<CHAPTER 9>
“Don’t worry. I came here to help you at that boy Ivan’s request.”
“Ivan asked you? But he can’t even speak the Imperial language…”
“Is that really what matters right now? And I’m giving you first aid, so let go of my wrist.”
The woman was right. That was hardly the important thing at the moment.
Kaiden quickly nodded in agreement and released her wrist, cooperating without further protest.
“Where is the child?”
“…He’s hiding somewhere safe for now.”
Emilia answered as she continued moving her hands.
Of course, the problem was that he was hiding inside her bag.
“You’re being pursued by someone who’s wandering around disguised as a railway employee.”
She briefly explained the situation to Kaiden.
“But… are you completely unable to move?”
“Yes. That is correct.”
Kaiden glanced toward the dagger lying beside him.
The unidentified substance coating the blade had been lethal even to someone like him, who possessed a strong resistance to poison.
Other than the slight movement of his arm moments ago, he was completely unable to move.
Even his vision had grown blurry.
Because of that, he couldn’t get a proper look at the woman’s face, no matter how much he wanted to.
He quietly watched her as she moved carefully, the soft rustling of fabric filling the cramped space.
…What kind of woman is she?
Even if a child had asked her for help, most people wouldn’t willingly put themselves in such a dangerous situation.
And yet she was behaving with remarkable calm.
Just then, the train lurched.
Kaiden frowned at the sudden jolt before speaking.
“Do you know which station we’re at?”
“Ah… The station we just passed was in Bandia Village, within Viscount Tinus’s territory.”
“Then that’s fortunate.”
“Fortunate?”
“Yes. My people should be waiting at the next station.”
“Really?”
Emilia brightened at once as she tied another knot with her hands.
That was exactly the news she had been hoping to hear.
There was just one problem.
Even if Kaiden’s people boarded the train to help him and Ivan, it would take them time to find the two of them.
“Then I’ll go tell them where you and Ivan are.”
“Would you do that?”
Kaiden immediately described what his aide looked like.
Emilia pictured the face in her mind before suddenly letting out a small gasp.
“But won’t they suspect me of being someone suspicious?”
Even if she told them where he was, it would be disastrous if they thought she was trying to lure them somewhere.
“Is there anything I could use as a sign? Something they would recognize?”
“Then please check the inner pocket of my jacket.”
“Oh, all right.”
Emilia quickly nodded and slipped her hand inside his jacket.
Her fingers brushed against a small pocket watch.
She immediately grasped it and pulled it out, causing Kaiden to flinch.
“Did I touch your wound?”
“…No.”
“Is this the one?”
“Yes. If you show them that, they’ll immediately recognize it as mine and—”
Kaiden suddenly stopped speaking.
What’s wrong?
Emilia looked up at him curiously.
“Wait.”
“W-Why?”
Kaiden suddenly leaned toward her, causing Emilia to shrink back.
Then she heard his low voice beside her ear.
“Someone is coming this way.”
“What?”
Startled, Emilia whispered,
“Could it just be an ordinary railway employee?”
It seemed unlikely that the man she had seen earlier could have reached them already.
“No. Those footsteps don’t belong to an ordinary person. They’re probably the same people you mentioned.”
Emilia froze.
Wait.
If he said “people,” that meant there was more than one.
What should I do?
Biting her lip, Emilia anxiously glanced toward the door.
Please, just pass by without noticing us!
Then, suddenly, the scene she had witnessed in the waiting room flashed through her mind.
Oh, right!
They might not be able to pass by without noticing them.
But she could make them pretend they hadn’t seen anything.
The only problem was that she hesitated to actually put the plan into action.
At that moment, Kaiden grimaced and pushed her away.
“Get out of here for now.”
“What?”
Emilia asked again, unable to understand what he meant.
“The corridor connects to the outside, so as soon as you leave, you’ll—”
She hurriedly tried to explain, but Kaiden shook his head.
“No. I mean go outside and tell them there’s a suspicious person here.”
“What?”
In other words, he wanted her to pretend to be an unrelated passenger and escape on her own.
“That’s ridiculous!”
Emilia scolded him in a hushed voice.
She had no intention of listening to any more of Kaiden’s pointless suggestions.
Instead, she replayed the scene she had witnessed earlier in her mind.
Is this really the only way?
I don’t know! It’s the only idea I can think of right now, so what else am I supposed to do?!
Emilia swallowed hard and steeled herself.
“I’m only saying this just in case, but I don’t have any ulterior motives, okay?”
No matter what, she felt she had to make that clear.
“What are you talking abo—”
But Kaiden never got to finish his question.
Emilia kicked the dagger away, sending it skidding far across the floor.
Then, without hesitation, she climbed on top of him.
“What… are you… doing?”
Kaiden, who had remained calm even as enemies approached, was utterly bewildered.
At the same time, a small, delicate body pressed against him, accompanied by a soft, pleasant fragrance that enveloped him.
“Just stay still for a moment!”
As if she wanted to be doing this with a man she had met for the first time today!
Emilia scolded him as she hurriedly undid several buttons of her dress and exposed one shoulder.
“Are you good at making moaning sounds? No, no. Never mind.”
Emilia quickly shook her head as soon as the question left her mouth.
Even to her own ears, it sounded utterly absurd.
Besides, there was no time to hear his answer.
The footsteps were now close enough for even Emilia to hear them.
“I’m just going to borrow your arm for a second.”
With that, she placed Kaiden’s right arm around her waist.
Holding her breath, Emilia waited, watching from the corner of her eye as the men approached the door.
And just as they reached for the doorknob—
“Mmmh.”
Emilia let out a sultry moan.
“W-What the hell was that?”
Fortunately, the men outside sounded thoroughly flustered by the moaning they had heard.
But Emilia didn’t stop there.
“Ah… honey. Wait, just a little slower…”
She blurted out whatever words came to mind.
Instead of opening the door, the men peered inside through the window.
And there they saw a woman straddling a man.
The scene looked unmistakably like exactly what they thought it was.
Something so indecent that no explanation was necessary.
At that moment, Emilia turned around and screamed.
“W-What are you doing, peeping on us?!”
As she said that, she pulled Kaiden’s head against her chest.
They mustn’t get suspicious if they see his hair.
Even in the middle of all this, Emilia was so mortified that she felt like she could die on the spot.
But there was one universal truth when it came to embarrassing situations in public.
The person who witnessed something embarrassing was far more likely to flee than the person actually doing it.
Please. Please.
Praying that the same would apply to these men, Emilia pretended to look as though she were about to cry.
“W-What am I supposed to do?! I told you I didn’t want to do this here! I told you someone might come in!”
Then she glared at the men outside as though they were the shameless ones for intruding.
All the while, she carefully memorized their appearances in her mind.
