Even Cedric had his attention diverted by the unexpected situation. Taking advantage of the opportunity, Cloe pulled the handle of her side door.

However, no matter how hard she tried, the carriage did not open. It turned out that it had been designed not to open the door from the inside due to the outdated carriage.

‘Oh, no!’

Anticipating failure, Cloe stumbled in frustration.

Despite her full effort, the carriage didn’t even budge, and naturally, it didn’t open.

Instead, the two people who belatedly realized the situation approached more quickly.

“This crazy woman has lost her mind!”

The injured man raised his opposite hand while growling.

“Don’t hit her, she’s a valuable product.”

“What nonsense. Seriously!”
The man, who had lost even a place to vent his frustration, pounded on the stubborn wall of the wretched carriage. He then tore his own cape and tightly wrapped his injured hand. Using the remaining fabric, he bound Cloe.

Overpowered by strength, she couldn’t even resist and was bound, sitting with her hands and feet tied. A rag emitting a nauseating smell was stuffed into her mouth.

“Don’t struggle anymore; it’s annoying.”

The man, who looked at her with satisfaction, sat back down.

“You scum, getting beaten up by a woman like her because there’s no one else to beat up?”

“Shut up! You, who just stood there watching, aren’t any different. Seriously, I’m so annoyed I could die. I’d like to make you just like her… but give me more compensation.”

The man, perhaps seeking compensation for medical treatment, demanded additional payment from Cedric.

“I’ll give you more money for hand treatment. Don’t worry, just take the woman to her destination. The money is in the cargo compartment, and I’ll pay you immediately upon completing the mission.”

“Gladly respond to that.”

The man who had been raging suddenly became quiet. Perhaps he had been injured more than once doing back alley work, and the wounds from the knife seemed to be easily ignored.

It was when they were about to leave the outskirts of an unfamiliar territory.

“What’s that?”

A knight was seen from the only rear window that was not painted.

Perhaps he had suspiciously followed Cloe leaving the castle.

A knight, riding swiftly on a horse, seemed to catch up with the carriage soon.

“Why is that brat following us?”

Cedric quickly opened the door leading to the cargo compartment. After reaching the compartment, he threw a few items outside.

Among them, a heavy package hit the legs of the approaching horse. Seizing the opportunity, he immediately grabbed the next cargo and threw it at the knight.

The box flew nicely, hitting the knight’s chest. Unable to withstand the weight, the fallen knight rolled on the ground.

Eeh-eeng…

Now, only the sorrowful cry of the horse could be heard in the forest.

“Annoying!”

Whether it was the woman trying to escape or the knight chasing her, Friede’s people were persistent and unyielding.

With unexpected sudden situations repeating twice, even he, who had been calm throughout, became impatient.

“Hey, driver! Run faster!”

Cedric shouted towards the coachman beyond the cargo compartment.

Perhaps due to the loud wind, the coachman’s response did not reach. However, the noticeably increased speed of the horse replaced the driver’s response.

“Ugh…”

Light came into the narrowed field of vision. It was a faint light, but even that was a significant change for eyes accustomed to darkness.

She tried to open her eyes with effort, but no matter how hard she strained, her eyelids refused to lift. Like a cloth, a barrier firmly entwined her eye sockets.

The confined view was not the only thing. Her wrists, abdomen, ankles, and the whole body were tightly bound with ropes.
Despite her best efforts to escape, nothing changed. She was left with various bruises as she was tossed around by the ropes.

Having given up on escape, she leaned against the chair, breathing heavily. Soon after, a malicious voice pierced through her ears.

“Looks good. Keep going.”

Whether due to visual control or not, her hearing seemed unusually sharp. The dreadful voice felt even more vivid, sending shivers down her spine.

Following that, the footsteps gradually grew louder, and suddenly, the person disappeared before Cloe.

“Huh? Keep going?”

“I have no reason to comply with your demands!”

“Don’t act so stubborn. If I decide to kill you, what are you going to do about it?”

Eventually, Cloe’s jaw was firmly grasped.

“If you want to see your beloved husband, you’ll have to endure this, even trembling in fear, Empress.”

“Don’t involve the Empress in this! If you plan to harm the Empress using me as a weakness…”

“What a ridiculous notion. Why would I bother with such troublesome things if not for that brat?”

After releasing her jaw, he moved on to slap Cloe’s cheek and ear.

The hand that had been exploring her skin with a sticky touch then tightened around her throat, applying force.

“Do you know what my long-cherished desire is, Empress?”

“…Gasp!”

“To see the face of that brat who loses a loved one and despairs!”