The Alberic nobility
chapter 01 [Reunion]

The girl who tried to kill herself didn't notice Rayner. Her tear-filled eyes were only focused on the hanging rope that coiled in front of her. He prepared to tie the end of his neck so that his breathing could stop and his suffering could end.

Rayner ran away from the girl from her death rope.

"Let go! Release me!!"

"Are you crazy!?"

The shocked girl continued to thrash, trying to get out of Rayner's arms. His fingers kept trying to reach the hanging rope, as if his decision to commit suicide had been unanimous.

From near Rayner saw the worn-out white dress that the girl was wearing full of bloodstains, at the base of her neck restrained by an iron necklace that depicted strands of ancient sentences.

"Alisa, Relax!?"

Alisa, that's how Rayner called the girl.

In the past, Alisa was Rayner's fiancee. A lot of things happened until Alisa left her.

Even now, Alisa's left hand doesn't have a ring finger. The finger that once adorned their engagement ring, is now just a cut scar. This made Rayner's heart feel like screaming.

"Please... Relax Alisa–!"

"..."

"Calm–!"

Unable to stem his sense of sadness, Rayner vented his emotions at the cry.

The longing that had haunted him had indeed been cured, but seeing the girl he loved had wounds all over his body and severe depression was what made Rayner cry.

"R, Rayner?"

Recognizing Rayner's voice, Alisa began to calm down, she no longer squealed.

~X~X~X~

30 Minutes had passed, both of them just sat in silence. Alisa who had yet to fully calm down, started a conversation.

"Don't ask what happened to me..."

"Is this the Prince?"

"I told you not to ask!"

Alisa did not raise her voice, but there was clearly an emphasis on her sentence, she tried to pressure Rayner not to ask back.

"Why did you go so far?"

Alisa throws a bar of wheat that is nearby, her unstable emotions make her rage.

"Whisper! This is none of your business!"

"You know, I love you.."

I can guess what happened to you. So please come back to me, thought Rayner.

Looking at the injuries on Alisa's body, everyone could easily guess what she was going through, torture was what she had experienced.

Moreover, his fiancee who was a prince should have made him have a strong position in the palace, then if he were to be tortured like this the likely culprit was the prince himself or his family.

"Liar! You liar! If you really love me, I can't be like this!"

Alisa shouted, her soft voice sounding loud and hoarse now.

"If you love me, you should save me, if you love me, Daddy–My father will not go!"

"Iisa..."

Rayner reached out to Alisa, pulling her to her chest, gently hugging her.

"I'm sorry."

Rayner whispered a soft word to Alisa. Alisa who was shocked at Rayner's embrace, could only fall silent.

At this time, Nobles can hardly feel in love, the feeling of falling in love only makes them hurt, the, since whoever they marry in the future must be one who can strengthen his family position in the empire, they do not care about the feelings of their children.

Rayner shunned it, which is why he could only remain silent when Alisa left him. He never expected that Alisa had been expecting his help.

The sound of bells in the tower reminded Rayner of the long time that had passed in the barn reot.

"How's your position now?"

Rayner carefully chose the sentence, whatever he said now should not make the pain in Alisa's heart come back.

"I was banished by him.."

The vague answer could not be clearly understood by Rayner, what was the meaning of being banished? Was he ignored? Was their engagement canceled? Rayner's mind was filled with many questions, but the time he spent in the rootstock was already too long, if more of these guards would come checking what was happening.

"Do you want to come with me?"

"The only way I could escape was suicide." Alisa pointed at the bondage necklace at the base of her neck.

Looking at the writing on Alisa's necklace, Rayner looked up. He finally understood what Alisa meant by being banished, he could not figure out why the Prince was doing this. Isn't returning Alisa to her family enough?

Slavery necklaces are ancient artifacts found hundreds of years ago, these necklaces are the only artifacts found in large numbers.

These necklaces use past technologies that can no longer be produced. Anyone who uses this necklace cannot betray or abandon his master, and lives as a slave until he dies.

"I understand now, the mastermind is the Prince himself. That bastard who felt he had everything, took my woman, tortured her, took her freedom and now just threw her away. There are limits to my patience. I swear– I swear I'll skin him alive!" in his heart Rayner swore. The pain was already unbearable, his eyebrows were now furrowed, his teeth were firmly docked, his face reddened, and his eyes seemed to smolder with vengeful flames.

"The sea of your face is so ugly when you're angry." Alisa taps Rayner's cheek, stroking him gently.

"6 months from today, please save me. Come to the royal feast, and buy me. That guy's gonna auction me there."

Alisa's request for help gives Rayner a glimmer of hope to restore their relationship as it was.

"Sure, I'll help you"

Rayner reveals his determination to Alisa, he vows to look after Alisa this time.

A sweet smile surfaced on Alisa's lips, she felt very happy to hear Rayner's reply. His fear had vanished from him. Waiting 6 months to be saved was indeed a very long time, but he was determined to survive that day.

Moments later Rayner realized his obligation to deliver wheat was still not finished. Looking at the very thin time, he begged Alisa.

"Before that can you help me, Alisa?"

"Huh? What can I do with this body?"

Rayner turned his gaze to the piles of wheat that were still in the mountains.

"Are you crazy?" Alisa seemed to return the first sentence that Rayner said to her.

"Yes sorry..."

An annoyance explodes in Alisa until she turns her face away from Rayner. He was not out of thought with Rayner's attitude that could not read the atmosphere. Although this has been understood for a long time.

Rayner immediately moved from Alisa's side and began to lower the grain as quickly as possible like an equilibrium.

Piles upon piles had been taken down but the mound of wheat was like it had not diminished from its original size.

Alisa was just watching him with a wry face at first. However, he tried to raise his left hand, looking at the absent ring finger desperately. Then looked at her, as if trying to recall the feeling of happiness when she was still Rayner's fiancee and drove the wheat with her.

His heart cries unstoppable for reminiscing about his past. His face began to be soaked with bitter tears. He started sobbing slowly, but it wasn't enough to express his sadness until he ended up crying hysterically.

The new Rayner picked up a new pile to take down, frantically hearing Alisa's hysterical cries sounding louder. Rayner was too late to go to him.

Alisa had already run over to Rayner first. He wants to get back to his old happiness of just dropping wheat with his fiancee first.

"I'll help you to take down the wheat"

Alisa's statement came out stammering because the tears were still running. But, his heart regained its calm after he felt the warmth from Rayner.

"I'm sorry for reminding you." Rayner hugged Alisa.