Chapter 62
Casting a wary glance around, I saw the coachman give me a reassuring smile.
“Because of the battle in the city today, carriage traffic on the main road has been restricted.”
“I see… Then why not take the hill road?”
“I heard prison wagons carrying criminals are using that shortcut. I thought it’d be safer to take the long way around.”
Peeking out the window, I saw Iblan on horseback, leading the group at the front. Relief washed over me.
‘I’m so sleepy…’
As I drifted into drowsiness, I felt Arin gently drape a thin blanket over me.
“Please rest, Lady Ishtar. I’ll wake you when we arrive.”
“Mm… thank you.”
The carriage, which had been bumping and rattling for a while, began to move much more smoothly once we entered the flat roads on the outskirts of the city.
When the coachman confirmed that I had fallen completely asleep, he quietly began to increase the speed.
It had been some time since we had been on the road when—
Crack!
A sinister sound echoed, and the carriage lurched violently to one side.
“Kyaaaah!”
Arin’s shrill scream pierced the air as objects inside the carriage tumbled to the floor like an earthquake had struck.
“We have to stop the carriage! Hold on to something!”
SCREECH—BANG!
The coachman seemed to engage the brake, but the carriage, like a derailed train, veered off the path and rolled across the ground.
“Ugh…”
Regaining my senses inside the overturned carriage, I slowly opened my eyes.
It seemed I had struck my head somewhere in the crash—warm blood was trickling down my forehead.
“L–Lady Ishtar, your head! You’re bleeding! Are you alright?”
I wiped away the blood stinging my eyes with my sleeve and tried moving my arms and legs.
Aside from the throbbing in my head, nothing seemed broken or out of place.
“I think I’m fine. What about you, Arin?”
She nodded but soon began to sob uncontrollably.
“Sniff… hic… That was so scary…”
“Don’t cry, Arin. We have to stay calm right now.”
Soothing the trembling girl, I turned my gaze to the shattered window.
“There are people fighting outside. It looks like we’re under attack.”
The situation outside was worse than I had imagined.
Several horses lay dead on the ground, and a group of masked men were assaulting our party.
“An ambush? In a place like this…?”
Even though this was a secluded road connected to the palace, there were still houses and buildings nearby.
But the attackers showed no hesitation—they charged at us without restraint.
‘There are too many of them…’
Iblan and the guards were fighting fiercely, but they were heavily outnumbered.
“Protect the carriage! Don’t let them get close!”
Iblan shouted as he cut down several masked men in quick succession.
His skill was clearly superior, but the difference in numbers was overwhelming.
“L–Lady Ishtar, what do we do?”
The attackers were closing in fast. If we stayed put, we’d be slaughtered.
“We need to find a way to escape.”
I tried opening the door, but the dented handle was jammed tight.
Meanwhile, the enemies were tightening their circle around us.
The sharp clash of steel filled the air, shrill and cold, making my ears ring.
Just as the tension reached its peak—
BANG!
Someone kicked the damaged carriage door open.
“There you are. Silver hair—You’re Ishtar, right?”
A huge masked man reached in and grabbed me by the collar.
“Come quietly if you don’t want to die right here.”
“No! Let me go!”
I struggled, but his grip was like iron. He dragged me out of the carriage effortlessly.
Then, trembling, Arin screamed and lunged at the man.
“You monster! Let Lady Ishtar go!!”
Throwing her whole body at him, Arin managed to push the man just enough to loosen his grip. She sank her teeth into his hand as hard as she could.
“Argh! You little—!”
Furious, the man threw her to the ground.
But even covered in dirt, Arin clung to his leg with all her strength.
“Run… please run, Lady Ishtar!”
“You little pest—!!”
Thud! His kick struck her square in the stomach.
The girl collapsed, limp, onto the dirt.
Horrified, I rushed to her side.
“Arin! Arin, wake up!”
“Damn it, too much time wasted. Killing you will reduce my reward, but… oh well.”
The chilling sound of a blade sliding from its sheath sliced through the air.
‘No… I’m scared…’
Frozen with primal fear, all I could do was clutch the unconscious girl in my arms.
“They only pay for the head, so I’ll make it quick.”
The sword came down with a whistling gust—
I squeezed my eyes shut.
But when something hit the ground, it wasn’t our heads—it was his.
“How foolish to reach for a prize far beyond your worth.”
My hands trembled as I lifted my gaze.
A hooded man stood there, staring down at me.
‘That voice… I’ve heard it before.’
But his hood was drawn so deep, I couldn’t tell who he was.
“There’s an intruder! Kill him!”
“My, so many of you with no regard for your own lives.”
With that, the hooded man moved—so fast, I could barely follow.
He cut down several masked attackers in the blink of an eye, his sword gliding gracefully through the air.
‘He’s incredible…’
Even with my untrained eyes, I could tell his swordsmanship was extraordinary.
The way he fought was almost… elegant.
When the area had finally quieted, he turned to me and offered his hand.
“It’s dangerous here. We should escape. Your guards can handle the rest.”
“I can’t. Arin’s still here…”
“They’re after you. If you stay, that girl will be in even more danger.”
He was right—the others were still struggling against the remaining attackers.
‘If I leave, maybe they’ll stop…’
Biting my lip, I looked down at Arin.
Thankfully, she was only unconscious—no severe injuries.
“Please wait just a moment.”
“Don’t take too long.”
I nodded, gathering the last of my divine power to heal her.
Her breathing steadied almost immediately. I let out a sigh of relief.
“She’s fine now.”
As I stood up, a wave of dizziness hit me.
“Ugh…”
My legs gave out beneath me.
“Careful. You can lean on me if you need to.”
The stranger caught me and guided me into a narrow alley between buildings.
He moved swiftly, confidently, through the dark passage.
After some time, when the sounds of battle had faded, he finally spoke again.
“Looks like we lost them. We’ll stay here until things settle down.”
“…Who are you? Why did you help me?”
“Really, you haven’t figured it out yet?”
The man pushed back his hood, revealing golden hair and striking blue eyes.
“Theron… It was you?”
“You recognize me now? I’m a little hurt. I would’ve known you anywhere—even behind a mask.”
With a faint, wry smile, Theron pulled a handkerchief from his breast pocket and gently wiped the blood from my forehead.
It seemed the impact had smeared it everywhere.
As he brushed the dust from my cheek, he murmured softly, almost to himself:
“You poor thing… Why do you care so much for everyone else, yet treat your own body so cruelly?”
“…It’s not a serious wound.”
The tenderness in his touch made my face grow warm, and I turned my head away.
He paused for a moment, his voice dropping to a low murmur.
“Do you dislike me that much—that you can’t even bear a moment’s contact?”
“That’s not it… It’s just—you’re too close.”
Indeed, the distance between us was less than half a step.
As I tried to put some space between us, my back hit the cold stone wall.
I felt a flicker of relief at the regained distance—
—but Theron’s expression had turned icy.
“You’re always at ease when my brother touches you,” he said quietly, “but with me, you recoil in disgust.”
