96 - I Got Engaged to a Blind Duke
Marin nodded as if in agreement.
Yuria looked frightened, and Dia looked somber. Marin firmly grasped their hands to reassure them.
"They said this carriage is very sturdy, so let's wait here. Gerald and the knights will protect us."
"Yes."
"Yes."
"Absolutely do not come out!"
A large knight standing next to the carriage shouted loudly, holding a shield.
The sound of arrows flying from a distance could be heard.
Gerald quickly got out of the carriage and said to Olive on the opposite side.
"Don't come out."
"Is something wrong?"
There was no way a common person could hear the sound of arrows flying from far away.
"It's an ambush."
Bang!
At the same time as Gerald's words, an arrow struck the black carriage.
Olive gripped the handle inside the carriage tightly.
"Yes. Be careful."
Having only learned swordsmanship for self-defense, quietly hiding was the best way to help.
As he closed the carriage door, Gerald asked quietly.
"They said the Diamond Carriage is sturdy, right?"
"Yes. It wasn't damaged even when struck with an axe."
The carriage door closed quickly.
The knights with shields stood in front of the black carriage in perfect order.
"There are three guys shooting arrows. Two of you, catch the guys shooting arrows."
At his words, two knights quickly crawled on their bellies into the bushes.
"Two men guard each carriage."
"Yes!"
Six knights stood guarding the three carriages.
Watching the scene, Knight Henders opened his mouth.
"Uvis."
"Yes."
"You go inside."
"I can do it too."
Uvis said as if he was upset.
"Hey, you talk after you've fully recovered."
Henders grabbed Uvis by the scruff of his neck and shoved him into the carriage where the servants were riding.
Henders closed the door roughly, looked ahead, and laughed as if he was dumbfounded.
"Ten guys are coming in a pack."
"……."
The Duke nodded silently in response.
Knowing the number of people by the sound of their footsteps, he gripped the hilt of his Sword.
"Ha, talk about moths to a flame."
The ten assassins who had been running in a line drew a circle around the Duke.
"Henders, go to the Diamond Carriage."
"Yes. I will protect the ladies."
Henders did not worry about the Duke at all and followed his orders.
Even though he was blind, there was no need to worry about the strongest man in the empire.
One of the assassins who was narrowing the encirclement said.
"Check if he really can't see."
A cold sneer appeared on Gerald's lips, who had been closing his eyes.
"How foolish."
Was this the reason for the attack?
Ten men rushed in at once. Swords, axes, spears, and various other weapons flew towards him.
Gerald deflected all the weapons in turn in a single breath. Several dropped their weapons.
"Now!"
One of the assassins scattered black powder into the air.
Is it poison?
Gerald stopped breathing and stabbed the assassin who had scattered the poison first. The assassin died without even having a chance to dodge.
"Ha, so it's not poison?"
His eyes opened involuntarily due to the fine powder that had penetrated his eyes. The assassin who confirmed the empty pupils of his silver-gray eyes ran backward.
"Confirmed. Run away."
The other assassins also began to flee in various directions.
Gerald's Sword was fired at a tremendous speed towards the center of the back of the one who had been giving orders to the assassins.
The one who appeared to be the leader quickly changed direction while running, causing the Sword to graze his side.
He was quite skilled. The Sword that grazed his side was embedded in a tree and trembled with vibration.
"Ugh."
The leader grabbed his side, which was bleeding profusely, and continued to run.
Gerald waved his hand, and the Sword stuck in the tree came out. The Sword was fired again like a ray of light towards the leader.
The leader's eyes widened as he rolled on the floor to avoid the Sword. The Sword was stuck in the ground again.
While Gerald persistently aimed for the leader, he kicked and scattered stones at the other fleeing assassins.
"Ugh."
An assassin who was hit in the waist with a stone writhed on the floor.
Another stone pierced the assassin's leg.
The knights aimed for the backs of such assassins.
The Sword was deeply embedded in the shoulder of the leader, who had been dodging the Sword aimed at him in the air.
"Keugh."
The leader, whether he was well-trained or not, quickly pulled out the embedded Sword and ran into the bushes.
"Your Excellency, shall we chase him?"
Henders approached and asked. Other than the leader who had fled, the other assassins were already dead or about to die.
Gerald's Sword, which had been chasing the leader, changed direction and returned.
Gerald could hear the sound of the leader, who had suffered serious injuries, panting and running away.
The leader wanted only one thing.
To confirm whether his eyes were really blind or not.
If they had persistently targeted the Diamond Carriage, he would not have spared a single one of them.
"It's okay. He looks like he's about to die soon."
"Yes."
Henders bowed his head and answered.
Arrows were no longer flying, probably because the guys who were shooting arrows had been dealt with.
"Clean up."
"Yes."
Olive shouted from inside the carriage.
"Is it over?"
"Yes."
Olive opened the carriage door, looked around, and clicked her tongue. She could see assassins in black clothes lying dead here and there.
"I'll go to the ladies."
Gerald nodded silently.
Olive headed to the Diamond Carriage.
"Ladies, it's over."
Marin opened the door slightly and whispered.
"No one on our side was hurt, right?"
"Yes. Everyone is fine."
"Th, there. C, Counselor. Is, is Uvis okay too?"
Yuria stuttered with frightened eyes, trembling her hands thinly.
"He was in the servants' carriage, so he'll be fine."
"Thank you."
Yuria still had anxious eyes and teary eyes, but she quickly bowed her head.
Marin warmly held Yuria's hand. Seeing Yuria worrying about her only family, her heart ached.
She saw herself in her.
Having lost her family in an accident during a carriage trip, she could understand Yuria's anxiety better than anyone else.
"Yuria, do you want to go see if Uvis is okay?"
Yuria opened her eyes wide and looked back and forth between Marin and Olive as if asking if it was okay.
"The surroundings haven't been cleaned up yet, but all the assassins have been dealt with, so it'll be fine."
Olive glanced back. The knights were diligently cleaning up the bodies.
"I'll go with you. Dia, stay inside."
She wanted to see with her own eyes if Uvis was really okay. The servants' carriage wasn't as sturdy as the Diamond Carriage.
"Yes."
Dia, who knew Marin's past, guessed why Marin was trying to go with Yuria and nodded with calm eyes.
Soon, Marin went out of the carriage with Yuria.
She frowned at the sight of people in black clothes lying down, but she did not sympathize with them.
"Let's go."
"Yes."
Yuria walked little by little with a trembling body.
At that moment, one of the assassins who had been lying face down as if dead shot a dagger at Marin. It was the last strength he exerted before dying.
Yuria, who was close to the assassin, saw the flying dagger first.
"Lady!"
At the same time, El and Yuria stepped forward.
While El threw a dagger at the assassin, Yuria embraced Marin's body.
The assassin's head drooped as he was hit by El's dagger, but the dagger he threw had already been embedded in Yuria's shoulder.
"Yuria!"
El quickly scanned the injured Yuria and then disappeared like smoke.
Marin trembled and stared at Yuria's shoulder where the dagger was embedded, unable to touch it.
"Lady... are you okay?"
Yuria was worried about Marin first with a bloodless, pale face.
Marin hugged and supported Yuria's body, which was gradually collapsing. Red blood was on her hands.
"Yuria, it's okay. It'll be okay. Olive. Doctor, a doctor..."
Olive was also frozen by the sudden situation, but quickly regained her senses and held Yuria's body.
"Lady. It's faster if I take her."
"Yes, yes."
Marin followed behind Olive, soaked in Yuria's blood.
