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Chapter 20
At that moment.
A man wearing a staff uniform was walking around the train.
He was the same assassin who had tried to kill Albert that morning.
“…Damn it.”
He hid in corners, avoiding people’s eyes, and grabbed a tray and a glass of water near the dining car.
Then he knocked on a cabin door he had been observing for a while.
This was the cabin that had never once opened its door when people passed by.
The owner never showed himself… First-class, and the best cabin of all.
He was sure his target was in there.
Knock knock.
When the door opened, a young man with a sword at his waist appeared.
The assassin knew this was the target’s bodyguard.
“Did you order water?”
“I didn’t…”
This time, he had to get it right. He had a reason to.
He swung the hidden dagger at the bodyguard.
“…!”
Crash!
The tray and glass hit the floor and shattered.
The assassin stepped into the cabin. The bodyguard dodged the dagger and quickly drew his sword.
“Your Highness, please step back. I will handle this.”
The bodyguard spoke in a firm voice with his sword ready.
The real fight began. The clashing sounds of the sword and dagger filled the room.
As expected from a royal bodyguard, he dodged the assassin’s attacks quickly.
But the assassin had prepared a deadly trick.
“Ugh.”
Swish! The dagger grazed the bodyguard’s arm.
It was a tiny wound.
But the bodyguard soon felt his skin numb around the wound.
“This is…”
Poison.
A poison strong enough to paralyze with just a scratch.
The assassin smirked. The bodyguard tried to fight more, but he staggered and collapsed with a loud thud.
“Evan!”
The target, who had been watching calmly, called out the name of his fallen bodyguard.
He clearly hadn’t expected the dagger to be poisoned.
“Evan, are you okay?”
He kneeled next to his knight.
The assassin found it amusing. “So this prince really cares for his people…”
The assassin approached from behind and held the dagger to the prince’s pale neck.
The target went silent.
He laid his bodyguard down and slowly raised both hands.
“Who sent you?”
“I can’t say.”
“It’s all over now. At least tell me who sent you before you die.”
Albert raised his head and met the assassin’s eyes.
“Just tell me who sent you, and then kill me.”
The assassin glared coldly.
Albert was clearly trying to buy time, but he still faced him bravely—like a true imperial prince.
The assassin looked at the prince’s neck instead of his eyes.
“That’s too bad.”
This was the end.
Just as he was about to slash the prince’s neck—
Thud!
The prince kicked his shin.
He rolled away quickly, grabbed the fallen knight’s sword, and pointed it at the assassin.
“Sorry, but I know how to protect myself too.”
“…”
“And you’re going to pay for hurting Evan.”
The two were about to clash swords when—
“You bastard!”
Someone burst into the cabin.
“You bastard!”
It was a man in a white shirt.
The assassin looked shocked.
“Who are you?”
“Me? The one here to beat you up.”
“…?”
“Hey, Albert. Stay back or you’ll get hurt.”
The man slammed the cabin door shut.
A holy sword of light appeared in his hand.
He swung the glowing sword at the assassin.
The assassin fought back in panic, trying to slash with the poisoned dagger.
But the man was unexpectedly skilled. His huge body was also fast. It was hard to land even one hit.
The big sword came flying at him repeatedly, forcing the assassin to dodge with all his might.
Finally—
“Ah.”
The assassin’s dagger grazed Eric’s arm.
Eric stopped moving and looked at his arm. Blood was staining his white shirt.
Got him.
The assassin felt a surge of joy.
Now Eric would end up like the bodyguard.
But—
“…What?”
The assassin looked closely.
The wound disappeared.
His eyes widened in shock. Eric smirked.
“So your dagger was poisoned?”
“No, how did the wound…”
Before he could finish, Eric was right in front of him.
Eric punched the assassin hard in the stomach.
“Ugh!”
The pain was overwhelming. The assassin collapsed to the floor.
“I’m a holy knight, you know.”
Eric kicked the dagger out of his hand.
“This kind of poison doesn’t work on me.”
“Ugh…!”
“No matter how much Albert and I argue, he’s still my best friend.”
Eric stepped on the assassin’s head.
The assassin bit his lips in humiliation.
Even under Eric’s weight, his eyes burned with anger.
“Damn. Look at this guy’s eyes, Albert. This isn’t just loyalty—something else is driving him.”
“Aaaargh!”
The assassin tried to attack Eric’s shin again when—
“Wait!”
The cabin door suddenly flew open.
The assassin turned his head and saw someone enter.
A woman and a man in a beret. And…
“…”
A child.
A child who looked exactly like his son.
A few minutes earlier.
I looked at Finn standing in front of me.
“Finn, you must never approach that man first, okay?”
“Yes, don’t worry.”
What I picked up in the room where the assassin had been locked up was a portrait.
A portrait of the assassin smiling brightly with a child.
On the back was the name of what seemed to be a doctor. The child must have been sick.
It made sense why the assassin was so desperate to escape.
“It’s a bit of a gamble, but…”
I asked the staff to quickly bring Harry and Finn from third class.
The child in the portrait looked shockingly similar to Finn.
I was sure this child’s presence would affect the assassin.
Even if he wasn’t the assassin’s son, he was clearly a child who could make him soften.
The problem was the danger to Finn.
So I asked Deon to protect Finn carefully.
I also warned the train staff and had them prepare in case something went wrong.
Even so, I wondered if I was causing trouble.
I told Finn he could refuse, but after hearing the story, Finn didn’t change his mind.
“You saved me before, my lady. I want to help you too.”
Harry couldn’t stop Finn either.
Fine. Let’s do this.
I took a deep breath and nodded, then opened the cabin door in front of me.
