(30) How to Avoid a Trap (3)
The mercenaries were chasing after them.
Rosaline was fast, but Ariana wasn't. Rosaline noticed that Ariana couldn't keep up and stopped walking.
Ariana had even kicked off her shoes and was running barefoot, but with her flowing skirt and weak body, running fast through the pathless forest was impossible.
The mercenaries following behind were about to pounce on Ariana.
Rosaline leaped at the mercenaries without a second thought.
Chaeng-!
Rosaline blocked the mercenary's sword as it fell towards Ariana's shoulder and kicked it aside.
Sparks flew from the clashing swords.
"You little woman!"
The man whose sword was blocked growled. Rosaline gestured with her left hand, expressionless.
The hidden secret energy shot out, piercing the man's stomach.
"Ugh!"
The man, struck by the unexpected attack, widened his eyes and clutched his stomach. Rosaline deftly dodged the sword attacking from the side, twisted her upper body back, and decapitated the man attacking from behind.
Damn it—
The mercenaries were chasing after them.
Rosaline was fast, but Ariana wasn't. Rosaline noticed that Ariana couldn't keep up and stopped walking.
Ariana had even kicked off her shoes and was running barefoot, but with her flowing skirt and weak body, running fast through the pathless forest was impossible.
The mercenaries following behind were about to pounce on Ariana.
Rosaline leaped at the mercenaries without a second thought.
Chaeng-!
Rosaline blocked the mercenary's sword as it fell towards Ariana's shoulder and kicked it aside.
Sparks flew from the clashing swords.
"You little woman!"
The man whose sword was blocked growled. Rosaline gestured with her left hand, expressionless.
The hidden secret energy shot out, piercing the man's stomach.
"Ugh!"
The man, struck by the unexpected attack, widened his eyes and clutched his stomach. Rosaline deftly dodged the sword attacking from the side, twisted her upper body back, and decapitated the man attacking from behind.
Damn it—
Even though it didn't seem to require much force, blood gushed out like a fountain from the opponent's neck.
Rosaline kicked the man's stomach close by, pushing him back, and then grabbed Ariana's forearm.
"Run."
"Yeah!"
Ariana ran. The damp forest air brushed her cheek. Her weak lungs screamed, and her feet, pierced by rocks and branches, felt like they would tear apart, but she ran without stopping... Rosalyn's legs gave out.
Ariana ran. The damp forest air brushed her cheek. Her weak lungs screamed, and her feet, pierced by rocks and branches, felt like they would tear apart, but she ran without stopping... Rosalyn's legs gave out.
"Rosaline!"
"Go, Miss. Don't worry about me. Just go where you need to go."
Rosaline's purple eyes, fixed on Ariana, remained steady. Ariana trembled as she looked at Rosaline. Rosaline spoke again to Ariana, who couldn't bear to leave her behind.
"You have work to do, Miss."
Those words brought her to her senses as if splashed with cold water. Arianna gritted her teeth and clutched the hem of her skirt.
"I'm sorry, Rosaline."
Rosaline didn't answer. She simply gripped her sword tightly and glared at the mercenaries. Ariana ran, leaving Rosaline behind. She felt ashamed of her own frail body. She knew it was inevitable, but she still did.
'If only I were just a little stronger. If only I were just a little more durable.'
She continued to run, feeling useless regret.
Chaeng- Chaeng-!
"Ugh!"
"Huk!"
She heard the clash of weapons and screams, but she didn't look back. She was going to get there soon.
"Get that bitch!"
Someone shouted.
"We have to kill her!"
She heard the sounds of people following her. Ariana didn't look back, but kept walking forward. Her heavy, aching legs kept her running. Her lungs felt like they were burning. A sweet taste filled her mouth. The brushing of branches and tough grass left wounds all over her body. As the footsteps drew closer, Ariana stopped. A precipice stretched out before her.
"Hahahahaha. What? Where did you run to? Did you go to that place where you died?"
The men following her burst into laughter at Ariana. Ariana turned to face them. Only three men had chased her. The rest were probably dealing with Rosaline.
'Rosaline, are you okay?'
Ariana worried about Rosaline, but there was nothing she could do. This was what it meant to have no power or authority. Even if you wanted to help someone, you couldn't. The cliff behind her was a gamble. Ariana had been in a similar situation before. Back then, she had to deal with real bandits. Fleeing, she reached this precipice, choosing death over being captured and defiled by the bandits. It seemed like a thousand-foot drop, but there was a narrow ledge just below. Luckily, Ariana fell and, though badly injured, survived. Inside the cave, there was a lake. If you walked along the path inside the lake, you would arrive on the other side of the mountain.
'If I land well, I can fool them and save my life. They’ll report to Rachel that I fell to my death, and I’ll buy myself some time.'
The ledge below the cliff was very narrow, so she had to time her fall carefully.
But if she fell too carefully, they’d get suspicious, so she had to make it look like she was trying to take her own life.
“Hey, miss. If you’re going to die, die quickly. Or die by our hands.”
“By the way, miss, you’re so young. What did you do to deserve this?”
“But you’re pretty, miss?”
A man smiled ominously.
He turned to his colleagues and chuckled sinisterly.
“I think we could sell that thing and make some money...”
“They told us to kill her.”
'If I land well, I can fool them and save my life. They’ll report to Rachel that I fell to my death, and I’ll buy myself some time.'
The ledge below the cliff was very narrow, so she had to time her fall carefully.
But if she fell too carefully, they’d get suspicious, so she had to make it look like she was trying to take her own life.
“Hey, miss. If you’re going to die, die quickly. Or die by our hands.”
“By the way, miss, you’re so young. What did you do to deserve this?”
“But you’re pretty, miss?”
A man smiled ominously.
He turned to his colleagues and chuckled sinisterly.
“I think we could sell that thing and make some money...”
“They told us to kill her.”
“Just say we killed her. Who cares about a body when you fell off a cliff?”
“Well, they didn’t even ask us to bring the body back.”
Ariana quietly backed away, approaching the cliff while the men planned how to sell her.
Then she glanced back and checked the ledge below the cliff.
"It's really narrow."
She'd been lucky then. Maybe she'd be as lucky this time.
'It's okay. It's a life I got for free anyway, so even if I die here, I won't regret it.'
“Well, they didn’t even ask us to bring the body back.”
Ariana quietly backed away, approaching the cliff while the men planned how to sell her.
Then she glanced back and checked the ledge below the cliff.
"It's really narrow."
She'd been lucky then. Maybe she'd be as lucky this time.
'It's okay. It's a life I got for free anyway, so even if I die here, I won't regret it.'
Ariana checked behind her and was about to quietly jump off the cliff when she heard a slash and turned back to face the front. The man in the middle had disappeared. The two men on either side were wide-eyed, not knowing what had happened. But their faces couldn't stay there for long.
A swoosh— a silvery glint. A thud— two heads fell. A thud— bodies collapsed. And behind them stood a dark figure, sword hanging loose. He wore a black hooded cloak. The hood was pulled down deeply, making it impossible to recognize him.
Ariana stood rigidly, glaring at him, ready to leap from the cliff at any moment. He shook the sword, shaking the blood off it, and sheathed it. Then, slowly, he moved his hand to remove his hood. The sunlight filtering through the branches dazzled his silver hair. His otherworldly appearance made her legs lose strength. But Ariana gritted her teeth and endured. Standing tall and elegant, she faced him.
“Am I too late?”
His voice was languid, uncharacteristic of someone who had killed three people in an instant. His expression and tone were as calm as someone just waking from sleep.
“I never promised anything, Your Excellency.”
“If I hadn’t come...”
He approached Ariana, crossing the blood-soaked ground. His cloak billowing in the wind made him look like a god descending to earth.
“Were you planning to kill yourself?”
He stood beside Ariana, looked down the cliff, and chuckled.
“You’ve planned your next move. As always.”
“Yes, Your Excellency. As always.”
“But if you fall wrong, you’ll die.”
“If I die, that’s it. I guess that’s the extent of my luck.”
“You’re so fearless.”
Cyrus studied Ariana’s face with a curious look, then gently placed a finger on her cheek. Her cheek stung where she’d been cut by a branch, but Ariana didn’t show it, instead staring calmly at him.
“It must hurt.”
“It’s nothing.”
“A man’s face is a badge of honor, but a woman’s is not.”
“My badge doesn’t need to be recognized by others. If it gives me pride, that’s enough.”
Ariana backed away from Cyrus’s touch, forgetting the cliff behind her. Her feet were about to tip over, but a strong arm wrapped around Ariana’s slender waist and pulled her up. He practically hugged her and led her away from the cliff.
“You were careless.”
“Thank you.”
“You almost fell, and you didn’t even look surprised. Are you even human?”
"Your Excellency, you don't look human. The women say you're the moon god, and indeed, you do."
"Wouldn't it be better to relax your gaze before you say that? Your gaze is burning me."
Even as they talked, he still held Ariana's waist. Their bodies pressed against each other, their bodies tensing, the chill radiating from beyond the collar of his clothes making her shiver.
“Please let me go, Your Excellency.”
“Oh, excuse me.”
Released from him, Ariana was concerned about the silence of the forest.
What happened to Rosaline? Is she even alive?
Ariana started walking in the direction she had left Rosaline, but Cyrus blocked her path.
“Going to find the maid?”
“...”
“For someone with such venomous tendencies, you have a lot of affection.”
“It’s a matter of repaying a favor. That maid was a great help to me.”
Cyrus seemed delighted at Rosaline’s helpfulness.
Ariana looked up at him suspiciously and said,
“I will definitely repay your kindness someday. So, Your Excellency, you can rest easy.”
“Does that mean I should get out of here now that my work is done?”
“...”
“You won’t achieve what you want if you worry about the life and death of a mere maid.”
“Just because I’ve decided to become a beast, I don’t want to sink my teeth into the necks of unrelated people.”
"Your mind is as dull as your face. You will never become a beast."
Ariana couldn't understand why Cyrus would say such things in this situation.
It wouldn't help Rosaline, but given the situation, she wanted to help if she could. At the very least, she could give her a chance to escape.
But every time she tried to go that way, Cyrus kept blocking her way. If he weren't the Northern Duke, she would have kicked his shin.
"Your Excellency, please..."
She was about to ask him to move, but the bushes behind Cyrus rustled.
Could it be the men who had been fighting Rosaline coming?
Unlike Ariana's nervousness, Cyrus was looking down at her calmly.
Ariana tiptoed and whispered worriedly,
"Your Excellency, someone is coming this way."
"Oh."
Cyrus only let out a small exclamation, showing no sign of alarm.
What on earth was he thinking?
As Ariana debated whether to pull the dagger from her bosom or return to the cliff and prepare to jump, a familiar figure emerged from the bushes.
“Rosaline!”
Ariana cried out involuntarily and ran towards Rosaline.
For a moment, her heart was at ease at the sight of Rosaline, whom she had assumed to be dead.
Rosaline was covered in blood.
“Are you okay, my lady?”
“Yes, you... seem to be badly injured.”
“It’s not my blood.”
Rosaline bowed her head slightly to Ariana, then limped over to Cyrus and knelt on one knee.
“I greet you, my lord.”
“Oh, excuse me.”
Released from him, Ariana was concerned about the silence of the forest.
What happened to Rosaline? Is she even alive?
Ariana started walking in the direction she had left Rosaline, but Cyrus blocked her path.
“Going to find the maid?”
“...”
“For someone with such venomous tendencies, you have a lot of affection.”
“It’s a matter of repaying a favor. That maid was a great help to me.”
Cyrus seemed delighted at Rosaline’s helpfulness.
Ariana looked up at him suspiciously and said,
“I will definitely repay your kindness someday. So, Your Excellency, you can rest easy.”
“Does that mean I should get out of here now that my work is done?”
“...”
“You won’t achieve what you want if you worry about the life and death of a mere maid.”
“Just because I’ve decided to become a beast, I don’t want to sink my teeth into the necks of unrelated people.”
"Your mind is as dull as your face. You will never become a beast."
Ariana couldn't understand why Cyrus would say such things in this situation.
It wouldn't help Rosaline, but given the situation, she wanted to help if she could. At the very least, she could give her a chance to escape.
But every time she tried to go that way, Cyrus kept blocking her way. If he weren't the Northern Duke, she would have kicked his shin.
"Your Excellency, please..."
She was about to ask him to move, but the bushes behind Cyrus rustled.
Could it be the men who had been fighting Rosaline coming?
Unlike Ariana's nervousness, Cyrus was looking down at her calmly.
Ariana tiptoed and whispered worriedly,
"Your Excellency, someone is coming this way."
"Oh."
Cyrus only let out a small exclamation, showing no sign of alarm.
What on earth was he thinking?
As Ariana debated whether to pull the dagger from her bosom or return to the cliff and prepare to jump, a familiar figure emerged from the bushes.
“Rosaline!”
Ariana cried out involuntarily and ran towards Rosaline.
For a moment, her heart was at ease at the sight of Rosaline, whom she had assumed to be dead.
Rosaline was covered in blood.
“Are you okay, my lady?”
“Yes, you... seem to be badly injured.”
“It’s not my blood.”
Rosaline bowed her head slightly to Ariana, then limped over to Cyrus and knelt on one knee.
“I greet you, my lord.”
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