Before she knew it, the man, who had drawn a sword instead of a bow, had taken out the sniper first and was cutting off the rear of the assassins.
“Huh, retreat, ugh...!”
Both the man and the Knights of Aratus who followed him were terrifyingly strong.
In the first charge, half of the assassins were rendered incapable of fighting, and they were moving around, chopping off their heads.
In that disciplined movement.
Agatha could not take her eyes off Enoch Aratus. The sharp gray light in his eyes that passed by hers seemed to have stuck in her head like lightning.
The strangely bloody gaze left in her mind, the hand grasping the sword, and the overwhelming inaction of crushing the assassins.
It was only then that Agatha realized.
They say that the reason his relatives rushed to work was because of that man.
“Young lady, are you okay?”
“... I'm okay."
While she was belatedly stopping the bleeding from her torn head and calming down the restless imperial knights, Agatha was staring at him as if she were fascinated.
Finally, the man who finished subduing the assassins led the knights and approached the square.
With the hood pulled back, the man's fully revealed face was unexpectedly beautiful enough to match the battlefield and make one recognize at a glance that he was a nobleman.
“Are you okay?”
Low and serious voice.
The moment when the voice that was accurately captured even in the middle of the battle and the sweet face came together.
Agatha couldn't stop her ears from burning. Her heart was in a mess.
“...Marquis Enoch Aratus?”
"Yes. Nice to see you. This is Enoch Aratus.”
Instead of taking the back of her hand and kissing it, he took off the cloak he was wearing and draped it over Agatha's shoulders.
She felt the heat coming from the body of the man who came closer.
“...Thank you for saving me, Marquis.”
What kind of face am I making now? Is my voice trembling?
Even in the midst of the confusion, he was speaking normally, but Agatha's gaze was still fixed on him.
“I just did my job. There might be some remnants left, so please ride with me.”
Enoch skillfully exchanged greetings with the imperial knights and organized the procession.
Even though it was the same warhorse, Enoch Aratus' horse was a black horse that was 1.5 times larger than the horse Agatha rode.
First, Agatha sat in front, and Enoch, riding behind her, held the reins as if to embrace her.
“Lord Barsley. Have you delivered the news to His Highness the Crown Prince?”
Agatha's back flinched and trembled at the voice that came from right behind her.
“Yes, Marquis. I think he’ll probably come right this way.”
“Then we can decide our route after joining. Depart."
Tap, tap, tap-
The marching speed was surprisingly not fast. Agatha, who felt a throbbing pain even from the slow movement of the horse, flinched.
When she fell from the horse, she didn't think anything of it.
As the tension eased, the aftereffects were slowly rising.
At that time, the hand holding the reins rose slightly and opened the cloak a little more.
“Everyone is coming.”
The hand movements were unusually gentle for a man who had wielded a sword mercilessly just moments ago.
Not long after, Agatha encountered the Crown Prince and his party who were running after receiving the news.
“Agatha!”
The Crown Prince, Anthony Roxiba, looked pale even from afar. The Imperial Knights accompanying him formed a thicker guard formation and guarded the surroundings.
"Your Highness."
“The blood...!”
Anthony's eyes were busy checking the blood-stained hair and face, and the body covered in dirt and scratches. Anthony, who had turned pale, complained.
“How dare you attack a noble who is protected by my knights! Are they truly crazy?”
"Your Highness. First, let’s treat the Young Lady. I will order transportation arrangements immediately.”
The Crown Prince's aide hurriedly put down the sofa and brought in a doctor.
Agatha dismounted from the horse with the help of Enoch and the imperial knights and was temporarily examined by a doctor.
Anthony, who followed, hardened his face.
“How do you feel?”
“The tear was stitched up. It's not life-threatening, but there are some bruises all over the body. I think you need to rest for at least two weeks.”
“I’m glad it’s not too bad, Agatha.”
By then, Agatha had lost so much blood that she was dizzy.
Temporarily, servants spread leather on a carriage and brought in blankets.
After getting ready and barely lying down, Agatha slowly gazed at Enoch through the window. He was being praised by Anthony, who had been informed of the situation by the imperial knights.
By the time the escort formation was reorganized and ready to leave.
Agatha opened her dry lips.
“...Marquis.”
Her voice, which was slowly starting to heat up, was as light as the wind. However, the man, who easily caught the voice, rode his horse closer.
“Yes, My Lady.”
“... I'm sorry for suddenly not being able to keep my promise. When my fever subsides, I will send another invitation to the Marquis, so would you please come and see me?”
When she wakes up, a lot will definitely happen.
There may be a situation so serious that the escort cannot even think about it. But even then, Agatha thought that she really wanted to meet this man.
She returns the favor, and even if things turn out lucky, she's able to hire an escort.
It would be nice to be able to see this man once again. A smile appeared on Enoch's lips as he looked at Agatha.
“Are you still worried about that right now?”
... She thought Ilshe heard something like that.
Agatha wasn't sure if she heard it right because she had a fever.
“Just rest for now, My Lady. I’m waiting for your contact.”
Agatha finally closed her eyes after getting what she wanted. Soon the carriage started clattering away.
***
While Agatha, who fainted from fever, was taken to the imperial palace.
The Crown Prince, Anthony Roxyba, was entering the Emperor's office with Enoch Aratus.
The Emperor, who was attending office with the prime minister and some ministers, was unable to hide his anger as soon as he heard the news.
Bang!
“It’s an attack! What about Agatha? What happened to Lady Agatha!”
The Emperor didn't even care if the chair fell backward.
It is true that he took advantage of the situation in Nobilis to his advantage, but in fact, it was the Emperor who would be in the most trouble if Agatha died.
All of that enormous wealth and territory will be transferred to another country!
“Fix it, Father. Lady Agatha was safely rescued here by Marquis Enoch Aratus. She was slightly injured, but it was not life-threatening.”
“Oh, Marquis Aratus! Your merits are great!”
The Emperor, who immediately praised Enoch, was unable to hide his boiling anger.
No matter how much secret fighting was allowed in a noble family, it was a large-scale attack that took place right in front of the Emperor, and that was at the imperial hunting grounds.
It was outrageous that such an attack occurred in broad daylight, and that Agatha was doing this while she was protected by the Imperial Knights.
“Without these things, how could such a heinous act be committed in the capital where I am staying? Have I been too merciful?”
"Your Majesty! You must root out that unscrupulous group immediately and set an example!”
“What the Minister of Home Affairs said is correct, Your Majesty. How dare you attack a nobleman protected by the Imperial Knights in broad daylight? Please catch the attackers and those behind them immediately and punish them all severely!”
“Instead of the military! Ask a military minister to come in immediately!”
The Emperor immediately summoned the commander of the guards, the military minister, and the director of intelligence and ordered them to capture the base of the evil beasts and the forces behind them.
It was a declaration of will that he would never let this go.
Also, the Emperor, who had given Agatha, who was in the Crown Prince's palace, a palace that was said to be good for recuperation and provided several imperial doctors and therapists, spoke as if lamenting.
“This is why I didn’t welcome divorce. What should I do with my goddaughter who doesn’t understand my burden?”
Hearing those words, Prince Anthony's eyebrows twitched slightly. He, his ministers, and at least Enoch, who had just returned to the capital, knew the Emperor's will to follow.
“Prince, I heard Agatha has no intention of getting married yet?”
“Father. It's only been two months since Lady Agatha got divorced. It would be difficult to have a romantic partner in the meantime.”
“Only two months? It's been two months. See it again today. Would this have easily happened if Agatha had married earlier? It would have been unthinkable that Agatha would use her husband to raise her own army and attack her outright to protect herself!”
The Emperor's argument was at first glance valid. The fact that these words were said was no different from the Emperor's declaration that he would once again select candidates for a husband that he would like.
“I need to find someone who would be a good match for my goddaughter.”
“Father. When the time comes, won’t Agatha decide on a spouse for herself?”
“The situation is urgent, and Agatha is sick. And isn’t it possible to give help? I am the godfather in name.”
“...”
Next to the Crown Prince, Anthony Roxiba, whose face was starting to rot in plain sight.
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