Luna averted her gaze from Rath’s outstretched arm and closed her eyes.
But the maddening thirst consumed nearly all her thoughts, making it impossible to resist.
“Don’t hold back,”
Rath’s voice was gentle.
Luna opened her eyes, hesitantly took Rath’s left arm in her hands,
and bit down.
For a moment, Rath’s arm stiffened, then relaxed.
He didn’t make a sound.
As Luna felt the blood flow into her throat, her thirst finally subsided, and her consciousness returned.
She hastily pulled her mouth away, leaving clear bite marks and blood.
“Don’t worry, I have plenty of blood,” Rath said,
but Luna covered her face with her hands.
“Why… why is this happening?”
Luna finally understood that she had become a monster.
No matter how much Luna agonized, she couldn’t resist the thirst for blood when it came.
She tried to endure it many times but always succumbed to the unbearable hunger.
In the end, Luna drank Rath’s blood once every day.
Killian offered his blood to Luna as well, but
“I don’t want Luna to drink anyone else’s blood.”
Rath refused, saying that
Rath’s left arm became covered in Luna’s bite marks, which he hid with bandages.
When the other retainers asked about the bandages,
Rath would say, “It’s to seal the wild power residing in my left arm,”
and most would just nod, thinking it was typical of him.
When Luna heard this, she asked Luciana,
“What do people think of Rath?”
“Lord Rath has always loved myths and legends. He played at being a legendary hero since he was a child… though that childhood lasted quite a long time. It might still be going on.
But because of that, he trained diligently in swordsmanship and studied hard, so people didn’t really mind. Killian and I, as his attendants, have been with him through it all.
He even created the nonexistent Eighth Knights, made us members, and started protecting the town on his own.”
Luciana smiled wryly. In the Kingdom of Rama, there were only seven knightly orders.
“What? Rath is really childish,”
Luna laughed. It was her first smile since coming to the palace.
“But you know, Lord Rath was always serious about it.
He gathered information and helped people in need. He exposed corrupt officials and dealt with dangerous creatures.
Despite what others might say, Lord Rath is truly remarkable. Everyone knows it, starting with His Majesty. That’s why he’s so trusted.”
“I see,”
Luna felt a strange mix of emotions learning about this side of Rath.
“Was the incident with Khan part of that too?”
“Huh?”
“The rumors about Khan’s mansion were quite famous in the town as a haunted house. Legally, it had a clear owner, so there was no real problem, but for some strange reason, no one could approach it for a long time. The barrier was too strong.
A young man in town got interested and, unfortunately, had some resistance to magic. He sneaked into Khan’s garden.”
“He got past that barrier!?”
Luna was surprised. The barrier around Khan’s mansion was known to keep people away.
“A series of coincidences led to it. The young man didn’t intend to enter the mansion, but…”
Hearing this, Luna remembered what she had buried in the garden.
“A ghoul rose from the ground and grabbed his leg. He was terrified and managed to escape because the ghoul was half-buried.
The young man spread the word that ‘undead creatures were living in that mansion!’
Since it was already famous as a haunted house, it could have just been another rumor, but if it was true, the kingdom couldn’t ignore it.
That’s why Lord Rath started investigating.
I don’t want you to misunderstand, but Khan would have been dealt with much earlier for being suspected of necromancy. Lord Rath took the lead and began gathering information cautiously. Whether that was good for you, Luna, I don’t know.”
“The ghoul was something I buried… because of me, my master…”
Luna’s face twisted in anguish.
“Luna, once someone dabbles in necromancy, they’re in the wrong. Khan did it for selfish reasons, seeking eternal life. So let’s leave it at that. You have nothing to feel guilty about. I understand why you’d want to bury a smelly ghoul,”
Luciana gently patted Luna’s head.
Still, Luna was shocked to realize she had indirectly caused her master’s downfall.
Sometime later, the king of the Rama Kingdom passed away.
Though it had been anticipated, there was no major chaos, but the succession kept Rath extremely busy.
His official name was Ramnath. “Rath” was a nickname used only by those close to him.
As the new King Ramnath, he now held the fate of the kingdom in his hands.
Ramnath was already popular with both his retainers and the populace, so there were no significant issues,
except for one concern: he was unmarried.
“I have already chosen my queen.”
When asked about marriage at his coronation, Ramnath answered clearly, but did not name the person,
leading to much speculation among his retainers.
“Luna, will you become my queen?”
Shortly after his coronation, Rath proposed to Luna.
“What?”
Luna was speechless.
Even if Rath was serious, it was unthinkable for her, an immortal king, to become his wife.
Moreover, as queen, the highest-ranking woman in the country.
Even without her immortality, the difference in their statuses made it impossible.
No one would accept it, and it could destabilize the kingdom.
“Why?” she asked.
“Because I love you,”
Rath smiled, but he wasn’t joking.
“It’s impossible.”
“You don’t hate the idea?”
Rath caught the nuance in her words.
“You know it’s impossible, right?”
Luna spoke firmly.
“I am the king. Nothing is impossible for me. A king makes the impossible possible.”
“A king like that would just be a nuisance!”
“Why? I believe you are fit to be queen. Are you saying you would be a burden to others?”
Rath looked at Luna intently.
“I didn’t mean that…”
The conversation ended there. Rath didn’t want to push Luna too hard.
But Luna later sought advice from Luciana.
“I have a favor to ask.”
A few days later, one night, Luna was drinking Rath’s blood.
Usually, it would end quickly, but this time it took longer.
Even the brave Rath felt dizzy from the blood loss.
“Luna, isn’t this too long?”
Rath’s consciousness began to fade, but Luna continued to drink.
Finally, Rath collapsed weakly onto the bed.
“Sorry, Rath. This is the last time.”
After telling the unconscious Rath, Luna leaped out of the room’s window into the night.
As an immortal, Luna’s physical abilities far surpassed those of humans, and she jumped high into the sky, blending with the moon.
Luciana and Killian, who had been waiting in the next room, silently watched her leave.
They were opposed to Luna becoming queen. Keeping her immortality a secret was dangerous;
if discovered, it could be disastrous for the kingdom.
Furthermore, making an unknown girl the queen would invite endless scrutiny.
Thus, they let Luna escape.
TLNOTE : While waiting, I implore you dear readers to read other masterpiece novels that also written by the same author :
- When the Monster Meat I Ate Led Me to the Throne (LN)
- Who killed the Hero?
- The Wicked Princess and 12 Eyes – The Strongest Squires and the Legendary Evil Woman, the Second Time in Her Life
- The Exiled Merchant Saves the World with the Power of Gold (translated by my friend meerkat)
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