Chapter 29
Chae-ton tilted the torn parasol and looked at Roshanne, who was smiling as if she knew nothing.
‘If it weren’t for that parasol…’
It had been a fortunate coincidence.
If Roshanne hadn’t used the parasol to shield him, the arrow would have pierced straight through his head.
Blinded by overwhelming pressure and instincts drowned in fear, he had failed to notice the clear killing intent approaching from around them.
Chae-ton turned around.
Disguised as a couple, assassins were approaching him on three small boats.
Two people per boat—six in total.
“Princess.”
Chae-ton clenched his teeth.
“Excuse me for a moment.”
He muttered briefly, then grabbed Roshanne’s hand and pulled her into his arms as if shielding her.
From within his embrace, he pulled out a small dagger and threw it sharply toward the assassin who was aiming a bow.
Whoosh—thud!
“Ugh!”
The thrown dagger struck the bowman’s heart with perfect accuracy.
A chilling sound of flesh tearing mixed with the wind, carrying the scent of blood.
Roshanne’s shoulders flinched in his arms. Feeling it, Chae-ton ground his teeth.
She had likely never been close to blood or assassination before—today might become a trauma for her.
And perhaps she would never want to meet him again. This might be the end of their connection.
He lowered his head. His hair brushed against Roshanne’s shoulder.
Even that small contact sent a shiver through his entire body.
The thought that today might be the last time made a desperate thirst rise within him.
To sink his teeth into that shoulder, chew it, swallow it—
“Duke.”
Roshanne called him, snapping him back to his senses. What had he just been thinking?
He blinked.
To think he had been imagining biting into a living person’s shoulder and devouring it—had his madness returned?
“Ah… Princess. I…”
He tried to apologize in panic—
“Haa.”
Roshanne, still in his arms, sighed as if unimpressed. Then she pressed her weight against him and pushed.
Thud!
“Ugh.”
Chae-ton, caught off guard, toppled onto the boat while still holding onto her.
Even as he fell, he did not release his grip on her. Roshanne ended up falling on top of him.
And then—
Whoosh! Whizz!
More arrows rained down over their fallen bodies.
If Roshanne hadn’t pushed him, they would have both died instantly.
“…Princess?”
“The boat just rocked, so I lost my balance.”
Had it rocked? Chae-ton stared at her blankly.
As Roshanne tried to sit up again, more arrows flew in.
Chae-ton quickly pulled her back into his arms.
Fortunately, the boat was deep enough to shield them from the arrows.
“Princess, listen carefully.”
Holding her close, he spoke.
“I didn’t notice anyone tailing us earlier, so they must have received information about my location and sent assassins.”
For him, assassination was routine. Preparation for it was also routine.
Lying on the boat, he saw the clear blue sky above.
Such a calm, beautiful day.
Of all days.
“So…”
So, if you stay with me, you’ll be in danger—
He swallowed the rest of the words.
“Then.”
Roshanne, her face still resting against his chest, murmured calmly.
“Should we finish the rest of the conversation after dealing with them?”
“…What?”
Chae-ton blinked in surprise. He had expected her to be afraid.
To her, assassins and blood should be far removed.
But Roshanne was composed. Not a hint of fear. Not even trembling hands.
No one could remain unafraid with arrows flying everywhere.
Even highly trained knights broke down and fled on battlefields.
‘Could it be…’
Chae-ton blinked.
‘She trusts that I’ll protect her?’
That was the only explanation that made sense.
A strange sensation spread through his body.
“Do you dislike that?”
“No.”
He answered immediately.
“Let’s finish dealing with them first, Princess. Stay here for a moment.”
He gently set her down and rose.
By then, the assassins’ boats were already close.
Chae-ton drew his sword. The blade shimmered with reflected light from the lake.
Whoosh!
An arrow flew. Though too fast for the eye, he deflected it cleanly.
If he remained the target here, Roshanne would also be in danger.
“Trying to kill me with only six people? No—five now, since one is already dead.”
He murmured, then moved with inhuman speed, evading arrows and vanishing from sight.
The stunned assassins panicked.
He reappeared on the nearest boat.
“Damn it! Connect the boats!”
Another boat quickly drew alongside his.
Four assassins and Chae-ton now stood together on a single small vessel.
On the rocking boat, they moved quickly.
Roshanne watched everything.
‘Fast.’
She observed his movements sharply.
‘He wasn’t like this before.’
Swift, precise, merciless. There was no hesitation in his blade.
Even faint traces of pleasure could be sensed in his strikes.
It reminded her of someone.
‘…The Dragon.’
Chae-ton’s power, his inhuman movement—it resembled the aura of the Dragon.
Most likely, his madness was the cause.
‘So that’s how he survived all this time.’
No wonder he had survived the emperor’s relentless attempts to kill him.
Those assassins were skilled, but they were nothing compared to him.
‘If I don’t help, he’ll be consumed by his madness and go berserk.’
Roshanne recalled the past—when she had faced the Dragon.
That arrogant lizard consumed by slaughter…
SPLASH.
“Hm?”
The boat suddenly rocked.
Another assassin’s boat had approached hers.
“Be quiet. Scream and I’ll kill you.”
An assassin climbed aboard her boat, brandishing a knife.
Unable to defeat Chae-ton directly, he had chosen Roshanne as a hostage.
“Hmm.”
Not a good choice.
Roshanne slowly spun her parasol and stood up, walking toward him.
“Just shut up and come he—huh?”
Thud.
Clean. Effortless.
On a rocking boat, yet everything remained strangely steady.
“Shh.”
The assassin froze.
A beautiful hairpin that had been in Roshanne’s hair was now embedded in his heart.
He stared blankly, unable to understand.
Her hair fluttered gently in the wind.
“Be quiet. If you scream… ah, you’ll die anyway.”
A chilling voice echoed softly.
Roshanne smiled and opened her parasol, hiding the scene as she pulled the hairpin out.
Squelch!
Blood splattered across the lace parasol.
And then—
SPLASH!
Something fell heavily into the lake.
Chae-ton, finishing off the last assassin, turned at the sound.
“Princess…!”
But Roshanne was still sitting calmly on the boat alone.
“Just now I heard a sound…”
“Oh. I just dropped my parasol by mistake.”
Roshanne replied calmly.
It sounded like that was all.
“By the way, the last one seemed to swim away.”
“…As long as you’re safe, that’s all that matters.”
Chae-ton nodded without suspicion and sheathed his sword.
“…Shall we head back, Princess?”
Roshanne agreed with a nod.
And so, Chae-ton never noticed that one of Roshanne’s hairpins had disappeared.
