Chapter 70
Chapter 70
Translation: godsn
"Was it from earlier?"
It was the arm that had struck down the Hydra charging at Medeia.
She had thought he'd managed to dodge and cut off its head before being bitten, but it seemed he had indeed been bitten.
The Hydra's venom was known to be so potent that even a glancing touch could kill a person.
'Is this man strong or just foolish?'
Even in that state, he had dealt with the assassins after finishing off the Hydra. His shoulder also bore the wound from Medeia's flying dagger strike.
She couldn't comprehend how he had been moving so casually in that condition until now.
"I need to neutralize the poison."
Medeia tore her clothes to bind the wound and prepared to extract the venom.
"Don't... worry, Princess."
He shook his head.
"Poison... doesn't work on me. Just makes me tired... and unsightly, that's all."
The curse left by the Primordial Darkness had swallowed even the Hydra's deadly venom.
Though the conflicting energies had caused a sudden seizure, Cesare knew the Hydra's poison wouldn't be what killed him.
"Princess, how did you know about this passage?"
Medeia didn't answer. Sensing he wouldn't get an easy response, Cesare got to the point.
"Get out on your own. They're persistent bastards, so watch your back."
Even in this situation, his arrogant tone ordering her around remained unchanged.
"You seem confident you can survive here in that state."
The assailants were clearly targeting this man.
At her cold question delivered in a calm voice, Cesare let out a short laugh.
For now, Medeia used the torn cloth to bind both his arm bitten by the Hydra and his shoulder stabbed by her flying dagger.
Cesare found it strange seeing the princess, who likely had never hurt a finger in her life, tending to wounds with such familiarity.
Separately, the fleeting touches of those small hands against his skin felt unbearably vivid.
Cesare felt like a pubescent boy, his face turning embarrassingly red.
"I told you... it's unnecessary..."
He tried twisting away, but his stiff body couldn't manage it. His usually composed eyes grew deeply shadowed.
'If the seizures return...'
Not wanting her to see him in that state, he lost consciousness completely.
"Acares?"
When her hand dropped with a thud, Medeia called the mercenary. The eyes that should have been brilliantly flashing were tightly shut.
Placing her hand on his neck, she felt a faint pulse. He seemed to have lost consciousness from his injuries.
'What should I do?'
Could she really just leave him here? Medeia agonized.
'If not for me, he wouldn't have been poisoned.'
This mercenary could have simply let Medeia get bitten by the Hydra. But he hadn't.
Contrary to his threat to strangle her rather than let her escape, surprisingly, the mercenary had protected her.
Whatever his reasons, the fact remained that she owed him.
"......"
Medeia bit her lip. Aside from her brother Pelleus, he was the first man who had tried to protect her.
"Medeia, get out of there! It's dangerous!"
"Are you okay? That was too close. You should've been more careful, Medeia."
"That bastard only ever cared about his own mouth."
Her former husband Iason had always prioritized saving himself whenever the expeditionary force encountered dangerous magic beasts.
When they faced a deadly monster, he had even abandoned their son Rian to flee.
After that, Medeia never let her guard down regarding Rian's safety.
She had instinctively realized that Grand Duke Iason, known for his generosity and kindness, valued his own life more than his family's—contrary to his reputation.
At least compared to him, Acares could be called a man of principle.
"Ha."
Medeia let out a hollow laugh.
Her despicable ex-husband only served to remind her, no matter who she compared him to, just how terrible her choice had been.
'Rian, if only I had protected you better...'
Medeia, who had been lost in longing for her child, suddenly shook her head. Now was not the time to wallow in sentiment.
"......"
Medeia looked down at the unconscious mercenary.
No, not a mercenary—the true leader of Facade.
Regardless of her debt to him, if word got out that she had abandoned the leader of Facade like this, there was no telling how the mercenary group would retaliate against her—or worse, against the royal family.
One must know when to discard a piece and when to keep it. At the very least, there was ample reason to move forward with him for now.
Medeia scanned her surroundings.
Next to the alley they stood in, there was a shabby house.
Peering through the broken windows, the interior was empty. It seemed to be an abandoned home, uninhabited.
Clink.
A shallow shattering sound echoed through the alley. Medeia nimbly climbed through the window.
If Duke Claudio saw this, he would undoubtedly bellow in outrage, accusing the princess of looting an abandoned house.
A short while later, Medeia emerged from the door and led Cesare inside.
Scrape. The sound of something heavy dragging across the stone floor accompanied the door closing behind them.
The street fell silent once more.
Bang! Bang!
"...searching... open the door..."
Voices and noise reverberated through the streets.
They've already tracked us this far.
Catching her breath, Medeia first laid the mercenary down on a makeshift bed near the actual bed.
His frame was so large that his legs stuck out awkwardly, but after hastily draping a tattered blanket over him and covering the rest with a gauzy cloth, at a glance, it simply looked like a pile of luggage.
Rummaging through the house, she found women's clothes. Medeia dusted them off and draped them over herself.
She didn't forget to stuff extra fabric inside to bulk up her figure. She smeared soot from the fireplace on her face and tousled her hair.
The reflection in the faded mirror was unmistakably that of a common housewife.
As she checked the spot where she had hidden Cesare, she froze.
Damn it, the blood from his wounds...
Since no one lived here, the scent of blood stood out even more. The pursuers would undoubtedly notice.
If this keeps up, they'll find us.
Bang! Thud!
The sound of doors being flung open grew closer.
They seemed to be checking each house one by one, starting from the top.
"......"
She had already sent a signal to Neril, but it would take time for her to reach this place.
And above all, she couldn't let Neril face them alone. Her hesitation was brief.
Snap! Medeia drew her flying dagger.
She wrapped a nearby cloth around her wound. The white fabric quickly soaked red.
Bang! Bang!
Right then, someone knocked on the door. Her heart threatened to leap out of her chest.
"Royal Castle guards! We're pursuing an escaped prisoner—open up!"
Bang! Bang!
Medeia stood by the door and answered in a frail voice.
"I'm sorry, but my husband isn't home right now... It's a bit difficult to open the door..."
"We're only searching for an escaped convict. If you don't want to be charged with obstruction, open the door and cooperate with official duties."
When she opened the door, a man with a guard's armband glared down at her.
She pretended not to notice his sharp eyes rapidly scanning the interior.
"Oh dear, what should I do... I know you're working hard, but we barely have anything to offer..."
"Did you see anyone suspicious earlier? Tall, quick on his feet, but injured—probably in poor condition."
Finding nothing amiss in the shabby interior, the guard turned his attention back to Medeia.
"I'm sorry, I've been too busy with work to pay attention to anything outside..."
Medeia blinked, forcing her voice to sound innocent.
Not here.
The guard, about to turn away, suddenly stiffened.
He had caught the faint scent of blood in the air.
His murderous eyes swept the room once more before locking onto Medeia.
"Wh-what's the matter...?"
The woman with a youthful face flushed red. The guard's gaze zeroed in on her blunt hands.
"What's that injury?"
"Ah, this? I cut myself earlier while trimming fabric..."
"Unwrap it."
"It's unsightly—you might not want to see—"
"Now!"