Chapter 39
The quiet mountain path was thrown into chaos. The carriage of the Duchy of Defania began to race forward, making a fierce noise.
“Burn the carriage! Burn everything they have!”
“Waaah!”
A group suddenly appeared from somewhere and attacked the carriage.
“Rudice!”
As Quinlan moved to confront the attackers, an arrow flew toward him.
As if he’d been expecting it, Quinlan deflected the arrow with his sword and turned back toward the carriage.
But masked men leapt out from somewhere and attacked him again.
‘They’re not just bandits.’
He hadn’t thought they were ordinary bandits to begin with. The attackers, pretending to be clumsy, moved with a level of skill that was too refined.
They charged toward their true targets. As if they knew exactly who was in charge, they struck directly at Quinlan and Hugo.
Quinlan’s eyes sharpened, as if he’d anticipated their movements. With a wide swing of his sword, the attackers were knocked back by the force of the blade cutting through the air.
Without missing a beat, he turned his horse toward the carriage.
And then—
Bang! With a loud crash, the carriage door flew open. The men trying to stab into the carriage were thrown far away along with the door.
“……”
A moment of silence fell. Even those locked in battle paused and looked toward the now-doorless carriage.
After a tense pause, someone lightly jumped out of the carriage.
Rudice appeared, elegantly dressed in a travel gown.
“Rudice!”
Quinlan rushed over, concern on his face, but Rudice greeted him with a radiant smile.
“I’m fine. I’ll handle things here, so you help the others.”
“I told you to stay somewhere safe…”
Quinlan had approached, about to scold her for disobeying, but stopped short when he saw what she was holding.
“You brought that with you?”
Quinlan looked at her in disbelief.
“This is practically a part of me,” Rudice replied, speaking of her weapon as if it were a cherished treasure.
“There’s no way I’d leave Baros behind.”
She gave her halberd a graceful spin and planted her feet firmly apart.
Or tried to.
The elegant travel gown, designed to show off her figure, hindered her movement.
“…Tch. How annoying.”
Rudice clicked her tongue, flipped her halberd around, and sliced the bottom of her dress cleanly.
The finely honed blade easily cut through the fabric.
“Lady Rudice!”
Phil Evans ran over, calling out to her.
“Oh, Phil. Perfect timing. Take care of Sera, will you?”
“Huh?”
“Keep her safe.”
Then, without hesitation, Rudice swung Baros at the enemies around the carriage with a loud whoosh.
The polished silver blade caught the light and spun in a perfect arc.
Satisfied with the motion, Rudice lifted her lips into a smile. She beckoned to the enemies around her with a single curled finger.
“Come on. I’ll let one of you live.”
One—because someone needed to be left alive to spill who sent them.
* * *
The ambush was over in a flash.
Once Rudice joined the fight and Quinlan no longer had to worry about protecting his wife, the attackers were quickly overwhelmed.
It had never been an ambush that could succeed.
Though few in number, the party was composed of elite knights from the Duchy of Defania. And with Rudice being an accomplished knight herself, there was no weak point to exploit.
After the fight ended and the scene was somewhat tidied, Quinlan approached Rudice. His eyes were on the weapon she held.
“Where on earth did you hide that?”
“I had it under the floor of the carriage.”
“How did I not notice?”
“Because I didn’t tell you.”
Quinlan stared at her, dumbfounded.
“If you’d said something, no one would’ve stopped you.”
“I know. I just forgot to mention it.”
Rudice answered as if it were no big deal.
“Ha…”
Quinlan let out a low sigh.
The fact that she was telling the truth only made it more frustrating.
“More importantly…”
His gaze shifted to the hem of Rudice’s dress.
The long, flowing gown that once covered her voluptuous figure had been shortened and altered to a more practical length.
Quinlan recalled the image of her cutting the dress herself.
That image was also a shock—in more ways than one.
Noticing his gaze, Rudice’s cheeks reddened slightly.
“Don’t look at me like that. I needed to move freely.”
Blood from the battle had stained her silk stockings, clinging to her long legs. It was almost surprising that the garter belt hadn’t torn.
“Let’s talk,” Quinlan said.
“Why?” she asked.
“I think it’s time we had a serious conversation.”
“I’d like that.”
Her bright expression only made Quinlan’s face grow stiffer.
“Haah…”
He let out a long sigh.
“Going on a date sounds nice and all… but you can’t bring this thing along.”
Rudice waved Baros in front of him.
“Honestly…”
Watching from the sidelines, Phil Evans—standing beside Sera and Hugo Barrett—sighed deeply and stepped forward.
He walked straight to Rudice and held out both hands respectfully.
“I’ll take care of it and make sure it’s properly stored.”
Rudice gave him a soft smile.
“Thanks, Phil.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
She placed the halberd Baros into his hands.
‘Ugh!’
Phil grimaced unconsciously and braced both arms and legs.
As always, her weapon was ridiculously heavy. Even as a former knight and now her aide, he struggled to lift it.
And yet, Rudice wielded it effortlessly in battle with those slender wrists and arms.
‘It hurts like hell when she hits you with it, though…’
Of course, her body wasn’t all softness. As a trained warrior, Rudice’s body was firm and muscular beneath the surface.
With the weapon now in Phil’s hands, Rudice looped her arm through Quinlan’s.
“Shall we talk, then?”
As Rudice spoke casually, Quinlan halted his steps. No matter how stern he tried to be, he was always soft when it came to her.
Even though she was likely still stained with blood, she clung to his arm without hesitation, moving as if nothing were out of the ordinary—causing even Quinlan to flinch.
But wisely, he said nothing and simply let her be.
“…So, you—”
Instead, he pulled his cloak around her body, shielding her legs from view.
Then, grasping her wrist, he began walking briskly, pulling her away from where the other knights stood.
“Wow…”
As the couple disappeared into the forest, Sera let out a long breath. She looked more shocked by the duke and duchess than by the ambush.
Phil held back his own sigh.
Even he had trouble getting used to it—how must this young girl feel? Still, better a loving couple than a cold one, so he tried to think of it positively.
Phil glanced at Sera, who was staring in awe toward the direction they had gone.
‘How am I even supposed to explain this?’
He cleared his throat and said,
“They’re just really close, so there’s no need to worry. You’ll get used to it…”
“Ah,”
But what she said next was unexpected.
“That was so cool.”
“……”
Sera murmured in wonder, her expression one of someone who had just witnessed an entirely new world.
What kind of girl was this?
“I thought noblewomen were all weak and delicate… but she’s so strong.”
“……”
“I’m going to follow Lady Rudice forever. She’s amazing.”
“……”
Phil watched Sera, her eyes sparkling as she gazed in the direction Rudice had gone, and let out yet another sigh.
Ever since Rudice had begun acting more boldly, followers had started to emerge within both the knight order and the ducal household.
“Yeah… she’s impressive, alright.”
But following her feels like trying to breathe at high altitude.
Phil said no more and kept his thoughts to himself.
Still, he had a strong feeling that this half-dwarf girl had just become the duchess’s newest devoted admirer.
