Escape from the evil lady

I couldn't believe that I had actually blurted out the first thing that came to my mind. In moments of desperation, my brain worked in a chaotic way. And now that I had uttered what seemed to me to be absolute nonsense, I could only hope for the best.

I was trembling, and it seemed to me that my heart was about to burst. I was scared. Very, very scared. Nevertheless, I tried my best to show that this was not the case.

However, at the moment when I was expecting my death…

«Are you all right?»

Hearing such unexpected words, I opened my eyes and looked straight ahead. As it turned out, the villain crossed the distance between us so quickly that I didn't even notice it. She was standing almost directly in front of me now.

«This woman is trembling all over. She must be cold.» — the thought that flashed through Kaena's mind made her anxious. If you think about it, summer was already coming to an end, and the weather was really getting windy.

My head was spinning and my whole body was hot. I still couldn't figure out what was going on right now. Everything was in a mess in my head, and I couldn't really formulate a single thought.

Meanwhile, when the princess, drenched in blood, was about to take off her cloak, she realized this in time and frowned. Since she couldn't give me her bloody cloak, another idea popped into her head.

— Come here,» the Crown Princess called her subordinate dispassionately.

It was probably only at this moment that I noticed that the knights of the Dark Army were hiding in the shadow of the local forest thicket all this time. The brigade of the main villain stood on guard and did not take a step without the order of its mistress. One of the thugs in dark armor quickly approached us.

I recognized him as the man with the scar who gave me the wallet not so long ago.

«.....»

I was speechless. I was an idiot after all.

— Give it back.

— Wh-what?

— Give it back, I say.

When the knight realized what was required of him, he immediately took off his dark fur cloak and handed it to the princess. She, in turn, wrapped me in it.

— Guard this place. Check out what's going on in the neighborhood.

— Yes, — the knight replied after the villainess quietly gave her command.

— Don't let anyone get close.

— Yes, Your Highness.

My eyes filled with confusion. I am completely confused about what is happening.

The Crown Princess was looking at me with an expression that was in stark contrast to her bloody appearance. Her expression looked like she hadn't done anything special. It was as if we were in a clearing full of mushrooms, not corpses.

She touched my cheek. Feeling the cold on my skin, I shuddered. But… She still hadn't hit me with her sword, and the touch was gentle rather than rough.

If it weren't for the fact that we were at the scene of a bloodbath, and the woman in front of me didn't exude a bloody smell, one would think that this was a scene from some kind of melodrama.

I raised my trembling gaze, soaked with fear.

Her eyes, on the contrary, were full of warmth and completely out of keeping with her face, which was covered with fresh red blood.

«I know what you're thinking, — she said softly.

— what? I asked with a puzzled expression on my face.

— …Thank you for waiting for me.

— .....

«But I wasn't expecting you…»

— I can give you everything. Anything,» the villainess emphasized with a calm face.

I wanted to say that I didn't need anything from her, but at that moment I just couldn't turn my tongue. I just froze like a statue and stared at her.

The Princess slowly raised her hand. I instinctively wanted to close my eyes. But she just tucked my disheveled hair behind my ear.

«As promised, I'm going to ask your father for your hand in marriage.»

***

Time flew by in the evening. When we returned to the ducal mansion in the carriage of the Crown Princess, the sky darkened to lavender. The first thing I noticed was the unnatural silence around.

I looked around, but I didn't see the knights who marched here this morning. Sir Gilton was nowhere to be seen either.

While I was tormented by terrible guesses one after another, someone else's hand touched my shoulder and made me shudder.

— Don't worry. No one will hurt you here.

— .....

It was paradoxical to hear such words from this man.

In the current situation, I could only helplessly follow the main villain. Although I wasn't tied up, I couldn't take a step to escape.

At the end of the day, magic lights lit up all around the entrance and in the garden of the duchy. In the midst of our enlightening surroundings, a woman walked next to me, her eyes shining brighter than these sparkling lights.

Normally, I would have admired this sight. But now I just shuddered, finding her golden eyes incredibly creepy. Like a predator watching its prey from the dark.

The duke suddenly appeared at the entrance to the mansion. I was surprised that he returned so quickly. And anyway, if news of what was happening reached him, I was surprised that he even returned. He turned pale when he saw me in close proximity with the Crown Princess.

— What's going on? The head of the family asked sharply.

«Your Grace, let's talk inside.»

Kaena de Ronan only smiled back at him charmingly. And since her word was decisive in the current situation, no one challenged it. After hesitating, the duke still stepped aside, allowing the guests to enter the house.

Sitting on the couch in the living room, I gripped the folds of my dress tightly. The maids served tea, but no one drank it. Meanwhile, casually looking around, I didn't see Yufil anywhere. Where is he? While I was wondering about the whereabouts of my older brother, my thoughts were interrupted by a voice that cut through the silence.

Time passed, and I didn't notice how half of this conversation had already flown by.

— …What did you say?

— I said that my daughter is not going anywhere.

The cold atmosphere in the living room was frightening. None of the parties present wanted to give up their positions. After a while, the Crown Princess smiled.

— Why do you refuse? If your daughter comes with me, she won't need anything.

The Duc de Valt looked at her heavily.

— We don't need it.

— What about Camille? Do you really not consider your daughter's opinion at all?

When the conversation touched on me, I, who was sitting on the couch, shrank into him even more fearfully. I lowered my eyes to the floor and couldn't lift my pale face.

Being between them, as if between two fires, I wanted only one thing — to disappear from here.

— Your Highness, our family is very grateful to you for your offer of engagement,» the Duke replied as modestly as possible, «but we have to reject it. I hope that you will not take this refusal as an insult.

«.......»

Silence.

While I didn't know what to say, the Duke got up from his seat.

The expression on his face when he shielded me with his back and stood facing the Crown Princess was so cold that it is impossible to describe it in words.

— I can't let that happen.

That one word was so decisive that for a moment I thought the man was crazy.

Victor de Walt's gaze became fiercer and more determined than ever.

I looked at him, startled.

«What the hell is he doing?!»

In the living room filled with armed men of the Crown Princess, he actually dared to say something like that. In the old days, this man always ignored me. So why is he insisting on his own now?

I really couldn't figure out what he was thinking.

But it wasn't necessary.

After listening to him, a cold expression appeared on Kaena's face for a moment. But then it was replaced by a smile. A terrible smile. I was even afraid to breathe the same air with her.

— good… — after a short time, she said, — If this is your decision, I will not dispute it.

I couldn't believe my ears. I couldn't believe it could end so easily. And she was right.

— …I'm sorry that you won't be able to attend our wedding.

The next moment.

The Duke looked down at his chest, not even being able to let out a groan. I did the same thing.

A sword was sticking out of it.

The sword that pierced through the Duke's back.

— Huh… Huh…

Blood began to spread across the chest of the owner of the house, like spilled ink.

Soon after, the sword was pulled out, making an unpleasant sound.

The Crown Princess grabbed the Duke by the hair as if she was cleaning up the trash. Then she tossed it aside. The Duke's cold body, with a distorted face, lay on the floor without any strength.

The dark red blood flowing from the man's chest spread across the floor. The accumulated blood flowed to my feet.

«.....»

My teeth chattered uncontrollably as I desperately tried to move my frozen tongue. In the end, I couldn't even find the strength to scream.

«Kill everyone,» this cold—blooded phrase was thrown as easily as the wind.

I froze in fright, unable to do anything when a massacre took place in my house, in front of my eyes. The remaining servants and guards of the de Valt estate died one by one. Everything happened very quickly and swiftly.

The moment came when I was the last survivor.

Then the Crown Princess held out her hand in a bloody glove to me. She smiled at me softly with a gentle look. My heart beat so hard when I saw that expression on her face, but it wasn't out of sympathy for her.

«From now on, you won't have to grovel in front of these people anymore.»

Her voice was confident and calm. There was a lot of warmth in it.

Was it possible to believe that the same man had just slaughtered so many people? Cruel and merciless. Like a predator on the prowl. The mad Crown Princess, who was unaware of mercy, proposed to me.

I didn't know if I should tell her about it.

«The only person I'm afraid of here is you!»

Choking back tears, I held out a trembling hand to her. The Crown Princess readily accepted it and touched her lips to the back of my hand. I felt fear and disgust at the same time.

— Thank you, — she said softly, «Thank you for loving me.» I don't have enough life to repay your kindness.

When I heard that, I didn't even know whether to laugh or cry.

«So by killing my father and ruining my life, is that how you pay me?!»

All in all, I really found myself in a terrible position.

«If only I could turn back time…» — this thought flashed through my head for the umpteenth time.

But nothing could be fixed.

Now that I was in this situation, there was only one way out.

«By all means… I have to escape!»