Elaina and Chaz’s faces were filled with tension as they climbed the damp stairs, flanked by soldiers on both sides.
“Stop dawdling and move faster!”
Despite the soldier’s fierce yelling, Elaina showed no fear at all. To be honest, it wasn’t by choice, but because she was too distracted.
‘It has to be a place with minimal security. That’s the only way we have a chance.’
It would have been best if Leila had taken them, but there was nothing they could do in this situation.
‘Hister is probably at the highest point. The closer we get to Hister, the tighter the security will be. And anyway, to escape, we need to go down.’
Elaina wasn’t sure what Chaz meant by asking her to trust him, but her mind was solely focused on the thought of getting Chaz out.
Can I do this well?
Elaina bit her lip hard as if trying to come to her senses and took slow steps.
“I told you to move faster!”
It was around the time they had completely emerged from the underground prison.
In the narrow corridor leading to the grand central staircase of the castle, the irritated soldier finally grabbed Elaina’s hair.
‘Here… This is it. This is the gap in the castle.’
She had to stall for time here and confront them somehow. Elaina, having reached that conclusion, looked at the soldier with a resentful expression and said,
“It can’t be helped, can it? One of my ankles is twisted, so it’s hard enough to move at this pace!”
“Why, you damn wench…”
“What are you doing now! How dare you… Argh!”
The moment Chaz tried to intervene, unable to bear it any longer, the soldier behind him kicked his back with all his might.
Chaz tumbled to the floor with a short scream, and Elaina quickly turned around.
Then, she subtly shifted her steps to Chaz’s right as he was cornered.
“Don’t lay a hand on His Highness the Prince.”
“Ha…”
“Your job is to take us to Crown Prince Hister, isn’t it? You must already know. We are valuable enough as hostages!”
Hit me.
Please.
Just like you did to Chaz.
Elaina’s eyes gleamed as she continued to speak.
“Even though you’re soldiers gathered from here and there, you’re so stupid that you can’t even do basic calculations.”
“What?”
“Well, no wonder you serve the equally stupid Crown Prince Hister. Am I wrong?”
At Elaina’s last words, the atmosphere froze coldly.
The soldier leading the way at the front stood a few steps away with a dumbfounded expression, and the soldier who had used violence against Elaina and Chaz glared at her with an icy face, then began to approach Elaina threateningly.
Slap!
Elaina, who was slapped across the face by a large hand, fell over without even screaming.
At the same time, with a loud crash, a vase that had been on a small decorative shelf rolled on the floor, shattered into pieces.
“You damn wench, what did you just say?”
The soldier kicked Elaina while panting, but Elaina didn’t particularly react.
She just wriggled and moved as if she had fallen, and before long, she stood in front of Chaz, blocking him.
“El, Elai…”
Suddenly, Chaz, who was mumbling Elaina’s name, flinched greatly.
It was because of the sharp piece of the vase held in Elaina’s tightly bound hands behind her back.
Elaina waved her hand as if telling him to take it quickly, then applied a little force and threw it towards Chaz.
“…”
Chaz, confirming the shard that had flown to his thigh, quickly checked the soldiers’ reactions and began to move stealthily, crawling on his knees.
“You seem to be unaware, but we can do many things besides what Lord Hister has ordered us to do.”
The soldier, not noticing Chaz’s action, bent his knees to match Elaina’s eye level and spoke threateningly.
“For example, let’s say, educating those who still don’t know their place, like you and that bastard prince.”
“…”
“And let me add, Crown Prince Hister did order us to bring you, but he didn’t say to bring you in one piece.”
The soldier smirked at Elaina, then slowly took something out of his pocket.
It was a small but very sharp-looking dagger.
“If I gouge out your eyes and blow off your nose, will you shut up and obediently listen then?”
The dagger in the soldier’s hand was reflected in Elaina’s eyes.
“Or should I make it so you can never speak again?”
“…”
“It’s quite a difficult task that requires more skill than you think, but how fortunate, right? I have that experience several times.”
“It’s all good, but go easy.”
Another soldier, who had been listening to the conversation from a distance, muttered to himself with a chuckle.
“What if she bites her tongue and dies before we can properly use her, even if she becomes hideous-looking.”
“Ah, our noble Princess Consort was quite close with the scoundrel of Edenbell.”
The soldier holding the dagger sneered.
“I suddenly wonder. Even if the Princess Consort’s face is as disfigured as a ghost, will he still come to save her? Aren’t you curious too? Huh?”
The soldier tapped Elaina’s shoulder with his dirty, hairy, and grimy hand.
“Let’s see. A man wouldn’t care much if her legs are crippled, but the face is a whole different story.”
He was seen properly gripping the dagger he had been holding carelessly. Elaina glared at the soldier with eyes full of disgust, then clenched her bound hands into fists and closed her eyes tightly instead.
And it was at that very moment.
“Aargh!”
A thud and someone’s scream were heard.
Elaina quickly opened her eyes again.
Then, she saw Chaz’s back, who had already cut the rope and was standing in front of her.
“You… You vile bastards…”
“What are you doing! Catch him! Catch…”
The soldier’s words were cut off. Chaz, who had hurriedly snatched the dagger that had been rolling on the floor, had thrust it into the soldier’s chest.
Without any trace of the sneering demeanor he had shown until now, the soldier collapsed to the floor without saying a word. And he never moved again.
“Guards! Guards!”
The remaining soldier, who had been blankly watching the situation, finally came to his senses and shouted loudly, but it was too late.
Chaz ran out very quickly, contrary to Elaina’s expectations. Then, he thrust the dagger into the neck of the panicking soldier without hesitation.
Chaz, who was now drenched in blood, stood there for a moment, trembling slightly, then picked up the dagger again and hurriedly walked towards Elaina.
“Ch-Chaz, Your Highness…”
Biting his lips, Chaz began to cut the rope binding Elaina’s hands with his trembling hands.
“I also…”
Then, he muttered in a very small voice.
“I’m not as skilled as Brother Sinclair… but I know the basics at least.”
“…”
“I was a prince that no one treated well and didn’t even care about… but still, a royal is a royal.”
…So that’s why he told me to trust him.
“Of-Of course, I was too scared, and it was obvious that I would become a laughingstock… I had never fought anyone even once before, but…”
Seeing the small boy trembling and covered in blood, who had overcome his fear and terror to protect her, Elaina felt a strange tingling in her nose at the thought.
Elaina silently looked at Chaz for a moment, then gently wiped his cheek with her now-free hand.
“Chaz.”
Then, she spoke in a serious voice.
“Thank you so much. If it weren’t for you, I might have died here. So don’t feel any guilt, okay? You know what I mean, right?”
“…Yes.”
Elaina nodded and held Chaz’s still-trembling hand tightly. It was the hand that had been holding the dagger.
“You remember what I said, right? This place is probably in the western region of Edenbell.”
“…”
“You must find the underground waterway. It’s likely connected to the Hilden River. If you follow the river, you’ll find the path to the Imperial Palace, so you need to move as fast as possible.”
After finishing her words, Elaina reached out towards the soldier’s corpse, whose body heat had not yet cooled.
“E-Elaina?”
“Wear the soldier’s armor and move. It will be much safer then.”
Understanding what Elaina meant, Chaz quickly helped her remove the armor and helmet the soldier was wearing.
Having finished his preparations to leave, Chaz took a step towards the corpse lying ahead. No, to be precise, he tried to.
If only Elaina hadn’t grabbed him suddenly.
“Why…”
Chaz looked down at Elaina, who was stopping him, in surprise.
“Don’t tell me… Elaina…”
“I’ll buy you time.”
Elaina said in a calm, settled voice.
“What are you saying! How can I alone…!”
“You know. With legs like these… I can’t run away with you. I’ll only be a hindrance.”
“But… But!”
“Now is the right time. With Hister back, the security will be much tighter. Today is the only chance there might be a gap. And people will be here soon.”
At Elaina’s words, as if persuading him, Chaz shed tears, but Elaina patted his shoulder and continued.
“I’ll stall them, so you have to get back to the palace somehow. Okay?”
“Sob…”
“You promised.”
“This way! Over here!”
It was right then. The voices of those on guard ahead began to be heard. They must have heard the soldier’s scream just before he died.
“Go.”
“Elaina…!”
Chaz looked at Elaina with a face drenched in tears, and Elaina looked back at him with a faint smile.
Then, she began to limp as quickly as possible towards where the soldiers were rushing in.
After Being Cheated On, She Picked Up a Treasure (Female-dominant)
One-line summary: The husband I married on a whim had been secretly in love with me for a long time.
On the day when Jun Shao finally obtained the imperial decree for her marriage, Lan Qu, the person she had admired for six years, defied the decree and ran away.
Her gentleness and devotion, her promise of a lifetime together, were all disregarded by him. Instead, he dreamed of entering the palace to serve the Emperor’s sister as a sixth-rank attendant.
News of this incident spread throughout the capital, and the alleys in front of and behind the Lan mansion were crowded with people who came to watch the commotion.
Jun Shao should have been embarrassed and angry.
But someone stepped in to protect her dignity.
The figure was in a miserable state, yet still possessed an undeniable elegance and handsomeness.
The young lord struggled to climb the wall of the Lan mansion and shouted to her, “If he won’t marry you, I will!”
So, Jun Shao took advantage of the situation and married the person.
She thought the young lord did it to save the Lan family from the crime of defying the imperial decree, but never imagined that from beginning to end, what he coveted was her.
*
After the wedding, Jun Shao felt like she was living in a dream.
Her Wife-master was as beautiful as a fairy in a painting, skilled in the six arts, well-versed in poetry and literature, capable of being gentle and attentive, and also grand and dignified. Most importantly, she was the only one in his heart and eyes.
Jun Shao didn’t know how Lan Shiwu, as a illegitimate son without a father and blessed with beauty, had managed to preserve his purity, recklessly escape, and use his last ounce of strength to ruin his own reputation, all because of his love for her, just to stand before her.
She could only see him gazing at her with eyes full of love, and when she bestowed a name upon him, his eyes shone like stars.
“You have come to me like a weary bird perching on a branch. I shall call you A Qi.”
