SWWYV CHAPTER 163

Chapter 163

In the early morning, Sophia was sorting out the people to whom she would send wedding invitations.

More accurately, she was adding to the list rather than sorting it.

“You need to have friends to send invitations…”

Estelle was all she had. Perhaps she could extend the list to include Viscount Niore.

Mikhail would be invited by Killian…

“Is this why people hire guests for weddings?”

Sophia lamented her narrow social circle.

In truth, she would be content if only Estelle and Viscount Niore attended, but compared to the popular Killian, it seemed too few.

Sophia’s goal was to fill up to ten guests, if not several dozen.

As she was racking her brains, Jenny entered the room.

“Miss! His Grace the Grand Duke has sent a carriage!”

Jenny waved her arms, urging Sophia to get ready quickly.

“His Grace?”

Sophia tilted her head.

He had mentioned having personal business today and said he probably wouldn’t be able to meet…

“Hurry and change! The carriage is waiting outside!”

“So suddenly?”

Jenny pulled Sophia up. There wasn’t enough time to dress up elaborately, so Jenny quickly brought a dress that Sophia could slip into easily.

“We don’t have time to fuss over your hair, so wear a hat.”

Jenny placed a picnic hat adorned with ribbons and white flowers firmly on Sophia’s head.

She even matched the ribbon colour of the dress and the hat.

“She really is capable.”

Dressed simply yet neatly, Sophia followed Jenny to the garden.

Just as Jenny had said, a carriage was waiting at the Fraus mansion’s main gate.

“Where is His Grace the Grand Duke?”

“He instructed me to bring you since he couldn’t come himself.”

The coachman said.

“This isn’t the Grand Duke’s carriage.”

“The Grand Duke’s carriage is undergoing maintenance, so he entrusted this one to me.”

When Sophia tilted her head in confusion, the coachman showed her a paper signed by the Grand Duke.

It was a receipt showing the payment made in advance by the Archduke’s household for the carriage.

Sophia chuckled.

‘…Is he planning to propose?’

Though Killian kept it a secret, Sophia had already noticed.

Preparing for the wedding alone, she couldn’t help but notice the signs.

But since Killian seemed to want to keep it secret, she pretended not to know.

‘He prepared faster than I thought.’

Hiding her smile, Sophia got into the carriage.

As the carriage started moving, Sophia looked out the window to calm her excitement.

‘He could have chosen a better day.’

She thought, looking up at the cloudy sky.

But the weather wasn’t a big deal.

Just the thought of meeting Killian filled her with anticipation.

Sophia watched the scenery with an excited heart.

However, the carriage was heading in the opposite direction of the Grand Duke’s mansion.

Sophia blinked as the carriage took an entirely different route than usual.

It wouldn’t be appropriate to propose at the mansion they saw every day.

Heading towards the outskirts seemed like an attempt to propose a more spacious and quiet place.

Nodding to herself, Sophia eagerly anticipated her meeting with Killian.

After some time, the carriage reached the outer wall surrounding the capital.

‘It seems we’ve come too far…’

Outside the capital, there were only forests and fields.

Unlike the southern and western gates frequented by merchants, the eastern gate connected to the mountains and was deserted.

Especially now, with the beginning of the monster hunting season.

With Ruchtainer out for monster hunting, venturing outside the city walls could mean encountering monsters.

“Excuse me, I think we’re going the wrong way. Where are we heading?”

Sophia opened the carriage window and asked the coachman.

He smiled and replied.

“We’re almost there. Don’t worry!”

“Did His Grace really tell you to take me outside the city?”

“Yes, yes, didn’t I show you his signature?”

The coachman showed the pass to the guards at the gate and drove through.

“Wait…! Stop the carriage.”

“We’re almost there, Miss!”

Sophia tried to stop the carriage from leaving the city, but the coachman ignored her and drove faster.

Whether due to the increased speed or rough terrain, the carriage shook more violently, and Sophia clung tightly to its frame.

“Stop! I said stop the carriage!”

At that moment, something she had forgotten for a while came to mind.

In the original novel “Withered Flowers Bloom Again,” Sophia Fraus met her end disguised as a carriage accident orchestrated by the dark force Killian.

Remembering that, her heart sank.

By now, the carriage had sped far away from the capital.

‘I can’t let this happen…’

If things continued this way, she would surely die in a carriage accident, just like in the novel.

Sophia abruptly opened the carriage door.

The wind rushed in as the carriage sped along.

She saw the ground and bushes passing by rapidly outside.

The dirt road and horse hooves kicked up dust.

“Can I do it?”

She remembered spraining her ankle when she jumped off a carriage once before when Ian forced her into one.

But…

“I have to do it.”

Sophia gripped the carriage tightly.

If she hesitated, she would only get farther from the capital.

She made up her mind and jumped out of the carriage.

“Ugh!”

Thud!

She aimed to land on the grass but rolled awkwardly on the dirt ground.

Her dress tore, and her knees and elbows were scraped, but fortunately, nothing seemed broken.

“Damn it…”

As she gathered herself, the coachman noticed she had jumped off.

He quickly pulled the reins, stopping the carriage.

Sophia got up and started running back towards the capital before the coachman could catch up.

With her scraped knees aching and her whole body throbbing, Sophia didn’t have the luxury to dwell on the pain.

Her heart, which had been fluttering with excitement just moments ago, now pounded fearfully.

“Stop right there!”

The sound of the coachman’s voice sent a chill down her spine.

Sophia ran with all her might, her breath coming in short, desperate gasps.

But while she had hesitated, the fast-moving carriage had already travelled a considerable distance from the eastern gate of the capital.

Then, she heard the sound of hoofbeats from somewhere.

Hoping to find someone who might help her, Sophia turned towards the sound.

However.

“This is troubling, Lady Sophia.”

Blocking her path on horseback was Sir Nicholas of the military police.

“…Sir Nicholas?”

Sophia halted and took a step back from the imposing figure.

‘Isn’t Sir Nicholas one of the Empress’s people?’

The same person who opposed Killian at the Founding Day ball.

The one who had caused Killian the greatest betrayal.

Sophia realised that this situation was orchestrated by the Empress.

But the problem was that there was no way out of this predicament.

With Nicholas in front of her and the coachman behind, she was trapped.

Her eyes darted around, searching for an escape route, but there was none.

More than anything, she could not completely evade Nicholas, who was on horseback.

“Why are you here, Sir Nicholas…?”

Sophia clenched her fists and asked.

“I was ordered to escort you, my lady.”

“By whom?”

“…Please, I don’t wish to harm you.”

Nicholas took a step closer, reaching out his hand.

“Can you take me home?”

Sophia asked, looking at his outstretched hand.

Nicholas likely didn’t realise that she didn’t trust him.

Sophia hoped to use this to her advantage.

But Nicholas didn’t even offer a false promise to take her home.

“This is for your own good, my lady.”

In the end, Nicholas grabbed her wrist firmly.

Sophia tried to pull away, but it was impossible to overcome a knight recognised by Killian.

“Let me go!”

“Forgive me, my lady.”

Nicholas raised his hand.

—

Beatrice quietly sipped her tea, checking the time.

‘It should be done by now…’

Growing increasingly anxious with the passing time, she heard a knock at the door.

“Your Majesty, Sir Nicholas requests an audience.”

At that, Beatrice’s lips curled into a high smile.

“Yes, let him in.”

Upon her permission, Nicholas opened the door and entered.

Though his clothes were dirtied with soil, he didn’t appear to be seriously injured.

“The task?”

“It’s done well, Your Majesty. She will soon be discovered.”

“No mistakes?”

“None, Your Majesty.”

Nicholas bowed deeply.

Beatrice’s smile grew wider, almost splitting her face.

“Once it’s confirmed tomorrow, I’ll send your sister’s medicine.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty…”

With that, Nicholas withdrew.

As soon as the door closed behind him, Beatrice burst into laughter she had been holding back.

Yes, this is how it should have been from the start.

All this nonsense about the Black Moon and trying to capture evidence had been too straightforward.

“It feels like an old burden has been lifted.”

Beatrice lifted Elizabeth, twirling around the room in a dance.

Elizabeth squirmed, seemingly wanting to be put down.

“Now, only Killian remains.”

It was time to clean up everything that had plagued her for so long.