Ariana was frozen.

Unable to even blink, she watched what unfolded before her.

‘Lord? Who? From the Northern Emperor? Rozalin? Why…?’

Syrus was cold, even with a bloodied Rozalin before him.

“Only 32 of them. You’ve gotten weaker. Has serving as a maid dulled your skills?”

“I was careless. I will accept my punishment.”

Rozalin made no excuses, though she hadn’t been able to fight properly because she was protecting Ariana.

“So, then…”

Afraid he’d punish her on the spot, Ariana unknowingly stepped in front of Rozalin.

Syrus cast an indifferent glance at Ariana.

“What are you doing?”

“Rozalin was injured protecting me.”

“If she’s this badly injured just from protecting one person, she’s unfit to be the captain of the Black Knight Order.”

The mention of the Black Knight Order made her breath catch.

“Rozalin is… the captain of the Black Knight Order?”

“Yes. Oh, and her name is Louie.”

“Louie…”

Only then did Ariana understand why Syrus seemed pleased when praising the maid.

“You’ve assigned me Rozalin, no, Louie.”

“…”

“Are you helping me?”

“What if I am?”

Ariana took a deep breath.

Now she understood how things were connected.

The new maid. She seemed naive but was clever, and while she appeared to be greedy, she had not coveted Ariana’s wealth. A maid who acted strangely like Ariana’s own appendage.

Surely no one would help Ariana without reason.

The Northern Emperor had something he wanted from Ariana, and that was why his sent ‘maid’ had acted like Ariana’s appendage.

Once her analysis was complete, her previously shaky eyes steadied, and her faltering heart strengthened.

Ariana spoke calmly.

“I had a plan I could execute and see results from on my own. However, sending this woman has made things easier for me. So, if in the future you ask for my help, I will certainly assist you.”

“How can I trust a future promise?”

“I have no power to assist you right now. I’m sure you have no intention of utilizing me at this moment either.”

“Clever.”

“Your origins are so mysterious, wherever I am, you’ll be able to come to collect the debt. I will surely repay your favor. Now, if you’ll excuse me.”

As Ariana began to stagger away, Syrus blocked her path. Ariana sighed and looked up at him.

“The sun is setting. You may always have a plan, but it won’t mean anything to the wild animals.”

He was right.

Ariana had also been contemplating how to escape this forest after dark.

The setting sun painted the sky orange. The night would quickly envelop the mountain, making it difficult to see even a single inch ahead.

Ariana realized that in situations where she needed to ask for help, she had to do just that.

She didn’t want to be entangled with the Northern Emperor anymore, but she couldn’t afford to mess up because of that sentiment.

“I’ll need your protection.”

“Fine. Let’s not consider this a debt.”

+++

Ariana spoke.

“As soon as the Duchess arrives in the city beyond the mountains, she’ll inform the guards about me. They’ll likely think I’ve absconded with a carriage. Guards will soon be heading this way.”

“I see.”

“There’s a cave below that cliff. If you go a bit further, it connects to the other side of the mountain range.”

“You know the terrain better than me, even though you’ve been locked up in the mansion.”

“I’ve always been planning to escape.”

As Ariana had anticipated, Syrus didn’t delve any deeper.

At Syrus’s gesture, Louie moved.

After disposing of the mercenaries’ corpses over the cliff, Louie took out a rope from the luggage and coiled it in his hands.

“My Lord, it would be best if you go down first.”

“No.”
Cyrus took the rope from Louis.

“Carry Ariana down.”

“Yes.”

Ariana thought it would be better to be held by Cyrus than Louis, but she was worried about Louis’ injuries.

“I can just jump down.”

Cyrus narrowed his eyes at Ariana’s words.

“Do you think only of dying?”

“I won’t die. I can jump well.”

“Don’t be stubborn.”

Upon Cyrus’ gesture, Louis wrapped his arm around Ariana’s waist.

“Excuse me, Your Highness.”

“Your, Your Highness…”

Caught off guard by the unexpected title, Louis firmly held Ariana and jumped off the cliff. He held the rope with his other hand.

Unlike the time Ariana had fallen alone, the two safely landed halfway down the cliff.

“My Lord, we have arrived.”

The dangling rope was pulled up, and then Cyrus jumped down alone. Ariana sighed at his light landing.

‘Jumping off this cliff is so easy. And here I was, prepared to die.’

Just as Ariana remembered, there was a cave halfway down the cliff. The entrance was small and hard to find, but it widened as you went inside.

Before entering the cave, Cyrus whistled. A snow-white eagle flew to him and perched on his shoulder.

Cyrus tied a note to the eagle’s ankle and sent it flying before entering the cave.

Ariana and Cyrus walked side by side, followed by Louis.

Ariana felt the dark, damp walls of the cave as they moved forward.

There was only one path to the lake inside the cave, so there was no need to light a fire.