91. I Won’t Return to the Ducal Estate

The world felt suffocatingly dark, and Roselia struggled to breathe.

The damp, musty smell filled her nose, and she realized with growing panic that her hands and feet were bound. Forcing herself to stay calm, she began to piece together what had happened.

The captors had placed some kind of hood over her head, leaving her unable to see or breathe properly. Her fear doubled as she lay still, but she chose to remain motionless to avoid provoking her captors.

If an opportunity to escape arose, she would need all her strength for that moment.

“What’s the point of waiting for some Raphelios noble? We could just strip her here and confirm it ourselves,” grumbled one of the men nearby.

“Leave it. Orders are orders. We’re just doing what we were told.”

‘Raphelios noble? Strip her to confirm…’

The realization hit Roselia like a hammer. They intended to expose her identity as a bloodline woman to Raphelios.

This meant the people they were waiting for belonged to the concubine faction of Raphelios’ nobility.

On the bright side, it also meant she was relatively safe until the Raphelios nobles arrived.

Just then, the creak of a wooden door opening broke the tense silence, followed by the sound of footsteps.

“They’re here!”

The men’s voices grew sharp, snapping to attention as someone approached her.

The hood was yanked off her head, and Roselia blinked, her vision adjusting to the sudden light.

The first thing she saw was the smug, unpleasant smile of a man standing above her.

Her expression hardened.

It was him—the man she had caught hiding illegal herbs on the academy grounds.

‘The Grand Duke’s hand is in this again,’ she thought bitterly.

“Good to see you again, Miss Roselia,” he said, his grin widening.

Despite her disguise as Antonio, the man clearly knew her true identity.

A chill ran down her spine at the realization. If he knew, it meant Grand Duke Rubelio also knew the truth.

“Mmph! Mmm!”

She tried to yell in protest, but the gag muffled her words into incoherent noises.

Roselia glared at him with all the defiance she could muster, but he only chuckled, his creepy grin never faltering.

From outside, the voice of a lookout shouted, “A carriage from Raphelios is approaching!”

The man smirked and straightened, turning to bark orders.

“Prepare to welcome our guests.”

“Yes, sir!”

Roselia bit her lip, her mind racing.

If she fell into the hands of the Raphelios nobles and they confirmed she was a woman, her chances of survival would plummet. She had to escape—’before’ they arrived.

Just as desperation began to overwhelm her, a scream suddenly echoed from outside.

Roselia froze, her heart pounding.

The commotion startled the men, who rushed toward the door in confusion.

Something was happening outside, and whatever it was, it had thrown them into disarray.

“What’s happening?”

The leader of the captors, the shadowy man, barked out, his voice filled with urgency.

One of his subordinates stumbled inside, his face pale with fear.

“The people from the carriage— they’ve started attacking us!”

“What?”

Roselia’s eyes widened in shock as she tried to make sense of the situation. The meeting with the Raphelios nobles was supposed to take place here. Were the nobles now attacking their captors?

The clash of steel, shouts, and cries filled the air, echoing closer with every passing moment.

The door burst open, and knights clad in white armor stormed in.

“Hold them off! Stop them at all costs!” the shadowy leader yelled, kicking at an approaching knight to create some distance.

But no matter how much they fought, mere mercenaries were no match for the trained knights of Raphelios.

The leader, cursing under his breath, turned his furious gaze to Roselia.

“Move the hostage now!”

At his command, several men rushed toward Roselia. She instinctively scrambled back, trying to avoid their grasp.

Just as one of the men reached her, he suddenly froze mid-step, his body jolting as he choked.

“Gah…!”

The man collapsed like a broken puppet, his lifeless form hitting the ground.

Roselia stared in disbelief, her wide eyes darting toward the figure that had emerged behind him.

“Roselia!”

“Marquess Johannes…?”

Her voice was barely above a whisper, her mind racing to comprehend what she was seeing.

Was it Johannes who had led the attacking Raphelios nobles?

Before she could fully process the situation, Roselia saw the glint of a blade aimed at Johannes’s back.

“Behind you, Marquess!”

Hearing her urgent cry, Johannes whirled around, raising his sword just in time.

Clang!

The sound of clashing steel rang out, accompanied by a burst of sparks.

It was the shadowy leader, his face twisted with rage as he pressed down with all his strength.

“Urgh…!”

Johannes, still crouched from checking on Roselia, gritted his teeth as he resisted the weight of the attack.

Roselia’s heart pounded. She couldn’t stand by while Johannes struggled to protect her. Glancing around, she spotted a bucket of water nearby. Crawling over to it, she kicked it toward the leader.

The splash wasn’t enough to harm him, but it distracted him just long enough for Johannes to deflect his blade and push back.

Seizing the opportunity, Johannes stood and launched a series of precise counterattacks. One of his strikes slashed deeply into the leader’s arm.

“Argh!”

Unlike Johannes, who maintained his composure, the shadowy leader began to falter. His footing grew unsteady as he struggled to fend off Johannes’s relentless assault.

Looking around, the leader saw that most of his men had already been subdued or killed by the knights. Realizing that continuing the fight would only lead to his capture, he barked out an order.

“Retreat! Anyone still alive, fall back!”

Before fleeing, the leader shot Roselia one last venomous glare, his frustration evident. Then he turned and disappeared through the door.

The remaining captors, outmatched by Johannes’s knights, abandoned their positions and scattered.

“Pursue the fleeing ones!” Johannes commanded, and several knights immediately gave chase.

Turning back to Roselia, Johannes knelt by her side, cutting away her bindings and removing her gag with careful hands.

“Are you hurt anywhere?” he asked, his voice laced with concern.

“I… I’m fine,” Roselia stammered, still in shock. “Thank you for saving me.”

Johannes gave her a small smile. “Let’s get out of here first.”

Without waiting for her response, he scooped her up in his arms.

Startled, Roselia let out a soft cry. Though not as broad as Klaus, Johannes’s lean frame lifted her effortlessly.

“Bear with me for a moment,” he said, his expression serious as he carried her out of the hut.

Having been bound all day, Roselia’s limbs were weak and trembling, leaving her unable to walk on her own.

Johannes carried her to a waiting carriage and gently set her down inside.

“You look like you’ve been through hell,” he remarked, his tone heavy with concern as he took a seat across from her.

Roselia lowered her gaze, guilt weighing heavily on her heart. “I’m… sorry.”

Johannes offered a bittersweet smile. “What could you possibly have to apologize for? If anything, I should apologize for arriving so late.”

His calm, steady voice was a balm to her frayed nerves. For the first time since her abduction, she felt a sense of safety.

As Roselia’s breathing steadied, Johannes sighed softly. “I heard that the Duke has been searching for you. Let’s head back to the ducal estate.”

At the mention of Klaus, Roselia’s expression hardened.

“The Duke… is alive?”

Johannes looked startled, then quickly realized she hadn’t been informed. “Ah… You haven’t heard yet.”

Meeting her anxious gaze, Johannes spoke gently. “He was declared missing but returned to the estate yesterday. He’s injured, but his life isn’t in danger.”

Tears spilled from Roselia’s eyes, her emotions overwhelming her.

“Roselia?” Johannes called softly, concerned by her sudden outburst.

She kept her head lowered, her tears flowing freely. Relief at Klaus’s survival mixed with a storm of conflicting emotions—resentment for his choices, sorrow over the distorted events of the original story, and fear of what lay ahead.

After a moment, Johannes reached toward her cautiously. “You don’t seem well. I’ll take you straight to the ducal estate—”

“No,” Roselia interrupted, her voice firm despite the tears staining her cheeks. “I’m not going back to the ducal estate.”

Her resolute tone left Johannes momentarily stunned.

Even though Klaus had returned alive, nothing had truly changed. He had still risked his life for someone else, and there was no guarantee such dangers wouldn’t arise again.

As long as Klaus’s heart remained devoted to the Crown Princess, situations like this would repeat endlessly, tormenting both of them.

Roselia couldn’t endure it any longer.

She looked at Johannes with a sorrowful expression. “Please… I can’t go back there.”

Johannes studied her silently for a moment before nodding.

“…We’ll find a safe place for you to rest for now.”

 

 

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