I’ve Become a S*ave Bride - Chapter 43

 

‘It definitely sounded like footsteps.’

Lenette frowned and called his name again.

“Kazen, are you out there?”

Once again, there was no response. But Lenette could feel it.

Someone was outside.

“……”

Her body stiffened, and her heart began to race.

‘What should I do?’

She turned her head, but there was nothing that could serve as a weapon.

‘Should I scream?’

But what if the intruder acted before the guards arrived?

‘Of all places, this bathroom doesn’t even have a lock.’

Lenette slowly, very slowly, approached the tub. She filled the gourd with hot water.

Once more, she called toward the door.

“Kazen, is that you?”

At the moment of her question, the door burst open.

‘It’s not Kazen!’

Without hesitation, Lenette threw the hot water from the gourd at the man in the black mask.

“Ah!”

The boiling hot water splashed onto the intruder’s face and upper body.

He staggered back, clutching his face, and Lenette immediately threw more water at him.

This time, it was an even larger amount.

The intruder, who had been retreating in a panic, received another dose of boiling water and could no longer hold back his scream.

“I’ll kill you!!”

However, as he hesitated and stepped back, a gap opened. Quickly, Lenette dashed through that opening and out of the bathroom.

The intruder reached out to grab Lenette, but his wet hand slipped, and he missed her.

Seizing the opportunity, Lenette opened the door leading outside and shouted,

“There’s an intruder!! Intruder!!”

“Lady Leneta!”

Just then, the warriors who were coming up from the lower floor heard Lenette’s cry and rushed over.

Then,

“What’s going on, Lady Leneta… ugh!”

“An intruder? What do you mean… huh!”

The warriors, including Hosanta, quickly lowered their heads.

Only then did Lenette realize she was in her underwear. But was that important right now?

“There’s an intruder! We need to catch him!”

“Y-yes, but—”

The warriors hesitated to approach, averting their gazes. Lenette turned her head to survey the room.

Hearing the footsteps of people approaching, the man in the black mask tried to escape through the window.

Lenette, realizing she couldn’t let that happen, ran over and grabbed his pant leg while wearing only her underwear.

“Are you not letting go?!”

Flustered, he tried to shake her off.

But Lenette’s grip was surprisingly strong, and he couldn’t break free.

“Come inside!! He’s trying to escape!”

The warriors outside were still just lingering at the door.

“This is ridiculous!”

If she wanted the warriors to come in, she needed to put on some clothes. But to do that, she would have to let go of the intruder. Then he would escape.

Caught in this dilemma, facing the intruder in her underwear, that was when it happened.

Whoosh!

Thud!

“Ah!”

A dagger flew through the open door and pierced the shoulder of the man in the black mask.

In an instant, the intruder collapsed to the floor. At the same time, a low voice came from behind.

“Put on some clothes.”

“Kazen!”

Kazen swiftly removed his shirt and tossed it over Lenette’s body.

Feeling relieved, she called out to him, but he passed by without even glancing at her.

He approached the bleeding man and crouched down to meet his gaze.

“Choose one.”

“Ugh… kill me.”

“Killing you is a given.”

Without mercy, Kazen pulled the knife from the intruder’s shoulder and aimed the sharp blade between his eyes.

Glancing at the man’s leg, where Lenette had touched him, Kazen asked in a calm voice,

“Your eye or your leg. Which one will you give up?”

“Just kill me!”

“Oh. Both then?”

Kazen tilted his head slightly and adjusted his grip on the knife. He aimed to stab the intruder’s eye with a swift motion.

At that moment,

“Wait!”

Lenette, hurriedly dressed in Kazen’s shirt, grabbed his arm.

Given Kazen’s muscular build, she effectively hung onto his arm, but it was enough to make him stop.

He turned his head slightly and asked indifferently,

“Are you going to do it?”

Do what? Surely not stab him between the eyes?

“No, that’s not it—”

“Then let go.”

His flat voice clearly indicated that he was quite irritated.

‘Why is he so angry?’

Momentarily flustered, Lenette quickly regained her composure and grabbed his arm again.

“We need to keep him alive and interrogate him. We need to know who sent him—”

“No need for that.”

Kazen abruptly cut off Lenette’s words.

“Are you saying you won’t interrogate him? ”

“Right.”

“Why not? ”

“Because I already know.”

Could it mean that he knows who sent the intruder?

When Lenette looked at him with a serious expression, he sighed lightly and stood up.

As Lenette got up as well, Kazen’s gaze swept over her body from top to bottom.

“The shirt is too big.”

Due to the significant difference in their builds, the shirt Kazen had given her hung down to her thighs.

“Well… it’s because you’re taller than me.”

Having taken off his shirt, Kazen was now half-naked.

Since Lenette was shorter than him, when she looked straight ahead, his imposing muscles filled her view.

Feeling slightly embarrassed, Lenette turned her gaze away and asked,

“Should I… give the shirt back?”

“That’s not what I meant.”

He then gestured toward the bathroom.

“Still, go in and change. The warriors will be coming in.”

“…Are you going to kill him in the meantime?

It’s about the intruder.

Given the atmosphere, it seemed like as soon as she went in, the warriors would come in and slaughter the intruder.

“I told you there’s no need to interrogate him.”

She bit her lip and looked up at him.

With a face that seemed somewhat sulky yet also glaring, Kazen reluctantly asked,

“Why? What’s the problem?”

“There are always exceptions and anomalies.”

“So?”

“If you know the identity of the intruder, it means you’ve experienced something like this before and know who sent him.”

“You’re quite perceptive.”

“But we can’t assume this situation will be exactly like the previous ones.”

“Even after more than ten similar cases?”

“Then it could be even more different this time.”

“So you think we should interrogate him?”

“Yes.”

Her argument did have some merit.

Kazen slightly turned his head and ran his tongue over his lips. Shifting his gaze back to her, he stuffed his hands into his pockets and said,

“Even if we torture him, he won’t talk.”

“He will eventually.”

It wasn’t a long sentence filled with information.

However, Kazen immediately grasped the meaning behind Lenette’s words.

“Are you confident?”

“To some extent, yes.”

His heavy gaze remained fixed on her for a while. After organizing his thoughts, he turned his body.

“Let’s keep him alive for now. Change your clothes and come back.”

“Understood.”

Thus, the standoff-like situation came to an end.

* * *

As Lenette entered the bathroom, the warriors immediately walked into the room.

Kazen casually kicked the intruder, who had lost consciousness and was lying on the floor.

“Move him.”

“Where should we move him?”

Kazen was irritated with the warriors who had left Lenette alone and now were acting as if half their brains had vanished.

“Do I have to specify everything? Can’t you find a suitably quiet place on your own?”

“…I’m sorry.”

“Don’t just say sorry; hurry up and move.”

“Yes, understood.”

The warriors pressed cloth against the intruder’s shoulder to staunch the bleeding. This was to prevent blood from flowing onto the floor during the move.

Once the bleeding was under control, the warriors attempted to carry the intruder out of the room.

“You know he can’t die, right?”

“…Yes? Then…”

“You’re not going to interrogate him?”

“……”

Wasn’t Kazen the one who had killed assassins who came to the palace over the past few years?

So, it was natural to assume that “a suitably quiet place” meant a place where they could ask questions.

Watching the warriors exchange hesitant glances, Kazen let out an exasperated sigh.

“Lenette will interrogate him directly. So find a quiet house on your own.”

“Ah… understood.”

Perhaps fearing another scolding, the warriors hurriedly moved.

As they left, Lenette emerged from the bathroom as if she had been waiting for them. Dressed in her own clothes, she slowly handed Kazen his shirt.

“Thank you for lending it to me.”

Taking the shirt, he put it on and shot her a sideways glance.

“Don’t you think being naked is a bit much?”

“…I’m not naked. I’m wearing my undergarments.”

“That’s basically the same.”

“I covered everything that needed to be covered.”

Lenette pouted and bit her lip. Kazen stepped a bit closer to her.

“Those warriors we encountered earlier, by the rules, I should gouge their eyes out.”

Lenette’s eyes widened as she looked up at him. Seeing her like this, Kazen rubbed his eyes wearily.

“It seems like you know a lot about this Tazetra, yet you also don’t know anything.”

At his muttering, she slightly frowned.

“Could you please explain it in a way that’s easier to understand?”

As he looked at her pale face with her lips once again protruding, he thought,

“If you think about it, I’m the one who should be the most surprised in this situation.”

At her pointed remark, Kazen’s movements came to a halt.

‘…That’s true.’

Thinking back, it was indeed so. He had forgotten that Lenette was unusually brave.

‘This isn’t the time to be saying anything.’

First, he should have comforted her.

Kazen opened his mouth to apologize.

However, Lenette spoke faster.

“I know you’re not feeling well, but can’t you at least consider that I was surprised too?”

His lips, which had been moving awkwardly, stopped.

‘What? Not feeling well?’

Who?

‘Me?’