She Was Sent by God

1. End

 

 

“Wake up!”

 

It was an urgent voice she hadn’t heard before.

 

The Laslo Arpad she knew was always calm. He was always relaxed, never showing any signs of impatience.

 

“Come on. Wake up, princess! There’s no time to dawdle.”

 

But it was different today.

 

“What?”

 

Agnes woke from sleep at the touch of a strong hand shaking her. Still groggy from sleep, her mind was foggy.

 

When she opened her eyes, it was still dark, and she couldn’t see anything.

 

“Duke Arpad, what brings you here? The roosters haven’t even crowed yet.”

 

Even though they are married, it is still absurd to visit your wife’s bedroom without notice.

 

“Princess, I don’t have time to argue with you.”

 

He tossed a shabby bag toward her. Its contents felt surprisingly heavy.

 

“What is this…….”

 

Just then, screams were heard from outside. Agnes looked at her armed husband, whose frown deepened quicker than hers.

 

“Get dressed and follow me.”

 

“What’s going on?”

 

“The castle gate has been opened.” Agnes gasped. Laslo looked her in the eyes calmly.

 

“There’s no time.”

 

She sometimes found it frightening to meet his eyes. It felt as though everything about her was being scrutinized and laid bare.

 

“What do you mean the castle gate has been opened……. Isn’t Estar an impregnable fortress for a thousand years?”

 

“A thousand-year-old fortress is bound to fall apart.” He smiled bitterly.

 

He was informed that the king’s army was surrounding Sutmar. As the servant wandered the hallway with an anxious face, he realized that the situation was more distressing than he had anticipated.

 

The gates being opened so quickly was something he had never anticipated.

 

“Hurry up.” He urged

 

Agnes then slowly got up, still groggy. Her eyes were still not accustomed to the darkness as she fumbled around for her clothes.

 

“Are you still getting dressed?” Laslo rattled and clicked his tongue. He took the string from Agnes’ hand, which she was holding motionlessly. He skillfully knotted it for her.

 

“Are we leaving?” Agnes asked calmly, looking at his dark golden hair. With the gates open, the choices were limited.

 

They had two options: give up or flee.

 

“Yes. To Cyclosiro.”

 

“Cyclosiro? That far?”

 

It would take a full two months on horseback to travel that far south. It was a place she had heard of but never been to.

 

“Zoltan will go with you instead of me.”

 

“Why?” She asked.

 

“What do you mean, why?” He asked back.

 

“Why do I need to go with Sir Zoltan? What about you?”

 

His hands that were tying up the string slowed down.

 

“The Lord cannot leave the castle empty.”

 

“No way!”

 

Before she could argue, Laslo neatly finished tying the knot of Agnes’ fur cloak.

 

“It’s done. Don’t forget to take that bag. It has food and coins. There are also commoner’s clothes that you can change into once you’re out of the castle.”

 

“What?”

 

“Ah, I placed some jewelry in there too, but refrain from selling it until you’re safely away. The pursuers might notice.”

 

“Duke Arpad.”

 

“Once you’re at Cyclosiro, purchase a ticket to Arahan Island.” Laslo continued speaking without pausing.

 

“Duke, wait.”

 

“If you sell the jewelry on the island, you can acquire a small plot of land. They’re quite valuable, so if you use them wisely, you can survive for a few years. And…” 

 

“Wait, wait!”

 

Laslo was spewing words at a rapid pace, and Agnes barely managed to stop him.

 

“What kind of nonsense are you spouting? Are you saying you’ll stay behind?”

 

“I have to stay. I can’t leave my people behind.”

 

“Are you going to surrender? Then I will remain as well.”

 

“I won’t surrender.”

 

She was prepared to voice her disapproval, but she was unable to say anything further. Laslo spoke firmly once more.

 

“I’m staying here.”

 

If one refuses to submit or flee, the only remaining option is to fight. He’s going to confront the king’s army until the very end.

 

“……Duke Arpad.”

 

It’s been three years since they got married. Agnes still vividly remembers the day she first saw him. He was so tall that her neck would break looking up at him. All the members of the royal family were on the short side, so Agnes felt like he was a giant from a fairy tale—a man with one head taller than her.

 

“Princess.”

 

Laslo held her shoulder firmly. She gulped as she realized what was going to happen.

 

“But, but…….”

 

She shook her head several times.

 

As Nirseg’s princess, she clearly did not want to marry Laslo, the fallen Duke from the West. 

 

When she had her first period, her older sister, Princess Vivian, died. The culprit was Vivian’s brother and Agnes’ half brother, Prince Sebastian.

 

A few years later, Chavolti, her brother, became crippled.

 

When Agnes heard the news that Chavolti had become paralyzed, she quickly fell down before Sebastian and asked for his mercy.

 

Agnes’ mother, the second queen, joined together.

 

— Prince. Please spare our poor princess.

 

Agnes was married off to the Duke of Arpad as soon as she reached adulthood without a dowry or a celebration.

 

“Give me your hand.” he said with a gruff face.

 

“Hand?” Agnes absentmindedly extended her right hand.

 

“No, your left hand with the mark.”

 

Agnes gently gave him her left hand. He took a long bandage out of his pocket.

 

“Never untie this. Even commoners recognize that having this mark on the back of one’s hand is a sign of royalty.”

 

Laslo skillfully wrapped the bandage around her hand to cover the mark.

 

Agnes looked back and forth between Laslo and the mark with a subtle expression on her face.

 

Their marriage was not a happy one. At least not for Agnes. Despite knowing that seeking happiness in a royal marriage was foolish, Agnes still hoped for some affection from her husband.

 

— Now that you’re my husband, you can call me Agnes.

 

On the first night of their marriage, with the candlelight flickering, she spoke to him bravely.

 

— “Princess” seems to be an adequate title.

 

He glanced coldly at Agnes sitting on the bed once and then left the room without saying a word. She felt a rush of humiliation and shame but dared not call him back. Laslo Arpad was an amazing and wise lord but a heartless husband.

 

They were married for three years, but they only spent a handful of nights together. Under the vassals’ pressure to produce an heir, they reluctantly consummated their marriage.

 

“Brother!”

 

At that moment, the angry voice of a man could be heard from outside. He knocked on the door several times with a thud.

 

“Remember what I said.”

 

Laslo handed the package to Agnes without saying a word. Soon after that, he grabbed her hand and led her out of the room. The door swung open, revealing a man dressed in a thick bear-skin coat.

 

“I figured it out. The scumbag who let the gates open.”

 

“Who?”

 

“Matron. He wags his tail constantly at Sebatian, so we might as well feed him dog food.”

 

Zoltan’s face glowed bright red, visible even in the darkness. A glimmer reached Laslo’s eyes as he muttered Matron’s name.

 

“Leave that son of a b*tch to me and take the princess with you.”

 

“Now?”

 

“Right now,” Laslo asserted vehemently. Agnes resisted, pulling her wrist held by her husband.

 

“I will stay!”

 

Both of them looked at Agnes in unison. The brothers, who were about the same height, towered over her like giants.

 

“Don’t be stubborn. What good would it be if you stayed?” In contrast to his usual indifference towards her, Agnes could sense the concern behind his words.

 

“There’s nothing you can do.” Zoltan glared fiercely at Agnes. Agnes immediately shrank under his cold stare.

 

“Zoltan!” Laslo reprimanded his brother sternly.

 

“Stop the nonsense and immediately leave the castle. You must leave Sutmar before noon. End of story.”

 

“Damn it, damn it!”

 

Zoltan, unable to contain his temper, kicked the door, producing a dull sound. The door, built over a hundred years ago, didn’t even budge.

 

“Why are you trying to fight back? Just send me as an envoy to the king.” Agnes said, looking at Laslo. “Bowing down to Sebastian once saved my life; it might work again.”

 

The pretext for the king’s attack on Duke Arpad was an alleged rebellion. Agnes scoffed at such nonsense.

 

This underdeveloped land was arid and produced no unique goods. Beasts frequently attacked livestock through the northern line of defense, making the Arpad dukedom perennially poor. They couldn’t afford to entertain ideas as costly as treason.

 

At Agnes’ words, everyone became icily static. Zoltan and Laslo were silent.

 

“…take her with you.”

 

Laslo weakly pushed her shoulder.

 

“Duke Arpad!”

 

“Let’s go. Princess.”

 

Zoltan used brute force to pull the hem of Agnes’s clothes. His grip was so strong that she struggled to keep herself upright.

 

“Let go. I am also the owner of this castle. I won’t run away—ah!”

 

Zoltan’s face became increasingly crumpled as she struggled. It was full of annoyance and irritation.

 

“My wife.”

 

Laslo sighed deeply. Agnes momentarily stopped flailing her arms and legs into thin air.

 

Her husband silently met her gaze once again. Agnes blinked hard. Looking into his dark green eyes always made her feel intimidated.

 

“Just now, what did you say?”

 

It was the first time he referred to her as his wife.

 

He had always addressed her as “princess,” seemingly disdainful of his royal lineage.

 

Agnes was aware that the Duke did not welcome her.

 

She wasn’t particularly attractive and didn’t bring a sizable dowry. She understood the duke’s thoughts about her were solely based on the king’s order for their marriage.

 

“Please be healthy.”

 

“Why are you looking at me like that…….”

 

Agnes couldn’t finish her sentence. Suddenly, a shock struck her neck, causing her consciousness to crumble in an instant.

 

Zoltan swiftly lifted her as if she were a sack of potatoes, draping her over his shoulder.

 

The brothers exchanged a brief glance. No further farewells were necessary.

 

Zoltan pursed his lips and walked away. Laslo stood there for a long time, watching their retreating figure.

 

That was the last image of Laslo alive.