Chapter 59
One year ago.
When Ysaris looked back, being chased by something unknown…
“What the…? It’s a person?”
Screech! Squeak!
A griffin, repeatedly shoving its head towards her for some inexplicable reason, and a woman on its back, looking down at her with curiosity.
“Sorry for scaring you. I didn’t think it would charge so suddenly… Hold still!”
Thud!
Screech…
The griffin, which had been sniffing Ysaris all over, was smacked on the back of its head and drooped, looking sulky. The scene was so comical that Ysaris suddenly felt all her tension drain away, and she slumped to the ground.
A pounding headache hit her as the aftereffects of her recent fever caught up with her. Struggling to regulate her breathing, Ysaris tried to get up, but when her body wouldn’t cooperate, she gave up and looked up at the woman.
“Excuse me, but who… might you be?”
There was a reason for her uncertain tone.
First of all, the robe the woman was wearing was clearly made of very luxurious material. Her delicate features, too refined for a commoner, and the way she casually spoke in informal language made her identity even more suspicious.
To begin with, the idea of riding a griffin was absurd.
After all, griffins were known as monsters that couldn’t be tamed.
“A passing traveler? Well, my identity isn’t really important.”
The woman brushed it off nonchalantly, eyeing Ysaris with curiosity.
“But I’m curious about you. This is the first time Pin has reacted like this.”
“Reacted like this…?”
“Yeah, he’s practically dying to eat you up. He didn’t even act like this when I gave him a special treat.”
Ysaris recoiled at the chilling words. She considered running away again, but with her body in this condition, escaping a griffin was out of the question.
Winning over its master’s favor seemed more realistic.
The thought had barely crossed her mind when words burst out reflexively.
“Please help me.”
“Hm?”
“Could you take me with you?”
Ysaris quickly assessed the situation. If she could gain this woman’s help, not only could she survive, but she might also be able to fake her death and escape.
A once-in-a-lifetime chance.
Since she would have to live as a commoner if she succeeded in fleeing, she didn’t bother asserting her status. Instead, she used polite language with this stranger, humbly and desperately asking for her aid.
“If you help me, I’ll find a way to repay you. I can give you everything I have. So please…”
“Sorry, but I’m not interested in wealth. I don’t want to get tangled up with nobles either.”
Ysaris was left speechless at the immediate rejection. While the reason for the refusal made sense, she was taken aback by the fact that the woman had recognized her as a noble and still had such an attitude.
Who is this person?
As Ysaris struggled to find her words, the woman with dark blue hair shrugged her shoulders.
“Besides, what makes you think you can trust me? I could just kidnap you and sell you off to a slaver or throw you to Pin as a snack.”
“If you were that kind of person, you would’ve taken me with you right away.”
“What if I was just pretending to be nice?”
“Even so, I would still ask for your help. Whatever kind of person you are, following you would be better than staying here.”
Ysaris’s blue eyes locked with the woman’s golden ones, both searching the other’s gaze, probing each other’s intentions.
Munch, munch.
In the quiet that followed, the griffin, sneakily chewing on the hem of Ysaris’s clothes, received a swift punch to the back of its head.
Whack!
Screech!
“This darn thing…! Anyway, what’s your name?”
Ysaris, who had been so focused on the woman that she hadn’t noticed the griffin’s behavior, hurriedly gathered her clothes. She hesitated for a moment about whether to give a fake name, but something told her that lying might make the woman turn her back on her. So she decided to reveal her true identity.
“Ysaris. Ysaris Tennilath.”
“Tennilath? As in the Tennilath of Uzephia?”
“Yes, I am the Empress, for now.”
Ysaris answered cautiously, watching the woman closely. The woman was clearly surprised, but it seemed more due to the name “Tennilath” than the fact that she was an Empress.
As if to confirm Ysaris’s suspicion, the woman’s demeanor remained unchanged even after learning she was the Empress. Instead, her eyes sparkled with interest, and she brazenly looked Ysaris up and down.
“Ah, that explains it… What, did you kill your husband and run away or something?”
“What?”
Ysaris’s mouth fell open at the woman’s outrageous remark. But the woman continued, unfazed by her shock.
“The blood on your clothes, it’s not from a Tennilath, is it? Pin’s acting woozy, so it must be.”
“…!”
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