CHAPTER 08…………………………………….
This is where Rienna first encounters the author.
At first glance, the meeting may seem fated, but in reality, it is a dreadful entanglement.
From my position, I could only see the man’s back.
Through the cloth wrapped around him, the well-defined muscles of his back were unmistakable, surrounded by a murky aura.
An ominous crimson glow shimmered intermittently.
“Huu…”
His breath was rough, as if he had been moving intensely moments ago, and his black hair fell freely around his face.
The ultimate antagonist in the novel, the dark force blocking Rienna’s path.
Terence Freiheiden. He was here.
‘Gah.’
I snapped back to reality after momentarily losing myself in the view of his back.
For some reason, just seeing him from behind was so impressive it stunned me.
I quickly and quietly hid behind a nearby tree.
‘He’s really here…!’
Of course, I had come knowing this was Terence’s favored training location.
But I hadn’t expected him to be here at the very moment I arrived.
‘I just came for reconnaissance!’
I had planned to check the area’s exact location and terrain before confronting him directly.
I needed to figure out how to appear to meet him purely by chance.
Terence spent most of his time either secluded at home or wandering the streets, except during training. So, the Wanderer’s Forest was the only place to stage a “chance” encounter.
I pressed my back against the rough tree bark and contemplated.
‘What should I do?’
Should I pretend to be lost and step right in front of him?
There was no better support for my divorce than him.
The Marquis Freiheiden.
Terence, already a high-ranking noble, secretly held an even greater identity and would soon acquire immense power.
The most noble blood of the Empire ran through his veins.
Moreover, I had information valuable enough to make him consider helping with the divorce.
Not about the Andala mine, though.
The mine might be a treasure, but at this moment, it was nothing more than a useless lump of rock.
Even if I loudly proclaimed its future value, I’d likely be dismissed as insane.
On the other hand, the information I had for Terence could be used immediately—and only by him.
No one else would consider supporting my divorce against Cassius in exchange for it.
That was why, out of countless influential figures, I sought Terence.
‘Alright! Let’s go now!’
When else would I have a chance to encounter Terence here?
Claiming to be lost might seem a little clichéd, but it wasn’t suspicious enough to raise alarms.
The Wanderer’s Forest trail was frequented even by locals.
“…”
Yet despite my resolve, my feet hesitated.
‘It’ll be fine, right?’
The thought that Terence was a ruthless character in the latter part of the novel gripped my body with fear. Truly a villain with neither blood nor mercy.
This was like trying to avoid a wolf only to provoke a lion.
A scenario in which I try to divorce Leandro and get squashed by Terence…?
Logically, I was sure that wouldn’t happen.
Terence didn’t fully descend into darkness until much later in the story.
Even though he had a slightly irritable and twisted side, he still stayed within the bounds of a rational person, as the novel stated clearly.
Above all, if I used the information I knew wisely, I could even partially prevent his turn to darkness.
‘But…’
Seeing that terrifying aura up close made me hesitate.
Clang-clang!
Meanwhile, the sound of swords striking the training dummy rang out incessantly.
I drew in a deep breath, exhaling to suppress my fear.
Worrying about a worst-case scenario that hasn’t even happened yet and refusing to act is foolish.
‘Do you want to live a life being ignored in that house?’
Thinking of Cassius, happy with everyone but me, my fear faded.
Determination outweighed fear.
I braced myself, ready to step out from behind the tree.
“Who’s there?”
A chilling voice dropped in a low register.
Beautifully resonant, yet I froze.
…I hadn’t moved a single step, and he had already noticed?
“If your life matters to you, reveal yourself.”
A lazy warning.
“You thought hiding behind my back would go unnoticed?”
My heart pounded.
Go.
‘I need to step out.’
I had to explain that I was lost… but my body wouldn’t move.
I stiffly turned my neck, peeking out from behind the tree.
Whoosh—a slicing sound. The sword in his hand flew through the air, rapidly approaching me.
Reflexively, I raised my arms to shield my head and collapsed to the ground.
Thud!
The tree I had been hiding behind split as the blade hit, collapsing to the ground.
Damn it!
And then a masked assailant appeared, swinging a sword.
“Die!”
Terence dodged with bare hands, weaving between sword strikes and closing in on the attacker’s side.
The outcome was decided instantly.
In the next moment, Terence stood alone, holding a bloodied dagger.
As if he had been the only person in the world from the start, standing proudly.
“Pathetic.”
His words, exhaled like a sigh, made my body tremble.
Frozen, staring at Terence, I quickly lowered my head.
“The skill of assassins is getting worse.”
Fortunately, he seemed preoccupied with the trembling assailant and hadn’t noticed me.
“Sending a brute radiating death… seriously.”
I didn’t breathe, just waited for the moment to pass.
No matter how I looked at it, now wasn’t the right timing.
Stepping in front of Terence in this heightened state of alert would do me no good.
‘Too bad. I’ll wait for the next chance.’
I heard the sound of something heavy being dragged across the ground. Terence must be dealing with the assassin’s body.
I didn’t know how, but it would surely take time.
After a while, and when Terence didn’t seem to return…
‘Now’s my chance!’
I quietly rose to leave.
But…
“…ugh.”
Having crouched for so long, I cramped up.
My body collapsed as I stood, and I slipped on the slope beneath me.
Sliding downward…!
I closed my eyes, bracing for impact.
Yet, no pain came.
My awkward fall hadn’t absorbed the impact effectively, and yet the solid feeling behind me…
I barely turned my head and gasped.
Red eyes glared at me from inches away.
…I was cradled in Terence’s arms.
Seeing his face close up, my first thought:
‘How is he so handsome?!’
No! This isn’t the time!
‘When did he get here?!’
I hadn’t heard his footsteps. Did he sneak up quietly?
A very bad sign.
I quickly wriggled out of his arms, clasping my hands together.
“Thank you for saving me! You kept me alive!”
He still looked slightly dazed.
He must have reflexively caught me as I fell from above.
But that only lasted a moment.
Soon, he gently closed his eyes, lifted the corners of his mouth, and leaned forward.
“Not at all.”
A perfectly gentlemanly smile.
“What brings you to such a secluded place, my lady?”
His figure was so striking it could mesmerize anyone, yet my palms were sweaty.
Wow. He is extremely vigilant.
Being fooled by this fox-like facade would lead to hell.
Terence Freiheiden was the type who treated those he was wary of with the utmost courtesy and warmth.
Conversely, he revealed his cold nature to those he trusted.
His crescent-shaped red eyes scanned me thoroughly.
“I… I took a wrong path…”
“The wrong path? May I ask why you have come to the Wanderer’s Forest?”
“Just… for a walk…”
“Surely not for a walk. This place is far from any trail and in the opposite direction.”
So claiming to be lost was indeed a flimsy excuse.
“That’s right! Well, actually, I… I just came to handle something nearby and decided to take a walk! And… got lost!”
“What was your other purpose?”
“Personal matters… I can’t really explain in detail.”
Hmm. Not good. Really not good.
Terence wasn’t the type to harm a lost pedestrian.
But would he treat someone who might have witnessed his murder the same way…?
“This piques my curiosity. Around here, there’s nothing but the wandering mercenary group’s lodge.”
Clearly, he was gauging how long I had been here.
Cold sweat ran down my neck. I frantically searched for a reasonable excuse.
My eyes caught the self-defense amulet on the ground, likely bounced from my pocket when I slipped.
“Or perhaps you knew someone was here…”
Self-defense…?
A clever idea flashed through my mind.
“I’ll tell you!”
“Yes?”
“Though it’s personal, I must inform the benefactor who saved me!”
I put on a worried expression to make the lie believable.
“I came to request the mercenary group to provide me with a personal guard.”
