Chapter 2“The tryrant and villainess ” part 2
After a few hours of carriage ride, Nexas and Ai arrived at the Silver Lantern Bazaar.
As soon as the carriage stopped, people noticed the red wolf crest.
Whispers spread instantly. Some stepped back, fear in their eyes.
“By the look of it…tyrant carriage,” someone muttered.
Ai glanced at him. “Master… you’re already popular.”
Nexas groaned. “Please, shut up. I don’t want this kind of attention. ”
“But… can’t help it. We are the Dreadborne family after all”
After a few minutes of walking through the crowded bazaar, Nexas spotted a small boy trying to reach something on a high shelf.
Nexas stepped closer.
“Here, I’ll help,” he said.
The boy froze.
“A-Ah! M-Master! Please… don’t smile in front of the mistress!”Ai say coldly
Nexas exhaled and rubbed the back of his neck. “Sigh… it’s because I look scary. But I promise I’m not bad… actually, some people say I’m even… good-looking.”
“But Can’t help it, though. Our family’s reputation is… scary,” he muttered to himself.
After a few more minutes, Nexas tried to find something to buy, but nothing felt right.
“At this rate, I can’t buy anything,” he sighed.
Ai nodded, understanding, and her eyes scanned the bazaar.
Her gaze landed on a flower stall.
Nexas noticed her looking and turned. There was a girl selling teal flowers, her face pale and nervous. Nexas approached.
The girl froze, eyes wide. Oh no… a scary Dreadborne.
He tried to speak calmly. “Hello… I wanted to ask about your flowers.”
The girl didn’t answer.
Nexas frowned. He turned to leave, but a small girl tugged on his cape.
He crouched down, lowering himself to her level, and patted her head.
People around gasped, assuming he was going to hurt the child.
“Oh! I’m sorry!” the flower-selling girl exclaimed. “She’s my little sister!”
Nexas took a deep breath and tried again. This time, he looked gently at the flower girl. “Could I… buy some of your flowers?”
The little girl’s eyes widened. “Y-Yes! Of course!” She quickly picked a few teal blooms and handed them over.
Nexas smiled faintly, satisfied.
< Finally… success. It’s harder than I thought to appear normal in this place.>
Ai smirked from the side, clearly amused.
“You’re making progress, Master,” she whispered.
Nexas shook his head. “Don’t encourage me too much, or I’ll get used to this…”
Nexas handed the older girl a gold coin.
She froze. Her fingers trembled as she stared at it.
She couldn’t even meet his eyes. He was tall—too tall—and even though they looked around the same age, his presence alone made her nervous.
“S-Sir… it’s only five silver,” she said softly.
Nexas blinked, then turned his head. “Ai, do we have silver?”
Ai immediately understood.
She checked the pouch and shook her head. “We don’t.”
Nexas looked back at the girl. “Then keep the change.”
Her eyes widened.
“And,” he added calmly, “can you make another flower bouquet for me? I want to give it to A family.”
She nodded quickly. “Y-Yes! Please wait”
Without wasting a second, she turned around and began arranging another bouquet with shaking hands.
Ai glanced at Nexas. “You really are scary.”
“Shut up,” Nexas replied. “I can’t do anything about it. They’re not wrong to be afraid.”
“ That’s why I don’t like leaving our estate.”
Ai sighed. “I’ll go to the inn and check if there’s a room for us.”
She walked off into the crowd.
Nexas stayed where he was, watching the flower girl work.
We’ll stay here for one day, he thought. I just hope they’ve already received my letter.
Meanwhile, in House Thalewyn, the whole place looked like a piece of the ocean had been dropped on land.
Blue and teal everywhere—walls, curtains, even the fish pond in the garden shimmered like a beachside paradise.
Coral decorations dotted the garden, and mermaid statuettes seemed to peek from every corner.
The maids and guards wore blue uniforms, unlike other houses’ dull colors, making everything feel like a fancy underwater kingdom.
Inside, three maids stood outside the young lady’s room, nervously trying to convince her to come out.
She had refused to leave ever since her engagement with the prince had broken.
“Lady,” one maid tried politely,
“the Duke asked us to let you know… please, be ready for the meeting.”
A sharp, annoyed voice came from inside the room:
“I don’t want to meet any other cheater!”
“B-but lady, just a few minutes—please! Just check the clothes we bought for you” another maid pleaded.
“I said I don’t want to meet any ugly squid! Leave me alone!” she shouted, her voice echoing like thunder.
Even her mother, Faylith Thalewyn, was standing outside the door.
Unlike her husband, her hair was a normal grey, and her eyes yellow.
Her hair was tied in a neat bun, and her blue outfit matched the house colors. She tried to calm her daughter.
“Sweetie, at least open the gate and get ready properly,how long you stay inside please……” Faylith said softly.
“I don’t want to meet anyone at least not in my house! I don't care about anyone ” the young lady shouted back.
Faylith sighed.
<Three months have passed since the engagement broke off, and she still won’t come out.>
She thought
She refuses everything?
At the same time, the Duke, with teal hair and blue eyes, arrived with a few guards.
He stopped, exhaling deeply. The door was still locked.
“She still won’t come out, many days pass i didn't even see her face either and Tomorrow Duke's son came ” he said.
Her mother nodded, grief in her eyes. “Why is this happening to our daughter? First, the engagement breaks, ”
“And now your majesty sends a new marriage proposal with a tyrant family?”
The Duke frowned. “It’s because of what happened at the ball. ”
<She’s avoiding the outside world… I don’t know how we’ll manage when Chaos El Dreadborne’s son arrives.>
He looked at his wife. “Let her in i can't want to force herself again We both need to meet him and handle this.”
From inside, a timid voice whispered, “Father… I’m sorry…”
The Duke smiled softly. “Don’t worry, little princess. I’ll handle everything… okay? Just…” He trailed off, not knowing what more to say.
The young lady groaned inside her room. <Why do adults always complicate everything? I don't want more humiliation and why does anyone want to marry me in first place>
The maids exchanged nervous glances, thinking,
This is going to be…problem if she didn't come out before the guest arrives
A new day began—bright, calm, and utterly unhelpful.
Nexas had failed. Completely. Spectacularly.
No gift. No plan. No idea what women actually liked.
Ai stared at him from across the carriage, her expression sharp enough to cut steel.
“You are,” she said slowly, “completely hopeless.”
“For my mother’s sake, please” Nexas muttered, rubbing his temple, “no one ever taught me these things. Can you stop commenting on every failure I make?”
Ai crossed her arms. “I’m not commenting. I’m documenting a tragedy.”
“Both are the same thing”Nexas muttered,
The carriage rolled forward, wheels clattering softly against the road.
Nexas leaned back, clearly done with this conversation.
Ai, however, shifted her gaze to the bundle resting beside him.
“…At least the flowers were a good idea,” she admitted.
Nexas glanced down at the bouquet, then away. “That was instinct. Nothing more.”
“Miracles do happen,” Ai said dryly.
The carriage slowed. Through the window, blue and teal colors began to flood their vision.
Coral-lined paths.Shimmering ponds. An land that looked less like land and more like the edge of the sea.
Ai leaned closer to the window. “We’re entering Lord Thalewyn’s land.”
Nexas followed her gaze, his expression turning serious.
“…This place feels troublesome,” he said.
Ai smirked. “Too late. We’re already here.”
They both looked outside the carriage window.
Below the elevated road, the city unfolded like a dream made of water and light. Aqualis—the Water City.
Canals crossed the land like veins, bridges arched elegantly between districts, and the sunlight reflected off blue-tiled roofs as if the entire city was smiling back at the sky.
Giant ships rested at the port, their sails tall and proud.
Merchant flags fluttered everywhere, layered with different crests and colors. The air itself felt lively.
Ai pressed her face closer to the glass. “This is so pretty, Master.”
Nexas looked at the same view, calm but attentive. “This city is famous for its port. Merchants from many kingdoms gather here.”
He paused, then added, “We might still find a gift here and better than the Silver Lantern Bazaar”
Ai slowly turned her head toward him. “You mean… there was hope all along?”
“Don’t exaggerate,” Nexas replied.
Ai tilted her head. “Master, what is this land called? Again”
He answered quietly, almost respectfully, “Aqualis.”
Ai’s eyes sparkled. “Wow. The name is beautiful too.”
She frowned slightly after a moment. “But I only see barriers. The whole city is covered with that barrier”
Nexas nodded. “Unlike the Black Rift Dominion, there are fewer monsters and only aquatic and flying type monsters here. Still, the sea is dangerous ”
He pointed toward the horizon. “Those three pillars support the barrier. ”
“They protect the city from sea serpents and other aquatic monsters and because they're port Aqualis need constant protection”
Ai crossed her arms. “Then why is our land placed right next to the Plague Forest? I always had to fight on the frontline.”
Nexas glanced at her. “Why are you complaining now? When you are always done your work efficiently”
She puffed her cheeks. “Because my work is finally done and another comes ”
“we are lucky this time the monster is hibernate right now work is less in our land”
He sighed. “you are right I hope Father and the twins are handling things properly.”
Ai nodded confidently. “Don’t worry. Rowan is at the mansion.”
There was a brief pause.
Then, both of them thought the same thing—at the same time.
“…I feel a little pity for Rowan.”
“…Fight on, Rowan.”
“We’ll come back soon.”
