Leahâs voice cracked, hoarse from screaming. Ishakan brought out a silk rope to tie her wrists and ankles together.
âThe King of the Kurkans is carrying out a bride kidnapping,â he explained nonchalantly.
Her heart dropped, but the conversation would not continue for much longer. She felt weak, probably due to whatever liquid he had made her drink. Her vision blurred and her consciousness rapidly faded.
âPlease⊠donât do thisâŠâ Leah muttered helplessly.
Ishakan stared at her.
âYou can hate me, Leah,â he whispered softly.
Her trembling eyelids closed. For a while, he held her body and then carefully put her to bed in the carriage.To keep her from being shaken around, he wrapped her with cushions and blankets, then slid out of the carriage and shut the door.
The Kurkans galloped on. They continued relentlessly, only stopping before the exhausted horses collapsed, long after the sun went down and darkness spread over the plain. Heat steamed from the horsesâ bodies. They had traveled a long way without rest and were taken to stables to be fed and watered.
At Geninâs instructions, the Kurkans brought out new horses. They had prepared this base beforehand. As they quickly changed horses, Haban looked up at the sky and whistled in three times. The screech of a hawk echoed in response, and a moment later, a large hawk landed on his shoulder.
As Haban stroked the bird and gave it chunks of meat, Genin untied the small paper tied to its leg and read it, frowning. She destroyed the paper and informed Ishakan.
âThe royal family has begun a pursuit. According to the message, the Crown Prince himself is leading it.â
âSooner than I expected.â He frowned. He had bribed nobles to learn the route of the wedding procession, then altered their reports with lies. It would take the Kurkans three weeks to reach the frontier. They couldnât avoid pursuit from the royal family, but they had to reach the desert before Byun Gyeonbaek learned of the situation.
And there was the problem with Leah. According to Morga, the person who had brainwashed her could easily track her down. The potion they had made her drink would help avoid it, and Morga was using magic to interfere with the Queenâs spells.
âWhat about matters related to the Queen, Morga?â
âAt the moment you donât have to worry, but from now on Iâd better stay close to the Princess,â Morga replied, wiping sweat from his forehead.
âAll right, do so.â Ishakan gave his permission and moved toward the other Kurkans. They would make a final inspection before departing.
Morga approached the carriage with a deep sigh. He didnât have the nerve to open the carriage door. Genin watched him stare at it regretfully and finally opened the door for him, and even helped him into the carriage in a show of solidarity.
âThank you, Genin.â
âYou donât have to thank me for this. Take care of her, Morga.â
Morga nodded solemnly, but as soon as the door closed, he sighed again, crumbling onto a seat. The Queenâs power was stronger than he expected. It was like torture, trying to block it alone.
The carriage began to move again soon after, and from then on, they would continue without stopping until they reached the next base. Wiping away sweat with his sleeves, Morga looked at the Princess.
She was sleeping, bound with silk rope and wrapped in blankets and cushions. If the potion worked correctly and hindered the Queenâs spells, she would sleep until they reached the desert. As he calculated the time remaining, he pulled a crystal orb from an inner pocket over his chest. Black smoke swirled inside the glowing orb. It was a tool he didnât use often, but under the circumstances, he was forced to pull it out.
âLetâs go with thisâŠâ Morga muttered, placing a rosemary leaf on the Princessâs forehead. He saw the binding on her wrists as he bent over her. They had restrained her to keep her from jumping out of the moving carriage if she woke up, and he looked with pity at the slender wrists. If the potion was working, it should be okay to untie them. But the instant he untied it, something happened.
ââŠâŠ!â
With a loud noise, a crack appeared in the crystal orb and Morga slumped over, nauseous. Although everything was spinning before his eyes, the first thing he did was check on the Princess. Her closed eyelids slowly lifted, revealing her beautiful purple eyes. They stared straight ahead, unfocused, and then slowly turned toward Morga. Unconsciously, he held his breath as he looked at her.
Read Latest Chapters at wuxiaworld.eu
Her small body rose and her white hand grabbed Morgaâs neck, and goosebumps rose all over his body as she tried to strangle him. Morga leaped up and slid the curtains back, punching through the carriage window to shout.
âStop! Stop!â
He had made a mistake. Even though they were being pursued, they had to stop immediately. Morga shouted again, this time so loudly the veins rose in his neck.
âStop the carriage now! Quickly!â
It wasnât just brainwashing. She had already become the Queenâs puppet.