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Chapter 04……………………………………….
A pouch suddenly flew from somewhere and struck the man squarely in the face. With a dull thud, he was hit and fell straight backward. Lying on the ground, he began bleeding and lost consciousness.
Only then did Jerden, who had belatedly come to his senses, notice the man’s presence. On the ground lay a dagger the man had dropped.
That had been close. He hadn’t even realized the man had come this near.
Unable to believe it, Jerden frowned sharply, his expression turning grim.
‘Who…’
When he looked ahead to identify the one who had helped him, he saw Rubelia, breathing heavily.
“…Rubelia?”
“Oh dear, I’m exhausted.”
Rubelia replied with a sigh, unable to even properly acknowledge Jerden’s call.
How shocked she had been when she arrived here, following that inexplicable feeling.
But she couldn’t afford to just stand by and watch. Realizing there was no time, she had barely managed to throw a coin pouch at the man just before he stabbed Jerden, hitting him square in the face.
In truth, she hadn’t even planned to throw the coin pouch—but it was the only thing she had on hand.
She had worried it might miss, but it struck the man perfectly.
Thanks to that, the fallen man now had a nosebleed pouring from both nostrils.
‘So that’s why I suddenly had a bad feeling.’
Seeing the situation now, it seemed she had sensed Jerden was in danger.
From the start, a god had told her to save Jerden and granted her special abilities for that purpose. She had been told she would realize those abilities once she met him.
“What brings you here, my lady?”
Jerden, who had quietly waited until Rubelia caught her breath, asked.
“I was just out for a walk?”
She couldn’t exactly say she had come because she felt something was wrong, so she answered like that.
“Here?”
In a place like this—one of the most secluded corners of an already deserted alley?
Jerden narrowed his eyes.
“I’ve recently gotten into a game called ‘finding secret paths only I know about.’”
Rubelia said proudly. Jerden still looked like he didn’t understand at all, but he didn’t press further.
He didn’t know how she had ended up here, but thanks to her, he had survived.
Judging from the black blade of the dagger on the ground, it must have been coated with poison. Even if he had narrowly dodged it, a single scratch would have meant poisoning.
What mattered was that she had saved his life.
And not just once, but twice—including what happened in the city before.
If it hadn’t been Rubelia who helped him, he would have suspected such unlikely coincidences. He might have thought she was deliberately approaching him by orchestrating situations and then appearing at just the right moment.
But everything Jerden had experienced made it hard to believe Rubelia had arranged it all.
And from the moment he had decided to accept her as a provisional friend, she had become the only one he trusted.
“Let’s leave this place first.”
Now that he knew Rubelia had arrived, the smell of blood drifting from inside the building was unpleasant, and it was not a sight she should see.
“Okay. You’re not hurt, right?”
“No.”
“Good.”
Rubelia smiled brightly in relief. Jerden watched her with a deepened gaze.
Once they left the alley, Jerden immediately summoned the guard knights and ordered the arrest of the criminals in the hideout.
“Is there anything else I should do?”
Jerden asked after roughly wrapping things up.
“There is.”
Rubelia replied confidently. Jerden looked slightly disappointed.
“Today I’m just going to be a caterpillar and wriggle around doing nothing.”
Rubelia smiled happily, as if very satisfied with that fact.
“I see. I was thinking of stopping by a dessert shop for you.”
After all, he owed her his life today. Of course, he didn’t intend to settle the debt with just dessert.
“Yes. I was planning to go to a dessert shop now.”
Rubelia quickly changed her answer and smiled brightly.
“Let’s go.”
At Rubelia’s completely honest attitude, Jerden chuckled and started walking.
But at that moment, Rubelia’s expression stiffened.
“Oh, what do I do…”
She panicked greatly. Of all people, she had just made eye contact with Hasedian here.
‘They say you suffer when you leave home…’
It was a rare day when Hasedian and Aria weren’t visiting, so she had thought she could relax at home and come out.
If she hadn’t made eye contact, it would have been fine. But now that she had, Hasedian’s reaction afterward was obvious.
So she had to run. To escape Hasedian’s grasp!
“Jerden, run!”
Without hesitation, Rubelia grabbed Jerden’s hand and started running.
Jerden, suddenly having his hand grabbed, had no choice but to run without understanding the situation.
He looked at Rubelia to figure out what was going on, but her expression was so serious and urgent that he frowned.
He didn’t know what was happening, but it seemed best to do as she wanted.
And besides, she had just helped him.
However, this pace wouldn’t work. Rubelia’s running speed, perhaps due to exhaustion, was extremely slow—slower even than Jerden, who was already tired.
Thinking that, Jerden suddenly scooped her up into his arms.
“Ah?”
“I think I can run faster than you. I’ll put you down if it’s uncomfortable.”
It wasn’t necessary to go this far, but he couldn’t ignore her desperate attempt to flee, so he decided to help.
To him, she looked like someone running from an assassin.
“Jerden, fighting!”
Rubelia accepted his help without hesitation. In truth, it was much better this way.
She had already exhausted her stamina running to the alley earlier.
Encouraged by her cheer, Jerden ran harder.
Just moments ago, he had been so tired he couldn’t even properly sense attacks—but holding Rubelia now, he felt no fatigue at all.
But it only lasted briefly.
Jerden stopped at a dead-end alley. Behind them, Hasedian, who had been chasing them urgently, also stopped.
He looked at Jerden and Rubelia in his arms with a fierce expression.
“Lady Rubelia, please don’t worry. I will definitely save you.”
Hasedian declared with the determination of someone facing a great enemy of the state.
Rubelia looked at him in disbelief.
‘What kind of crazy cat is barking like a dog?’
They were the ones who had been running away.
“You’ve completely misunderstood something.”
Jerden also looked equally dumbfounded.
He had suspected Rubelia was being chased—but he never imagined it would be Hasedian.
Rumors had said the opposite—that Rubelia was the one pursuing him.
“Listen carefully. No matter how lovely Lady Shutein is, do you really think you can win her heart through kidnapping?”
There was no way to win someone’s heart through such a vile method.
How terrified must the delicate Rubelia be, being kidnapped in broad daylight like this?
If he had known, he would never have left her side.
Feeling guilt for her supposed “abduction,” Hasedian grew more agitated.
“I’ve never heard rumors that the Duke is insane… but you’ve got quite the nerve.”
Seeing him spouting nonsense, Jerden concluded there was no other explanation.
“Release her immediately.”
“Why should I?”
Hasedian bristled at Jerden’s confident tone.
How dare this kidnapper speak like that after abducting his beloved Rubelia!
“This won’t be settled with words.”
He wanted to maintain a gentlemanly image in front of Rubelia, but there was no choice now.
Hasedian moved as if about to attack Jerden.
Jerden’s expression turned cold.
“Prepare yourself. Even if you are a duke, attempting to assassinate a grand duke is no light crime.”
Jerden also carried imperial blood.
Hasedian flinched.
Only now did he realize Jerden’s identity.
“…I greet Your Highness, the Grand Duke.”
Hasedian bowed stiffly.
He had thought Jerden was merely a mad kidnapper—but he was a grand duke.
Still, that did not change the fact that he had “kidnapped” Rubelia. Even a grand duke was not exempt from the crime of abducting a marquess’s daughter.
“So it wasn’t madness… just complete loss of sanity.”
Jerden sneered.
Rubelia nodded vigorously in agreement.
“Because I cannot stand by while the lady I love is kidnapped,” Hasedian said sharply.
Jerden raised a brow.
“I didn’t know you liked Rubelia.”
“Of course! Anyone who doesn’t fall for Lady Rubelia must be blind.”
Once you hear her voice and come to know her, no one could help but fall for her.
Hasedian shot Jerden a look of disbelief.
“So you were blind before, disliked her, and now that you’ve ‘regained sight,’ you suddenly like her?”
“Yes. My eyes were once covered in darkness, but now they are clear.”
Hasedian answered proudly.
Jerden scoffed.
“From your behavior, it doesn’t look like you like her at all.”
“What…!”
Hasedian was outraged, as though he had been insulted beyond measure.
“If you truly like someone, shouldn’t you be considerate?”
“What do you mean?”
“Before, you told her not to appear in front of you and hurt her. Now you say you like her, yet you act however you want regardless of her discomfort.”
Jerden’s logic left Hasedian speechless.
Rubelia nodded vigorously in agreement again.
“Th-that wasn’t what I meant at all! I just… my heart was about to burst every time I saw her because I liked her too much!”
“Those are your circumstances. Why should Rubelia care about them?”
Jerden said firmly.
Rubelia nodded even more strongly.
Hasedian faltered.
But then—
“I agree with Your Highness. However, shouldn’t you also show consideration for the one you like?”
“What do you mean?”
“Are you not currently kidnapping her?”
Hasedian glared at Jerden.
“I’m not kidnapping her.”
“If you expect me to believe that?”
Before Jerden could answer, Rubelia suddenly spoke up.
“…!”
“I’m the one kidnapping Jerden.”
