Chapter 65
The cold voice seeped through the door crack, and Giorno’s steadfast eyes wavered violently. As if steadying himself, Giorno took a deep breath and cut the tightly knotted rope coiled around the doorknob. Thud. The moment the fabric hit the floor, the door burst open, and Valen stepped inside. Just by looking at the sword in his hand, it was clear how grueling the journey to get here had been. With each step he took, bright red blood dripped from the razor-sharp blade.
His scanning gaze locked onto the figure by the bed. Only after thoroughly checking Roseline from head to toe, as if confirming her safety, did he slowly turn his head. His eyes moved slowly, but his sword swiftly targeted Giorno.
“W-what are you doing? Why are you acting like this, Your Highness?”
Roseline, who had been watching in bated breath, rushed forward and grabbed his arm. Valen, pressing the sword against Giorno’s throat, didn’t even flinch.
“You tell me. What do you think I’m doing?”
“I have no excuse, Your Highness.”
Giorno closed his eyes as if resigned. It was madness, enough to make anyone lose their mind. Roseline clung to Valen’s arm, shaking it desperately. A fleeting red hue flashed in her gray-blue eyes before vanishing.
“You’re taking his side.”
“…What?”
“Ah, so you planned this on purpose. Causing a commotion so the two of you could escape in the chaos?”
“What are you talking about? You were the one who started this. You tied me up and left, and I almost ended up as chopped meat if not for Sir Giorno saving me.”
“No, my lady. If I had conducted the search more thoroughly, this wouldn’t have happened.”
What admirable loyalty.
“How touching.”
But the power-drunk ruler twisted even such beautiful loyalty, pressing the blade harder. It seemed he misunderstood, thinking Giorno had intervened for Roseline’s sake.
Gasp. Roseline sucked in a sharp breath and immediately cast a protective barrier over Giorno. The sharp glint in Valen’s eyes sliced through the air as it turned toward her.
“Explain. I’ll listen.”
“What is there to explain?”
“What’s your reason for desperately trying to save him?”
“So I should just stand by and watch? Let a murder happen right in front of me?”
Afraid her voice might crack, she clenched her teeth and spoke each word deliberately. A scorching gaze bore down on her. As if gauging her sincerity, he silently studied Roseline’s crumpled expression and hardened eyes. Meanwhile, Roseline slowly lowered his sword-wielding wrist.
“Let’s just say all three of us were at fault, and we can sort out the rights and wrongs once we’re back at the smithy. If we stay here any longer, we’ll all die, okay?”
“The lady is right, Your Highness. Let us return for now.”
Good grief.
The sudden presence startled me so much I nearly screamed. It was the guild master who had come with Valen. The silver-haired knight, Sir Cedric, was with them as well. When Roseline flinched and jumped, Valen’s eyes slid sideways, and he sheathed his sword. Then, pulling a key from his pocket, he fully unlocked the chains dangling from Roseline’s wrists before taking her hand.
“Let’s go.”
This didn’t seem like the time to argue over holding hands, so Roseline followed without a word. The weather felt like it could unleash anything at any moment. Somewhere in the ashen streets, it almost seemed like something might leap out at them.
Was the smithy always this far?
Just as she couldn’t relax her guard and kept glancing around—
Valen came to an abrupt halt in the middle of a five-way intersection and tightened his grip on her hand.
“Roseline.”
“Yes?”
“Barrier.”
Only then did Roseline realize her barrier had dissipated. Barriers naturally fade over time. Recasting one wasn’t difficult, but the real question was—why did she need one right now?
The conversation felt oddly familiar.
The first day they reunited here. The day the pillar had collapsed without warning. Right before the infected attacked, he had told her to raise a barrier then, too.
“……”
Roseline’s uneasy gaze darted around.
Grrrkk—
A staggering shadow emerged onto the ashen street. Limp arms, blood dripping like threads from a shattered jaw. Eyes glowing crimson, like bats in a cave.
“KREEEEEEE!”
From every direction of the five-way street, infected surged forward like a tidal wave.
“I’ll draw them away!”
“Fall back, Your Highness!”
The knights immediately readied for battle. The guild master covered the rear, while Cedric and Giorno shielded Valen’s front.
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