Chapter 9.1 – Hunting Festival (Part 8)

A chill ran down her spine. The sensation of fear crawling up like an insect from the soles of her feet to the top of her head made her feel nauseous. Her vision turned bright red with the terror that began to eat away at her bit by bit.

At that moment, the words that Countess Figo had left unfinished flashed through her mind. She couldn’t properly hear the sentence so she couldn’t even understand what it meant, but her instinct screamed that it must have been a warning about the current situation.

‘No way…… Is it targeting me?’

Why? 

It only led to that question. 

Me, why on earth, why?

“Ugh.”

At that moment, her body was pulled deep into his embrace. At the same time, a short groan burst through his tightly clenched teeth above her head. Kahin, who had squinted one eye and then opened it, felt a burning pain in his arm. It was a natural result of blocking the sword with his arm to protect Ria. Thinking of the blood that would spread red over his clothes, he considered it fortunate that his uniform was black.

However, Ria noticed his wound from the faint tangy scent tickling her nose and the dark red liquid dripping onto the grass one or two drops at a time as it flowed down his arm.

“Kahin, your wound…, let me quickly……”

She immediately reached out to use healing magic, but Kahin stopped her. He said firmly.

“You mustn’t use it. It won’t be good if they find out about it.”

“But!”

“You promised us, didn’t you? I’m fine.”

Kahin smiled as if it really was nothing. It was partly to reassure her, but it was also true. For a knight like him, this level of injury was more than familiar, it was trivial. He looked at the brown eyes that were becoming moist again, then created a barrier using the magic stone he always carried for emergencies.

It could be used as long as it didn’t directly enter her body. However, the duration wasn’t very long. As he quickly searched for an escape route, he noticed a woman hiding behind a tree at the edge of the barrier, watching them from inside the bushes. It was Countess Figo.

As their eyes met, Kahin immediately spoke to her.

“Countess, could I entrust the lady to you?”

There was no time to question why she was there in this situation. Judging from her posture behind the tree, he assumed she had chosen to hide rather than continue fleeing.

“…Yes. I’ve kept an eye on the direction people were fleeing.”

The Countess hesitated for a moment, then came out from behind the tree with a determined expression, as if she had made up her mind. She had been racking her brain about how to take Ria to a safe place, especially after she had run to Lady Melbourne. After all, she was still her lifeline.

The incident had already occurred, and the woman they cherished had been attacked, so they would surely investigate the case thoroughly. If that happened, she needed to contribute to saving this woman now so that she could at least beg for her life later. She had only pretended to hesitate for a moment, fearing that accepting too quickly might raise suspicion.

Fortunately, Kahin took his eyes off her, seemingly convinced by the Countess’s desperate expression. Only then did the Countess let out a long breath.

“My lady, Duke Astina and His Highness the Crown Prince will be here soon. Then this place will be cleared up quickly. So please go ahead with the Countess. Don’t look back as you go. Absolutely.”

Kahin looked into Ria’s eyes as he urged her.

To be honest, he didn’t fully trust the Countess. Something felt off. It was partly because she couldn’t use a sword properly, but there was another uneasiness. However, at this rate, there was a high chance both of them would be in danger before the three arrived. He wanted to protect her until the end, and he didn’t mind if his body became a rag, but he couldn’t let even a hair on the lady’s head be harmed.

If only he had known this would happen, he would have brought a magic stone with a longer-lasting barrier, if only he had known… Various regrets came to mind, but none of them were of any help right now.

This was the best option. It was better to send her ahead first and then quickly deal with these people before following. Even if he couldn’t follow, the three who would have started rushing here as soon as they noticed something was wrong would arrive soon, so until then, he had to prevent these people, and the monster, from following her.

“I’ve been going easy on them until now. Didn’t the Dukes acknowledge my skills? Don’t worry too much.”

So he had to smile. So that she wouldn’t worry. So that she could run without looking back.

“In return, when we get back, sleep with only me until my wounds are completely healed, and love only me.”

At his deliberately playful words and gentle smiling face, Ria smiled back, forcing her eyes to hold back tears. Even knowing that staying here wouldn’t be of any help, she forced herself to move her feet that didn’t want to leave him alone.

“Okay. I promise. I’ll definitely do that.”

Then she pulled his injured arm towards her, shielding it with her body, and placed her hand on the wound, infusing it with her ability. This was all she could do for him. So.

“Kahin, you must come back soon, okay?”

Please, let nothing happen.

Watching her retreating figure as she entered deep into the bushes with the Countess, Kahin gripped his sword tighter. As the barrier dissipated, he turned around, his eyes gleaming with a strange light. An even fiercer energy than before swirled around him.

The refreshing energy she had infused him with enveloped his entire body, making him feel invincible. Now, he felt like he could kill all of them in no time.

***

They ran aimlessly through the bushes. With every step she took, worried about him, she deliberately forced her head to stay straight and look only forward, fighting the urge to turn back.

‘If only I had a magical ability like Leah.’

Angry at her own helplessness, such thoughts filled her mind throughout the run. She should have had an ability that could help them immediately, not just healing magic that was of no use right now, an ability that could protect herself.

They had been running long like that. The Countess, who was running ahead, pointed in one direction.

“My lady, I think there are people gathered over there!”

From the direction she pointed, the voices of people could be faintly heard. Judging by the volume of the sounds, it wasn’t too far away, so the two of them put more strength into their weakening legs and dashed forward.

“Gasp.”

But when they finally arrived there, what greeted them was a sword pointed at the Countess’s neck. The Countess inhaled sharply and rolled her eyes. Then she saw a person wearing the same black mask as the one who had attacked the lady and Lord Fernon earlier.

Ria also discovered him and froze, her face turning pale.

‘Kahin!’

Unshakeable worry was filled with bad thoughts. 

If this person was one of those confronting Kahin, then what about Kahin? Is he alright?

Her body staggered with despair. The ringing in her ears invaded her head, buzzing so loudly it made her dizzy.

“Let go of the lady.”

Just then, a deep voice suddenly sounded from right behind. Startled, Ria reflexively turned her body and met eyes with a well-built man who had appeared behind her at some point. He scanned her up and down with an interested look, as if appraising her. It was a gaze like that of someone assessing the value of a product.

“You’ve brought her properly. You were somewhat useful after all, weren’t you, madam?”

The man, who had been lowering his head to examine Ria, raised it and sneered at the Countess, who was still standing with a sword pointed at her neck. Only then did the Countess realize the situation.

The place she thought people were gathered was the location where Count Figo had told her to bring the lady.

‘Damn it!’

The curse involuntarily sprang out. It was too late to blame herself for being stupid. Once they had entered their field of vision, there was no way to escape from here. Unless someone came to rescue them…

‘Impossible. Sir Fernon is surely still confronting these people. It’s too late for others to come here.’

No matter how much she racked her brains, the conclusion only led to the worst. The Countess pinched even her arm as she tried her best to think with her increasingly stiffening head. 

What should I do? How can I survive!

Then, at the man’s next words, she suddenly thought of the best option she could choose in this situation.

“Hey, I understand you only listen to the master’s orders, but why don’t you put that sword down now? That lady is on our side.”

On our side! Yes, they still don’t know what I’m thinking. So for now, I should play along and look for a weak spot!

Just then, the masked person lowered their sword. The Countess took a deep breath, straightened her body, and approached the man.

“What’s the next plan?”

“Oh, you sound quite noble?”

“Tell me quickly. We don’t have time.”

“Hmm, so prickly. Even though you’re just a commoner like me.”

“I said, we don’t have time.”

“Yes, yes, madam.”

The man chuckled as if something was very amusing, then shrugged his shoulders.

“We’ll move the target to a place a little away from here. And then.”

“And then?”

“Well, you don’t need to know that far, madam.”

“What?”

“You’ll be moving with us anyway, so you just need to follow along well. Your usefulness now is to manage this woman well. I was told to treat the precious item with utmost care.”

The man’s gaze briefly turned towards Ria. The woman with an unfamiliar appearance had a strange charm that drew people’s attention, and he vaguely understood why that person had insisted on treating her with such care.

‘Seeing her trembling makes me want to torment her more.’

With sadistic urges rising like an impulse, the man moistened his lips with his tongue and slowly scanned her slender neck and fair skin with eyes glowing dangerously.