(94) Please save me (3)
'But if I turn back now, I will never find peace again.'
Geor knew how much his adoptive father missed Ariana.
He clearly remembered the Eastern Lord when he got Ariana back, the joy in his eyes as he gazed at her, the way his voice rose slightly when she was in front of him.
'Also...'
Geor clutched the blue silk pouch he'd kept in his arms. He remembered the expression Ariana had made when he'd asked for a handful of her hair.
'Damn.'
Geor squeezed his eyes shut, then opened them and headed toward the fireplace. Pushing it aside, he found, as expected, a secret passage.
Heor ran down a narrow, long passage.
He did it even though he knew what lay at the end, even though he knew it would never be light.
Eventually, he left the passage and reached the forest. Following the footsteps leading out of the passage, he heard the rustling of the bushes on the other side.
The movements of something a little larger than a wild beast.
Geor instinctively grasped his sword, and Ariana's figure, walking steadily toward him, caught his eye. Her face, shining particularly white amidst the deep green, dazzled his eyes.
Blue eyes turned to Geor.
Her eyes, which had widened slightly in surprise at Geor's presence, returned to their original size. Only then did Geor come to his senses and run towards Ariana.
"Princess."
“Stop, little Lord.”
He stopped dead in his tracks at the sound of a voice like frost.
Ariana's clothes were covered in dirt, and one of her shoes was off, leaving her feet a mess. Yet, her eyes radiated a fierce light.
“Did Duke Obelius send you? Were you ordered to ensure that everything was handled properly?”
Her voice, which didn't trust him at all, made his heart ache.
“No way. I just...”
“Let’s stop exploring each other in this yard. It’s not fun.”
Ariana said, annoyedly pulling the grass out of her hair.
“I need to know. Are you here to train or to protect?”
“Of course, the Princess...”
“Not me.”
Ariana strode closer.
“There must be someone little Lord truly wants to protect.”
It was difficult to look directly into those clear, shining blue eyes. When Geor averted his gaze, Ariana gently touched his cheek, forcing him to look at her.
"No matter how I look at it, it doesn't seem like you want to kill me. Your eyes are too desperate for that."
A soothing voice.
"That doesn't mean you're sympathizing with Duke Obelius. If so, that means you're turning a blind eye to his atrocities for a reason. Am I wrong, Your Excellency?"
Geor closed his eyes.
Then Ariana's hand on his cheek felt even hotter. It had grown so large that it felt like it was strangling him.
"My mother is a pure person. Her only happiness and goal in life is to trust her husband and love her children."
After a while, when Ariana's hand that had been touching his cheek had lifted, Geor opened his eyes.
Ariana was still standing nearby, staring up at Geor.
Geor asked with difficulty.
“How should I ask for forgiveness?”
"I will not forgive those who seek my life, little Lord. Nor will I hold the innocent accountable."
“If it becomes known that Duke Obelius attempted to kill the Princess, the Obelius family will not be safe.”
“Should I even care about that?”
Geor smiled bitterly.
"No."
Ariana let out a small sigh.
"I'm about to enter the northern territory. I might stay there a little longer than planned."
It meant that during that time, Geor could do what he could.
With those words, Ariana limped toward the secret passage. Geor followed a step behind her and asked.
“How did you escape their hands?”
"They were simple-minded but greedy farmers. I didn't finish the tea they had infused with the medicine, and they didn't add enough. They probably kept the medicine to sell or use for other purposes."
“Even so, it wouldn’t have been easy to deal with them.”
"Once the potion wears off enough for me to speak, the rest won't be difficult. Duke Obelius set the price for my life at a mere ten gold pieces. I have more than that."
The naive but greedy peasants were easily swayed by a few words from Ariana and more money.
"I told them what would happen if they killed me for 10 gold. I also told them what the price would be if they didn't kill me."
“Where are they?”
“Just leave them alone. If it weren’t for Duke Obelius’s 10 gold coins, they would have lived ordinary lives.”
“The Princess is weak-hearted.”
“So you bought some time, too, little Lord.”
From Ariana's cold voice, Geor knew that he had only a few moments to spare to protect his mother until Ariana returned to the East.
Once again, a dark feeling took over Geor.
If he kills Ariana here.
Ariana spoke without even looking back, as if she felt alive.
“If you want to kill me, kill me. It would be easier for little Lord if you were to kill me here.”
A voice mixed with resignation.
"If I hadn't returned to the East, Duke Obelius wouldn't have committed such a reckless act, and the Eastern Lord would have been able to live in peace. Perhaps I really shouldn't have been born."
Again, his heart started to hurt and pound.
It was the first time he heard Ariana speak so softly. He never dreamed that Ariana, who shines with determination no matter what, would be thinking such things.
"Sorry..."
Ariana glanced back at the words she had muttered without realizing it. A lonely smile appeared on her lips, then disappeared. Ariana turned back to look ahead and spoke.
“Yes. I’m used to it.”
When Ariana emerged from the fireplace through the secret passage, Sini was still lying on the floor. Seeing the blood splattered around her head, my heart sank.
"Sini!"
At Ariana's scream, Sini's eyelids fluttered. Slowly, they lifted, and golden eyes appeared between them. Ariana spoke to Geor in relief.
“Set fire to the house.”
"What?"
"Hurry!"
Although an unexpected situation arose, she could not give up on her trip to the North.
If it became known that there were those after Ariana, Langster would inform the Eastern Lord of the fact, and the Eastern Lord would certainly come in person to take Ariana to the East.
Although he was embarrassed, Geor picked up the lamp and lit the blanket.
“Move Sini outside. I’ll tell the knights what they need to know.”
The fire that had started on the dry cloth quickly spread, filling the house with acrid smoke. As soon as Geor embraced Sini, the knights, sensing the disturbance, burst open the door and barged in.
"Princess!"
Langster ran towards Ariana and shouted.
He wrapped his arm around Ariana's shoulders, shielding her from the fire, and led her out of the house. Geor followed, carrying Sini in his arms.
Langster asked Ariana with a pale face.
“What’s going on?”
“They were robbers.”
"Yes?"
"They suddenly transformed and tried to kill us, but failed, and disappeared through a secret passage. Sini was so badly injured that I couldn't even think of following them."
It was a flimsy excuse, but Ariana didn't give the knights any chance to doubt her words.
"Sini is badly injured. She's lost so much blood that she could die. Where is Isaac? Bring him back to the inn. Sini can't die."
When Ariana, who was always gentle, showed her emotions and spoke urgently, the knights left without thinking further and went in search of Isaac.
Langster remained there, casting a suspicious glance, but perhaps because Sini's condition was so bad, he did not inquire further.
When they arrived at the inn and put Sini to bed, the knights returned with Isaac. Isaac placed a bundle of herbs next to the bed and said,
“Everyone, please leave except the Princess.”
As Ariana nodded, everyone left the room.
Isaac said, examining Sini's wounds.
"It's just that there was a lot of bleeding, but the bone seems fine. With stitches and some medicine, it should heal quickly... What on earth happened?"
“The robbery...”
"I heard that story from the knights earlier. You know it's nonsense, don't you? Even though the little Lord was there, how could Sini be injured like this?"
Isaac was a clever man. Realizing she couldn't fool him, Ariana spoke honestly.
“There is someone in the East who is after my life.”
"It must be someone related to little Lord. Seeing as the little Lord joined in with such absurd excuses."
"...is it so?"
“If you tell His Majesty the Eastern Lord, he will take care of it.”
"There's no good evidence. Even if you grab a single thread, it won't reach him."
"Then just leave him alone? He won't stop until he achieves his goal..."
"Then it's all for the best. His ceaseless attempts will eventually catch up with him."
Isaac glanced back at Ariana, who was speaking calmly.
Ariana had a faint smile on her face as always, but her eyes, looking at Sini, were filled with worry.
'I bet you're in a state of shock.'
Having barely escaped the Bronte family and become a Princess of the East, there is someone who is after Ariana's life again.
Given the circumstances, the opponent is likely the Duke of Obelius. He likely believes that his biological son, Geor,'s position is endangered by the Princess's appearance.
The power of Duke Obelius, the lord of a large estate, was by no means small.
It was understandable that Ariana couldn't move easily.
'If you try to strike Duke Obelius without any evidence and the relationship between the Eastern Lord and Duke Obelius goes awry, the entire East will be in danger.'
It's amazing how young Ariana can think that far and overcome her fear of death. Every time something like this happens, Isaac forgets her age, even when he sees her youthful face before his eyes.
As expected, Cyrus' eyes were not wrong.
'If someone like this becomes the Lord Consort, Cyrus will feel more at ease than he does now.'
Isaac didn't want to let Ariana go.
"Princess Consort, how about you just live in the North? Everyone will love you so much."
“Oh my god.”
Ariana smiled brightly, as if she thought it was a joke.
The smile that spread across her small face was as beautiful as a blooming flower. The narrowed eyes, the slight wrinkles on the bridge of her nose, the white, neat teeth visible between her upturned lips.
At that moment, he could understand Cyrus's assessment of Ariana.
One day, Ariana will rock the social scene. She will.
“Thank you for saying that, Isaac.”
Isaac made up his mind as he watched Ariana slyly dismiss his suggestion.
'Just wait and see, Princess Consort. I will never send you back to the East!'
'But if I turn back now, I will never find peace again.'
Geor knew how much his adoptive father missed Ariana.
He clearly remembered the Eastern Lord when he got Ariana back, the joy in his eyes as he gazed at her, the way his voice rose slightly when she was in front of him.
'Also...'
Geor clutched the blue silk pouch he'd kept in his arms. He remembered the expression Ariana had made when he'd asked for a handful of her hair.
'Damn.'
Geor squeezed his eyes shut, then opened them and headed toward the fireplace. Pushing it aside, he found, as expected, a secret passage.
Heor ran down a narrow, long passage.
He did it even though he knew what lay at the end, even though he knew it would never be light.
Eventually, he left the passage and reached the forest. Following the footsteps leading out of the passage, he heard the rustling of the bushes on the other side.
The movements of something a little larger than a wild beast.
Geor instinctively grasped his sword, and Ariana's figure, walking steadily toward him, caught his eye. Her face, shining particularly white amidst the deep green, dazzled his eyes.
Blue eyes turned to Geor.
Her eyes, which had widened slightly in surprise at Geor's presence, returned to their original size. Only then did Geor come to his senses and run towards Ariana.
"Princess."
“Stop, little Lord.”
He stopped dead in his tracks at the sound of a voice like frost.
Ariana's clothes were covered in dirt, and one of her shoes was off, leaving her feet a mess. Yet, her eyes radiated a fierce light.
“Did Duke Obelius send you? Were you ordered to ensure that everything was handled properly?”
Her voice, which didn't trust him at all, made his heart ache.
“No way. I just...”
“Let’s stop exploring each other in this yard. It’s not fun.”
Ariana said, annoyedly pulling the grass out of her hair.
“I need to know. Are you here to train or to protect?”
“Of course, the Princess...”
“Not me.”
Ariana strode closer.
“There must be someone little Lord truly wants to protect.”
It was difficult to look directly into those clear, shining blue eyes. When Geor averted his gaze, Ariana gently touched his cheek, forcing him to look at her.
"No matter how I look at it, it doesn't seem like you want to kill me. Your eyes are too desperate for that."
A soothing voice.
"That doesn't mean you're sympathizing with Duke Obelius. If so, that means you're turning a blind eye to his atrocities for a reason. Am I wrong, Your Excellency?"
Geor closed his eyes.
Then Ariana's hand on his cheek felt even hotter. It had grown so large that it felt like it was strangling him.
"My mother is a pure person. Her only happiness and goal in life is to trust her husband and love her children."
After a while, when Ariana's hand that had been touching his cheek had lifted, Geor opened his eyes.
Ariana was still standing nearby, staring up at Geor.
Geor asked with difficulty.
“How should I ask for forgiveness?”
"I will not forgive those who seek my life, little Lord. Nor will I hold the innocent accountable."
“If it becomes known that Duke Obelius attempted to kill the Princess, the Obelius family will not be safe.”
“Should I even care about that?”
Geor smiled bitterly.
"No."
Ariana let out a small sigh.
"I'm about to enter the northern territory. I might stay there a little longer than planned."
It meant that during that time, Geor could do what he could.
With those words, Ariana limped toward the secret passage. Geor followed a step behind her and asked.
“How did you escape their hands?”
"They were simple-minded but greedy farmers. I didn't finish the tea they had infused with the medicine, and they didn't add enough. They probably kept the medicine to sell or use for other purposes."
“Even so, it wouldn’t have been easy to deal with them.”
"Once the potion wears off enough for me to speak, the rest won't be difficult. Duke Obelius set the price for my life at a mere ten gold pieces. I have more than that."
The naive but greedy peasants were easily swayed by a few words from Ariana and more money.
"I told them what would happen if they killed me for 10 gold. I also told them what the price would be if they didn't kill me."
“Where are they?”
“Just leave them alone. If it weren’t for Duke Obelius’s 10 gold coins, they would have lived ordinary lives.”
“The Princess is weak-hearted.”
“So you bought some time, too, little Lord.”
From Ariana's cold voice, Geor knew that he had only a few moments to spare to protect his mother until Ariana returned to the East.
Once again, a dark feeling took over Geor.
If he kills Ariana here.
Ariana spoke without even looking back, as if she felt alive.
“If you want to kill me, kill me. It would be easier for little Lord if you were to kill me here.”
A voice mixed with resignation.
"If I hadn't returned to the East, Duke Obelius wouldn't have committed such a reckless act, and the Eastern Lord would have been able to live in peace. Perhaps I really shouldn't have been born."
Again, his heart started to hurt and pound.
It was the first time he heard Ariana speak so softly. He never dreamed that Ariana, who shines with determination no matter what, would be thinking such things.
"Sorry..."
Ariana glanced back at the words she had muttered without realizing it. A lonely smile appeared on her lips, then disappeared. Ariana turned back to look ahead and spoke.
“Yes. I’m used to it.”
***
When Ariana emerged from the fireplace through the secret passage, Sini was still lying on the floor. Seeing the blood splattered around her head, my heart sank.
"Sini!"
At Ariana's scream, Sini's eyelids fluttered. Slowly, they lifted, and golden eyes appeared between them. Ariana spoke to Geor in relief.
“Set fire to the house.”
"What?"
"Hurry!"
Although an unexpected situation arose, she could not give up on her trip to the North.
If it became known that there were those after Ariana, Langster would inform the Eastern Lord of the fact, and the Eastern Lord would certainly come in person to take Ariana to the East.
Although he was embarrassed, Geor picked up the lamp and lit the blanket.
“Move Sini outside. I’ll tell the knights what they need to know.”
The fire that had started on the dry cloth quickly spread, filling the house with acrid smoke. As soon as Geor embraced Sini, the knights, sensing the disturbance, burst open the door and barged in.
"Princess!"
Langster ran towards Ariana and shouted.
He wrapped his arm around Ariana's shoulders, shielding her from the fire, and led her out of the house. Geor followed, carrying Sini in his arms.
Langster asked Ariana with a pale face.
“What’s going on?”
“They were robbers.”
"Yes?"
"They suddenly transformed and tried to kill us, but failed, and disappeared through a secret passage. Sini was so badly injured that I couldn't even think of following them."
It was a flimsy excuse, but Ariana didn't give the knights any chance to doubt her words.
"Sini is badly injured. She's lost so much blood that she could die. Where is Isaac? Bring him back to the inn. Sini can't die."
When Ariana, who was always gentle, showed her emotions and spoke urgently, the knights left without thinking further and went in search of Isaac.
Langster remained there, casting a suspicious glance, but perhaps because Sini's condition was so bad, he did not inquire further.
When they arrived at the inn and put Sini to bed, the knights returned with Isaac. Isaac placed a bundle of herbs next to the bed and said,
“Everyone, please leave except the Princess.”
As Ariana nodded, everyone left the room.
Isaac said, examining Sini's wounds.
"It's just that there was a lot of bleeding, but the bone seems fine. With stitches and some medicine, it should heal quickly... What on earth happened?"
“The robbery...”
"I heard that story from the knights earlier. You know it's nonsense, don't you? Even though the little Lord was there, how could Sini be injured like this?"
Isaac was a clever man. Realizing she couldn't fool him, Ariana spoke honestly.
“There is someone in the East who is after my life.”
"It must be someone related to little Lord. Seeing as the little Lord joined in with such absurd excuses."
"...is it so?"
“If you tell His Majesty the Eastern Lord, he will take care of it.”
"There's no good evidence. Even if you grab a single thread, it won't reach him."
"Then just leave him alone? He won't stop until he achieves his goal..."
"Then it's all for the best. His ceaseless attempts will eventually catch up with him."
Isaac glanced back at Ariana, who was speaking calmly.
Ariana had a faint smile on her face as always, but her eyes, looking at Sini, were filled with worry.
'I bet you're in a state of shock.'
Having barely escaped the Bronte family and become a Princess of the East, there is someone who is after Ariana's life again.
Given the circumstances, the opponent is likely the Duke of Obelius. He likely believes that his biological son, Geor,'s position is endangered by the Princess's appearance.
The power of Duke Obelius, the lord of a large estate, was by no means small.
It was understandable that Ariana couldn't move easily.
'If you try to strike Duke Obelius without any evidence and the relationship between the Eastern Lord and Duke Obelius goes awry, the entire East will be in danger.'
It's amazing how young Ariana can think that far and overcome her fear of death. Every time something like this happens, Isaac forgets her age, even when he sees her youthful face before his eyes.
As expected, Cyrus' eyes were not wrong.
'If someone like this becomes the Lord Consort, Cyrus will feel more at ease than he does now.'
Isaac didn't want to let Ariana go.
"Princess Consort, how about you just live in the North? Everyone will love you so much."
“Oh my god.”
Ariana smiled brightly, as if she thought it was a joke.
The smile that spread across her small face was as beautiful as a blooming flower. The narrowed eyes, the slight wrinkles on the bridge of her nose, the white, neat teeth visible between her upturned lips.
At that moment, he could understand Cyrus's assessment of Ariana.
One day, Ariana will rock the social scene. She will.
“Thank you for saying that, Isaac.”
Isaac made up his mind as he watched Ariana slyly dismiss his suggestion.
'Just wait and see, Princess Consort. I will never send you back to the East!'
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