“Listen. We’re going to make it look like I’m the one responsible for all this – that a servant girl who couldn’t stand to see her master constantly mistreated and hurt by the king did all this.”

Layla whispered quickly and softly. Malyn found it hard to believe that the man standing before her now was the same person she once knew. In some ways, his gaze was as fierce as the king’s, but she never confused the two. While the king had only blind hatred for her, he offered her nothing but pure love. That was why he had done all this.

Malyn wanted to scream at this realisation.

“Don’t scream. Just, just… I’m running out of time. And let me tell you, you are innocent.”

Malyn tried to call out his name. But his grip was firm, just as it had been when he had covered her mouth in the mountains. Layla’s face was always pale, but now it seemed resolute, his stance firm with determination.

He took a deep breath and slowly spoke Malyn’s name.

“…Malyn.”

It was the first time Malyn had heard Layla say her name. He had always called her “You”, “My Lady” or “Your Highness”. Even when speaking directly to her in front of others, he had never used her name. The sound of it, both strange and familiar, made her shoulders shake. Layla smiled faintly – a look as if he’d tried to smile but hadn’t quite managed it. He looked at her sideways and spoke slowly.

“I wanted to call your name properly at least once. I never thought it would be at a time like this.”

He reached to his neck and took off his necklace. It held a blue gem, which he had said was an heirloom from his mother. He put it into her hand and whispered.

“If you can escape, do so. Sell this. Sell it and go somewhere.”

Malyn tried to mumble something, but Layla’s hand stopped her. Layla shook her head.

“Don’t run to Dion. The princess’s maid killed the king of Veldam and the princess is missing. That kingdom is about to fall and there’s no reason for you to get involved. I’m sorry. I wish I could go with you.”

In the next moment, Malyn made up her mind and acted quickly. With the hand holding the necklace, she slapped Layla across the cheek, the sound ringing out. Surprised, Layla instinctively released her grip. Seizing the moment, Malyn pulled her hand away and shouted.

“Are you crazy?!”

“Malyn-“

Layla tried to slapped her again, but Malyn was quicker. She quickly stepped back, bumping into the king’s body. Seeing the king’s body, still foaming with blood, she turned pale with shock. Then, glaring at the man standing before her, she vented her anger.

“I will not leave unless you come with me. I’m not leaving alone. Besides, you’re a man. Once they find out you’re a man, do you really think they’ll consider me innocent? They’ll hunt me to the ends of the continent to kill me…”

“No. They won’t.”

Layla shook her head.

“The King of Veldam has no children. When the king dies, one of the lords will inherit the throne, or they’ll divide the kingdom into their own territories. They have no loyalty to the king. The Princess of Dion? It’s enough for them to think that if they destroy Dion, the princess will have no home to return to.”

Malyn didn’t fully understand the complicated things Layla was saying. But from what she heard, he seemed to be suggesting that after the king died and chaos broke out, others wouldn’t pay much attention to where she went. Still, it wasn’t something she could easily agree to.

Layla continued.

“The fact that I’m a man would support the claim that I acted alone.”

“I’m not smart enough to understand that kind of thing.”

Malyn replied, glaring at him, signalling him to stop this nonsense. But Layla shook her head and said.

“All I can say is that I couldn’t stand it because I love you, so I killed him.”

“Oh.”

In the end, Malyn could only sigh at the foolishness of her lover. She poked Layla in the chest and he looked stunned for a moment.

“Even though everyone in this castle knows about you and me?”

“……”

“Stop talking nonsense.”

“Malyn.”

Malyn wiped her blood-stained hands irritably on her skirt and pushed her dishevelled hair back. Her frustrated movements made Layla visibly uncomfortable. Malyn couldn’t believe it – how could someone who was so anxious about her every move have the courage to come here and kill the king?

… How could he think of stealing a knight’s armour and wearing it?

Malyn looked at Layla with a hint of annoyance. His blonde hair was also dishevelled. Without thinking, she reached out and gently tucked his hair behind his ear. It was strange. Despite his foolish words and reckless actions that made her want to slap him, she still found herself wanting to treat him tenderly.

“Why did you do it?”

“Well, as soon as I came in, you were being choked…”

“No, not that.”

Malyn brushed her thumb across Layla’s cheek. The blood smeared, then dried quickly.

“That duel day, why did you do it?”

Layla’s mouth closed, then opened slightly. He looked like he was trying to find the words, but just like Malyn, he didn’t seem to know what to say. He blushed deeply and looked away, then looked back at her with a sigh.

“I thought you didn’t know.”

“How could I didn’t know? Sometimes…”

She wondered if she should say this. Malyn hesitated for a moment, but decided to say whatever came to mind. The words swirling around in her head felt like something she might never have the chance to say again.

The hot blood soaking her knees and the rapid beating of her heart seemed to whisper to Malyn to flee this place immediately, but she ignored it all and spoke.

“I thought no girl in the world could be more foolish than me, but sometimes you seem even more foolish.”

“…”

“If you had a horse, shouldn’t you have run far, far away? Why did you come back with a spear, as if you were so clever? Why?”

“Malyn.”

Layla replied weakly.

“If I could leave you and run away, I would have done it so long ago.”

That’s probably true. If he could, he would have done so long ago. If he were the kind of man who could leave an abused woman to save himself, he would have done so a long time ago. Sometimes it is really hard to live with integrity.

“I didn’t think you’d notice.”