Chapter 81

When the fireworks had just begun, Johann turned his head to look at Lia.

‘I wonder what kind of expression you’ll have while watching the fireworks.’

Lia, watching the brilliant fireworks burst with a pop, slightly parted her lips and let out a small gasp.

Her emerald eyes sparkled in a myriad of colors.

He gazed at her, completely entranced.

Then, when she tilted her head and looked around, their eyes met.

“…….”

“…….”

Her eyes wavered as if flustered.

‘Oh no, if she asks why I was staring, what should I say?’

But contrary to his worry, Lia simply looked back at him in silence.

If anything, she seemed just as nervous as he was.

He gently covered her tightly clenched fist with his hand.

He wanted to help her relax.

Up close, he could see her cheeks were flushed red.

‘Is it because of the beer?’

She was so lovely like this.

He found it impossible to take his eyes off her.

Thump, thump.

He could feel his heart pounding like crazy.

He saw himself reflected in her sparkling eyes.

Suddenly, on impulse, he leaned in close to Lia’s face.

‘…Please, let her accept me.’

As Lia’s eyelashes trembled like the fluttering wings of a delicate butterfly and her eyes closed, his lips softly landed on her gentle lips.

For him, who had no memories, this kiss was his first.

Hot breaths passed between them.

With the hand that wasn’t held, Lia grabbed the cuff of Johann’s sleeve.

And she lifted her chin a little higher.

His hand softly supported the back of Lia’s head.

After a long kiss, he regretfully parted his lips from hers.

“…Lia.”

A slightly husky voice slipped out.

“…Ah.”

Contrary to his expectation that their feelings had reached each other, her eyes were filled with confusion.

“…I-I should go now.”

Lia, noticeably flustered, suddenly stood up.

“Lia.”

Before he could grab her hand, Lia stood up first and put distance between them.

“Raffy might have woken up. S-so, let’s go quickly.”

“Wait.”

Johann got up to catch her.

‘…Did I make a mistake?’

He thought it was fine since she hadn’t pulled away.

He hurried after her as she walked away quickly without looking back, taking long strides.

“Lia, slow down….”

Pause.

Johann looked around, sensing the presence of murderous intent nearby.

Someone was targeting them.

‘It’s not just one. And….’

He quickly approached Lia and wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

Then, before the startled Lia could shake him off, he turned her to the side.

Whoosh, thud.

At that moment, an arrow flew into the spot where Lia had just been and stuck in the grass.

‘…It was an arrow aimed at Lia.’

He glanced at Lia’s back out of the corner of his eye.

Who, and why.

Because of the sound of fireworks, Lia didn’t notice and, flustered, shook off Johann’s hand.

“Lia.”

“…….”

She avoided Johann’s gaze.

“Was the kiss from earlier unpleasant for you?”

He asked, scanning the surroundings alertly.

‘I need to get her to the carriage without the assassins noticing.’

He didn’t want her to be frightened by the knowledge that someone was targeting them.

“…Later, let’s talk about that later.”

Lia replied, looking as if she might cry.

“…Alright.”

It wasn’t a good idea to talk about it in this situation.

‘…But why is she making that face?’

A chill ran through one side of his chest.

But now wasn’t the time to worry about it.

‘We can talk slowly once we’re back, but for now….’

Another arrow flew towards Lia from a different direction.

A knight, who had been guarding them in the darkness, deflected the arrow and chased after the assassin.

Lia, walking quietly beside him, didn’t notice the arrow or the assassin at all.

The assassins must have timed it with the fireworks so their arrows wouldn’t be noticed, but that worked in Johann’s favor as well.

Johann signaled with his eyes to the knights hidden among the bushes and trees.

‘Move so Lia doesn’t notice, and kill everyone except one.’

The knights moved swiftly and silently to find the assassins who had fired the arrows.

While the knights dealt with the assassins, Johann and Lia reached the carriage.

“…Aren’t you coming with me, Your Grace?”

When Johann didn’t get in and went to close the carriage door, Lia asked in confusion.

“Go on ahead, I have somewhere to stop by for a moment.”

“…Then, I’ll go in first.”

For some reason, he felt bitter when she looked relieved.

“You all, escort the carriage.”

Johann closed the door and ordered the knights.

“Yes, Sir!”

These were the knights who had stayed behind to escort them instead of chasing the assassins.

After sending off the carriage, Johann headed straight for the hill. When he arrived, the knights had already captured all the assassins.

Just as he ordered, only one was left alive.

“There were five of them?”

Johann looked over the corpses with dark, sunken eyes.

“Yes, Sir.”

It was too many for an attempt to kill an ordinary woman.

“And, Your Grace.”

“What is it?”

“The arrows were coated with demonic poison.”

The knight said this and stuck one of the assassin’s arrows into the grass.

As soon as the arrowhead touched the grass, the surrounding blades withered and turned black.

Johann’s brow furrowed deeply.

‘Not only did they target her, but they even tried to kill her with demonic poison?’

He drew a dagger from the knight’s belt and approached the only assassin still breathing.

The assassin was kneeling, his whole body bound.

Rip.

He tore the cloth from the assassin’s mouth with the dagger.

“Tell me right now who’s behind this.”

“…I-I don’t know.”

The assassin, terrified by Johann’s piercing gaze, lowered his head.

“You don’t know…? What makes you think you can answer like that?”

“I-I really was just following orders….”

“Gilbert, age 32. You’ve been with the assassin guild since you were 18, and you have parents, younger siblings, and a son living in the north of the Capital.”

“H-how do you know that…!”

The assassin looked up at Johann with eyes full of terror.

Because the Interim Empress was always trying to have the Crown Prince assassinated through the assassin guild, Johann had been waiting for the right time to wipe out the guild itself lately.

So of course, he knew all the details about the assassins working for the guild.

“Do I have to explain that to a worm like you?”

He knelt on one knee and gripped the assassin’s jaw so hard it was about to break.

“Ugh.”

The assassin grimaced in pain.

“Gilbert. If you want your family—especially your son—to stay safe, you’d better talk.”

“…Please…”

He shook his head in despair.

How ridiculous, that someone who made a living k*lling others would care so much for his own family.

“Was it the Interim Empress?”

The assassin nodded slightly.

“Why did she target that woman instead of me?”

He’d already guessed that the one who ordered this was the Interim Empress.

‘But why Lia….’

The Interim Empress might dislike Lia, but she wouldn’t go so far as to try to kill her openly in a crowded place like this.

If it was someone like him, her closest aide to the Crown Prince and thus an obstacle to her, it would make sense.

“T-that, I don’t know either.”

“So you want me to show your body to your son.”

“…I-I really mean it! I was told it didn’t matter if I got caught, just to kill the woman no matter what.”

“It didn’t matter if you got caught?”

“Y-yes. They even gave me demonic poison and told me to focus only on k*lling her.”

He searched the assassin’s clothes and found a small brown vial.

Demonic poison.

No one on the continent—not even the Emperor of the Valerius Empire—was allowed to possess demonic poison.

Because the risk of ab*se was so high, a law was enacted from the founding of the continent that no one could use anything from demons.

‘This proves the Interim Empress had demonic poison.’

Even if he took this assassin as a witness, the Emperor would side with the Interim Empress and smooth things over.

Claiming someone was trying to frame her.

But he found it odd.

When they tried to assassinate the Crown Prince, they hadn’t used demonic poison, but now they used it to try to kill him and Lia.

‘And Lia isn’t even a political rival.’

He was the Crown Prince’s right-hand man, so if he died, it would be easier to deal with the Crown Prince, so using demonic poison made sense… but Lia?

‘…Does the Interim Empress see Lia as just as dangerous and bothersome as me?’

What on earth would make her risk exposing demonic poison just to kill Lia?

He couldn’t understand it at all.

He put the vial away and stood up.

“I-I really told you everything I know.”

Johann looked at the assassin with cold eyes.

“Please, as you promised, don’t harm my family.”

The assassin pleaded, bowing low.

“I won’t.”

At Johann’s nod, the knight behind him swiftly sliced the assassin’s throat.

For someone who had killed so many, it was a peaceful death.

“Take care of it and let’s return.”

His heavy voice rang out low.