Before the wedding, Leah wrote a suicide note. As words slowly filled the crisp piece of parchment paper, her heart sang a melancholic tune.

 She was certain that she would die after the first night of her marriage. A bride’s suicide would bring disgrace to her family. But a dishonorable, ignominious death was what Leah wanted the most.

Death.

Is it what she deserved? A miserable end for a royal princess, who devoted her life to the country and to her royal family?  Her accomplishments and efforts turned into ashes the day her family sold her like a common good—in exchange for wealth. No matter how hard she tried, at the end of the day, she was only a mere tool for other’s convenience.

Oh, but death would be a sweet escape from the life she was to face.

Chang Jeong-baek, the man betrothed to her, could easily pass as her father. However, despite her exercising a veto, she was left without a choice. The man was insanely powerful that her parents couldn’t refuse in giving her hand—or did they even hesitate in the first place?

When the royal family accepted Chang’s proposal, Leah vowed to retaliate. To blemish the highest quality good prepared by the royal family which is herself. It was the only revenge Leah, in her powerless state, could possibly do.

Horses were already saddled up. Today, she would travel towards Chang’s home where the wedding would be held.

The arrangements have been made without her permission. For the coming days, Leah pictured out what was going to happen in her head. After a three-week-long carriage journey, she would arrive at Oberde. There, she would exchange vows with an old Chang, share the kiss of oath and…spend night with him.

The face of Chang Jeong-baek, excited at the thought of having his filthy hands on his new, young bride, was drawn clearly in Leah’s mind. Unpleasant shivers ran up her spine, disgusted to think that he, who looked like a toad, would ride her body.

But Leah already did the irreversible. After their first night, Chang will find that his new bride is impure.

The virginity of the bride in Estia was considered most important than anything else. Knowing that a deflowered bride was sold to him, to which he paid a great deal of wealth, Chang would be livid and thoroughly insulted.

He was not a man to trifle with. His power extended even to the barbarians on the periphery. Moreover, his fury was enough to strangle the nobles of the capital. Therefore, the royal family, which had already lost all their power and remained only a luxurious shell, would suffer a terrible fate under Chang’s rage. They would have to vomit out more than they had received from him, just to quell his anger.

And Leah will be stripped of her royal name and forever be condemned as a prodigy who slandered her royal honor.

It was a perfect ending. The only unfortunate thing was that Leah would not be able to witness the ruin of the royal family with her own eyes. Because by then, she would already be a cold corpse.

“Princess, these are the wedding papers.”

Just before leaving Estia, the court-martial brought in papers Leah had to sign. Without resistance, she wrote her name, smearing a fine ink on the paper.

[Leah de Estia.]

The lavish signature was the same shape as the one she left on the note she made. The black letters on white paper were as clear as night.

When she put down her pen, Countess Melissa, the maid of honor watching from the side, burst into tears. As soon as she wept, the other women who were holding back tears began to sob in unison. Even the court-martial who brought the wedding hall also had a disastrous look on his face.

Everyone was grieving for her, but Leah was calm. She elegantly put down the paper and straightened her back.

“Stop. I must go. There’s no time to waste.”

“Princess…”

“Leah!” An urgent voice resounded. Leah halted in her steps, and slowly looked back to see a man of a foreboding stand, panting as he reached her.

The Crown Prince of Estia, Blair.

Looking at her half-brother with the dazzling silver hair, Leah smiled serenely. One of the few advantages of this terrible marriage was that it was no longer necessary for her to see Blair.

Blair beckoned the servants and guards around Leah to stop loading Leah’s luggage to the carriage at once. At his arrogant display of authority, Leah only looked straight at him. The sight of her not avoiding his gaze, like she used to, made Blair laugh hoarsely.

“Well, well, well. Isn’t it the whore who baited a large fish. She seemed to be full of herself now.”

It was a remark devoid of any dignity, resembling that of a street vendor. But since she wouldn’t have to deal with him anymore, now that she was to leave the palace, Leah responded without a trace of agitation.

“Please step aside. If I delay any longer, I won’t be able to leave the capital by today’s end.”

This was not the reaction he expected. Her indifference unnerved the prince and he raised his hand with a grimace. Instead of flinching, Leah gave a cold retort to the man who was about to slap him hard on the cheek.

“I am now the property of the Chang Jeong-baek. Do you dare mare his property, brother?”.

Blair’s eyes shook with anger. Slowly he lowered his hand and strode close.

“Don’t you ever think that this marriage can let you run away from me.” A hair breath distance between them, a contemptuous whisper pierced into Leah’s ear as though it was of a snake. “The day I ascend the throne… I’ll be the first one to bring you back here in the capital.”

It was a threat, but Leah felt no fear. Instead, a soft laugh slipped from her lips, which stabbed the prince deep in his gut. She wanted to answer back but realized that exchanging words with a senseless person would be a dire waste of her time. Without a farewell bid, she got on the carriage, completely ignoring him.

When the carriage door was closed, Blair shouted and pounded against the door with his fists. But Leah couldn’t hear his long-winded curses and insults anymore— she chose not to listen rather. Whatever the prince said, his words were futile—a wooden spear aimed at steel.

The carriage moved and with the turn of its wheels, a tear rolled from Leah’s eyes.  She pulled the curtain slightly apart and looked out of the window. The palace of Estia was rapidly moving away from her sight, from her grasp…

It is a place where she lived her whole life, but she felt no regret or sorrow. Leah never belonged there from the start.

However, there were lingering feelings that bothered her.

“…”

She bit her lower lip and closed the curtain with a sigh. She didn’t know why she kept on thinking of him. a cocky, unruly, inscrutable man.

From what she heard, the brute left the palace a day ago. Ah! She scolded herself internally. It was foolish of her to miss an already broken relationship. But while cursing herself for being stupid, she still couldn’t shake off the onslaught of thoughts.

While lost in her musings, the carriage left the capital and reached the outskirts of the capital. Gone were the houses; what greeted them was an open plain full of grass. It was a beautiful scene, but it didn’t endear her one bit. Instead, Leah just lounged down on her seat miserably.

She wished time would pass quickly so that her boring and useless life ends sooner. With nothing else to do, she fluttered her eyes to a close, when suddenly, she felt a shift in the wind.

A trumpet sounded amidst the tranquility that reigned. Its ear-splitting sound made Leah sit straight immediately, her hair standing on end. Following the roar of the first trumpet, horns went off one after another. Her heartbeat ran haywire at the chaotic noises that spread over the once peaceful plains.

Leah drew the curtains and looked out of the window. With the sight that greeted her, she swallowed hard. Dozens of men on horseback were trailing towards their direction. The royal knights guarding her carriage shouted hurriedly.

“It’s an ambush!”

From this point, the carriage began to run rough. But the pursuers’ movements were surprisingly agile. They simply caught up with the procession and surrounded the perimeter. The piercing sounds of instruments and shouts mingled in the air. Iron swords unsheathed rang out everywhere.

Out of nowhere, a rope flew which wrapped around the throat of the knight who guarded Leah from outside of the running carriage. He then pitifully fell out of his horse, his head hitting the ground grotesquely.

Arrows rained down, cutting the wind in succession. Frantic horses kicked and went wild.

As she looked out the window, she saw the carriage’s horseman fell to the ground. Leah closed her eyes tightly. The carriage, with only the horse dragging it, terribly shook. In no time, her whole world turned upside down.

“….”

She gasped. The carriage was horribly overturned, its wheels broke, its door torn open. Aside from the scratches that marred her skin, it was fortunate that she survived the accident unscathed. Only, she felt dizzy, and when she finally came to her senses, Leah pushed the broken carriage door out of her way.

Crawling out of the wrecked vehicle, she met the cold wind which already smelled of blood. Her head was tingled as she looked around. Royal knights were battling their pursuers on a pool of blood. But it was a meaningless battle. The royal knights were swept away in vain as if they were only nothing. One knight roared in a bloody voice.

“How dare you, savages– “

He was unable to speak to the end. A sharp curved blade penetrated his neck. From his throat, blood streamed to the grass. At the horrible sight, Leah covered her mouth with her hands, suppressing a shout.

The images of the raiders were embedded in her vision. High-chromatic eyes, dark hairs, and tattoos on tanned skin.

The men who attacked the royal procession were savages, the Kurkans.

Among the beastly men, a prominent figure emerged. The tall man riding a giant horse drove up to Leah.

Under the disheveled dark brown hair, a hot golden eye pierced Leah. The moment their gazes met, Leah felt the air snatched from her. Breathlessly, she opened her lips.

“Why…”

Her whisper, barely uttered in a split voice, was quickly drowned by the man’s laughter.

“Don’t you remember?”

Stretching his hand, he fetched Leah from the ground and maneuvered her to be atop his horse, fronting him. In resistance, Leah twisted her body but was simply overpowered by the man’s strength. A large hand clasped her waist firmly, that she could only wriggle to no effect.

With a smirk, the man behind her mumbled against the top of her head. His words sending shivers up her spine.

“I told you, I will ruin your life.”

The wedding of Leah and Byun Gyongbaek of Oberde was arranged. To her frustration, her opinion was not heard, it being given no importance in this political marriage. She received the news without any prior discussion.

Isn’t Byun Gyongbaek a faithful hero of Estia? The best expression of gratitude from the royal family is you, indeed!

I told you that your body belongs to the royal family. This is a duty a royal princess must bear.

This is for the sake of Estia.

Words that were supposed to comfort her further fueled her ire. To tie her to her duties, people start whispering to her ears, gauging her to submit to the royal decree. Byun Gyongbaek won’t want a hesitant wife, after all!

Upon finding out that her existence was only for the sole purpose of gearing up a beneficial treaty, she felt despair. And as soon as the immeasurable sorrow left her, anger took its stead.

As her gaze raked over the official document notifying her of her union with Byun Gyongbaek, she had made up her mind. She decided to leave a long-lasting disgrace to the royal family of Estia, even if it meant an untimely death for her.

As she refused to resign to the fate the royal family painted for her, a wicked plan started to take its course.

Tonight, she would have an overnight company. The royal family would then be accused of giving a deflowered bride to the high and mighty Byun.

“…….”

For a moment, as her decision took precedence, she held her breath. Her fingertips trembled badly as fear slowly crept in… Her hair stood on ends and legs slightly wobbled.

However, this slip of vulnerability quickly faded; her determination remaining undampened.

The night was young. Leah bit her lower lip tightly and continued to grace the street shrouded in nothing but darkness and obscenity.

Drunk people walked in faltering steps underneath the lit lamps that hung between old buildings. Giggles sounded as vulgar, filthy jokes delivered in boisterous tones were spoken.

Leah squeezed her cloak tight around her body. After she carefully checked each establishment that she passed by, she finally found her target place—it was a shabby inn which looked like it would collapse anytime soon.

The knob felt cold under her palm as he hesitantly pushed the wooden door open.

The inn was already full of tipsy, intoxicated people. Naturally, she attracted some attention upon her entrance. But soon, few of those who turned their gazes to Leah lost interest in her and they continued chattering among themselves.

Before coming here, she already made arrangements. Her company would be seated in the most concealed corner of this establishment, wearing a dark ensemble for the sake of discretion.

Her gaze darted to every nook and cranny of the place and it was not long until a man donning dark cloaks in an inconspicuous corner caught her very attention. He was buried in the shadows, away from the bustle and hustle. At a quick glance, the man seemed to blend in darkness—the shadow and him merging into one body difficult to differentiate.

Leah slowly started to draw nearer the mysterious man. Upon reaching him, she tapped the table where the man was seated and instantly, the lone hand that held the wine glass froze in mid-air…

His hands, wrapped in leather gloves, were so big the glass it held looked like a mere toy.

“Are you my company tonight?” She asked boldly.

An agonizing second passed. The man’s lips only parted before he uttered, “It seems so…”

It was a low and rough voice that seemed to scratch from his inside. Leah blinked hard. She heard that men of such pitch are gentle and beautiful.

But his voice that reverberated in her ears was different from what she had imagined. Though suddenly surprised, she soon pulled herself from her musings. Anyway, once things are done right, this will soon be over.

“Follow me.” The man directed, to which she subserviently nodded in return. He soon led her to a flight of stairs heading to the second floor of the building.

The wooden stairs creaked with her every step. After passing through a long hallway, they entered a room at its most end. The man opened the door for her and let her inside first.

Surprisingly, the rented room was the best one in the inn. Heavy draperies and cozy furniture—if anything, it looked romantic and deserving of couples wanting their first night to be memorable. Such a waste though, for this night was never intended for romance. But rather, she came here with a clear agenda.

Entering the room after her, the man closed and bolted the door. Its clicking sound sounded like a death sentence to Leah.

There is no going back now…

Mustering courage, she turned around and faced the man. As she did so, she drew a sharp intake of breath.

“…!”

A while ago, the man sat in the shadows and slouched low by the time he stood up, making Leah miss his towering height. Now, facing him in all his glory, an ample height difference between Leah and his chin was hard to ignore. Despite the dim light in the room, she could clearly see his broad shoulders and strong physique.

She was candidly embarrassed by the stark contrast in their frames. The man must had noticed as his lips slowly twisted to a faint smile. He loosely threw his heavy cloak with one hand, revealing his face.

What welcomed her was a healthy-looking bronze skin, dark brown hair and dull yet fierce eyes.

In the dark, his piercing golden eyes remained clear and bright, reflecting the wildness of a beast.

Though angular, his features were brutally beautiful. Filled by an overwhelming fascination for this man, she unabashedly fixed her curious gaze on him.

Leah’s heart raced. Her throat dried as a realization hit her.

The man was not human.

“…Kurkan?” She muttered unconsciously to herself. Her mouth trembling so slightly as this taboo word was spewed carelessly. Dark skin, huge physique and golden clear eyes with intensely colored pupils were the special characteristics of a Kurkan.

He raised his eyebrows and coolly conceded.

“It has been a long time since a person has called me Kurkan. Nowadays, we are normally called savages.” He said, slurring the last word.