Toxic Marriage - Chapter 17.1

Chapter 17.1

Part of the reason why he felt this bad was because it was also his fault for dragging his feet.

The woman was terrified when they first met, but she showed courage by wielding a knife and the cleverness of using pressure to deceive those around her. He liked her determination not to want to give up despite being wary.

Was this what it felt like to watch a petty animal struggling in order to survive?

It was a little strange how he enjoyed looking at the descendant of that hypocrite. It was such a good day that he couldn’t even think of his curse right now, so he decided to let go of the anger that had been piling up for a long time.

He had intended to see how far the will of a weak animal that could never escape his grasp would go.

Of course, when this interest cooled down and she had fulfilled her role as a tool, that would be the end of it.

As he sat in front of a chessboard reading a book with yellowed pages, someone knocked on the door. The cheerful knock resembled the person who did it, both powerful and somewhat emotional.

“It’s Freya.”

As he moved his hand up and down, the door creaked open on its own.

Freya appeared.

While walking inside, her nervous eyes quickly checked the space. Her body fluttered slightly, seeming primarily relieved that there was no bed.

But she knew very well that wasn’t the end of it. When she remembered the moment when evilness and divine power mixed up in her body, she would realize that not having a bed didn’t really matter.

Freya’s eyes were resolute as she sat across from the chessboard, looking like her prediction was completely off.

Fenrir arranged the chess pieces and announced what they were going to do today.

“We’re going to play chess.”

And her role was to be a good enough opponent so that the game wouldn’t become boring.

Even though he omitted his true intentions and only explained the superficial purpose, her clear, silver eyes that reflected her emotions couldn’t help but turn suspicious.

Fenrir let out a small laugh at that. Soon, a blunt voice was heard.

“What if I make a bad move?”

“You’ll have to try it. If you win, I’ll give you one thing you want.”

Freya’s eyes lit up for a moment.

“Anything?”

“Apart from asking me to let you go.”

The eyes that had always been on guard and didn’t leave him for a moment turned downward for the first time, as if she was struggling with something.

The smile on Fenrir’s lips disappeared. The moment her gaze turned away from him wasn’t very pleasant.

“What if I lose? Do I have to give you one thing you want too?”

“By sealing your divine power.”

Hearing the unexpected request, a look of confusion appeared on her previously excited face.

“Your answer?”

But despite the confusing offer, she didn’t back down like when she took a sip of her tea.

“Alright. Let’s do it.”

With her consent, the game began in earnest.

Freya moved her pawn first. Fenrir moved his pawn the same way.

Since it was the first time she was going against him, she didn’t know what strategies or tactics he used. The movements of the chess pieces, which clearly revealed Freya’s thoughts, were cautious.

The next chess piece she moved was a knight. The knight was the only piece that could jump over other pieces, so there were a variety of plays that could be made. Its role was to help the poor pawn that had stepped forward alone.

Whenever Freya’s thin and long fingers moved her chess pieces, Fenrir’s eyes quietly followed them. Her fingers looked like they would break easily if force was applied, but they had a tenacity that resembled hers. After focusing his gaze on her moving fingers, Fenrir moved his knight forward.

Thud!

When it was Freya’s turn, she took his pawn first. It was a strategy to clear the way in front of Fenrir’s king and queen.

But if the path towards Fenrir was wide open, it also meant that a path was open for him. He moved his bishop boldly as if using that path.

Freya’s expression was momentarily agitated by his play. After the queen, the bishop was the most maneuverable piece. It was not a common pattern to drastically move a good piece like this at the beginning. It was a reckless and aggressive attack, but it also came with risk.

Nevertheless, Fenrir seemed to have no fear. She could tell by the fact that there was not a hint of hesitation on his face.

Freya became more cautious seeing the tactic that seemed to capture Fenrir’s life. If he was so bold, it meant that he was confident that his opponent would inevitably be discouraged. However, if she moved her pieces cowardly, it was clear that she would be checkmated in the blink of an eye.

She decided to also move her maneuverable pieces in response to his bold attack.

She moved her bishop to counter his. The two bishops were placed side by side in the middle of the chessboard.

Next, Fenrir moved the first knight again. His knight ate the pawn in front of Freya’s king.

With this, all the obstacles blocking the two kings had fallen. That meant they were getting closer to a checkmate.

That alone was a little sudden, but Freya’s thoughts were halted by Fenrir’s next move.