Chapter 5
Episode 5.
Before long, the man who had drawn his sword instead of a bow first dealt with the snipers and was now cleaving through the assassins' rear.
“R-retreat, cough...!”
The man, and the Aratus Knights following him, were terrifyingly strong.
In their first charge, those who had incapacitated half the assassins were moving freely and cutting off their heads.
Within that disciplined movement.
Agatha couldn't tear her eyes away from Enoch Aratus. The sharp, gray glint she had glimpsed seemed to have lodged itself in her mind like lightning.
The strangely blood-tinged gaze that remained in her memory, the hand gripping the sword, and the overwhelming might that crushed the assassins.
It was then that Agatha realized.
The reason her relatives had rushed things was likely because of this man.
“My lady, are you alright?”
“……I’m fine.”
Even as she calmed the Imperial Knights, who were belatedly staunching the bleeding from their torn heads and fidgeting nervously, Agatha gazed at him as if entranced.
Finally, the man who had finished subduing the assassins approached the knights, leading his unit.
As his hood fell back, the man’s face, fully revealed, was surprisingly beautiful, fitting for the battlefield yet clearly aristocratic at first glance.
“Are you alright?”
A low, deep voice.
The moment that voice, which she had accurately pinpointed even amidst the battle, merged with his sweet face.
Agatha couldn't stop her ears from flushing hot. Her heart was a tangled mess.
“……Marquis Aratus?”
“Yes. It’s a pleasure to meet you. I am Enoch Aratus.”
Instead of bringing his hand to his lips, he took off the cloak he was wearing and draped it over Agatha’s shoulders.
A palpable heat emanated from the man as he drew closer.
“……Thank you for saving me, Marquis.”
What kind of face do I have right now? Is my voice trembling?
Despite her confusion, she spoke clearly, but Agatha’s gaze remained fixed on him.
“I merely did what was necessary. There might be remaining stragglers, so please ride with me.”
Enoch skillfully exchanged greetings with the Imperial Knights and organized the procession.
Even among the War Horses, Enoch Aratus’s horse was a Black Horse, about 1.5 times larger than the one Agatha had ridden.
Enoch, sitting behind Agatha, held the reins as if to embrace her.
“Sir Basley. Have you informed His Highness the Crown Prince?”
Agatha’s back flinched at the voice that came from right behind her.
“Yes, Marquis. He will likely be coming this way shortly.”
“Then we can decide our route after we rendezvous. Let’s go.”
Clip-clop, clip-clop—
The pace of the march was surprisingly slow. Agatha flinched with a throbbing pain even with the slow movement of the horse.
She hadn't thought of anything when she fell.
As her tension eased, the aftereffects slowly began to surface.
At that moment, the hand holding the reins gently rose and tightened the cloak around her a little more.
“We’re almost there.”
His touch was gentle, unlike the man who had been wielding his sword so ruthlessly just moments before.
Before long, Agatha encountered the Crown Prince’s party, who had rushed over after receiving the news.
“Agatha!”
The Crown Prince, Antony Roxiva, looked pale even from a distance. The Imperial Knights accompanying him formed an even tighter escort formation, guarding their surroundings.
“Your Highness.”
“Blood…!”
Antony’s gaze darted between her blood-stained hair and face, and her body covered in dirt and scratches. Antony, deathly pale, became incensed.
“How dare you attack a noble under the protection of my knights! Are they truly mad?”
“Your Highness. Please attend to the young lady’s treatment first. I will have transport prepared immediately.”
The Crown Prince’s aide quickly brought a sofa and a physician.
Assisted by Enoch and the Imperial Knights, Agatha dismounted and received a preliminary diagnosis from the doctor.
Antony, who followed, frowned.
“How is she?”
“The laceration has been stitched. It’s not life-threatening, but she has some bruises all over her body. She will need at least two weeks of complete rest.”
“Still, it’s a relief that it’s not too severe, Agatha.”
By then, Agatha was feeling dizzy from blood loss.
Servants hastily laid down leather in a temporary carriage and brought blankets.
Once prepared, Agatha, who had finally managed to lie down, slowly gazed at Enoch through the window. He was receiving commendations from Antony, who had been briefed by the Imperial Knights.
As the escort formation was reorganized and preparations for departure were nearing completion.
Agatha parted her dry lips.
“……Marquis.”
Her voice, as a fever began to rise, was faint as the wind. However, the man who easily caught her voice rode his horse closer.
“Yes, my lady.”
“……I’m sorry I can’t keep our appointment suddenly. Once my fever subsides, I will send you another invitation. Would you come to see me?”
When she got up, many things would surely have happened.
Perhaps a situation so serious that she couldn't even imagine the escort. But even amidst it all, Agatha wanted to meet this man.
To repay him, and if the situation fortunately resolved and she could hire an escort, even then.
She hoped to see this man again. Enoch, who had been gazing at Agatha, had a faint smile appear on his lips.
“You’re worried about that even in this situation?”
…It seemed she heard something like that.
She couldn't be sure if she had heard correctly due to her fever.
“Please rest for now, my lady. I will await your contact.”
Having obtained the words she wanted, Agatha finally closed her eyes. The carriage soon lurched and departed.
While Agatha, delirious with fever, was moved directly to the Imperial Palace.
The Crown Prince, Antony Roxiva, entered the Emperor’s study with Enoch Aratus.
The Emperor, who had been reviewing documents with the Chancellor and some ministers, did not hide his fury upon hearing the news.
BANG!*
“An attack! What about Agatha? What has happened to Lady Agatha!”
The Emperor didn't even care that his chair had tipped backward.
While it was true that he had benefited from Nobilis’s situation, if Agatha were to die, the Emperor would be the most troubled.
All of her immense wealth and territory would pass to a foreign country!
“Calm yourself, Father. Lady Agatha was safely rescued by Marquis Enoch Aratus. She is slightly injured, but her life is not in danger.”
“Oh, Marquis Aratus! Your service is great!”
The Emperor, after immediately commending Enoch, could not hide his rising anger.
Even if intrigue was permitted among noble families, this was a large-scale attack that had occurred right before the Emperor’s eyes, and in the Imperial Hunting Grounds at that.
Not only was he furious that such an attack had occurred in broad daylight, but they had committed the act while Agatha was under the protection of the Imperial Knights.
“Are they mad to commit such a heinous act in the capital where I reside? Have I been too merciful?”
“Your Majesty! You must uproot those wicked individuals immediately and make an example of them!”
“Minister of Internal Affairs is correct, Your Majesty. An attack on a noble under the protection of the Imperial Knights in broad daylight? Arrest the attackers and their masterminds at once and punish them all severely!”
“Minister of Military Affairs! Summon the Minister of Military Affairs at once!”
The Emperor immediately summoned the Captain of the Imperial Guard, the Minister of Military Affairs, and the Director of Intelligence, ordering them to apprehend the culprits’ hideouts and their behind-the-scenes forces.
This time, he declared his unwavering resolve to not let it slide.
Furthermore, the Emperor, who had granted Agatha, who was at the Crown Prince’s palace, a palace conducive to recovery and assigned several Imperial physicians and healers to her, spoke with a sigh.
“This is why I did not welcome the divorce. What shall I do with my adopted daughter who does not understand my heart?”
Upon hearing those words, the Crown Prince, Antony’s eyebrows twitched minutely. He, the ministers, and even Enoch, who had just returned to the capital, understood the Emperor’s subsequent intentions.
“Crown Prince, does Agatha still have no intention of marrying?”
“Father. It has only been two months since Lady Agatha’s divorce. It would be difficult for her to have found a lover in that time.”
“Only two months? It has been two months. Look at today. If Agatha had married earlier, would such a thing have happened so easily? She would have been too afraid to provoke an attack openly, fearing she might use her husband to raise an army!”
The Emperor’s argument was, on the surface, plausible. And the fact that these words were spoken was no different from a declaration that the Emperor would once again deduce candidates for a husband who would suit his fancy.
“I must find someone who would be a good match for my adopted daughter.”
“Father. When the time comes, won’t Agatha choose her own spouse?”
“The situation is urgent, and Agatha is injured. And can you not help? As her godfather, I can.”
“……”
Beside the Crown Prince, Antony Roxiva, whose face had clearly begun to sour.
