***

Clunk-

“Mmm.”

I must have fallen asleep in the carriage without realizing it.

Murmur murmur-

Why is it so noisy?

The loud noise disturbing my light sleep was annoying.

On top of that, I felt something strange in my throat, and somehow my posture was uncomfortable.

“…stop it.”

“Shut up.”

“It would be better to put that hand down.”

Suddenly, my eyes snapped open at the ominous dialogue that caught my ear.

I frowned, trying to adjust to the bright view as I tried to raise my body, but it wouldn’t move as I wanted.

“Huh?”

What I saw with my eyes adjusted to the light was the blue sky and the mansion I had bought.

It was an open view that couldn’t be seen from inside the carriage.

I was somehow standing outside now. Involuntarily, that is.

My shoulders were held by a strong grip, and I could see Sion and the mercenary with their swords drawn, facing off against someone holding me.

Behind them, Irena, Aria, Lionel, and Soho were watching this scene with serious expressions, fidgeting anxiously.

And as I slowly lowered my gaze, I saw a sharp blade pressed against my neck.

What is this?

“Is this a dream?”

I closed my eyes again.

“Miss!”

I heard Irena’s voice calling out anxiously from afar.

I gently opened my eyes again, but the situation remained the same.

“What in the world.”

“It’s better to stay still. If you don’t want to get hurt.”

The hostage-taker whispered in my ear.

Seeing the empty carriage with its doors open, he was probably the man I had saved earlier.

I should have listened to Sion. I muttered, still looking up at the clear blue sky, regardless of the situation.

“Sigh. Maybe I should have just left him to die earlier.”

“What? I told you not to do anything rash.”

The hostage-taker whispered in my ear and pressed the knife a little more against my neck.

Shhk-

I felt the coolness of the blade on my neck, followed by a stinging sensation. And I felt something trickling down from my neck to my chest.

“Lady Lora!”

“Miss!”

“Ah!”

“Stop it!”

Hmm. From the circumstances, it seems my neck has been slightly cut.

It was a dizzying situation.

Before the knife could go in any deeper, I thought I should kindly explain the situation to him, so I opened my mouth.

“Listen, I’m the one who saved you when you collapsed. I found you lying on the road, even fed you a potion to save your life, and now you’re holding a knife to my throat?”

I tried to embellish a bit for my innocence. Mentioning that we almost ran him over with the carriage and that I stepped on him seemed like useless information that would only threaten the safety of my neck. He hesitated at this.

“… Weren’t you trying to kidnap me?”

“I don’t think you’re quite handsome enough for that.”

“……”

I calmly reminded him of the reality.

“Could you please put that knife away first? I’m afraid my humanitarian spirit might disappear, and I won’t want to help people in trouble in the future. Also, does this look like a kidnapping location to you? This is my house.”

Only then did he seem to notice the beautiful scenery around us and my mansion surrounded by soft snow and roses.

As his face showed confusion, I also gradually relaxed. Fortunately, it seemed today wasn’t going to be my Memorial Day.

“Are you usually this dramatic?”

“… I’m sorry.”

Finally realizing the situation, he lowered the knife in embarrassment and released me from his grip.

“Ouch.”

As I touched my neck with my now free hand, I felt a stinging sensation and saw red liquid on my fingers. A deep anger was about to rise, but I suppressed it firmly.

I quietly muttered that if I hadn’t stepped on him earlier, I would have surely caused trouble.

As I was frowning, Irena and Sion came running.

“Miss!”

“Lady Lora.”

They immediately examined my neck from all angles.

“Miss! There’s blood… Are you crazy?”

“Lady Lora!”

“It’s okay, I almost had my throat slit. Could you bring me a potion?”

“I’ll bring it right away! Please wait a moment.”

Irena ran to get a potion. Following her, an enraged Sion grabbed the man by the collar and raised his fist.

Thwack-

Nice.

I deliberately didn’t stop him. Honestly, he deserved it.

“Get up.”

As Sion lifted the fallen man and was about to strike his other cheek, the man looked at me and opened his mouth.

His gaze was full of guilt.

“…I apologize again.”

“Hmm, it was my first time having a knife at my throat, so it was a unique experience. Let’s hear the reason. Why did you do it?”

“……”

“It would be best to speak now.”

Sion growled, shaking the man’s collar mercilessly. Feeling a bit of pain, the man explained obediently.

“…I was attacked by a group trying to kidnap me and lost consciousness while escaping. After that, when I saw myself in a carriage with a slave, I thought you were the group trying to kidnap me. I apologize again.”

“It seems you have the character to grab a woman as a hostage first when you’re in a difficult situation.”

“That-“

“Enough. Now that you seem to have come to your senses, please leave. Everyone is uncomfortable. Sion, let him go.”

I said my piece and issued an order to send him away.

I had forgiven such rudeness and even saved his life, so this balanced out the carriage incident and my stepping on him. Yeah.

“Sion! I said let him go.”

“… Yes.”

Sion released the man with an expression full of irritation, almost throwing him.

Stagger-

The man regained his balance for a moment and bowed his head to us.

“I apologize once again. I will surely repay today’s rudeness.”

Seeing him apologize so much, he didn’t seem like a very bad person, but it appeared his judgment was clouded momentarily due to an extreme situation.

But that doesn’t mean I need to forgive him.

“That’s not necessary. I’d prefer not to see you again.”

“I’m truly sorry. Then.”

At my cold response, he bowed his head deeply once more in apology and turned around.

As he walked towards the bottom of the hill with his back straight under our hostile gazes.

Thud-

Flop-

He collapsed after just a few steps.

“……”

“What now?”

We really had some splendid guests.

“Should we just leave him?”

“That’s right! If we leave him like that, won’t he wake up and leave on his own?”

“Let’s just bury him.”

Everyone’s judgment was severely clouded by bewilderment and anger.

If I got swept up in it too, someone would end up dead today.

Then the guards would come saying a frozen corpse was found in front of our house, and with the ambiguous carriage accident, the sword wound on the man’s waist, and the infamous reputation of Lora who was exiled to the north, it would become a fantastic prison collaboration.

“Ah, geez. Bring him inside. Oh, and when you return to the village, please call for a doctor.”

“Yes.”

“Oh my, yes. I’ll make sure to send a doctor. Then, goodbye.”

The coachman and mercenary, who had been watching the situation in bewilderment, quickly unloaded the luggage and left hastily before anyone could stop them. I doubted whether they would actually call a doctor properly.