“Hey, hey, miss. We don’t want to hear your preachy sermon on top of ruining our mood with your pathetic sympathy, so buzz off. We ended up looking like these wretched beggars because of this d*mn animal.”

Evelyn flinched at the men’s menacing expressions, but she couldn’t show weakness here.

“I’m… I’m the owner.”

She’d expected them to back off if she claimed ownership. However, the men, who had paused momentarily at that statement, soon burst into raucous laughter.

“Oh really… you’re that thing’s owner?”

“Perfect timing, we were bored anyway. A pretty woman just rolled right in to play with us—we’re more than happy.”

The men, who had lewdly looked Evelyn up and down, exchanged glances with each other.

“Wh… what are you saying? D… don’t come closer!”

Evelyn, who belatedly recognized the dangerous situation, stepped back, but the men had already closed in and surrounded her. With her escape route blocked, Evelyn bit her lip hard. 

Having borrowed Nora’s clothes for ease of movement, the men—not thinking she was a noble lady—spouted vulgar obscenities.

“What if another great epidemic breaks out? As the owner, you should take responsibility for unleashing the plague. Entertain us according to our numbers, and we’ll hand over that d*mn cat nice and quiet.”

Evelyn glanced sideways toward the corner of the alley. 

Her eyes darted busily, trying to escape somehow before things got ugly, and one of the men, seemingly reading her movements, pulled out a dagger and pressed close threateningly.

“Hey, hey, where do you think you’re going? Didn’t you come to play with us?”

Seeing the gleaming blue blade flash, Evelyn held Popo, who was baring its teeth and glaring at the men, tightly in her arms. Realizing this was a deserted alley, her body suddenly began trembling.

Beyond her shaking eyes, she could see the downtown area across one road.

‘If I scream, someone will hear and call the security force.’

“Help!! Mmph!”

The moment Evelyn urgently opened her mouth, a rough hand clamped over it. The foul smell of alcohol unpleasantly stung her nose.

Instantly nauseous, Evelyn bit down hard on the hand covering her mouth.

“Argh! This crazy b*tch…”

After an irritated shout, rough hands shoved her body helplessly to the ground. Tremendous pain flooded through her shoulder as it hit the cold wall.

Behind his crude companions’ laughter, the man who’d been embarrassed by having his palm bitten cursed and grabbed a fistful of Evelyn’s hair as she sat collapsed.

“F*ck. How dare you bite me, you b*tch! I’m gonna f*ck you senseless today.”

Evelyn was fighting with all her might against the hand gripping her hair and yanking mercilessly when Popo, who had been hissing with fur standing on end in Evelyn’s arms, suddenly lunged at the man’s face.

“Argh! What the hell is this?”

The man, who had momentarily forgotten about the cat, flailed and shrieked as the small creature bit his defenseless cheek.

“Get it off. Get this thing off me.”

Popo, clinging on like it would tear his face off, was sent flying with a thud by another man’s hand. Seeing the small body crash against the brick wall and fall, Evelyn’s eyes shook violently.

“That d*mn animal… I’m gonna throw it… into a fire pit…”

In that brief moment, the man whose eye area had been bitten was covered in blood. Taking advantage of the men’s distraction, Evelyn jumped up, hurriedly scooped Popo into her arms, and ran in the opposite direction.

“H… hey! Catch her!”

“D*mn it.”

The man covered in blood and spewing curses shouted harshly, the noise piercing her ears sharply. 

Her spine went cold, but taking advantage of the gap, Evelyn ran for her life, forgetting even the pain in her shoulder.

Her heart pounded terrifyingly at the sound of breaking empty bottles kicked by the men chasing with murderous intent and their frighteningly loud footsteps.

She wanted to collapse right there, but Evelyn gritted her teeth, clutching Popo wrapped in both arms. 

Along with the urgency that she absolutely couldn’t be caught, the warmth of the small life at her fingertips was gradually cooling.

The moment it had been grabbed by those brutish hands and thrown, its body had gone limp—that image overlapped like an afterimage in this moment. Tears streamed down from her eyes.

“Sob… what do I do? Popo. You can’t die…”

Just as she finally escaped the alley, strong sunlight burst into her wide-open field of vision. 

The moment she opened her eyes that had been squeezed shut against the brightness, Evelyn’s foot caught on something and she lost her balance, collapsing with a thud onto the ground.

“Ugh…”

Evelyn’s eyes scrunched at the assaulting pain. Having gotten hurt in the fall, there wasn’t a place on her arms or legs that didn’t sting.

“Look over there. Some woman collapsed in the middle of the road.”

“That… that’s… a cat. It has blood on it.”

“There she is! Catch her!”

The noisy sounds of the city surrounding Evelyn collapsed in the middle of the street and the shouts of the man who had nearly caught up from behind rang in her head.

Nevertheless, Evelyn crawled toward Popo, who had fallen from her arms when she tumbled.

Just a little more.

Barely extending her arms that felt heavy as a thousand pounds, she held Popo again—its breathing was faint. The sight of blood from wounds stabbed here and there clinging messily to its fur was utterly devastating.

“Ah… Popo. Wake up. You can’t die.”

The whiskers that would playfully twitch even at the slightest touch didn’t move. If only it hadn’t lunged at the man to save her.

The moment Popo, who couldn’t even open its eyes and had been whimpering, licked Evelyn’s cheek with its slightly extended tongue, the tears she’d been holding back came pouring out.

That’s when it happened. The ground beneath her knees shook terrifyingly.

“…!”

In her hastily turned vision, a freight wagon rushing at frightening speed came into view.

The sound of hoofbeats pounding her ears thundered like lightning. The horses pulling the wagon, running in a straight line, terrifyingly raised their front legs.

‘I’m going to be trampled.’

At the sight of the hooves raised threateningly with an eerie glint, Evelyn squeezed her eyes shut, curled her body around Popo, and prostrated herself on the ground. 

Trembling violently, Evelyn held her breath.

In that moment—thud!

Along with the neighing of rearing horses, a roar like the sky collapsing burst forth. Immediately, every single noise in the world vanished in an instant.

How much time passed after that?

Evelyn thought she must have died. Otherwise, there was no way all that noise from moments ago could have turned to silence in an instant.

“Evelyn!”

‘Ah. So it’s true that when you die, you hear the voice of someone you miss.’

Evelyn, who had been thinking this vacantly, opened her eyes at the familiar touch that suddenly gripped both her arms.

A handsome face appeared hazily in her tear-stained vision.

A boy with brilliant golden hair and clear eyes reminiscent of a blue sky urgently spoke.

“Evelyn, are you safe?”

Her eyes, unable to comprehend reality, slowly opened and closed a couple times. The young boy’s face gradually blurred, and a familiar appearance overlapped in its place.

‘Huh? I died, so why is Elkas’s face in front of me?’

“Evelyn!”

While she only blinked in her dazed state, the force transmitted from the hands gripping her shoulders shook her body. Only then did Evelyn, returned to reality, fully take in the face of the man frantically calling her name.

“…Elkas?”

“Hah… Evelyn, thank goodness you’re safe.”

As soon as she opened her mouth, Elkas, whose face showed relief, pulled her into an embrace.

Behind his solid shoulders, she could see the knights organizing the shattered freight wagon and released horses. Firm yet warm heat. It really was the husband she knew.

Really?

Suddenly, the heart that had held firm even through the terrifying ordeal she’d experienced until just now crumbled away. Why did you only come now? In an instant, emotions welled up and Evelyn’s eyes grew moist.

“Elkas…sob…”

“Evelyn, is your body okay? Are you hurt any…”

“Please save Popo.”

To Elkas, who was trying to examine her body, Evelyn held out the cat she’d taken from her arms and cried profusely. The tears she’d held back until just moments ago poured out like a flood.

* * *

Throughout the ride home held in Elkas’s arms, Evelyn cried and repeatedly hit his chest.

‘Why did you only come now? Do you know how scared I was?’

The tear-mixed voice was close to incoherent, making the content hard to understand properly, but Elkas soothed his wife who had nearly been hit by a carriage.

It was extremely fortunate that Elkas, who had searched other places and belatedly stopped by the Windelsons before leaving, happened to be in that vicinity.

Just before Evelyn was hit by the freight wagon, if he hadn’t inserted himself between Evelyn and the carriage, it would have been an extremely dangerous situation that would have inevitably led to an accident.

Sheila’s advice that Evelyn hated being scolded by her parents so she’d go anywhere else but would never go to the Windelsons turned out to be wrong.

Elkas’s expression, which had only been listening while apologizing that he was sorry, became fierce when she brought up the next part.

<Bad men said they’d only let me go if I played with them. Popo… tried to save me.>

Elkas, who hadn’t known why Evelyn had suddenly been in the middle of the road, quickly grasped the full circumstances.

That just before the horses trampled Evelyn, she had been chased by someone.

Elkas gnashed his teeth and clenched his fist impatiently. Firmly standing veins rose blue over the back of his hand. 

Evelyn, who had urgently grabbed Elkas’s collar as he pulled away from her, immediately welled up with tears.

<Wh… where are you going?>

<Please wait just a moment. Penny will safely escort you…>

<No. Not Penny. I don’t want anyone else either. Come with me.>

Since she clung to him refusing to let go, Elkas, who had intended to personally make those bastards taste a terrible hell, had no choice but to give orders to his subordinates instead. 

Calming his wife trembling with anxiety was the top priority. He just didn’t forget to give instructions to inflict such terrible pain that they’d beg to die.

Like that, Evelyn, who had previously said being carried around in someone’s arms was embarrassing, obediently returned home held in her husband’s embrace. 

The servants were shocked at the state of the young lady who had returned after ending her five-day runaway and attended to her carefully.

Only after drinking tea good for mental stability and receiving treatment from the physician did Evelyn finally regain her composure. 

Lying in bed, Evelyn, who had obediently entered the rolled-up blankets, only blinked her eyes.

Beside her lying down, Elkas sat in a chair like someone guarding this place, staring only at her. 

Just moments ago during the commotion, they’d been clinging to each other, but now with this distance between them, it felt a bit awkward. 

The memory of how she’d cried and wailed thinking she was going to die only now came back, making her feel unnecessarily embarrassed.

“…What about Popo?”

“It was badly hurt, but they say it will be fine with treatment.”

She’d been worried because of its age, but only then did Evelyn let out a sigh of relief.

A quiet silence settled between the two.

Just then, with a knock, the physician entered.

Between the awkward couple, the physician silently focused on his work. 

As he applied more ointment to the scraped skin from falling and bumping into things, her brow furrowed at the stinging sensation.

At that reaction, Elkas jumped up and snatched the ointment from the physician’s hand.

“Does that medicine have to be applied?”

“Even small wounds can cause problems later if not disinfected quickly.”

“…Elkas. I’m fine.”

Evelyn answered, embarrassed by his excessive reaction, but far from backing down, Elkas took the ointment from the physician and first applied it to his own index finger.

“Then I’ll apply it, so examine her first.”

Elkas applied the medicine instead, but strangely, he’d been restless ever since the physician entered.

Why is he acting like that?

Meanwhile, Evelyn glanced at him.

The Elkas she’d seen until now had always maintained a perfectly neat appearance. 

That was the man Evelyn knew. However, the man now with his face crumpled like his insides were burning looked the most disheveled she’d ever seen him.

Come to think of it, his sharp-looking, slender jaw seemed to have lost weight too.

Evelyn, who had no idea of Elkas’s circumstances of not being able to sleep properly while searching for her, glanced at Elkas while receiving her examination.

After carefully examining Evelyn’s body for some time and finishing the examination, the physician bowed his head to Elkas.

“Your Grace. Fortunately, the child is safe. Please don’t worry.”

“…!”

At that moment, Evelyn sat bolt upright.

“I’m… pregnant?”