The heat of the pursuit that had been in the horse’s harness spewed out.
The raid that had been gnawing at Aaron’s nerves was to end today.
If only he could catch that commander of the enemy.
“We’re strangers, but it feels like we’ve known each other for a long time.”
Aaron slowly urged his horse closer to the man in the black mask.
The black mask’s horse, sandwiched between the cliff and the imperial soldiers, seemed frightened.
“Maybe it’s because I’ve been thinking a lot about you.”
Thump. Thump.
The sound of the vanguard loading their muskets echoed behind Aaron.
“The moment we entered this mountain. From the moment I was attacked by you, I only thought about you.”
Despite Aaron’s provocative words, the black mask, hood drawn deeply over his face, gave no response.
Just quietly, and slowly raising both hands to show intent of surrender.
With the abyss behind him and the gunners in front of him.
No matter how he looked around, there was no place for him to escape.
“We seem to have a lot to talk about…..”
Aaron glanced at the black mask, his lips twisted into a grin.
This was the first time he’d seen him up close.
The blue eyes revealed between the dark mask were reminiscent of the clear sky of Iorenti.
Contrasting sharply with the black mask on his face, his hands were strikingly pale.
The thin wrists revealed through the large robe seemed like they would snap if gripped tightly.
Now that he looked, his shoulders were small for a man, and he seemed frail.
As if he could be tucked away.
Did he misjudge?
He had guessed that the black mask was the commander.
Aaron squinted suspiciously, scrutinizing him.
“How about responding to our invitation now?”
Aaron, who had been staring intently at the black mask, suddenly stopped, struck with a chilling sensation.
Is he smiling?
In this situation?
Although he was wearing a black mask, he could barely see the red lips behind it drawing a soft curve.
There was ecstasy in his icy blue eyes.
Why on earth?
Before he could even ponder the meaning of the enemy’s smile, a loud explosion echoed from behind.
Aaron quickly turned around to see the smoke rising.
The sudden explosion shifted the attention of the entire vanguard to the rear.
“Damn it. Was it not a retreat but a lure?”
A thick cloud of smoke filled his vision.
It was near the Alden plateau, where the Imperial Army’s lifeline remained.
The heart of the army, responsible for weapons and food, was under attack.
Now their intentions were clearly seen.
While the rearguard was disordered and the vanguard was chasing, they were trying to steal weapons and food.
The smile disappeared from Aaron’s face.
“Send a messenger immediately to ascertain the situation.”
“Yes, Commander.”
Aaron gripped the reins so tightly that the tendons on the back of his hand protruded.
“If you guys thought we would be shaken by this…”
When Aaron turned his head again towards the black mask with blazing eyes.
All he could see was the end of a billowing cloak.
Amidst the distraction of the loud explosion, the black mask had audaciously jumped down the cliff.
The enemy he was sure he had caught was slipping away.
“Damn it. Catch him now.”
At Aaron’s furious command, gunshots from the vanguard rang out simultaneously.
But the black mask had already jumped down the cliff.
Astonished, Aaron urged his horse to the edge of the cliff and looked down.
The black mask had already plotted his escape route accurately.
He was accurately steering his horse down the cliff, using the protrusions scattered here and there.
Watching him, Aaron gritted his teeth and gave an order.
“Gun.”
At Aaron’s command, a cavalryman who had been following him quickly handed over a loaded gun.
Aaron cursed under his breath and aimed the gun over his shoulder.
His silver eyes followed the movement of the black mask with a sharp glare.
The flapping of the cloak as he hopped down was distracting Aaron’s sight.
The musket took a considerable amount of time to reload.
Even if the vanguard were to reload and aim again, he would already be out of range.
The one shot left was his last chance to catch him.
Where should he shoot this one shot?
At the moment he was about to pull the trigger, the image of the black mask’s smile crossed Aaron’s mind.
The frail physique, hardly fitting for the leader of a guerrilla army.
The thin, pale wrists.
And the clear blue eyes like glass beads.
There was definitely something more than he had speculated.
Bang.
Aaron, with a quick judgment, pulled the trigger of his gun.
The harsh gunshot echoed roughly along the treacherous valley.
At the same time, the figure in the black mask staggered momentarily, but didn’t stop.
Aaron watched as the fluttering cloak faded like an afterimage, then slowly turned his body.
“Collin.”
“Yes, Commander.”
“Tell the commanders. From now on, we halt our march towards the Iorenti kingdom and search for them.”
“What? But if we do so, the surprise attack on Iorenti Kingdom will……”
When scheming men desperately battle for her favor in the male harem
This one’s also on my reread list! The rivalry, scheming between the men in the imperial harem are just as intense and thrilling as in classic palace drama novels, where concubines fight to the death. Give it a read, girls! I promise you won’t be disappointed.
Synopsis:
“I am not worthy of her… but I still want to be by her side, even if only as a loyal dog…”
Those were the painful whispers of Yue Guanyi – the proud Crown Prince of the Great Qi, who was torn between deep love and a guilty conscience. Despite holding the supreme power of the Imperial Guard, he still could not forget the dark past when he was sold into a brothel.
Fate played a cruel twist when Qiu Shuzhi – a young female official who had just passed the imperial examinations with top honors – stepped into his life. She did not know that she was the one who had saved him from a tragic fate many years ago. And now, her heart was the target of pursuit for both Yue Guanyi and the powerful Empress Dowager Qin Qing.
While Yue Guanyi only dared to silently care for and protect the one he loved from afar, the Empress Dowager Qin Qing openly expressed his feelings and did not hesitate to take advantage of his power to approach Qiu Shuzhi. The covert struggle between the two most powerful forces in the imperial court began…
Trigger warning: All men in this novel are yandere style.
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