WPVMVA Chapter 55

A faint light was seeping out of the well. It was so faint that it was hard to see if you didn’t pay close attention. Ashid approached the well, half in doubt. Then, with one hand, he pushed the large lid covering the well to the side.

Inside, he saw Daniella leaning against the wall of the well, holding a magic stone in her hand.

‘She’s alive.’

Ashid looked at her, feeling a sense of relief and joy that words couldn’t express. Then, without hesitation, he summoned his aura and slowly lifted her body from the bottom of the well.

Daniella’s body, like a feather defying gravity, floated up and gently came to rest in front of Ashid.

He immediately knelt in front of her, grabbed her shoulders with both hands, and examined her face and body. Besides a large bump on the back of her head and scrapes on her wrists and legs that were exposed below her dust-covered dress, she didn’t seem to have any other serious injuries.

Ashid felt a deep sense of relief once again.

In his mind, he had a constant stream of words blaming her, asking why she had acted so unilaterally, why she had acted so recklessly and invited danger.

But he couldn’t say a single word. He was just so moved that she was safe and alive in front of him.

Just as he couldn’t take his eyes off her, Daniella, in a trembling voice as if she couldn’t believe it, said to Ashid, “Your Highness…?”

“Yes. It’s me.”

Ashid replied immediately. Large tears welled up in Daniella’s eyes as she looked at him.

‘I’m alive.’

He had saved her. For the second time, after Mona Forest.

Daniella was relieved and touched. As she faced him, the words she had always wanted to tell him but couldn’t came to mind. She hugged Ashid with both arms and said in a small, hoarse voice that was hard to hear, “I’m sorry about back then. I shouldn’t have said those things, I was careless.”

“…!”

“I didn’t mean to compare you with Adrian… His Highness the Crown Prince… I just wanted you to believe me—”

“I know.”

Ashid cut her off and replied.

To him now, such a matter was utterly unimportant. He was now keenly aware that such arguments and emotional conflicts were only possible because she was alive.

He hugged her body, which was now fully in his arms, even tighter and continued, “I’m just glad you’re safe.”

“…Your Highness.”

The tears that had welled up in Daniella’s eyes flowed down her cheeks.

She had expected him to scold her for acting on her own without telling him. But instead of resentment, Ashid told her that he was just glad she was safe. She was grateful and sorry to him.

“Your Highness!”

At that moment, Rowell ran to the two of them.

Rowell saw Ashid and Daniella in his arms and felt genuinely relieved, letting out a sigh.

“I’m so glad you’re safe, Grand Duchess.”

“Thank you… cough, thank you…”

“It’s alright. You can thank me later.”

Ashid gently rubbed Daniella’s back as she let out a dry cough. Then, he slightly pulled her away from his arms and, meeting her eyes, said, “More importantly, tell me who the bastard is that did this to you.”

“…Cough, unfamiliar assassins…”

“How many were there?”

“About twenty… cough. And the butler of this mansion…! …Oh, right, what about Gray! Did you find her? Is Mella alright…!”

“Is this the time to be worrying about them? You should worry about yourself first.”

Ashid cut off Daniella and scolded her. At the same time, he thought with a cold face.

‘Which bastard dared to do this.’

Of all times, it had to be in this situation where the Northern castle was under attack, and most of his knights had to be dispatched to the North.

He thought the timing was quite a coincidence, whether it was or not.

Then, a long bird cry was heard from the distant sky, and a huge eagle with large wings began to circle above the Asland territory.

Rowell, who recognized it, let out a short exclamation and then put his two fingers together and whistled. The eagle quickly glided down and landed on Rowell’s shoulder, who was wearing armor.

‘Wow.’

Daniella gasped inwardly and observed the eagle. It was a beast, yet it followed a person like a pet, which was so fascinating.

In the meantime, Rowell took a small letter attached to the eagle’s leg and respectfully handed it to Ashid. Ashid carefully put Daniella down from his arms, then unfolded the letter he had received.

[To my lord.

I am writing to inform you that we have successfully suppressed the elite soldiers of the Kingdom of Akila who invaded the Chamber’s fort just now.

However, unlike Count Olborn’s report, the number of Akila Kingdom’s troops who invaded the border was excessively small. It was only about thirty or so.

It was enough to make our entire knight order’s deployment seem ridiculous for a moment.

It seems there was a mistake in the process of the scout reporting to Count Olborn.

I will give you a detailed report as soon as I return to the capital.

-Wellard.]

Ashid, who had confirmed the contents, frowned. Rowell looked at his expression and cautiously asked, “…What’s wrong, my lord? Is the war situation at Chamber’s fort not looking good?”

“No, it’s the opposite. The elite soldiers of the Kingdom of Akila who invaded our castle were only about thirty or so.”

“Pardon…? No, with that much force, isn’t that enough for Count Olborn’s knights and soldiers to defend on their own?”

Rowell, who had heard Ashid’s answer, asked back in disbelief. Ashid nodded with a hardened face and then glanced at Daniella.

He once again recalled her words, “Cyril is not a trustworthy person,” and said in a cold tone, “Isn’t it too coincidental?”

“…What? What do you mean?”

“When I was about to go after Daniella after I found out she was heading to the Asland territory without an escort, Cyril happened to send me a report that the Akila elite soldiers had invaded the border. As if he had been waiting for it.”

Rowell’s eyes widened in surprise as he quickly understood his words.

“So what you’re saying is, Count Cyril Olborn aimed for this situation and deliberately gave you a false report?”

“Yes. It’s too early to be certain, though.”

Ashid replied with a cold, hardened face.

Daniella, who had been listening intently to their conversation, gasped in shock.

‘…Crazy! So all of this might have been that human’s doing?’

She had already read the original novel, so she knew he was a careless, violent, and untrustworthy person, but she never thought he would do something this insane. Daniella’s pretty face contorted without her realizing it.

At that moment, Ashid, who had been paying constant attention to Daniella even while talking to Rowell, turned to her in a hurry and said, “What’s wrong? Are you in a lot of pain?”

“…Oh, no. I’m fine…”

“Not that again.”

Ashid sighed in displeasure.

Couldn’t she stop saying she was okay? He liked that she was unwavering and steadfast, but couldn’t she show a little weakness at times like this? Her words ‘I’m okay’ sounded like ‘I don’t want to rely on you,’ and he didn’t feel good about it.

Ashid, hiding his discomfort, carefully picked her up like a princess.

Then, he looked down at her, whose eyes had widened in surprise, and said, “I’m sorry, but I can believe anything else you say, but I don’t think I can believe it when you say you’re okay.”

“…!”

After that, he commanded Rowell, “Tell Sir Wellard and all the troops who were dispatched to the Chamber’s fort to wait at the adjacent Greenhorn Castle instead of returning to the capital until I give them a new command.”

“Understood.”

Rowell bowed his head in respect.

Ashid, holding Daniella, walked quickly toward the carriage.

Afterward, Ashid put Daniella in the carriage and gave three commands to his knights.

First, to immediately find a doctor to treat the injured Gray and a carriage to safely take Gray to the capital. Second, to get a cart to take the maid who was an accomplice and a witness to this incident.

And finally, to find the head maid, Mella, who had not been seen at all.

The knights who received Ashid’s orders immediately began their actions. They put the doctor and Gray in a carriage they brought from a nearby castle and threw the unconscious maid into a cart. Of course, they didn’t forget to tie her up appropriately and treat her wounds so she wouldn’t kill herself or die on the way to the capital.

Afterward, they scoured every corner of the Asland territory to carry out their final command and find Mella.