Chapter 32

“Is everyone safe?”

Lexion counted the people coming out from the opposite side of the mine.

A total of 120 people. They were taken from Ernst. Mostly commoners who had resisted Evans’ tyranny.

“Your Highness.”

“To see you grown so much… If Queen Rose could see you…”

The people, covered in dust, knelt on both knees and pressed their foreheads to the ground.

“Oh, come now. We don’t have time for this. We need to move to another place quickly.”

As they seemed on the verge of shedding tears and snot in their overwhelming emotion, Stephan quickly grabbed their shoulders and helped them stand up.

Lexion and Stephan could instantly recognize Ilisha’s brother. Their resemblance was so striking that it was impossible to hide that they were siblings.

“Are you Iluka? You know how to read maps?”

“Yes, I am Iluka.”

At Lexion’s words, Iluka stepped forward. Stephan took out a small piece of paper from his pocket.

“If you go here, someone will be waiting to help you. Meet there at night.”

“Understood.”

As Stephan unfolded the map and showed Iluka the meeting place, Iluka folded it back into a small piece and tucked it into his pocket.

Lexion embraced each of them.

“We have arranged a ship to the Tiola Empire. Please wait just a little longer. Soon, you will be able to reunite with your families in Ernst.”

He wished he could send them to Ernst, to their families, right away, but he had to hold back. If they were discovered by Evans, other Ernst people remaining in Petrus would be in danger.

“Since the mine has collapsed, they won’t know your whereabouts for a while. Do not inform your families either.”

Stephan reiterated his caution, shaking hands with each of them. They had prepared for a year to bring down that mine. It would take Austin over three months just to clear the stones at the entrance of the mine.

“For Ernst.”

They bowed once more to Lexion and Stephan before disappearing into the forest.

+++

“Ahhh!”

A large man suddenly appeared and grabbed the child. The hunting dog, frustrated at losing its prey, bit the man’s leg hard.

Judging by the man’s shabby appearance, he wasn’t a noble or servant participating in the hunting competition. He was probably a commoner living near the forest.

“Miss Adelina! Move aside!”

Hailyn drew a crossbow and hit the hunting dog’s foreleg.

“If you kill that hunting dog, the punishment will be even greater!”

It was Isabelle’s hunting dog, one personally gifted by Emperor Grain. Hailyn loaded another arrow into the crossbow, waiting for the dog to target her.

The dog seemed unfazed by the pain, still clamping onto the man’s leg. The man, bleeding, did not loosen his grip on the child.

“Hailyn! The dog is biting more fiercely!”

Adelina pulled out a dagger from her calf and thrust it toward the dog’s face.

“Miss Adelina! It’s dangerous! Leave it to me!”

Hailyn shot another arrow, hitting the other foreleg. But the dog continued to growl, holding the man’s leg. Its gleaming eyes were fixed on the child, baring sharp teeth with curled black lips.

“Miss Adelina. Move aside. There’s no choice.”

Hailyn’s voice was grim. Her arrow was now aimed at the dog’s heart.

‘Think! How can we save the man without killing the hunting dog!’

Adelina grew anxious. Killing the dog might save the man now. But there was no guarantee that the man would be safe after killing Isabelle’s hunting dog. Nor the child.

‘The anesthetic! The anesthetic Father gave me!’

Adelina took off her jacket.

“Wait! Hailyn!”

She struck the tree with the pocket containing the pouch. The sound of glass shattering was heard as the liquid soaked the jacket.

“It contains anesthetic!”

Adelina threw the jacket over the dog’s head, twisting it so the wet part was close to the dog’s nose and tied it tightly.

‘I’m scared! This is so scary!’

The dog, perhaps more agitated by the loss of sight, bared its teeth menacingly and growled. Adelina hugged the dog’s head tightly to prevent it from shaking.

“Miss Adelina!”

“Hailyn, help me. The dog is too big!”

“Really! Miss Adelina!”

Hailyn rushed over and helped Adelina hold the dog’s head.

“Hurry! Hurry!”

Adelina’s entire body was drenched in sweat. Just when her hands were trembling from exhaustion, the dog collapsed to the side. The dazed dog lay with its tongue out, panting heavily.

+++

“What do you think you’re doing! This dog belongs to Her Highness!”

As soon as the dog collapsed, an Imperial Guard who arrived scolded Adelina and Hailyn.

“This man was about to be killed by the hunting dog!”

Adelina stood up abruptly and confronted them. Surely, they had seen the hunting dogs chasing the child. Yet none of them had shown any intention of stopping the dogs.

“Well then. Why did you step in to help a thief?”

One of the Imperial Knights tossed a handkerchief to the bleeding man.

“What is all this commotion?”

Isabelle approached slowly on horseback. Wearing a perfectly fitting hunting outfit and with her hair tied up, Isabelle had a surprisingly agile figure. In one hand, she held a short whip instead of her usual ornate fan.

“Your Highness. The lead dog has collapsed. I apologize.”

“There are envoys present. End this without causing a scene.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

As the guard captain bowed his head, Isabelle glanced once at the dog lying pathetically on the ground before turning her horse around.

‘She’s just leaving? Someone got hurt! If it was her hunting dog that bit someone, she should at least apologize…

“Princess.”

“Lady Adelina, you look quite a sight.”

Isabelle slowly turned around and frowned as she looked Adelina up and down. Covered in grass and dirt, with her hair completely undone, her appearance naturally made one furrow their brow.

“Princess, this man has severely injured his leg. Since it’s due to your hunting dog, shouldn’t you at least cover the medical expenses?”

Adelina’s tone was quite gentle. She even slightly bowed her head, avoiding a defiant gaze. However, the veins protruding on Adelina’s hand holding the reins were like thorns in Isabelle’s eyes.

‘How dare a fake like you try to lecture me!’

Annoyance flickered in Isabelle’s eyes. As if irritated, she snatched the reins from Adelina’s grasp.

“Medical expenses, you say.”

Isabelle ripped off a gold button from her hunting jacket.

“This should be more than enough for your leg injury.”

She tossed the button to the injured man without even giving him a glance.

Adelina swallowed hard as she looked up at Isabelle. She had to hold back. If she got angrier here, it could bring harm to the injured man as well.

“Thank you, Your Highness.”

She thanked on behalf of the man, who was struggling to breathe due to the pain. Meanwhile, Hailyn was stopping the bleeding on the man’s leg.

“Lady, shouldn’t you compensate for my hunting dog? It was personally gifted by His Majesty the Emperor.”

Isabelle tapped her short whip against her palm.

“Oh, for the medical expenses.”

Adelina followed Isabelle’s lead and tore off a button from her own jacket. It was also made of gold and would fetch a good price.

“This should be enough for the hunting dog’s leg treatment.”

She extended her hand to offer it to Isabelle. Isabelle took it and let out a sneering laugh.

“No, Lady.”

“Pardon?”

“Do you think I would keep a hunting dog with an injured leg?”

At Isabelle’s nod, one of her guards drew his sword and approached the panting hunting dog.

“Your Highness!”

Adelina called out to Isabelle, pale with fear. The guard raised his sword high. Even in its dazed state due to the anesthetic, the hunting dog instinctively sensed danger, its eyes widening as it tried to flee. But it couldn’t move.

“Lady, always consider the consequences of your actions.”

Isabelle merely closed her eyes slowly and opened them again.

The guard’s sword traced a large arc as it descended. The hunting dog no longer panted.

“Imperial Guards, hold the culprit responsible for this mess!”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Isabelle extended her hand toward Adelina. She was quite pleased to see Adelina’s golden eyes trembling in a daze.

“I don’t need this.”

She dropped the button from Adelina’s jacket onto the ground.

+++

Austin found Lexion and Stephan at the midpoint of the forest.

“Duke Lexion, where is your game?”

He approached them slowly. Once again, they were empty-handed today.

-“There’s plenty of slaughter on the battlefield. No need to.”-

Despite attending the hunting competition by imperial decree, Lexion never caught a single animal. Yet, noble ladies were even more infatuated with him for such behavior.

Lexion’s unusually clean hunting attire was particularly irksome to Austin today.

“Duke Austin, have I ever hunted before? I don’t see why you’re asking now.”

Lexion spoke nonchalantly and attempted to pass by Austin.

“I’m curious why you didn’t bring Miss Adelina if you were just going for a walk. You claim to love each other so much.”

The horses of Lexion and Austin faced each other. They were so close that the breaths of the two horses almost touched each other’s noses.

“Even if I don’t hunt, there are wild beasts in the forest.”

“Isn’t it quite strange to enter the forest every time if you’re not going to hunt?”

Austin scrutinized Lexion’s clothes closely. The small amount of dust on Lexion’s shoulder. Where exactly did it come from?

“Duke Lexion!”

As Austin’s eyes narrowed, Jaeyon called out loudly, riding toward Lexion. Judging by his smiling face, it seemed he had a satisfactory hunt.

“Jaeyon.”

“Duke Lexion, why did you come down first? Thanks to you, I caught many wild beasts.”

Jaeyon gestured to the knights of the Tiola Empire following him, and Stephan approached Lexion with a hearty laugh.

“It seems the path Duke Lexion discovered during his walks was quite effective.”

“Yes, Marquis, if I win the hunting competition, I’ll treat you all generously.”

Austin pulled his reins again at Jaeyon and Stephan’s banter.

“Jaeyon, don’t wipe out the wild beasts in this forest. Otherwise, there won’t be another hunting competition next year.”

“Yes, Duke Austin.”

Austin ended the trivial conversation with Jaeyon and was the first to leave the forest.

“I’m sorry, Captain. I lost track of them halfway.”

Once there was some distance between Austin and Lexion’s group, Austin’s close aide approached and bowed his head.

“Both Lexion and Stephan are Sword Masters. Assign a more competent person to tail them.”

“Yes, Captain.”

Austin spurred his horse as he gazed at the red-setting sun.

‘Damn it! That guy who trembled and bled in front of me!’

Lexion Ernst! 

The irritation surged at the one who seemed within reach but never caught.