Chapter 41
“Protect His Majesty!”
“Damn it, light the way! Ignite the fire!”
“My body feels so heavy… Ugh!”
Clang, clash, the loud sound of weapons broke the dawn. Shouts and screams echoed from all directions.
Ysaris couldn’t understand what was happening, but she instinctively realized.
This is the moment. She needs to escape now.
Even if it costs her life.
…Determined, as soon as she opened the tent door, her wrist was grabbed and pulled.
“Empress!”
“Your Majesty?!”
Her voice faltered with extreme surprise.
Ysaris tried hard to control her breathing, feeling like her heart was going to jump out of her throat. Because of the rain, there were barely any living fires, so she had to rely on the faint moonlight.
A pitch-black forest. A pitch-black man.
And, red eyes.
Ysaris suddenly felt a sense of déjà vu but couldn’t identify what it was. There was no time for that.
Kazhan, muttering low curses, abruptly pulled her and started running.
“The situation is bad. The knights were poisoned. Follow me.”
“Your Majesty, wait, which group exactly… Ugh!”
Ysaris, panting as she followed, tripped over a tree root.
No, she almost tripped.
“Careful!”
Kazhan quickly grabbed her waist and lifted her into his arms.
“I don’t know their identity. But they are all at least knight level. We were completely caught off guard.”
Kazhan ran, holding Ysaris in a princess carry as if it was the most natural thing. It took her a moment to understand what was happening.
“I see.”
“Yes. For now, we need to escape, and later find out who they belong to.”
…Is she the only one who feels this situation is strange and awkward?
Ysaris, nestled in Kazhan’s arms, remained silent and sighed.
Since they were under attack, it was only natural for him to act differently than usual. It would be strange to be conscious of it.
Instead of questioning Kazhan’s strange attitude, Ysaris focused on another matter.
“Did you say poison?”
Could it be that they were affected by the sleeping pills she administered? If so, Is she responsible for their deaths?
Ysaris asked with a chilling feeling, and Kazhan frowned.
“It’s not exactly poison. It seems they mixed a stimulant into the food. No wonder the knights were overly active. I realized it too late.”
“A stimulant?”
“Yes. It forces the body to use energy, making one lively for a certain period. They were attacked when the side effects left them completely drained.”
Crafty bastards. Ysaris nodded at Kazhan’s chilling voice.
So that’s why the sleeping pills didn’t work at all. It might have actually neutralized the stimulant.
“Then, what about Your Majesty…?”
“I skipped the meal. If I had eaten, I would have noticed and prevented it… Ugh!”
Kazhan barely dodged an incoming arrow, his face grim as he changed direction and continued running. Ysaris, who had been asking questions because he was answering so calmly, closed her mouth and tried to assess the escape route.
Groans and grunts indicated that the number of guards following and protecting them was dwindling. The sound of the rain masked the noise of the arrows, making defense even more difficult.
“Huff… Huff, huff…”
Listening to Kazhan’s increasingly rough breathing, Ysaris debated whether she should ask to be put down. She had no confidence in running properly through the rain in such limited visibility, but she was clearly a burden.
…But is there any need to risk himself for an enemy?
If we were to die together instead…
“Ugh!”
“Your Majesty!”
Kazhan stumbled for a moment. Ysaris called out to him instinctively when she saw the arrow lodged in his shoulder, then clenched her fist tightly.
He could have escaped alone, but he got hurt while carrying her, this dead weight. Even though he could have fled alone from the start, abandoning his loyalty to her now was not an option.
“Put me down.”
“No.”
The moment Ysaris spoke with determination, a swift reply came. Momentarily taken aback by his quick refusal, she calmly tried to persuade him.
“It would be better if you run alone rather than carrying me…”
“I said no, Empress.”
Why?
Kazhan’s face, replying through gritted teeth, was hidden in the shadows of the moon. Perhaps it was because of the rain that was still pouring down.
The water dripping from his chin was thick.
“…Your Majesty.”
“Damn it.”
Ysaris flinched. She thought he was swearing at her to shut up, but he wasn’t.
Kazhan, who had stopped in his tracks, put her down and immediately swung his sword.
Swish!
“Stay still, crouch down. It’s a cliff.”
Kazhan, having cut down the incoming arrow, turned completely away from her. Facing the approaching pursuers, he raised his sword and asked.
“Who sent you? Was the invitation from the Kingdom of Hertie a trap from the start?”
“……”
No one answered. The attackers, wrapped tightly in black attire, swung their weapons rather than their tongues.
Kazhan responded with his own sword dance.
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