It was when he was about to finish the inspection schedule earlier than scheduled and return to the Imperial Palace.
âYou look so happy today.â
Wilhelm narrowed his brows and asked at Coltonâs sneaking words.
âMe?â
âYes. Youâve been laughing since a while ago.â
âNo way. You must have heard it wrong.â
âNo, Iâm not. Iâm sure you laughed.â
He didnât remember laughing, but why did he keep laughing? He was going to say something because he was amazed, but Colton was a little faster.
âYouâre happy to go back and see Prince Louis, arenât you?â
ââŚâ
âItâs a relief that you two seem to get along quite well now.â
In a strange mood, Wilhelm remained silent without realizing it.
It was a strange thing. Coulton obviously put Louis in his mouthâŚ
âWhy was I thinking of the Empress?â
But soon he shook his head. It was quite possible. The Empress was in charge of Louis.
âI heard sheâs busy without sleeping because youâre preparing for Foundation Day. Iâm worried that sheâs getting sick for no reason.â
Whatâs more, Oliviaâs shocking actions would have made her tired even more.
âOh, but you wonât be able to see the prince even if you return to the palace today.â
âWhat does that mean?â
âThe Empress is going to Asterim today, and she is being accompanied by Prince Louis.â
Colton recited the news he had just received throughout the West.
âIt seems that she was worried about Prince Louis, who would be left alone in the Imperial Palace.â
âHmmâŚâ
âYour Majesty, then we shall depart for the Central PalaceâŚ.â
âNo, change the destination.â
Wilhelm interrupted Colton.
âIâm going to Asterim.â
âWhat? Whatâs the matter?âŚ.â
ââŚâ
Wilhelm answered after a momentâs thought.
âI thought it would be fun to go and surprise them.â
Wilhelm, who said such words with a calm face without changing his expression, made Colton somewhat astonished.
However, he showed only cautious skepticism without expressing his feelings.
âYou donât have to go that farâŚ. You must be tired.â
âItâs okay. Iâm not that tired.â
Wilhelm answered calmly.
âIf youâre tired, you should go to the palace first.â
âThatâs enough. Do you think that makes sense?â
Colton refused with a straight face.
âI must follow Your Majesty wherever you goes.â
âThat loyalty, how great.â
Wilhelm praised Colton with a pleased look after a long time.
âWell, then letâs go.â
~~~~
The middle point between the road from the Central Palace to Asterim and the road from Wilhelm to Asterim was the destination he was thinking of.
There was a lake where you could feed the horses, and it was also a place where most travelers rested.
Wilhelm tried to surprise the two of them there.
Wilhelm, who arrived earlier than Anastasia by using horses rather than crushed, was resting while waiting for her carriage to arrive.
Finally, Anastasiaâs carriage stopped at the shore of the lake.
âWill you be surprised?â
It was when Wilhelm, who had closed the book he was reading, got up from his seat and was about to go to Anastasiaâs carriage.
âOh, the horse thats pulling Her Majestyâs carriageâŚ!â
Suddenly, the horse ran into a trot and ran without a coach, and Wilhelmâs heart began to beat rapidly when he saw it.
âNoâŚâ
His head twisted like a skein and drove him into a panic, but he didnât have time to stand still.
âHey!â
Wilhelm hurriedly got on his horse and followed Anastasiaâs wagon.
âThat horse, it must have eaten maniac grass.â
The situation was very similar to that time three years ago. His mind was dizzy, as if he was in a state of panic.
It felt like his breath was choking at the thought that perhaps the same tragedy might be repeated.
âNo, you canât dieâŚâ
Only with that thought, Wilhelm maximized the horseâs speed.
Finally, he got close to the carriage, and quickly pulled out the sword and cut the chain between the carriage and the horse.
Slice!
The carriage and the horse were separated with a sharp sound, but inertia continued to drive the carriage to the brink of death.
âPleaseâŚâ
Desperately hoping to stop the carriage, he tried to stop it, but it had already left his hand.
âAnastasia!â
With a scream, Wilhelm reached out his reach for the falling carriage beneath the cliff.
~~~~
â⌠Ugh.â
Anastasia, who had closed her eyes tightly while hugging herself as tightly as possible to Louis, slowly opened her eyes.
ââŚAm I alive?â
Anastasia looked around her body with her puzzled face.
Her bones throbbed as she bumped to and fro, but given that she had fallen off a cliff from a moving carriage, it was safe to say that she was hardly hurt.
âHow did I get out of it?â
Anastasia couldnât believe this situation, so she opened the window of the carriage and looked around.
And she immediately realized why she had survived.
âI should thank Goddess RoseniaâŚâ
The carriage fell over the thick forest of trees. Her leaves acted as a cushion, and she seemed to be safe because she kept the wagon from getting stabbed by her branches.
âAh! Louis?â
Anastasia belatedly checked the condition of Louis in her arms. He was also seemingly fine.
âLouis, Louis. Can you hear me?â
Anastasia urged Louis to wake up.
But Louis showed no signs of waking up.
Frightened, Anastasia put her finger under Louisâs nose, feeling his breathing smoothly.
Only then could Anastasia breathe a sigh of relief.
â⌠thank god.â
Perhaps he lost consciousness for a moment at his shock as the carriage crashed. Anastasia laid Louis back down and pulled herself out of the window and looked around her.
Fortunately, the wagon was held securely by overlapping branches, thanks to the fact that it fell onto a canopy straight up from a wooden pole.
âShall I go down?â
She couldnât get Louis out of the wagon by herself.
Anastasia decided to go outside and ask for help.
âWilhelm knows Iâve fallen here, so heâll be coming down.â
She opened the carriageâs door and cut her self-defense dagger into a wooden pole, and then she carefully descended.
âBy the way⌠⌠How did Wilhelm know about this place?â
She didnât have time until recently to think because she was going through the crossroads of life and death, but as soon as she sighed, she began to wonder.
âI sent a letter about going to Asterim, but thereâs no reason to come here.â
Anastasia, lost in thought for a moment, immediately shook her head. It was an inappropriate idea for her now.
âFor now, letâs just focus on returning to the Imperial Palace safely.â
After a while, Anastasia jumped down gently from a suitable height.
As she safely set her feet on her land, she sighed again with her sigh of relief.
âItâs a shame. I wore an activity dress, I almost got in trouble.â
As she moved to and fro and looked around her, she seemed to have a rough idea of the terrain.
âOh, if you go down that road, you can go up.â
There was a cliff with stairs on each floor. It was not a safe road, but it seemed the safest among the surrounding terrain.
âLetâs go over thereâŚâ
This was when Anastasia was meticulously examining her terrain and planning her way out.
-puck!
Something bluntly hit Anastasiaâs back.
âAhâŚâ
Anastasia stumbled forward with a thin groan. A strong blow to the head caused severe dizziness.
As she managed to move her body and slowly turn around, she saw Olivia holding a large stone and staring at her with a terrifying face.
Anastasia was stunned by the unexpected person she encountered in a completely unexpected place.
âHere⌠how.â
âYou wicked witch.â
Olivia, who opened her mouth in a dreary voice, strode up to Anastasia with a large stone.
âYou almost killed my baby! Whereâs my baby? Whereâs my baby!â
Anastasia could not grasp the situation at all. She didnât understand how on earth Olivia managed to get there.
But one thing was certain.
âShe doesnât know where Louis was yet.â
âThis damn thing! Youâve got Louis involved! Why donât you die once instead of making me work twice?â
Olivia came closer to Anastasia, and Anastasia, who had already reached her limit, slumped to the spot. Her head was pounding and she couldnât keep balance at all.
âItâs going well, donât worry too much. I will take good care of His Majesty and Louis.â
ââŚLady, why do you think Louis is alive?â
When Anastasia laughed and asked, Oliviaâs eyes shook quickly.
âWhat does that mean?â
âDidnât you realize when you saw me alone here?â
Anastasia kept provoking Olivia in the midst of difficulties. Oliviaâs eyes shook faster and faster.
âDo I look like I have the personality to move around leaving Louis alone?â
âWhat the hell are you talking about?âŚ!â
âAre you going to kill me? Yeah, try and kill me!â
Anastasia exclaimed loudly and provoked Olivia in confusion.
âBut as long as Louis is dead, you will never become Empress!â
âHow, how dare youâŚ!â
Olivia, who lost her reason at the words, screamed at Anastasia, and Anastasia took out the dagger she had hidden while Olivia was so excited and slowed down her movement and swung it.
âArgh!â
Olivia screamed and clasped her left eye, but it was only a moment.
Even more excited, she grabbed Anastasia by the neck and stopped her from moving.
âHow dare youâŚ!â
It was that moment.
âUgh!â
Olivia fell over Anastasiaâs stomach with a shout.
Anastasia looked at Olivia with her eyes enlarged.
There was an arrow stuck in the back.
âWhat theâŚâ
âAnastasia!â
Then, someone rushed up to Anastasia.
Anastasia was surprised at first when she saw the man who appeared in front of her, but was soon relieved.