Chapter 10
For a moment, I thought I had heard wrong.
But the red eyes staring at me clearly carried killing intent.
Seeing that, frustration surged up inside me.
What the heck is wrong with this guy?
What did I even do to deserve being threatened like that?
Being pressured by a man bigger than me, my body instinctively shrank back.
I took a deep breath and tried to calm myself.
Come on, don’t be scared. I didn’t do anything wrong!
I tightened my grip on the hem of my skirt.
“Are you telling me to choose between you grabbing my neck or me running away?”
At my words, Piarone tilted his head slightly to the left.
That was his way of showing agreement.
“You’re giving me ridiculous options.”
“Well, the right answer that lets you live should be obvious.”
Obvious? What answer?
Are we playing a quiz show or something?
“I came here to see Cesia, not you. Stay out of it and mind your own business.”
“Do you know? The Empire’s guardian has certain privileges.”
Saying that, Piarone’s hand moved toward his waist.
Then I saw his sword, previously hidden by his cloak.
“One of those privileges is the right to carry weapons inside the imperial palace.”
“But you’re not the guardian—Cescia is.”
Piarone laughed softly at that.
It was a sticky smile filled with mixed emotions.
“What difference does it make? I am her. She is me. We are one.”
Seeing that smile sent chills down my spine.
I probably shouldn’t say this, or I might die by Piarone’s sword right now…
But I just couldn’t hold it in!
“You pervert.”
“Crazy bastard!”
Thankfully, Asil’s voice drowned out my muttered insult.
Asil rushed over and grabbed Piarone by the collar.
“Say that again! What did you call him?!”
“It’s been a while, Asil. I thought you couldn’t handle defeat and ran away with your tail between your legs.”
“Who ran away?!”
Asil’s excited voice echoed through the hallway.
Piarone’s mocking tone also grew louder.
Good!
Go ahead and fight each other!
I’ll use this chance to get out of here!
Their argument escalated further.
I subtly wiggled my feet and stepped away.
They seemed too absorbed in their fight to notice me.
Perfect, Asil. Keep them busy!
I seized the opportunity and bolted.
I was glad I had taken off my high heels!
I ran without looking back.
How long I sprinted, I don’t know.
Only when I reached a place where I couldn’t hear Asil and Piarone’s voices did I finally stop.
“Phew… what a mess.”
I was out of breath.
It was suffocating.
It was way too intense!
That crazy guy—avoiding him is the best strategy. I never wanted to be alone with Piarone again.
But why was he acting like that toward me?
Did Cesia say something to him? Now that I think about it, Piarone had mentioned something like, “So you actually appeared as Cesia said.”
…He didn’t say something bad about me, did he?
Lost in thought, I kept walking aimlessly.
At the end of the corridor, I saw an exit leading outside.
Good. Let’s get out of this dark hallway!
I walked forward, and the door to the last balcony was slightly open.
Peeking inside, I saw a white dress through the curtains.
Come to think of it, Cesia had worn a dress like that today.
After a brief hesitation, I gently reached out and pulled the curtain aside.
Long black hair, like the night sky, came into view.
Yep, it was Cesia!
Not wanting to disturb her, I quickly stepped inside.
Startled by my sudden appearance, Cesia jumped up and screamed.
“Eek!”
“Gah! S-sorry!”
I hadn’t meant to scare her that badly!
Panicking, I stammered an apology and flailed my arms.
Cesia looked at me with a frightened expression and stepped back.
She seemed to have been crying—tears still clung to her eyes.
“How did you get in here?!”
“Ah, Asil helped me.”
“You brought Asil with you! Why did you approach that poor child? If you have a problem with me, come to me directly—why involve Asil?!”
Her sudden outburst staggered me.
I had approached Asil? Me?
What’s going on today?
Is this the day I get hit with every injustice in the world?
“Wait, just a moment.”
“Earlier, Asil came and stirred everything up inside me, and now you too? I just wanted to be happy with the people I love!”
“Asil came here?”
“Yes! He said he wouldn’t come back to me! That he would always stay by my side! That he would protect me!”
Cesia started crying again.
That brat Asil should have come straight back to me—why was he still talking to her?
No wonder it took so long.
I approached the crying Cesia.
“Calm down, Cesia. I didn’t do anything to you, and I won’t.”
“Th-then why did you come here? How did you meet Asil?”
“Asil came to find me earlier. I don’t know why.”
Cesia looked at me with teary eyes.
Her expression was so pitiful, as if she carried all the sorrows in the world.
Anyone would think I had made her cry.
“May I speak now?”
“…Go ahead.”
Cesia finally nodded.
At last, I had permission to talk.
I sighed and said:
“Cesia, have you ever heard of ‘possession’?”
Just as I said that, a chill ran down my spine.
Cesia’s eyes widened and she covered her mouth.
Seeing her expression, I forced myself to stay calm and lowered my gaze.
To my right, a sharp blade appeared next to my neck.
What the…?
I slowly turned my head.
Piarone stood there, radiating killing intent and holding a sword to my throat.
The moment our eyes met, I knew it.
He was serious.
He really intended to attack me.
“Cesia’s tears… you will pay for them with your life.”
With that, Piarone swung his sword toward my neck.
Cesia screamed with her eyes shut.
“Eeeek!”
“Aaaah!”
Of course, I screamed too.
And then it happened.
The high heel I was holding began glowing gold.
What the?!
In that instant, my hands moved on their own and blocked the sword with the heel!
“Huh!”
I was stunned.
Piarone looked dumbfounded, then swung his sword again.
My hands moved again, blocking the attack.
When he struck from the right, my left heel blocked it.
When he struck from the left, my right heel blocked it.
For the record, I wasn’t doing it.
I was just standing there, yet my hands moved as if controlled by something!
Clang after clang rang out as the high heels and sword clashed.
My body flinched at the incoming attacks, but my hands kept moving.
Unable to bear the dissonance, I finally shouted:
“Hey, you pervert!”
My left heel blocked an incoming strike.
“Stop swinging that sword!”
It immediately stomped down on his hand with the heel.
Piarone dropped the sword.
“Enough already!”
As soon as the sword fell, my right heel struck Piarone’s cheek.
“Ugh!”
A loud sound rang out, and both Piarone and my right heel tumbled to the floor.
“Piarone!”
Cesia rushed to him.
What the hell just happened…?
I trembled, trying to steady myself, and checked the buff gauge.
It was glowing again, filled to the brim.
If I hadn’t had the buff, I would’ve died from his sword attack, right?
I exhaled and looked at the gauge, then back at Piarone.
He might get up and attack again.
He was still watching me closely.
The moment our eyes met, Asil entered the balcony.
“Daphne! Are you okay?!”
He looked disheveled—his neat clothes wrinkled and hair messy.
I brushed away his reaching hand and glared at him.
Even if he had his own motives, he was still my bodyguard.
He should have arrived before everything ended, not after.
I was a fool to trust anyone.
I have to protect myself!
“Asil Lafman! You’re fired!”
I gripped the still-golden high heel tightly.
Time to run while the buff was active!
I shoved Asil aside and sprinted outside.
How many times have I run today?
Only when I finally realized what it meant to be out of breath did I stop.
“Huff… I’m dying.”
I collapsed onto a bench in a beautiful flower garden.
Seems like I ended up in a courtyard while running.
I sat down and replayed what had happened.
…Was it wrong to hit Piarone with a shoe, no matter how crazy he was?
Even if it was self-defense, I didn’t know how many people would believe that.
The only witness was Cesia, and she probably wouldn’t defend me.
Tomorrow’s newspaper headline would probably read:
[Breaking News! Daughter of a declining baron family strikes one of the Empire’s three great dukes in the face with a shoe?!]
I imagined what would come next and quickly shook my head.
No, no!
No matter how I spin it, all the interview would say is that I “assaulted a duke,” leaving out the part where he tried to choke me and swung a sword at me.
Ugh, I already paid off my debts—should I just run away?
What would I tell Rosanna and Maria?
Could I even ask them for money to escape?
Wouldn’t that be too shameless?
I buried my hands in my already messy hair.
Then a long shadow fell over my face..
