<CHAPTER 63>
Surely You’re Not With Them Too?
Meanwhile.
Redemberg was waiting anxiously for her at Ehilie’s house.
‘I should have followed her somehow.’
If he set his mind to it, he was confident he could follow her without being detected by Ehilie.
But there was a problem.
The fact that that damned mansion was right in the middle of the capital.
The area near the capital where the Imperial Palace was located was heavily guarded and protected by a barrier made of massive guardian stones.
‘It’s not that I can’t enter, but?’
p>He could just break through the barrier and go in.
However, if he did such a thing, the guardian stones would shatter immediately and the entire empire would be put on emergency alert.
There would be chaos about demon invasions, wars, and such.
If such turmoil occurred, Ehilie might instead find herself in an even more dangerous situation.
“I will definitely return safely.
To this house where you are waiting for me,”
Now he had no choice but to trust her and wait.
Still, to prepare for any unforeseen circumstances, he had instructed Herond to come find him immediately if she was in danger.
If Herond were to come looking for him……………….
Then he would go without caring about wars or anything else.
In the carriage returning home, Ehilie finally let out a sigh of relief.
As the tension released, pain flooded into her hands.
“Ouch…………….”
Ehilie’s hands trembled as she removed her gloves.
The back of her hands was swollen red, and the skin was peeling off as if burned, making a mess.
“I want to hurry back and see Rek.”
As she wrapped them in a handkerchief for emergency treatment.
Thud!
Suddenly, a violent jolt occurred.
Soon after, with a screech and a loud noise, the carriage came to an abrupt halt.
“Wh, who goes there! Urk!”
After the coachman’s urgent shout from outside, a short death cry rang out.
The moment Ehilie felt a foreboding premonition and slightly opened the curtain.
She made eye contact with a masked assailant beyond the window.
“Hah!”
Ehilie jumped up in surprise and pressed her body against the opposite wall.
What on earth was happening?
Truly, out of the frying pan and into the fire.
She had just barely escaped the banquet hall, and now an attack by assailants?
Bang!
The assailant roughly flung open the carriage door.
The assailant had their face covered with a mask and was even wearing a robe.
But Ehilie roughly figured out where they were from.
Because the sword handle at their waist bore an emblem of a snake coiled around a cross,
‘Without a doubt, it’s the emblem given to Mikhail’s personal soldiers.’
She recognized it immediately because it had been described in the original story.
“My lady, if you don’t wish to suffer, please come out while I’m still being polite.”
The words were polite, but the actions were not.
The man didn’t even wait for Ehilie’s response before thrusting his hand into the carriage.
“Caw! Peck peck!”
Herond fluttered up and fiercely scratched the man’s hand with sharp claws.
“You damn crow, how dare you!”
The man furrowed his brows fiercely and swung his fist.
“Caw!”
Herond dodged skillfully even in the narrow carriage.
While Herond bought time, Ehilie checked the opposite door.
‘There are seven on that side. Only two on this side!’
Couldn’t she somehow shake off just two?
It was do or die.
‘If it’s Mikhail, he would have ordered them to bring me back in the most intact condition possible.’
In the original story, he had extremely disliked anyone else hurting Ehilie.
Even though he himself had broken her ankles, whipped her, and done all sorts of terrible things.
Anyway.
‘First, let’s try something.’
Ehilie removed her eye patch and shook all the jewel decorations from her clothes inside, wrapping them up like a bundle.
From the outside, it looked like an elegant lace bundle wrapped around jewels, but it was a weapon harder than ordinary stones.
In her other hand, she took out a bottle of strong perfume with the lid slightly open.
‘Good.’
After taking a deep breath, she kicked open the opposite door and jumped out.
“Herond, follow me well!”
“Caw?”
The two assailants beyond the door flinched.
Ehilie first threw the lace bundle at one of the assailants.
Thud!
“Ugh!”
The lace bundle struck the assailant’s face precisely.
With a heavy impact sound, jewels scattered everywhere.
The assailant, belatedly grasping the situation, tried to rush at her.
But Ehilie was faster.
Ehilie quickly threw the perfume bottle.
This time the assailant was prepared and defended by knocking the bottle away.
But he couldn’t block the liquid scattering in the air.
“Uwaaack! Cough! Cough!”
The assailant covered in strong perfume squeezed his eyes shut and coughed violently.
The two assailants stumbled and fell entangled with each other.
Ehilie didn’t miss this opening and ran with all her might toward the forest.
“What are you fools doing! Chase her immediately!”
If she ran on the proper road, she would be caught quickly.
Ehilie deliberately entered a slope overgrown with bushes.
Herond flapped along beside her.
“Caw! Caw!”
“How was that? Did I do well?”
“Caw!”
At Herond’s praise, Ehilie gave a thumbs up while catching her rough breath.
“You did well too.”
Though the situation was frightening and scary, having Herond by her side eased her mind a little.
“Let’s hide over there first.”
Ehilie crouched and hid in the bushes beneath sharp thorny trees.
Her heart pounded as if it would burst.
‘It’s okay. I can return. I’ll go back and tell Rek about everything that happened today, and fall asleep in his arms.’
She held her breath and tried to calm her mind.
But without even a moment to catch her breath, a rustling sound came from behind.
“Found her.”
Along with a chilling voice, a gleaming sword was pointed at her nape.
“Don’t waste your strength and come out quietly.”
The cold blade filled her vision, and instinctively, fear flooded in.
Her fingertips grew cold.
Cold sweat ran down her spine.
But even in her fear, Ehilie’s mind worked.
‘Why draw a sword to threaten me? It would be easier to just grab and pull me out.’
Ehilie’s gaze turned toward the thick thorny tree right before her.
‘Aha!’
Perhaps the assailants were worried that if they forcibly pulled Ehilie out from here, she might get scratches on her face during the resistance.
‘Perhaps……………….’
Ehilie turned her head sharply to face the assailant.
At the same time, the man flinched and slightly lowered his sword to the side.
‘As expected!’
It was as she had suspected.
Without a doubt, he had received orders from Mikhail not to injure Ehilie’s face.
‘That’s right. Mikhail never touched Ehilie’s face!’
Ehilie grabbed the thorny tree without hesitation and broke it off.
And brought the sharp thorn end near her own white cheek.
“Put away this sword.”
The assailant’s eyes widened.
Ehilie continued in a coldly lowered voice.
“If you don’t put it away immediately, I’ll scratch my face right now.”
“Didn’t your master command you? To never harm my face.”
“H, how did you……………….”
Ha, as expected.
Ehilie raised the corner of her mouth.
A composed smile appeared that was hard to believe belonged to someone being chased.
“C, calm down, my lady.”
The assailant watched Ehilie’s expression and slowly lowered his sword.
Then.
Thud!
A dull impact sound rang out.
Soon after, the assailant collapsed with a thud.
“Are you alright? Miss Ehilie.”
Along with a familiar voice, a man with brilliant golden hair revealed himself.
“Gabriel? Why are you here……………. Surely you’re not with them too?”
‘Did the fox join hands with the tiger? But Gabriel’s target shouldn’t be me anymore.’
At Ehilie’s guarded question, Gabriel shook his head.
“No, Miss Ehilie! I came to help you.”
“How can I believe that? Aren’t you trying to stab me in the back while pretending to be an ally?”
“Caw!”
Even Herond chimed in.
Gabriel appealed with a frustrated voice.
“It’s really not true. Why can’t you trust me!”
“Why indeed. Rummaging through other people’s warehouses and getting caught, chasing after other people’s husbands. You should have done things that inspire trust.”
“Caw! Caw!”
“No, there’s a reason for all that……. Wait, husband? Did you marry that man?”
“Not married……………… yet, but I did receive a proposal.”
“So don’t even think about doing anything improper.”
“Caw!”
It meant ‘Don’t covet my delicate man.’
Gabriel sent a gaze that somehow seemed to contain complex emotions.
“……I understand that you cannot trust me, Miss Ehilie. But please know this. I am not a shameless man who would lay hands on someone who belongs to another.”
“Coming from someone who has already tried to lay hands on a man who belongs to another, that statement doesn’t exactly inspire confidence.”
“That’s a misunderstanding! It’s all because that man…………….”
‘What about Rek? Why?’
At Ehilie’s sharp gaze, Gabriel sighed and trailed off.
“Let’s talk later and first move to a safe place. There are still men nearby. It’s dangerous here.”
Ehilie hesitated for a moment.
Could she trust him and follow him?
But as he said, staying here was dangerous.
‘Yes. For now, let’s trust him.’
She had no sharp walls to scale anyway.
Ehilie approached him hesitantly.
Gabriel turned his body as if he had been waiting and lowered his posture.
“Please climb on.”
