Chapter 73

Chapter 73

“…Janet?”

The robe covered half of her face, but Tessa could clearly recognize that it was Janet. From her body to her voice, everything pointed to her.

But why was she here…? It was so unexpected, that Tessa forgot her current situation and just opened her mouth. Why are the two people who should be in the annex at this time, and in such a place?

Just like people running away secretly…

Then there was the sound of urgent footsteps from behind. Did you find her? Find her now! Then Tessa came to her senses and spoke quickly to Janet.

“Janet, it’s dangerous here…!”

“Tessa, what do you mean?”

Janet glanced over Tessa’s back and asked with a serious expression.

“Run away…”

Janet’s heart seemed to be rushing at Tessa’s act of fidgeting and looking back. She didn’t know the details of what was going on, but she could easily see that things were going to be tense. Jean said, intercepting Janet’s bag.

“Miss, for now, we should get out of this place as the Madam said.”

“Yes.”

Janet first turned off the light she was holding in her hand, then grabbed Tessa’s wrist and led her. Jean went ahead quickly, guiding the way. Tessa followed them and ran together.

However, Tessa, who had already consumed a lot of stamina while running away from the kidnappers, quickly got tired. Because her original body was not in good health, she struggled with her breathing. So when Janet saw Tessa lagging behind, she called Jean.

“Jean, wait a minute… Let’s go a little slower.”

“…Will it be okay?”

“For now, there’s nothing we can do. If we keep going like this, Tessa will collapse.”

Giving support to Tessa, Janet spoke back to Jean. Jean looked around her and nodded her head.

“Tessa, are you okay? Can you keep moving? You just have to go a little further. Just until the carriage is… Stay strong.”

“…I’m okay…”

“Actually, I want to walk slowly, but we have to hurry a little. I’m sorry.”

“I’m…”

“For now, save your words. There will be plenty of time to talk when we arrive.”

The three of them started walking quickly without saying a word again.

Under the dark night sky, in the forest where even the moonlight had faded, there was only the crowing of insects. Jean skillfully pruned the branches to clear the path.

Shortly thereafter, when they arrived at a small vacant lot, a carriage was standing there. With a carriage prepared in advance, it signaled that they had almost reached their destination.

“We arrived on time.”

Jean looked at the watch on her wrist and checked the time.

“I was worried that we would be late, but what a relief. Tessa, we’re here. Now you just have to get on that carriage.”

Janet wiped Tessa’s sweaty forehead with her sleeve. Tessa nodded her head, visibly relieved that the sound of footsteps could not be heard.

Eventually, a man who appeared to be the coachman of the carriage, waiting, appeared. He looked at Janet, Tessa, and Jean, and said with a puzzled look.

“I was notified of only two?”

“Something happened in the middle. Let’s go for now.”

Jean, who spoke bluntly as she put the luggage on the back of the carriage, led the coachman forward. The coachman continued to look at Janet and Tessa with distasteful glances.

Meanwhile, Janet opened the carriage door and let Tessa in first. The inside of the soft and comfortable carriage was very neat. But Tessa was surprised to see Janet riding on the carriage.

Tessa stuttered and pointed to Janet’s stomach.

“Jan, Janet… your stom, stomach…”

Janet, a pregnant woman, had a slender belly like a normal woman. It was as if she was not pregnant in the first place. It was something she didn’t see because she was in a hurry.

Tessa continued to look at Janet and her stomach, alternating with a confused look. Janet rolled her eyes awkwardly.

“I didn’t mean to say it like this…”

“…….”

“I can’t. Actually, I’m not pregnant. It was a trick.”

“What…?”

“Well, it’s a long story to tell. I’ll tell you later. Because that’s not the problem now. Don’t you have something to tell me before that, Tessa?”

Janet, who naturally turned the topic, sat down across from Tessa and asked calmly. For that reason, Tessa temporarily forgot Janet’s slender belly, allowing her to recall Mani and those who had kidnapped her.

Yes, she’s in a hurry now in her own situation. Mani was still captured when Tessa escaped, and she had to rescue Mani first.

“I need help!”

“Help? What help? Speak slowly, Tessa.”

Janet asked slowly, calming Tessa, who was starting to get agitated. Tessa tried to calm herself down as much as possible, and opened her mouth.

“Someone… kidnapped me. To get me to run away, Mani was left there alone… Mani… Is in danger!”

“Wait, you got kidnapped?”

What do you mean… Janet muttered a little with a confused face. Tessa was kidnapped? In the castle where Hert Shine was holding on to? What kind of bastards do that? What’s more, the castle’s guards got so lax? Questions floated up one after another.

Aside from Janet and Jean’s escape from the annex, the castle where Tessa was located was strictly guarded. It wasn’t just that. The number of her escort knights, which the new lord gave her to Tessa, was only two on the surface, but there were many more secretly protecting her.

In other words, everyone in the castle was concerned about Tessa’s safety. Because Hert ordered so.

But Tessa was kidnapped in that castle?

Janet glanced at the window of the moving carriage and then pulled the curtains. She then straightened her back and asked in a serious voice to Tessa. Her intuition let her know that things were going against plan.

“Tessa, you have to answer my questions from now on. Okay?”

“What? Yes.”

“Do you remember how you were kidnapped? Can you tell me more about that part?”

“That is… Mani suddenly took me somewhere because Her, no, the lord was hurt… I passed the secret passage. And I don’t know. Then suddenly, I… became unconscious.”

Janet, listening to Tessa, raised her hand for a moment. Wait, wait. She looked at Tessa with a more confused look than before. There was something strange about Tessa’s words.

“…Did you say Mani lured you out?”

“Ah… Well, Mani wasn’t like that on purpose…! She said she was being threatened. So she had no choice but to do what they wanted… Janet, Mani wasn’t trying to hurt me…! Her circumstances—”

“That’s Mani’s position. Tessa, the important thing is that Mani helped your kidnappers get you. That’s something unforgivable. But before, you said Mani was in danger. What else do you mean?”

“Mani told me run away—”

At that time, the moving carriage came to a sudden stop with the noise of the excited horses. The recoil caused Janet and Tessa to lose their center and almost bumped into each other.

Janet lifted her head, brushing her flown hair. What happened suddenly? She was about to ask the coachman what was going on.

One hundred million! And the screams and dull sounds of Jin and the coachman were heard outside, and the wagon door swung open immediately.

Outside, there were people who looked like knights.

“What is this…! Ack!”

“Ja, Janet!”

“Tessa!”

The knights dragged Janet out roughly. It happened in an instant. Tessa was terrified as she saw Janet disappearing in front of her. What? What the hell is going on this time? Why did the knights…

At that moment, a large shadow was cast in front of the door. Tessa trembled and lifted her head to find Hert standing in front of her.

“…Her?”

Tessa rejoiced as she saw Hert. Now that he was here, everything would be settled. But it wasn’t long before she realized that Hert’s reaction was strange.

“Her—”

“You’re ridiculous.”

It was a cold, ferocious voice. Tessa faltered and put down her hand, which was unwittingly reaching for Hert. She wanted to check his expression, but he was standing with his back to the light, so she couldn’t see his face in detail.

“Her, Her… What are you talking about—”

“To leave me like this and run away.”

At that moment, the man’s large hand suddenly appeared in front of Tessa, grabbed her chin and pulled her towards him. It was then that Tessa was able to take a closer look at Hert’s face.

“Is it fun to play with me?”

The expression on her man’s face was heavy. Under the bitter eyes, in the blue eyes, the murderous energy was wriggling.

Tessa froze. She knew the Hert on that face well. It was the same as Hert on the first day they met again. He was looking at Tessa like he wanted to strangle her.

Her breath was suffocating. Tessa’s heart pounded wildly when she saw the large man looking down at her. It was scary. Tessa trembled and looked up at him.

Before long, a voice that had been suppressed was heard.

“You promised.”

“…….”

“You promised never to betray me, never to abandon me again.”

His hand gripped her chin so hard it hurt. Tessa’s eyes were shedding tears without realizing it. The power in the man’s rough grip made it impossible to properly open her mouth and speak.

“But you hit the back of my head like this?”

“Wa, wait…”

“I shouldn’t have trusted you.”

—