At that moment, Sir Lank, who stopped the enemy’s sword, moved back a step, staggering.

“It’s dangerous! Move back!”

Even before I replied, I stopped the two masked men who charged toward me all of a sudden.

Sir Lank grabbed his sword again and cut the enemy’s side. I could see the horse falling, Jiun falling from the horse and somebody wielding a sword.

“Lady Monique, come on!”

I pulled out the sword from the stabbed masked man.

Blood was gushing from his chest. I also saw blood flowing from Carsein’s back as he embraced Jiun from behind.

No!

“I have to help!”

“No, it’s impossible!”

I saw Carsein rolling his body quickly and lifting his sword.

Blood was dripping from his back, who barely stopped the attack.

“It’s dangerous to leave him untreated like that. Come on, we have to help him…!”

“Your safety comes first!”

“Sir Seymour!”

Although I shouted desperately, the three knights wouldn’t listen, battling the enemies.

I was getting nervous.

‘I can’t leave him like that.’

Biting my lip, I cut the masked man’s chest blocking me.

“Lady Monique!”

“It’s dangerous…” The masked man was falling when somebody cut him from behind.

The moment I strained my eyes, someone pulled me quickly.

Sir Seymour was moaning in pain. Blood was pouring out of him who held me in his arms after throwing his sword.

“Are you alright, Lady Monique?”

Sir Seymour asked, staggering back, while Sir June blocked the enemies in front of him.

When I saw his face turning white and his pale lips, I was so heartbroken.

“Sir Seymour…”

“As you can see, it is dangerous. So, please …”

My arms trembled. Three wounded knights and Carsein. I was in despair because I could not choose between the two. I just felt helpless, with my hand holding the sword falling nerveless.

At that moment, I heard several horses galloping toward me. I could hear it clearly amid all kinds of noises.

‘Are they reinforcement forces?’

I saw a ray of hope in them.

Please, come quickly …!

I cut the masked man trying to attack me desperately and strained my eyes. It felt like eternity passed. The moment the person at the forefront finally came into my view, I made a hollow smile, startled by his long hair fluttering in the wind. He had honey-colored hair.

“Oh my God! Marquis Mirwa!”

I saw Sir June grabbing the sword tightly, glaring. Sir Seymour also stepped forward, clenching his teeth to tackle the marquis.

Was he the culprit who planned this treason?

I sorted out my thoughts, watching him approaching me slowly.

‘Can they hold out to the end?’

No, they could hardly hold out now. Not only the wounded royal knights but also Carsein who had to defend Jiun and was separated from them.

Should I give up? As the marquis’s target seemed to be me, the battle would end if he killed me.

‘No!’

Shaking my head violently, I grabbed the sword tightly. I couldn’t not be his scapegoat. I didn’t practice fencing to give up so easily. The reason I practiced so hard despite my incompetence was because I wanted to live a life different from my past. Besides, there was no possibility that a bastard like the marquis could spare the eyewitness’s life.

Then, there is only one way left. I have no choice but to fight until I lose my life.

Is it because I was prepared to fight to death? The faces of precious people came to my mind.

Lina, who was nagging me while I was preparing, the knights of my family who always made me laugh, and my colleagues at the 2nd Knights Division, Allendis who asked me to stay in good health when he left and Carsein who was fighting, soaked in blood. And my father who was always my strong defender.

And the young man with blue hair who disappeared into the fog.

My eyes welled with tears. At this moment, when I could be facing my last moments, I missed them so much.

My father will be very sad when he sees my cold body after I am killed here. How would the emperor react? Would he feel very sad, too? Or would he turn away from me because I have nothing to do with him any more?

I suddenly found my eyes blurred with tears. I stepped forward, wiping my eyes with my left arm.

The moment I charged toward the masked men after taking a deep breath, they suddenly turned and ran away all of a sudden. I didn’t know why, but I made eye contact with the three knights and quickly chased them. It was a golden opportunity for me to save Carsein. At the same time, I had to get rid of them as much as possible before they joined Marquis Mirwa.

One step, two steps.

As the distance between me and them got closer, I could see Carsein more clearly. When I saw him soaked in blood, I felt scared suddenly. But clenching my teeth, I wielded my sword against the masked man that I almost caught up with. Then I pulled out the sword stabbed deeply in his back after twisting it.

‘Hang in there a little more, Sein. Please.’

At that moment, Marquis Mirwa arrived ahead of me and pulled out the sword, then got off the horse to cut Carsein.

“No! Sein!”

At the moment, I screamed, somebody cut the masked man with a sword. Starting with that, those who seemed to be the marquis’s men began to block the masked men one by one.

What the heck is this? What happened?

While I was confused by the unexpected situation, the marquis cut the masked man trying to attack Jiun, then turned to me.

“Marquis Mirwa!”

I couldn’t figure out what it was, but he was my enemy because he was a wanted man.

When I grabbed the sword tightly, staring at him coldly, he came one step closer to me, wiping off the blood from the sword. My body was trembling a bit, but I lifted the sword, clenching my teeth.

At that moment, I heard something incredible, which was the noise of several horses galloping toward me.

“Please!’

When I turned my head earnestly, my eyes were wide open.

It was something that I was longing for so much.

Dozens of horses galloping at full speed, someone in a white uniform fluttering in the wind, and the young man with blue hair.

“Oh my…”

Seeing them, I felt my legs felt like jelly, bending forward before I knew it.

I blankly watched the masked men disappearing, leaning on Sir June who hurriedly supported me. The young blue-haired man who jumped off the horse came to me while the royal knights got into shipshape at the direction of Sir Penrill.

His rough breathing, sweaty hair, and disheveled clothing showed how fast he came running here.

All kinds of emotions went through my mind. Joy, sadness, gladness, and feeling sorry … With all the emotions buried in my heart, however, I politely greeted in a calm tone.

“… I’m honored to see the Sun of the empire.”

He was silent. He was just staring at me silently. However, unlike his calm appearance, his navy blue eyes were trembling tremendously. He looked at me silently for a while, then slowly opened his mouth, “…Are you okay?”

“Yes, Your Majesty. I am fine. I would like to apologize for worrying you.”

When I replied, hiding my mixed feelings at the moment, he looked at me with a hardened expression. I listened quietly because he tried to say something, but he only took off his cloak and wrapped it around me, then left. He approached the three knights soaked in blood and said, “I’ll hear more from you later, so get first aid. I will never forget what you have done today.”

“Thank you so much, Your Majesty.”

When the three knights turned after bowing to him, Earl Penrill, the Captain of the Royal Knights, approached me and said, “I am done coping with the situation, Your Majesty.”

“Nice job. Report to me now. ”

“First of all, I dispatched several groups of royal knights to arrest the suspects and disarmed those including Marquis Mirwa and his men and tied them up. I also ordered them to give first aid to the injured knights, but their wounds are so deep that it’s difficult to cure them right away.”

Injured knights? Carsein, too?

When I looked around quickly, I noticed a young man with red hair closing his eyes in a blood-stained shirt. His closed eyes and pale skin came into my view clearly.

My heart sank.