Chapter 62

Karina struggled through the forest, supporting Ron, not knowing where she was headed.

“Miss Karina…”

Ron called out to Karina in a weak voice. Karina didn’t respond.

“Just… let me. Now’s not the time…”

Her breath was caught in her throat. Every step felt like her entire body’s muscles were screaming. Ron’s body was growing heavier. It was proof that his condition was worsening.

‘I need to find help. But from whom?’

She looked around, but all she could see were trees and rocks.

Determined to move forward, Karina misstepped and fell to the ground with Ron. The pain was brief. When she checked Ron again, he was on the verge of losing consciousness.

“Ron, Ron. Please wake up.”

She tried her best to lift him again, but it was impossible because he had lost so much blood that his consciousness was fading. At this rate, they were likely to be caught. Kaya was alone, and the assailants were two.

She had to get away for now. Karina mustered all her strength to drag Ron behind a nearby rock.

“Please, ugh.”

She arrived, practically collapsing, and propped Ron against the rock before catching her breath. When she looked up, she saw a trail of blood leading back to where they had fallen. It was vividly visible.

‘Should I go now and seek help? But if one of them finds Ron…’

Karina shook her head firmly. Just in case, she gripped one of the arrows she had brought with her.

Since she had dragged Ron while lying him down, the blood trail didn’t extend to where they were now.

If she ran in another direction, dropping blood along the way, there was a chance the assailants would follow her instead. Even if it wouldn’t help much, she had to do something. Doing nothing meant there was no chance at all.

When she brought the arrowhead to her sweat-soaked palm, it felt cool. Her hand trembled. It took courage just to inflict such a small wound.

“It’ll only take a moment. Just a moment…”

The moment she closed her eyes tightly and gathered her strength, the sound of rustling grass made her sweat turn cold.

Her palm was already bleeding, but there was no time to feel the pain. Holding the arrowhead, Karina slowly pressed herself against the rock. Among the heavy sound of her heartbeat, intermittent footsteps mixed in.

‘Kaya…? No, this isn’t Kaya.’

It was too cautious and stealthy to be Kaya. It was as if someone was deliberately targeting them.

“Ugh…”

At that moment, Ron let out a faint groan and slightly twitched his eyes. At the same time, the footsteps stopped. Karina unknowingly held her breath.

The presence grew closer and closer, until finally, a shadow loomed from beyond the rock. Overwhelmed by fear, Karina lowered her face. She prayed desperately for them to pass by.

Contrary to her hopes, the figure deliberately walked to her side and stood there.

“What…”

And then, they slowly bent down and wrapped their arms around her shoulders.

She tried to push them away, but the touch felt strangely familiar. Karina cautiously opened her eyes.

But immediately, a hand rose to cover her eyes. As if to say she mustn’t look. Karina, as if entranced, closed her eyes. Only after a long while did she open them again.

The person was already gone. Sitting in a daze, Karina looked down at her hand. Blood was dripping from it.

Only now did she feel the pain, but instead of fear, she felt relief. Karina clenched her hand and stood up.

“I’ll be back soon.”

Her promise to Ron, who couldn’t even hear her, was drowned out by her hurried footsteps.

Karina returned to where she had fallen and started running in the direction she had initially intended. Blood dripped from the wound she was pressing on, leaving traces where her footsteps passed.

‘Just a little more.’

Before long, she saw what appeared to be a road in the distance. Karina used all her remaining strength to run.

“Please, anyone…”

Should she call it luck? As soon as she exited the forest, she saw a carriage running along the road. It didn’t stop and sped past her, but it didn’t matter. Karina squeezed out the last of her strength and shouted.

“Wait…!”

She hadn’t taken more than a few steps before her legs gave out. Before she could even react, she collapsed, much like she had in the forest. Supporting herself on the ground, she gasped for air.

Had the carriage left? 

The image of it disappearing crossed her mind.

After a moment’s hesitation, Karina raised her head. Contrary to her imagination, the carriage had stopped. That wasn’t all. The owner of the carriage had already gotten out and was walking toward her.

“…Phyllis?”

Phyllis, who looked pale as a sheet, quickly approached her. Practically collapsing to his knees, Phyllis embraced Karina without a word.

The hand cradling the back of her head was warm. Karina couldn’t bring herself to push it away and only moved her lips.

It was just a touch. Nothing more.

***

Noah followed the blood trail. There were footprints, seemingly left by two people. After walking a short distance, he stopped. Not far ahead, he sensed a presence.

A dagger immediately flew toward him, embedding itself in the tree beside him. It was Kaya’s dagger.

‘How many are there?’

He couldn’t tell for sure, but it didn’t matter. Noah removed his robe and pulled out a dagger. As soon as he deflected an arrow coming from the right, he heard someone running behind him.

It seemed like they were trying to escape. It was probably not because of him. Without hesitation, Noah pursued the presence and threw his dagger at the moving bushes.

“Argh!”

With the sound of something hitting its target, a dark figure collapsed to the side.

When he approached, there was no one there. Perhaps because it was a forest, there were plenty of places to hide.

“Just come out.”

“…”

“If you think you can escape, go ahead.”

It would be no more than the desperate struggle of a rat—or rather, an insect. It was nothing more than a nuisance, not even a threat.

Even if they escaped now, he would find them. And he wouldn’t let them die easily.

Karina was trembling. She kept her head down, unable to confirm who had come so close. Noah couldn’t reassure her. If he spoke, she might recognize him.

After all, he was the one who had put her in this danger. Pretending to be her savior would be absurd.

He couldn’t allow that. The only thing Noah could do was distance himself from Karina.

“Hey, whoever you are, let’s talk.”

A man wearing a white mask peeked out from behind a tree near where Noah had been standing.

The man’s pants were torn, likely from where the dagger had grazed his leg.

“I’m injured, see? Look. I can’t even run like this.”

Though he spoke shamelessly, it was clearly a lie, given how quickly he had moved to that position.

But what caught Noah’s attention was the bloodstains on the man’s clothes. At the same time, he thought of the person who had been with Karina. They had been wounded in the stomach.

“Where’s Kaya?”

“Huh? Who’s that…”

“The owner of the dagger you threw.”

“Oh… that.”

When Noah asked without hesitation, the man lowered his head and laughed.

Noah silently waited for an answer. Soon, the man’s trembling shoulders stilled.

“If I tell you she’s alive, will you stop chasing us, Your Highness?”

The mocking tone and the title that followed felt oddly familiar.

There was no need for further confirmation. Noah threw off his robe and stepped forward.

The man, who had been hiding behind the tree, quickly moved behind Noah again. Considering the wound on his leg, it was a surprisingly agile movement.

‘Should I capture him alive? I’d rather kill him.’

Of course, that was all. Noah reached out, grabbed the man’s neck, and pulled him forward.

The man flailed as if startled, but he was helplessly dragged into Noah’s grasp.

“Oh, she’s probably alive. That is, if you go there now, Your Highness.”

At those words, the strength tightening around the man’s neck loosened.

“I left her with my companion, but she’s a terribly ill-mannered fellow. How… do you even have time for this?”

The man’s faltering steps and the way he squeezed out his last bit of composure were blatantly obvious. After some deliberation, Noah grabbed the man’s nape and slammed him against a tree.

Then, he took a dagger he had picked up and stabbed the man’s left thigh. Pulling it out again, he pinned the man’s hand to the tree trunk with the same dagger.

“Ugh…!”

“Shh, quiet.”

He couldn’t kill him yet. He needed to gather all the pests tangled together and deal with them in one go.

Leaving the man, who was biting his sleeve to stifle his screams, Noah turned his back.

“From now on, try your best. Don’t get caught.”

***

Karina opened her eyes to a sharp pain in her left hand. A familiar ceiling came into view. She tried to sit up, but her body wouldn’t listen. She felt weak all over, and her stomach churned. Propping herself up slightly with one elbow, she heard the door next to her open.

“L-Lady, you’re awake!”

With a startled voice, the surroundings became noisy, followed by the sound of hurried footsteps.

“Madame, please wait…”

“Karina!”

Laura practically rushed into the room and knelt at Karina’s bedside. She grasped Karina’s uninjured right hand and buried her face in the bed.

“Thank goodness, truly, thank goodness.”

Asillis, who followed soon after, leaned against the doorframe as if his strength had left him. Karina tightly held her mother’s hand.

Not long after, a doctor who had been contacted arrived and began examining Karina. Apart from the injury to her hand, there were no significant issues, which seemed to bring relief to Laura and Asillis.

However, the doctor warned that her body was weakened due to extreme stress, and she needed to rest for a while.

“It doesn’t seem like an accidental cut… How did you get injured like this?”

The doctor tilted his head curiously after completing the examination. Karina couldn’t bring herself to answer. It seemed better to delay the explanation for now.

“The treatment was successful, so there’s no need to worry. Please contact me again if anything arises.”

As the doctor finished speaking and prepared to leave, Karina stopped him.

“Wait a moment. Ron—the knight named Ron—how is he?”