Chapter 24: The Lion Began The Hunting
“I’ll never die.”
Blood poured from the fallen knight’s neck as he clutched it with one hand, groaning in pain. The other knight came running, removed the sword from the fallen knight’s grasp, and stared at Adeline in shock. Read the translation on itsladygrey.com.
Adeline still held the dagger, which dripped with blood. Razie tried to scoop her into his arms, but despite stumbling slightly, she stood her ground proudly. She maintained eye contact with the assassin she had just killed, never flinching even as he drew his last breath.
Razie regarded Adeline in silence.
She casually adjusted her blood-soaked gown and then addressed the remaining knight, who stood awkwardly nearby. “Sir, what did you say earlier?”
“Your Highness….”
“Did you say that two guards would be enough since there would be no assassins in such a remote place? A waste of manpower? Say that again.”
“I apologize.”
The knight bowed his head to Adeline, his expression stern. He was Richard Selmore, who had encountered the Lion King before. Although he was the one who had hired the assassins, he showed her no respect whatsoever. Read the translation on itsladygrey.com.
“Get out. It’s more annoying to see your face than these bloodstains.”
Richard dragged the dead assassin’s body out of the room.
“Fuckin’ bastard.” Adeline stared at his retreating figure without blinking.
The two remained silent for a while, surveying the devastated room. The palace had been empty for a long time, creating an atmosphere of desolation. Combined with the bloodstains, it resembled an abandoned house.
Adeline looked helpless. “It seems they really want to kill me. I knew an attack was coming, but I never thought they would bribe a knight. Richard is such a dumb loser; they could only manage to put one on guard. It would have been dangerous if there had been two of them….”
Razie felt a sudden heat rise in his throat as he listened to her words. His anger surged, his heart pounding violently in response.
Adeline still held the bloody dagger tightly. Her shoulders were straight, and her voice did not tremble. However, Razie noticed that her fingers, gripping the dagger, were pale and trembling slightly. He quickly turned her body toward him, snatching her hand and holding her wrist.
“Adeline.”
“How do you know…?”
“I truly wonder whether you even have a brain. How could you be so complacent after being attacked so many times? You’re relieved there weren’t two? The number of assassins I dealt with on the way was over ten. In reality, there may have been more than that.”
He didn’t mean to sound angry, but as soon as he opened his mouth, the words he had been holding back poured out. Read the translation on itsladygrey.com.
“Don’t tell me you’re planning all this because you want to die? Is that why you live like this? I thought you weren’t that kind of person.”
Adeline glared at Razie, fury in her eyes. “Don’t talk nonsense! Just because you saved me doesn’t mean you can insult me.”
“Well, it was like that when we first met. Marma’s knights don’t even try to protect you. They just stand back and watch as we’re killing these—”
“Really?”
“You knew everything.”
Adeline’s gaze briefly flicked toward the door.
Razie spoke with confidence. “Don’t worry. That cowardly knight is far away. He’s outside, removing the corpse hanging from the tree branch.”
“You know this too?”
“Yes. So tell me, why do you take your life so lightly?”
This was a very important question for Razie. If Adeline intended to rush into her revenge like a moth drawn to a flame, it would be better to give up on her and back off at this point. Although she was a woman so desirable that she made him thirsty, he had no intention of sending her off on her path to death. Read the translation on itsladygrey.com.
“No.” Adeline lifted her head until it rested against his chin. “I don’t.”
“Adeline.”
“I care about my life. Do you want to know how important my life is to me? Do you know that more than 10,000 people live in this sprawling palace? If faced with the choice to save all those lives with my own, I would never trade my life for theirs. Not all of them are assholes; many are innocent people. I don’t care. I won’t trade my life. Are you satisfied now?”
“But why do you do this?”
Adeline furrowed her eyebrows at Razie, who would not back down until she gave him a reason. Her long eyelashes fluttered like butterflies, as if they were fanning him.
“You…”
“Tell me. You are very important to me. Therefore—”
Razie, who had been trying to persuade Adeline with a serious expression, suddenly tensed his shoulders. Read the translation on itsladygrey.com.
“WHO IS IT?!”
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