Chapter 7
That was when it began—his obsession with silver hair and gray eyes.
On sleepless nights, Helion would conjure her image in his mind. The child with silver hair shimmering under the moonlight gradually transformed into the figure of a mature woman as the night deepened.
His imagination grew vivid. Slanted eyes, bewitching in their curve. Crimson lips that whispered his name.
Night after night, he brought women who resembled her into his bed. But unlike the woman who could arouse him with mere thoughts, none of these substitutes could stir him.
So this was a first—being hardened by a living, breathing woman before his eyes.
“I was going to ask for her name.”
That day, his nameless savior had vanished just like this.
Once again, it was the same. The woman who had piqued his interest slipped away like a swift cat, leaving no chance to catch her.
“Well, there will be plenty of opportunities.”
Helion allowed a lazy smile to curl his lips. It was fine. He may have lost his savior, but this woman would be different.
Unlike that nameless citizen of an enemy nation, this one was a knight of the Empire. If he didn’t learn her name today, he could simply ask again another time.
* * *
In the Empire, being a female knight meant enduring a certain kind of discrimination.
Katie had grown up in the Kingdom of Chandra, where gender roles were equal. Of course, there were minor differences depending on the tribe—whether they were matriarchal or patriarchal—but such matters were never brought beyond their own communities.
The Empire, too, outwardly advocated for gender equality. Male or female, all knights underwent the same training and duties within their assigned roles.
But beneath the surface, the treatment was far from equal. It made no sense—they trained together and performed the same tasks, yet discrimination persisted.
It played out like this.
“Katie, fetch me a towel.”
“There are plenty of other mid-rank knights here besides me.”
“But you’re the only woman around right now.”
The senior knights used Katie to satisfy their desire to be served by a pretty lady. It was expected for a mid-rank knight to run errands for a senior—but the fact that it was always Katie’s job was undeniably a problem.
Truthfully, their exploitation of her had escalated after that damn Second Prince started harassing her.
“What? Now that you’ve caught the eye of His Highness, you’re too noble to serve the likes of us? Is that it?”
“That’s not—”
“Tch. Why are you glaring like that?”
Damn Damian. That bastard was always the root of the problem.
Once a prince openly treated her like a w***e, the others followed suit without hesitation. Even those who knew she was being quietly tormented stayed silent.
Cowards. They were happy to leer and flirt, but the moment consequences loomed, they shrank from taking any responsibility.
“I asked you, Katie. Why are you glaring like that?”
Arnin stood at the forefront of those who tormented her. With his fiery red hair and freckled face, he would always flush with excitement whenever Katie reluctantly obeyed his orders.
Ugh. Just the thought of that face made her stomach churn. Katie’s already upturned eyes narrowed further into sharp triangles.
“Then how should I open my eyes? Like squares? Or should I carve them into stars for you?”
“You—! So just because His Highness took a liking to you, you think you’re invincible now?”
Same old script. The moment Katie showed even a hint of defiance, Arnin would bulge his eyes and drag Damian into it.
On any other day, she would have bowed her head and muttered, “That’s not it,” by now. Fighting back never earned her anything.
But today, Katie was in no mood. Like every month, her hormones were to blame. Her heat was approaching.
This year was only her second cycle—heat didn’t begin until a beastkin reached adulthood.
A stranger in a foreign land, she had no parents or friends to teach her about it. She didn’t know how to control these urges—or even how to relieve them.
“Should’ve been a courtesan instead of a knight. Suits you better.”
Arnin’s muttered words finally made her snap. She yanked off her glove and hurled it. The dirt-stained white leather struck his cheek with a sharp smack before falling to the ground.
“…W-what the—?”
Even after being hit, Arnin just stood there blinking, his face blank, as if he couldn’t comprehend what had just happened.
“‘What’? It’s a duel challenge. Let me remind you, Sir Arnin, that I am a knight—not a w***e.”
Katie kindly explained to her dumbfounded opponent. The surrounding knights gasped, then burst into raucous laughter.
“She’s lost her mind! A mid-rank challenging a senior?!”
“Let her be. Maybe crushing her nose this time will finally humble her.”
Amid the jeers, Katie silently picked up a wooden training sword.
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