Please Kill Me - Chapter 110

However, once a gap has opened, it’s difficult to close. Chasing Leonid, who was escaping just out of reach, was proving to be more challenging than Sergei had anticipated with his injured horse.

Therefore, Sergei, who was initially confident, soon realized that the situation was turning against him.

‘This isn’t good.’

When was the last time he had personally chased someone on horseback? He was usually the one giving orders, showing up leisurely once the situation was under control. Sergei always had his assassins in place to handle such pursuits. It wasn’t his job to engage directly.

But now the situation is bad.

This was an imperial hunting party, and he couldn’t deploy his assassins in the forest. Furthermore, mistaking Olga for Yekaterina had led him deep into the unfamiliar woods, making it easy to get lost.

The injured horse was visibly tiring, and the unfamiliar paths kept Sergei on edge, drying his mouth with tension. Meanwhile, Leonid continued to navigate the forest swiftly and flawlessly, almost as if mocking Sergei.

‘How does he manage to escape so effortlessly?’

Riding a horse through the forest wasn’t just about leaping over obstacles. There were hidden stones and roots that could trip the horse, and taking the wrong path could lead to getting lost or even falling off a cliff.

When being pursued, the most crucial thing was not to take a wrong turn, which could force a detour, allowing the pursuer to catch up. Yet, Leonid hadn’t deviated once, as if he knew exactly where to go. It was as if he had prepared a path for this exact scenario.

Thanks to this, the distance between them did not close, and it was Sergei who began to tire. He had no idea where he was being led.

‘If it weren’t for these damned trees, I could shoot my bow!’

Sergei clenched his teeth.

However, this did not mean Sergei was at a disadvantage. As long as he didn’t give up, he could catch him. Just as Sergei resolved himself and spurred his foam-mouthed horse, something caught his eye below the forest path.

“….!”

A young man with silver-blue hair riding a horse. Though he appeared as small as a thumb, it wasn’t difficult to recognize him.

“Dmitry!”

Sergei shouted the young man’s name with a mix of joy and malice, his voice loud enough to tear his throat.

“Shoot your bow! Shoot!!”

The horse that had been galloping fiercely in front of Sergei, heard the command and began to slow down. This unexpected turn of events brought tension to Leonid’s face.

‘Already? The second wave of hunters has entered the forest?’

From the beginning, Leonid’s goal was to finish the situation before the second wave of hunters arrived. With them involved, the situation could become much more chaotic. However, the vast spread of people meant that too much time had passed without his noticing.

‘Of all places, here!’

Leonid cursed inwardly as he glanced back. Sergei, confident of his victory, was chasing him with a vile smile on his face. Just a bit further down the slope, the forest’s edge from where they started would come into view. Or rather, it didn’t need to be that far. Reaching the vicinity and shouting would be enough to draw attention.

Leonid had intentionally navigated deep into the forest, considering this plan. But Dmitry, appearing as if he had read Leonid’s mind and blocked the path.

‘Of all paths, a narrow one…’

Leonid’s mouth went dry. There was no time to waste. Dmitry already had an arrow nooked to his bow.

‘Can I dodge? Or should I break through?’

Theoretically, slowing down and maneuvering sideways to avoid them would be the standard approach.

However, the path they were on was a gently sloping forest trail. No matter how much he slowed down, it was impossible to stop a galloping horse completely. Furthermore, just a step to the side lay a steep cliff.

There was no way to dodge sideways, and both front and back were blocked—a situation where he was completely surrounded.

‘No choice, then.’

There was no time left to hesitate. With a ringing sound, Leonid’s long sword was drawn from its scabbard. His grip tightened on the reins. Stopping suddenly on such a slope meant risking a fall along with the horse.

He needed to slow the horse as much as possible, block Dmitry’s arrow, and break through to gain speed again. The moment he resolved to do this, Dmitry’s hand released the bowstring.

The arrow flew, piercing through the air, but not Leonid.

A scream echoed through the forest. The person hit by the arrow wasn’t Leonid.

In that moment of confusion, Leonid hesitated slightly.

A horse galloped past Leonid from behind, but the saddle was empty. Sergei, who had been chasing Leonid, was nowhere to be seen.