Published: August 15, 2025
The horse was running, moving us forward. Each jolt sent a dull shock through my stomach.
Wrapped in cloth, I couldn’t see anything around me. I could only feel the shaking and know I was being carried somewhere.
...Huh? My eyelids won’t move?
I realized that blinking, which came from the jolts, was now beyond my control—I couldn’t even blink on my own anymore. A chill ran down my neck at the thought that there was nothing left in me that I could move.
All my senses were fading. The thought that I might die like this suddenly crept into my mind. Given the current state, it seemed highly likely, and I desperately tried to shake off this terrifying notion.
...No, no, that one dressed in all black said “Carry her in the carriage” and “That person will be pleased,” so they wouldn’t give me a fatal poison, right?
It might be strange to cling to the words of an enemy, but when you feel yourself slowly drifting toward death, even an enemy’s words become a lifeline to grasp at.
They must have only made it so I couldn’t resist and didn’t intend to kill me. Those gray eyes looked cold, like they saw me as an object, but they didn’t hold murderous intent. If they meant to kill me, the most certain way would have been then and there.
It’s okay, it’s okay, I told myself, gaining a sliver of peace. But then another bad feeling floated up.
...It’s safe for others, but not for me—this isn’t a lethal dose, right?
I fought hard to dismiss the worst possibility that I felt was likely.
We were still inside the castle grounds. If Wilfried and the others had returned to the main building to report the attack, help would surely be on its way soon.
...They’ll go to the North Wing where the attack happened, hear about Charlotte’s kidnapping, then come here...
Sweat ran cold down my back as I guessed how the rescue might unfold.
Would help actually reach me? Would they notice the horse running through the dense woods? Would they arrive before the poison fully stopped my breath?
...If anyone could make it in time, it would be the high priest.
Even if I’d been poisoned, the mad scientist high priest, who knew about medicine, would surely do something. I trusted his boundless skill.
...High Priest, please save me!
Suddenly, an explosion echoed.
The horse, which had been running with steady hoofbeats, startled at the blast nearby. It reared up on its hind legs with a scream-like whinny.
Bound like luggage, I only bounced a little. But the man riding the horse seemed startled both by the explosion and the sudden rear, and he screamed.
“Waaah!”
Probably terrified by that voice, the horse went wild and tore off recklessly. The other horse running beside us also seemed to panic and bolted off in a different direction.
“Calm down! Stop!”
The shaking from the horses running wildly worsened, and the man’s panicked voice could be heard as he lost control. But the scene before my eyes and the situation remained unchanged.
Until then, the night forest had been almost silently filled only with hoofbeats. But right after the explosion, it suddenly became noisy. Birds and beasts cried out in alarm and fled in panic.
Immediately after, despite being wrapped tightly in cloth, a deafening roar filled the air, making my body tremble.
“You, the fool who kidnapped my only granddaughter!”
The air itself seemed to vibrate with that shout, and my heart shrank in fear, even though all my senses should have been dulled. From the volume and words, I recognized who had come to rescue me.
...Grandfather!?
The shout was even louder and angrier than the explosion. The horse reared again and then froze, standing still.
...Huh? The horse stopped while still standing?
Then the horse slowly fell over. I turned pale, realizing that depending on how it fell, I—bound as I was—might be crushed underneath.
...Grandfather, please go easy!
I let out a silent scream just short of a shriek. Suddenly, the binding around me was cut, and I felt someone quickly lift me up.
“Rosemine, are you with me?”