Chapter 108
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A villainess locked away in a desolate tower—I had possessed her body.
Chapter 108
How long had I been running?
The arrows and fireballs that had grazed past us so dangerously had long since ceased, and a thick darkness now enveloped everything around us.
Winter in the Northern Region meant short days, and mountains lost daylight far more quickly than anywhere else.
Perhaps because of this, the sound of insects chirping began to drift through the low-hanging darkness.
'I think we've finally lost them.'
By now, our attackers must have been exhausted as well.
But in our haste to flee, Ian and I had lost our bearings and wandered onto unfamiliar paths. All I knew for certain was that we were somewhere on a mountain.
The greater problem was that despite the relatively gentle slope, we were still climbing, which meant our speed was slowing considerably.
Even the sturdiest horse couldn't continue galloping up a mountain path while carrying two people.
Concerned about the horse's condition, Ian finally spoke up.
"Young Lady, I think we should dismount here."
"But Ian, your leg...."
I was about to suggest that I walk instead, the words rising to my throat, but he beat me to it.
"It's not broken, so I'll be fine."
How could he say such a thing with such severe burns on his leg?
Even a small burn stings and aches terribly.
I was worried about Ian, but I couldn't fault his reasoning. There was no room for fussing in a situation like this.
"I'll dismount."
"What? Ian...!"
Despite my concern, I called out to him, but Ian simply jumped down from the horse without hesitation.
Yet even in the darkness, I couldn't miss how his brow furrowed the moment he landed.
"...Are you alright?"
"I'm fine."
I didn't press further. There was no point in letting him know I'd noticed—it wouldn't help our situation anyway.
I quietly took his arm and dismounted, and Ian examined me carefully, looking me over from different angles.
"You don't appear to be injured."
"I'm perfectly fine."
Besides, except for when I fell from the carriage, I hadn't rolled around on the ground at all.
Still, Ian scrutinized me thoroughly before turning his attention to the horse.
"Having this creature would be advantageous for mobility, but if our attackers have reinforcements, it would actually increase the risk of us being discovered."
I had to agree with his assessment.
The horse's hoofprints could leave traces, and as an animal, it would be difficult to control.
Having reached my conclusion, I nodded slowly.
"...I think it's best we let it go."
"You'll need to walk from here on. Will you be alright?"
"In a situation like this, what's a little walking? At least my legs are sturdy."
And besides, more than me....
I reflexively glanced at Ian's leg, then quickly looked away so it wouldn't be obvious.
"You needn't worry about me."
"Understood."
Ian struck the horse's hindquarters hard, sending it bolting back the way we'd come.
As I watched the horse gallop away with a loud neigh, I felt his hand grasp my sleeve and snapped back to attention.
"This way."
"...Hm?"
He pushed through the dense undergrowth as though he knew exactly where he was going, leading the way forward.
Before long, a cave appeared beneath a low hill.
"We'll spend the night there for now."
How had he found this place without a single map?
"Do you know the way...?"
Could he really be a bandit by origin?
My question, dripping with suspicion no matter who heard it, received a firm answer from him.
"I don't know this place."
"Then how did you know there was a cave...?"
"I saw the entrance while climbing up just now."
Ah, so that's why he sent the horse away.
The sun was setting anyway, and there was no need to move further.
'Ian really does have a plan for everything, doesn't he?'
In any case, having a place to rest was a blessing in disguise.
I felt the tension drain from my body at the realization that I wouldn't have to move any further today.
"I heard the sound of water below. Before we enter the cave, let's go drink some water first."
"Yes."
Now that I thought about it, I'd probably swallowed a bucketful of dust while riding the horse.
Becoming aware of my parched throat only now, I moved my legs eagerly to keep pace with him.
The mountain path made it difficult to move properly, but I knew one thing for certain—I couldn't afford to dawdle.
After a short walk, a fairly wide stream appeared, just as Ian had said.
Fortunately, the water was shallow, making it the perfect place to replenish my depleted fluids and wash away the grime.
I approached the stream carefully and bent down to quench my parched throat.
But then...
Flap!
A sharp sound of wings beat through the darkness right beside me.
Already on high alert, my senses heightened by the constant dread of attackers appearing from nowhere, I jumped in fright.
"Ugh!"
I barely managed to stifle a scream, but once my balance was lost, my foot slipped on the slick moss clinging to a rock, and I slid helplessly.
Splash!
The lower half of my body plunged into the water, and a biting chill surged upward.
"Ow...."
The cold was one thing, but my body ached from striking the rocks.
I glared at the bird that had startled me, but snapped to attention at the sound of Ian's voice.
"Are you all right?"
Even now, he was noticeably dragging one leg. I quickly pushed myself upright.
"Yes! I'm... I'm fine."
My palm and shin ached where they'd struck the stone, but I didn't want to be a burden to Ian, who was already injured.
Still, my trembling body was beyond my control.
'This is bad.'
It was winter.
And we were in the central-northern region.
On top of that, the mountain night was growing colder by the moment.
"Ah..."
As I crawled onto dry ground, the hem of my skirt, soaked in cold water, clung to my legs.
Without spare clothes, being completely drenched was terribly disadvantageous.
* * *
—Blaire Grand Duchy, Grand Duke's Residence.
Randolph, commander of the Blaire House's 3rd Knight Order, rushed across the silent corridors of the Grand Duke's Residence.
"Sir Grey! Where is Sir Grey!"
His undignified running through the Grand Duke's Residence stemmed from Liam's urgent summons since the crack of dawn.
So urgent was the matter that Randolph, whose formal coat buttons weren't even fully fastened, spotted the anxious Liam and furrowed his brow.
"What in the world happened at this hour?"
"Sir Randolph, we have a serious problem."
At Liam's unusually flustered demeanor—something rarely seen—even the typically bold Randolph's eyes grew grave.
"So our honored guest from the Blaire Grand Duchy..."
As he listened to the explanation, the moment Liam finished speaking, Randolph grumbled in a displeased tone as if he'd been waiting for this.
"...but still, no matter what the Grand Duke's orders are, you're telling me to take our elite knights on a wild goose chase just to rescue one guest?"
"Well..."
"And there's an escort too, I hear? They say he's worth his weight, but... I'm not sure we're not just wasting manpower for nothing."
Liam's insides burned in real time as he listened.
He had no idea how to explain that the "worth his weight" knight isolated with April was actually the Grand Duke in disguise.
If that were revealed, the Grand Duke's honor would inevitably plummet as well...
After deliberating, Liam let out a deep sigh and gestured for Randolph to come closer.
"Sir, this is actually a secret, but..."
"A secret? You wouldn't call something trivial a secret, would you?"
"No, rather... the Young Lady we need to rescue will become the future Grand Duchess."
Clink.
At the same moment, the medal on Randolph's chest fell to the floor.
"...What, what did you say?"
His eyes, wide as saucers, darted about as if verifying the truth, then trembled as though an earthquake had struck.
"Really? Is that really true?"
While he'd been fulfilling his duties as a vassal, guarding his domain in the barren north, his lord had apparently been carefully tending to his romantic affairs as well—which was reassuring, but...
No, Randolph quickly shifted his demeanor.
"Kekeke, if that's the reason, all our knights would volunteer in a heartbeat."
All the knights of the Grand Duchy would feel the same, but the 3rd Knight Order especially harbored deep loyalty, having fought alongside Blaire Grand Duke on the front lines.
With such devotion, they would eagerly step forward if told they were searching for the future Grand Duchess.
Of course, some of that eagerness stemmed from curiosity about who she might be...
"B-but Lord Randolph, you must keep this absolutely secret. Absolutely!"
"Of course! Trust me!"
Randolph thumped his broad chest with his fist.
Even as I watched his hearty demeanor, I couldn't shake a nagging sense of unease.
'It should be fine...right?'
It was fortunate that his straightforward nature made him fall for such a flimsy excuse, but would everything else go smoothly?
I had a strange premonition that some unwelcome incident would occur, but I pushed the thought away.
'It won't happen.'
Unfortunately, however, my anxiety—rooted in the experiences of life—always had merit.
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Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org
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