Predatory Marriage

“…Crazy bastard,” Judia said hysterically. “You’re the one that needs to do your job. Give it to me, where is it?”

Herod silently pointed to a nearby nightstand. There were two glass bottles on it filled with a suspicious liquid with an ominous sheen. Judia slipped one of the bottles into a pocket.

“Do you really think you’ll get a chance to use it?” Herod asked mockingly.

“Shut up. We’ll see who gets there first.”

Judia left, slamming the door behind her, and Herod rose, laughing. Picking up the remaining glass bottle, he looked at it for some time.

He could not have imagined that the woman he met in the bookstore would turn out to be the Queen of Estia. It was an incredible coincidence. Fate was sometimes capricious.

It didn’t matter to him that she had that barbarian king for her husband; Herod fully intended to seduce her anyway. Now he had been spared the effort of having to find her, and their little misunderstanding would pose no obstacle.

Her silver hair had looked so elegant, shining in the light of the chandeliers. Her purple eyes looked like jewels. In every way, she was a perfect woman. No part of her body was disappointing.

Now he understood why they called her the fairy of Estia. It would be worth losing his own life, if it meant he could have her. Of course, Herod intended to live a long life afterward.

“Of course, Judia has to succeed at her own task to make it happen…” He muttered to himself.

For a while, Herod was lost in thought. Estia’s power was increasing with the support of Kurkan, which put the other nearby kingdoms at a disadvantage. Originally, Balkat had had a strong influence on its neighbors, but had lost all prominence to Estia.

Herod was trying to turn back the clock. Estia must be weakened so that Balkat could regain its lost dominance. And to do that, he must separate Estia from Kurkan.

That was the reason he came all this way with Judia, even though he did not like his queen. But now he felt genuine desire for the Queen of Estia.

Herod shook the glass bottle in his hand. He had hoped he wouldn’t have to use it, but since Judia was throwing tantrums, he should probably do it as soon as possible. Normally he preferred to move slowly, and take his time with his meal, but it wasn’t bad once in a while to feast.

Setting the bottle down, he went outside. He wanted to smoke a little.

The garden was quiet in the evening. He could hear the distant sound of music from the banquet hall, and Herod hummed along inside. He was walking quietly until he came to an abrupt stop.

The scent of cigar smoke reached his nose. It was a unique blend that he had never smelled in his life, fresh and subtly sweet in its finish.

Herod looked around, searching for the source of the scent. Then he found himself looking into bright golden eyes that showed clearly even in the dark.

How is it possible that I didn’t notice?

Strange that he had not noticed that presence sooner. The burly man was leaning against a tree and smoking, and as he looked at Herod, he exhaled a plume.

It gave Herod a strange feeling. Those eyes were not like human eyes.

A chill went down his spine, but Herod greeted him with indifference.

“I didn’t expect to find you here, King of Kurkan.”

Ishakan offered a subtle smile in response to the words. At that smile, a thought ran through Herod’s mind: maybe the Kurkan King had expected this.

“I’d like to smoke one too, if you don’t mind.”

Ishakan didn’t answer, but that silence was not an order to leave. Herod lit his own cigar. As the scent of the smoke began to spread through the place, the silent Kurkan spoke for the first time.

“Ah,” he said, smiling as he spoke. “That was the smell.”