Chapter 1.15

Whistling, the coachman grabbed her face.  

“You’re too good to kill. If you behave, I might keep you around….”  

Just then, Liz slammed her forehead into the coachman’s face with all her strength.  

“Argh!”  

Blood gushed from the coachman’s nose.  

Taking advantage of the moment, Liz crawled away desperately.  

Her dress tore, and her knees scraped against the ground.  

But her frantic escape was in vain.  

“Mmph!”  

The coachman grabbed her by the hair from behind.  

Liz’s neck bent backward.  

The coachman, blood dripping from his face, glared at her.  

“If you stay still, this will be easier for both of us. You really want to suffer, don’t you?”  

Liz’s upper body was pressed against the ground.  

Another loud ripping sound came from her dress.  

‘Is this the end?’  

Strength drained from Liz’s body.  

She stopped resisting and clenched her eyes shut.  

At that moment.  

“Guh!”  

The coachman screamed.  

Startled, Liz turned her trembling body around.  

The coachman was writhing on the ground, blood pouring from his thigh.  

Had he been bitten by a snake? But the amount of blood suggested otherwise.  

Liz looked around in fear.  

The quiet forest revealed nothing.  

As Liz backed away from the coachman, he writhed again in agony.  

“Ugh… ahhh….”  

Moments later, the coachman vomited blood and collapsed forward.  

‘What just happened…?’  

Terrified, Liz mustered the courage to approach the coachman.  

Upon closer inspection, she found bullets lodged in his thigh and hand.  

With her bound hands, Liz cautiously pushed the coachman’s massive body.  

It moved lifelessly.  

Though she didn’t understand why, the situation seemed to be over.  

As soon as she realized this, suppressed emotions surged forth—relief, fear, anger, shame, regret, and countless unnamed feelings swirled in her mind.  

“A-ah….”  

Liz’s body trembled uncontrollably, her mind unable to stay rational.  

Just then, the sound of a horse’s neigh broke the silence.  

“Mmph!”  

Liz flinched violently.  

A pitch-black horse approached her.  

A tall man dismounted gracefully.  

Overcome with terror, Liz shook her head frantically and backed away.  

“Shh.”  

But the man’s voice was familiar.  

Even in a single word, his elegance was unmistakable.  

‘Could it be….’  

Liz looked up at him with trembling eyes.  

The man removed his hat, revealing golden hair that gleamed in the darkness.  

It was Valentine Winchester.  

The moment Liz recognized him, her strength gave out.  

“H-huh, mmph….”  

Tears she had been holding back spilled forth.  

Valentine calmly raised a finger to his lips.  

“Quiet. Catch your breath.”  

Perhaps it was the extreme nature of the situation, but the tears continued to flow.  

Gradually, however, her breathing and trembling subsided.  

Once Liz’s convulsions had calmed, Valentine removed the cloth from her mouth.  

Slowly, Liz’s sobbing quieted.  

“Thank you for saving me….”  

“And yet I warned you that wandering around at this hour was dangerous, Madame.”  

Valentine frowned and scolded her.  

Liz looked up at him, dazed.  

“H-huh…?”  

“As you can see, bears often roam this area. It seems this one had a master, so I didn’t kill it.”  

Valentine’s tone was calm.  

Only then did Liz fully take in his appearance.  

He was dressed in practical hunting attire, with an extinguished lantern hanging from his waist.  

The long-barreled rifle he carried was equipped with a silencer.  

It was clear he had come prepared for anything.

He must have foreseen all of this.  

A bitter smile lingered on Liz’s lips.  

How foolish and pathetic she must have looked, climbing into the carriage of her own accord.  

Valentine glanced at the fallen coachman and continued speaking.  

“If I hadn’t come out for a night hunt, this could have ended in disaster.”  

Valentine quietly gazed at Liz, as if demanding an answer.  

Liz now understood Valentine’s intentions.  

Valentine had turned the coachman into a “bear,” just as he had turned Liz into Isabel.  

“I….”  

Liz’s lips quivered.  

She wanted to ask how he had known to come here, whether he was hurt, and what they would do next.  

But Liz wasn’t given the chance to ask such questions.  

Valentine had already decided how to handle the situation on his own.  

It was an entirely one-sided act of assistance—a deeply arrogant act of charity.  

Yet it was the salvation Liz desperately needed.  

After all, Liz could no longer live as herself.  

Once Myra learned that the assassin had failed to kill Liz, he would stop at nothing to find her.  

Myra was already putting all his efforts into finding Isabel, so adding Liz to the search wouldn’t be difficult.  

At least in Holt Kingdom and Florang Kingdom, where Myra had connections.  

The maid Liz Garrett could no longer exist.  

“Isn’t that right, Isabel?”  

Valentine tilted his head slightly as he asked.  

Isabel. That name made Liz’s heart pound.  

If Liz simply nodded here, it felt as though it would become the truth.  

‘Isabel’ went out for a nighttime stroll, encountered a bear, and was rescued by her husband, Valentine.  

It could end as nothing more than that.  

Liz lifted her gaze to look at him.  

His eyes glowed blue even in the dark night.  

That light gave her the confidence that he could achieve anything.  

It was absurd, but if it was Valentine Winchester, it seemed possible.  

“Yes, Dear.”  

Liz finally nodded.  

Valentine’s lips curved into a satisfied smile.  

His smile was so breathtakingly beautiful that it felt as though the dark forest had been lit up.  

Liz tried to forget the fact that such bright light erased the true colors of things.  

“That’s a relief, Duchess Winchester.”  

Before Liz could grow accustomed to the title “Duchess Winchester,” Valentine knelt on one knee before her.  

“Are you hurt anywhere?”  

At his courteous question, Liz held up her bound hands to her chest.  

“I twisted my ankle, and my hands….”  

“Wait a moment.”  

Valentine lit the lamp he had brought.  

The faint smell of gas filled the air as their surroundings brightened.  

At that moment, Valentine’s brows furrowed deeply.  

‘Oh no.’  

Liz realized how disheveled she must look now.  

Her jewelry had been torn off, and her dress was tattered to the point of barely serving its purpose as clothing.  

Her swollen feet were stuck in shoes that wouldn’t come off, the only thing still intact.  

‘These were all precious Winchester belongings.’  

Liz glanced at Valentine nervously and spoke.  

“I-I’m sorry.”  

But Valentine turned his head sharply.  

Cold sweat trickled down Liz’s back.  

He had every right to be angry.  

If she had known this would happen, she would have taken the time to change and return the clothes beforehand.  

Liz tried to show some sincerity by tidying her dress.  

But with her hands bound, it was a futile effort.  

Summoning her courage, Liz parted her lips to speak.  

“Um, if you could untie my hands, I’d be very grateful.”  

“Ah… your hands?”  

Valentine’s voice cracked slightly.  

Startled by his reaction, Liz widened her eyes.  

“Your Grace?”  

“…Nothing. You mean your hands.”  

Valentine cleared his throat and turned to face Liz.  

But his gaze seemed to be directed elsewhere.  

“Yes. Here….”  

Liz extended her wrists, bound tightly with thick rope.  

Valentine glanced at her wrists and began untying the rope.  

But the smooth silk gloves he wore were ill-suited for loosening knots.  

His hands kept slipping, and noticing this, Valentine frowned and removed his gloves.  

He then grabbed both ends of the knot and pulled firmly.  

“Ouch…!”  

Liz flinched.  

One large knot came undone, but the recoil caused his hand to brush against Liz’s bare shoulder.  

Their eyes met.  

Valentine’s face turned bright red, visible even in the darkness.  

His jaw tightened so much that blue veins appeared beneath his chin.  

“…Cover yourself.”  

Valentine removed his coat and draped it over Liz’s front.  

Only then did Liz realize that her torn dress had left her body exposed.  

Her face turned red as well.  

“Thank… you.”  

How indecent she must have looked.  

He probably thought she was a shameless woman.  

Liz bowed her head in shame.  

Fortunately, Valentine didn’t say anything more.  

“…This will be quicker.”  

Valentine muttered under his breath and took out a pocket knife.  

The remaining ropes were cut with a soft scraping sound.  

The taut cords frayed bit by bit, and Valentine’s focused breaths fell into the coat covering Liz.  

Each time, Liz’s body flinched slightly.  

“Don’t move. You’ll get hurt.”  

Valentine spoke casually, but his voice wavered slightly, like a blade trembling on its edge.  

After an agonizingly long moment, Liz’s wrists were finally freed.  

“Hah….”  

Both of them exhaled deeply at the same time.  

After a brief, awkward silence, Valentine was the first to speak.  

“My hunting dogs will take care of the bear. Can you stand?”  

Liz lowered her gaze and shook her head.  

“I twisted my ankle while running away.”  

“Oh. That’s right.”  

Valentine sighed deeply, his expression troubled.  

Was he reluctant to help me up?  

Well, she couldn’t blame him for not wanting to be inconvenienced further.  

Liz quickly added, 

“Then I’ll try to stand on my own… Ahhh!”  

Before she could finish her sentence, Liz’s body was lifted off the ground.  

She found herself cradled in Valentine’s arms.  

“Your Grace—no, Dear. What are you…?”  

Flustered, Liz flailed as she looked up at him.  

But Valentine’s chin was raised, and his expression remained unreadable.  

“Bear with it for a moment. I’ve already arranged for the physician at Winchester Estate to be ready.”  

His voice had returned to its usual calm tone, and his expression was likely the same.  

As if to prove this, Valentine carried Liz with elegant strides and placed her on the horse.