The wind at the northern edge of the battlefield carried the taste of ash and steel.
"Noelle Lanis... daughter of Neptune, the goddess of beauty-tell me," Jeffrey's voice came low, slow, yet sharp enough to pierce her composure. His lips curled into a smile that was more like a scar. "Are you afraid? Afraid of me? Afraid of ugliness?"
His gaze raked over her with the cold scrutiny of a predator.
"They call you the God of Beauty. Hmph... is that right?" His tone dripped mockery. "No... roses have thorns. And you-" his voice deepened into a growl "-you're afraid of them. Afraid of your feelings. Afraid of your weakness. But why? Why?"
The sudden laugh ripped from his throat-manic, violent.
"EHHHHHHAAAAA! I know. I know. Because you are weak. You can't accept your ugliness."
Before his words finished echoing, a blur of motion cut through the space between them. Noelle's eyes burned with fury as she lunged-her blade singing through the air, aimed straight for his heart.
But Jeffrey moved like a shadow that knew the wind's secrets. In the blink of an eye, he vanished from her line of attack, reappearing behind her with his blade resting cold against the curve of her neck.
"You're fast," he murmured, voice just above a whisper, "but not faster than me."
Noelle did not flinch. She turned her head slightly, her eyes finding his with venom.
"Another man with a big mouth," she said, her tone both sharp and scornful. "I pity you. I pity your ugliness. You're nothing to me. A man like you has no right to live. But I will not kill you-because I refuse to stain my hands with your ugly blood... you ugly devil."
Jeffrey's breath hitched-then turned into a chilling, echoing laugh.
"Ugly... ugly... Ehaaaaaaaaahhh... Your face is a crown the world gave you for free. Mine... is a curse that forged me into a king. Beauty dies with the body. But ugliness-" his eyes glinted with a darkness that seemed eternal "-ah, ugliness survives in memory long after bones turn to dust. You fight to protect beauty. I fight because I have none. Tell me... which of us is freer?"
"You're nothing but a monster," Noelle spat.
Jeffrey smiled, and in that smile there was no joy.
"Every person," he said quietly, "is a monster."
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20 YEARS AGO FROM THE TRIAL AT KINGDOM OF NOVELS :
The wind sang softly across the meadow, carrying with it the mingled scents of wild poppies and damp earth. Overhead, the night sky sprawled in all its glory-thousands of stars spilling silver light across the world as if the heavens themselves had leaned close to watch.
A lone horse moved at an unhurried pace through the field, its hooves pressing gently into the grass. Upon its back rode two figures: a knight clad in polished steel, the faint glint of starlight tracing every curve of his armor, and behind him, a young woman in a flowing white gown. Her hair was braided neatly, a single flower tucked in its center, the delicate bloom glowing faintly in the starlight.
When the horse stumbled slightly over a stone, she instinctively tightened her arms around his waist. He glanced back over his shoulder, a faint smile touching his lips beneath the shadow of his helm.
"The stars are not beautiful tonight, my lady?" Garrick's voice was warm, tinged with a softness rare in a man who had seen war.
Noelle did not answer at once. Her eyes, though they traced the constellations above, were troubled-fixed on something far beyond the field or the sky.
"You are silent," he said, searching her face. "Are you frightened for our future, my lady?"
Her voice was quiet but steady. "Are you not?"
A small chuckle escaped him, low and rich. "No, I am not. You are with me. And there is an old epic that says-when a man truly loves, fear cannot touch him."
She allowed the faintest smile. "You and your epics..."
He shifted slightly in the saddle, turning enough that the silvered curve of his visor caught the starlight. "My lady," he said gently, "look into my eyes."
His gauntleted hand came up, fingertips brushing her cheek before guiding her gaze to meet his. In the dark gleam of his eyes, there was no hesitation-only certainty.
"If the world calls it wrong," Garrick said softly, "then let the world be wrong. Love does not stain the soul-it frees it."
She drew a slow breath, as though the weight on her chest had eased, if only a little. "Love... there is no shame in love. But I am not frightened for myself, Garrick. I am frightened for you. If Neptune learns of us, they will kill you without a second thought-"
His finger pressed lightly against her lips, silencing her. "Do not think of future sorrows," he murmured. "Live the happiness that is here, now."
Before she could answer, his arm slipped around her waist, drawing her closer until she could feel the steady beat of his heart beneath the steel. His lips met hers-warm, certain, unafraid. The night seemed to hush around them, the stars burning brighter as if in witness.
When the kiss broke, their foreheads rested together, breath mingling in the cool night air. They did not speak. There was no need.
And then, with the poppies swaying in the wind and the infinite sky above them, they kissed again-slower this time, deeper-until the world beyond the meadow faded entirely, leaving only the warmth of each other and the eternal glow of the stars.
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