Chapter 2: 2

Chapter 2 part 1

 

Rubiana went to the monastery at the border of the Count Luxen’s territory. 

 

As expected of Rubiana, the head of the Rutel Monastery welcomed the silver coin bag she held out, more than Rubiana.

 

The abbot gladly granted the abbot’s office, and Rubiana did not refuse.

 

Rubiana rolled around for a month on a soft bed in a sunny room. For the next two months, she drank bottles of wine, quality cheese, and soft white bread everyday, and lived her life just by breathing. 

 

There was a huge difference between rolling around in bed and living only breathing. In the latter case, she went out for a walk at least once a day.

 

After about three months, she got used to her life in the monastery. 

 

Rubiana continued her peaceful and quiet monastic life for the next two years.

 

She slept moderately and went through the letters that her younger sister sent her while the other monks were busy copying the Bible. She was fast asleep while others prayed, and she was lying on her bed while the others worked. 

 

But there were still visible calluses on her hands because deep in the night when everybody was fast asleep, she would pick up her bows and arrows, and go to a secluded spot in the backyard of the monastery.

 

In the letter that Callena sent, it was written that the relationship between the kingdom and its people was getting worse with each passing day. 

 

The present king said he would grow old so he bathed in the blood of countless children while sleeping with ten beauties everyday. 

 

Taxes have risen to the point where both ordinary people and nobles have gone bankrupt and run away, but They (The officials and the King) still aren’t satisfied and are busy making new taxes. 

 

“Can the country still be maintained after all of this?’

 

The contents were so nonsensical that one could only shake their heads, but Rubiana read each letter carefully every time. 

 

Whenever she sent a reply, she won’t mention anything about what was written about the letter. She was just worried about her younger sister’s health depending on the season. 

 

Even if the same day repeats itself, the years have changed and the years have passed.

 

One day in the fourth year of coming to the monastery, when Rubiana turned 24.

 

The mailman who came to visit once a month did not come to the monastery. Instead, a knight armed with silver armor and wearing an old long sword that did not fit the armor came.

 

She had shiny blonde hair and green eyes.

 

It was the time of prayer in the monastery. Rubiana confidently entered the wine cellar and was sleeping on an empty oak barrel.

 

Rubiana went out alone, led by a monk who had come to find her. There was no time to tidy up her tangled red hair.

 

Callena was sitting on a stone chair on the platform where the abbot was sitting. The five colors of light pouring from the colorful stained glass were shining brightly on her.

 

Rubiana looked up blankly at the podium. The younger sister she saw four years ago was still beautiful.

 

“Everything is ready now. I’m going to take out that bastard and kill him. I don’t care if I killed him first before bringing everyone down.”

 

Callena smiled brightly and held out her hand.

 

“Sister, help me.”

 

She still knew very well how to pamper her sister.

 

＊ ＊ ＊ 

 

She passed on the family title and the family to her smart younger sister because she thought it was the only way to protect her, the title, and their family in this chaotic world of tyranny. 

 

However, her young sister was just too smart and wasn’t satisfied with merely protecting their family and territory, but she decided to defeat the tyrant instead. She said that the preparations have already been completed. 

 

Rubiana had only one option in that situation – to help her younger sister. 

 

Rubiana took off her monastic uniform that did not fit her body. She wiped the dust off the leather armor that was stuck in the temple warehouse, and put the stained bow and arrows over her shoulder. 

 

When she went to find Callena, she was standing under multitudes of light. 

 

The stained glass on the ceiling depicted a scene from the Bible that records when God sent a human king to this earth. A scene in which angels offer their crowns and horns to a man kneeling on the ground. Callena stood in the light that passed through the five-colored glass.

 

Rubiana knelt before her sister.

 

“Ruby unnie?”

 

“Don’t call me that.”

 

“Then what should I call you?”

 

“Can’t you call me Sir Rubiana or Sir Kristel? Of course, before that, you should appoint me as your knight first.”

 

“What?”

 

Callena had an expression as if it was absurd. Rubiana found an old, youthful look on her face.

 

Come to think of it, all she had to say when she came this far was, ‘Sister, help me.’

 

It was the only spell that could move Rubiana, but it was light enough to remain as the words of a new king who stood up to face the tyrant.

 

She can’t pick up the words that have already been said and put them back. What should I do? I’m her older sister so I should come out and help her. 

 

Rubiana glanced at the painter playing the pen next to Callena. When their eyes met, she squinted her eyes. 

 

‘It will be beneficial to your life to draw the scene after this as best as possible.’

 

After threatening the painter like that, she looked up at Callena again.

 

“My given name is Rubiana, and my new name is Kristen. A former heir of the Count Luxen dares to swear – I will follow Callena, the Count Luxen, until the end of this life. My sword and arrows will point at your enemies, and my shield will defend your castle. I will eat the bread and salt you give me, and I will love and respect you and swear my loyalty to you with all my heart until the end of this life. Please accept me.”

 

Callena, who was panicking, soon regained her composure.

 

She looked down at Rubiana with a stiff face, and when Rubiana’s oath was over, she pulled out the sword she was wearing from her waist.

 

It was his father’s memento, and it was a treasured sword handed down from generation to generation by Count Luxen. Callena tapped Rubiana’s shoulders with the sword.

 

“Believing in your oath, I give you my bread and salt; do not forsake my faith. Loyalty will be rewarded sweet, and the fruit of treachery will be poisonous. Both you in the world and you dedicated to God, belong to me. I want to give you a new castle so that both names belong to you. Rubiana Kristel von Ashillean, lift your sword and follow me.”

 

The solemn oath of the lord poured over Rubiana’s head. Thus, Rubiana von Luxen became Rubiana Kristel von Ashillean.

 

(T/N: This is it for now. My nose is bleeding from their oaths only T_T )
(ED: Why the hell is your nose bleeding…the  male MC hasn’t even come yet…)

Chapter 2 part 2

 

Rubiana looked at the sword. The faces of the two women crossed over on the sword – Callena stood on the podium while Rubiana was on her knees. 

 

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They had a two-year gap and they got along so well, to the extent that she willingly yielded her title and family. Fearing treason, she didn’t poison her older sister. 

 

Now that relationship will be redefined as another – with one kiss. 

 

Suddenly, memories of the past flashed through her mind.

 

Every moment when she fought fiercely with her younger sister. The moment she gave up trying to beat her smart younger sister. The moment when she covered her younger sister’s eyes and welcomed the bodies of their parents. Until the moment when she left everything to her younger sister and left the count.

 

The next four years were blank. Today’s meeting tore that void.

 

The younger sister she saw after 4 years was more beautiful. She must have been smarter – as much as she decided to fight with a sword rather than hold her breath and survive.

 

So, the less smart and lazy older sister had to be a little different. Shouldn’t it be enough to be a strong shield for her younger sister who risked her life to go on the path of rebellion?

 

“I am willing to follow.”

 

Rubiana kissed the tip of the sword that Callena held out.

 

‘God,’ Rubiana called out to God in her heart. It was the first time since she entered the monastery that she called upon God. ‘I am not a very religious person. To be honest, I don’t even believe in your existence.’

 

If God exists, why did he bring such a tyrant into the world? Let her parents die like that? So God must not exist in this world. A world where God didn’t give punishment even if such a king is a king; in a world where her parents had no choice but to die. 

 

If there really is a god in this world, ‘You probably don’t love us.’

 

If God does not exist, there is no reason to believe. Even if there is a God, there is no reason to believe if he does not love people on earth. So she didn’t believe in God.

 

The reason she entrusted herself to the monastery was simply to pass on the title to her younger sister.

 

Even though she stayed in the monastery, her faith did not grow.

 

However, if, what if – if a God exists and he had even the smallest amount of affection for the humans of this land; if, as the Bible says, that people on Earth were the God’s beloved children, 

 

‘Please open the path my younger sister is trying to accomplish. Please protect her.’

 

Then, it seemed like she would be able to believe that God exists and that He watches over humans. 

 

Rubiana grabbed the sword that Callena had extended with her left hand. The sword pierced the palm of her hand. Flesh cracked and blood dripped down.

 

A burning pain came over her, but she did not let go of her sword. She even grabbed it tighter. 

 

“Sister?”

 

Callena tried to draw her sword, but she stopped when she realized that it would only cut more of Rubiana’s hand.

 

Blood dripped and wet the stone floor. A small pool of blood quickly pooled.

 

Rubiana swore by the blood.

 

“I swear. God, my king whom you have made. If what you are trying to achieve succeeds, I will dedicate my first child to God. I will serve God with all my heart and soul for twenty years. From then on, this oath will continue from generation to generation as long as the blood of Ashilleans, the castle my king has given me, continues.”

 

It was an oath by the blood. 

 

Callena asked if it was necessary to do this. She couldn’t break the oath she had already made, but her displeasure was evident.

 

Seeing her clumsy and childish reaction once again, Rubiana just smiled.

 

‘Whether God exists or does not exist, it is very cheap if you can easily accomplish what you are trying to do by just paying this much.’

 

She (Callena) didn’t have to say that. She feared that she would feel sorry if her older sister knew what price she was going to pay to achieve what she wanted. 

 

＊ ＊ ＊

 

Before the pool of blood on the stone floor dried up, Rubiana followed Callena and left the monastery.

 

A bandage was wrapped around her left hand, and the new sword that Callena gave her was wrapped around her waist.

 

The group following Callena had already formed a fairly large size. The nobles and people of the South, who had been persecuted by the tyrant, became her army.

 

In addition, the monks of the Rutel Monastery who followed Rubiana were added.

 

Callena led her army slowly north. Instead of going straight to the center, they went east.

 

Yuji of the East, Count Dominent hung a white flag on the castle and opened the gates.

 

Count Dominent offered his only son, Rudante, who is famous as the best swordsman in the kingdom, as proof of surrendering.

 

Rubiana appointed Rudante as her knight and gave up the right seat.

 

When rumors spread that Count Dominent had surrendered, the nobles of the East rushed to bow their heads to Callena, which made Callena obtain it without shedding blood. 

 

Rubiana followed Callena’s orders and went to the western part of the kingdom. A small battle took place there.

 

When the battle began, Rubiana hid in a tall tower, an old tree.

 

After waiting for several days, holding her breath, when the highest-ranking person from the other side appeared, she shot an arrow and pierced his neck.

 

After killing the high ones, the remnant surrendered obediently.

 

The only person Rubiana could not kill was Yuji of the West, Marques Feltharg. He was the only survivor when both his parents and younger brothers died at the hands of the tyrant. 

 

He lost one eye to an arrow fired by Rubiana, but he did not die. He found Rubiana and struck her shoulder with his sword. 

 

The two of them sat down at the negotiating table with their eyes and shoulders closed. There was a fierce tug of war between surrendering and being a noble, but there was no easy conclusion. 

 

After hearing the news that Rubiana was injured, Callena came alone to the West on horseback, and surrender could be concluded.

 

When the young Marquess Feltharg saw Callena running alone, he surrendered immediately.

 

Rubiana thought he was in love with Callena.

 

‘It’s a pity.’

 

Although he acts like a child, she thought for a moment that he was good-looking and had a good body, so she would like to have him as her husband. She’d have to get married to keep her oath by the blood to God, but wouldn’t it be better if she did it with a handsome guy. 

 

(T/N: I agree xD)

 

Marge Feltharg was the most handsome man Rubiana had ever seen.

 

The eldest son of the Count Dominent was similarly handsome, but he was young and naïve, so he wasn’t Rubiana’s taste.

 

Marquess Feltharg would be a perfect candidate, but he happened to be in love with my younger sister. 

 

Tch, Rubiana gave up immediately after she bit her tongue.

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