Chapter – 24
Paul, a coachman belonging to the Hildette family, could not focus on driving the carriage. His hands, more flushed than usual, trembled with excitement.
It was because Jennifer Hildette, the mistress of House Hildette, had personally given him a special request.
“Do I look like the kind of woman who would pretend not to know, even after everything goes well?”
Even as she aged, Jennifer had not lost her dazzling beauty. Paul firmly believed there was probably no man alive who could refuse her when she approached with that enchanting smile.
Perhaps that was why, the moment he heard her request, he nodded as if bewitched.
To “transport” Eleanor Hildette.
It had not even been a month since the Hildette family’s troublesome eldest daughter had changed so drastically.
Because of her remarkable transformation, the servants no longer dared to speak carelessly in front of her. But that did not mean everyone’s perception of her had changed. Paul, too, was among those who secretly looked down on Eleanor.
How much could a person really change?
He thought the rumors surrounding her were exaggerated.
‘Aside from being lucky enough to be born into House Hildette, what can that girl possibly do?’
Belittling the young lady riding in the carriage he drove, Paul pulled on the reins. The carriage, which had been moving swiftly, gradually slowed.
“On the way to the Forest of Birtna, there’s the Hebein Mountain Range, isn’t there?”
“Yes, my lady.”
“Could you stall for some time there?”
And so Paul had no reservations about joining Jennifer’s scheme.
No—in fact, he had resolved to actively assist her plan.
To Paul, who regarded Jennifer like a queen, Eleanor was nothing more than an impure obstacle.
“You won’t tell anyone, will you? If this goes well, I’ll reward you.”
“There’s no need for a reward, my lady.”
“Paul. I know how faithfully you’ve served this family. Don’t you think it’s time you received your due?”
Of course. Naturally.
Paul believed that if this task went well, he would be promoted to head coachman.
‘This should be a good place to stop.’
Upon reaching the foot of the Hebein Mountains, the carriage he drove noticeably slowed.
He tightened his grip on the reins. When the horses came to a gradual halt, Paul deliberately raised his voice and shouted,
“Ah, the horses are exhausted!”
One horse, not exhausted in the slightest, snorted loudly.
Inside the carriage that was slowly coming to a stop, Eleanor faintly curled her lips upward.
As expected, Jennifer intended to settle things at this mountainside.
Soon she heard the unfamiliar coachman shouting loudly.
“Ah, the horses are exhausted!”
For something meant for her ears, the acting was terribly poor. She didn’t bother suppressing a scoff.
If Paul were an ordinary coachman, he would never have stopped in the Hebein Mountains.
Once notorious for the tyranny of bandits, the Hebein Mountains still occasionally saw incidents reported even now. Naturally, people usually sped through the area.
Villages lay both before and after the mountain range. If rest were truly needed, they could have stopped at the village they had just passed or the one beyond the mountain.
When such common sense was denied, it could only mean something uncommon was about to occur.
“My lady, we’ll have to rest here for a moment.”
Eleanor stared quietly at Paul, who had opened the carriage door without permission.
Paul was slightly flustered. He had expected Eleanor either to respond meekly as usual or to throw a tantrum as the rumors suggested. Instead, she simply gazed at him calmly.
“Is… is there something on my face?”
“I was wondering why you chose to stop in the Hebein Mountains.”
Her calm voice resonated alongside the wind rustling through the forest.
It wasn’t loud, but every syllable struck clearly.
Overwhelmed by the young lady’s quiet pressure, Paul instinctively took a step back—then quickly steadied himself, recalling Jennifer’s face.
“What can we do? The horses are tired. Please step down for a moment.”
“Very well.”
Seeing her comply so easily, Paul thought again that people never truly changed.
She probably just wanted to rebel for a moment.
In any case, he had fulfilled his part. Now he would quietly withdraw, observe the outcome, return, and receive a sweet reward from Jennifer.
“……”
And that foolish fantasy was laid bare in Eleanor’s eyes.
Eleanor was the only one who clearly understood how ruthlessly cruel Jennifer truly was.
Paul had likely been deceived by the promise of sweet rewards.
Jennifer must have smiled gently, telling him it would be an easy task—just do this and come back.
“If you can come back at all.”
She murmured under her breath, ensuring Paul—who had positioned himself some distance away to keep watch—could not hear.
Jennifer would never leave a witness alive. Paul would be buried here forever.
“I wonder what kind of people she sent.”
Murmuring softly, Eleanor picked up the lunch basket at her feet.
Anne had prepared it for her. She couldn’t treat it carelessly.
Its weight and size fit perfectly in her hand.
Well then. Shall we?
Cutting off her thoughts, Eleanor slowly rose from the carriage.
Amid the warm breeze, a faint chill of killing intent began to seep in.
It seemed Jennifer’s prepared men had arrived.
Paul chewed on the venison jerky Jennifer had given him.
She had slipped it into his hand, whispering that hard work like this weighed on her heart.
Remembering her trembling eyes and soft white hand, Paul grinned foolishly.
“Good thing I’ve always treated madam well. Thanks to that, I’ve been entrusted with such a great opportunity.”
He glanced toward the carriage. Eleanor stood leaning against it, staring blankly into space.
Perhaps this would be her last sight in this world.
As Paul took another bite of jerky, leaves rustled behind him.
Turning eagerly, he saw two men dressed entirely in black.
“She’s over there.”
At his whisper, the two black-clad men nodded lightly.
Their faces were hidden by black masks and garments, their identities impossible to confirm. Judging by how well they concealed their presence, they seemed highly skilled.
“Is there anything I can assist with?”
“Lure the woman this way.”
Glancing at Eleanor, Paul nodded.
The foolish young lady, who should have been running for her life, stood blankly gazing into the air.
Luring her hadn’t been part of the original plan, but he could handle that much. After all, he would soon be head coachman.
“My lady.”
Smiling broadly, Paul called to her. The woman holding the lunch basket turned toward him, her jet-black hair fluttering in the wind.
“Would you come this way?”
“Why should I?”
“There’s a very cute rabbit here. I’m sure you’ll like it.”
It wasn’t pleasant catering to a useless woman’s whims, but since it was the last time, he could endure it.
Though her expression was hard to see from afar, Eleanor seemed to hesitate before nodding.
As expected. Girls her age were simple—crazy about cute, small things.
Not a trace of guilt showed on Paul’s face.
“Hmph.”
Eleanor slightly twisted her lips upward.
Through eyes strengthened by demonic power, she saw clearly both Paul’s scheming mind and the two masked men hidden behind him.
She strode toward them. At first walking slowly—then suddenly breaking into a run.
“There’s no need to rush—”
Before Paul could finish, Eleanor’s small figure leapt into the air.
“Huh?”
Paul could not comprehend what unfolded before him. It was shocking enough that the once-helpless Eleanor had leapt—but she dropped directly onto one of the masked men.
“Ugh?!”
Startled, the man raised his sheathed sword. Without hesitation, Eleanor swung the basket in her hand.
Clang!
The polished steel ornament on the wooden case collided with the scabbard, producing a sharp metallic ring. Decorative inlays shattered and fell, but neither Eleanor nor the man cared.
“What?!”
The other masked assassin rushed in to assist. Two sword-wielding men faced one woman armed with a wooden lunch box.
It looked absurd at a glance—but the reality was anything but.
Eleanor quickly assessed the scene.
Close range. Her weapon—a wooden box that could break at any moment. The enemy—armed with swords.
Yet she felt no fear.
A blade slashed from the right. She pushed off the ground with her left foot.
Thud. The sword scraped the ground half a beat too late.
Before she could even settle, a gleaming longsword carved through the air from the left. She ducked and lunged forward.
The man on the left had clearly not expected her to close the distance. His eyes widened in shock.
“You let your guard down.”
Murmuring so, Eleanor swung the wooden basket.
Having already committed to his strike, the man was momentarily exposed. He tried to retrieve his sword—but too late.
Thud.
The corner of the basket smashed into his temple. Unable to withstand the force, the basket’s hinge broke. The food inside spilled out, but Eleanor didn’t spare it a glance as she discarded the wooden case.
Thump.
Struck precisely at a vital point, the large man collapsed before her.
“Hi—hiiik!”
Only then did Paul, still sitting dumbfounded, scream. He looked desperately toward the remaining assassin. If that man didn’t kill Eleanor, disaster would follow—he felt it clearly.
“…Guh!”
But Paul’s hope dissolved with a weak groan.
The assassin who had just lunged at Eleanor was already sprawled on the ground, bleeding crimson.
Before him, golden hair shimmered like sunlight.
“Eleanor.”
The man standing in the backlight, bathed in sunlight, had his face obscured by shadow.
But from his low, subdued voice, it was easy to tell he regarded this situation with utmost seriousness.
“Just what is going on here?”
His cold voice spoke, each word bitten off deliberately.
