Chapter 28
‘Rather than that, it might be better to get scratched up in a scuffle to capture them.’
As Leonid observed the shadow creeping closer on the bed, calculating the right moment to act, suddenly, the blanket covering them was abruptly pulled away.
More precisely, the blanket was thrown over the assassin.
Simultaneously, Yekaterina, who had sprung up as if propelled, drew a dagger from her left thigh and hurled it directly at the assassin.
“Ugh!”
The dagger pierced through both the blanket and the assassin. Despite being hit, the assassin managed to throw off the blanket and drew their own blade.
The dagger had struck slightly above the assassin’s heart, near the shoulder and left a mark.
Clicking her tongue, Yekaterina drew a slightly longer blade from her right thigh and charged at the assassin.
The moment the assassin lunged at Yekaterina with their blade, she agilely leaped to avoid the attack and spun around to strike the assassin’s neck.
A breathless silence followed.
After staggering a few steps, the assassin collapsed to the floor.
Thud. The dull sound of a body hitting the ground signaled the end of the encounter.
The events had unfolded so swiftly that Leonid was momentarily dazed.
“…Is he dead?”
“I killed him.”
It seemed like Yekaterina murmured something akin to envy.
However, aside from Yekaterina’s sentiments, the situation wasn’t exactly pleasant for Leonid.
“I was trying to capture him alive.”
“Sorry, but that was foolish. That one couldn’t speak. Our family’s assassins are given a potion that ruins their vocal cords.”
Yekaterina’s added explanation sharpened Leonid’s gaze.
“So, this assassin was sent by Offenbach? How can you be so sure?”
“It was initially a hunch. I heard the sound of tapping on the drainpipe.”
A sound so slight, like double tapping, that it could be mistaken for water.
“Our family’s assassins use this method to check if a room is empty. They tap on the drainpipe and listen to the echo to gauge the room’s condition. It’s so subtle that it’s no surprise you didn’t notice.”
Yekaterina added that she might not have realized it herself if she wasn’t from Offenbach.
“And I’m sorry for intruding into your bedroom in the middle of the night.”
“That’s alright. If it weren’t for you, I might have missed it.”
Not that I would have been killed by the assassin, but that I might have missed catching them. Leonid’s statement overflowed with confidence, even though he was unarmed and had supposedly injured one arm.
However, Yekaterina knew that even without weapons, Leonid wouldn’t have been seriously harmed.
With the power to confront a first-grade monster alone, a mere assassin wouldn’t stand a chance against him. Probably, it would take at least five elites to even pose a threat to his level.
Then, one possible answer emerges.
‘The assassin wasn’t sent to kill Leonid.’
Assassins usually don’t operate alone. Especially on a mission to assassinate someone, they tend to move in groups of two or three, even if the target is deemed easy. However, the assassin that showed up today was alone, and no other presence was felt outside.
So, who from Offenbach, and for what purpose, sent an assassin to Rostislav?
“Did you, by any chance, anger my father?”
“Sergei Offenbach and I have been at odds not just since yesterday. Just today, we had another clash.”
That might be the reason. Yekaterina responded while wrapping the body in a blanket.
“It seems you’ve really gotten on my father’s bad side.”
“Of course.”
“And it seems the security of the mansion is quite lax.”
“Thanks to whom I realized that today.”
With a three-shift rotation of only elite soldiers on guard, and yet there have already been two intruders.
This kept Leonid wide awake.
It seems a visit to the estate to replace the soldiers might be in order. With these troubled thoughts, Leonid rubbed his face, feeling a persistent gaze from the side.
There could be no one else. It was Yekaterina’s gaze.
No matter how much he tried to avoid it, that dark gaze was inescapable. Leonid eventually spoke with a displeased expression.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Ah, just thinking.”
“About what?”
“About how this won’t be the last attempt at intrusion.”
“Right, that’s likely. That’s why I was planning to change the guards.”
“No, it’s not about the guards. No matter how tightly you wrap your coat, the cold wind will find its way in. Assassins are the same. No matter how strong the security, there will always be a gap for them to sneak through. Especially those raised by Offenbach. Failure in their mission means death, so they’re desperate.”
It’s unavoidable. If the opponent is risking their life, there’s no way to prevent their approach.
Yekaterina knew this all too well, as she was raised the same way.
She glanced at the body wrapped in the blanket, then turned her gaze back to Leonid.
“I’m from Offenbach, and even if you’re strong, I’m better at dealing with assassins.”
“And?”
“You have to kill me, so you can’t afford to be even slightly harmed by some assassin.”
As naturally as stating the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, Yekaterina said.
“From tomorrow, let’s sleep together.”
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