Work Text:
Dark Knight (Alkaid)
I saw him.
A figure of striking beauty, yet feared by all, even the Emperor himself.
He was the Dark Knight.
The only Dark Knight to ever successfully escape the Abyss.
I had heard countless tales of how terrifying he was; a being who could kill without blinking an eye, bathed in the blood of innumerable creatures.
He was the product of the Ancient Empire’s greed in their quest to conquer the Abyss. History recorded that many humans were sacrificed in the process, and one of them was a child named Alkaid McGrath.
The McGrath noble family, branded as traitors, had fallen, leaving the child to bear the blame alone.
The Ancient Empire sent him to the Abyss as a sacrificial offering.
But who could have predicted that the frail child would survive in such a miraculous way?
No one knew how he managed to endure the Abyss. When he reemerged into the real world, he had become the Dark Knight.
The Ancient Empire collapsed under his vengeance, and the world was gripped by the terror of his return.
A New Empire was formed under the Dark Knight's control. He chose the Emperor and appointed himself as the overseer. If the Emperor did anything that displeased him, he would replace him with a new one in an instant.
Under the reign of the New Empire, the Dark Knight rarely showed himself, so long as nothing disrupted the governance he envisioned.
Fifty years had passed since the New Empire was founded, and five years since the Dark Knight last appeared in public.
No one knew where he resided; some even speculated he lived in the Abyss. However, I suspected he had a hidden sanctuary far from the crowds of humanity, living in solitude.
The Dark Knight did not age, or perhaps the concept of time no longer applied to him as his bond with the Abyss strengthened. Over time, he had become equal to the Will of the Abyss itself.
Why was I paying him such close attention?
Because this was the world of a novel I had read.
That’s right, I had transmigrated into this world even before knowing how the Dark Knight’s story ended.
In my original world, I had died from a terminal illness. I had prepared myself for death, but I never expected to wake up in another world, a world I recognized.
The problem was my current identity: the Imperial Princess.
Precisely. I was the Imperial Princess fated to become the Dark Knight’s partner.
It was a sort of tribute prepared by the Emperor for the Dark Knight, as I was the only Princess born in the generations since the New Empire’s founding.
No one knew what the Dark Knight would do to a princess like me, but it was certain that he desired one.
This had to be a joke…
No, not a joke. A tragic fate.
How could I possibly know what a psychopath like the Dark Knight was thinking? Perhaps he would make me part of his collection.
Unfortunately, I transmigrated exactly one week before the engagement day.
I did everything I could to escape, but the security was impenetrable. Not even an ant could slip through.
So, here I was. Today was the day of the engagement, and I finally laid eyes on the Dark Knight I had only read about in the novel.
In the vast hall filled with whispering nobles, the moment the doors opened and footsteps echoed, a gripping silence fell over the room.
Everyone suddenly bowed their heads, as if they dared not look at his appearance.
My gaze shifted from them toward the entrance, where a figure was walking with light steps.
It couldn't be…
Thump!
I felt my heart leap in sheer shock.
Why was that person here?!
No, the problem was, why was that person the Dark Knight?
It would be fine if they just shared a name, but for their appearance to be identical… I felt a chill of horror at the coincidence.
The figure drew closer while my body trembled. The blond hair, the emerald green eyes, he looked straight at me. However, his right eye bore a strange pattern, like a carved star.
I clutched my dress tightly and stared at the floor. My nervousness was obvious, but I couldn't control myself; I refused to believe this terrible coincidence.
His steps stopped right in front of me, and then he spoke in a soft, familiar tone, “Princess, is my face so repulsive that you do not wish to look at me?”
He was the type of person who could say something terrifying in a gentle voice. It sent shivers down the listener's spine.
There was no other way. I had to face this psychopath.
I looked up at him, and he finally smiled. The star pattern in his right eye seemed to glow for a second.
Now, I was certain. This was not a coincidence. The person standing before me was the same man I knew. I didn't know how he became the Dark Knight, but this situation was not good.
The man I knew was my ex-boyfriend from my previous life.
We didn't end on good terms; simply put, I left him out of my own selfishness.
He loved me too much, and he was almost entirely dependent on me. He always tried to please me, while hiding his own thoughts.
Throughout our years together, it felt like he worshipped me rather than dated me. I couldn't even tell what he was truly thinking.
So, when I received my terminal diagnosis, I had to admit that, at that time, I was afraid of Alkaid.
I was afraid because he seemed to consider me his sole reason for living. As if, without me, his life would be nothing but a suffocating void.
I didn't want him to be so dependent on me. He needed to find his own life and happiness.
With those selfish thoughts, I left him after breaking up unilaterally. I told him the relationship was too exhausting for me and that I didn't want his perfect facade, the mask he wore just to please me. I told him I hoped he could be more honest and take off that mask.
After that, I cut all contact with him and went abroad for treatment. Of course, the terminal illness eventually claimed my life.
Before I died, I wondered how he was doing. Was he finally able to take off his mask? Would he find happiness other than with me? My thoughts were filled with worry for him, and the suspicion that he had truly worshipped me rather than loved me as a partner sharing life's joys and sorrows.
And now, who could tell me why my ex-boyfriend had become the Dark Knight?
What kind of twisted fate was this?
When I saw him extend his black-gloved hand, I unconsciously took a step back. I saw his smile stiffen, his gaze clouded by darkness.
He closed his eyes for a moment as if holding something back, then removed his glove. He glanced to the side where a servant was holding a velvet box on a tray.
He took the velvet box and opened it. Inside lay a pair of couple rings, carved with exquisite detail.
He took one of the rings and closed the distance between us.
He still maintained that smile, which now looked fake.
His hand grasped my left hand, then slid the ring onto my ring finger. He stared at it for a moment before leaning in and whispering in my ear, “Stay with me for ten days, and after that, I will let you go.”
What?
What did he mean?
My mind went into chaos because his tone was no longer gentle; it was incredibly cold, as if his emotions had faded away.
After whispering those incomprehensible words, he pulled back but kept holding my hand. Then, he kissed the back of my hand in a lingering way.
It was the same behavior he used to show when he wanted me to stay with him.
My heart felt squeezed, and something felt off.
What did he mean by a relationship for ten days?
And what would happen after ten days?
Why would he let me go then?
My chaotic thoughts were brought back to reality by the embroidered box handed to me. Now it was my turn to put the ring on him.
However, at that moment, he raised his hand and said, “No need.”
He looked at me and continued, “You can keep the ring.”
He released his grip on my hand and stepped back.
I didn't understand his intentions at all.
The silence finally broke as the music began. The engagement banquet continued with a dance.
Unfortunately, the Dark Knight, no, Alkaid, had no intention of asking me to dance. Instead, he went to the balcony, distancing himself from the nobles.
I followed him, and it seemed he expected it.
The clear night sky was visible, adorned with beautiful stars.
He was still the same. At least I knew he liked looking at the stars in the vast sky.
I stood by his side, a few steps away. Then, I called out to him, “Alkaid.”
He turned to me, just as he always did whenever I called his name. He never ignored me, but it felt different now.
“There are many things that confuse me, but I want to ask this first. What will you do after ten days?”
Alkaid only stared at me, with no intention of answering the question. His fake smile had vanished.
“I hope you won’t hide your emotions. If you hate me, you can say it. There is no need for you to always wear that mask. Also, I feel this is my fault. I’m sorry.”
It was an apology for leaving him. Honestly, I regretted it.
I shouldn't have left him like that. Maybe if I had talked to him openly, he wouldn't have refused to listen.
It was just that my mind was in shambles due to the terminal diagnosis, and more than that, I was afraid to see him suffer because of me.
I lowered my head, afraid to see his reaction. After all, the apology sounded cheap.
Finally, I heard his reply. “In that case, do one thing for me.”
I raised my head and our eyes met.
“Time for Love. Let us be a real couple for ten days,” he said.
From the day of the engagement and for the next few days, in accordance with "Time for Love," we became a real couple in a way I hadn't expected.
Alkaid shared information about himself becoming the Dark Knight. Somehow, he had ended up in this world and possessed the ability of a Soothsayer; he could catch glimpses of the future.
He revealed that he saw me in this world in the future he foresaw. That was why he made arrangements to become engaged to the Imperial Princess, knowing my soul would take over her body.
As for where the original Princess's soul went, it was unknown. Even Alkaid admitted there were many suspicious things about our transmigration to this world.
Aside from all that information, what I wanted to know most was: what was he truly feeling?
On the third day, I asked, “Alkaid, do you hate me?”
His answer was a hug. It seemed he was not yet ready to reveal his true emotions.
On the fifth day, I asked again, “Do you hate me?”
His answer was only a smile.
I wasn't trying to create drama by asking, but it was my way of finding out the true meaning of this "Time for Love."
He hadn't told me his goal yet.
On the sixth day, he took me on a date.
His behavior remained the same; his mask was still thick.
Maybe I would never be able to remove that mask.
So, I stopped asking and let him do whatever he wanted.
On the eighth day, something began to change in him.
He suddenly asked, “Do you hate me?”
It was like turning the same question back on me.
Our relationship felt truly strange and uncomfortable. It felt like a fabrication.
I returned the same answer he gave me. I didn't answer him.
On the ninth day, Alkaid disappeared.
As I panicked trying to find him, the tenth day finally arrived, and something slapped my consciousness.
Ding ding ding
I woke up in a daze, staring at the ceiling of my room for a long time.
The memories of that strange dream grew fainter, but I still felt the emotional impact.
My phone vibrated, signaling incoming calls and messages in succession.
After clearing my head from the confusing mixture of dreams, I moved and picked up my phone.
Caller Name: Alkaid.
The corner of my mouth twitched.
What a coincidence. Did he have the same dream again?
As a Traveler, the dreams I experienced were very random; I could even forget myself and take on different identities within them.
There were times when Alkaid seemed to share the same dreams as me. Whether it was because of our connection or something else, I didn't know at this moment.
In short, what I experienced in the dream told me the latent problem in our relationship.
I knew Alkaid always wore a mask. I didn't oppose it because it was his choice, but sometimes I wanted to know his true self, whatever that might be.
I wanted him to share his complaints with me, rather than me just constantly bothering him with mine.
Simply put, the dream made me want to know the other side of him that I didn't know.
I loved him. I wouldn't leave him like I did in the dream. So I would accept whatever other side he had, even if he was no longer like the prince I knew from his usual mask.
At that moment, I accepted the call and addressed him, “Alkaid.”
There was a moment of silence before I heard the sound of his held breath.
-“…. I miss you. Can we meet today?” His tone sounded cautious and pleading.
I heard his request.
It was the first time he had expressed such a direct request. Usually, he would use roundabout phrases like "I will wait for you until we can meet again." He had never directly stated that he missed me.
This was progress.
What happened in that dream had cracked his mask.
“I miss you too,” I replied with a cheerful smile.
***