One Day, My Fiancé Brought His First Love Along - Chapter 97

Aireen turned her head toward the sound. Her body tensed in an instant. Someone was here, an intruder.

“I came to capture Princess Levart, but I didn’t expect Lord Carlisle to be here as well. What a pleasant surprise.”

The man who had been laughing loudly now stood, blocking the entrance to the small cave where Aireen and Carlisle were hiding.

The speaker’s voice was thin, as if it could tear at any moment. From the sound, she seemed to be around thirty. Her face was hidden beneath the hood of a black robe. And she wasn’t alone.

I couldn’t see clearly outside, but I could guess there were at least ten of them. All wore cloaks that concealed their faces.

Aireen bit her lip in frustration. She hadn’t expected an attack now, especially when even Carlisle was still badly injured.

But regardless of what Aireen was thinking, the robed woman continued to speak.

“I sent so many monsters to capture the princess. But instead of catching her, the monsters just died and ran away.”

“…What?”

“What’s with the shocked face? You must’ve noticed something was wrong when you were being dragged away. Do you know how frustrating it was when the plan fell apart? I honestly thought you’d died after falling off that cliff, but here you are—stubborn as ever.”

What she had felt at that time wasn’t a lie. Aireen’s expression hardened as she realized—it really had all been a trap set by the northern immigrants.

“I was the one who controlled those monsters, which earned me no shortage of curses. Lucky for us, though—our dear grandmother Jibita helped us find you. In any case, it would’ve been better if I had just died, don’t you think, Princess?”

The woman laughed again, a low and unsettling sound. Aireen’s body stiffened, as if she were ready to strike.

But Carlisle moved before she could.

“You… Tanil tribe. I’ll kill you all.”

Among the northern immigrant tribes, the Tanil were known for their sorcery. With magic now nearly lost to the world, what little remained gave them both power—and arrogance.

Carlisle had struggled to suppress his rage toward them ever since they first appeared. But he stayed quiet, knowing they would eventually expose themselves.

And as he expected, they did.

The Tanil tribe.

Carlisle’s fury burned hottest toward the Tanil among all the northern tribes—because they were the ones who had cursed him. That curse had isolated Aireen too, leaving her deeply scarred. It had shattered her plans to hide the truth and forced her to shut herself away from everyone.

Still afflicted by the curse’s effects, Carlisle stepped forward and raised his sword, blocking Aireen from advancing.

“Oh, looks like I’m still alive. The pain’s so awful I can barely stand. And now that I think about it, I look like I was mauled by a monster, don’t I?”

The mocking voice slithered out from under the hood. Aireen’s anger was clear. Her eyes burned as she gripped her sword tightly.

“Anyway, how wonderful, Lord Carlisle. Seeing you like this makes me wish I’d gone for a stronger curse. It would’ve required more sacrifices, though.”

That voice, soaked in cruelty, held no remorse—only satisfaction.

Those who had spoken of sacrifice before now trembled at the weight of it. Aireen, who already knew the truth behind the curse, felt sick hearing it again.

Then, the Tanil woman’s tone shifted. Her voice was cold. Joyless.

“Oh, but isn’t our dear princess surprised? I wonder—does she even know?”

“…What are you talking about?”

“How kind. You always answer so nicely. But I do feel a little bad. After all, your fiancé’s going to die within a year.”

Aireen’s face twisted with fury. The Tanil woman laughed, cruel and empty, enjoying the sight.

“I see you finally figured it out. Thanks to you, I had the time of my life. I even made a bet on how long this farce would last. I knew I’d get caught eventually, so when I return, I’ll be busy collecting my winnings.”

She let out a cackling laugh, loud and heartless.

How difficult those days had been for her. The confusion, the pain, the betrayal—everything she’d endured after learning the truth. Her suffering had been a mere spectacle to them. Her fury boiled beneath the surface.

Without hesitation, Aireen lunged forward. It happened so fast that Carlisle, still weak and not fully healed, couldn’t stop her.

“Aireen!”

She drove her sword into the shoulder of one of the Tanil tribesmen. Carlisle shouted the moment it struck.

Aireen quickly pulled back, distancing herself from them before Carlisle’s second cry reached her.

I had been aiming for the woman who spoke with such arrogance, but the man beside her had incredible reflexes. I shifted targets instantly and attacked another, but my anger still hadn’t cooled.

I didn’t waste a second. I used the opening and dashed toward those who were trying to chant a spell.

“Aireen!”

Carlisle’s voice pierced through me again. A second scream that echoed in my ears.

I stopped without realizing it. My voice came out mixed with urgency, worry, and emotions I couldn’t even name.

“Please, just wait.”

Carlisle’s plea was desperate. His eyes flickered toward my ankle, still not fully healed.

“I don’t want to hurt you anymore.”

“……”

“I’m sorry. This is all I can do.”

He turned his head back toward the enemy. The Tanil woman, having seen our silent exchange, smiled thinly.

“What are you two doing? Getting sentimental after just one blow? That’s cute.”

The camp was in chaos after my sudden strike, yet she remained composed.

“You think you can face us like that? With that wreck of a body? You’re brave—I’ll give you that. Even with the princess backing you up, you’ll fail.”

Before I could react, Carlisle charged forward like lightning. Thanks to the opening I created, their defenses were completely down this time.

His blade cut through diagonally, slicing off the hood of the woman who had appeared so composed just moments ago.

“You shouldn’t show a lady’s face so carelessly.”

A furious snarl escaped her purple lips. Her face twisted in rage—thin, black veins stretched like a spider’s web across one side of it.

“I’m going to kill you.”

Her voice was cold and venomous. She began chanting in a strange tone, dark and mocking, as if everything so far had been a joke.

Carlisle rushed in to stop her, but the other Tanil men blocked him with their bodies.

I didn’t stand still either. I cut through enemies on the other side of Carlisle, blade flashing.

As my sword swung wildly, the Tanil fell like leaves in the wind. Soon, only three remained.

“Asleep!”

A massive pillar of flame erupted from the woman’s fingertips and launched straight at Carlisle.

“Carlisle!”

I tried to run to him, but the fire had already engulfed him.

“So you were just going to stand there and watch?”

“You!”

My cry rang out into the flames—and then, through the smoke, Carlisle stepped out.

He stood between the dying embers, barely visible. The fire had been blocked—by his sword, it seemed—but he looked far from fine.

It was a wreck. My clothes were burned, torn, my body scorched and bloodied. My cheeks flushed red from heat. My back—too painful to even glance at.

“Carlisle…”

“Aireen, you leave first.”

He had opened his eyes faintly. Still barely standing, his voice trembled but carried a pleading tone.

“What are you saying?”

“I’ve never fought a sorcerer before. Let me handle this. You go.”

He wasn’t wrong. But I had trained to fight sorcerers—joint special training, even if I had no experience in actual battle. Still, I was in better shape than Carlisle, who looked like a shattered shell.

And that was the moment I shook my head.

“What are you two doing now? Have you forgotten you’re still in the middle of a battle?”

A voice, laced with mocking amusement, pierced the air like a needle.

“Go.”

Carlisle turned his back firmly, as if he had no intention of arguing further. Aireen quietly looked at him—his back scarred and wounded in several places—then gripped her sword.

If I die here… will I be left behind, drowning in guilt for turning away? I am a knight too. A knight of the Empire.

Ignoring Carlisle’s words, Aireen stepped forward.

Clap. Clap. Clap.

The sound of clapping echoed strangely in the chaos of the battlefield—out of place, eerie. Every eye that had been prepared to strike turned toward the sound.

“You—!”

The Tanil woman, who had been relentlessly attacking, suddenly froze. Her finger pointed toward the source of the sound, her voice shaking with surprise.

The man—unbothered by her reaction—stepped forward with a slow grin, his hands still raised mid-applause. He revealed himself completely, as if he had been waiting for this moment.

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