“What’s going on?”
Byron was sleeping in the carriage and opened his eyes when the carriage door opened. He thought it was his subordinate who opened the carriage door, but it was an unfamiliar Imperial soldier who opened the carriage door, so Byron’s eyes widened.
“… … who are you?”
“It’s an interrogation. “I need to verify your identity, so please show me your ID.”
Byron was momentarily taken aback by the sudden situation, casually taking out a fake ID card from his pocket and held it out. He just hopes that he can get through this situation safely.
“… … “Are you left-handed?”
But things didn’t go the way he wanted. It seemed suspicious that he held out his ID card with his left hand, leaving his right hand behind, and the soldier asked him if he was left-handed.
“How can you find out if I’m left-handed or right-handed?”
No matter how desperate the situation was, there was no way Byron’s arrogant temper would die. As he questioned, the rather embarrassed soldier put a knife to Byron’s throat and shouted urgently:
“Take off your gloves right now and show me your right hand!”
At this point, Byron could not help but realize that this interrogation was to find him. However, he couldn’t even show his wooden prosthetic hand, so he was only staring at the blade hanging around his neck.
“Ugh.”
Suddenly, the soldier holding the knife to his neck vomited blood and collapsed. There was a knife stuck in his back.
“My lord. You must quickly evacuate. “We will take our time, so run as far away as possible.”
It was cloud. Before he knew it, Cloud was standing at the door of the carriage, pulling a sword from the body of a dead soldier.
“… … okay.”
“The carriage you ride is smaller and lighter than this carriage, so it will be faster. “Please go there.”
Cloud grabbed his arm and helped him up. It was rough to say that he was treating his lord, but since it was an emergency situation, there was nothing else to do.
“… … What happened?”
When the carriage door was opened, Capella asked with a puzzled face.
“I was arrested. “You need to run away quickly,”
Cloud said urgently.
Byron seemed displeased with the fact that so many people had to ride together in a narrow carriage but considering the situation, he didn’t say anything and sat down next to Ayla.
“Miss.”
“Uh, huh?”
Ayla looked quickly, surprised by the unexpected situation, and Cloud gave her a blank expression, as though he was hesitant of himself.
Then Cloud put a sharp dagger in her hand, as though he had made up his mind.
“If an emergency arises, you must protect the master, Capella, and Laura.”
Because the situation was so urgent, He had no choice but to give her the knife even though he was suspicious that she knew about his identity.
If she knew everything, handing over a weapon would be a very dangerous move. She would be fine, as she had brought a knight with her to watch over her.
“… … .”
Before she could say anything, Cloud closed the carriage door roughly and the scenery outside the window began to pass by quickly. This was because he was running away at incredible speed.
Ayla looked at the dagger in her hand.
She had a weapon in her hand and Byron was sitting right next to her. To keep Byron safe, Cloud wasn’t there.
‘Shall I kill you? now.’
It was a situation where her revenge could be ended in an instant.
However, Ayla swallowed her homicidal desire as she nervously looked out the window at Byron’s profile.
If she killed Byron now, there was no guarantee that she would be able to return to her parents.
Even if she succeeds in killing Byron, won’t it be the end if she’s caught by that attentive knight with his hand on the sheath of his sword?
‘And, you shouldn’t die this comfortably.’
The revenge she wanted did not end with just killing Byron.
Because she wanted to completely destroy everything that Byron stood for and cause her to feel the despair and betrayal she felt.
She had to endure it for now.
“Hold that carriage!”
When she was suppressing her killing intent. A commotion was heard outside the carriage.
A group of Imperial soldiers were quickly pursuing the carriage.
There’s no way Cloud has already been hit. It seemed like it was a separate unit.
“shit!”
Byron gritted his teeth and spat out harsh words.
“… … I will risk my life to protect you. Do not worry.”
Byron was terrified, and even though the driver who drove him spoke in a fairly loyal tone, it didn’t help much.
Byron was still biting his nails with a nervous look on his face.
With a harsh horse neighing, the carriage stopped. The detachment had already arrived in front of the carriage.
At the same time, the carriage door opened and a blade flew out. In an instant, the knight with his sword drawn was blocking their swords.
Although it wasn’t as good as Cloud’s, Byron’s knights were also quite good. He managed to hold on. Because the number of imperial troops was so large, they were struggling.
“I will fight too.”
At this, Ayla stood up holding a dagger. She was getting out of the carriage.
“… … !”
Byron looked embarrassed at her remarks. However, it didn’t seem like anyone was warning her against doing it.
It was because the situation was so urgent.
“Take care of yourself. “I don’t want you to get hurt,”
Byron said in a very nervous voice. It seemed like he was worried that his hunting dog might get hurt.
“… … “Yes, father.”
When she got off the carriage, holding the dagger tightly, the imperial soldiers were taken aback. Because they had no idea that a small girl would get involved in the battle, but that was only for a moment. The little girl, whom she had looked down on as a little girl, quickly weaved her way through the panicked Imperial soldiers, brandishing her dagger.
Of course, she had no intention of harming innocent people, so she only hit them at vital points with the back of a blunt knife to render them incapable of fighting.
“Kill everyone and cover their mouths!”
Byron shouted as if he had never been so scared. As soon as Ayla joined, the tide turned in this direction.
As if the battle had already ended on Cloud’s side, Cloud and his men were riding towards us on horseback.
‘… … ‘I don’t want to kill you.’
With a graceful motion, Ayla avoided the sword that was aimed at her. The tip of his sword came off after getting slightly caught on his fur hat, even though he thought he had dodged it nimbly.
She gritted her teeth, avoided the critical spot, and stabbed the imperial soldier in the shoulder. She felt very uncomfortable as the blade penetrated her skin.
“Sorry. “I didn’t want to hurt you.”
Ayla pretended to check the fate of the fallen imperial soldier and whispered in his ear.
“Pretend to be dead. “That’s how you can live.”
She may not be able to save everyone, but she still wanted to save at least a few people.
She walked among the fallen and whispered the same words in their ears.
“Miss. Are you okay?”
Cloud, whose body was covered in blood, walked towards her and asked. His walking posture was straight and strong, and it seemed he was not injured. The blood he was covered in seemed to be other people’s blood.
“… … I’m okay.”
Ayla sighed, saying that there were no injuries at all. Sensing her odd emotions, Cloud remarked that his own student was more capable than he had realized.
“We must leave quickly before reinforcements arrive. Get on the carriage. There, you. Make sure all the soldiers over there are dead… … .”
“I! I checked. “Everyone is dead over there, so let’s leave quickly.”
In response to Cloud’s words, Ayla urgently shouted.
At her words, Cloud made an incomprehensible expression and nodded. There was no further questioning. That was the end.
They took off quickly, their carriage turning the otherwise pure white snow field red.
* * *
The incident in which soldiers at a checkpoint set up on a deserted road were destroyed shook the entire Peles Empire.
It was a significant incident that exposed the whereabouts of Byron Lionel Vito Peles, a traitor whose traces had been missing for more than a decade.
The person who witnessed him in person is dead, but when the testimonies of the survivors are combined, one conclusion is reached.
It was true that Byron had been rumored to be dead and was definitely alive.
The people of the empire were terrified.
She was so scared that the heinous traitor who tried and failed to kill her father was still roaming freely within this empire. Parents of young children went to the extent of preventing their children from going outside.
Rumors of the tragedy in the snowy plains spread so widely that they could not be controlled, but not all of them were true.
A rumor that did not spread because the survivors were controlled from above.
It was a story about a mysterious girl in the middle of a battle.
A beautiful girl with silver hair and blue eyes who looked like a snowy fairy.
A child who danced among men twice as big as her, disarmed them one by one, and then disappeared, leaving behind a message to pretend to be dead if he wanted to live.
The person who silenced the survivors who saw the girl was none other than Alexia Dexen, a member of the Imperial Guard.
When Alexia said that if the child was being held captive by a group of rebels for some reason, it would be difficult if word got out that the child had saved the lives of the soldiers, the soldiers put a lock on the child’s mouth.
She shouldn’t have troubled the lifesaver who saved them.
There were other reasons for what she told the soldiers, but the biggest reason why Alexia silenced them was because of a request from her friend, the Duke of Weishafen.
‘I never thought Ayla would be captured by Byron.’
