Looking for the Villainess’s Contract Husband
Chapter 9
“Wow, I really thought I was going to die… *Cough!*”
About an hour ago.
Paul lay sprawled haphazardly on the edge of a cliff, holding Laviella protectively in his arms.
As he coughed, crimson blood splattered onto the white snow.
Bark! Bark bark!
Fierce growls filled the gap between the cliffs.
Paul lifted his head slightly and looked across the chasm. He saw dozens of wolves pacing back and forth, baring their fangs.
Even as he spat up blood, Paul bared his own teeth and chuckled at the sight.
“They look absolutely livid. Anyway, I didn’t think we’d make it across, but somehow, we jumped it. Was it because I stole the Captain’s horse…? This is definitely something to brag about, *cough, hack!*”
“…Don’t speak, Paul. You’re bleeding more.”
Paul gasped for air, then coughed up more blood again.
Laviella, who had been nestled in his arms wrapped in his cloak, bit her lip. The young girl reached out with trembling hands and felt around the wound on Paul’s shoulder.
Gush—
“Ugh….”
Blood surged from the shoulder wound. A groan Paul couldn’t suppress escaped his lips.
Laviella clenched her shaking hands into fists and gritted her teeth. Her eyes grew hot with guilt and fear.
「My Lady, it's wolves!」
A short while ago.
While she and Paul were galloping through the forest, the chilling howls of wolves had echoed in their ears.
Not long after, large wolves began to appear one by one on either side of their horse.
The moment Paul heard the howls, he sensed the danger. He wrapped Laviella in his cloak and tucked her into his chest like a precious bundle.
In that state, he fended off the wolves lunging at them with his sword.
No matter how skilled a knight Paul was for his age, facing beasts swarming from all directions alone was an impossible feat.
Consequently, the wounds on Paul’s body steadily increased. Laviella, held in his arms, grew pale in turn.
「Paul, the scent of blood is….」
「I’m… fine. More importantly, there’s a cliff up ahead. This is just great.」
Paul let out a hollow laugh as he discovered a pitch-black cliff ahead that seemed to swallow even the moonlight.
Wolves to the sides and rear, a cliff in front.
It was a literal dead end. Paul had only one choice left.
「…Hold on tight, My Lady.」
「Paul?」
Laviella instinctively grabbed Paul’s tunic.
Paul didn’t answer; he lowered his posture and drove the horse forward at a terrifying speed. Then, they leaped over the cliff.
Crash!
By some miracle, the horse carrying Paul and Laviella landed precariously on the opposite side. Even as they tumbled across the snowy ground from the impact of the landing, Paul did not let go of the arms protecting Laviella.
As a result, the wounds Paul had received from the wolves were torn open even further, leaving him a mess, while Laviella remained unharmed.
That fact was unbearable for Laviella. She gritted her teeth desperately to hold back her tears.
‘I mustn’t cry.’
Crying and collapsing wouldn’t solve anything. If she was truly sorry to Paul, and if she wanted to save him, she had to get up and move right now.
“Wait here for a moment, Paul. Don’t move.”
“My Lady, the horse ran off….”
“The snow will leave tracks, and it won’t be in good shape, so it couldn’t have gone far. Some of the food we brought is still fine, so I’ll try to lure it back.”
Laviella forced herself to stand up with a show of bravery. Following Paul’s advice, she tore part of the cloak to bind his wounds and packed down the snow with her feet to erase the traces of their fall.
Using a carrot as bait, she managed to bring back the horse that had fled.
‘Ah.’
When she happened to look back across the cliff, the wolves had already disappeared, seemingly deciding they couldn’t cross the chasm. Laviella stared at the marks on the other side that made it look as though someone had fallen down the cliff. After a moment of careful thought, she untied the green ribbon holding her hair.
She struggled to climb a tree and tied the ribbon to the tip of a branch.
‘I don’t know if Mother will ever make it this far.’
But just in case. Just in case, she hoped Gretel wouldn’t fall into despair thinking she was dead. Because everything Laviella was doing was ultimately to save Gretel.
Laviella helped Paul, whose wounds were somewhat stabilized, to his feet and took the horse’s reins in one hand. The girl spoke calmly, yet with a firm tone.
“Let’s go.”
Not long after they departed, torches flickered erratically on the far side of the cliff.
* * *
After narrowly escaping the wolves and crossing the cliff, Paul and I moved toward the Capital as quickly as possible. However, the road was treacherous. Fearing pursuit, we couldn’t stop at proper inns or villages, so Paul’s condition grew worse by the day.
Moreover, this was my first time wandering the world after leaving the Tower. I hadn’t realized that simply removing one layer of the Tower’s outer walls would make my senses feel so different.
The periods when my fever flared grew longer, and my body felt heavier. My health had never been good to begin with, so that was to be expected, but it was clear that Paul’s wounds would worsen severely if left alone.
So, I brought up the idea of visiting a proper doctor.
“What will you do if you can never hold a sword again? You need to be treated properly now….”
“My Lady.”
However, Paul, his torso wrapped tightly in bandages, cut me off with a gentle smile. It was an incredibly kind smile, but for some reason, I couldn’t move my lips to argue.
His quiet voice echoed inside the makeshift tent we’d built to escape the cold.
“I can still live even if I don’t hold a sword.”
“…….”
“But for the elder Lady and the little Lady, if you miss this chance, it will be nearly impossible to find another opportunity to escape.”
“…….”
“If even one of you were to come to harm, I would live the rest of my life in a state worse than death, consumed by guilt.”
Perhaps it was because it was the first time I’d heard that my death would affect someone else in such a way. My throat felt tight, and no words came out.
Paul then wiped away his smile and added in a serious tone.
“Besides, the Marquis Diarmuid I know is not an easy man. Even if it takes time, he will surely try to confirm your body. So, we must reach the Capital before that happens.”
I wanted to argue, but Paul was right. I bit my lip, harboring a mix of resentment, frustration, and apology, and Paul gave a faint smile. He reached out and gently stroked my hair.
“Of course, aside from that, thank you for worrying about me.”
“…….”
“Still, I only have to endure until we reach the Duke of Esperanza’s estate. Surely they won’t just leave a patient to suffer? Haha.”
In the end, I couldn’t break Paul’s stubbornness. Instead, we decided to take a risk and hide in a merchant carriage heading for the Capital. That would be faster than the two of us traveling through forest paths on a horse in poor condition.
“My Lady, you must not make a sound.”
“Okay.”
How long had we been hiding behind those rattling crates?
‘Ugh….’
My vision began to blur, and hot, ragged breaths leaked from my lips. It seemed the fever was rising again.
‘My Lady, are you alright?’
Seeing my state, Paul mouthed the question. His complexion was also deathly pale. While it was less uncomfortable for me because of my small size, Paul had to stay hunched behind the crates for days with his large frame, unable to even stretch.
I nodded and, mouthing a response, peeked through a gap in the fabric covering the sides and roof of the carriage.
‘I’m fine. More importantly… I think we’ve almost arrived.’
Just then, the carriage jolted violently and came to a halt. Paul’s and my breathing stopped simultaneously, as if by agreement.
I could hear the driver talking to someone up ahead. A bored voice rang out briefly.
“Name.”
“Jin, from the Blackbell Merchant Guild.”
“Purpose of visit… well, no need to answer. It’s not like I haven’t seen your face a dozen times. Pass….”
“Hey.”
At that moment, a familiar voice drifted from nearby. My shoulders stiffened automatically. Paul’s face turned even paler.
The owner of the voice was Gilbert. Right next to us, I could sense the familiar sound of a carriage and the presence of knights. The person inside that carriage was, naturally….
“Mom….”
Delirious with fever, I almost called out to my mother without thinking. But I barely managed to regain my senses and clamped my hands over my mouth. Realizing a second too late what I had almost done made me feel as if I’d been doused in cold water.
My heart thundered so loudly my head felt dizzy.
‘I expected it, but how did they get here so fast…?’
To think I would encounter Gilbert’s group this closely.
‘If we’re caught, it’s over.’
It was a fact that didn’t need to be said. I exchanged a glance with Paul and tried even harder to suppress my presence. Peering through the gap in the fabric, the scene outside came into view through a thin sliver of light.
“I’m in a hurry, so if you’ll excuse me.”
“Huh? Oh, well, yes….”
The driver sounded flustered but couldn’t stop Gilbert, seemingly overwhelmed by his aura. A man who looked like a guard frowned deeply as he watched Gilbert stride toward him.
“What is this? Inspections are done in the order of those who lined up first….”
Clink.
The guard’s words were cut off by the sound of clashing metal. Gilbert tossed a pouch at the guard’s feet and asked coldly.
“Did you not hear me say I’m in a hurry? It’s not as if you’ll be the one to pay the price if my master is angered by this delay.”
A brief silence followed. The guard, showing signs of hesitation, eventually furrowed his brows, picked up the money pouch, and tucked it into his tunic. After coughing a couple of times, he jerked his chin upward begrudgingly.
“……Go on through.”
Gilbert didn’t answer and turned around. Just as he was about to mount his horse again—
“…….”
Gilbert stopped moving, his gaze fixed exactly on where I was.
“Wait.”
