He Who Covets the Abandoned Bride - Chapter 38

If any of the remaining individuals betrayed her, Layla would be dragged powerlessly before Isabella.

Then, like the other siblings, she would be sold as a slave in a foreign land. That much was certain.

Or, since she lacked the ability to coordinate, they might kill her to eliminate the seeds of discord.

In any case, it was clear that if she were caught by Isabella Fitzroy, she would not meet a good end.

Even as she considered various possibilities in her mind, there was no happy ending for her. It was only a matter of when the misfortune would arrive.

However, not wanting to show her inner turmoil to the other person, Layla tried to appear composed.

“You’re trying to reassure me. Thank you, Sir Brian.”

It seemed Brian had no more words of comfort left either. He merely lowered his head in silence, and Layla told him she wanted to be alone.

“Then please rest, Your Highness.”

“……”

Brian was not a man of Wessex, nor did he have a proper connection with her. Yet she was grateful that he still called her princess.

As Layla listened to him go outside and order his subordinate to keep watch again, she first rose from her seat.

Taking care not to make a sound, she opened the window and checked below. The lodging was on the second floor. However, the ceiling height of the first floor was high, so she couldn’t just jump out with ease.

Layla searched the lodging and noticed the thick curtains hanging on either side of the window. With determination, she took down the curtains.

Haa, ha……

The items she brought out were simple.

A continental pass, money, an artifact purchased at the coast, and lastly, a map leading to Wessex that Brian had handed to her not long ago.

She thought she needed no further baggage. Even the artifact could be converted to money somewhere.

Layla ran until she heard the night bell that rang at one-hour intervals twice, following the map Brian had drawn.

And along the way, she found and entered a dilapidated lodge. Locking both the window and door tightly, Layla sat on the old bed, unable to close her eyes.

‘They must know I’m gone by now.’

Even as Brian entrusted his subordinates with tasks, he checked on Layla at regular intervals to see if she was alright.

Seeing him do this without fail every day, Layla realized he was truly a thorough person.

At the same time, she realized. He also did not fully trust Layla’s knights.

So, ironically, among the four remaining knights, Brian seemed to be the most trustworthy. However……

Layla hugged her knees and buried her face in them.

Her shoulders were trembling pitifully. The tears she had been holding back until now welled up, making her eyes ache.

Soon, the sound of her inhaling sharply through her nose echoed loudly in the room.

〈No matter what happens, I will safely return you to Wessex.〉

Millay had confidently said he had never broken a promise to anyone, but in the end, his oath was shattered to pieces.

The Kingdom of Wessex would be incorporated into Fitzroy territory, and her siblings had become slaves, so they would no longer be able to use the Wessex surname.

Considering Isabella’s actions, it was highly likely that even the remaining members of the Wessex family from the collateral line would either change their surnames themselves or be weeded out entirely by the Fitzroys.

If she herself were captured, the name Wessex would disappear from this land.

‘Can I survive?’

She had no confidence.

However, she did not want to collapse here out of fear of death. If death was coming anyway, she wanted to do something before facing it.

Even if she didn’t know about the other siblings, she wanted to see Cedric’s well-being with her own eyes. And if possible, she wanted to sacrifice herself to help Cedric escape.

Cedric was a child she had raised with more love than their parents. The lovable and kind youngest. She had to save that child.

‘I need to think……’

What was the most realistic way to reach that child?

Cedric had been taken by Isabella Fitzroy, so it might be better to let herself get caught by the Fitzroys instead.

However, if discovered outside Fitzroy territory, she might be sold to another country. So even if captured, it had to be right under Isabella’s nose.

“……”

Layla’s tearful blue eyes stared into the darkness outside the window.

The next morning, as the dawn light began to spread, Layla left the lodge. And she blended into the bustling market street busy with preparations for business.

Although a warrant had been issued, it probably had little to do with ordinary people. While wandering the streets, no one paid special attention to or suspected Layla.

She only had to be careful and avoid the city guards when they passed by. After wandering around the market street like that, Layla reached a point Brian had circled on the map.

It was a center that operated nationwide, renting out horses.

The employee there looked at Layla with a doubtful expression, wondering if she could really ride a horse, but when she paid, they obediently provided a well-trained horse, a saddle, and an appropriate amount of carrots to feed it.

Layla came out, stroking the gentle brown horse, and stood next to the building, feeding it carrots and waiting.

How much time had passed like that?

With a perplexed expression, a middle-aged man appeared before her. Having searched for Layla all night since yesterday evening, he sighed with relief as soon as he saw her, while simultaneously expressing surprise.

Layla smiled slightly at Brian.

“You’re late.”

“…Why?”

In response to Brian’s question of why she had done this, Layla first held out the horse’s reins in front of him.

Brian took them in bewilderment while questioning Layla’s actions. Layla explained her reason to Brian as she walked out to the street.

“I wasn’t trying to run away.”

Layla had anticipated that he would show up here eventually if she waited. Since Brian’s planned route was shared only with Layla, she expected him to appear before anyone else if she waited here.

“But I can’t be with those I can’t truly trust.”

“……”

A brief disappearance was necessary to filter out only those who were needed. Brian also seemed to agree with this part, as he expressed his consent with silence.

Layla thought she could trust Brian precisely because of this aspect. Because he was someone who reached the same conclusion as her.

“Are your subordinates following too?”

“They are following.”

“You said Millay’s orders were to protect me. Do you still intend to carry that out at the risk of your life?”

“Of course.”

It was a reliable answer.

The difference between the Wessex knights she had brought and Brian was precisely this. The fact that he was unrelated to her status.

Since he only needed to carry out Millay’s orders well, he had no reason to be tied to Layla’s circumstances.

“If Wessex has truly fallen, I think we need to change our plans.”

Brian couldn’t bring himself to answer Layla’s words and merely showed a regretful expression.

Hiding her true feelings, Layla continued speaking to him.

“Going there now… There would be nothing I could do.”

Perhaps for the people of the Wessex Kingdom, being incorporated into Fitzroy territory might be better. If Isabella’s rampage was limited to the destruction of the royal castle, that is.

That’s how powerless the upper echelons of Wessex were, and in fact, they were also corrupt. Power without oversight was bound to rot.

Hearing Layla’s words, Brian filled his mouth with heavy silence. It was only when they had almost left the market alley that he conveyed his opinion to Layla.

“If you haven’t sorted out what to do next, it might be better to stay here and wait for His Grace.”

Layla swallowed her dry saliva. Because the words she had hoped for had come out of his mouth.

Looking up at Brian, Layla asked.

“Will Millay really come? Have you received any news from him?”

“Since we’ve been constantly on the move, there was nothing we could receive on our side. But we did send news, so he should be taking measures.”

“I see……”

As Layla showed a slightly disappointed expression, Brian approached her and helped her mount the horse’s saddle. And he revealed his own status that he had not mentioned until now.

“My name is Mason Brian. I am His Grace’s banneret.”

Layla, who had been thinking in her heart that Brian might be of a slightly lower rank to take orders from Lilburn, showed a surprised expression.

If he was a banneret knight, there was a very high probability that he was from a noble family’s collateral line or that he himself was a noble.

He mounted behind Layla and pulled the reins, offering words to reassure her.

“So His Grace will never forsake Your Highness. Please wait a little longer.”

Layla nodded slightly.

“Can you protect me until then?”

If he came, she had a baseless belief that he would provide her with some solution.

No, in fact, if not for that… She had no more hope left.

‘I have to believe.’

As Layla convinced and reassured herself like that, Brian readily answered.

“That would be my lord’s will.”