Killing Your Sweet Breath - Chapter 1
Chapter 1.1
“An assassin!”
Winter precisely stabbed her target’s carotid artery and fled the scene. Something caught her attention, making her gaze flicker for a moment. There was a man, concealed by a cloak, watching her from a distance.
His eyes shone golden, and his hair was as dark as the night sky. His cloak did nothing to hide his regal physique beneath—one that was stronger than the emperor’s entire bloodline.
She thought she might encounter him at least once while living in the capital. After all, he too was living in this awful capital, engaging in all sorts of heinous acts.
But never did she expect for it to happen here, where all the darkness of the capital converged. And especially not while she was “working.”
Even if he had abandoned the imperial family, he was still the former crown prince, and Winter was a shadow who could only survive in the dark night.
“The marquis is bleeding out!”
“Get the doctor, quickly, get the doctor!”
Winter threw the target’s secret guards off her trail and slipped into an alley. She pushed off her feet in a frantic hurry, traveling far enough to hear them announce the death of her target from a distance.
Winter raced through the alleys, almost as if she were getting lost in her own tangled, broken spider web. Her heart pounded as though it would burst, and she was running out of breath.
She shouldn’t have felt so tired from running this distance, but her reaction was different than normal. The reason for that was undoubtedly the man she locked eyes with: Van Helgram.
The small sun of the empire swallowed by darkness. The emperor’s legitimate son who had abandoned the imperial family name after losing his mother. A past connection. He was the man who had remained Winter’s fiancé until the demise of House Ruhen.
Winter was flustered, and it wasn’t because she had fond memories with him. No, she had long since discarded such useless emotions on the night the castle of Ruhen burned down.
It’s just… the moment she saw his golden eyes, memories of her home burning to the ground flashed across her mind, making her momentarily lose her sense of reason. She saw the emperor forsake her father, a loyal servant of the imperial family, for some ancient heirloom. That was it.
Winter’s strides had slowed, but she forced strength back into her legs and regained her momentum.
It didn’t matter if this lawless zone covered up secret crimes. The death of a marquis would soon bring soldiers swarming the area, so it would be smart to wait it out in the mountains for a while.
Winter arrived at the massive wall that marked the end of the street. She told herself that, as soon as she climbed over that wall, she’d forget all about the brief encounter.
“Ah!”
Just as Winter was about to jump over the high wall, she felt someone yank her back. She immediately whipped around, only to find the golden eyes from earlier staring down at her.
She pulled out her dagger, not caring that it was still stained with blood, and swung. Her opponent didn’t hesitate, his own sword rushing in Winter’s direction.
Their two weapons clashed in the night, creating a sharp noise.
Facing him head-on would be a challenge for Winter, but escaping him—not killing—was possible.
Winter predicted his attacks through the movement of his muscles. She found an opening in between his strikes, and although it was small, it gave her enough time to react. She poured all of her energy into delivering a kick to his stomach.
“Ugh!”
He staggered back a step, and seizing the precious opportunity, she leaped onto the wall. Then, a chilling sensation raised goosebumps on the back of her neck.
Swish.
The blade didn’t graze her skin, but it did slice through her cloak. He might’ve even cut a small portion of her hair too, but she ignored it. Escaping was the priority.
Winter vaulted over the wall, almost tauntingly.
Even under the full moon, the pitch-black darkness of the forest became Winter’s ally, hiding her body so that not even the golden eyes that held the sun could follow her.
* * *
While Winter remained hidden, the same moon had now waned into a mere sliver in the sky.
As if welcoming her rare venture into the outside world, the lifeless leaves suddenly began to rustle eerily in the wind. Her shadow followed suit, moving stealthily like a predator preparing for a hunt.
Finally, when the darkness ceased, there stood two figures facing each other instead of the vicious beast she had expected.
“Why are you calling me again when I need to be on the lookout?”
Winter broke the silence by admonishing Cloud, who was standing there with his conspicuous silver hair exposed.
“Another job has come in. It pays quite well.”
“There’s something I need to confirm before I accept. You know what my conditions are, don’t you?”
“The target doesn’t go against your principles. You’ll recognize the name once you see it. So, will you pass on it?”
Winter’s deep violet eyes, the only part visible above her mask, locked onto Cloud. She made an expression that said, “Why do you even ask?” Cloud smirked, as if expecting this, and handed her a folded note.
“Read it. The reward is double for this job.”
“Ah…”
Winter squinted. Of all the names to see here, it had to be this one.
The hit was for a man she had encountered not long ago—Van Helgram.
“Who’s the client?”
“You know better than to ask that. The client’s identity is confidential, as always.”
Winter took a short breath.
She felt displeased, leaving a bitter taste in her mouth.
It seemed that this cruel fate was playing tricks on her once again.
She thought of the man and their recent encounter.
Taking the life of someone she previously had a relationship with wasn’t something she relished, but she had no choice.
It was a rule she had set for herself when she started this line of work: Never hold personal feelings for a target if they meet certain requirements and the compensation is fair.
Winter took the note and crossed her arms, standing with a slouch as she replied to Cloud.
Translator’s Note: hi, nieye here~ this novel’s chapters are half chapters, but will be numbered normally to keep things simple.
p.s. hopefully y’all will love this story as much as I do!