CHAPTER 5: HERE, NOW, AND YOU (XI)
Part 107
Dust rose from the long ruts of the wheels, then the carriage door flew open and Lauren jumped out.
“Damian!!”
“Lauren!”
Lauren, who hugged her with all her might, cried out loud as she looked at her face.
“Are you okay?”
The tip of her nose became sore and tears were streaming down her face, and I nodded her head bravely.
“I’m fine.”
“I thought you would be the happiest woman in Midoc by now. What happened?”
She knew. She knew that too. With a whimper, she comforted Lauren and led her to the inn. When she returned to her room and told her everything I knew about the situation, Lauren sighed.
“I felt uncomfortable in many ways, Duke Bigor, and in the end, something like this is happening. So, are you planning to go back to Midoc now?”
“Huh. I was waiting to see if I could join the Cologne delegation. The only person that came to mind was Lauren.”
“I see. Well done, Damien. They said they were checking, so Damian can pretend to be me and go in.”
“Huh? Then what about Lauren?”
“I’ll be waiting here. Enter in the same carriage as her father.”
“I’m sorry for causing trouble to you, the Count.”
When she sulked, Lauren clenched her fists and looked indignant.
“What are you sorry about? If it’s a nuisance, they’re causing it internationally. Through much hardship, I even received a personal letter from the Archduke of Cologne. What’s going on right now when there’s a mountain of work to do?”
She comforted Lauren, who was complaining, by stroking the back of her hand. Laurel also had a hard time. It’s a personal letter from the Grand Duke. It must have been difficult to go the long way back and forth, but it looks like she can’t even go home because of her. Really, what is going on? The war is over, but remnants of the rebels remain in the northwest, and Hu Bi has not been captured yet. Now we will have to unite with Cologne and prepare for war with the Duchy of Taln. An empire in this yard? It’s like arranging flowers on the top of your head. Lauren actively persuaded the Count of Madeira and the members of the Cologne delegation who arrived a little later. She applauded behind Laurel, who was taking control of the situation with just a few words, as if Lauren’s opinion had already become their opinion.
‘As expected, it’s cool. You’re the coolest, Lauren.’
* * *
In the first dawn, when dim light began to shine in the dark alley, Remina and Ban were riding side by side at the entrance to the outer palace. Behind them, about a hundred elite soldiers of the Capital Army, who had been hastily summoned last night, were mounted on horses in their own uniforms. Unlike Remina with her calm face, Ban dissuaded Remina once more with her worried expression.
“You don’t have to go this far. It’s too dangerous.”
“Are you not confident that you can protect me?”
“No! I will make sure no one comes close to me! But, but, princess!”
Remina, who was watching Van shout with her complicated mind, smiled broadly. Seeing Remina’s face in full bloom after such a long time, half of her was speechless.
“I was so distracted for a while that I forgot. Radius, why not give permission now? Please marry me.”
“What are you saying about this situation?”
“Rejection again?”
When Remina asked with her eyes wide open, she couldn’t answer, half saying yes or no, and she had a perplexed look on her face. Lemina smiled once more.
“I will be king, Sir Ban. I’m sure you won’t be able to refuse it after that.”
Leaving Ban gaping, Remina looked up at the castle walls of her outer palace. And she took a deep breath.
“To the ruthless bastards occupying the palace, listen! The worthy owner is here, so vacate the palace immediately!”
As Remina’s shouting spread through the early morning air, the militia appeared on top of the outer palace walls and looked down. After seeing the princess standing proudly and her soldiers following her, he quickly disappeared. He will run to Hennessy, who is sleeping in the main palace without an owner, and soon the chasers will chase him out. Remina and Ban drove their horses and ran down Midoc Street. From now on, we have to play tag. She had to lead the militia without being caught and attract the attention of the soldiers prepared by Adrian so that they could quietly escape from Midok. After Remina and Ban ran out, militiamen poured out from the outer palace. After running along Midoc Street for a while, the day was completely bright and the number of militia members chasing Remina was increasing. While moving around the inner city area, they were in danger of being surrounded several times, and the soldiers sacrificed their lives to clear the way. When the militiamen guarding the outer castle gate also began to join Remina’s pursuit, Remina and her soldiers ran toward the southern gate of the inner castle to escape to the outer castle area. The militia followed closely behind, and as they passed through the south gate of the castle, Remina smiled slightly when she saw the large four-horse carriage waiting near the gate. Inside the huge carriage bearing the coat of arms of the Duke Donovan, Ailene was bowing her head towards the princess and her party. As the princess passed out of the outer castle area, Ailene’s carriage blocked the castle gate. The militiamen who were running were blocked by Ailene’s carriage, which was blocking the door, and shouted.
“What! Get rid of the carriage!!”
“The wheel is broken and won’t move!”
When the driver lied and the militiamen beat the carriage roughly, Ailene and Lillian, who were inside the carriage, raised their voices and screamed as if they could be heard outside. The knights of the Duke of Donovan guarding the carriage stopped the militia, asking what they were doing, and when they heard the screams of women being torn apart inside the carriage, the militia members who hesitated for a moment pushed the carriage that was standing still. Then he ran out beyond the south gate again. Lillian, who was looking at their backs with the carriage window open, asked Ailene.
“Sister, are you going to be okay?”
Holding Lillian’s hand, who was terrified, Ailene also opened her mouth with a face full of worry.
“She’ll be safe, certainly. She must be safe.”
After hearing the news that Damien had been kidnapped, Ailene, who was heartbroken because there was nothing she could do for her friend, took on this task despite the opposition of Duke Nodovan. They persuaded the duke that they wouldn’t be able to do anything if the ignorant ladies insisted that they were there by chance. Ailene bit her lower lip, thinking of her friend who had tried to save her from danger, believing that she might reveal everything to Dozern.
She must be safe. She prayed earnestly in her heart.
* * *
Adrian received news from the Duke’s residence that Remina had escaped from the castle. There was also news that a larger-than-expected number of militiamen were chasing Remina. George, leading the soldiers prepared by Cale, was waiting near the east gate of the outer castle to go out of Midock again. Just as Adrian, who was pounding on the desk and waiting for a messenger from George, was also anxious as were the Knights of Bigor, who were ready and ready to storm out in case of an emergency. Everyone knew that the princess was risking her life and that she was running as bait. If the princess falls into their hands, her future will spiral out of control. Adrian stood up. He strapped on his sword, mounted his horse, and stood in front of the waiting knights. Ethan, who followed, asked worriedly.
“What are you going to do?”
“If the princess fails, she can’t move next anyway. When George comes out of the gate, he will turn the tables like this.”
Damian’s whereabouts were confirmed until yesterday. She was so quick to judge the situation that there was no way she would have already been caught by them. You have to believe it. Although his hands were damp with sweat as he held the reins, Adrian lifted his head and looked toward the eastern sky. Ethan hurriedly sent a stand-by agent from ‘The Moon’ to Cale, and all members of the Bigor Knights, led by Adrian, stood in front of the main gate, ready to rush out. Meanwhile, Remina, who was good-natured even in front of the East Gate, took as much time as possible to lure out her militia, then drove her horse and ran again. Her home gate was almost empty and her militia came after Remina with all their might. Now George will open the gate and go out. Everything was going according to plan, but the militia’s pursuit was more persistent than expected.
“I caught up with you more than I thought! “Now you have to hide!”
The class shouted as they ran. Remina looked back at the pursuing militia and shouted back.
“We disperse in front of the North Gate. In the worst case scenario, we will escape from the castle!”
If Remina escapes from her Midoc and fails to return, she becomes unable to cope with the situation inside Midoc. However, almost all militia members, excluding those guarding her main palace, clung to Remina’s pursuit. Thinking that her plan to hide in the alleys of the outer castle area while dispersing with her soldiers might go awry, Remina and Ban ran towards the north gate of the outer castle.
* * *
Leaving Lauren at the inn, she boarded a carriage with the Count of Madeira. One more member of the delegation decided to stay, and Homer also got into another carriage. Homer put on a good disguise, and she decided to pretend to be sick by covering herself with a blanket in the carriage. Surely the Count wouldn’t be able to remove the blanket she was wearing in front of him. The four carriages that left the County of Kerdora soon arrived in front of the North Gate of Midok. The carriage in which the Count of Madeira, who led the delegation, and I were riding was standing at the very front of the procession, and the sound of the coachman shouting loudly was heard from in front of the castle gate.
“The Cologne delegation is returning! Open the door!”
Her heart was pounding hard and it felt like it was grabbing my esophagus and crawling up my throat. The castle gate opened and the carriage started to move, and she lifted the blanket up to her head, squeezed her eyes shut, and did her best to pretend to be sick. She was so nervous that she thought she was going to get really sick like this, but Count Madeira said with a smile.
“Don’t worry too much, young lady. Even the most ruthless people wouldn’t be able to look inside the carriage.”
Was it? Yes, it was a group of envoys who go far away and return to save a country at war from crisis. Even crazy people wouldn’t be able to do something like that, right? As she was exchanging glances with the Count of Madeira with her blanket slightly lowered and only her eyes exposed, the carriage that had entered Midoc stopped, a commotion was heard, and the carriage door flew open without warning.
“My God…”
As she desperately pretended to be sick and pulled up the blanket again, Count Madeira shouted.
“You guys! What are you doing!”
“Checking. The Count and Lady of Madeira, is that right?”
It was a crooked and rude tone. You forgot for a moment that these were pure madmen who broke into the palace and even killed the crown prince. The sound of people entering the carriage was heard, and the Count shouted again.
“How dare you insult my daughter! Are you coming out here to meet the envoys who are bringing the Grand Duke of Cologne’s alliance agreement? So you’re confident you can take care of it, right?”
“Aren’t you just trying to check?”
Count Madeira shouted, and he grunted gruffly, and a loud shout was heard from far outside the carriage.
“Do it in moderation, you bastards! “What are you doing to people who come back after doing big things?”
The Militia member inside the carriage clicked his tongue at the gruff voice.
“I’m going crazy because of the princess this morning. What is that?”
Then he walked away from the carriage. What, what’s going on? When she lowered her blanket again, exposed only her eyes, and looked through the open carriage door, she saw a strong man shouting at the militiamen.
“If it weren’t for them, the defense of the Western Front wouldn’t have ended! You despicable bastards who hide during the war and then take hostages and attack you!”
“Hey, Aaron. stop. Cale told me to be quiet.”
“Let it go, let’s see, so I can look at it more. Some people put their lives on the line to protect their country, but what these bastards are doing is too much!”
Mr. Cale? Cale? That Cale she knew? When she carefully got up and looked outside the carriage, she saw similarly strong men gathering around a man named Aaron, and the militiamen who had approached with great vigor seemed to be few in number. After shouting a little longer, the militiamen seemed to think that this was not going to work and drew their swords. However, the men they were opposing showed no signs of backing down, and instead increased in number and put pressure on the militia members. There was a loud noise and people gathered around. As if the atmosphere had become strange, Homer suddenly came to the carriage she was riding in.
“We will move during this gap.”
The Count of Madeira nodded his head, and the driver was about to set off. The gathered residents suddenly split to left and right. There was a scream and the loud sound of a horse’s hooves hitting the ground. What’s going on? Two horses ran side by side among the separated residents. She was looking out the carriage door with a blanket wrapped around her, and when she saw a person riding a horse, she jumped up.
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Translator Note:
Hello there! This is RJR. I hope you liked it <3
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