Episode 3
“Jera, that damn….”
They say the knife you trust cuts the deepest — well, that girl didn’t just cut my foot, she shattered my skull.
“Captain, the description matches.”
“I saw.”
To make matters worse, the knights who checked my face already looked half-convinced.
I pressed my lips together and darted my eyes nervously.
Could I maybe push past them and run?
I hesitated for a second but immediately gave up.
Even if I tried, the outcome was obvious — they’d catch me in less than ten steps.
“Uh, sirs?”
Ten pairs of eyes locked on me at once.
Their sharp gazes made my throat dry.
Stay calm, Sofi. Even in a tiger’s den, if you stay calm, you can survive.
“I don’t know what rumors you heard, but I’m just an ordinary inn worker.”
Ta-da! Surprise!
I spread my arms and gave them my brightest smile.
“……”
No one smiled back.
“…Ahaha.”
Okay, that was supposed to be my big move.
At this point, maybe I should just pretend to be crazy and bolt.
While I was busy debating between fight or flight, the knights seemed to have reached their own conclusion.
They whispered among themselves, then straightened their posture.
“Young Lady.”
The captain gestured toward one of his subordinates —
a tall woman with red hair tied tightly in a ponytail.
Her upturned eyes were fierce. She had to be at least 180 centimeters tall.
“If it isn’t too discourteous, may this knight check your leg?”
I jumped back in horror.
Are they insane? Show them my scar?
“N-no way!”
“…Pardon?”
“I don’t have a scar on my right leg!”
Silence.
Every knight there exchanged an odd look.
After a long pause, the captain spoke again.
“…We never said which leg it was.”
…Is my IQ two digits or what?
The captain’s eyes gleamed with absolute certainty.
He gave a small signal, and the knights moved in unison.
“We’ll be escorting you, my lady.”
“E-escorting who?”
“I apologize, but it’s hard to discuss matters here. We’ll explain on the way.”
“W-wait! I told you I’m not Amelia Cedric!”
“Understood, Miss Sofi. Please come with us.”
“Argh! I said I’m not going!”
You can guess the rest.
They “escorted” me into the carriage — politely but firmly —
and I was dragged away like a pig to slaughter.
Just before the door shut, I caught sight of Jera peeking from behind a pillar, waving cheerfully.
“Sofi, good luck!”
…That girl’s dead to me.
***
Looking back, my life had always been one disaster after another.
When I failed to get into the university I thought was a sure thing.
When my first boyfriend cheated on me.
When I woke up as a background extra in a novel.
But never — never — had I felt as hopeless as today.
“Life…”
I was being kidnapped.
By knights from the capital, no less.
“Sigh.”
I slumped back against the seat with a deep, weary sigh.
It was disgustingly soft.
Wait, can a carriage seat even be this comfortable?
And the interior — so ornate, so extravagant that the embedded jewels actually hurt my eyes.
These people were swimming in money. I could sell one decoration and live a year.
I turned my head.
Outside the window, the beautiful scenery of the eastern region flowed past,
and ahead of us, mounted knights in perfect formation escorted the carriage.
Too luxurious for a trip to the afterlife.
Then I glanced back at the knight seated across from me —
the same red-haired woman from earlier, sitting rigidly with perfect posture.
So technically, this was a kidnapping, but…
“Um, are you uncomfortable, miss?”
“Huh?”
“You sighed just now. Is the seat not to your liking?”
These kidnappers were… unusually polite.
They had literally forced me into the carriage,
yet now they seemed hyper-aware of my every breath.
Especially the red-haired one —
every time I so much as shifted my body, her green eyes went wide in alarm.
“Is it the shaking of the carriage that troubles you?”
What shaking? I could build a card tower in here.
“Please, speak freely. If you’re feeling motion-sick, I’ll fetch water immediately.”
Her face said she’d jump off and dig a well herself if needed.
Please. Just don’t look at me like that.
I swallowed down the words and stayed quiet.
Unfortunately, the knights riding outside overheard our exchange and started murmuring.
“The young lady’s feeling sick?”
“So I hear. Captain, should we stop the carriage?”
“Jenesia, is her condition serious?”
Oh, for heaven’s sake, I just sighed!
Stop caring about me! Please!
“I’m fine,” I said quickly.
“Are you certain?”
“Yes.”
“Understood. But please don’t hesitate to say if you need anything.”
“Sure, sure. Go… do your job.”
My soulless answer finally silenced them, and the march resumed.
Good grief.
“Um, by the way,” I said, “this carriage — it’s going to the capital, right?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“Oh, wow.”
From my village in the east, it would normally take at least two full weeks to reach the capital.
Being dragged there is terrifying enough,
but spending two weeks trapped with these overly polite knights? Torture.
Just thinking about it made my head spin.
If we arrive quickly, I die quickly.
If we arrive slowly, I suffocate slowly.
What kind of choice is that?
The red-haired knight spoke up again.
“Please don’t worry. In about thirty minutes, we’ll reach a portal that will take us straight to the capital.”
“A portal? Isn’t that expensive— oh.”
Right. These people were from the Duke Cedric’s household.
The knight blinked at my reaction, then nodded with an “ah, right” expression.
“Yes, of course.”
Apparently, she still thought I was pretending to be a commoner.
I appreciated the misunderstanding, but still — she couldn’t be more wrong.
Meanwhile, the carriage reached the edge of the eastern forest.
The captain gave a signal, and the formation shifted.
A blue light shimmered on the ground, and suddenly my body felt weightless.
“Ugh, what the—!”
It felt like the peak of a roller coaster —
my stomach and shoulders tingled, goosebumps racing up my arms.
I instinctively crossed my arms and hugged myself.
Then I heard a faint chuckle from across me.
I glanced up to see the red-haired knight awkwardly clearing her throat, pretending she hadn’t laughed.
Just laugh already, for crying out loud.
A brilliant light flooded the carriage, then quickly faded.
Almost at once, my body settled back down.
I straightened up and peeked out the window — and gasped.
“…Whoa.”
The view outside was breathtaking.
Grand buildings, clean stone roads, bustling people, nobles in dazzling clothes —
it was like a scene straight out of a movie.
Beautiful. Unreal.
‘So this… is my grave.’
Too beautiful a place to die in.
