Chapter 9
Chapter 9
Benedict, as if entering his own home, opened the heavy iron gate without hesitation and stepped inside. It was a familiar space, often used for official city business.
“Welcome, Your Grace! I’ve been waiting.” A bribed guard bowed deeply, his eyes gleaming with curiosity. “I heard you’re looking for the prisoners to be auctioned tomorrow afternoon. If you could describe their features, I can find and bring them to…”
“I’ll manage.”
“Ah! Yes, yes! Of course.” The guard, sensing the warning in the cool voice, quickly backed away. “Then I’ll keep watch outside! Please take your time.”
Benedict began to descend the stairs. The sound of his footsteps echoed briefly, then faded. Reaching the corridor lined with barred cells, he paused, assessing the space. The sparsely lit basement was draped in shadows. Indifferent to the groans and sobs of pain, he turned towards the right corridor. Soon, he found his target.
“Please, open your eyes. You can’t lose consciousness.” The soft voice led him straight to her.
The woman hovered anxiously over a collapsed prisoner, pressing a blanket to their wrist. The blood, however, continued to spread, staining the area crimson.
“What should I do? The bleeding is so severe…” She looked around desperately, but no one cared. Most had long since collapsed into an exhausted sleep.
‘Let’s see what she does.’ Benedict observed with interest, his patience easily granted. The sight of her round, pink eyes had miraculously eased his headache. The woman’s usefulness was now clear.
‘Come on, move.’ Benedict’s gaze sharpened, anticipating her next action.
* * *
Hilde covered the prisoner with the ruined blanket. Relief washed over her as their pallid complexion returned and their breathing evened out.
‘…Thank you for saving me.’ The prisoner murmured before drifting into a sleep as deep as unconsciousness. For Hilde, it was enough. She had braced herself for accusations, for being blamed for interfering.
Exhaustion, born of hunger and sleepless nights, crashed over her. Her eyelids fluttered closed.
“Hey.” The clang of metal against metal startled Hilde awake. A guard was rapping on the bars. “There’s no time. Come out quickly.”
“What?”
“I said come out!” The guard’s impatience propelled him to grab her arm and pull her roughly through the bars.
“Follow me.”
By the time they emerged from the prison, the sun was beginning to set. Hilde instinctively shielded her eyes from the fiery hues painting the sky. A few days in the underground cell had made the world above feel alien.
As she blinked, adjusting to the fading light, the guard whispered, “Someone is looking for you.”
“…For me?”
“A very important person. They’ll be here soon to collect you. Just wait and follow them… D*mn it!” The guard cursed under his breath, then hurried her into a shadowy corner of the building. “Stay here quietly. They’ll be here soon. Don’t even think about running. This area is surrounded by forest. You’ll be ripped apart by wild animals.” With that chilling threat, he rushed back to where they had just been.
“What brings you here?”
Hilde watched, holding her breath, as the guard greeted the arriving knights, his face slick with sweat. She realized these weren’t the expected guests. And with that realization came another, more crucial one.
‘Now is my only chance to escape.’ From the moment she heard that someone important was looking for her, a familiar terror had begun to creep up from her toes. ‘Perhaps something even more terrifying awaits me.’ Instinct took over.
By the time she regained her senses, she was sprinting towards the forest.
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