Despite Roina’s voice filled with despair, Elena kept staring intently at the man’s dagger.

“Huff, huff. Is there anything else?”

Elena asked while trying to regulate her labored breathing. She wiped the sweat that had flowed down to her chin with the back of her hand and regretted not having changed clothes yesterday.

If she had been wearing her aide’s outfit, it would have been easier to move. It was fortunate that her skirt had only been torn where the dagger had grazed her thigh.

‘He’s really playing with us.’

From Elena’s perspective, there was no killing intent in the man’s eyes. The daggers also didn’t fly in dangerous directions.

‘Is he trying to buy time?’

In fact, Elena had diligently played along with the man’s game not to please him, as Roina thought.

Elena also needed time.

‘Alix will come to rescue us.’

Until then, she believed she had no choice but to willingly participate in the man’s game. As Elena spent time like this, she constantly felt an unpleasant feeling as sticky as her sweat-drenched skin.

‘Did he really kidnap us just to play? No. He’s also waiting for someone.’

Who on earth could he be waiting for? Elena wanted to know if that someone wanted both her and Roina. The man openly hinted that though he didn’t intend to kill them immediately, he might kill one person if necessary. She needed to know if he was serious in order to prepare for contingencies.

Neither she nor Roina had been seriously injured yet, but she felt that when the man threw his daggers, his eyes were constantly checking if one person was safe.

‘Should I…… check?’

Elena had continued dodging daggers and running around to observe the man while simultaneously lowering his guard. Soon after, the man picked up his dagger again and flicked his wrist. Two daggers flew from one hand, each aimed at Elena and Roina.

As Roina clumsily tried to dodge, the dagger only cut a bit of her hair before passing by.

“Good.”

The man turned his satisfied gaze to Elena. He thought she would dodge well this time too, as she had done so far.

“Ugh.”

Elena, who staggered as if her legs had lost strength, sat down while clutching her shoulder. The surprised man rushed to Elena in one step. When he pulled her arm toward him, blood was welling up from the skin that had been grazed by the dagger.

“Oh no.”

The man quickly took out a handkerchief from his pocket and wrapped it around Elena’s arm. He smiled dryly with an expression suggesting he hadn’t expected her to get hurt as he hoped the bleeding would stop.

“Seems like all your strength is gone.”

Not realizing that Elena had deliberately exposed herself to the dagger, he administered first aid. He took out medicine to apply and wrapped a bandage around her arm.

‘To think he would treat a wound after kidnapping someone……’

As Elena obediently received treatment, she realized one certain fact.

‘I was the target.’

It had seemed odd that there was no reason to kidnap two people from the beginning, and she felt it from the man’s gaze that had been fixed on her. Though he had kidnapped them, it was clear that his role was that of an intermediary who would hand over the kidnapped person to someone else.

“It’s too much to run around here anymore……”

The man moved away from Elena and glanced slightly through the window gap. It was full dawn before daybreak.

The appointed time had passed, so he needed to leave his position soon. If he had committed this act in another noble house, it might have been different, but his opponent was Grand Duke Rudfelix.

“That was fun.”

The man smiled with satisfaction at having perfectly fulfilled his role of kidnapping Elena. Since he hadn’t failed this time, he wouldn’t have to be humiliated before Crown Prince Suharto.

He had naturally infiltrated the Grand Duke’s mansion and kidnapped the two. With the Crown Prince’s help, he had escaped to the appointed place without being caught.

‘I won’t be able to enter the Empire for a while.’

He had moved directly, risking being labeled a suspect, but it didn’t matter.

‘When the Crown Prince wears the crown, I can enter again, so it’s not a losing business.’

Anyway, the Grand Duke would die and disappear, so he only needed to stay out of the Empire for a very brief time.

He planned to move if the Crown Prince didn’t arrive even after waiting 30 more minutes here. At that moment, a bell hung outside the log cabin rang, announcing the presence of another person.

The man exhaled a long sigh with “Whew” and opened the door.

“You’re late. This time I properly……”

The man’s voice, about to say “did it,” faded away.

The man was hit in the chest without time to prepare and moved away from the door. As if his breath was blocked, he bent his upper body and tried to breathe somehow, with saliva flowing down the corner of his mouth like a long thread.

With bloodshot eyes and making muffled sounds, he couldn’t regain his senses, which greatly surprised Roina. She quickly covered her mouth, feeling like she might hiccup.

While the man struggled to breathe and tried to regain his senses, the man who had kicked his chest entered.

Having run up the mountain to find his person, he exhaled rough breaths while shaking his head vigorously. His disheveled hair showed how hurriedly he had come. His eyes quickly scanned the interior. Life was gradually filling his eyes, which had been struggling in a swamp of despair, fearing his world might have collapsed. The man extended his hand after confirming Elena and Roina sitting on the floor.

“Come here.”

Seeing his outstretched hand, Elena and Roina were each overcome with emotion. Roina tried to shake off her sadness just for having survived, while Elena stood up, forgetting even her pain.

“Alix!”

Elena quickly jumped into Rudfelix’s arms.

Holding Elena tightly, he exhaled deeply for the first time. His chest had felt tight and stuffy when his precious person, who was no different from his own breath, had disappeared, but now he could breathe again.

“Thank goodness.”

Rudfelix was relieved that Elena seemed fine enough to jump into his arms.

“I waited for you.”

Elena buried her face in Rudfelix’s neck and poured out her overwhelming emotions. Her tense body relaxed and lost strength at the fact that her person she could lean on had appeared.

“I knew you would come to rescue me.”

Elena exhaled a long sigh of relief. Though everything hadn’t returned to normal yet, Elena was as happy as if she had gained the world just by seeing Rudfelix and smelling his scent.

“Let’s go back now.”

Rudfelix whispered while kissing Elena’s sparrow-like head several times. Elena nodded while tightly hugging his waist.

“Before that, I have something to take care of, so please wait a moment.”

Rudfelix, who was pushing Elena’s shoulder, discovered the bandage.

Red blood was seeping through the white bandage wrapped around her slender arm. A similar pain flashed across his eyes. He caressed Elena’s cheek with the back of his hand.

When Elena nodded, Rudfelix turned away from her.

While Rudfelix and Elena were sharing the joy of reunion, the man should have either escaped or counterattacked. However, it took time to regulate his breathing because he had been properly kicked in the chest. It was even difficult to straighten his back, as if his ribs were broken.

“A real monster.”

Having been born in the same year as Grand Duke Raion, he thought he would be a match since they had held swords for a similar amount of time. He had considered himself quite skilled with a sword, but he had taken a blow to his chest from just one of Rudfelix’s strikes. Recalling Rudfelix’s fist, which had been faster than his own reflexes, the man glanced outside. From his perspective, he was absolutely no match for the Grand Duke alone.

“You won’t be able to go anywhere.”

Rudfelix looked the man over and then pulled his scabbard. Though confused as to why he wasn’t drawing his sword, the man assumed a defensive posture.

“If you’re unlucky today, you might die. Try to endure somehow.”

“Stop talking nonsense and try coming at me…… Kuk.”

Rudfelix’s fist flew toward the man’s face, making his attempt to buy time futile.

Though he barely dodged it, the man’s pupils froze at the force of the punch he felt on his cheek. He had clearly avoided it, but when he touched his burning cheek with his hand, he found it was bleeding.

Even without being hit directly, the air pushed by the fist had cut through his skin.

‘Is this level of martial prowess possible?’

Each of Rudfelix’s attacks was terrifyingly brutal, making his heart pound.

The man glanced outside. Where was the person he had been waiting for?

At that moment, a shadow flickered behind a tree.

The person he had thought was a shadow, Suharto, put his index finger to his lips.

‘Baron Mikeil, it’s better if you survive on your own.’

Suharto’s eyes were saying this.

Mikeil clicked his tongue before hastily retreating backward. He was avoiding being kicked by Rudfelix’s leg while also securing an escape route.

“Didn’t I say you can’t go anywhere?”

Rudfelix coldly stated, as if he had read Mikeil’s thoughts about not counterattacking.

“We’ll see about that.”

Mikeil lifted his shirt and fumbled around his waist. He pulled out his belt and swung it at Rudfelix. The belt fluttered like a whip, aiming for Rudfelix’s chest. It was a blow that could break a rib.

Kachang.

A sharp sound rang out as metal collided.

What had seemed like a belt was actually a sword. A flexible sword with bending properties sharply collided with Rudfelix’s scabbard.

As Rudfelix easily blocked attacks from any direction, Mikeil couldn’t hide his irritated expression.