The King’s Ransom

I covered my eyes with my trembling hands and thought. There’s no time. Where could Elliot have gone? He fits the description of a ‘pretty face’ that boy mentioned. Does that mean he really went North? Or somewhere else? Maybe I should go back out right now and call the guards.

But what if that takes too much time? To find where the guards are, I’d have to head all the way back to the city center, and it would take forever to mobilize enough men to search for Elliot. There was no guarantee they’d even deploy immediately just on my word.

Realizing I had to move, I sprang up. Elliot isn’t stupid. Even if he’s lost, he’s quick-witted enough to know that nobles aren’t welcome on these streets; there was a chance he was taking some kind of action. Maybe he even found his way out. It was a thin shred of hope, but I decided to cling to it for now. It was better than drowning in negative thoughts.

However, even after scouring the streets for quite some time, I couldn’t find a single strand of Elliot’s hair. The paths grew more complex, and the creek drew closer. While no one had cared who passed by a moment ago, eyes began to fix on me one by one. I pulled the hat I got from the boy down low.

I knew going further was dangerous. Yet, I couldn’t help my gaze from drifting across the creek. I desperately hoped Elliot wasn’t there, but at the same time, I could vividly picture him in that place. Beaten to a pulp, forced into submission, delivering cheap drugs in the gutters before dying without a soul knowing. It was maddening. It wasn’t a matter of logic. Rationally, the chances of Elliot being dragged into the Nox weren’t the highest.

I took a hesitant step toward the creek. But what if, by some low probability, he was actually there? Could I even find him if I went in? Even if I found him, could I pull him out? I wasn’t a powerhouse like Leopold, nor could I use magic like Abel. I was just a child. My breath became short and ragged. I had never felt so resentful of the fact that this body was only twelve years old.

Suddenly, someone placed a hand on my trembling shoulder. I tried to recoil in shock, but the person simply draped an arm around me, speaking in a leisurely voice. As he leaned down, his face came close. His yellow pupils glowed like those of a beast.

“A kid like you won’t even have bones left if you go any further in.”

He acted playful, but it was just an act. His words were firm, and his voice was low. The eyes still meeting mine seemed to hold a feigned interest, but he was scouting me. Though there wasn’t a word of introduction, I was certain. This was the man. My reason for coming to Lovenus was right here.

It wasn’t just because his face looked like it had been poured from the mold of Kim Min-ji’s exact tastes. While the fact that he was exceptionally beautiful added credibility to my guess, his sheer presence turned suspicion into certainty. Though he held himself in a relaxed, low posture, he couldn’t hide his innate arrogance. A natural-born king, a ruler. Who else could have eyes like that in a street where hope was cheaper than bread?

Even if you changed the Crown Prince’s hair and eye color and stood him among commoners, no one would ever mistake him for someone of low birth. The ability to stand above and command others is something one is born with. Luke was the same. There couldn’t be another like him on these streets, and there couldn’t be anyone capable of commanding him. Luke would become the King of the Nox.

“I don’t recognize your face. Do you not know what that place is?”

“I do.”

“And you were going to go in anyway?”

I slapped his hand off my shoulder again, and this time it fell away easily. I took a step to create some distance, trying not to look overly defensive. I realized that the eyes that had been following me earlier had now dispersed. Luke took this for granted, not giving it a single thought.

“It’s not uncommon. Those who want to give up on life but don’t have the courage to die crawl into the Nox. Half of them get stabbed and die within an hour of stepping foot inside, getting their wish, and half of the survivors are hunted down as prey.”

My lips trembled. I didn’t ask what happened to the remaining half, but Luke continued on his own.

“As for the rest, they either lose the courage they had when they entered and die begging for mercy, or they somehow survive and adapt. Even so, there are many cases where they just disappear one day. It’s rare for a body to come floating down the creek. They’re the lucky ones. For many who become residents of the Nox, their ultimate goal changes to leaving for somewhere else. Since they managed to leave even as a corpse, they got their wish, didn’t they?”

Luke seemed to enjoy explaining the Nox. The voice of the boy, who hadn’t yet become a young man, was so quiet and steady that if you didn’t listen to the content, it sounded like he was reading a fairy tale. I realized how foolish my attempt to go in there had been. Forget saving Elliot; I would have died before taking a few steps.

He grabbed my chin and tilted it up. I tried to pull away, but he didn’t budge. On the contrary, the grip of his hand on my jaw and cheeks was so strong it was painful. Because he lifted my face to his eye level without any consideration, I had to stand on my tiptoes. I was fairly skilled for my age, so it was frustrating to be completely helpless against someone only a few years older. Would the result have been better if I had worked harder on strength training?

“You don’t have the eyes of someone who wants to die.”

“I have no intention of dying.”

The hat I had pulled down low was now useless. Luke, lightly flicking the brim, asked, “Then what?”

“My friend… disappeared. I think he’s lost…”

Tears welled up as I spoke. Elliot, that idiot. What if his short life ends like this because he fell for a scheme by someone like Berinon? He came all the way to the distant East without any other companions just to be with me. I wouldn’t be able to face Count Dylan or the Countess. He’s only thirteen. Instead of enjoying life, he lived every day breathless, chased by his lesson schedule.

“You think he’s lost?”

“If he was kidnapped… I heard he could be taken there… so…”

“So you were going to enter the Nox?”

My emotions kept surging. I didn’t want to burst into tears, so I bit my lip, but a sob escaped me anyway. I hadn’t cried out of sorrow since becoming Llewellyn. Not when I struggled to adapt to a strange world, nor when I learned the original story where the second son dies.

I was dying of anxiety while wasting time talking about trivial things, my jaw ached from his grip, and ultimately, I was embarrassed to be helpless in front of a guy who looked much younger than my internal age. In the midst of all that, I was most irritated by Luke, who stood there calmly waiting for me to pull myself together without even looking flustered.

“Shall I help you?”

His voice was kind, as if soothing me. I tried to calm down, gasping for air and gripping his wrist as I held my ground. When I asked, “What?” Luke kindly repeated himself.

“Shall I help you enter the Nox? Help you find your friend?”

“Why… would you?”

There is no such thing as one-sided favor. That is the most important guideline of life. There might be people who enjoy bestowing goodwill on others, but that didn’t apply to Luke. There was no way he would help me without expecting something in return.

“Because I’ve become interested in you.”

“Don’t make me laugh.”

Releasing my chin, Luke rubbed my wet cheek. His hand was the roughest and driest thing that had ever touched my face.

“Don’t glare at me like that. Why do you assume it’s a lie?”

“Because it’s the most convenient thing to say to avoid an answer in a situation like this.”

“But you’re hoping for it anyway.”

I should have replied that I wasn’t, but I hesitated, unable to find the words. Even though I knew a man who supposedly didn’t trust people or keep trusted allies wouldn’t show goodwill to a stranger, I wavered uncontrollably when he offered to help.

“Just name your price. I’ll prepare whatever it is, as long as it’s something I can give.”

“A price?”

He laughed shortly at my words, as if he had just heard a very funny story.

“And just what kind of price could you possibly give me?”

My face flushed at the blatant mockery. This was something I hadn’t considered because it would never happen under normal circumstances. This was the first time since becoming Llewellyn that I had absolutely nothing.

I had carried very little cash while following Berinon, and most of that was fleeced at the shops. I had spent the remainder changing my hair and clothes. As I hurriedly searched my person, a pendant popped out of my trouser pocket. It was one of the items the merchant had shoved at me at the shop where Licht’s treasures were sold. He must have stuffed it in and taken my money.

It looked like it had been in slightly better condition when I saw it at the shop. The metal surrounding the gem was rusted, and the jewel in the center had a crack. It was something anyone could see was worthless—hardly something to offer after grandly discussing a “price.”

“Your taste is cheaper than I thought.”

“It’s not my taste.”

“Well… fine. It seems your pride will be hurt if I don’t take something.”

Luke readily took the pendant, deliberately checked its condition one more time, and put it in his pocket. I had never been short on money, and in my fief or the capital, I could buy anything just by giving my name. I should have brought at least one decent piece of jewelry. Even tearing off a button from my jacket wouldn’t have been this embarrassing.