“…”
The whole time he was hiding behind the wall, Redian looked at Siani. Many eyes were on her. People with fancy clothes and soft hands crowded around Siani. However,
And here is me, wearing a robe and a mask, hiding my identity in the dark….
If Siani was a shining light, he seemed to be the darkness here, like something that can never be mixed.
The gap, which was less than ten steps, felt particularly far.
“Princess, why have you only come to our store now?”
“Her Royal Highness said something like this after seeing magazines featuring the Princess.”
Seeing Siani in the bright world, not just in the darkness where she looked at him, as he had only heard in words…
Is there an empty seat next to her?
Now that they face each other, Redian’s gaze becomes persistent.
She must have forgotten about me hiding here.
People disappeared before he knew it. The man who remained with Siani could be seen talking about something. Redian remembered that face.
Siani’s ex-fiancé.
What are the two people talking about right now?
“Do you remember what happened in front of the display? How old were you and I at that time?”
Display. The two seemed to be sharing the moments that he was unaware of. That man probably knows everything about Siani’s memories, Siani’s past times, and even her daily life.
“Just like you saved me then, I will save you today.”
As expected, the hand that woman held out wasn’t just for him. Was it just kind sympathy?
“…”
There was a sudden bang and a haze of smoke at that moment. Redian didn’t even think about having to avoid it.
Siani’s figure blurred through his increasingly hazy vision. There was an emergency exit behind him…
She will hold that man’s hand and leave, right?
He couldn’t move.
Siani would forget that he was hiding behind this darkness. As always, just like everyone did. If she leaves me here and goes to the world I don’t know, to the place I don’t know…
However,
“Rere!”
The moment the woman’s red eyes became clear in the smoke, he froze.
“Are you okay? Why are you doing this instead of avoiding it?”
How can… she came here?
“Hold your breath for a moment.”
A sweet scent enveloped his body. In the meantime, the door to leave opened, and his body was pushed into it. Every time the woman’s body came into contact with him, he couldn’t move.
“Ah!”
“…!”
Siani stumbled slightly as if he felt pain in his shoulder. Redian reflexively tried to pull her into his arms but then paused.
Ah, is it okay for me to touch this woman’s body?
Are my hands, stained with all kinds of blood and filth, allowed to touch this woman?
“Are you okay? Did you inhale the smoke?”
It wasn’t until he heard the woman’s voice that he realized things had changed. The darkness deepened, but the sight before his eyes was clear.
“Redian?”
“…”
It was as if all darkness had fled away just by her presence.
“Why didn’t you leave me?”
“Because you’re here.”
“…Yes?”
“I have to take you with me.”
For a moment, Redian wanted to stretch out his hand and touch her cheek.
This isn’t an illusion?
“Are you here to save me?”
“Of course.”
A concise answer came back.
“You asked me to protect you.”
“…”
And that smile.
“Who else would have rushed in to save you other than me?”
He thought of it like the day they first met. What on earth is this woman’s identity?
This woman.
It was the same question as then, but the answer was different. Even though Siani’s eyes toward him haven’t changed since the beginning…
Did she really come to save me?
Clearly, something about him towards Siani had changed.
* * *
“There must be a door somewhere.”
There was definitely a door leading outside. I opened my eyes in the dark and fumbled around the wall. I guess this is it. Something that looked like a doorknob was caught.
“Redian, I think this is the exit. Let’s get out now. I’ve got the carriage ready.”
However, the chain wrapped around the door hook was so hard that it was difficult to untie it. It was completely blocked.
Bang, bang! It was useless, even if I tried to forcefully break it. Bumping my body and pushing it didn’t make it move.
“What is this…!”
At that time, a cool scent came over my head. Behind my back, I felt a heavy warmth.
“Please, Princess.”
It was Redian.
“Cherish yourself.”
He muttered, forcing my hand away from the chain. I couldn’t move as I was standing as if being trapped in Redian’s arms. Anyway, I never thought the difference in physique would be this big.
“This is a chain. If you do something wrong, your hand will get hurt.”
But contrary to his statement…
Oh gosh. The chain that was tightly bound was instantly broken in Redian’s hands.
“Of course, with your personality, there’s no way you would be afraid of anything, but…”
His low voice came too close.
What’s wrong with me? At the same time, my heart was pounding.
Am I so happy that the door is open? Right. It wasn’t because of Redian. It was clear that I was happy to have escaped safely.
“I can tell you’re hiding it.”
The door crept open, and a handful of light leaked in.
“…What?”
As my vision became brighter, I could clearly see Redian standing next to me.
“Shoulder.”
The blue eyes pointed at my shoulder. It seemed like he knew I was hurt.
This guy is really…
Is that why he wrapped himself behind my back so I couldn’t move?
“How can you push the door with your injured shoulder? You even gave me training gloves because you were worried that I might hurt my hands.”
The situation was reversed and became quite strange.
“At times like this, I wonder if Princess has two bodies.”
I’m being scolded by this guy right now, right?
“Cough, let’s get out for now. It’s an exit connected to the emergency passage, so I guess we have to cross over there to get to the main street.”
However, I turned outside because my earlobe seemed to keep heating up. This place was so narrow and dark, maybe that’s why I felt hot.
“What’s this?”
At that moment, when I started to fan myself, I saw a musket lying broken down next to the door.
“It looks like the musket our knights use.”
At first glance, it was a musket used by the knights of Felicite. But why does this weapon end up here? This can’t be happening. Moreover, this place was blocked by a chain. If it’s ended up here, it means it was thrown from beyond.
“Why is it here?”
“…I know, right?”
Then Redian, who was following me, answered. “I will take care of it.”
“Do you know how to handle a gun?”
Redian paused for a moment. “No… I can’t handle it.”
Of course, that’s right.
I smiled broadly. “It’s dangerous, so don’t touch it. It’s very heavy, and if you don’t know how to handle it, you could end up shooting an accidental bullet.”
“Ah…”
“Don’t touch it because it’s dangerous. Even so, it’s very heavy, and if you don’t know how to handle it, you can shoot a miscalculated bullet.”
“Ah…”
It was when I was trying to walk.
“Urgh!”
“Princess!”
Boom! I heard a loud explosion, and the floor shook loudly.
“…What is that?”
When I turned around, the sky was cloudy. I could see someone through the gap of the door we had escaped. Ash Benio?
Bang! Bang! There was an explosion and then again.
“What is this? It looks like someone is shooting a smoke gun? Princess, where are you!”
It seemed difficult to grasp the situation due to the smoke that even the knights burst out and got tangled.
Is that person crazy?
“Ah, the criminal who was trying to harm the princess, and the royal princess tried to run away.”
At that time, Ash’s voice was heard informing the gathered knights.
“I will catch him, so everyone, don’t come close and step back.”
Bang! One more deafening sound of gunfire was heard.
Let’s give it a try. I’m sure he was after me.
“I even gave up on the kidnapper I had captured so hard to go rescue someone.”
When I stopped and saw Ash, our eyes were intertwined in the air as if he had been waiting. Even in the thick smoke, the shape was clearly visible.
“Who’s next to you, Siani?”
Bang! Bang! A series of deafening gunshots rang out.
“Come here when I still spoke nicely!”
When I tried to move, I couldn’t move because he shot smoke bullets at me. In the end, I aimed the musket at where Ash was standing.
“Redian, stand aside.”
I may not be able to shoot him directly, but I may be able to target his surroundings and catch him off guard.
“Or went over the gate and got into the carriage— Uh?”
However,
“Cover your ears.”
My vision suddenly became blocked, and my hands and shoulders became lighter. It was because Redian, who hid me behind him, took away my musket.
Bang, bang, bang! The air shook with loud explosions that were incomparable to the smoke gun.
“Ugh!”
The bullet flew exactly around the doorway where Ash stood and was stuck.
“That punk.”
Just as Ash was reeling from his curse.
“If I kill that b*stard now, will Princess be in trouble?”
Redian’s musket, which had been skillfully loaded, was pointed at Ash’s head.
“I can’t believe you’re engaged with a b*stard like that.”
Bang! The gunfire rang out again.
“No, Redian!”
“I don’t understand.”
Fortunately, the bullet was stuck in the wall after narrowly brushing Ash’s cheek.
You said you don’t know how to use a musket. I was dazed for a moment. That was clearly aimed with determination. In addition, aiming only finely enough to touch the cheek was not possible with ordinary skill.
More than that.
The acrid smoke was also seen among the layers. The sight of Redian shooting with a sneer on his face…
He looks like a different person. It was an expression I had never seen before.
