107. The Value of the Bracelet (2)

I had once been a person whose capture warranted a nationwide manhunt.

Luckily, my face wasn’t drawn on the wanted posters, and my red hair was dyed black.

A keen knight would have certainly noticed. It also helped that she was a novice and hadn’t been part of the palace staff when I disappeared.

I forced another awkward smile. Despite my quivering mouth muscles, my fabricated identity as someone special to Deon effectively concealed any major flaws.

“Just hold on a little longer. We’ll reach the capital soon. We should arrive by the end of the day at the latest.”

She delivered what felt like a death sentence in a calm tone, unaware of how terrified her words made me.

Seeing my pale face, she assumed my nausea was worsening.

The carriage jostled over a bump, the curtains trembling lightly, reflecting my inner turmoil.

“Um… I’m not familiar with the current state of the capital…”

My lips were dry and cracked. I swallowed hard and asked.

“When did the previous Emperor pass away?”

Something was off. If there had been a change in the emperor, the atmosphere wouldn’t be this quiet.

She counted on her fingers before speaking.

“About a few months ago, I believe. He succumbed to pneumonia and a heart attack.”

She then asked, her voice filled with curiosity.

“How isolated must you have been to not know about the capital’s news? Did you not hear of his passing when you were captured?”

“Well… I knew about his passing, but I hadn’t heard anything about a new coronation. I didn’t know a new emperor had ascended.”

I mumbled an evasive response. It sounded like a flimsy excuse, but she was so deep in the lie of me being the emperor’s guest that she didn’t suspect a thing.

“I see.”

She thought for a moment before replying.

“Then it makes sense you wouldn’t know. The coronation hasn’t taken place yet.”

“…Why?”

“I’m just a lowly knight serving His Majesty. I can’t pretend to understand his intentions. We assume there’s a reason for the delay. To be precise, since the coronation hasn’t occurred, it’s like he’s serving as the emperor’s regent. According to imperial law, an emperor is not officially crowned until the coronation.”

She met my gaze and then clapped her hands together.

“Ah, you wouldn’t have heard this news either.”

“What news?”

Just as I was leaning in to listen, the carriage came to a jarring stop.

My body lurched to the side, my hand striking the plush seat.

As I clutched my bent wrist, her face turned pale. She roughly opened the window and stuck her head out.

“What is the meaning of this commotion? Have you forgotten that we have a noble guest in this carriage?”

Her words made me cough nervously. Each time she spoke, my conscience pricked me.

I tried to calm my pounding heart and looked at her, hanging out of the window.

“We have a problem with the wheel. It hit a hole in the ground and is completely damaged. We need to replace it.”

“tsk. That should have been checked before we departed.”

“I’m sorry. I’ll summon a repairman immediately. We’re close to the capital, so finding a carriage manager shouldn’t be difficult.”

The soldier kept bowing his head repeatedly.

“Let’s take a short break. The schedule might be delayed.”

She shifted from a stern expression to a warm demeanor, a stark contrast to the face she had shown while chastising the soldier.

I forced a smile.

“I’m fine. There’s no need to rush.”

“How kind of you. Since we’re close to the capital, we can take care of business here. Let’s stop the carriage for a while.”

“Business?”

“I mean ensuring your safe escort to the royal palace.”

She reached under the seat to retrieve something. The item was tightly bound with cords, knotted so securely that they had formed sharp edges.

She carefully untied the cords, layer by layer, revealing a pile of cloth wrapped around a jewelry box.

Placing the ornate box on her lap, she opened it and finally took out the crude bracelet.

The bracelet, lying on the red velvet inside the box, looked pitifully out of place. Its shabby appearance was highlighted against the luxurious silk.

She treated the bracelet as if it were a priceless artifact.

In the prison, the only jewelry box she had was the one holding her knighthood medals. Now, the crude bracelet had displaced her medals and genuine gems taken as war trophies.

It was absurd. My nausea surged again.

“Are you sure you’re alright?”

Seeing my increasingly haggard appearance, she expressed concern for my health. She had no idea that this nausea was due to the significance placed on that bracelet.

Her naivety was almost amusing. Was it because she was a novice, or was it her inherent earnestness? She seemed too naive to be leading a group of knights.

I wiped my mouth and asked.

“What are you planning to do when you get out?”

“I need to request additional reinforcements. We must ensure there are enough knights to guard this bracelet.”

“What?”

I forgot to lower my voice in my shock.

“Is that really necessary?”

I hastily added, trying to remain composed despite her increasingly absurd statements.

“It’s a precious item. The more guards, the better. I don’t fully trust the soldiers. Although they are under my command, discipline has been lax.”

I bit my lip. Seeing her cradle that worthless bracelet as if it were a treasure made it hard to speak.

I couldn’t reveal the truth now. If I did, the soldiers’ swords would turn from guarding the carriage to aiming at me.

“I will return before the carriage is fixed. Please wait here for a moment.”

She said this and opened the carriage door. Without using the steps, she jumped down in one swift movement.

Through the open door, I saw her walking toward the guard at the castle gate, the royal emblem on her back fluttering in the breeze.

“…I have to escape.”

The resolution I’d made countless times in the North escaped my lips once again.

If I wanted to live, I had to run. This time, I had to escape with more desperation than ever. I couldn’t let myself be handed over to Deon.

I peeked out the window.

I saw the commander talking to the guard at the gate, the soldiers lounging around as soon as the carriage stopped, and the lowered flag. The scene outside unfolded one by one.

As she said, the soldiers were lax in their guard duties. Instead of protecting the carriage, they had settled down and were chatting, some seeking the shade under trees and turning their backs to the carriage. Even the coachman had joined them.

Now was my only chance. If I stayed in the carriage, it would be like serving a rabbit to a tiger.

I quietly pushed the carriage door open wider. It swung silently, and thankfully, no one was watching my side.

Being close to the capital, the surroundings were bustling. People carrying baskets of bread on their heads and others pulling carts towards the city filled the road. Other carriages and carts were passing by on the road where ours was parked.

This was the moment.

I carefully stepped out. Gathering my skirts in one hand, I crouched low, circling around the carriage so I wouldn’t be seen through the window.

The soldiers were waiting behind the carriage, unable to pass the vehicle with their superior inside.

I turned toward the front of the carriage, hugging the side to avoid detection. I almost bumped into the horses tied at the front but managed to stifle my scream and avoid them.

Moving slowly, I thought I had escaped unnoticed when I suddenly locked eyes with a young soldier.

“Hey?”

He seemed too young to have blended in with the other soldiers.

I froze at the sight of the unexpected soldier. He, too, stood still, holding his spear and staring at me.

“Shh.”

I put a trembling finger to my lips, signaling for him to stay quiet.

The tip of his spear tilted slightly. He seemed too stunned to understand what was happening.

To him, it must have been unfathomable that someone claiming to be the Emperor’s lover would sneak out of a carriage and try to disappear into the crowd. His young mind couldn’t grasp the situation.

Seeing that he remained silent and unmoving, I cautiously backed away.

His mouth hung open in shock, his green eyes wide as he watched me retreat.

Without hesitation, I turned and ran. I almost tripped on my skirt but managed to regain my balance.

Clutching my skirt in one hand, I stumbled and ran, widening my strides as the wind rushed against me.

I passed a cart full of fruit, brushing past someone carrying fabric.

Fruit spilled onto the ground. The juice from a squashed tomato splattered up to my knees. I heard angry voices behind me, but I had no time to apologize as I kept running.

I spotted a small forest and a road used by carriages. I quickly crossed the road to hide in the forest.

Just as I took a few steps, a large shadow loomed in front of me.

“Gasp!”

In front of me, I saw a solid iron-shod horse hoof. The horse reared up, its front legs pawing at the air.