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The handkerchief knight gulped rapidly at once. He seemed to swallow dry saliva. At this point, I could expect for him to believe me.
“First… please wait here.”
“Yes, please inform him quickly.”
Everything I can do is done. All I had to do now was wait calmly and hope for us to take a different route than the shortcut.
How long did I wait as I held on to my messed up skirt?
As I nervously watched the knights passing by as they finished preparing for the journey, I saw the sight of two men approaching with a hasty step from a distance.
It was the Grand Duke and the handkerchief knight with a pretty serious face.
“Your Excellency…”
“Are you sure?”
As soon as he arrived in front of me, he immediately asked if it was true. His hair blown by the wind shows that the Grand Duke came in a hurry.
“Say it properly. Are you sure?”
“Yes, yes. I definitely saw it. The landslide kills everyone…….”
“Hah.”
The Grand Duke roughly swept his hair and twisted his face.
“We must arrive at the estate within two days. If there is a problem with food supply, it will be difficult to deal with the Empress’ knights.”
“I know.”
“…What? Who’s following?”
I barged into the conversation between the two. The Empress was the one who wielded Prince Omen, and the Duke of Bevenia. It was natural to be curious when a dangerous person was mentioned.
“I thought you had a good understanding, but it turns out you don’t.”
“…….”
“Do you think the Empress will keep you alive?”
I murmured to myself as I watched the Grand Duke’s mouth curled up.
‘Ah…. F***k.’
(t/n: this FL really loves to swear lmao)
***
“What about rationing food in this town?”
“They don’t sell food even at high prices during the winter season.”
If they take a shortcut, a landslide would block their way, but if they take a different route, they could be chased by the Empress. They’re not aiming for the Grand Duke, but for me.
Some suggested that they should avoid the landslides by delaying their departure time, but if the narrow road was blocked, they would not be able to pass.
“It’ll have to be solid information.”
“……what?”
While I gnawed nervously on my lips at the fact that my life depended on it, the Grand Duke stared at me with a stern, harsh look.
“I trust you because you’ve seen the black lion, but if you’re thinking of sticking to the Empress and screwing me up…”
“…….”
“Quit it before you die. It’s my last consideration.”
Unlike a while ago, the Grand Duke’s eyes were darkened. He acted like a man who would kill me if what I said was a lie.
I wasn’t interested in the safety of the Grand Duke who took me in. Why would I lie if my life depends on it?
“I told you I wasn’t lying.”
“How do I trust you, a daughter of the Duke of Bevenia?”
“……didn’t you think I was useful?”
It was also unfair to fall into a world in a book that was completely different from my reality.
If the ghost-like old lady hadn’t stayed with me, or if my mother hadn’t had that ability in the first place…
The resentment was repeated with resentment
I was angry to see the Grand Duke who didn’t believe me as I was struggling so hard to survive. Even though I know clearly why he can’t trust me easily.
“If you’re talking about the contract marriage, you’re trying to use me.”
“Yes.”
“Why can’t you believe the cards that in your hands?”
The prolonged argument in the midst of chaos made me anxious. To the point where it is not enough to beg for life.
“Get a grip. If you don’t listen to me now, you’ll hit the ground and regret it.”
Grand Duke Noctis smiled as if he was watching a rabbit the size of a bird bite.
“I’m regretting letting the Duke live in the first place, so don’t worry.”
“Then do as you please. I don’t want to have any more regrets about this body that would have died at the duchy anyway.”
Even if I get out of this damn novel, my reality has never been happy. Still, it would be a lie if I say that I have no lingering attachment to life.
It just made me laugh as I struggled to live using the ability that I hated all my life since my mother died.
“Because the Grand Duke will survive anyway.”
If he takes the shortcut, he loses some troops, and suffers from guilt, then it’s over.
What if a person like me who is not as good dies?
The Grand Duke’s forehead was still wrinkled.
“You speak beautifully once.”
“I’m just telling you the truth.”
I could feel the Grand Duke’s eyes, which had risen violently, were gradually tearing down. More than I thought, my words seemed to have dug into his gap.
“Your Excellency, you must decide. The longer it gets, the worse it becomes.”
“Ha……”
Due to the power of the empress, who secretly followed him, he could not easily give up the shortcut. The Grand Duke touched his face irritably with one hand.
“If you’re going to believe me, will you believe in my plan too?”
He’ll listen to me because he doesn’t seem to be able to come up with a sharp move. It’s a road that’s blocked in front and back anyway.
“I’ll listen to it then decide.”
“No. Not with that vague attitude. Please give me a definite answer. We don’t have time.”
“……Alright.”
The Grand Duke nodded reluctantly.
More and more people glanced at Grand Duke Noctis with a serious look on his face as he had so much to say with the woman he had taken hostage.
“Listen to me. I don’t want any mistakes.”
***
The flag of the Knights of Perus was fluttering along the strong wind of the Blue Gorge.
The black flag embroidered with a roaring golden lion resembled its owner.
“Ha, they’re in high spirits.”
The captain of the Empress’ Knights, who was secretly pursuing them, laughed with a sneer.
“Captain, when are we going to start the operation?”
“If we fight head-on, we will lose. Once they enter more rugged terrain, we will ambush them.”
“I understand.”
There was only one order they received.
“Kill everyone but the Duke. Clean even the secret bloodline of the family of Bevenia.”
No one was unaware who the last word meant. The shame of Bevenia. Flotty Bevenia.
Although her face is unknown, it will be easy to recognize her because of her purple hair and gray eyes which is opposite of the unique traits of Bevenia.
“If they venture further inside the valley, they will arrive at a rocky road. We will only aim for the carriage that the princess might ride.”
“Yes, captain!”
Everything went smoothly. As the empress said, the Duke and Duchess of Bevenia succeeded in escaping safely, and all they had left was the servants and the helpless princess.
No matter how much she begged and crawled to the Grand Duke of Noctis, he has had a long hard time chasing the Duke of Bevenia, so he won’t be bothered by a small woman disappearing.
“Captain…the Knights of Perus suddenly start climbing the mountain range on the left.”
“What?”
A scout in the front row rushed in with a telescope.
The Knights of Perus, who were about to run nonstop to the territory, were climbing a rough mountain range as he said.
“All of a sudden….”
Are they trying to find a place to camp even though it hasn’t been long since they left? The captain had no choice but to question their unexpected behavior.
“Their behavior is suspicious. Did they notice our existence?”
“No. That won’t be the case. If it was Grand Duke Noctis, he would have tried to catch us.”
There was no way that a man famous for his fierce temper would run away from his enemy. Wouldn’t it be better if he rushed to cut his enemy’s throat?
“If we stop here, it will be more misunderstood. What shall we do, captain?”
It was a knight of the Empress disguised as an ordinary merchant so that Denver would not recognize them.
The Royal Guard, which was created without the Emperor’s knowledge, had no emblem, no uniform, nor the faces of knights, because they had to hide everything in order to deal with Grand Duke Noctis.
“We march slowly. Don’t look at the Knights.”
He had a strong feeling that things were going wrong, but the captain couldn’t stop.
To deal with Denver from the front was like choosing to die.
For some reason, the Knights, who had been climbing the left mountain range for a long time, began to tie their horses to a large tree.
The captain tilted his head at the actions of the people who visited the campsite, but there was no other way.
Other than walking past them naturally.
“Be natural. For a quick-witted enemy, even a small mistake leads to death.”
He remained vigilant and reached below where the Knights had settled. A small stream flows to the side, and only the refreshing sound of birds was heard in the deserted canyon. On the surface, it was a very peaceful landscape.
“It’s strange. It’s still a long way to go before dark…….”
The knight’s horse, who was slowly riding next to the captain of the knights, was like a signal.
A gentle breeze in the warm sunshine. Nothing indicated the catastrophe that would come.
Kuru, bang!
A roar that was loud enough to tear their eardrum started from the mountain range on the right.
Rocks and piles of dirt, which began to roll slowly from the steep cliff, were falling at the speed of the blink of an eye, aiming for the head of the knights.
“A, avoid! It’s a landslide!”
“……oh, damn it!”
If the sky collapsed, would it look like this?
“Arrrggghhh!”
“Captain, you have to avoid…… Argh!”
The sudden fall of darkness was inevitable, no matter how heavily trained a knight is.
It took less than a minute for a terrible landslide to devour the knights. Even the desperate screams of the knights disappeared under the deep mud.
“Ugh…”
He thought he could understand a little bit of the death row’s mind waiting for the sharp blade on the guillotine. The rocks that rolled mercilessly crammed the carts and knights without mercy.
“U, ugh…….”
He was crushed by a small rock and injured in one leg, but the captain was able to save his life. It was thanks to the commander of the unit who pushed him away and was crushed to death by a rock instead.
“Hey, Millen, wake up. Millen!”
The captain trembled at the unbelievable fact.
It was an unforeseen accident.
He only followed the order of the Empress and followed the order of the Knights of Perus, and tried to capture the princess of Bevenia, who was useless but could be a future disaster.
“Wait…the Knights of Perus……?”
It was at that moment that a warning crossed his mind.
Now that his men were crushed to death by the rocks, he remembered that the Perus Knights they were chasing were climbing the next mountain range.
When the captain turned his head to find them,
“Congratulations on your survival.”
On his neck was pointed the sharp sword of Grand Duke Noctis, who had already descended from the mountainside.