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Chapter 31
As the knight raised his sword again to strike down toward Azen’s chest, who was lying on the ground, Azen desperately rolled across the floor, clutching his deeply cut abdomen.
He had to survive.
He had to survive and cross the border with her.
When the knight kicked Azen’s abdomen violently, he landed with a thud.
Groans escaped his lips.
His abdomen, his entire body, felt like it was on fire.
At that moment, when he thought there was no way to dodge the sword plunging toward him this time, the knight suddenly froze.
She—the frail, endlessly gentle lady—had plunged a dagger behind the knight and was twisting it with all her strength.
With the same hands that had saved so many people.
Startled by the sudden shock, the knight instinctively swung at the enemy behind him. Arlen, struck by the brutal blow, tumbled to the ground.
No.
Clenching his teeth, Azen rose while clutching his abdomen.
That bastard was staggering toward her, bleeding profusely, either to strike her again or to capture her.
Trembling, Azen reached for the dagger still lodged in the man’s back. Twisting it out, blood gushed forth.
The man turned around to react, but when the dagger plunged into his neck, the knight’s eyes rolled back and he collapsed.
“Haa…”
Azen gasped for breath. Darkness and dizziness clouded his vision. He couldn’t afford to lose consciousness yet.
Only after confirming that the filthy man’s life was completely ended did Azen slump to the ground. His lady scrambled to her feet and ran toward him in a panic.
“Lady… are you alright?”
“You… how could you… come for me now…!”
Tears filled her eyes as she sank to her knees in front of him.
“Your wound… your wound… what should I do… what should I do…”
“I’m fine.”
He was gasping for breath and struggling to speak.
“Earlier… that bastard… how dare he—”
“I said I’m fine!”
She raised her voice as tears streamed down her face.
Even when angry, my lady remains beautiful…
How comforting it is that she worries about me.
Azen looked down at her bloodstained hands hastily unbuttoning his tattered shirt.
Her gentle, warm hands were completely covered in blood.
I wanted to protect you.
This time, I wanted to protect you properly.
What would happen to you if I could no longer protect you?
“…Lady…”
“Hmm?”
She answered without looking up, still wrapping a makeshift bandage.
“Cross the border.”
Only then did she finally look at him.
Panting, Azen continued.
“Even without me… go to Wesland…”
Should he tell her that Luterne is already destroyed, so she must cross the border and seek asylum without regret? But what if hearing that makes her give up entirely?
“That man… Duke Requies will never… kill you…”
Would she be able to escape more safely knowing he wouldn’t kill her?
“He won’t… kill you…”
But he won’t kill you, yet he won’t give up either. Should I tell her that?
What do I truly want? Is it that I’d rather have her survive in that mad castle, alive even if she loses her mind, than risk her dying while fleeing recklessly?
Yet in that man’s hands, she would wither away. He might not kill her directly, but he wouldn’t hesitate to destroy her.
Or maybe all of this is just an excuse, and I am still horrifically selfish, simply unwilling to see her go to another man, past or present…
Damn it.
Which is better for you? No, is there any good left at all?
Ever since your family was slaughtered,
Ever since that beast, that monster, that fiend, marked you…
Ah, truthfully,
I had a fleeting, foolish dream that if we crossed the border safely together, maybe, just maybe, we could face each other, smile, and live happily this time.
That it might actually be possible this time.
Despite all the despicable things I’ve done, despite the people you’ve lost, even if you don’t live long, I could still have you smile at me until the very end…
No, such undeserved happiness could never be granted to a sinner like me.
Suddenly, the lady who had been staring at Azen smiled gently.
“Azen, don’t worry.”
On her tear-streaked face, pale, frozen, soaked in fear, she smiled as if resolute.
I’ve been by your side for ten years. I can distinguish the smiles you force from genuine ones.
So, even if she tries to smile earnestly, insisting everything will be alright…
“It’s alright, Azen. Everything will be fine.”
Seeing her smile warmed everything inside him.
Even knowing it’s a false hope, knowing it’s a fake smile, it felt like everything would really be alright…
But no, it’s impossible…
She is sitting alone on the cliff.
Her lifeless eyes look toward him.
As his fading consciousness closed his eyes…
Azen began to collapse to the side, but Arlen quickly supported him and laid him down.
Though her head was still ringing from the earlier blows and each step wobbled, there was no time to waste.
After carefully wrapping him in bandages, she brought the horse she had hidden. Gently coaxing the horse to sit, she painstakingly lifted Azen onto its back.
She worried whether it was right to place someone so severely injured on a horse like this, but there was no other option.
She had to move quickly. Only she could save him now.
‘And he’s dying… because of me…’
Straddling the dying Azen, gripping the reins tightly, she set off alone.
Tears continued to stream down her determined face.
Don’t cry, crying is a waste of energy. She repeated this, but the drops flowed relentlessly.
If she meets Nilo, he can treat him. Then he’ll be alright.
Will he really be alright?
And then? Will they keep being chased, fighting, injured? Facing death again?
Because of me?
Because of just me?
Even if he tries to escape, he wouldn’t live long anyway. And now she risks her life to save me?
…From birth…
Since birth, her weak body had caused worry, tears, and hardship for her family. The clouds of despair over her once happy home were all because she was born.
And now people are dying trying to save me. She knew enough to guess the sacrifices made by those at the duke’s manor.
‘And now Azen too…’
A cold wind blew. Arlen’s tear-streaked face lost warmth as her whole body trembled.
A young man crouched in the garden next to a small hut, busy tending to the plants.
He examined the leaves, touched them, and muttered something to himself, then moved on to the next plant.
Though he cared for the herbs to calm his unsettled mind, he couldn’t shake the unrest caused by recent news.
After a while, he sensed a presence and looked back.
Living secluded in the mountains to avoid people, visitors were rare, but not nonexistent. Occasionally, patients who hadn’t been healed would seek a new apothecary.
Assuming this was another desperate patient, he approached to see who it was.
Sure enough, the approaching figure’s face looked ill, and the person on the horse appeared barely alive.
“Who are you?”
Even though he knew they were a patient, he asked nonetheless.
