The Duke's Unwanted Wife

“Fairies are natural hoarders of pure mana which means you have a few rare plants growing here. I’m here for the blue five leaf clover”    

{Not that I wouldn’t give you but why do you need something like that?}    

“I realized something early on. Fredrich could ascend at any moment. He confirmed it that not even death could take me from under his control. So, I want to make an effort too”    

{The Blue five leaf clover is a good herb but the pureness of the herb can cause an opposite effect. Are you sure you still want to consume it?}    

“Since you’re growing it, you know how to utilize it, don’t you? By the way, I am curious. Why haven’t you ascended yet, despite living for such a long time?”    

{The answer to that question, I can’t give you today. But meeting you, I think I have regained my motivation so I am thankful for your presence. I will ask someone to harvest a few for you. Why don’t you come in?}    

“Thank you, Madaline”    

The Basilisk’s territory was one of the most dangerous parts of the forest. It was darker with poisonous insects and plants surrounding it along with a poisonous swamp that was hidden under dense vegetation. They had to proceed on foot and were cautious with every step they made.    

The group divided into three parts. Some entered the Basilisk’s territory, some stayed outside and the last group went into another part to hunt for other monsters. Part of the last group was Cage and his men hidden under the banner of the Mercenery Association. Natalia’s orders were absolute and had to be carried out, even at their expense.    

Cage made sure to walk with the noblemen that were confident they could hunt a dragon. He went up to their leader, convincing him of his expertise and his ability to find stray dragons they could hunt to win the competition. Cage’s smooth mouth won them over and soon, they were following his lead.    

With smooth collaboration, they soon chanced upon a lone dragon. It was smaller than most dragons and it perched on a huge tree, sleeping on its branches. It was a red dragon, meaning it had the ability to spit fire. But dragons as small as that couldn’t spit fire hot enough to burn a human to crisp, especially if they were protected by magic.    

Cage stepped back to let the noblemen hunt the dragon. He slipped off, running past the dragon to spread the powder he had been gifted by Countess Quartz for this occasion. Spreading it in the air alone would attract monsters and would drive any monster in the vicinity insane.    

Once it was spread, he had a five minute window to leave the vicinity and run to the edge of the forest. After fulfilling his mission, there was no other reason to remain there. Cage, with the rest of his group, disappeared like the wind. Once the noblemen noticed they were gone, they had to deal with an angry dragon, further infuriated by the powder spread by Cage.    

Back in the Basilisk’s territory, Marvis admired the Grand Duke’s skills from the tree he perched on. He knew how to draw out a Basilisk and was adept at commanding people on how to attack it and deal with the threats that surrounded them while they did so. He also admired how well he could keep his bloodlust hidden, especially when it was directed at the Crown Prince.    

Suddenly, both men had a terrible feeling. Because of his impeccable sense of smell, Marvis perceived the scent of the dragon pheromone powder that was slowly spreading around the forest. It was a dangerous item that was originally used by dragons to hunt prey more easily. It drew monsters and drove them to a blind rage, making it easier for them to be killed by dragons.    

Fredrich could feel something in the air and he could tell there was danger coming. He retrieved the gall of the Basilisk and ordered a retreat. The Crown Prince objected but soon followed after when he saw Fredrich had no plans to stay there with him. When they came out, they finally saw it. A few noblemen screaming and running for their lives with a horde of monsters running madly in their direction. Fredrich and the Crown Prince immediately swung into action, killing the monsters that were at the front to let the noblemen escape.    

It was a somewhat manageable situation when they saw they could fight back with the Grand Duke and the Crown prince on their side……until they heard the roar of several dragons. Fredrich caught a whiff of dragon blood on the sword of the noblemen they saved and almost went mad with rage.    

“YOU KILLED A DRAGON IN THEIR TERRITORY?! ARE YOU A BLOODY FOOL?!”    

Fredrich was prepared to kill the nobleman he scolded but he was stopped by the Crown Prince. They made their escape with a promise to summon the guards in the town and in the Duke’s mansion.    

Even in Aldie’s Hollow, they could feel the ground trembling. No matter what happened, they wouldn’t be affected but it was still terrifying to hear, especially the dragon roars. The fairies ran and hid in their homes, all closing their doors in fear that they would be eaten.    

“It has finally begun”    

{Using that powder was dangerous. Your entire kingdom could be overrun at this point. Do you regret doing it?}    

“As long as the end goal is achieved. And don’t worry about the kingdom. He would be there to save it”    

{Perhaps you are right. Are you leaving now?}    

“Yes. With all the commotion, they would be coming to look for me. Tonight, I shall pass on with no regrets so please be there to bring me back”    

The portal back to the outside world appeared and Natalia stepped out. She walked away from the forest and when she looked back, it was no longer there, even the cleared patch. Rather, she was somewhere else with a pungent air and a scent she clearly remembered as the Basilisk’s breath. She immediately tried to teleport out of there but someone landed in front of her.    

She had never seen a man more beautiful. His flowing blue hair, his unique eyes and the sharp ears above his head, she could tell he wasn’t human. He looked at her strangely and the both of them wondered what the other was doing there. A roar sounded in the distance and he snapped back to his senses.    

“What are you doing in here? There are monsters heading in this direction. It’s not safe here, especially for a young lady like you”    

“Oh, I was just about to……”    

Marvis grabbed her by her waist and jumped, both of them narrowly missing the pungent jaws of the nearby basilisk. Holding her properly in a princess carry, Marvis jumped to the trees, escaping the basilisk’s territory properly. Natalia held on for dear life, wondering why she was being saved when she could’ve escaped a long time ago. If she used the portal, she would disappear with the man that ‘saved’ her life.    

He didn’t stop running until they were safely away from the monster horde. He placed her down beside a ruined arch, sniffing the air to see if there were any threats nearby. Natalia looked at him, wondering where she had seen him before. He turned to her and misinterpreted her curiosity for shock.    

“I’m sorry for suddenly handling you like that”    

“No, thank you for saving my life. I am eternally grateful to you”    

Marvis was clearly revealing his fangs and claws, along with his twitchy ears but she didn’t question any of it. She didn’t even look shocked.    

“I am Marvis. It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance”    

“.........Lia. it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance as well”    

Natalia, after hearing his name, finally figured out why his blue hair was so familiar. When the Empire of Illumine and the Kingdom of Ducroft fought against each other, the empire finally employed the help of the Werecreatures, finally acknowledging their existence. They were a great asset in the war and they were Natalia’s biggest nightmare. It was incredibly hard to kill one and they reaped the lives of so many amateur soldiers haphazardly conscripted.    

The Kingdom of Ducroft’s new king, Fredrich, released dragons to counter the werecreatures. It was a great move but the dragons destroyed the battlefield along with the soldiers and their allies. There was, however, one werecreature that could bring down dragons and men with his bare hands. The werewolf, Marvis Jane, a loyal servant of the empire’s crown prince and…Natalia’s sworn nemesis. She never imagined she would meet him in this life.    

Seeing him here, he was on a spy mission for the crown prince. Thankfully, he didn’t recognize her but he would immediately attack if he knew her true identity. He was that loyal. She could tell almost immediately that he was strong, almost as strong as her past life. There was no defeating him.    

Marvis turned away for a brief moment to survey the air for any aerial threats but when he looked back to the young lady, she was gone like she was never there in the first place.