<CHAPTER 06>

“Ahhh!”

There was no way a water deer could be in the imperial palace garden, so it was clearly a human scream.

In an instant, countless thoughts ran through my mind.

My legs trembled uncontrollably.

‘Why did I even come here, I should have just followed the usual walking path!!’

No matter how stubborn Jay was, I shouldn’t have given in.

I crouched down and hid in the bushes.

There was no need to try.

Even without doing anything, my weak legs gave out on their own.

I didn’t forget to pull Jay into my arms.

I carefully scanned my surroundings in vigilance.

Through the lowered view blocked by the bushes, I could see people moving around.

Hiding my body behind the shrubs, I cautiously observed the situation.

I could faintly hear people talking.

“Julian. There may still be remnants left, so search thoroughly.”

“Yes.”

“If you find them, bring them here.”

My eyes widened.

‘Lucas?’

Unlike the scream from earlier, the voice was extremely calm.

A thought came to me belatedly.

‘Could he have been carrying out duties under the Emperor’s direct command unit?’

‘If that’s the case, then the earlier scream makes sense. Still terrifying enough to make your blood run cold.’

‘But anyway, he’s on our side.’

When I slightly peeked my head out, I caught a glimpse of Lucas and a serious-looking officer from the direct unit.

‘I got scared for nothing.’

Perhaps he was on his way home from work, Lucas was wearing plain clothes instead of the usual uniform of the direct unit.

‘This feels different.’

It was just a simple shirt and plain trousers, but somehow it made his face stand out even more.

I tried to stand up and greet Lucas, but I froze awkwardly in between standing and sitting.

The navy trousers—

I mean, the clothes Lucas was wearing—

The moment I accidentally stepped on a branch on the ground—

“Who’s there!”

At the same time as the shout, something flew and stabbed into the ground in front of me.

A dull sound rang out as the blade pierced the rain-softened earth.

It seemed to be a warning, as the dagger was lodged a few steps ahead of my feet.

Except for the exact distance of three steps, the trajectory was incredibly precise.

My heart pounded wildly.

If they had made even the slightest mistake, I could have lost my right foot forever.

Frozen stiff in shock, Lucas pushed through the bushes and approached me.

Rustle, rustle.

The leaves, lush with spring, were forcibly parted by the intruder’s hand.

Before I knew it, Lucas was looking down at me.

Earlier, I thought simple clothes suited him better, but now he looked like a grim reaper from mythology.

Like a broken music box, I repeated only certain words.

“Lu, Lu, Lucas.”

“Yeah.”

Sadly, those were the only words I could repeat.

“Mu, mu, murder case—”

“It’s not.”

Lucas snapped sharply.

His usual tone strangely calmed me down.

“It’s not a murder case, and they’re not even dead yet.”

He shouted.

“Olian! It’s someone I know. Lower your weapon.”

“Who is it?”

“An administrator from Duffy Palace! Looks like she came out to walk a dog and crossed paths with us.”

I nodded frantically, agreeing with him.

Judging by the situation, Lucas’s group seemed to be the lawful side.

“Miss Rena Pael, you may not look like it, but I’ll ask just to be sure. You’re not on their side, are you?”

“No, no! I don’t even know what side that is, but I’m definitely not! I was asked by Duffy Palace to walk a dog—”

To prove my innocence, I showed him the leash.

“It’s genuine! If you check Duffy Palace, there should be a record!!”

“Woof.”

Not understanding the situation, Jay opened his mouth slightly and smiled innocently.

The fur around his mouth, damp with saliva, curled messily.

The lace ribbon attached to Jay’s pin fluttered gently.

His plump muzzle was pointed toward the injured person.

Jay waved his paw toward them.

Lucas, looking flustered, stepped far away from Jay.

Every time their eyes met, his body flinched.

What was that?

Covering his mouth, Lucas stepped back a few more steps and gave an order to his subordinate.

“Julian, take the dog. It’s chaotic here, so return it to Duffy Palace.”

My hand gripping the leash was filled with cold sweat.

“Wait a moment. Th-then what are all these people? This really isn’t a murder case, right? I’m not becoming a witness to a murder case, right?”

Until I was certain Lucas’s group was safe, I couldn’t hand Jay over.

I stood protectively with Jay behind me.

He roughly ran a hand through his hair.

“They’re assassins who attempted to assassinate the Emperor.”

“What?”

“And like I said, it’s not a murder case. They’re not dead. We just subdued them.”

It was an answer I had never expected.

Shock overtook fear.

“An assassination attempt?”

“It’s nothing special. It happens sometimes.”

Come to think of it, all the people who had been subdued had something suspicious about them.

They were all dressed as imperial palace attendants.

Of course, one might say there’s nothing strange about seeing attendants in the palace.

‘But if they’re attendants, they should all be from high-ranking noble families.’

Yet the hands visible outside their clothes were rough.

Their unmaintained fingertips were calloused and stained with a faint gray grime.

‘These people aren’t nobles…’

The fine hairs on the back of my neck stood up.

In the imperial palace, attendants were selected exclusively from nobles.

There might be differences in rank, but there were no commoners serving as attendants.

Lucas was right.

These people were not palace attendants.