Shuher, who had snatched the gun from Ibnel, aimed at the target just as she had done. And without hesitation, he pulled the trigger.

The rapidly flying bullet lightly hit a position similar to hers.

To Ibnel, his shooting skills seemed just as excellent as his swordsmanship.

“What can you do with just this much?”

To her, those words sounded like this: that the shooting skills he was so confident about were nothing special.

“It seems you are still under some delusions. You still don’t know your place.”

Shuher said this while removing the remaining bullets and casings from the gun he was holding and throwing them to the ground.

“The reason your neck is still attached is because of that ability. Without that ability, your value is exactly that of this gun. A gun without bullets is utterly useless.”

“Now…”

“Whatever you think, whatever emotions you feel, however much you struggle not to die, it’s of no concern to me. Why, did you think I would be grateful if you said such things?”

Ibnel’s gaze fell on the gun discarded unceremoniously on the ground.

Even at that sight, Shuher did not soften his sharp gaze. Once it had burst out like this, he couldn’t stop. He wanted to thoroughly crumble that proud expression of hers.

“I didn’t mean to say that with such intention…”

“You won’t be able to protect anything. No, your precious ones will die because of you.”

At those words, all of Ibnel’s movements stopped. Even the smile on her face completely disappeared.

‘Die because of me?’

At that moment, the face of Aran growing cold in her arms flashed in her mind, causing her to squeeze her eyes shut. Her hands didn’t tremble, but the emotions she felt then came flooding back once again.

The helplessness of not being able to do anything, and the bitter self-reproach. No matter how much time passed, she could never forget.

That’s why she should say it’s not true, but she simply couldn’t get the words out.

“Don’t forget that you are a person of Aodin, Lady Ibnel Istella.”

With those final words, Shuher left the training ground first. Left alone, Ibnel stood still for a moment, then slowly picked up the fallen gun. And she brushed off the dirt.

She had thought she had adapted here in her own way, but that wasn’t the case at all. Facing such cold eyes again made her feel as if she’d been doused with ice water.

Even though she knew Shuher disliked her to the point of contempt, hearing such words so directly left her feeling empty. It seemed she had wasted her efforts over the past two weeks.

“Is there really nothing I can do…”

Ibnel’s quiet words scattered into the air without a trace.

The day of departure dawned as if nothing had happened. Ibnel started preparing early. But perhaps due to lack of sleep, her expression was not very good.

She put on the comfortable activewear Emil had prepared in advance, placed a gun at her waist, and wore a robe over it.

At that moment, Lia entered the room.

“You’re already fully prepared.”

“We shouldn’t be late. But why do you look like that?”

Lia tried to put on a bright expression, but undisguisable worry was visible within it. Knowing that feeling, Ibnel firmly grasped her hand.

“I’ll be back safely. You’ll probably ask why I returned so quickly.”

“Oh, my lady.”

At her joking words, Lia finally laughed. Then she too grasped Ibnel’s hand tightly.

“I’ll be praying here for your safe return, my lady.”

“Yes.”

When Ibnel left the palace and headed towards the imperial entrance, Shuher and the knights were already gathered. She merely bowed her head in greeting, without uttering any other words.

She then immediately approached the horse she had been with since learning to ride.

“It won’t be an easy journey, but I’m counting on you.”

At that moment, noticing Emil who seemed to have come to see them off, she approached her first. And she spoke the words she had been contemplating since last night.

“I’ve decided to trust once more, Emil.”

“Pardon?”

“Because you were the only one who came to apologize to me.”

Emil was the only one who had come to her regarding Lia’s matter. And because she felt sincerity in her apology, she decided to trust her one more time.

It was also because Emil was the only one she could entrust Lia to.

Things were quiet now due to Ibnel’s warning that day, but that would clearly be temporary. Not much time would pass before the same things would repeat.

“My request is the same as before. Just treat her as a single maid. Praise her when she does well, scold her harshly when she doesn’t. That’s all I ask.”

“Yes.”

Emil answered with a voice carrying more conviction than before. Over the past few days, she had observed Lia closely and found her to be more diligent than anyone, always doing her best at her assigned tasks even if sometimes clumsy.

For the first time, it seemed she saw Lia the maid, not just a person of Aodin.

Reassured by her answer, Ibnel turned her head and met Shuher’s eyes. But she quickly averted that gaze.

“Let’s depart now.”

Following the knights, she too mounted her horse. As if to show her efforts so far, there was no awkwardness in her posture. Ibnel took a deep breath to quell the rising tension.

With Shuher in the lead, they all began galloping at once, and she too whipped her horse’s reins.

As they galloped, cutting through the wind, her hair and robe fluttered. It felt like her stifled breath was clearing just a little.

Ibnel rode at the very rear of the group, and the momentum of the knights in front pierced the sky.

They quickly passed through the capital’s gates, and without a word, they urged their horses on, increasing their speed even more. She was so preoccupied with just keeping up with the group that she had no leisure to look around.

As they galloped northeast towards their destination, the Perti territory, the flat dirt road disappeared and bumpy mountain paths began to appear.

As time passed, signs of strain began to show on Ibnel’s face.

‘This is harder than I thought.’

It felt completely different from riding in the training ground. Moreover, being a beginner who had just learned to ride, it was inevitably difficult to ride for long periods.

Even though she had practiced tirelessly, there was no way she could easily keep up with the knights who had trained for a long time.

As a result, she gradually began to fall behind.

“Your Majesty.”

At Demil’s call, Shuher looked back and noticed Ibnel, then surveyed the surroundings before raising his hand. At that signal, the knights following also stopped.

“Let’s take a brief rest.”

He approached Ibnel, who was catching her breath after dismounting.

“You’re exhausted by just this much? Your words yesterday were different.”

“…I’m sorry.”

Ibnel only uttered those words after looking at the knights who showed no signs of fatigue. Shuher moved away at her lowly muttered voice with her head slightly bowed.

No one approached her side as she caught her breath.

That journey continued until late at night, and they eventually ended up camping in the forest.

Shuher and the knights, seeming accustomed to such situations, quickly lit a fire and ate the dry foods they had brought.

Ibnel sat silently leaning against a tree, apart from them. Barely touching the water and food provided to her.

Her face showed more signs of being lost in thought than exhaustion.

Then, hearing laughter, she turned her head to see the other knights gathered around the fire, enjoying conversation together.

At that moment, Shan, noticing Ibnel sitting alone apart from them, spoke up.

“Ah, normally we could have rested comfortably in a small village.”

“It’s because someone delayed our schedule.”

“She must have realized now that actual practice is different.”

Their attitude was as if they didn’t care whether she heard or not. Shuher and Demil also just silently listened.

Ibnel, the subject of their words, showed no change in expression as if she hadn’t heard anything. Then suddenly she stood up.

“I’m going for a short walk. I won’t go far.”

Leaving only those words, she disappeared into the forest. The knights continued their conversation as if nothing had happened.

Shuher’s gaze turned to the food she had barely touched. At that moment, Demil, who was nearby, suddenly spoke up.

“It seems it will take some time for her to get used to this.”

Shuher gave a wry smile upon hearing those words.

“Are you defending that woman now?”

“Rather than that…”

Demil ended up saying those words due to the sudden change in Ibnel’s demeanor. When had she ever been so quiet, when before she would casually speak up regardless of others’ reactions?

Considering her usual self, she would have lightly shot back no matter what Shuher said.

“That woman’s role is already determined. That’s why we’re going through the trouble of bringing her along.”

“But somehow, Your Majesty also doesn’t seem to be in a good mood.”

Demil had felt that his atmosphere was heavier and sharper than usual since they left the imperial palace.

“We’ll depart early tomorrow, so rest as you see fit.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Shuher looked at Ibnel’s empty spot before turning away coldly.

The group rode for days, and fortunately, they approached their destination without major issues like monster attacks.

During that time, Ibnel became somewhat accustomed to this journey. But she only mechanically rode and rested, not exchanging words with anyone.

No one in the group spoke to her or paid her any attention. They appeared like oil and water, completely unable to mix.

As night fell again and Ibnel had to camp outside, she sat apart from others as usual. At that moment, Demil approached and handed her a meal.

“Please eat. We should arrive at our destination, the Perti territory, tomorrow.”

“Thank you.”

But she only received it without putting it to her mouth.

Demil, who had been concerned that she wasn’t eating properly even when they briefly rested in villages, finally spoke up.

“You won’t be able to endure if you don’t eat properly.”

“I just don’t have much appetite.”

Ibnel answered in a weak voice and then suddenly voiced the thought she had been having for the past few days.

“Was it really pointless for me to come?”

Then, realizing what she had said, she waved her hand.

“No, nevermind. Please forget it. I’ll eat well.”

At those words, Demil finally moved away from Ibnel. But strangely, her last words lingered in his mind.

Had she been thinking such thoughts constantly while alone over the past few days?

‘Don’t worry about it. There are more important matters at hand right now.’

He didn’t have the leisure to think about anything other than the subjugation that was right in front of them.

Ibnel took a few spoonfuls of the food Demil had brought, but eventually put it down and lay down in the spot prepared for her. And she closed her eyes while listening to the knights’ conversation.

How much time had passed? She woke up early in the still dim dawn.

After confirming that everyone except the two on watch duty was asleep, she tidied up her bedding. Then, noticing her horse that had also woken up, she approached it.

“Did you sleep well? Want to go drink some water?”

She gently stroked its mane and then, holding the reins, entered the forest. Remembering that water had been fetched from a nearby river, she decided to go in that direction.

After walking for a few minutes, a small stream appeared at the end.

Ibnel washed her face with ice-cold water as if trying to shake off the remaining sleep. Then she leaned against a rock and quietly watched her horse drink water.

“Haa…”

Ibnel’s deep sigh spoke of her state of mind.

Shuher’s words that everyone would die because of her clung to her mind like shackles, refusing to leave. As such thoughts chased each other endlessly, she felt confused about why she was even here.

Somehow, she felt as if she had lost her way.

“Should I just do nothing and only follow orders? It will all be over anyway when that person appears.”

She had only planned to stay in the imperial palace until the female protagonist appeared. After leaving Karies then, she wouldn’t have to hear those accusatory words anymore.

Thinking that way, she felt empty, wondering what she had been struggling for.

‘They don’t want my help anyway.’

At that moment, as she was feeling the comfort of the silence with her eyes closed, Ibnel’s eyes suddenly snapped open.

‘What is this feeling?’

There was nothing particularly visible, and the surroundings were quiet, but an inexplicable sense of unease enveloped her entire body.

“Something is here.”

Standing up, she instinctively surveyed her surroundings.

At that moment, Ibnel’s gaze fixed on one spot, and simultaneously, an object sprang out of the undergrowth at high speed, instantly pouncing on her defenseless horse.

‘That’s…’

What filled her vision was a monster viciously tearing at her horse’s neck, dripping with blood.