CH 73

Flashback to the afternoon when swarms of locusts covered the sky

“…It’s meaningless if she doesn’t go with me.”

Yes. At that time, the crown prince said that it was meaningless unless it was Lady Bolsheik.

Back then, Lawrence thought it was just because she was an aide, so he dismissed it.

No matter how much he tried to remember, His Highness the Crown Prince had never said such a thing to anyone.

He might not know much, but he was sure even James Gryu hadn’t heard such a thing.

‘Isn’t that the crown prince?’

A person who cared about no one and treated everyone equally.

The crown prince himself warned him directly, revealing his frenzied murder.

‘I don’t know the details, so I can’t make a hasty conclusion…’

Lawrence seemed to have vaguely grasped the reason why Lady Bolsheik became an aide overnight and without notice even though she was afraid of the crown prince.

“Well, it’s not like I can’t understand if he kept her by his side for that reason. What would her position be like?”

“What? What are you muttering to yourself?”

“Nothing. Well, I’ll be back with Lady Bolsheik.”

Catherine bit her lips, and with a nod, Lawrence was gone.

Eventually, even Lawrence’s shadow melted into the darkness of the alley, and a small sound leaked through Catherine’s jaw.

“If you don’t come back… Hey, you idiot.”

She immediately turned her back and started running toward the Imperial Palace.

It was a matter of two of the most precious people in the world.

‘If… by any chance… there’s no way I’m clinging to a possibility.’

Catherine ran as fast as she could. Meanwhile, deep in the alley where Lawrence ventured into…

“Kuuuurgh!”

A man frantically struggled to resist the force that gripped his neck, but soon slumped.

As soon as the light in his pupils became hazy, another man struggled in pain and fear that his elbow was cut off.

“I, I don’t know! Ah, ugh, gaaaahhh!”

He, who drenched the walls of the alley with his blood, soon died, and after that, countless others fell face down on the cold floor.

And on that bloody road, one person stood alone.

‘This cloak-wearing figure suddenly appeared from somewhere and began to devour those back alley regulars with little effort.’

The lone survivor who held his breath and put his head between his knees raised his head subtly to the very quiet surroundings.

Shining gold under the dim shadows… 

Nothing more came to mind.

He just dipped his head back and wished this nightmare would pass.

The one who brought eternal sleep to some, nightmares to a few, and pain worse than death to others.

Richard himself was being torn apart by the pain that raged beneath his skin.

He had been crushing through this alley long before Lawrence, trying to be as fast as possible.

But it was too late.

He followed Ophelia’s trail many minutes after she was kidnapped.

He opened his mouth, but only white breath came out. He couldn’t even call her name.

‘I won’t take my eyes off you.’

‘Don’t leave.’

‘No, I’d rather not let you go today.’

Actually, back when Ophelia arrived at the square with Catherine and Iris, Richard had also reached it.

Of course, he didn’t come to enjoy the festival. Rather, he was on his way to deal with an urgent call from James.

But his eyes found Ophelia very naturally.

He found her at once in the crowd of people.

Her appearance was a little different, but there was no way he wouldn’t recognize her.

She laughed loudly, sometimes fell silent, and in other instances, chattered.

Every time the hem of her skirt swirled, so did his chest.

However, he couldn’t spend the time just staring at her.

Even if he tried to wrap it up nicely by saying that he just wanted to keep seeing the person he loved at any time, in reality, it was just sneaking behind her and peeping.

Even if it meant protecting her silently so that she could be saved at any time if she was in danger, the issue itself did not change.

Besides, there wouldn’t be a dangerous situation.

Richard chuckled. Ophelia was the one who could laugh while avoiding and hitting the back of the assassins’ head.

There was no way an assassin would appear at a festival like this, and even if a rogue did touch her, the unlucky one would be the rogue.

And his prediction came true. The outsider scoundrel was caught by Ophelia’s hand and subdued at once.

But there was something he overlooked.

The fact that Ophelia might be half-dazed thinking of him. It was the only one.

And that ‘only one’ became a butterfly’s flapping wings, returning as a huge storm called kidnapping.

“Huu…”

The breath that flowed from Richard’s parted lips froze and scattered, and at the same time, a man’s head was trampled under his feet.

“Keu, keuuk!”

“Where are you?”

The question was said in a terribly low voice, as if crawling out of a pit in the deep sea.

However, the answer he wanted did not come out, and the bloody smell was getting thicker with every blink of the eye.

Truth be told, for those in the back alley, darkness was a life companion and a haven, but not as much as at this moment.

It was because the darkness that appeared like a storm riding in the shadows gave off only the smell of death.

People had to keep their eyes down and their bodies as low as possible, waiting with bated breath for the smell to pass away.

Richard, the beginning and end of that disaster, was advancing, crushing and destroying anyone who stood in his way.

It was a disaster.

A disaster that couldn’t be resisted or escaped, attacking and devouring anyone, leaving only ruins.

Even those who seemed like they would never be in such a situation were screaming terribly.

Incessant screams and the sound of something more horrifying than that scream breaking and crumbling echoed through the seemingly empty alley.

“Ughhhhh, uhhh.”

“Keugh…”

How long did the ruthless slaughter go on to the extent that even the residents of the back alleys had to look down at the ground with their necks and backs bent and with pale faces?

“Sh… shed! There’s a shed! Dragged into it! And gagged!”

Finally, the place Richard was looking for came out from someone’s mouth.

The dam, once opened, soon became a waterway. It set his direction.

The golden eyes that sunk deeper than the abyss staring at an alley reflected something other than what was in front of them.

Only one person.

“Ophelia.”

The breath that leaked out between his lips shook like haze and soon disappeared with the deafening sound of the wind.

As the ignorant and violent monster disappeared, people poked their heads out one by one.

“What is that…”

“Ugh…”

Everyone just made a pained sound, not saying much, and then trembled at the same time.

They shrank and hid a little deeper into the darkness, and someone’s voice, somewhat drowned out, echoed.

“I hope it ends with this one time…”

.

“Hak!”

When Ophelia opened her eyes wide, as if she was deeply engrossed and staring at the screen of a game, she noted she was left alone in an unknown dark room.

Panting, she immediately looked around and grasped the situation around her.

Should she be relieved that the smell of the dusty floor hit quickly, waking her up and giving her information? 

“Ah-ch– mmph. Ugh.”

Ophelia managed to hold back a bursting sneeze, and then her rising vomit as well.

She shook her head, gazing at the dark red stain on the floor that was clearly visible even in the dim lighting.

It was a place where the nasty and fishy smell of blood vibrated so much that one would not even bother to wonder if it was a slaughterhouse.

Unbeknownst to Ophelia, this was Raisa’s torture chamber.

“Ugh. It’s awful.”

She did expect that she wouldn’t wake up in a luxurious mansion because she was kidnapped by Lady Neir, but she didn’t expect it to be this bloody.

Naturally, while thinking so, she was moving quickly to get out of this situation.

“For now, my body is fine.”

Then, wriggling her hands and feet, she paused for a moment.

“My feet aren’t tied?”

It was really luck in misfortune, but why? The question floated before her eyes.

Doubt grew when she realized the knot that tied the wrist was strangely loose.

“First of all, this.”

As Ophelia twisted her wrists as hard as she could, a gap between them was formed, which allowed her to somehow crumple her fingers and pull her twisted hands out altogether.

“Ugh… ugh. Huh…”

Ophelia muttered, raising her free hand and turning her wrist and fingers several times.

“Is this supposed to happen?”

She was in disbelief even after she untied her hands, thus she checked her body over and over again.

However, no matter how many times she looked, she couldn’t find another spot that was tied. 

‘What kind of situation is this?’

‘Recalling the moment I fainted, I’m sure I was kidnapped by the notorious Lady Neir.’

Normally, if you were kidnapped, your limbs would basically be bound and your mouth would be gagged.

If it was Lady Neir, it wouldn’t be a surprise to have chains attached to her ankles or wrists. Why was she so lax?

“Is there a trap or something?”

Ophelia picked up a nearby piece of wood and touched around very carefully.

Ame: Catherine!  (｡•́︿•̀｡) Lawrence!  (ಥ﹏ಥ) Richard!  ｡･ﾟﾟ*(>д<)*ﾟﾟ･｡ Ophelia!  ＼(º □ º l|l)/ and… Raisa  ٩(ఠ益ఠ)۶

P.S. it’s great someone finally acknowledged that stalking is not cool, even if it’s by a handsome prince!

Dea: i’m on the edge of my seat, i’m expecting more death to follow…hopefully Raisa’s, thought it’s too soon for that