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LOS 19
I had fought so fiercely to survive; it felt like it would be truly unfair if I were to succumb to something as simple as the cold.
Actually, everything felt unfair. I couldn't fathom why I had to be in such a wretched situation. What had I done wrong?
I had simply done as I was told in silence. And yet, for the crime of resisting just once—and only to protect my own body—I had to be treated worse than a dog.
And now, because of the noble bloodline that had given me nothing, I had to hide my identity, all while some crazed revolutionary army was hunting me down.
If I had actually killed someone, perhaps I wouldn't feel so wronged.
I just wanted to protect myself. That was all I wanted.
If it was a mistake, it was only that I hadn't realized this path would be so grueling.
Why did Giles want to find me? This, too, was something I couldn't understand. I had done nothing wrong.
Thinking back, everything that happened to me followed that pattern. Every man I met had beaten and tormented me simply because I failed to meet their expectations.
Naturally, I assumed Giles would be the same. Every man who had shown me kindness had ended up that way. Why would he be any different? That was the only world I knew. They show me kindness, and I fulfill their expectations.
And if I fail to do so, I am punished.
Therefore, I was being punished once again. Because by fleeing from Giles, I was not giving him what he wanted.
This time, I would definitely escape until the very end. Simply surviving wasn't enough. What I needed was to completely break free from the men who tormented me.
That was the ending I desired, my trophy of victory.
I sat in silence, racking my brain. It would be far more comfortable and easier to just smile foolishly and obey, but I had already rejected that path. I had chosen this cold, and I was satisfied with that choice.
I only had to keep thinking. How could I escape his grasp?
It was then that I heard the sound of combat boots. There was no mistake. I had learned to distinguish the sound of boots with absolute certainty. It wasn't just one person; at least two or more were approaching. It had to be the revolutionary army!
I pressed myself as close to the wall as possible, hiding my body in the shadows.
I could hear them talking.
"She'll be hiding somewhere around here. I'm sure of it. We've imposed a temporary curfew on the residents, so if anything moves, there's a high probability it's that bitch."
"Understood."
"If we don't catch her today, it'll be harder next time. This woman has fled a full thirty kilometers. Do not ignore even the sound of a single rat moving."
I felt as if my entire body were freezing. Of course, it wasn't because of the cold. What was this about thirty kilometers? Was the distance from the Salzburg mansion to here really that far? That didn't matter. What mattered was that they were searching for me right now.
They were moving away. Taking a slow, deep breath, I moved sideways with my back against the wall. I felt as though they would notice if I made even the slightest sound.
Just then, I heard the sound of a tin can falling nearby, rolling away with a clatter. I froze completely, simply watching as the large can rolled and stopped after hitting a wall.
Before long, I heard the sound of someone running. Flashlight beams began searching the crevices of the building walls.
I snapped back to my senses and moved. I could no longer even gauge if my own footsteps were loud. To escape their sight by any means, I wove through the shadows of the alleys.
Finally, just as I thought I had gotten far enough away...
"Who's there?"
Another light appeared. It was a soldier holding a flashlight.
I was caught completely in the beam.
-
Giles Hessen was patrolling the streets alone. It was a dark night, where only the pale gas lamps illuminated the empty streets.
He had even issued a curfew to the locals to catch a single escaped woman from Beldam. If his calculations were correct, Martina Solze would not have been able to leave this small city yet.
If he didn't catch her tonight, he might lose the target forever. Considering that all the responsibility would fall on him as the de facto commander, this was an operation he could not take lightly.
Even if he couldn't climb to a higher position, he had to at least protect the place he held.
Because he still had reasons why he must not fall.
His subordinates had already blockaded the area and were scattered in search. Time was running out. It was unthinkable for the operation to fail. The opponent was merely a woman who possessed nothing. No one knew what people would say if it became known that the revolutionary army had been defeated by a single woman.
Because of that, he knew he had to focus more on the operation... yet Giles felt his mind constantly drifting. Officially, he had visited this town to find Martina Solze, but there was one other person he was searching for here.
Lily—the woman who had left the mansion under the name Anna Keating. Someone he couldn't forget, even if he tried. How could he forget? Everyone needs a reason to live. Whether it be desire, hope and expectation for the future, or a sense of duty.
Giles could not forget the brief moments he spent with Anna. Even on days when he prayed for his world to simply end, he could forget everything as long as he was by Anna's side. Only Anna could make such a thing possible.
He wanted to see her face once more. And he had to ask her what had happened. What on earth had made her so afraid? What had driven her to flee the mansion...?
Anna was a being who brought him infinite peace. A threat to Anna was like a threat to himself. If there was anyone trying to harm Anna, Giles had no intention of letting it slide.
Giles organized his thoughts. First, arresting Martina Solze was the priority. He had to finish the mission quickly to focus on finding Anna.
Just then, he heard a noise nearby. The surroundings, which had been quiet for a moment, became chaotic again. Along with someone shouting, there was the sound of a heavy object falling and shattering.
Giles immediately ran toward the flickering lights. His subordinates had surely found something. Urgent shouts were continuous. This meant it wasn't just a simple drunkard or a mischievous child causing a disturbance.
Somewhere beyond the alley, his subordinates were pursuing a woman. Instead of rushing blindly into the alley, Giles pressed himself against the wall and pinpointed the location of the footsteps. The target's footsteps would be clearly distinguishable from those of his boot-wearing subordinates.
Finally, someone burst out of the alley. Naturally, it wasn't one of his men.
It was a woman, two spans smaller than him.
Giles lunged forward and snatched the woman by her hair. He felt her struggling within his grasp. To ensure the target could no longer resist, Giles pinned her against the wall, pressing down to keep her immobile.
"Don't move."
As he threatened her, the resistance stopped. Using the hand not holding the woman, Giles took out a flashlight and shone it on her face. In the bright light, a face he knew was revealed.
Giles's train of thought came to a sudden halt.
"...Lily?"
-
If I were caught by them, it was the end. There would certainly be no second chance for me. I ran with all my might. It was too dark to see ahead clearly, but now was not the time to worry about that.
I learned this time that a person pushed to the limit can see through the darkness as if it were broad daylight.
Engaging in a chase within narrow alleys was disadvantageous for me. They were numerous, and if I were surrounded in such a tight space, there would be no way to escape. I had to get out of the alley somehow. Shaking them off was my best and only move.
Finally, upon discovering a wide street bathed in bright moonlight, I ran straight toward it. I felt as if I would be caught if I looked back, so I looked only forward.
Just as I thought I had finally escaped the alley, a sudden, unexpected pain seized me. Someone grabbed me by the hair. I struggled to break free, but I lacked the strength to shake off the grip of a powerful man.
The revolutionary soldier slammed me against a cold, hard wall. I felt a sting on my forehead; I must have scratched it against the wall. He warned me.
"Don't move."
The moment I heard that voice, I couldn't do anything.
I've heard that voice somewhere before. No way...
He shone the flashlight toward my face. I reflexively squinted. It felt like it would be better to just close my eyes. Even imagining what would happen next was too overwhelming for me.
However, the revolutionary soldier who had confirmed my face did not act for a moment. He didn't cuff my wrists, nor did he call his comrades. I slowly opened my eyes. He was just standing there blankly, staring at my face.
"...Lily."
That name. The name I least wanted to hear. There should be only one person who knows about Lily.
I also lifted my head and confirmed his face. Jet-black hair and black eyes. Giles Hessen was before me. For some reason, he looked like a man whose soul had departed. As if he had absolutely no idea what to do now.
It was incomprehensible to me. He had caught me, the person he wanted so badly, so why was he acting like that? Was he just surprised that I was caught so quickly?
Before he could do anything more, his subordinates rushed to his side.
"Captain! Did you catch her?"
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