356 Pledge Of Service
This annoyed Northern and caused him to immediately lunge a kick at her hand, one that threw her into the air.
She crashed into the ground afar from him, but he used Shunpo and was already walking towards her. He stopped after two steps.
Then looked down at the lady still trying to get up, a look of disgust plastered to his face.
"Who are you… no, what are you? Why are you like this?"
She trembled but stood to her knees and looked at Northern's face.
Despite being beaten and bruised all over, her face still contorted into a beautiful smile.
"You made me like this, my love. I have never seen anyone so young and manly. I love you, I love you so much. I don't want to be killed by anyone but you. Please make me suffer, do it to your satisfaction and kill me however you please. You can decide to do it slowly, tearing my limbs from limb while savoring the taste of my screams. Or you can burn me, and watch me while I cry in pain and proclaim my everlasting love for you."
Northern's expression creased down in so much disbelief and stress. What exactly is this woman?!
The way she was acting was beginning to leave a bad taste in his mouth.
He glanced down at her one more time and turned away from her.
He wanted to walk away from her, but she hurriedly crawled and grabbed his leg, begging:
"Please don't go… don't go without inflicting more pain on me. Make me suffer more, please don't let me live. I want to die by your hands. You are the most deserving man to take my life and make me suffer for the vile life I have lived."
Northern caught glimpse of something in her last statement. His eyes illuminated blue light for a while, then he turned to the lady and jerked his leg away from her grip.
She stumbled away, groaning, bleeding as she tried to stand up to her knees again.
Northern stopped as he walked away, then his voice rang out:
"I am no saint, neither am I an advocate for one. But nobody deserves to suffer for whatever vile life they've lived. At the very least, that decision is not theirs to make."
Then he walked away.
Somehow, his words comforted her so much that she remained silent for a while, her eyes almost closing as she looked down.
Thickened gore leaked from her jaw and even her vision was blurry and covered in blood.
She slowly moved her hands and looked at her palms.
For the first time in her entire life, she felt so much…peace.
Then she looked up at Northern whose back went farther away from her.
A grin curled up her lips.
"Indeed, I must get killed by you. It will be a very deserving and peaceful death for me."
She suddenly stood up and began to run to him, staggering and coughing blood, calling his name,
"Sir Northern! Sir Northern, My lord Sir Northern!!"
Finally hearing her after two calls, Northern turned back, his eyes squinted.
"What? What did you call me?"
The lady finally arrived in front of him, heaving and coughing blood.
She coughed a little more as she tried to speak but eventually was able to.
"I have finally decided."
Northern narrowed his eyes, giving her a serious expression.
She stood upright, took a few breaths and with a trembling voice she started,
"I love you Sir Northern. No, My lord. I love you so much. I have never met someone so young, beautiful and with a pure heart like you. I want to stay by your side. I want to live for you and I want that to be my suffering for the vile things I have done… So that I can at least die a peaceful death in your hands or by your side."
Northern was frozen for a couple of seconds.
He didn't know how to react to what she was saying.
Serve him?
Love?
Die by his side?
'What is all this?'
Northern was short of words.
However, the lady continued.
"My name is Lerta Jeci, I want to serve you for the rest of my life."
In her mind:
'This is my only way to stay glued to him so that one day, I can make him kill me!'
Northern stared blankly at her for a few beats. Then came his voice,
"Aren't you a Knight of Luinngard Empire though."
"That's okay. As a Prince of Reimgard, I don't think there will be a lot of problems. It will be rough at first but eventually we'll work it out."
Northern's expression was blank as she was speaking.
He was silent for a couple of seconds then he spoke,
"Prince of Reimgard, who?"
Jeci looked at him in the face,
"You."
Northern looked back, then pointed at himself.
"Me?"
"Yes. You."
Her eyes slowly widened, her mouth too. Then she placed her hand over her mouth.
"Don't tell me you didn't grow up in the Imperium."
Northern's brows creased into a frown.
"I grew up in the countryside, and I have once been accused of being the prince of Luinngard. Now, you are accusing me of being the prince of Reimgard. I get a lot of people are confused because I have white ha—"
"No, no, no, this is not just that." Jeci cut his words short.
"Indeed, the white hair you have is only exclusive to the imperial family of Reimgard and Luinngard. However, those blue eyes of yours. I recognize them anywhere I go."
Northern looked at her with a raised brow.
"The High Consort, Lady Henai"
Northern frowned slightly.
"What about her?"
Jeci sighed and looked at him seriously. Her look was a bit funny with all the bruises and blood on her face.
"Here's the thing about Luinngard and Reimgard. Luinngard is a brother nation to Reimgard, although the history goes deeper than what we are told. The first Emperor of Luinngard was the brother of the reigning emperor of Reimgard at the time. Both have white hair and red eyes. But over time, Luinngard Empire began to have hairs of ashen white while Reimgard sustained that snow white.
"It's quite easy to miss it because Reimgard imperial family do not show themselves in the affairs of the world. No one knows about them, Luinngard is usually the one in the spotlight while Reimgard takes the reins of activities from behind."
Her face became even more serious.
"But listen clearly to me Northern. I had my doubts when I first saw you. But there can't be a mistake about it. I am sure, you are the seventh prince of Reimgard, Lady Henai's son that went missing fifteen years ago."