Chapter 5 – 【 What Misunderstanding Brings 】 (Part 4)

“Even if you run away, no one will welcome you, Princess.”

Yuria’s swollen eyes trembled. After despairing and resigning herself, she finally calmed down after a good cry.

“My family would be different, though. They would welcome you warmly.”

“…”

Edward kept whispering that Yuria had nowhere to go and that he was her best option. She knew her situation better than anyone, even without him telling her.

“Lord Edward, my arms are very uncomfortable.”

“I’ll untie you for a moment.”

Perhaps because Yuria hadn’t resisted violently, Edward often untied the ropes to let her change positions. The waiter also watched Yuria through the window, but he didn’t say anything when she changed positions, indicating it was agreed upon.

“Lord.”

Once her movements were free, Yuria grabbed Edward’s arm, putting on the most pitiful face she could.

“Can I lie down comfortably for a moment? I’m so exhausted.”

Though she had slept lying down the night before, her arms were bound.

“You can watch over me, Lord.”

Edward hesitated for a moment.

“Please, I beg you.”

Yuria leaned against him, pleading seductively. Edward hesitated. For his grand plan to succeed, he needed some level of cooperation from Yuria. With her mind and body weakened, a little kindness from him would make her trust and rely on him.

“Just for a little while then.”

Edward postponed tying her up to win her favor.

“Thank you, thank you so much, Lord.”

Before he could change his mind, Yuria quickly lay down. Covered with a ragged blanket, she closed her eyes tight. Her body was comfortable, but she couldn’t sleep. Feeling Edward move, she peeked through her eyelashes. Edward was opening the curtains and looking outside. There was no one outside. The waiter seemed to have stepped out.

The waiter followed Edward’s orders but didn’t seem to be his man. She heard them arguing beyond the wall. The waiter had gone out twice yesterday and brought back food each time. This morning, he even brought stew.

The stew wasn’t cold, even though it wasn’t reheated, meaning there was a restaurant nearby. She decided to run there and ask for help. If no one came to rescue her, she had to solve it herself.

The mere thought of it terrified her, but she didn’t want to have Edward’s baby. She wanted Cedric’s child. Even though he wasn’t coming to rescue her, even though he might be flirting with his first love right now, she still liked him. Yuria loved him, even if he didn’t love her back.

Running to a man who didn’t welcome her would be quite miserable. If she returned alive, she might be scorned for coming back alive. But she still wanted to go back.

An intense desire she had never felt before rose within Yuria. Edward was still looking out the window. Yuria quietly got up and picked up a plate from the table.

“…”

The hand holding the plate trembled violently. Hesitation would lead to failure. The Princess, who had grown up like a delicate flower in a greenhouse, mustered all the courage she had and brought the plate down on his head.

“Ugh…”

The shattered plate fell to the floor, with drops of red blood splattering on it. Yuria staggered backward, and as Edward clutched his head and collapsed, she bolted for the door.

“Princess, damn it!”

He wasn’t completely knocked out, and his shout followed her. Yuria ran, not knowing the direction, just following what looked like a path. She twisted her ankle midway but didn’t even feel the pain.

Run, just run. 

Her dress got caught on branches, tearing it. Long scratches appeared on her arms. Yuria gritted her teeth. Her body, weakened from lack of sleep and food, kept faltering despite her will. Eventually, she fell clumsily.

“Ugh…”

Suppressing the sobs that escaped her lips, Yuria staggered to her feet and started moving again. Fear crept in as her speed decreased. Even though she was running, it felt like she couldn’t escape. When she fell again, the smell of food wafted to her nose.

A village.

Yuria desperately got up and walked. She could survive. If she could just get there, she could ask for help.

“Who goes there?”

The village was small. So small that Yuria didn’t even realize she had entered it. The wary voice of someone who wasn’t her kidnapper snapped her back to reality.

“Help me.”

“What?”

“Please, help me.”

The shabby-looking man scanned Yuria up and down with a bewildered expression.

“Who are you to be asking for help so suddenly?”

“I am the Countess of Roark. And a Princess too.”

“Princess?”

The man tilted his head. She didn’t look like a Princess, but her dress seemed expensive, making him unsure.

“Follow me for now. I’ll get you some water.”

The man gestured to a populated street. Seeing women among the people, Yuria hesitantly followed him. The man seated her on a chair outside a shabby restaurant, used for smoking, and went inside.

Soon, curious villagers gathered around Yuria.

“Who is she?”

“They say she’s a Princess.”

“She doesn’t look like a Princess. Is she a madwoman?”

Yuria sipped the water the man gave her while glancing nervously at the people around her.

“How far is Ritano from here?”

“Just nearby.”

“Then can you take me there? I’ll reward you handsomely.”

No one stepped forward. Yuria didn’t look like someone who could give a reward.

“I was kidnapped. I promise to reward you generously.”

The villagers exchanged hesitant glances. As Yuria continued to plead, a small head popped out from among them.

“Oh? She really is the Princess!”

A girl pointed at Yuria and shouted.

“You are… from that time…”

The girl who sold flowers at the festival. Yuria, recognizing a familiar face, stood up excitedly.

“Freesia, is she really the Princess?”

“Yes, I sold flowers to her!”

The girl said proudly. Yuria nodded repeatedly. Now she could go back. Hope surged within her.

“Then, may I escort her?”

A voice she shouldn’t have heard shattered her hope. Yuria bit her lip and slowly turned around. The waiter walked out of the restaurant, approaching her. Oh, how foolish she had been not to anticipate him being here.

“Since I’m headed to Ritano anyway, you can come with me.”

He grabbed Yuria’s arm firmly as she was about to faint from shock. She tried to pull away, but the sight of a sharp object glinting inside his sleeve made her freeze.

“I’ll take her.”

The knife tip looked like it could pierce her dress at any moment. Yuria had no choice but to follow him.

“Let’s go.”

What on earth was Edward doing? 

The man cursed inwardly. The kidnapping had gone smoothly. The Princess, who could only scream “No, go away,” was easy to handle. She was clearly a timid woman, cowering at the mere glare of his eyes. There was no royal dignity in her demeanor.

Still, he had tied her up because even a cornered mouse bites the cat. A timid person might lose their mind and dash for an escape if they saw an opportunity. This Princess must have escaped when Edward let his guard down.

Though annoyed, there was still a chance to rectify things.

“If you cooperate, nothing will happen.”

He whispered. Yuria barely managed to nod. Her neck stiffened, and cold sweat ran down her back. She had a strong premonition that if she was taken now, there would be no more chances. She had to do something.

“Ah, ah…”

Yuria pretended to feel dizzy and went limp. The man couldn’t support her properly because of the dagger hidden in his sleeve, causing Yuria to collapse to the ground. As he put the knife away, he reached out to Yuria again. At that moment, she grabbed his wrist and bit down with all her might.

“Ugh!”

The man instinctively shook her off. The force threw Yuria to the ground. Her whole body ached, and she groaned in pain. Still, she fought to stay conscious.

“He has a knife. Everyone, get away!”

She even managed to warn the villagers. Yuria was surprised at her own resourcefulness. She thought she would just cry in fear if someone pointed a knife at her. It wasn’t the time for admiration, but if not now, when?

Yuria ran, urging the villagers to flee, but she fell again. She got up but fell once more. The man drew his dagger and reached for her hair. Anticipating the pain, Yuria squeezed her eyes shut.

But her hair remained untouched. Instead, a familiar scent filled her nose. Gathering her courage, she opened her eyes. A broad back stood between her and the man. Short, pained grunts followed. The sound of a knife slicing through flesh made Yuria cover her ears.

Blood pooled at the man’s feet. Only after the dagger clattered to the ground did groans of pain echo around.

“…Cedric.”

Seeing the familiar shoulders and back of the head, Yuria’s body finally gave out.

“You were so brave just a moment ago, why are you acting like a child now?”

Cedric shook his hand in the air and approached Yuria. Howard quickly blocked the falling man.

“The child isn’t crying, but the Princess is. What happened to royal dignity?”

“Hic, I thought, you wouldn’t, sob, come to save me…….”

Tears finally streamed down her cheeks. 

How long had she been crying? 

She could barely see Cedric’s face through her tears. Yuria collapsed to the ground, sobbing.

“Did you think I’d let you go with just a letter saying you liked another man?”

Cedric’s calm demeanor as a husband retrieving his runaway wife made Yuria feel even more sorrowful.

“I didn’t run away, I was kidnapped…”

She was so sorrowful that she couldn’t even properly say she had been kidnapped, and tears streamed down her face. Cedric, thinking the Princess might pass out, lifted Yuria into his arms.

“Calm down for now.”

Even while crying her heart out, Yuria clung tightly to Cedric’s neck with both arms, burrowing into his chest. That firm chest. Being held there, she finally felt safe. Hiccup, even hiccups came out.

“Take deep breaths, Princess.”

Yuria tried to calm her rapid breathing. But it wasn’t easy; she wheezed, cried a bit more, and eventually lost consciousness. One could say she had fainted.

Cedric had anticipated this when she started crying. But why was she so light? She was already small and light, but today she felt almost weightless. 

Did they keep her starved for two days? 

Holding the unconscious Yuria, Cedric’s eyes flared with anger. 

Howard, who had been squatting and inspecting the kidnapper, stood up.

“He’s not dead, is he?”

“No, his tongue is still intact.”

Though the man deserved to die a dozen times over, they needed to find out who was behind this, so they spared him.

“I’ll handle the rest.”

Though he wanted to wake up the unconscious man and beat him, the one in his arms was more urgent.