One Day, My Fiancé Brought His First Love Along - Chapter 98

A large man with a fierce, intimidating presence stepped forward. His bright red hair was tied up in a wild ponytail that looked like it had caught fire.

At first, Aireen didn’t recognize him. But the moment she got a clearer look, her memory clicked.

“You—!”

“Ah, you remember me? What an honor.”

The man smiled, showing off gleaming white teeth that contrasted with his bronze skin.

“It’s been a while, Sir Aireen.”

I didn’t recognize him at first either—back then, Aireen had brown hair. I didn’t expect how much a person’s image could change just from their hair color alone.

He was the man who had fought Aireen just before she was attacked by a monster and fell off that cliff. Back then, he had been strangely obedient, probably because he was a member of the Nitu tribe.

Even then, something about him had felt off. But I never imagined we’d meet again like this.

Just as Aireen was about to ask him for answers, someone else interrupted.

“Why are you here?”

“Oh my, I came to help. But you hate me so much—it’s breaking my heart. I might get hurt.”

“Stop messing around! Everyone knows you’re just here to interfere!”

“What’s with the hostility? It’s awkward enough that we’re from the same race. But there are outsiders watching. Let’s try not to embarrass ourselves, okay?”

Her lips were curled into a smile, but her eyes were cold and still. The Tanil woman, who had been attacking relentlessly just moments ago, suddenly clamped her mouth shut, as if she had been forced to.

Carlisle, who had been silently watching, finally spoke in a low voice.

“…Santinu.”

A heavy stillness spread. Aireen’s eyes widened.

Santinurani. If that’s really him… doesn’t that mean he’s the leader of the Northern Alliance?

Santinu giggled at Aireen’s shocked expression and turned to Carlisle with a cheerful wave.

“Nice to meet you, Lord Carlisle. As expected, you recognized me right away—even though we’ve never properly met. I knew you would.”

“Are you here to help the Tanil tribe?”

“Shouldn’t I? Isn’t that the obvious choice?”

“This is pointless.”

Before Carlisle even finished his sentence—without knowing who exactly he was speaking to—Santinu’s body vanished from sight.

“Santi—”

A flash of silver. The dagger in Santinu’s hand slit the Tanil woman’s throat before she could finish his name. She dropped to the ground, lifeless.

It all happened in a heartbeat. The Tanil warriors froze in shock, caught off guard by one of their own. But Carlisle didn’t let them react.

With a flick of his hand, the air shifted, and the battlefield fell into silence.

Aireen, who had paused briefly to understand the situation, quickly jumped back in. She struck the stunned Tanil warriors without hesitation.

It was a fast, clean victory. If this could even be called a victory.

“It’s always fun wiping out the Tanil, isn’t it?” Santinu said with a lazy grin. “Whenever they open their mouths to spout nonsense, I just can’t help myself.”

He kept smiling and cracking jokes, as if he didn’t just betray his own people. Despite being from the same group of northern immigrants, Aireen tried to steady her racing heart as Santinu casually wiped his hands.

“I had a feeling you had bad blood with the Tanil,” she said quietly, “but I didn’t think you’d turn on them so quickly.”

Carlisle asked, barely managing to hold back the pain as cold sweat trickled down his temples. Santinu glanced at his pale face, his usual frivolous attitude slightly toned down.

“I have something to tell you.”

“Are you trying to suggest a peace treaty? No way.”

Aireen muttered instinctively. Santinu heard her and chuckled.

“That’s right.”

It really was. I had already given up on the idea that I could carry out the order Edys had secretly entrusted to me. And now she comes to me first? I’ll have to see if she’s truly sincere.

“I thought it over for a long time… but I think I can trust you to some extent.”

“Then what is the message I need to deliver to His Majesty?”

“Oh come on. This is our first meeting, isn’t it? Let’s talk a little before we jump to the point.”

“You sure make it look like you’re just wasting time.”

“Oh, right. Lord Carlisle’s out of painkillers, isn’t he? He’s in horrible pain from that curse. And let’s not even talk about his back—it’s a wreck.”

Santinu exaggerated with big gestures, making it hard to tell if he was joking or being sarcastic.

Soon after, a man jumped down from a large tree and handed Santinu a small package. He took it and walked toward Carlisle.

As he approached, Aireen instinctively tensed and stepped closer to Carlisle, but he remained calm.

“Three days’ worth of painkillers. And this one’s for your back. It should help you move around again, Lord Carlisle.”

Santinu’s eyes curved gently.

The medicine they used to treat wounds was mixed with something rare that accelerated recovery. It was made with precious ingredients, so even Santinu used it sparingly. He made it clear—he’d only be giving it this once.

Carlisle stared at the package briefly before taking it without hesitation.

He opened it, took out the painkiller, and swallowed it with water.

The relief was almost immediate. The pain that had gripped him since the curse eased significantly.

“Could you help with the treatment for my back too?”

Carlisle spoke casually as he handed Santinu the ointment he’d been using. “The painkiller works,” he added offhandedly.

“Oh, I couldn’t possibly ask Sir Aireen to do it,” Santinu said with a smirk.

After a short pause, Santinu wordlessly nodded and began applying the ointment to Carlisle’s back.

Aireen stood in silence, watching. It was strange—though this was their first meeting, they seemed oddly comfortable. Like they’d known each other for a long time. Or maybe… they were simply letting their guard down.

Carlisle found it strange too, how easily he trusted him. But the more he thought about it, the more it made sense—he and Edys had likely predicted this outcome to some degree.

Just them. And only Aireen didn’t know.

Aireen, who had been doing her best to suppress the sting of betrayal again, quietly watched them pull apart after the treatment.

“Now that it’s done, let’s get back to business,” Carlisle said. “I know you’re busy, but there are too many vultures out there waiting for you to lower your guard.”

Santinu’s expression turned cold for a moment before returning to normal. He gave a faint nod.

“Your emperor likely already knows. He must’ve planted someone to persuade him. I came here in person to see if you were worth the risk.”

He smiled lightly.

“And honestly, I also wanted to test my own strength.”

Aireen felt uneasy at the mention of being tested, but she stayed quiet. Santinu’s mood shifted again—this time to something serious.

“I want to end this drawn-out war of attrition. It’s been going on since before my time. I hope no more lives are lost in vain. The same goes for the Diert Empire.”

“……”

“As you probably know, there’s only one real reason we’re fighting. Greed. The selfish ambitions of those in power. On our side, we’ve got corrupt tribes like the Tanil. And on your side, there’s the Marquis of Hessiden and his lackeys.”

Aireen gasped at the mention of Hessiden. She turned to Carlisle, but his face remained still, as if he had known all along.

“If we remove those instigators, peace becomes possible. There are ways to coexist without constant bloodshed. Marquis Hessiden and the Tanil chase wealth and influence through endless warfare. I’ve resented that, even before I took command of the alliance.”

As Carlisle gave a slight nod, silently urging him to continue, Santinu resumed speaking in a calm voice.

“Carlisle, you know as well as I do—our people have suffered the most in this exhausting war of attrition. I’ve hated it ever since I was young. What kind of nonsense is it to say that the strongest should always be the ones on the front lines just because they’re strong?”

A fierce, burning anger crossed Santinu’s battle-scarred face.

The various northern tribes had each taken on different roles. The Santinu tribe had always been at the vanguard, bearing the brunt of the empire’s attacks as if they were nothing more than sacrifices—expendable and replaceable. They risked their lives to hold the line. And when they finally created a breakthrough, the tribes that relied on sneaky, opportunistic tactics—the ones who could barely be called warriors—rushed in from the rear to seize the rewards.

Naturally, resentment festered.

Unlike the empire, the northern immigrant tribes were not a unified nation but a fragile confederation. As warriors fell one by one, the tribes’ collective strength and influence steadily diminished.

Eventually, when Santinu became chieftain, he waited patiently—biding his time until he could take the lead of the confederation. That would give him the authority to speak for all, to finally influence the balance of power among the northern tribes.

He held that position for a long time. And during those years, he grew to loathe the Tanil people and Granny Jivita, who had done everything to preserve that rotten, outdated system.

The Tanil tribe, with their use of sorcery, was secretly favored among the northern tribes. Because of this, they grew arrogant and proud. But Santinu kept a close eye on them. And in doing so, he uncovered the truth—the Tanil tribe had formed an underhanded alliance with none other than the Marquis of Hessiden.

Once he discovered that, things became more complicated.

The nobles of the Diert Empire were involved. Santinu alone couldn’t tear out the rotten roots completely—not while they ran that deep. So, for the first time in the history of the northern immigrant tribes, he chose a radical approach.

He would pursue peace. With the empire.

And everything he did, he did behind closed doors.

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