Chapter 170

Patrizia grasped the hem of her red dress in frustration. Rafaella was a skilled knight. Also, she did not want to not worry too much, because Rafaella was not the only one escorting her. But it would be a problem above all problems if the number of assassins was too large, and the Second Rank of Knights had not arrived yet. As she heard the sound of Rafaella relentlessly cutting her opponent’s body, Patrizia unwittingly pulled out the amber hairpin that had kept her hair up. Her long, turquoise-colored hair flowed down like a waterfall onto her shoulders.

Clang, clang! The sounds of the battle outside could still be heard vividly. At that time, a familiar voice letting out a scream pierced into her ear. It was Rafaella.

“UUGH!”

“El…?”

“Your Majesty, I am fine!”

She seemed to have been injured. Patrizia began to get nervous. Why had they not arrived yet? As she bit her lips, the door of the carriage she was sitting in was forced open. A flustered Patrizia jumped up from her seat, and in that same moment, the assassin raised his sword at her.

“UGH!”

However, the groan that rang out in the carriage did not belong to Patrizia. The assassin wielding the sword at her suddenly stopped all movement, and then crumpled to the floor on the spot. Patrizia let out a rough breath without her knowledge.

“Moon of the Empire!”

A profound voice was heard, along with the sound of a sword being taken out of the body from behind. It was the voice of the Commander of the Second Rank of Imperial Knights. Patrizia looked at him with a surprised look on her face. He went down on his knee, “I apologize for the delay, Your Imperial Majesty.”

“The punishment for this mistake… I will pay it back with a perfect completion of this mission,” Patrizia replied to him in a slightly quivering voice. “Preferably, capture them. But of course, if the situation does not allow it, you can just kill them all.”

“Your orders, I receive and obey,” The Knight Commander replied in a simple manner, and closed the door. Patrizia was left alone, and swallowed as she heard the situation of a vivid brawl coming from outside the carriage. She was worried about Rafaella, who was injured. She could only hope that it was not too big a wound.

“Your Majesty!”

After a while, the door was opened, and the Knight Commander reappeared. Patrizia got out of the carriage with a swift movement. The assassins were all dead. The Knight Commander spoke to her, but did not raise his face.

“Three of them were captured, but they all bit off their tongues and died.”

“…” She guessed that they were hired at a fairly expensive place. Patrizia scoffed mockingly, and muttered, “It cannot be helped. If they have been paid for, they have to carry out the price.”

Patrizia asked Rafaella, a worried expression on her face, “Ella, are you alright?”

“I am alright, Your Majesty.”

“… You have a serious injury.”

Patrizia twisted her face into a frown. Interlocked with the memories from her life before, the events of that time remained like an afterimage. At that time, Rafaella had died trying to save Petronilla, who had been the Empress.

When Patrizia bit her lips, Rafaella carefully patted her face, “Please do not bite your lips.”

“…”

“I am really fine.”

“Because you have such an incompetent Empress, you are the one that has to suffer.”

“Do not say it like that. You chose me after all, and Your Majesty is far from incompetent.” Rafaella laughed brightly, and Patrizia, who watched this all so painfully, soon gave her orders.

“Come inside the carriage. Other knights will do the escorting now.”

“But Your Majesty…”

“Rafaella, are you going to hurt my heart any more than this?”

“…”

With those words said, Rafaella went inside Patrizia’s carriage quietly, without trying to argue the point further. Red blood could be seen on her right shoulder, as if there was some kind of cut. Patrizia bit her lips again.

“Come on, let us get going.”

At the end of her words, the carriage began to set off, and Patrizia calmly took off the dress she was wearing. Soon her white inner dress was revealed.

Taken aback, Rafaella asked her, “Your Majesty…?”

But her question soon became flustered. Patrizia ripped the dress without hesitation. Patrizia thought about how she had torn a dress like this before. That day when she and Lucio had gone back and forth between life and death.

“I have to stop the bleeding.”

“I am alright.”

“Are all the knights the same? Pretend that it does not hurt, even if it hurts, thinking it will be fine if it does not hurt.”

“…”

“I am the one that is not alright,” Patrizia was full of worry, and resolutely ordered Rafaella, “Take off your top.”

“…” Rafaella did so silently, and Patrizia haad another feeling of déjà vu, wrapping the clean white cloth around her injured shoulder. Intermittently she heard the sounds of Rafaella’s groans while she was trying to hold them in. Patrizia bit her lips whenever that happened. This time she had… almost been sacrificed again. As she thought about it like that, she felt her heart palpitate.

“I am sorry.”

“The Second Rank of Knights were the ones to arrive late; it is not the fault of Your Majesty.”

“No. I should have considered the possibility of this kind of situation as well.” Patrizia sighed and apologized, “I will not let this happen to you again.”

“That is what I should be saying, my dear Empress,” Rafaella smiled brightly and softly soothed Patrizia. “I will be better once I go back to the Imperial Palace, and receive treatment there. You do not have to make a big deal about this.”

“A big deal. When the blood flows like this.” Patrizia responded in an upset voice as she tightly tied a knot in the fabric. A low moan grazed by her ear, and Patrizia asked her in a serious manner, “It is good for you to protect me, but I do not want you to get hurt.”

“I will make sure to do that.” Rafaella smiled brightly, and only then did Patrizia’s facial expression slowly begin to loosen and relax. Then Patrizia pulled out a dagger from her bosom, as if she had forgotten all about it, and began to make long slashes on her arms and shoulders with it. Shocked by Patrizia’s behavior, which were accompanied by moans from the pain, Rafaella hurriedly grabbed hold of her arm.

“Your Majesty!”

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Translated by Haeli

Edited by RED