Chapter 9
“Don’t worry. I came to help you because a child named Ivan asked me to.”
“Ivan?”
Kaiden frowned.
“The boy can’t even speak the Imperial language…”
“Is that really what you’re worried about right now? And I’m treating your injuries, so let go of my wrist.”
She was right.
That was hardly the important issue at the moment.
Kaiden released her wrist without further argument.
“Where is the child now?”
“…He’s hiding somewhere safe for the time being.”
Emilia resumed bandaging his wound.
Well…
The only questionable part was that his hiding place happened to be inside her suitcase.
“One of the people chasing you is going around pretending to be a railway employee.”
She briefly explained everything that had happened.
“By the way…”
She hesitated.
“Can you really not move at all?”
“No.”
Kaiden glanced toward the blood-soaked dagger lying beside him.
Whatever substance had coated its blade…
Even someone like him, who possessed an unusually high resistance to poison, had been completely incapacitated.
Aside from moving his arm slightly a moment ago, he couldn’t move at all.
Even his vision remained blurred.
He couldn’t clearly make out the face of the woman kneeling beside him.
Silently, he watched her continue wrapping the bandage around his wound with slow, careful movements.
…What kind of woman is she?
Even if a frightened child begged for help…
Most people would never willingly involve themselves in something this dangerous.
Yet she had remained astonishingly calm the entire time.
Just then, the train jolted violently.
Kaiden frowned before speaking.
“Do you happen to know which station we just left?”
“Ah…”
Emilia thought for a moment.
“The last stop was Bandia Station, in the Viscounty of Tinus.”
“Then that’s fortunate.”
“…Fortunate?”
“Yes.”
He nodded faintly.
“My people should be waiting at the next station.”
“Really?”
Emilia’s eyes lit up as she finished tying the bandage.
That was wonderful news.
But…
There was still one problem.
Even if his men boarded the train to rescue them, it would take time before they found Kaiden and Ivan.
“In that case, I’ll find them first and tell them where you and Ivan are.”
“Would you?”
Kaiden immediately described the appearance of his aide.
As Emilia pictured the man’s face in her mind, she let out a quiet “Ah.”
“But…”
She looked uncertain.
“Won’t they think I’m suspicious?”
Even if she told them where Kaiden was…
What if they assumed she was trying to lure them into a trap?
“Do you have something that could prove you’re really connected to them?”
“In that case…”
Kaiden answered,
“Please check the inside pocket of my jacket.”
“Oh… alright.”
Emilia nodded and carefully slipped her hand inside his jacket.
Her fingers soon brushed against a small pocket watch.
She grasped it and carefully pulled it out.
At that exact moment—
Kaiden flinched.
“Did I touch your wound?”
“…No.”
“Is this the right one?”
“Yes.”
“If you show them that, they’ll recognize it as mine immediately—”
Suddenly…
Kaiden stopped speaking.
…What’s wrong?
Emilia looked at him in confusion.
“Wait.”
“W-Why?”
Without warning, Kaiden leaned toward her.
Startled, Emilia instinctively shrank back.
His quiet voice brushed against her ear.
“Someone’s coming this way.”
“…What?”
She whispered in surprise.
“Could it just be an ordinary railway employee?”
Surely the assassin she’d encountered earlier couldn’t have searched this far already.
“No.”
Kaiden’s expression hardened.
“Judging by the footsteps… they’re not ordinary people.”
A brief pause.
“They’re probably the same people you mentioned.”
Emilia froze.
Wait…
‘They’?
That meant there wasn’t just one assassin.
What am I supposed to do now?
She bit her lip and anxiously glanced toward the door.
Please… just walk past…
Then—
A scene from the station waiting room suddenly flashed through her mind.
Ah!
They didn’t necessarily have to ignore this compartment…
They only needed to pretend they hadn’t seen anything.
The idea came to her instantly.
Actually carrying it out, however…
Was another matter entirely.
At that moment, Kaiden grimaced and gently pushed her away.
“You need to leave.”
“…What?”
She stared at him, not understanding.
“The corridor continues outside.”
She hurriedly explained.
“If I step out, they’ll immediately—”
“No.”
Kaiden shook his head.
“I mean you should leave…”
“…and tell them there’s someone suspicious in here.”
“…What?”
So that was his plan.
He wanted her to pretend she was just an uninvolved passenger and save herself.
“Don’t say something so ridiculous!”
Emilia snapped in a low voice.
She had no intention of listening to any more of his nonsense.
Instead…
She replayed the scene from the waiting room over and over in her mind.
Is this really the only way?
Forget it! It’s the only idea I’ve got!
Swallowing hard, Emilia steeled herself.
“I’m only saying this just in case.”
She looked straight at him.
“I don’t have any improper intentions, alright?”
No matter what…
She felt she absolutely had to make that clear.
“…What exactly are you—”
Kaiden never finished his question.
In one swift motion—
Emilia kicked the bloodstained dagger far across the room.
Then—
She climbed directly onto his lap.
“…What… are you…”
Even Kaiden, who had remained composed while assassins hunted him…
Was completely dumbfounded.
At the same time…
A small, delicate body pressed itself against his.
The faint fragrance surrounding her filled his senses.
“Just stay still!”
Did he think she wanted to be straddling a man she’d met only today?
Ignoring his bewilderment, Emilia undid several buttons near her collar and pulled one shoulder free.
“Are you good at… making those kinds of sounds?”
She immediately shook her head.
“No, never mind.”
Even to her own ears…
It had been an utterly absurd question.
Besides…
There wasn’t enough time for his answer anyway.
By now, even she could hear the approaching footsteps.
“They’re almost here.”
“I’m borrowing your arm.”
Taking Kaiden’s limp right arm, she wrapped it around her waist.
Holding her breath…
She watched the door from the corner of her eye.
The footsteps stopped outside.
A hand reached for the doorknob.
And then—
“Mmm…”
Emilia let out a soft, breathy moan.
“W-What was that?”
The men outside were clearly caught off guard.
But Emilia wasn’t finished.
“Ah… darling… wait… a little slower…”
She blurted out whatever sounded remotely convincing.
Instead of opening the door…
The men peered through the nearby window.
What they saw—
Was a woman sitting astride a man.
Anyone looking in would naturally assume exactly what was happening.
The kind of scandalously intimate situation that required no explanation.
At that exact moment, Emilia turned around with a startled cry.
“W-What do you think you’re doing?! Why are you peeking?!”
As she shouted, she pulled Kaiden’s head tightly against her chest, hiding his face.
They can’t see his hair color and become suspicious.
Even in the middle of all this…
Embarrassment nearly killed her.
Still…
There was one universal truth about indecent scenes in public.
The people doing something embarrassing often weren’t the ones who fled—
The unfortunate witnesses were.
Please… please let that be true this time.
Pretending she was on the verge of tears, Emilia cried,
“W-What are we supposed to do now?! I told you I didn’t want to do this here! I said someone might come!”
As she spoke…
She glared at the men outside as though they were the shameless ones.
All the while carefully memorizing each of their faces.
