SOTBW - 8

At the mention of the curse, Najane instinctively clutched the front of her chest where the curse symbol was marked. Though she was reluctant, now that the curse had been discovered, she had no choice but to follow Maximón’s will.

Najane turned away from Maximón’s gaze and entered the room. The room, though meant for the commander, was quite modest. There was an old bed that seemed like it could fall apart at any moment, a desk piled high with documents, and a small table with two familiar pouches placed on it.

As Najane aimlessly scanned the room, she quickly glanced back at the table as if she had seen something she shouldn’t have. The pouches on the table contained the drugs and sedatives that Najane had hidden in her pillow.

Thud. The door closed with a loud sound. Najane flinched but didn’t turn around. Maximón stood in front of her, placing the towel he had wrapped around his head on the mantle.

His cold fingers unbuttoned Najane’s collar with no emotion. As her collar parted, the thin fabric fell loosely down her body. Najane tried to keep her gaze fixed on a corner, holding the fallen fabric with both arms to avoid revealing her chest.

The curse symbol was large and marked on her modest chest like a blotchy scar. Maximón’s rough fingertips slowly traced the symbol. He slightly furrowed his brows.

“A curse of the mountain goat. Were you a slave?”

“No. I wasn’t.”

Najane quickly denied the word “slave.”

“We were citizens of the Kingdom of Elgort. We weren’t slaves.”

“But this is a curse branded on sex slaves or prostitutes who owe a debt. The symbol prevents pregnancy and makes you lust uncontrollably like an animal until it disappears. It’s a complex curse, so only a high-ranking priest could have even attempted it.”

Najane knew that too. The slave traders had eagerly spoken of how they engraved this dreadful curse for the enjoyment of the ‘higher-ups.’ She hadn’t heard the full story since she was drugged and escaping in a daze, but if their goal had been to create sex slaves, it was clear what kind of situation Luna must be in now.

Najane gritted her teeth while adjusting her clothes. Maximón looked at her expression before tapping the pouch filled with sedatives.

“Did you take this every time you felt the urge?”

“...Yes.”

“From the looks of it, it worked until now. But this is poison. If you use it too long, your body will break down.”

“I know. But it was the best choice.”

“Not anymore. While you’re my knight, I won’t allow it.”

“I won’t become a knight.”

“I don’t care about your opinion. I’ve decided, and from now on, you’re a knight of Romsoa.”

Though Najane had expected it, Maximón’s attitude was extremely one-sided. She looked up at him with a defiant gaze. Thinking about the hardships she had endured because of this curse, her emotions flared up again.

“You don’t understand how dreadful this curse is, do you? You said it yourself, didn’t you? That it makes you lust uncontrollably at all times. Yes, that’s accurate. Even when fighting Serith, I could be thrusting my hips like a damn bitch in heat because of this cursed thing. Are you telling me I should endure that kind of humiliation? No, I won’t stand for it. Just kill me here if that’s what you’re asking.”

Najane tried not to raise her voice, but in the end, she couldn’t help but shout in anger. However, Maximón paid no attention to her outburst.

“If I could use a Sword Master as one of my subordinates, I’d overlook something like that.”

“I’m not a thing.”

“Right, you’re not a thing. But from now on, you’re a knight of Romsoa. Or should I call you a Sword Master?”

“I’m not a Sword Master. I just imitated some techniques I saw once.”

“That’s ridiculous. No one can imitate that. Well, maybe one person could. A Sword Master.”

Maximón sneered. Najane realized that further conversation would be pointless and fell silent. It was just a waste of time for both of them.

Maximón, avoiding her gaze, threw the two pouches on the table into the fireplace. As the leather pouches were quickly consumed by the flames, the powders inside hissed and bubbled, turning black.

Crossing his arms, Maximón grabbed Najane’s chin and pulled her toward him. His blood-red eyes locked firmly onto hers.

“Was hiding your abilities because of the curse?”

“Yes.”

“I thought about it earlier today. You’re really bad at lying.”

Najane’s eyes twitched at his words. Maximón let out a small chuckle before releasing her and continuing.

“You said you’re from the Kingdom of Elgort? Come to think of it, there was a Sword Master from there. He died in disgrace, though. He was probably the best friend of the king and queen.”

“......”

Najane didn’t respond. She just silently lowered her gaze. Maximón sensed that her silence was hiding something. What exactly had she reacted to? The Sword Master? Or the king and queen of Elgort?

“What about your family?”

“I don’t have one.”

“Another lie.”

“......”

“Is ‘Najane’ your real name?”

“Yes.”

“Oh, that’s the fourth lie. Including the one from noon.”

If it had been someone else, they would have already kicked her out or killed her. Maximón was once again impressed by his own patience. Najane was that tempting of a talent. He didn’t care about her real identity or the secrets she was hiding.

“One last question. If I can solve that curse for you, would you be willing to become my knight?”

At Maximón’s words, Najane raised her head sharply. She looked truly surprised.

“Is it really possible to get rid of the curse?”

“Of course.”

Maximón pressed down on Najane’s stomach.

“You just need to keep having sex until the curse fades. That’s all.”

“...What?”

The unexpected suggestion made Najane’s ears turn red.

Maximón grinned sideways.

“I told you, that’s a curse usually placed on sex slaves or brothel prostitutes.”

“But I... I haven’t even gotten married, and such things...”

Najane stammered, clearly flustered. She was a virgin. Back when she lived in the Kingdom of Elgort, she rarely interacted with the opposite sex, and when she was deceived by the merchants she trusted and dragged into slavery, she was even afraid of men for a while.

Because of the curse, whenever her body became aroused, she felt extreme shame and fear, mixing drugs and sedatives into her water. Every day, as she washed the underwear soaked with unwanted excitement, she cursed those who placed the curse on her, crying over how easily she had trusted people and lost Luna.

This was her punishment. A divine retribution for her complacency. So, if there was a way to break the curse through what Maximón suggested, and if that allowed her to gain her freedom and search for Luna, she would gladly do it.

Above all, if she officially became a knight of Romsoa, it might at least give her a way to resist those who had intended to turn her and Luna into sex slaves. It would be far safer than blindly searching for Luna with nothing. At least as a knight of Romsoa, no one would dare treat her poorly, especially with Maximón’s reputation.

As she thought about her reality and Luna, Najane’s previously confused eyes slowly settled. She quietly looked up at Maximón. Maximón spoke softly.

“You said ‘we’ earlier. You’re a free citizen of the Kingdom of Elgort, right?”

Najane bit her lower lip slightly. She had made a slip of the tongue in her earlier anger. Maximón, looking down at the now evasive Najane, grinned cunningly.

“If you want to save someone, you have to stop caring about the means or methods. You shouldn’t be blushing about two words like ‘sex.’”

“...You were planning to suggest this from the beginning, weren’t you?”

Najane finally realized why her quarters were next to Maximón’s room. He had intended this all along. If she refused Maximón’s suggestion, he would likely force her into knightly duties through coercion.

The image of Maximón’s face, when he ordered to throw Amelia into the place where Serith was screaming, came back to Najane’s mind. A hero who was revered by all but viewed the sanctity of life as if it were just a stone on the street.

She couldn’t understand it at all. Protecting the Noctis Fortress and fighting Serith was an impossible task without a strong sense of duty. How could one fight with a light heart, knowing they might die at any moment?

Najane stared at Maximón’s handsome face. Why was he here? The Noctis Fortress was a place where hope and despair always coexisted. Those who came here had a clear purpose. Najane’s goal had been to go to Luna and the Astien Empire, but unexpectedly, she had ended up here. She could have left the fortress, but she stayed in order to save Luna.

Maximón’s words were right. She had to find Luna by any means necessary. Losing her virginity no longer frightened her. In the end, it had no real significance.

At least she was glad she didn’t have someone to love. If she had, it would have been painful.

With her mind made up, Najane met Maximón’s eyes. Maximón muttered gruffly after briefly seeing the sorrow disappear from her eyes.

“I’m not that bad, you know? I might look like this, but I’m a popular face. If you don’t like me, I can introduce you to someone trustworthy. Though I can’t promise they’ll be good at sex.”

Maximón spoke as if he thought Najane was hesitating. It was such a useless consideration.

“I want to ask you one thing.”

“What is it?”

“How did you know I was cursed?”

“I can’t tell you that. It’s a very personal matter.”

Maximón’s answer was vague, but Najane didn’t ask further. She quickly realized it would be pointless to press for more answers.

At that moment, a loud bell rang from outside. It was an alert that Serith had invaded. Maximón pulled back the curtains and looked out the window. The fortress walls were brightly lit by torches, as if it were daytime. The soldiers’ cheers and Serith’s screams echoed all the way to the knights’ quarters.

Leaning against the cold window frame, Maximón took a cigarette from his pocket. A small flame leapt from the matchstick. Najane silently watched as Maximón inhaled deeply. His eyes, watching the walls, gleamed darkly, as if he regretted not being over there tonight.

“Starting tomorrow, you’ll be there too.”

Exhaling the smoke, Maximón said monotonously. Najane stood beside him, looking up at the massive fortress walls. It didn’t feel real. Becoming a knight, fighting Serith, and finally breaking the curse—it all seemed distant.

“Is there anything you want?”

Maximón, who had been staring into the darkness, turned his gaze toward Najane. She tilted her head slightly, her long hair flowing down to her waist.

“Are you asking about supplies?”

“Not that. When we have sex.”

It was as if he was telling her to speak up, and he would listen if she felt like it. Najane hesitated for a moment.

King Leon of the Kingdom of Elgort had never kissed Najane’s mother, Nellis. He had said he couldn’t break his promise to Queen Audelica.

Najane had quietly watched from the next room. Whenever Leon came to deliver a message to the Sword Master, leaving like the wind after a brief visit, Nellis would always collapse beneath the bed and cry quietly.

At that time, she didn’t know that Leon was the king of Elgort or that he was an old friend of her mother’s. She simply thought that Nellis was sad because she couldn’t receive her lover’s kiss. At least, that’s what she naïvely believed as a child. If only Nellis could receive a kiss, she would be happy. How cruel Leon was to her mother.

Najane had lived a secluded life in the mansion and never had the chance to meet men. However, after witnessing Nellis crying, she had become somewhat fixated on her first kiss. Back when she had lived peacefully in her homeland, she had sworn to herself that she would only share it with someone she loved…

Najane smiled faintly, like a fool. Now, she was about to mix her body with someone she hardly knew, yet she had clung to the idea of her first kiss like an innocent child.

“...I would like you to kiss me first,” she said softly.

“And.”

“Please don’t see other women while you’re with me.”

“I won’t.”

“And I won’t do anything if I don’t want to.”

“Oh, so you’re treating me like a tool for your pleasure?”

“Is that a problem?”

“Not at all.”

For the first time, Maximón laughed naturally. The sight was so undeniably charming that Najane quickly turned her gaze forward.

The sound of cannons echoed, and the night wind from the border was cold. Najane’s dark red eyes shone brightly, reflecting the endless lights flashing beyond the fortress walls, only to fade into the darkness before repeating the cycle. Maximón silently observed this, watching the flashing lights and the dust that appeared and vanished with them, as well as her straight profile.

In truth, he was simply watching Najane.

“What does ‘Najane’ mean?”

Amid the noise, Maximón asked.

Najane looked up at the archers moving swiftly and answered.

“It means ‘blue barley field’ in the ancient language of Elgort.”

“An unfit name for you.”

At those words, Najane turned to Maximón with a blunt expression.

Maximón chuckled and offered her a cigarette.

“Try smoking. You’ll need to get used to it.”

Najane carefully took the cigarette that Maximón was smoking and placed it in her mouth. It wasn’t a regular cigarette. It was softer and sweeter.

“It’s a sedative supplied to the soldiers. It’s much safer than the one you used.”

The gray smoke, fragrant yet bitter, flowed into Najane’s mouth. She slightly squinted at the unfamiliar scent. The smoke seemed to dry her mouth quickly, so she licked her teeth and caught Maximón’s gaze.

Maximón took the cigarette back from her and put it to his own lips. The half-smoked cigarette quickly shrank and turned black, turning to ash in no time. The burned cigarette was carelessly crushed into the ashtray. Najane slowly closed her eyes, imagining what would come next.