Chapter 4

On the day Casty and Misal were engaged, every classmate showed up. The celebration was lively and rowdy, and they all teased Misal that he would be staying home in the future to dote on his wife and raise children.

Misal, thick-skinned as ever, said he was in logistics, and that was important; after graduation he would join the knights, earn some honorary medal, and retire in glory.

Even his parents felt that, in the end, Casty was the one they could truly rely on.

Everyone laughed at Misal, but in truth they envied him.

The burden of honor would rest on the capable Casty, and the two of them liked each other besides. It was the very picture of an easy, smooth life.

Even the only possible concern, that Casty might be too strong and too bad-tempered, did not exist; she was gentle and patient with him.

A cluster of jealous classmates kept forcing drinks on Misal. When they saw Casty approaching, they scattered at once. The members of Misal's family were all laughing when they saw it; Casty's deterrent power was formidable.

Misal acted spoiled and told her he was dizzy. Though he was a good head taller than she was, he insisted on leaning against her shoulder, and more than a few people told him to cut it out, because they were already sick with envy.

Misal lifted his face. Under the brilliant lights, his smile shone with such radiance that happiness itself seemed to stand revealed.

After that day, both Casty and Misal wore rings on their fingers, with their initials engraved on the inner bands.

They had already moved into a detached residence, and there were still three months until graduation.

Each day there were only one or two classes, and the rest of the time was spent gathering materials and writing their graduation thesis.

Once the paper had been submitted, the graduation trip sign-up began.

At first Casty had no intention of going, but Misal's two cousins asked to come along.

In classes like theirs, it was common for family members to join, so the class monitor proposed to the academy that they take a cruise. That decision only swelled the numbers further.

A passenger ship was chartered by Imperial Silver Academy, filled entirely with graduating students and their families.

Misal and Casty became temporary guardians to the two little girls, taking them aboard with them.

As soon as they boarded, Misal told the two cousins, "Be good and don't run off."

"Boo, Cousin, you're so annoying."

"Exactly. So naggy."

The sisters immediately bolted, and Misal nearly exploded with irritation. Casty patted his back.

"They're at that age. You have to understand. As long as it's not dangerous, let them be."

After her reassurance, Misal's anger faded.

Their two rooms were next to each other on the third deck. The luggage had already been delivered, and when Casty stepped out onto the balcony and saw the vast blue sky, her heart, which had held no interest before, suddenly filled with anticipation.

That day, the class monitor gathered everyone for a group photo on the deck, a keepsake for the future.

Casty leaned against Misal's shoulder, their fingers interlocked. A bright smile lit her face, while behind her, a long golden mane was tied with a pale pink ribbon that fluttered in the wind.

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A year later, an alarm began to ring. A head of short golden hair sat up, and then, remembering where she was, she silenced it and flopped back down to sleep.

Until there was a knock at the door.

"Commander, we have a situation."

Yawning, Casty got up. Five minutes later she came out in a navy military uniform, the white shirt beneath it lazily left unbuttoned at the top, the jacket draped over her shoulders.

When she appeared, the noise around her fell silent.

The golden-haired demon, the locals called her.

Casty descended from the high platform. As her footsteps drew nearer, the hearts of the villagers below began to tremble.

"Who was shouting just now?"

The man who had been arguing shrank back. Mustering his courage, he looked up and was about to speak when—

Bang.

A bullet snapped past his feet. His knees went weak and he collapsed to the ground.

One of Casty's subordinates brought her a chair and then breakfast. The meals provided to imperial soldiers were not exactly delicious, but they were certainly filling.

On the iron tray sat three slices of bread spread with sesame paste, a fried egg, a thick slice of pan-fried meat, a grilled sausage, several nuts, and a cup of rich barley milk.

She was the highest-ranking officer in this region, and received the best待遇. Even so, there was nothing to be happy about. The place was poor, and most people were still struggling just to stay fed.

The plain, unremarkable breakfast was watched by many hungry eyes. Their throats bobbed as they swallowed, and the scent of barley milk made their mouths water.

Casty crossed one leg over the other and ate while listening to her subordinate's report.

The matter, it turned out, was over a cow.

The cow belonged to one household but had wandered into another's field and eaten their grain. The second household, furious, wanted to butcher it; the first refused, and the quarrel escalated into a fight. In the end, the local constables arrested them all.

A gaze fixed hungrily on the tray of food reached Casty's ears. She looked up, surprise flickering across her face, and let out a whistle.

In a place this poor, to find such a beautiful man was astonishing. His green eyes were deeper than emeralds, and though he seemed young, he was all skin and bone, with jutting shoulder blades and clear signs of malnutrition.

Casty asked him, "You. What's your name? Want to eat?"

One piece of meat and two slices of bread remained on the tray, and the longing in his eyes was unmistakable. He answered, "My name is Sand. I want to eat."

Casty crooked a finger at Sand. A man who looked to be his father grabbed him and shook his head.

Sand hesitated, but the soldiers gave him no time to dither. They shoved him in front of Casty. Up close, the smell of food drilled into his nose. Sand snatched it up and stuffed it into his mouth, swallowing without even chewing.

Casty watched him eat with a smile and said nothing. After he finished, she gave one of the soldiers a glance. A fist slammed into Sand's back, and everything he had just eaten came rushing back up.

He crouched on the ground and picked it up to eat again. Crumbs fell onto Casty's military boot. She lifted her foot and held it out in front of him.

He hardly hesitated at all before kneeling and licking the food from the top of the boot.

Sand was filthy all over, his hair greasy and matted. Casty seemed to discover some private amusement in this.

"Axios, have Frey cut his hair."

The army doctor also served as a barber. Old Ford pressed Sand's head into a basin to wash him; the clean water turned filthy and was poured away.

Frey's haircut was perfunctory to the extreme: a few quick snips, a bit of shaving, and that was that.

Sand's face was washed clean as well, and he did not look at all like someone who could have been born here.

Quite a few soldiers began whistling. With his hair cut, Sand's beauty was startling.

Casty asked him, "Do you want to be full from now on?"

Sand's father stepped forward and blocked him, pleading, "Commander, please spare him. He doesn't know any better."

The old man was dragged away by the soldiers. Terror filled Sand's eyes. He looked at Casty, his narrow chest rising and falling hard. He forced down his fear and walked toward the golden-haired woman.

"Commander, I want food."

"Then you'll have to work for it. Nothing's free."

"Commander, I promise I will satisfy you."

With no signal, no entertainment, and only days of staring at the sky and the snow-capped mountains, Casty was already bored.

"Axios, take him to wash up and feed him."

"Yes, Commander."

Casty's gaze shifted to the cow not far away, and she ordered, "This cow doesn't know its place. Butcher it."

The soldiers cheered. The cow's owner went pale and fainted.

The east household lost its cow, the west household lost its son, and both regretted ever quarrelling and throwing punches.

Casty's bedroom had one wall made entirely of glass, letting in an abundance of light. The curtains were a clean beige, and the floor was covered with a carpet.

The glass-walled area served as an open study. The shelves were packed with books, as well as all kinds of novels, comics, and magazines, already yellowed with age, left behind by the people who had once lived there.

An old-fashioned bed stood beside the shutters, flanked by bedside cabinets with antique lamps on top. Across from the bed was a wardrobe.

Next to the wardrobe stood a low cabinet with a teapot and cups, and in the corner there was a worn wide chair and a plant long past its prime.

The washstand was set apart, while the shower and toilet were separated on the left and right.

The decor was plain to the extreme, yet to Sand it was incomparably luxurious.

He had washed himself clean and now wore an old military uniform, the fabric softer than what he had owned before.

Sand removed his shoes before entering, and when his bare feet touched the carpet, he lowered his head in disbelief. The floor was so soft, not rough at all, and did not sting.

"Come here."

Hearing the command, Sand lifted his head and looked for her. He walked toward the golden-haired woman, his heartbeat quickening. He knew what he should do, but he had no experience; he had only ever seen it before.

When that beautiful body was laid bare before his eyes, Sand turned rigid in an instant, beyond his own control. He knelt before Casty, shame lowering his head, and the pale toes of her bare feet rested there.

Like a man possessed, he seized those long legs and kissed his way up from the instep, acting entirely on instinct, without any order or pattern.

By the time Sand was pressed to the floor, he no longer remembered what he was supposed to do, and could only submit to being taken from.

He gazed up at the lamp above, then at the beautiful golden-haired woman over him. Reaching out, he tried to touch her, but his wrist was caught and pinned at his sides.

Sand closed his eyes and stopped moving.

The Meris region was poor and backward, its people extremely conservative in thought. Every household worshipped the old gods. Outsiders called it a benighted land, somewhere no one entered except the imperial troops stationed there.

At night, Sand wore the old military uniform, a worn white shirt and black trousers, with an old leather belt cinching his fine figure.

He returned home carrying a steaming parcel of food. His young siblings smelled the aroma and crowded around him at once.

Only when his parents came over too did Sand open it. There were many pieces of toasted bread, roasted potatoes, and a stew of meat.

The family began devouring the meal. Sand sat to one side and watched them.

"From now on I can't help the family with work anymore. I have to serve the commander."

The family stopped and asked anxiously, "Did they hit you?"

Sand smiled.

"As long as you're obedient, the commander doesn't hit people."

The two children asked, "Big brother, will you still bring food back in the future?"

"Big brother, did you find a job?"

Sand answered, "I'll keep bringing it home. Be good, don't cause trouble, and don't let anyone else know."

His parents sighed and could only comfort him.

"Sand, the god will forgive us."

Sand's eyes grew red.

"Mm."

Hunger can break far more than principles. It can break even faith.

For this family, having food to eat outweighed everything. As for Sand selling himself, they kept their mouths shut, afraid of provoking envy and even more afraid that others might imitate him and strip away their source of food.

To outsiders, they said Sand was working for the army. He was even seen sitting outside polishing military boots, which made the story seem true.

Sand became Casty's manservant, with a meager wage and three meals a day, and every day he could bring home burnt bread or leftovers.

His younger brother Carlos and his sister Tali would smile when they got the crisp bread and say, "This is wonderful, big brother."

"So tasty, big brother."

Sand would look at them and smile too.

"Do you want more?"

The young children, already sensible beyond their years, shook their heads and said their parents had not returned yet, so they should save it for them. Sand hugged them.

"From now on, I'll bring back more."

Carlos and Tali hugged him back and sniffed him hard.

"Big brother, you smell so nice."

"Big brother, I want to smell you again."

Sand held them tighter.

"Tomorrow, I'll bring you bath soap."