I Reincarnated as the Daughter of the Runaway Sub Heroine

 

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The place he took me to was none other than the stable. He brought over a horse and said to me,

“Get on.”

“……”

I stared blankly at the massive black horse that looked more like a bull. Climbing up there alone seemed as difficult as climbing Mount Everest.

Seeing my dumbfounded expression, he thought for a moment before realizing the reason.

The Grand Duke mounted the horse first and then extended his hand to me.

In a daze, I reached out my hand, and he pulled me up while wrapping his arm around my waist and lifting me effortlessly.

In an instant, I was sitting in front of the Grand Duke. Sitting high on the horse made me feel as if the entire world was beneath my feet.

When he gently kicked the horse’s belly with his foot, it slowly began to walk. After passing through the castle gate, it gradually picked up speed.

At first, I was a bit scared, but I soon became accustomed to riding. The wind brushing against my cheeks was refreshing, and his body against my back was very warm, in contrast to his cold expression.

As I was distracted by the scenery around me, I soon began to ponder the essential question.

Where are we going? What was the reason for him suddenly putting me on the horse?

As I turned these thoughts over in my mind, I soon fell into an ominous line of thinking.

Could it be that he thinks I’m a hindrance and plans to abandon me like this?

“Where are we going right now?”

When he didn’t answer, my anxiety grew. Just when I seriously thought this might be a kidnapping, we arrived in a bustling area filled with shops.

Only then did I finally relax. If he had intended to abandon me, he would have headed to a remote place, not here.

By the way, the glances from those around us had been quite intense. Women recognizing the Grand Duke Iskas were gasping softly from various places.

It was understandable since Grand Duke Iskas was currently an attractive unmarried man and, moreover, a savior who had come to help the people here. Their reactions were akin to those of fans seeing a celebrity.

But still, the expressions that seemed like they were in love were too much.

I shot a dissatisfied look at a woman who was gazing up at the Grand Duke with a blissful expression.

How dare she, when my mother is very much alive!

As I thought this, he suddenly stopped the horse.

We had stopped in front of a small shop. A quick glance revealed it was a store selling various supplies, mainly stationery, paper, and art supplies.

“Oh, welcome! Your Highness the Grand Duke!”

The shop owner, recognizing the Grand Duke, rushed out as if he were rolling. The Grand Duke dismounted first and then helped me down.

I thought he might be buying a feather pen or something, so I followed him into the shop.

“Show me the tools needed for drawing.”

When he said this, I widened my eyes in surprise, and the Grand Duke turned to me.

“You seemed to enjoy drawing, so if there’s something you want, pick it out.”

I knew he had seen my drawings last time. However, I never expected him to remember that and come to buy art supplies himself.

“Do you not need anything?”

His following question snapped me back to reality after a brief moment of daze.

“Ah, no! Yes, there is; no, there are many!”

So this was my chance to take advantage of having a father! In that case, I shouldn’t hold back and should buy as much as I wanted!

I began to grab various colored pencils, paints, and luxurious brushes made from sable fur that I had wanted to buy but couldn’t because I had no money.

“Is this your Highness’s son? He is truly handsome, just like you!”

The shop owner flattered him, trying to make another sale. The Grand Duke replied calmly to his words.

“Not a son, but a daughter.”

The owner looked quite taken aback, but as a seasoned merchant, he smoothly responded.

“Oh, that explains it! I thought her beauty was extraordinary; she must be your daughter! She will surely grow into a lovely lady who will make many men weep!”

Before long, the counter was piled high with the items I had chosen. Even at a glance, the prices seemed quite steep, but the wealthy Grand Duke didn’t seem to mind at all.

When he even added a generous tip, the shop owner’s smile stretched from ear to ear. He personally loaded the items onto the horse and bowed deeply, almost touching his head to the ground.

“Thank you! Please take care!”

As we stepped out of the shop, the Grand Duke suddenly said something unexpected.

“Your grandfather also loved to draw. It seems that talent has been passed down to you.”

That was a fact I had never known. The previous Grand Duke was only a minor character, barely mentioned in the original story. Naturally, there were no detailed descriptions about him in the book.

“When he had the time, he would often ask me and my mother to pose for him.”

The Grand Duke’s face looked somewhat lonely as he spoke those words.

Perhaps the previous Grand Duke had been quite a good father to his son. That might be why the Grand Duke could not give up on revenge.

“Let’s go.”

Just as he was about to go to where the horse was, I saw a man approaching from behind the Grand Duke. I shouted urgently when he suddenly drew his sword.

“Behind you!”

“Ugh!”

The man collapsed, spewing red blood.

The Duke tensed up, as if sensing his surroundings, and then suddenly scooped me up and started running quickly.

“Ahhhh!”

In an instant, I was lifted up like a sack of potatoes and carried on his side. Through my jostling view, I could see the terrifying situation unfolding behind the Grand Duke.

Many men with swords were chasing us, as if they had been waiting for us to come out.

What kind of crazy development is this!

“Ahhh! Behind! Behind us!”

I screamed frantically, but it wasn’t just behind us. The Grand Duke had to wield his sword with one arm while holding me, dealing with assassins popping up from all directions.

Since carrying me was weighing him down, he seemed to choose to evade rather than confront each enemy. He pushed back one man’s sword with force and dashed into an alley next to us.

“Catch them!”

The alleyway was so narrow that only one adult could fit through it, and it branched out into multiple paths, slowing down our pursuers.

Dirty debris was piled up along the sides of the path. Among them, there were discarded chairs and tables, and the Grand Duke abruptly threw me into that mess.

“Oof!”

Before I could even express my pain, he grabbed my shoulder and spoke quickly.

“I’ll be right back, so don’t go anywhere and hide here.”

I nodded. I instinctively understood that he wasn’t just fleeing alone but was trying to get me away from the assassins.

So, the only thing I could do in this situation was to hide well without being discovered.

Just before he left, I hurriedly shouted.

“Be careful! Don’t get hurt!”

His eyes slightly widened and then gave my head a light tap, as if to say not to worry at all.

“That way!”

Voices of men echoed from the end of the alley. As the Grand Duke ran straight toward the opposite side, I ducked my head down close to the ground.

Hearing the sound of footsteps rushing all at once, I thought to myself.

Who could have ambushed us? The Castoria royal family? Someone from the Ram Empire? Or perhaps one of the nobles harboring resentment against the Grand Duke?

Due to his usually prickly personality, the Grand Duke had many enemies. So, I couldn’t guess who was behind this.

By the way, was there a scene in the original story where the Grand Duke was ambushed by a stranger? I didn’t think I’d seen one. Of course, it’s possible that this part was omitted while focusing on the protagonists’ story.

Just as I thought that, I heard the sound of footsteps. Unlike before, it wasn’t a group rushing together. It sounded like two people walking slowly.

Then the footsteps completely stopped, and a voice rang out.

“Don’t touch the Grand Duke’s life. Just injure him enough that he has difficulty moving for a few days.”

Surprisingly, it was the voice of a young boy.

The man responded with a “Yes” to the boy’s command. The sound of the man running away gradually faded.

After a while, when no sounds could be heard, I cautiously lifted my head to look ahead.

A child was standing in the alleyway, facing away from me. He was wearing a black cloak and hood that covered his head, and his small body looked to be around seven years old.

The one who orchestrated this ambush is a young child?