Juliet blinked her eyes as she faced the sight of a gigantic wolf she had never seen before.
Grrrrr.
Fortunately, the massive wolf inside the iron bars was securely bound by chains.
It was the first time she had seen a silver-gray wolf.
No, it was the first time she had even known such a gigantic wolf existed.
âThey say there are demons lurking in the East. Is this also one of them?â
If that were the case, it was undoubtedly an incredibly rare creature.
The beautiful silver-gray fur was so enticing that Juliet felt an urge to come closer and stroke it, if not for the current situation.
âSpread out and find it!â
â!â
âWhere is Lord Roy?!â
âŚIt seemed that the men outside were searching for this wolf.
Juliet couldnât have imagined that âLord Royâ might be a wolf rather than a person, so she was a bit confused.
âHow did you end up getting kidnapped, doggie?â
Grrrrrrr.
A threatening growl emanated from the wolfâs throat.
Apparently, the nickname didnât sit well with it.
âWellâŚâ
Even if it was a supernatural being, it wouldnât understand human language.
After a brief moment of contemplation, Juliet decided to stick to her original plan.
âYouâre a good boy, arenât you?â
After carefully observing the wolfâs restrained state, Juliet cautiously reached her hand toward the dark iron bars.
âIâm going to release you now⌠Anyway, donât eat me. Got it?â
While making this promise, Juliet didnât forget to secure an escape route in case things went awry.
Approaching with caution, Juliet examined the structure that bound the wolf and how it was attached.
In addition to the iron grating, there were layers of sturdy chains tightly wrapped around the wolfâs entire body, secured by a large padlock.
ââŚ?â
And the most noticeable thing was an unidentified cylinder embedded in the back of the wolfâs neck.
Inside the glass tube, there was a crimson liquid that appeared suspicious at first glance.
What is this?
Is it some kind of sedative for wolves?
The cylinder, resembling a large syringe, was firmly embedded near the back of the wolfâs neck, and the appearance seemed quite painful, causing Juliet to unconsciously furrow her brow.
âWhile other things may be fine, that one seems like it needs to be pulled out by hand.â
Juliet hesitated but slowly approached.
Creak.
Feeling something unsettling, the wolf writhed threateningly.
Ironically, being securely bound by chains prevented the wolf from making any movements.
âJust wait⌠Just stay still. Youâre a good boy, arenât you?â
Juliet managed to reach in and quickly pulled out the cylinder.
Kiang!
The wolf contorted its body, making a sound akin to a groan.
The train car shook with the intensity of the movement.
However, Juliet didnât let go of the cylinder. What came out was a needle-like syringe.
âSorry, but I wonât hurt you anymore.â
Anxious to finish as quickly as possible, Juliet thought.
The chains restraining the wolf were not just simple restraints. They seemed impossible to unlock without some special key.
But Juliet wasnât particularly worried.
Within the darkness, several small butterflies appeared, emitting a blue-green light. They looked just like blue fireflies.
Startled by the sudden appearance of the mysterious luminescent creatures, the wolf raised its fur.
As the butterflies concealed themselves within the lock mechanism, the chains were instantly released.
Clank.
When the restraints that had tightly held its body suddenly fell away, the wolf seemed somewhat surprised.
Its golden eyes stared intensely at Juliet.
âSurely, itâs not an ungrateful beast, right?â
Juliet felt a slight tension, but fortunately, the wolf didnât rush at her or make any hostile moves.
From then on, Juliet had nothing more to do to help.
As soon as the large wolf effortlessly shook its coat, the chains and iron bars that had bound it were shattered simultaneously.
Creak.
With a single stretch, the wolf leaped out through the open door into the next compartment.
* * *
After the wolf escaped, Juliet closed the door to the luggage compartment.
Given the chaos outside, paradoxically, the safest place within the train was here, she judged.
Juliet counted to 100 before opening the door to the luggage compartment and stepping out.
âThis should be enough.â
The inside of the train was a scene of turmoil, as if a storm had swept through.
However, the bandits who had caused the commotion seemed somewhat subdued.
âAh!â
As Juliet thought that, while crossing a few compartments, she noticed a man wielding a sword, lunging at a mother and daughter crouched in a corner.
Without hesitation, a butterfly fluttered from her fingertips.
It was in that instant.
âGet out of the way!â
Juliet lost her balance and was pushed down by someone.
Thud!
A golden light.
Suddenly pressed against the floor, Juliet furrowed her brow at the glaring sunlight.
The person who had pushed her turned out to be a young man with a rather handsome appearance.
His intention was probably to protect her.
âMom!â
Fortunately, at that moment, a crowd rushed in and rescued the mother and daughter.
The bandit, who was wielding the sword, fled.
If they had waited just a little longer, they could have put an end to it. But in the last moment, their concentration wavered, and their magic was shattered.
With a jarring shock, Juliet couldnât regain her composure.
Juliet quickly realized the cause of this sudden situation.
âSword master?â
She had experienced a situation like this only once in the past seven years. It was when an opponent who was immune to magic had intervened in the middle of a battle.
Under normal circumstances, the butterflies would have warned her, but in their frenzied excitement, the butterflies were unable to communicate with her.
As her magic was shattered, the butterflies instantly disappeared from sight.
The consequences of the shattered magic fell squarely on Juliet. She felt a splitting headache and nausea.
âUgh.â
âAre you okay, dearâŚ?â
The unwelcome intruder who pushed her to the floor suddenly seemed startled.
Why?
It felt as if her insides would spill out if she opened her mouth.
Juliet quickly covered her mouth, blocking the intruderâs view, and glared at the person who had hindered her.
Thanks to that, his golden eyes met directly with hers.
Due to being pushed down, the black veil she was wearing had fallen far away.
And only then did Juliet realize that this unwelcome intruder was straddling her in a rather peculiar position.
The man with whom her eyes met had an exceptionally striking appearance. Under different circumstances, Juliet might have found him attractive as well.
With distinct facial features, he was undeniably a handsome young man.
Strangely reminiscent of a wolf.
ââŚA wolf?â
However, regardless of his looks, due to the interference with her magic, Juliet was in a highly alert state.
âGet away.â
âPardon?â
âGet up from me and step aside!â
âAh⌠Yes!â
The man who quickly moved aside seemed apologetic and tried to apologize, but Juliet didnât pay attention as she looked around in a fluster.
The hairpin that had secured her long hair in place had also been flung away during the push.
Staggering, Juliet managed to get up.
ââŚMy hairpin.â
But soon, she stumbled and touched the ground again. Her long hair cascaded down in disarray.
If she opened her mouth, it felt like she would vomit.
âAre you okay, Lady?â
A hand reached out from nearby, picking up the hairpin and offering it to her, while asking if she was alright.
ââŚDo I look okay?â
Unable to respond, Juliet barely managed to sit down on a nearby chair and took a deep breath.
The man approached her and knelt down, bringing himself to eye level with her, and apologized.
âReally, I donât know what to say for an apology⌠Iâm sorry. Were you very startled?â
With a sturdy build and gray hair that had a hint of silverâŚ
He was a man with impressive golden eyes.
And what was more impressive was the fact that the man didnât have anything covering his upper body.
The man continuously apologized to Juliet with sincere tone.
Seeing a man with such a perfect physique kneeling before her, Juliet couldnât help but feel a bit strange.
Although it wasnât his fault that she didnât expect such a young man to be a swordsman, he seemed at a loss, like a scolded puppy, in front of his master.