Chapter 24 …………………………—
In the original story, it was said that Ron’s hair color was closer to dark navy than the blue that had been passed down through the family for generations.
It seemed to be an influence from his mother’s side.
Because of that, no one in the original story ever imagined that among the slave children there would be a son of the Kerace family.
On top of that…
‘You can’t even see their faces!’
Not only were their heads covered with burlap-like hats, the children also kept their heads lowered so deeply that it was impossible to see their faces properly.
I stood up on tiptoe to look, but of course, I still couldn’t find Ron.
‘Is it not today?’
Becoming increasingly anxious, I kept standing up and sitting down repeatedly, until the Duke cautioned me.
A moment later, a man’s booming voice echoed loudly.
That was the signal that the lion show was about to begin.
And then, from among the children, one extremely small child was dragged to the center.
“…Ugh.”
It was a sight too horrible to watch.
To throw such a pitiful child into a cage with a starving lion…
Seeing people cheer without the slightest guilt made me bite down on my lip so hard it bled.
Bwaaang— a horn sounded, and a sturdy man entered the center.
He was the man who had taken first place in the slave battles.
The crowd’s cheers grew even louder.
The surreal situation made my stomach churn.
“If you can’t bear to watch, you may leave your seat like Shevert did.”
“What?”
Barely managing to hold back my dizziness, I noticed that Shevert’s seat beside the Duke was empty.
He was just here a moment ago—when did he leave?
Looking around, I spotted him standing near the maids lined up in the back, his expression twisted.
Well, even Shevert, the great eldest son of House Kerace, would be seeing a slave market for the first time; such a reaction was only natural.
I turned away from him and answered,
“No, I’ll stay here.”
Whether that slave child was Ron or not, I needed to see this process.
Otherwise, I wouldn’t be able to come up with a solution when I returned next time.
And more than anything, I couldn’t bear to leave when that poor slave child must be trembling in fear right now.
How terrified he must be.
“Waaah!”
“Ooooh!”
Each time the slave attacked the ferocious lion, the people erupted into cheers.
For the slave, it was a matter of survival—and the same went for the lion.
Every time blood—whose, I did not know—splattered red, I squeezed my eyes shut on reflex.
Opening my eyes slightly, I glanced at the Duke.
His expression didn’t change.
He didn’t cheer like the others, but neither did he avert his gaze like I did.
He was simply staring down at the stage with that same, cold, piercing gaze of his.
‘That looks even more cruel!’
I frowned slightly as I looked at him.
Then I suddenly remembered the woman with the choker whom I met earlier in the restroom.
‘Come to think of it… she’s quiet, huh?’
Maybe she wasn’t an assassin after all.
Maybe I misunderstood.
There could be plenty of women wearing chokers.
Though encountering one in a slave market restroom was extremely rare…
‘And she told me we’d meet again, too…’
Tilting my head, I suppressed my anxiety—since nothing was happening to the Duke beside me.
“Waaaaah!”
The energy in the arena grew more intense.
When the slave stabbed a knife into the lion’s shoulder and pulled it out, blood sprayed.
The lion’s roaring cries echoed everywhere.
I covered my mouth with both hands, trying to steady my quickening breath.
Then I shifted my gaze to the slave child who was tied in one spot.
Surely he must be crying.
But something was strange.
Though he was far away and I couldn’t see well, the child stood perfectly still, without the slightest tremor.
A normal child would have fainted from fear while crying.
But he simply watched the lion and the man with chilling dryness.
Only then did I become certain.
‘No way…! That child is Ron?’
The boy who had kept his head bowed the entire time slowly began lifting his gaze.
Without realizing it, I shot to my feet.
The Duke must have sensed something off as well, because he couldn’t take his eyes off the boy.
And then—
“Aaaak!”
Suddenly, a shrill scream erupted from behind us.
Then another sound followed immediately after, in quick succession.
“…Lord Shevert!”
“Milord!”
The Duke and I turned simultaneously—and froze in place.
Blood…!
Shevert, who had been among the servants, was bleeding bright red.
Seeing this, the Duke acted swiftly.
“Find whoever is holding a weapon—now!”
“Yes, Your Grace!”
The knights near the Duke moved with perfect coordination, and the maids hurriedly fetched white cloths, their faces pale, beginning emergency treatment.
The nobles nearby stirred anxiously.
Only I stood frozen, unable to move.
Was there really an assassin?
Did that woman with the choker target Shevert instead of the Duke?
The more I thought about it, the more tangled and dizzy my mind became.
Wait—Ron!
When I looked back at the stage, the slave event continued as if unaffected by the chaos.
A heavily bleeding knight lay on the ground, and the lion, still tied, roared furiously, unable to attack him.
And the child—
The child was being dragged away by some people.
I have to go get him!
I hurried forward without taking my eyes off the child, but I was grabbed after only a few steps.
“Lady Marianne, where are you going? It’s dangerous.”
It was a familiar attendant.
And others were surrounding me as well, preventing me from leaving.
“Move. I need to go.”
“Go where, my lady?”
“T-To the restroom! I—it’s really urgent!”
“But my lady, you cannot right now. It is dangerous everywhere.”
No, no—this can’t happen!
Watching the child move farther and farther away, I finally crouched down, grabbing my stomach.
“Ow, my stomach hurts so much.”
“Lady Marianne!”
I’m telling you to let me go, you idiots.
I looked up at them with pained eyes, and eventually we settled on the compromise of going to the spectator restroom together.
I was about to hurry along when—
…The choker!
Suddenly, Shevert came into view.
Servants were carrying him away on their backs.
And beside him—was the pale-faced woman wearing the choker.
My thoughts froze instantly.
Everything before my eyes moved in slow motion.
Shevert, his face twisted in agony as blood poured out.
And that woman—barely lifting one corner of her lips as she tightly held something in her skirt pocket.
Is that… a knife?
The slow motion ended with a mental ‘clang.’
The servants carrying Shevert passed right by our group.
So did the woman with the choker.
No—he can’t die such a meaningless death!
My heart began pounding wildly.
It was instinct.
A primal urge to save someone in danger.
Whether it was Shevert or not didn’t matter.
No one deserved to die like this.
Just like I did in my past life.
As I trembled, suffocating with fear while being chased by a murderer.
“W-Watch out!”
I pushed the maid in front of me aside and stretched my hand out.
Just barely—I almost touched the pale neck adorned with the choker.
A bit more, just a bit more—
And then I grabbed a piece of her clothing.
At that moment, the woman with the choker narrowed her pale brows and turned—
And at the same time, I felt something hot gush out of my stomach.
“…Ugh.”
“M-My lady!”
“An assassin! It’s an assassin!”
Everything turned into chaos.
The knights immediately surrounded me.
My body slumped downward, powerless.
It felt strange—like it wasn’t even my body.
It hurt so much I could scream, but the hot blood pouring out numbed my senses.
Ron… I need to meet him…
It happened this way in my previous life too.
Why was this life turning out the same?
This is so damn miserable.
I’m going to die again, aren’t I? That’s what this is… right?
If I get another chance in the next life, please—please let me not die so meaninglessly.
Ugh, who knows if praying desperately will even reach the heavens?
When I blinked, the horrifying face of the murderer from my past life flashed before me and disappeared.
When I blinked again, reality returned.
Shevert, who had been carried by a servant, was now crouched right beside me, face twisted weirdly.
“Y-You…!”
That was the last thing I remembered.
My eyelids, heavier than ever, slowly drifted shut, and I fell into complete darkness.
