Episode 53
‘…Milady.’
‘…….’
‘Milady!’
I felt the cold, clinking sensation of chains around my wrist. My eyes fluttered open slightly.
‘…Lady Reinhardt.’
From across the thick, icy wall, someone was calling for me.
Though they uttered the name I so hated, their voice was laced with desperation.
‘You must not die.’
‘…Your Grace?’
‘You must not die.’
I could feel the chill rising from the wall as I listened, slowly recalling the memory.
Just as I had often asked him if he was still there and he would answer, there were times when he would speak to me first.
During long silences when the air grew heavy, when it felt as though the world was about to end.
When it seemed as though every evil in the world was pointing its finger at us.
‘Don’t leave.’
I knew his voice would carry that kind of desperation at such times. He, too, must have been lonely.
Not because he harbored affection or friendship for me, but because he didn’t want to be left alone.
I thought this, and instinctively whispered:
‘You, too.’
‘…….’
‘What will I do if you leave me?’
Hadn’t you left me first, walking toward your execution without me?
You had gone, bidding me a calm farewell, as if it were nothing.
So, this time, please don’t leave…
* * *
Gasp.
It felt like my lungs were filled with water, suffocating. My eyes shot open wide.
My body was lying prone on the cold, narrow stone floor. It all came back to me—I had collapsed inside the cramped cave.
“……”
Forcing myself to take a deep breath, I felt a searing pain in my side. I still lay there, cheek pressed against the cold ground, thinking.
‘How long have I been asleep?’
I couldn’t afford to sleep for long. Staying here wasn’t a solution.
‘I need to get help before the hunting festival ends.’
No one knew what kind of danger I was in. The chances of someone coming to find me here were slim to none.
No one would come to help. I had to go out and seek help myself, while the festival was still in full swing and there were people around.
‘I have to do this myself.’
It was something I had realized ever since I opened my eyes in this world.
‘Get up.’
Just lifting my upper body felt like it took an eternity. The pain in my side was so intense that it felt like I might burst or tear at any moment.
“Huff.”
Cold sweat beaded on my forehead as I gathered my strength to stand. And then—
Rustle.
“We’ll have to search this area again.”
“Damn, it’s just a tiny girl. How hard can it be?”
The mercenaries who had passed by earlier were returning. I froze.
“There’s no time. If we find her, let’s just deal with her.”
“Can we do that?”
“The client said to make an example of her.”
“They didn’t say to kill her, though.”
“Well, she’s made things worse by running so much. It might be easier for the client if she’s found dead.”
“That’s…”
“If this gets exposed, it’ll be bad for both the client and us. Let’s make it look like an accident and squeeze a little more money out of it.”
My expression hardened as I listened to their conversation.
Whoever Seth had brought in, it was clear they were just as rotten and foolish as he was.
“But where the hell did she go?”
“Hey, over there…”
At that moment, I heard them murmuring from outside.
I had a bad feeling.
‘…They’ve noticed the cave.’
Even though it was hidden by underbrush, I had found it, so it wouldn’t take much for them to spot it if they looked carefully at the cliffside.
Footsteps grew closer to the cave. Even though the entrance was narrow, they could easily find a way to reach me.
‘It might be easier for them to kill me here inside the cave.’
If my body remained hidden in the cave, I’d just be reported as missing.
Would I have to die and start over again this time?
‘But… I still don’t want to die.’
Thinking of the events in the underground prison, I realized that desire had grown even stronger.
I pressed myself against the cave wall, wrapping my arms around my aching side. I held my breath, trying not to make a sound, though the pain made my hands tremble uncontrollably.
Rustle.
“This cave seems…”
A mercenary’s voice came from just beyond the cave wall.
A sharp sword suddenly thrust into the cave, its blade glinting as it passed right by my face, scraping the wall beside me.
“Something’s off here.”
I quickly covered my mouth and squeezed my eyes shut.
“…Hey!”
“Damn it!”
There was a sudden thud, followed by the sound of someone crying out. It was the unmistakable sound of an arrow being loosed.
The arm that had reached into the cave twisted abruptly, yanked away.
“Kraaagh!”
“Run! Now!”
The sound of someone moving rapidly followed, overlapping with the frantic rustling of leaves being battered by the wind.
I gritted my teeth, trying to steady my trembling hands. Slowly, the commotion outside died down.
Footsteps—slow and deliberate—approached.
The sound reminded me of the prison guard who used to torture me, his steps echoing as he neared.
‘Is this how it all ends?’
That thought flickered through my mind as I hovered on the edge of consciousness.
“Mindia.”
“…!”
The familiar voice snapped me back to full awareness.
Outside, it could only be…
Forgetting the pain, I crawled out of the cave. The open air hit me, tinged with the smell of blood, a grim confirmation that this was reality.
“…Your Grace.”
My voice trembled as it escaped my lips.
At the edge of my vision stood Chris, his sword in hand, staring at me. Bloodstains marked the area around him.
“…Grand Duke.”
When I called him again, his clear eyes met mine, and he responded.
“I am here.”
A sharp pang pierced my chest.
Hearing those words again—words I had heard once before—made my fingertips tingle. He wouldn’t remember the prison, and yet…
Chris hesitated as he reached out to me, noticing the blood still dripping from his sword. Slowly, he wiped it clean and sheathed it. I hesitated, then moved toward him.
“Thank you for coming…”
Before I could finish, Chris gently pulled me toward him.
I collapsed into his arms, leaning against him as my legs gave way.
“I’m sorry.”
“It’s all right. Rest like this until you regain your strength.”
Chris said nothing else, simply holding me gently while surveying the surroundings.
When his cautious fingers brushed against my injured side, I couldn’t help but wince.
“Are you hurt?”
“…I’m fine.”
“No, you are not.”
Without waiting for my response, Chris carefully lifted me and seated me on a nearby rock.
“Excuse me for a moment.”
He wrapped his hands gently around my side, probing the area lightly before speaking again.
“It doesn’t seem like any bones are broken.”
“You can tell?”
“I can’t feel any broken fragments.”
Chris’s gaze fixed intensely on my side as if he could see the injury through my clothing.
His fingers, warm against my skin, made me lower my head.
“Unfortunately, the pursuers escaped. I managed to injure one with an arrow, though…”
Chris must have chosen to find and help me instead of chasing the mercenaries. I nodded, acknowledging his decision.
“It’s fine. If they’re wounded, we can track them down…”
“That can be handled later.”
His tone was firm as he lifted me once more, holding me close.
“We’ll head back as quickly as possible.”
“…All right.”
As I answered, I noticed the sun dipping lower on the horizon. If we didn’t hurry, we’d soon lose our way in the dark mountain paths.
I mounted the horse with Chris behind me. I could feel the warmth of his chest pressing against my back.
I tried to focus on the dark, rugged trail ahead, but it was difficult to make out any details. All I could sense was the warmth of the person behind me.
Feeling the tension in Chris’s body, I found myself speaking without thinking.
“This time, I didn’t do anything reckless.”
“……”
“I mean it.”
As I thought of how his face had hardened when I recklessly confronted those thugs with a blade, a sense of distance filled me.
I didn’t want to see that expression on his face anymore.
My words came out in a disjointed ramble, and I found myself gripping his arms tightly.
“Your Grace… You told me to live. You said I must not die.”
“Milady.”
“I understand now.”
“……”
“I… I didn’t want to die.”
At that moment, I realized the truth. I had never truly wanted to die. Each new beginning had always brought me pain.
“I wanted someone to save me. I hoped desperately for it…”
The thought of dying and starting over had only seemed possible when I believed I was utterly alone in this world.
But death was always terrifying, always painful, and I never grew used to it.
No matter how much people turned their backs on me, how much they struck me down, I hadn’t wanted it.
But you’re here.
You came for me.
“Chris… thank you for coming.”
I thought I heard him say something, but my strength was fading fast.
“…Thank you for not leaving me this time.”
I’d probably regret saying this when I regained my senses. I might not even remember it.
‘These are things Chris doesn’t need to know.’
Would he think I was whining?
‘I’m sorry.’
I wanted to apologize for burdening him with these words.
I was sorry for wanting to keep him close, even though I didn’t know who he might come to love.
But before I could finish my thoughts, the warmth of his body lulled me, and my eyes closed again.
As I felt his strong arms tighten around me to keep me from slipping, I lost consciousness.
