“Kkyaak!”
A deathly scream was heard from behind.
The arrow that flew above Agnes’ head hit a masked man.
“It’s an ambush!”
The king’s knights were the first to shout.
“Protect His Majesty!”
Before the words even finished, dozens of individuals suddenly emerged from the forest.
“Oh no!”
Laslo scanned the surroundings with tense eyes. He only brought two knights.
Agnes tensed up, constantly scanning her surroundings.
The assassins slowly closed in, tightening their encirclement.
“Protect Agnes as the top priority over the king.”
Laslo quietly instructed the knights behind him.
“Yes Sir.”
He picked up the bow placed beside him and loaded an arrow.
Agnes bit her trembling lips.
The sudden turn of events left her mind blank on what to do.
She simply held the reins tightly and focused only on Laslo’s back.
“Kill the king!”
“Kill him!”
Starting with the cliché shouts, the assassins began to rush forward.
In response, the king’s knights drew their swords.
Some of the assassins rushed towards Laslo.
Without any hesitation, Laslo immediately shot his loaded bow.
“Gasp!”
The man hit in the chest staggered backward.
As one fell, another emerged from behind, appearing relentless like those unafraid of death.
Laslo calmly dealt with the assassins, skillfully shooting his bow.
His accuracy and speed were such that no assassin could come close.
“There’s a lot of them.”
Laslo said as he loaded another arrow.
Despite the bodies piling up, the number of assassins did not seem to decrease.
“This place is too open.” a knight of the king said, panting.
“What about the Royal Guard?”
“It will take more time for them to arrive.”
“Your Majesty, you must retreat,” another knight added. Sebastian looked at the knights and said,
“Half of you stay here, and the other half guard me.”
“Yes.”
As they were about to change positions, arrows rained down from beyond the forest.
“Argh!”
“Heeyah!”
The surroundings were in chaos because of the screams of the people and horses who were hit by an arrow.
Unfortunately, Agnes’ white horse was also struck by an arrow and went wild, thrashing about uncontrollably.
“Agnes!”
The horse, leaping and galloping wildly, began to run off on its own.
Laslo immediately followed behind her.
Agnes crouched low and pulled hard on the reins.
However, no matter how much she pulled on the reins, the excited horse did not listen.
Leaves brushed past her cheeks as the landscape rapidly appeared and disappeared.
“Duke!”
She shouted at Laslo, who was following her.
“Shoot my horse!”
“Are you sure?”
“That’s the only way to stop it.”
She shouted with a hoarse voice. The wind blew her hair, making it difficult to see ahead clearly.
“Quickly!”
Agnes shouted once again. Laslo released his grip on the reins and loaded an arrow into his bow.
“Hold onto the reins tightly.”
With a warning, the arrow left his hand.
“Neigh!”
Her horse neighed loudly, lifting its front legs.
In an instant, her body floated upwards. It felt like her insides were churning.
Agnes grabbed onto the mane and braced herself firmly.
“Agnes!” Laslo shouted again.
The horse, bucking vigorously, shook its body from side to side. Unable to withstand the squealing, she was thrown off the horse’s back.
“Argh!”
The moment her back touched the ground; a scream burst out.
Pain surged up her back. It was so intense that she couldn’t even scream properly.
“Agnes!”
Laslo rushed to her after getting off the horse.
He frantically checked her entire body, feeling for any broken bones.
“Ugh, ow, it hurts.”
Physiological tears streamed down her face.
Laszlo pulled her close, handling her with great care. His hand stroking her back was gentle and affectionate.
“It’s okay, it’ll be okay. Thankfully, nothing is broken. I’ll call the doctor soon…”
He stopped mid-sentence and abruptly stood up, drawing his sword.
“Come out.”
His voice was so cold it felt like ice.
As soon as he finished speaking, figures dressed in black suddenly appeared. Fear flooded in as the pain subsided.
“Agnes.”
He turned to look at Agnes behind him.
“Close your eyes for a second.” Laslo spoke calmly.
Trembling, she tightly shut her eyes as he instructed.
The day when the assassins attacked in the dead of night suddenly flashed before her.
Amidst the dreadful pain, fear and anguish rushed in simultaneously.
“Clang!”
The sound of metal clashing pierced their ears. Fortunately, Laslo’s voice was not in it.
The smell of blood permeated the air.
How long had she been sitting there? Someone touched Agnes’ shoulder, causing her to startle and tremble.
“Can you stand up?”
She slowly opened her eyes and saw Laslo standing over her.
His face and hair were stained with blood.
She made a conscious effort not to look at the piled-up bodies.
Agnes took his outstretched hand and rose from her seat.
Although her body ached all over, the intense pain she first felt had greatly subsided.
“I’ll bring a horse. There should be a trained warhorse nearby. Wait here for a moment.”
“Okay.”
Agnes nodded. Laslo walked a few steps before returning to her.
“Duke?”
“I’m sorry.”
He looked down at Agnes with a pained expression.
“What’s wrong?”
“I have not been able to protect you properly due to my shortcomings.”
“You just saved me now.”
Laslo kept his mouth shut. He lightly touched her cheek, which had been streaked with dirt.
“You’re hurt.”
It just sounded like he was blaming himself. Agnes grabbed his hand covering her cheek.
“It’s not the Duke’s fault.”
“But still…”
“If it weren’t for you, I might have lost my life sooner.”
Agnes looked up at him. A bittersweet smile appeared on Laslo’s lips.
“I’ll be back soon.”
Laslo disappeared into the bushes. Agnes, feeling drained, leaned against a tree and breathed heavily.
“Who is it?”
Agnes muttered to herself.
It had only been a few months since the new king ascended the throne.
Rumors circulated in whispers that Sebastian had assassinated the previous king to claim the throne, but regardless, he was a legitimate heir.
Before long, rustling sounds were heard. It seemed like he had returned so quickly.
“Duke, you’re really…….”
“Agnes.”
A shiver ran down her spine as a familiar yet unwelcome voice reached her ears.
“You’re alive.”
His tone carried a strong sense of regret.
“Your Majesty.”
“Where did Duke Arpad go? Are you alone? There are still assassins in the forest, it’s dangerous.”
Sebastian walked slowly. Blood dripped from the tip of the sword at his side.
“He will return shortly.”
“Is that so?”
Agnes had to make an effort not to show her tense emotions.
She deliberately avoided making eye contact with him.
In the meantime, Sebastian walked right up to Agnes.
“As I came here, I remembered what you said before going to Sutmar.”
“……”
“You said, Agnes.Please spare me. I will live as if I were dead.”
“……..”
“Have you forgotten what you and your mother begged for at my feet?”
His voice was as sweet and gentle as honey.
“I have not forgotten, Your Majesty.” Agnes replied with her eyes down.
Then Sebastian pulled out a sword hanging from his side.
Swoosh-
The cold tip of the sword touched her chin.
Before long, Agnes had to forcibly raise her head.
Eyes of the exact same color as hers stared intently at her.
“But why don’t you live like you’re dead?”
“……..”
Sebastian tapped her chin with a blank face.
It felt like he was playing with captured prey rather than dealing with a human.
“Your Majesty”
Agnes forced the corners of her mouth up.
“Have you forgotten why you sent me to Sutmar?”
“Hmm.”
“This is a family that has been in decline for more than half a hundred years. It’s a precarious family that barely stands upright with its foundation rotting.”
He withdrew the sword that had been tapping her chin and brushed Agnes’ cheek with it. The sharp tip of the sword grazed her cheek narrowly.
“What can I possibly do in such a place?”
Agnes put her hands together and lowered her gaze.
“I witnessed Vivian’s death with my own eyes there…”
Agnes repeated in her mind dozens of times.
I will kill you and rip you into pieces.
I will feed your intestines to your favorite hound.
I will hang your head on the castle gate and let everyone curse you.
