Not knowing what he was thinking, Bella continued:

“Then let’s take Leon as a hostage. It will help us escape from here, and he’ll be a very useful bargaining chip in the war.”

Everitt smiled.

“Yes, if we can get out of here safely.”

He looked at Melki and Florian in turn and gave instructions.

“Melki, proceed as planned. I’m counting on you with Bella. Florian, I know you’re not in good shape, but it’s your job to drag Leon along. I’ll clear the way.”

Melki nodded, but Bella’s face drained of color. This was the middle of enemy territory—what could just two people do? And one of them was sick.

“You can’t do that. We need at least one more person at full strength, and if Melki leaves, won’t it be even more dangerous… Ah!”

Without hesitation, Melki picked Bella up. Holding the struggling Bella, he cast a brief glance at Everitt. Everitt gave a small nod, and that was the extent of their farewell.

Melki adjusted his hold on Bella and said:

“Miss Carta, you are our top priority. This place is full of men who would give their lives just to see your face once, so listen to me.”

And with that, he leaped out through the broken window.

***

In a second-floor room of an inn in the hot spring village, Natalie sat rigidly, looking out the window without having slept a wink. It was nearly dawn, but the snowstorm that had continued all night blocked the view, and the sky remained dark without a single visible star. Still, hoping it might serve as a landmark, she had kept the lamp by the window brightly lit.

At some point, a human shadow fell across the tree outside the window.

“You’re back!”

Natalie brightened and threw the window wide open.

Melki gracefully stepped down into the open window. In his arms was Bella, pale blue from the cold. She was wrapped in a bed sheet with Melki’s coat over it, but that apparently hadn’t been enough to ward off the cold. Having rushed through the snowstorm, Melki had snow piled on his head and shoulders, and Bella had snow frozen in her hair.

“Bella!”

“Y-Your H-Highness…”

Natalie embraced Bella in her excitement, but was startled by how cold she was.

“Quickly, over here.”

Natalie pointed to a chair in front of the fireplace. Melki gently set Bella down there and leaped back out the window.

“Y-Your H-Highness, h-how are y-you h-here…”

Bella shivered like an aspen tree. Her teeth chattered so much she could barely speak.

“Shh, rest for now, Bella. I have a mountain of questions too, but you came here in Melki’s arms practically n*ked in this weather… Look, there are icicles forming in your hair. Wait just a moment. I’ll go to the kitchen and ask for something warm.”

Natalie rubbed Bella’s body to warm her, then wrapped her tightly in a blanket before rushing out of the room. It was the princess serving her lady-in-waiting, but Bella had no strength left to decline.

Melki had carried her while running through the treetops at a frightening speed. It felt like riding on the back of a deer sprinting across the plains. Though it was running, the speed rivaled that of a car. They had faced the snowstorm head-on for nearly an hour and a half to cross the border.

‘Is Melki alright after running like that? Will Everitt be safe? Oh, Everitt…’

She was worried to the point of madness. She couldn’t believe she had escaped to safety alone while leaving him in enemy territory. Even though her mind understood this was the best option, her heart couldn’t accept it.

Bella was murmuring Everitt’s name when she lost consciousness.

Bella drifted in and out of consciousness. She burned with fever, and whenever she opened her eyes, everything was hazy. Occasionally, she saw Natalie looking down at her with a worried expression. Bella called Everitt’s name several times. She thought she heard a nostalgic baritone voice somewhere, but she couldn’t be sure. Bella slipped into a delirious sleep.

***

Watching Everitt swing his sword, Florian thought that perhaps the nickname “Battle Demon” should have belonged to this man. Everitt’s combat was desperate and majestic. A whirlwind of blood swirled in his wake as he danced with death.

Florian was accustomed to watching knights fight, having often followed battlefields. But he had never seen anyone fight like this. It was different from the disciplined style of knights and unlike that of rough mercenaries. It made him wonder where Everitt had learned his swordsmanship.

“Don’t fall behind!”

“Ugh… yes.”

Despite being similar in height, dragging the larger-built Leon was not easy. It was made worse by Leon’s lack of cooperation. So Florian had one arm around Leon’s neck, secured with rope, as he walked.

“Cough! Kugh… cough!”

Having gone without his medicine for quite some time, coughs kept erupting. Each time, the pistol he held pointed at Leon’s head shook with the sound of his coughing.

“Ah, sorry, Your Highness. But now… kak! Cough! I-I can’t hold back my cough… Cou-gh! But I’m being careful not to accidentally pull the trigger, s-so don’t w-worry… Cough!”

With each of Florian’s coughs, Leon trembled with his remaining eye wide open. Florian held the pistol Everitt had taken from an enemy, and despite his painful coughing fits, he never removed the muzzle from Leon’s head. He knew that the moment he did, not only he but also Everitt would die.

‘If Grand Duke Myers dies, Bella would be sad…’

Would Bella mourn his death too? Florian pondered this as he dragged Leon along.

Everitt, covered in blood and continuously swinging his sword, shouted:

“Hey, Prince Leon! Why do those men keep charging even though you’re being held hostage? Florian might accidentally shoot you at this rate!”

Leon shouted something through his gag. Of course, it was unintelligible.

“Has the King of Edelbern abandoned you? Is he hoping that the crown prince who started a war because of his obsession with a woman might conveniently die on the battlefield?”

“…!”

Seeing Leon’s expression, Everitt smirked and resumed swinging his sword.

Shortly after, they managed to escape the mansion. The snowstorm was raging quite strongly.

“My adjutant should be waiting near the border. We just need to get there.”

Everitt took the lead, encouraging Florian. Florian followed, coughing continuously. But even Everitt thought it would be too difficult to walk all the way to the border. It would have been better if they had horses or a sleigh, but unfortunately, he had come with Melki with nothing but the clothes on his back. Above all, there was a high possibility that the kingdom’s troops stationed in the area would attack them.

‘It might be better to find shelter nearby and wait for the snowstorm to subside.’

Just then, he sensed someone’s presence from the opposite direction of the mansion.

“Shh, stop for a moment.”

Everitt cleverly shielded Florian with his body while pushing Leon to the front.

At that moment, a massive figure emerged from behind a snow-covered rock. That huge build and blood-red hair were unmistakable. It was Blake.

“Lord Rowell?”

Florian called out happily, but Everitt prevented him from stepping forward. First, he needed to determine whether Blake was friend or foe.

Blake stood in place and spoke:

“Is that Prince Leon you’re holding hostage?”

“Yes.”

After Everitt answered, Blake drew the sword at his waist.