“Where am I…?”
Rudella, shaking off the fog of confusion, opened her eyes wide and immediately sat up, looking around.
Though it appeared as if she were swallowed by the pitch-black darkness, a torch caught in a crevice of the rocky ground emitted a faint light, barely illuminating the path ahead.
The floor was littered with rough and uneven stones, but the spot where Rudella had been lying had become flat over time, making it a comfortable resting place.
However, the coldness seeping from the stone floor was inescapable.
‘This place…’
Rudella rolled her eyes and inspected the walls.
They were made of rough rocks.
In some cracks, small patches of moss and droplets of moisture sparkled.
Drip, drop.
The sound of rain echoed.
Rudella turned her head toward the direction of the sound.
Aside from the torch, the only other source of light came from the outside.
Rudella realized that she was inside a cave.
“Are you awake?”
At that moment, a calm yet comforting voice came from the entrance.
It was Yohan Harssen.
He looked far from well; his uniform was torn in several places, and there were numerous scratches on his skin.
It appeared that blood had flowed, leaving red stains on his once-white uniform.
“…Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. It’s nothing much.”
Yohan walked over to Rudella.
In his hands were two rabbits, seemingly having gone out to fetch food.
“Can you explain what happened?”
“Weren’t you aware of it?”
“I don’t really know.”
Sitting down, Yohan moved the rabbits to one side and ignited a fire with a spell he had prepared earlier.
“We were ambushed by unknown assailants. A cunning ambush, at that. Just as we crossed the border and were about to traverse a bridge, it was suddenly blown up.”
Yohan hunched over, placing his hands near the fire.
The warmth made him spread his palms to soak in the heat.
“It seems the other escort knights and detection mages have all perished.”
After barely rescuing Rudella and entering the cave, Yohan checked the cliffs to see if there were any other survivors.
However, he found only cold corpses, and none still drew breath.
“If the carriage hadn’t been destroyed, we would have crossed the river with them.”
Yohan looked at Rudella with deeply sunken eyes.
His blue lake-like irises contained her within them.
“This is a cave between cliffs. It was suitable for evading external eyes, and it was the best place to regain our strength.”
“We need to call for support immediately.”
“That’s not possible. The ones who caused the explosion are likely waiting nearby to finish us off.”
Those who aimed for assassination, even blowing up the bridge.
It was clear they would be meticulous in ensuring there were no traces left behind.
“Let’s hold out for five days. By then, the officials will realize something has happened and will send a reconnaissance unit along with reinforcements.”
Once the information that the imperial envoy did not arrive in Sanburg reaches them, the officials will act immediately.
“…Are you saying we should endure for five days here?”
Rudella tilted her head slightly.
“Yes, that’s the plan. Is that unacceptable to you?”
“…That’s not it. I understand the situation.”
Yohan unbuttoned his rain-soaked uniform and continued speaking.
“Thanks to the puddles forming on the ground, we can at least collect minimal water, and I will bring back food. The campfire can’t be kept burning for long, but I can maintain our body temperature with my magic.”
As Yohan peeled off his uniform, the chiseled muscles and minor scratches scattered across his body became visible.
Dark, dried blood stained the deep gash on his side, and crimson streaks slowly trickled down his skin.
“Ugh….”
Rudella’s eyes widened in shock at the sight.
It wasn’t the wounds or the blood that shocked her; she wasn’t so naïve as to be startled by such elements.
Yohan’s body, sculpted with lean muscles.
The muscles from his broad shoulders were solidly developed without unnecessary fat.
Fine, sturdy muscle fibers flowed from his shoulders to his chest, and his abdominal muscles were defined like sculpted stripes.
“Hmm. Hmmm.”
As Rudella admired Yohan’s physique, she awkwardly cleared her throat and turned her gaze away.
“…It looks like the wounds are deep.”
“I’m fine. I can endure.”
“That can’t be true.”
Rudella stood up and tore the hem of her dress.
With a whoosh, she exposed her fair bare legs, causing Yohan to hurriedly avert his gaze.
“I’ll use this to stop the bleeding.”
“…Thank you.”
Yohan wrapped the torn part of her empire dress around his waist and tightened it.
The pain caused him to furrow his brow slightly.
“…Does it hurt a lot?”
“I can bear it.”
“You got hurt while protecting me. I’m sorry.”
“You don’t need to apologize.”
“Is it because it’s your duty to protect me?”
“Yes.”
Rudella watched Yohan as he nodded slightly and then looked back at the campfire, smiling faintly.
The warm light gently enveloped the contours of his face.
It felt as if he was submerged in a deep and tranquil lake, exuding serenity.
His calmness transmitted to Rudella, easing her own heart.
Yohan asked, “Aren’t you hungry?”
“I’m feeling a bit peckish.”
“I figured as much, so I brought back some rabbits.”
Yohan lifted the two rabbits he had set aside and summoned his magic.
A small blade of wind was formed.
“It might look gruesome.”
“That’s alright.”
Though he had been considerate, Rudella gazed at Yohan with curiosity sparkling in her eyes.
Even though it was a scene that could be seen as grotesque, she seemed not to have any aversion to it.
Yohan laid the rabbits down and swiftly skinned them, cutting through the nape with the blade.
He detached the limbs at the joints and removed the entrails, setting aside only the heart and liver.
The meat sliced smoothly and was divided into chunks.
The skin, flesh, bones, and innards were quickly separated with precision.
“…You seem quite familiar with this. Have you done it before?”
“This is my first time.”
“That’s interesting.”
Rudella watched Yohan skillfully prepare the rabbits with bright, eager eyes.
As a noblewoman, this was likely her first experience with such a sight.
Yohan pierced the meat with sticks and placed them in the cracks of the campfire.
If they waited a little longer, they would be nutritious.
“…I’ll dry my clothes.”
“Y-Yes, please do.”
Yohan hung his wet uniform near the campfire, water dripping down from it.
“Did you go outside after it started raining?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because that way, there would be no traces left behind.”
Yohan’s deep-set eyes, now slightly sunken, met Rudella’s gaze.
For some reason, Rudella felt her throat tighten.
Was it because she was alone with a man in such a place? Her heart raced.
“If they are targeting us, they must be skilled assassins. They won’t use detection magic because it can be traced back, but they are likely masters at finding traces.”
Rudella tried to ignore the tension that made her body stiff and asked him, “How can you be so certain they are assassins?”
“Because they are the only ones who would.”
“I don’t understand what you mean.”
Although Yohan vaguely guessed the identity of the mastermind behind this incident, he deflected the question.
“There’s more to discuss later regarding that. For now, we must focus on recovering.”
The reason Yohan could assert they were assassins was that they left neither traces nor signs.
If a detection mage couldn’t sense them, then the individuals capable of such an act would be limited.
Who else could orchestrate something like this other than those who make a living as assassins? Only elite-level assassins, likely composed of a select few, would have been mobilized.
So, who could be behind this?
Cassis Renokhonen had already attempted an attack once before and failed, so he couldn’t move easily.
The Grand Duke was keeping a close eye on him.
Cassis had two means at his disposal: the aggressive hyenas and the Black Knights.
However, even they couldn’t carry out such a sophisticated plan while evading the eyes of the detection-type mages.
In the end, the culprit could only be narrowed down to one.
‘The Crown Prince.’
Only he could utilize first-class assassins and target both himself and Rudella simultaneously.
Of course, the possibility of the Kingdom of Sanburg’s involvement crossed his mind, but the odds were slim.
The moment they laid a hand on Rudella, who was the Crown Prince’s fiancée and the Lion of the Empire, the repercussions would not simply end there.
There was no way they would engage in such reckless actions that could lead to the destruction of their own country.
‘Fedelian, that crazy bastard. I never thought he would go so far as to try to kill Rudella too.’
Indeed, it was necessary to question whether he was thinking with his mind rather than his lower half.
“It’s cold.”
Rudella hugged her knees tighter, her body shrinking further.
The air was chilly, and being inside the cool cave could only lower her body temperature.
‘There’s nothing I can do.’
Yohan slowly rose from his spot and approached Rudella.
His movements were resolute.
Without saying a word, he naturally sat down next to her.
“What…?”
Rudella gasped, her breath catching in her throat.
His arm brushed against hers, and soon their bare skin was touching.
Startled by the unexpected sensation, she instinctively shuddered.
As warmth seeped in, her face flushed red and her heart raced.
“To maintain body heat, we need to stay close. I could use my magic, but there’s a risk of being tracked, so I should reserve that as a last resort.”
To keep their body heat, they needed to sustain a life magic for a long time.
Unlike when handling rabbits or starting a fire, there was a risk of being traced.
“Feeling a bit better now that we’re sharing body heat?”
“Y-Yeah. Ahem.”
Rudella quickly turned her head, attempting to look outside the cave.
Drip, drip.
Thick raindrops were falling.
“Hmm, hmm.”
She seemed anxious, her body twitching.
Her gaze constantly shifted, unable to settle in one place.
She glanced at the fire, then at Yohan’s body beside her, and tried to look forward again, only to find her eyes returning to him.
“Is there anything to cover up with?”
“Of course not.”
“……I see.”
Rudella’s face was pale enough to be white, yet her ears were contrastingly flushed red.
“Five days in here. I wonder if I’ll be alright.”
In an attempt to distract herself, Rudella tried to forget Yohan, who was sitting right next to her.
“It will be alright. As I mentioned earlier, we have food and water. I’ve also set up a distortion field at the cave entrance, so we can’t be seen visually.”
Rudella tilted her head.
Her silvery hair cascaded over her shoulder.
“Didn’t you say there’s a risk of being tracked?”
“The distortion magic is fine.”
“Is that because of the distortion?”
“Yes.”
Yohan continued, but…
“Even though it’s distorted, the inside remains as is, so we must be careful when using magic.”
“Is that so….”
Seeing Rudella fidgeting restlessly, Yohan decided to wrap an arm around her shoulders.
“Stay close. It would be a big deal if you got hypothermia.”
Rudella’s face turned bright red.
She had no immunity to men.
No, to be precise, this strange atmosphere and the contact of bare skin felt too unfamiliar.
In the soft glow of the firelight.
Alone with a strange man.
In a state where their bare skin was partially exposed.
She had many opportunities to see the muscles of men because of the Crown Prince, but they only brought forth contempt and discomfort.
All she had seen were scenes of him rolling around in bed with other women.
But Yohan was different.
His presence caused her heart to race uncontrollably, and she couldn’t control that trembling.
A peculiar fondness for Yohan confused her.
It was difficult to attach a name to her emotions, but it was undoubtedly a mix of excitement and trembling.
Her heart raced as if it would burst.
Would the pounding in her ears be noticed by Yohan? She felt as if she couldn’t breathe.
Would the sound of her heartbeat be heard?
Did he notice her growing nervousness?
Such thoughts only made Rudella’s mind swirl even more.
“It’s done cooking.”
Yohan picked up a branch he had placed in the gaps and handed Rudella a piece of meat.
“Be careful; it’s hot.”
“T-Thank you.”
She took the branch.
As she looked at the nicely cooked rabbit meat while feeling hungry, saliva began to pool in her mouth.
It was her first time tasting rabbit meat.
The texture spread in her mouth was tender and rich, but her senses were already focused elsewhere.
She couldn’t take her eyes off Yohan.
Her heartbeat resonated loudly, echoing off the cave walls like a distant reverberation.
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