Just as I scanned for the last remaining knight, my gaze flickered toward the forest edge—
Where I saw a golden-haired young man leading a squad of knights.
Behind them, a group of unarmed noblemen stood in stunned silence.
All of them were staring up at me, slack-jawed.
I felt the blood drain from my face.
I landed from my last attack and immediately crouched low, lowering my head.
Just in time, too—
A knight’s fist swung through the empty air where my head had just been.
“Noooo! I’m so scared!”
Hiding my face behind both hands, I simultaneously delivered a full-force headbutt straight into the knight’s groin.
With a strangled, inhuman noise, he collapsed inward, knees buckling.
The thunder of boots echoed as the Rubini Kingdom knights surged forward, swiftly apprehending the fallen enemies.
“Lady Maria, I’m relieved you’re safe.”
Peeking through my fingers, I spotted that unmistakable golden hair.
Renato.
“This isn’t what it looks like, Your Highness.”
“Oh?”
“This wasn’t my intention at all.”
“Your movements were spectacular. You were so fast, I lost sight of you at times.”
“…From where exactly were you watching?”
“From the moment you threw Eleonora.”
“YOU SAW EVERYTHING?!”
It’s over. My life as a proper noble lady is over.
Just as I was about to collapse to the ground in pure despair, Renato swiftly scooped me up in his arms.
“Gah! What are you doing?!”
“Are you hurt, Maria? Let’s move somewhere safe.”
I kicked and squirmed, insisting that I could walk just fine, but Renato refused to put me down.
Nearby, his knights secured the remaining captives, including Eleonora.
Renato carried me into the royal carriage, seating himself with me still in his arms, on his lap.
“We received word that the Cashari family had escaped house arrest. I ordered their capture and returned to my room—only to find you missing. The attendants informed me of the situation, and we immediately pursued the carriage.”
I hadn’t even noticed.
If I had just waited patiently, I would have been rescued in no time.
Realizing how unnecessary my escape attempt had been, I slumped in disappointment.
Apparently mistaking my exhaustion for distress, Renato pulled me into a firm embrace.
“You were suddenly caught up in a kidnapping… You must have been terrified. How awful for you.”
Renato narrowed his eyes, his concern genuine.
I had been raised as an heir, trained to be stronger than most knights.
No one had ever worried about me before.
And I had never heard the words ‘how awful for you’ outside of mockery.
For the first time, someone showed me pure, untainted kindness.
I almost teared up.
“…Your Highness. Thank you for coming after me.”
“Why are you thanking me? Of course I would.”
A prince of a powerful kingdom had personally led a rescue mission… for a noblewoman from a small neighboring nation.
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