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Chapter 04
A long time ago, while reading martial arts novels, I used to think things like this: I want to try running across rooftops someday, leaping a hundred meters at a time like the people in wuxia novels. Of course, I knew it was impossible, but it was still one of those small fantasies of mine. I’d even dreamed of flying a few times.
And now it had become reality.
To think I’d be flying through the sky in the arms of the male lead I rooted for! Without realizing it, I forgot we were being chased by assassins and grinned foolishly.
It wasn’t a wish fulfilled through my own abilities, but still, how should I put this…?
‘The strong wind makes my cheeks sting a little.’
Dayvin was running across the rooftops at a speed far beyond imagination. I worried that I might be heavy, but the arms holding me never wavered in the slightest. After lightly landing on a red-tiled roof with me in his arms, Dayvin gracefully leapt from roof to roof without breaking even a single tile. The moment I realized that, my eyes shook in disbelief.
The combined weight of two grown adults had to be well over a hundred kilograms, yet he was running across rooftops without cracking a single tile.
‘My god……!’
As Dayvin carried me and ran, before long the endless line of rooftop buildings came to an end, and a broad avenue appeared ahead of us. The commoners’ district had ended, and from there onward began the noble residential area, where there were no tall buildings.
Seeing that there were no more rooftops to step onto, Dayvin warned me.
“We’re about to jump down, so hold tightly onto my neck.”
“O-Okay!”
Wrapping my arms around his neck felt a little embarrassing, but pretending not to notice, I clasped both arms around him. The scent of him made my cheeks grow warm. However, Dayvin didn’t notice my flushed face and instead leapt high into the sky.
“……!”
For a moment, it felt like riding an amusement park ride shooting upward into the air. As my body floated high above the ground, I could clearly see the Miller Estate nearby, the mansions of other nobles around it, and beyond them even the imperial palace where the emperor of this empire lived.
Waaah!
Without realizing it, my eyes widened. Then, after soaring impossibly high, we began plunging back toward the ground at terrifying speed. It felt exactly like riding a thrilling amusement park attraction. I broke into a huge smile.
Eek! I love this kind of thing!
Right before landing, the sheer speed made me shrink back nervously, but then—
Thud!
With a heavy sound, Dayvin landed safely on the ground.
The moment we landed safely, laughter burst out of me without warning. Dayvin blinked in confusion at my sudden fit of laughter before gently setting me down. Even after my feet touched the ground, I kept laughing for quite a while.
Watching me laugh so hard, Dayvin smiled softly. Then, as he looked at me giggling, he carefully brushed back my disheveled hair with a gentle hand. Once my laughter finally subsided, I thanked him.
“Thanks to you, we avoided a pointless fight. Thank you for bringing me all the way here. Are your legs okay?”
It seemed like the impact from landing should have been enormous, but Dayvin answered as if it were nothing.
“Yes, I’m fine. Please don’t worry.”
Together, our weight had to be over a hundred kilograms. If something that heavy were moving at car-like speeds and jumped down from that height, even a car would probably get crushed. But apparently the legs of a fantasy romance male lead were perfectly fine.
Anyway, satisfied from what felt like riding a thrilling attraction, I smiled brightly.
“Thanks to you, all my stress disappeared. That was fun!”
At my words, Dayvin let out a quiet chuckle.
“You used to enjoy it before as well.”
“Oh? Really?”
Seriously? The original Anise had experienced this fun too?
Then maybe he’d do it again next time? My eyes sparkled with anticipation as I looked at him, and guessing my thoughts, Dayvin gazed back warmly and replied,
“If the opportunity comes again, I’ll do it for you next time as well.”
“Great!”
When I answered brightly, Dayvin smiled at me—then suddenly his expression stiffened, as though he sensed something. His sharp gaze turned toward the direction we had come from. Seeing that look, I finally remembered why we had fled through the air in the first place.
“……Are they following us?”
“Ah, we escaped the encirclement, but it seems they realized faster than I expected that we broke through it. Let’s hurry inside the estate.”
“Okay.”
Dayvin held out a hand to me.
“The fruit bags must be heavy. Please give them to me.”
After handing him the bags, I entered the Miller Estate grounds together with him. The mansion where Anise lived with the protagonists was only a two-story building, but it was extremely spacious, and the estate grounds themselves were enormous.
It was said that the first Count Miller, who became a count after rendering great service, had been exceptionally talented in business. Back then, many nobles only bought modest townhouses in the capital and had little interest in grand estates. But Count Miller had purchased every bit of land he could.
He had insisted that land close to both the imperial palace and the city center would surely benefit his descendants one day.
‘And now that descendant is me!’
Smiling as I looked at the vast garden spread before me, I suddenly heard something go pang! as it activated.
‘Ah, I stepped on something.’
My blood ran cold and even my breathing stopped, but fortunately nothing happened. Beside me, Dayvin had already snatched an incoming arrow out of the air with one hand and asked,
“Are you alright?”
Catching flying arrows barehanded—I thought that only happened in novels and comics.
“Ah, y-yeah. Thanks to you.”
Still stiff with shock, I forced a smile toward him. If not for Dayvin, I would’ve died from that arrow just now.
Looking at the hem of my dress brushing the ground, Dayvin said,
“It seems the trap was triggered because your dress dragged along the floor. Please be careful.”
“Mm…….”
Lifting my skirts with both hands, I cautiously made my way toward the mansion. This was why I had told Mr. Smith not to visit where I lived. After enduring endless assassination attempts, traps had been installed all over the estate.
The moment we safely reached the entrance, I let out a sigh of relief. There were no traps from this point onward. Seeing me wipe cold sweat from my forehead with a handkerchief, Dayvin spoke in a sympathetic voice.
“I’m by your side, so you don’t need to be so tense……”
“……I know that logically, but emotions don’t work that way.”
When we opened the front doors and entered, a vast hall welcomed us. The first floor centered around an enormous foyer. To the left was a reception room for guests, while to the right stretched a corridor leading to the kitchen and dining room.
Straight ahead stood a grand staircase leading to the second floor, and hanging in the center where the stairs split in two was a massive painting depicting a god blessing humanity. The god’s name was Havranis, and worship of that deity was the empire’s state religion. Seeing such a painting displayed in the center of the mansion, the first Count Miller must have been deeply devout.
No matter how many times I saw it, the mansion was far too large for Anise to live in alone. Whoever built this estate probably never imagined only one descendant would remain.
Even though I had returned, the mansion was silent, with no one coming to greet me. Most of the servants had quit their jobs already.
Other than me, only Dayvin, Lana, and the chef Jean remained in this place now.
Perhaps hearing the sound of us entering, Lana emerged from the direction of the kitchen.
“My lady, you’re back?”
“Yeah, I’m back.”
When I smiled at her, Lana returned it with a radiant grin. True to being the heroine of the original story, she was a stunning beauty with bright golden hair and sparkling blue eyes.
Dayvin handed the fruit bags to Lana.
“Lady Anise said she wanted fruit shaved ice.”
“Ah, yes. Understood. My lady, I’ll make it especially well for you!”
Lana casually accepted the heavy fruit bags with one hand. Watching that, I smiled softly.
I could barely carry those with both hands.
Our Lana, destined to become a genius swordswoman in the future, was incredibly strong.
