinked her eyes once more, she further saw his sharp nose, jawline, and eyebrows that looked like he came out of a painting.

“Is that you?” The man asked.

His appearance looked dangerous but also mesmerizing on the other hand.

“Answer me. Are you Arnoah Sarrien de Caission?”

The man’s voice rang in her ears once again.

His whispers were very low, but she felt a strange sense of pressure that sank in the surrounding air.

She was relieved that what was in front of her was not a predator, but she still couldn’t ignore the tension.

“Who…?”

Arnoah shook her head quickly as she asked.

This man is a wizard, a high-level wizard who can transform into a spirit.

The man tilted his head and stared at her as if he was waiting for her answer.

Arnoah nodded unknowingly.

It was not known why a ‘species’ famous for nesting only in its own territory was looking for her.

“Okay, in short.”

He muttered something and opened his palms.

A golden light glittered for a short time as a small rolled piece of paper appeared on his palm.

“Here’s the letter.”

The man said.

“Letter? Who the hell…?”

Arnoah unknowingly reached out her hand and received the paper.

“It’s from your best friend.”

Friend?

Arnoah knew only one close friend in the world.

She unfolded the paper with trembling hands and read the name written in his handwriting under the scroll.

“…Anakin?”

He must have seen something again.

Anakin Willow, who had been with her since childhood, had written something with silver ink.

The handwriting, which was as colorful as its nature, was difficult for others to imitate.

“…Did Anakin send a wizard for me?”

It was an awkward question.

The wizard said, “You can’t just let me tell you everything from the very beginning, right?”

Unless it was a very special situation, even the royal family could not give orders recklessly.

Nevertheless, she asked because there is only one person, a non-magician, who could treat them without reserve.

“Yes, he did. He’s been cheeky since we were in the Academy.”

Arnoah’s face lit up a little after listening to the man.

Anakin, who became the Emperor’s aide at a young age after passing through Duke Rickel’s exam, was originally like that. He was a man above common sense.

A genius who entered the Academy of Witchcraft with natural intelligence. He developed and even advanced the ancient magic theory that even his professors could not interpret.

‘If you want to leave Dirhan, tell me. I’ll find a motive to put a curse on Vainas.’

This was the last thing he told her before she left the empire for her marriage.

Although it was not put into reality, it was helpful to repeat it like a spell whenever she saw the unfortunate face of Vainas.

‘Then this man…’

So the man in front of her should be Anakin’s colleague?

‘I remember the crazy ones, the dirty ones, the one who wanted to be a wizard’s owner, the one who wanted to kill people to make soul stones, the lonely ones, the good ones…’

That’s weird.

Among the acquaintances that Anakin mentioned, there had never been such a good-looking wizard.

“Please read first.”

The man spoke again in a commanding tone, it looked like a habit for him to command.

Arnoah opened the letter. The moment she read the first two lines, she forgot what she was nervous about.

[To my dear friend, Noah. Luciano and Arien were assassinated.]

She blinked her eyes once.

She then read it several times and it was still the same.

The name written on the letter belonged to her two brothers.

“A-assassinated…”

Arnoah murmured with her lips trembling slightly.

Anakin’s news couldn’t have been wrong. He was the Emperor’s closest aide.

She slowly closed her eyes and sighed.

“No…”

It wasn’t because she felt sad or regretful for her brothers nor did she feel shocked.

From the various empires to the Imperial family who hold the Empire’s military power and command the Northern War, there are many people who wanted to assassinate the Emperor.

There was a separate reason for her frustration.

“Sigh, I’m screwed.”

The phrase in her marriage contract two years ago went through her head.

‘She understands and agrees that Arnoah Sarrien de Caision will be Queen of the Kingdom of Dirhan and obey Vainas only and that all titles that she has right now and will have are vested to him.’

This was what Vainas had requested and Luciano had agreed to.

The reason why he would get her titles and not the other way around was because of the old Dirhan Kingdom’s tradition, although only in name.

Knowing that it was a tradition that had been there for more than 100 years, Arnoah had gently signed the contract with Luciano’s urging.

It was just a meaningless phrase to fill Vainas’s humble pride, and there would be no possibility of a title in her future.

As long as her two brothers were alive.

Arnoah bit her lips tightly.

Luciano and Arien, who were now dead, had no descendants.

Their closest blood ties were each other.

That meant.

“That idiot, Vainas, will be the Emperor.”

The King of Dirhan, who couldn’t rule the government or his family, let alone the continent, and the husband with an inferiority complex who treated Arnoah as if she was an enemy for the past two years; Will be the next Emperor of the Empire.

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