The gates of Harlant Dukedom, which had been opened to let them through, were now closing again.
‘We’ve finally left the dukedom…!’
Eugenia’s heart fluttered, but this time it wasn’t just anxiety.
She looked at Selmia and Joshua, who were sitting across from her.
‘Could this be the moment that changes their future, even just a little?’
Eugenia desperately hoped that their luck would hold out until she could safely get the children to the Duke of Harlant’s estate. The carriage they were in continued moving without stopping. They needed to switch drivers away from the watchful eyes of the dukedom’s sentries, who were likely keeping an eye on the perimeter from the watchtowers.
After about 30 more minutes of driving, the carriage began to slow down.
“Whoa, whoa!”
The horses obediently responded to the command. Eugenia heard the sound of Enrique and Albury jumping down to the ground with a thud. However, she and the twins didn’t prepare to get off. Albert was handing his horse over to the driver because he was planning to drive the carriage to the empire from here on out.
“Our agreement ends here, so it’s time for you to get off,” said one of the men to the driver.
But the driver hesitated on the driver’s seat, looking visibly uneasy.
“Is there a problem?” Albert asked, sensing something was off as he approached the driver.
“Eek!”
Suddenly, the driver grabbed the reins tightly and cracked the whip hard on the horse’s rear.
“Neigh!”
The horse let out a painful cry and bolted forward.
“Ahhh!”
The sudden jolt caused the carriage to shake violently. Eugenia quickly stood up and pulled the children close to her.
“Big sis! Waaah!”
“Joshua! Selmia! Are you okay?”
“I’m fine, but… Shelly, damn it, what’s going on all of a sudden?”
Eugenia quickly checked on Selmia. The child’s face was flushed, clearly startled, and her crying wouldn’t stop once it started.
“Waaaah!”
“Selmia, Shelly! It’s okay. Look at me. Everything’s going to be fine.”
But the carriage showed no signs of stopping. In fact, it was speeding up.
‘What the hell is happening?’
Eugenia held onto the children tightly, not daring to let go for fear they might get hurt.
“Ugh!”
As a result, she couldn’t protect herself and ended up hitting her shoulder, head, and back against the walls of the carriage.
‘If I were alone, I would have just opened the door and jumped out.’
But protecting the children was her top priority, so she couldn’t even consider that option. She began thinking furiously about how to escape.
***
Meanwhile, outside, there was chaos.
“Hey! Enrique, sir!”
Albert shouted, his voice rising as the driver’s sudden actions left him at a loss for words. He pointed helplessly at the rapidly retreating carriage.
“…Damn it.”
Enrique muttered a curse under his breath. Reflexively, his hand went to the belt where his gun was holstered, but he stopped short. He couldn’t fire. This was a demilitarized zone. If a gunshot rang out here, both nations would react swiftly, and it could easily escalate into war. Enrique clenched his teeth so hard that his jaw bulged out. He clicked his tongue in frustration, then quickly mounted the horse he had just dismounted.
“Neigh!”
The horse reared its head and neighed loudly.
“Hyah!”
Enrique skillfully took the reins and started chasing after the carriage.
“Enrique, sir!”
Albert’s voice faded into the distance behind him, but Enrique couldn’t afford to look back. He leaned forward, almost lying flat against the horse’s neck, and kicked its sides. The horse responded by galloping at full speed. Despite the strong wind hitting him straight on, Enrique only narrowed his eyes slightly, refusing to blink, as if even a momentary lapse could mean losing sight of his target. He handled the horse expertly and gradually closed the distance between himself and the carriage.
The carriage was being pulled by just one horse, and with four people inside, it was limited in how fast it could go, no matter how hard the whip was cracked.
“Good.”
Catching up was only a matter of time.
Just as Enrique was about to push his horse even harder, he noticed the carriage door opening. It was Eugenia.
‘That woman…!’
Enrique grated his teeth again. She was holding onto the carriage roof with her slender arms, inching her way toward the driver’s seat on tiptoes. The wind was so strong that her dress was whipping around wildly. Thankfully, the driver hadn’t noticed her yet, but Eugenia looked like she could fall at any moment. In fact, she almost did, stumbling once. Falling from a carriage moving at that speed would at least result in broken bones.
“Damn it!”
Enrique spurred his horse on even faster. The horse, as if understanding his urgency, galloped even quicker, and soon Enrique was riding alongside the carriage.
“Eugenia!” he shouted her name angrily.
Eugenia glanced back, her eyes widening in surprise.
“Oh… Enrique?”
“Get back inside!”
“But…!”
“Now!”
Eugenia’s eyes, which had been filled with uncertainty, suddenly reflected a firm resolve. She nodded quickly and cautiously made her way back into the carriage. The driver, still unaware of what was happening behind him, briefly glanced over his shoulder and went pale at the sight of Enrique. He had expected Enrique might follow, but he hadn’t anticipated him catching up so quickly.
“Hyah! Faster, you beast!”
He whipped the horse savagely, but the exhausted animal couldn’t go any faster. Enrique was now riding right beside the driver. With one hand on the reins, he reached into his coat and gripped the handle of a dagger. The easiest way to reclaim the carriage would be to kill the driver with a single blow to the neck. At this distance, Enrique was confident he could do it.
But he hesitated.
‘Something’s not right.’
The driver seemed incapable of doing anything other than fleeing.
‘This isn’t the work of a professional.’
That meant the driver was likely forced into this situation. Enrique recalled the overly anxious look in the driver’s eyes before they’d left.
‘Where did the news leak from?’
Was the target him, or Eugenia? Even as he spurred the horse on, his mind was racing.
‘I’ll have to catch him and interrogate him.’
Enrique decided against killing the driver. Capturing him would be the only way to track down who was behind this. By now, Eugenia had entered the carriage and closed the door. Enrique glanced at the inside of the carriage. Eugenia was holding the children tightly.
“Phew.”
He let out a heavy sigh and slowed his horse down slightly. Though he was deliberately riding slower, the driver mistakenly believed he had shaken Enrique off.
Enrique’s horse had now reached the rear wheel of the carriage. He gripped the dagger in his hand tightly. Normally, he wouldn’t have hesitated, but with such fragile passengers inside, he was reluctant to throw it.
‘But there’s no other choice.’
Resolutely, he hurled the dagger into the wheel spokes. It flew through the air and lodged itself precisely between the spokes. The wheel broke under the stress, and the carriage lost its balance, its underside collapsing. The horse pulling the carriage was suddenly burdened by the dragging weight and, unable to bear it, stumbled and fell.
Thud!
The carriage tilted slowly before finally toppling over. Fortunately, the gradual tilt reduced the impact somewhat. Enrique quickly halted his horse, leaped off, and ran toward the overturned carriage. He jumped up onto it and flung open the door.
“Are you alright?”
“Nngh… Yes, I’m okay,” Eugenia replied weakly, her voice trembling, likely from the impact.
“And the children?”
“We need to check on them. Please help me get them out first.”
Eugenia carefully lifted Selmia and Joshua one by one to Enrique, who pulled them out. Finally, Eugenia, with Enrique’s help, climbed out of the overturned carriage.
“Wait here for a moment.”
Enrique spotted Albert approaching from a distance and led Eugenia and the twins to a spot far from the driver’s seat. He then silently and cautiously made his way to the front of the carriage.
Enrique expected to find the driver injured and unable to move, but when he reached him, he cursed under his breath.
“Damn it.”
The driver was dead, blood trickling from his mouth. Clutched in his hand was a small glass vial, presumably containing some kind of black substance.
—————————————————————
Translator Note:
This chapter was translated by Gon. Next post will be released on September, 8.
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