CH 37

The world went out with a 'whoosh' like a candle going out. She was completely blocked from sound, light as well as the cold wind. Yulia, who was not taken aback by anything, momentarily stopped breathing.

Someone appeared and took away the man's knife. She didn't see anything after that.

Yulia realized that what was blocking her vision was a black cloak.

"Carus?"

She didn't know why that name popped out of her mouth. She couldn't even see his face.

Carus heard Yulia's voice coming from inside the cloak, and asked in a low voice.

"Should I kill him?"

The sound of the hyena running away could be heard over his rough, sinking voice.

After confirming that the man who saved her was Carus, Yulia held her breath briefly, and then exhaled a lengthy breath before answering him.

"No. Let him go."

There is no benefit to catching that hyena. His life will be much worse if he isn't caught by Carus. Since the assassination failed with his face exposed, he was likely to be eliminated without receiving any compensation.

"I'm fine."

When Yulia pulled down the cloak and spoke calmly, Carus looked at her in silence.

"There might be other hyenas hanging around."

"With you by my side, they won't come back unless they're idiots."

There was even a hint of laughter in Yulia's voice when she said that. The murderer who came to kill her must have been one of the most skilled hyenas, but he would be just a puppy in front of Carus Lankea.

"What are you doing?"

"What?"

"Are you laughing?"

However, Carus got angry.

"You nearly died... but, you're laughing? Are you in your right mind?"

A sharp voice flowed from him. Yulia just stood still and blinked.

"Isn’t it normal to be afraid and not know what to do after experiencing something like that?"

Carus roughly pulled up the cloak that was loosely wrapped around Yulia, and put it back on her head. Then he asked, glaring coldly at her eyes exposed under the cloak.

"Do you want to die?"

"Sir Carus."

"Or, does it not matter even if you die?"

Yulia didn't answer. Carus knew that she treated her life lightly, as if it were a only a tool.

It was like that from the beginning. Ever since they met in the blizzard, Yulia had always behaved recklessly like this.

Instead of looking after herself, the person who was about to freeze to death suddenly joined Carus and his men on their arduous journey. She even went back to where the hyenas were. She didn't know fear. It was the same when she entered the palace, and met the royal family.

Yulia wasn't scared of anything.

"Yulia, answer me."

"I already told you."

"You will start over anyway, so dying isn't a big deal?"

Yulia didn't answer.

It wouldn't be difficult to laugh moderately and tell a lie, but somehow she thought that it wouldn't work on Carus. Besides, she didn't want to lie to him.

"I get angry when I see you", Carus murmured.

Yulia couldn't understand his feelings. So, she didn't even try to appease him. 'Why would you get angry?', she looked at him with that face.

'It's your freedom to believe me or not, and there is no way I would be sane after living like that', she said in silence.

Carus quickly turned his gaze away from her, and looked in the direction the hyena had fled.

A chilling silence passed between the two, and Carus spoke first.

"The hyenas won't stop. As long as they've received the order to kill you, the fact that you are alive will be shameful for them."

"It must have been easy to approach me since I was outside of the palace. I'll be fine after returning to the palace. I should have been wary of the new maid, but I wasn't vigilant enough. It was my mistake."

"Are you going to live like that for the rest of your life?"

Carus looked at Yulia again. There was no anger left in his eyes. His emotional control was ferocious. He stared at her with the same dry, bleak gaze he had when they first met.

It felt like the desert wind was seeping through one side of her chest. Yulia laughed at herself, and said.

"The way to get rid of the hyenas attached to me is simple. The client has to cancel his request."

The hyenas will try to complete the request even if the client dies. That is to say, unless the Marquis of Marjoram directly cancels the request, they will not give up on killing Yulia.

"Or kill all the hyenas", Carus said quietly.

Yulia considered both of those things impossible right now. But Carus thought otherwise.

"When are you planning to return to the palace?"

"I have a request for Maxwell. It won't take long, so I planned to be back by evening..."

"Follow me."

Carus took the lead.

Yulia ended up walking while looking at his broad back. He was on the way to Maxwell's pawnshop.

The cloak on her back was heavy. It was big, long and thick. Still, she walked silently, holding Carus' cloak with both hands.

"Uh? Did you two come together?"

"We met on the way."

She wondered how they managed to meet at such a perfect time, and found out that Carus was also on his way to meet Maxwell.

When Maxwell saw Carus, he made a salute with a tense face, and waved his hand at Yulia with a happy face.

"By the way, did something happen?"

"Yulia was attacked. Another assassin was attached to her."

"You mean a hyena?"

Maxwell's face turned serious when he heard that Yulia had almost died on the street. He rolled his eyes here and there, looked at Carus, then carefully asked Yulia.

"Won't it be resolved if you are accompanied by a skilled escort?"

"Maxwell, a commoner maid of honor cannot have personal escort in the palace."

"What if it's only when going out?"

"I'm fine."

Yulia always said that she was fine as if it were a habit. And as soon as she said that, she thought of Coco.

If Coco had been here, she would have nagged her to death with her signature sharp tone. Perhaps she would have threatened to have her mouth sewn up again. When she thought of Coco, a smile naturally appeared on her face.

On the other hand, Carus felt an uncomfortable feeling as if a nail had been driven into his heart when he saw Yulia smiling.

He felt angry and frustrated.

It was a feeling he really couldn't understand. He didn't feel like this even when his opponent died pouring out resentment after crossing swords dozens of times.

Even when the Empress of Baikan, Denebra, harrassed him, despite being annoyed and angry, his heart wasn't stuffy like now.

When Yulia laughs, he gets angry. She was a woman who was badly broken. How can a person take their own life so lightly? It is normal to be afraid or sad, to scream or get angry.

However, Yulia only smiled.

It was a dangerous smile that seemed like it would break like glass. It was also a smile that hurt those who looked at it. He couldn't get close because it was obvious that it would pour out as soon as he was hit by it.

Instead of persuading Yulia, Carus gave an order to Maxwell.

"Maxwell."

"Yes."

"Track down all of the hyenas who are active in Ortega. Find and kill every single one of them who has a connection with the Marquis of Marjoram."

"Pardon?"

Maxwell looked at his superior with a bewildered face.

Carus was glaring at Yulia with fierce eyes.

"Make sure this woman stays alive. It is an order."

No matter what, Yulia was Carus' lifesaver. In addition, she even gave him tremendous information about the Southern Fleet.

So, this wasn't excessive kindness on his part. He wasn't sympathizing or interfering with her life.

Carus justified his actions by saying that, before leaving Ortega, he should at least do this as a way to repay the favor.

That day, Yulia couldn't return to the palace before evening. It was because the conversation with Maxwell had gotten longer than expected.

After sending a message to the royal palace through an errand boy that she would be staying overnight, Yulia and Maxwell moved to the luxurious inn where Carus was staying.

"So... what you are saying is that you need a flexible and sharp attendant who can fit in with young nobles while they drink and play without feeling out of place ?”

"Yes."

"It has to be someone whose face is unknown and who is moderately strong in order to repel the playboys who pester the lady in question, and more importantly, someone who can keep his mouth shut?"

"Correct."

"And, that person is me?"

Maxwell pointed at himself. At his words, Yulia nodded with a satisfied smile.

"That's right."

"Who the hell is that beautiful woman? Who is it that they have to go undercover like that? Should I also ignore who she is?"

"It's His Highness, the second Prince Lewicia Ortega."

"What? Goddamn..."

Maxwell was confused for a while. No matter how beautiful Lewicia was, did it make sense that no one recognized him just because he was dressed as a woman? Were the nobles of Ortega all blind?

"Nobody recognized him."

"Nobody?"

"Nobody."

"Crazy... Anyway, I got it. If it's our maid of honor, there must be a good reason for doing this. From now on, I will accompany him."

"Thank you, Maxwell."

After discussing future plans with Maxwell, Yulia had dinner with Carus.