GDASP 68

Chapter 68…

Cynthia struggled to steady her fading consciousness, gasping for breath.

“Ugh… You… you too…”
“What?”

Forcing her voice out, Cynthia spoke weakly.
The coachman, as if granting her a small mercy, loosened the grip he had around her neck just a little. As air rushed back into her lungs, a cough burst out. Coughing painfully, Cynthia quickly regained focus and spoke again.

“You… cough! Do you really think you’ll make it back alive?”
“What?”
“How many people at the Bailey estate do you think even know I exist… ugh!?”

The coachman frowned as he looked down at Cynthia, who managed a strained, sarcastic smile.

“Go on, say whatever you want.”
“Do you think Duke Bailey will trust you? Even I—who worked with him for months under a signed contract—cough! Even I couldn’t trust him. And you think he’d really trust some man who only moves for money… hah, to handle such a job?”
“……”
“Once you get back to the Bailey estate, I bet you’ll end up just like me… ugh!”

The coachman’s face twisted as he tightened his grip on her throat again, leaning all his weight onto her.

“Arrogant wench… This is exactly why you get a damn ending like this. If you can’t talk pretty, at least die pretty.”

A damn ending…

As her vision blurred, that phrase echoed sharply in her ears.

So this is how I die?
If so, it really was a damn ending.

The coachman pressed harder. Her ears rang, her breathing grew shallow. She knew that if this went on for a few more minutes, she’d be dead for sure—but strangely, she didn’t feel afraid.

‘Ha ha ha, Cynthia, you really are strange.’

At what she thought might be her final moment, Tession’s voice echoed in her mind. She missed those warm violet eyes that used to look at her, accompanied by a soft, deflating laugh whenever she referenced the original novel.

‘As long as Cynthia cherishes me, and likes me very much, that’s enough.’

If I had known it would end like this… I wouldn’t have hidden anything. I would have cherished him more.
It was ridiculous, realizing that her final thought was regret.

“Huh? What’s that…?”

At that moment, the coachman above her muttered, noticing something. His grip slackened slightly—just enough.

Cynthia didn’t miss her chance. She jerked her knee upward, slamming it hard between the man’s legs.

“AAARGH!! You—!!”

The coachman screamed and rolled off her, writhing on the ground. Cynthia gasped and quickly pushed herself up.

“Cough! Hah, I thought I was really dead there. Huh…?”

As she stood, she saw two silhouettes moving between the trees in the distance. That must have been what the coachman had noticed earlier.

Could they be his allies?

Cynthia hesitated, then glanced back at the coachman still groaning on the ground.

“Ugh… damn it… you—”

He kept cursing, clutching himself and curling in pain. Yet he wasn’t shouting for help, which meant those people weren’t on his side.

Certain of it, Cynthia started running toward them.

“Please! Someone help—”

She suddenly froze mid-sentence.
She spun around faster than she’d been running and hid behind a large tree.

Wait—did I see that right?

Pressing her back against the trunk, she blinked rapidly to steady her breath.

If she hadn’t been mistaken… those two people wandering the forest were ones she knew very well.

Cynthia cautiously peeked out from behind the tree.

“……”

N-no way…

Two figures in identical hunting gear with long rifles were strolling leisurely through the woods. Judging by the way they occasionally looked up, they seemed to be bird hunting.

The one leading had golden hair that shimmered through the leaves and red eyes; the one behind had dark hair and faintly irritated violet eyes.

It was—Lycaion and Tession.

What are those two doing here…?

Cynthia’s shoulders stiffened.

Both Lycaion and Tession were people connected to the Imperial Family. Which meant this forest was probably Imperial property.

The Bailey estate wasn’t far, so it made sense…

Either way, it would not be a good idea for them to see her now.

Thankfully, she still had her disguise—she looked like Elizabeth Bailey, since she’d kept up the act to show Violet later. But still, being seen like this in the middle of a forest would be impossible to explain.

Why would Elizabeth Bailey be here? And worse, the capital was about to announce that she had left for medical recuperation. If anyone saw her here, it would raise suspicion—and potentially expose her real identity and the secret contract with the Bailey family.

…Just survive. Alone. Don’t ask anyone for help.

Resolving herself, Cynthia turned the other way and began moving quickly.

“Hey, you—”
“Goodbye!”

She carefully circled around the still-groaning coachman. But the moment she stepped into what looked like an empty clearing, a heavy pressure wrapped around her ankle.

Before she could even realize what was happening, the pressure yanked upward—and her entire body was suddenly lifted into the air.

“Waaah!!”

Cynthia screamed as the world flipped beneath her. Trees seemed to drop away below her feet.

In the blink of an eye, her surroundings completely changed.

The sky? The treetops?

“What the—what is this…?”

Looking around quickly, she realized she was trapped inside a narrow net.
A hunting snare, hanging high in the air.

She ran her hands over the netting.

“A capture trap?”

Given that Lycaion and Tession were armed and hunting nearby, she must have stepped right into one of their large-animal snares.

“Of all things… seriously?”

Great. Running for her life and this happens?

Irritated, Cynthia grabbed the net tightly and tried to tear it apart. But it was made of thick ropes reinforced with wire—far too strong for bare hands.

“What do I do now…”

As she twisted around helplessly inside the net, she heard rustling below.

Looking down, she saw the coachman staring up at her in disbelief.

“…What the hell are you doing up there?”

he asked.

Cynthia awkwardly looked away.

Just go away… please.

At least he couldn’t reach her from down there. Still, seeing the dagger he’d somehow found again made her tense.

“Wait—don’t tell me you’re planning to climb up here?”
“I told you, I’m cutting your damn throat today.”

He spat on the ground, glaring up. Lowering himself slightly, he raised the dagger toward her.

“You’re not actually going to throw that, are you?”
“I can’t die with this kind of regret. I should at least do something before I go. Don’t be too sad—I’ll be gone soon, and you’ll just starve to death up there anyway.”

He smirked as he drew his arm back.

That bastard…!

Cynthia squeezed her eyes shut, bracing for pain. The sight of the blade made fear rise up all at once.

No…! I don’t want to die!

“Goodbye.”

BANG!

Just as the word left his mouth, a deafening gunshot echoed through the forest.

The sound was so loud that both Cynthia and the coachman flinched, shoulders jerking.

Birds perched on nearby trees scattered into the sky, flapping madly. Lycaion and Tession must still be hunting.

“Tch!”

Spitting again, the coachman wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

“Consider yourself lucky. I’ll kill you in sync with the next gunshot, so your screaming won’t be heard.”