CHAPTER 53……………….
My heart pounded violently.
Surely, I wasn’t still dreaming?
But no—this was unmistakably reality.
I hurriedly pulled the bellrope to wake all the servants who must have been asleep.
But, as sensitive as they were to my safety, they had already noticed the intruders before I did.
The gatekeeper had spotted them, and some of the servants had already rushed out of the mansion to confront them.
Clang, clang.
The clash of blades rang out, and Aslan rubbed her eyes as she woke.
“Mom, what’s that noise…?”
“Get up quickly. We have to run!”
Still half-asleep and unable to grasp the situation, Aslan looked puzzled.
Clank.
Then came the sound of chains wrapping around the front gate, locking it firmly shut.
“Damn it…!”
The fastest escape route was cut off.
“Protect the mistress and the young lady!”
The servants were fully awake, and the mansion erupted in chaos.
Startled, Aslan clung to my clothes, unable to hide her fear.
“Mom, what’s going on? What’s happening?”
Her green eyes brimmed with terror.
It was the first time I had seen her so frightened.
I was just as shaken, but I couldn’t let Aslan see it.
I pulled her into my arms, shielding her from the window, and soothed her.
“It’s okay. It’s okay, Aslan.”
I repeated it like a spell, like self-hypnosis.
My mind was in turmoil.
Unlike in the original story, I hadn’t had any contact with the Emperor for five years.
So why had Mars sent assassins after me?
No—this isn’t the time to think about that.
First, I had to survive.
Just then, Luisa burst in, throwing the door open with two swords in her hands.
“Mistress!”
Ah, if I had known, I would have kept up my sword training.
Unlike the real Minerva, I had abandoned the blade as soon as I left the palace.
I never imagined something like this would happen.
Even if I tried to avoid the original story, I should never have…!
I regretted it, but it was too late.
At least, compared to the dream I had, my chances of survival were better.
This time, I wasn’t with only Luisa—every servant in the house was here.
But the enemy still outnumbered us by far.
And if… if I were to die, then at the very least, Aslan had to live.
She must never be adopted by Grand Duke Eckhart.
That was the only way she could survive.
I tightened my arms around Aslan.
It would be best if we could escape together, but…
Their target was me.
If Aslan stayed by my side, she would become a target too.
“Mom…” she called out, her eyes anxious.
“It’s okay, Aslan.”
I wasn’t confident.
But forcing strength into my voice, I handed her to Luisa and took the sword.
“Take Aslan to Lord Mente. Run—now!”
Then, to draw the enemy’s eyes, I stepped out first.
Luisa carried Aslan in her arms, slipping out a side door of the mansion and running at full speed.
It was a solid twenty minutes by horse to Id’s house—there was no time to rest her legs.
She moved carefully to avoid detection, but with so many enemies, it was inevitable that pursuers caught on.
Knocking away flying arrows with her sword, Luisa ran and ran.
Aslan, realizing the situation, struggled to break free from her arms.
“Luisa, let me go! I—I have to protect Mom!”
“I’m sorry, my lady. The mistress’s orders come first.”
Luisa held her tighter, refusing to let her slip away.
Even though they tried to escape in secret, the enemy numbers were overwhelming.
Eventually, they were spotted, and pursuit followed.
She deflected some arrows, but with one arm burdened by Aslan, others inevitably struck.
Thud!
A long arrow pierced her back, and Aslan’s lips trembled.
“L-Luisa, your b-back…”
“I’m fine, my lady.”
She forced a smile, but whatever poison coated that arrow made even speaking a struggle.
The only saving grace was that the poison was strong enough that the pursuers halted immediately after the hit.
Still, for Aslan’s sake, Luisa didn’t stop—even though her breath came ragged, even though her vision blurred.
At last, she reached the outskirts of town, where horses were tied in the forest.
They must have been the assassins’ mounts.
Luisa lifted Aslan onto the sturdiest-looking horse and climbed up after her.
“Hyah!”
The reins cracked, and the horse leapt forward.
Focusing only on delivering Aslan to safety, Luisa endured, even as her body threatened collapse.
Through the woods, deeper into town, the green-roofed mansion slowly came into view.
“Who goes there!”
The Mente estate guards lowered their spears as they spotted the riders.
But the moment they arrived at the gates, relief washed over Luisa—she lost consciousness, tumbling off the horse.
“Gasp!”
The guards cried out in alarm.
Neigh!
Startled by the sudden weight loss, the horse reared.
“Ahh!”
Clutching its mane for dear life, Aslan barely avoided falling.
The guards, horrified, rushed to steady the situation.
“One’s a child?”
“Whoa, whoa!”
One calmed the horse, while another examined the unconscious Luisa, still with an arrow in her back.
Aslan leapt from the saddle, ran past them, and began pounding desperately on the gate.
“Mister, mister!”
Bang, bang!
The guards, startled, rushed after her.
“What are you doing, child!”
Unable to keep hitting the door, Aslan screamed at the top of her lungs.
“Uncle Id!”
The commotion quickly spread through the mansion.
Before long, Lloyd rushed outside.
Seeing Aslan in tears, sobbing like a waterfall, shocked him.
“A-Aslan? What on earth…?”
She broke free of the guard holding her, clutched at Lloyd’s clothes, and cried out.
“Uncle, please save my mom!”
Lloyd stared blankly at Aslan.
Save Minerva?
Gone was her usual playful look—her face was drenched in fear.
Then he saw Luisa, collapsed on the cold ground, an arrow in her back.
Her skin was pale, her veins hideously darkened with poison.
He knelt quickly and checked Aslan’s condition.
Thankfully, she was unharmed.
“Tell me everything, Aslan.”
“Men—men in black came to the house, and Luisa…! Mom told me to run, but…!”
Though her words were broken by sobs, Lloyd understood.
Judging by Luisa’s poisoned state, this wasn’t the work of ordinary bandits.
And that horse at the gate—
That’s not the Princess’s horse.
Minerva’s household didn’t own horses. Whose, then?
Even without knowing, it was enough: Luisa’s condition, Aslan’s tears—Minerva was in danger.
There was no time.
Lloyd quickly gave orders to the guards.
“Bring her inside, carefully. Wake Master Jayden.”
“Yes, my lord!”
The guards hurried to carry Luisa inside.
Meanwhile, Lloyd picked up Luisa’s fallen sword.
“Aslan. It’s dangerous, so stay here.”
He was about to mount his horse when—
“No!”
Aslan clung to his leg.
Her face was terrified, but she shouted as if ignoring her fear.
“I’m going too! I have to protect Mom too!”
He knew she loved her mother. But Aslan would only be a burden.
There was no time to persuade gently.
“If I don’t leave now, your mother is in danger! Stop this nonsense and let go!”
“No, I’m coming too!”
No matter how he shook her off or pushed her head away, she wouldn’t let go.
“Please, Uncle! I can fight, I fight well!”
“That’s not the point! Think about why your mother sent you away first!”
“That’s my home—why should I run? I’ll fight too, I’ll protect her!”
She was impossibly stubborn.
He couldn’t waste any more time—
Just then—
“Father? Aslan?”
Aila, in her nightclothes and slippers, appeared, staring at them in confusion.
She must have woken from the noise.
But her appearance was just enough—Aslan’s grip weakened slightly.
Lloyd shook her off, mounted the horse, and called out to Aila.
“Aila, keep Aslan from following me.”
“What? Father, wait—!”
“Uncle, no! Wait!”
Neigh!
Before Aila or Aslan could grab him, the horse carried Lloyd swiftly away from the green-roofed mansion.
