OMG, Isn't This a Shoujo Story?

Annoying.

Maxentius Gerhard stood in the pool of blood of his vassals. The other vassals shut their mouths, looking afraid. “Is there still an insect who supports the ban on wild animal hunting for peasants? Is there another retarded person among my vassals?” Maxentius said as he wiped off the blood on his dark sword with his dark glove.

Maxentius wore dark trousers and a dark shirt. His dark cape over the shirt made him look majestic, despite the blood stains.

“Savage, eh?” a silver-haired man in his 20s asked. He wore a white tunic. He was Antony Bartolone in the past.

“Antony...” Maxentius glared at Antony. “Do you want to starve our people? The royal family is retarded. Do you agree with them?”

Antony chuckled. “Your Grace, you shouldn’t be hostile toward them. Who knows what they are going to do with you? Don’t be that rebellious, my friend.”

Maxentius just snorted. “Clean up the mess, Antony,” he walked out from the hall to his castle’s palisade wall outside.

“You are really a tyrant, eh?” Antony just laughed at his new job. He was supposed to be the castle’s doctor, not a servant. But Maxentius was lazy to call a servant.

The wind is nice this morning.

Maxentius laid his head on a hill outside his castle. He closed his eyes, enjoying his leisure.

“This humble person greets my lord, Sir Maxentius Gerhard!” a crimson-haired woman with freckles bowed at him with a smile on her face. It had been a long time since Maxentius heard a warm, loving greeting from someone. He lost his parents since childhood.

So, he opened his eyes and searched for the source of that warm, high-pitched voice. His gaze met that woman’s eyes. He saw the past Adelina. Who is this woman?

“Who are you?” Maxentius probed.

“Oh, Adelina, Your Grace! The daughter of that small tavern keeper!” she put her hands on her back and revealed her teeth, gleaming. She looked cute when she also closed her eyes in that pose. “I’m going to pay the tax!”

Maxentius snickered. “Are you not afraid? Don’t you know what people call me, Peasant?”

Adelina gazed at him warmly. Then she threw her gaze to the sky, while the wind pushed aside her braided ponytail. She said, “Hmm... aren’t you like that because you want to protect us, Your Grace?” She closed her eyes and gleamed again, “So, we won’t hate you!”

Ba-dump!

Maxentius was surprised, and something poked at his chest. He quickly touched his chest to find a knife or something. But he didn’t find anything. What is this feeling?

Love?

Maxentius chuckled and mumbled, “Interesting woman,” like the typical male leads in those isekai romance manhwa. Damn, this was really a shoujo story!

“Hmm?” Adelina just tilted her head and looked clueless.

“Peasant, sit beside me,” Maxentius asserted, “Accompany me for a while.”

“Eeeeeh, why?” Adelina stepped backward and made an “x” in front of her face to cover herself. “Pervert?”

“HA-HA, HAHAHA!” Maxentius let out a laugh like he never laughed before. He closed his eyes and touched his belly. Touching his forehead and shaking his head, he said, “Not even a duke dares to be sarcastic around me. But you are straight-up insulting me. HA-HA, HAHAHA!”

“Ehehehe... pardon me, Your Grace, are you crazy?”

“HA-HA, HAHAHA!”

That was the start of their relationship.

In the summer, in the fall, and in the winter, they kept meeting each other at their leisure. Of course, Maxentius was the one who initiated their meeting. He was always looking for her in her tavern. He bought beers and always talked to her, although the customers looked so scared of him.

But he didn’t care. He was in his happiest times.

“Maxentius,” Adelina said in the hall. They had been married for months now, and they had breakfast that morning. “Have you been looking for the Dark Dragon Ignatius lately? I wonder why the royal family doesn’t send anyone here. Isn’t him their dragon?”

Because they are trying to warn me, Adelina.

“Don’t worry about that, my dear,” Maxentius replied. “Ignatius can go back by his own feet. Dragons aren’t dumb.”

“But isn’t he dangerous? He did eat people!” Adelina pondered with a pewter spoon in her mouth.

Dragons do eat people.

Maxentius chuckled. Then he stood up and approached Adelina. He kissed her forehead, “Don’t worry. Our knights will protect everyone.”

Adelina curled up her lips. She also had prepared a quill pen on the table because she would copy some books for the duchy after breakfast.

But suddenly, a loud explosion could be heard. Maxentius castle’s tower was shaking. Ignatius?

“Adelina, stay here, lock the door,” Maxentius held her arms. Adelina nodded, giving him permission to go. Thus, Maxentius ran down the stairs and dashed out from the tower. He saw his palisade wall crumbled and burned by a purple fire. He dares to?

When Maxentius looked up, he saw a huge, fat dark lizard flapping its wings. Its belly was purple, and there was a purple vapor gathering in its mouth. “MAGES! Use [Conversion] and attack!” he shouted at the mages who ran to the top of the intact palisade walls.

“[Anti Gravity]!” He shouted and flew to join his mages. “[Blessing Shield]! [Charge]! [Conversion], [Fire Shot]!”

“GROAAAAAAR!” Ignatius moved his head backward and spat out a huge fiery, purple meteor at one barrack behind the palisade. It exploded the barrack, sending shattered stones in every direction.

Maxentius unsheathed his sword and flew toward Ignatius. Multiple clangs were created. His attacks didn’t seem effective. I see, so the rumors are true. Although my sword deactivates your magic, seems you also have a high physical defense. So annoying.

“Your Grace!” Antony shouted from the tower. “His breaths are poisonous! Just send him away!”

What?

When Maxentius looked at that barrack, a purple fog was spreading everywhere and making some knights faint. Very annoying.

“ANTONY! Get Adelina out of here!!!” Maxentius said, “You piece of shit. [Weapon Buff], [Physical Pierce], [Defense Debuff], [Nailing Thrust]!”

With a single touch of the point of his sword, Maxentius made a clang and sent Ignatius far away! He dashed in midair to chase Ignatius. I have to prevent him from coming back here. Adelina, please be safe.

After chasing and expelling Ignatius, Maxentius snickered at himself. He climbed the stairs without his left arm. I’m pathetic. That damn dragon had so many tricks up his sleeve. At least, he won’t dare to come back after losing one leg.

But when he arrived near the hall, the door was destroyed. Maxentius had a bad feeling about it, so he rushed to the hall. There, he saw Adelina lying on the floor and got stabbed. Her skin was so pale, like those poisoned knights. No... no...

One of his vassals was lying near her, but that person didn’t seem alive. While Antony kneeled down and coughed up blood nearby.

Maxentius dropped his sword and rushed to Adelina’s body. He used the quill pen feather to look for signs of breath. But the feather didn’t move. He put Adelina on his arm and couldn’t hold his tears. “Antony, what the hell is happening!”

“I told you... I told you that you shouldn’t be hostile. Those royal family bastards would bare their fangs to anyone who barks at them, no matter who is right. They are crueler and greedier than you think, Maxentius.”

“What happened!” Maxentius didn’t want to hear anything else. He just wanted to know why Adelina had to die.

Antony tried to keep his breathing. “When I arrived here, the door was already destroyed, and that traitor blocked my sight from Her Ladyship. I panicked, so I sacrificed one of my kidneys to kill that man in an instant. But it was too late. I’m sorry, I’m sorry, Maxentius...”

“Antony... can you use your miracle to bring her back?” Maxentius asked desperately. Adelina... Adelina...

“I can. But someone has to suffer for eternity to bring her back for eternity. To give life is to use someone, and to regain consciousness is to lose one.”

“Use me!” Maxentius moved Adelina closer to him, embracing her and crying over her. What’s the point of living without you?

“Maxentius, don’t be rash. You will often see nightmares and hear screams. You will be insane. Do you think you can endure it? Unless she breaks her ties with you and kills you, you will suffer and she will live, forever.”

“Antony... I said, USE ME!”

Antony chuckled. “You are already crazy, eh?” He sighed, “I will remove her freckles and give her an infinite bag filled with your items and gold coins. So she can live well and avoid the royal family.

I will also float this damn hill, so you can see those paintings of her, and she won’t get killed by your insanity.”

Then Antony covered Maxentius’ eyes and said, “Farewell, my friend. I applaud your dedication of love.”