The Cold-Hearted Grand Duke Obsesses Over Me After My Death - Chapter 67

Episode 67. Gemini (3)

“Pfft.”

Letting out a brief laugh, Louid slowed his pace. Worried he might leave her behind, Emilia hurried after him, looking like a rabbit with its ears pricked up.

For a duke’s daughter who had been raised delicately, camping couldn’t be easy, yet she followed along without a single complaint.

‘Is she really that clueless, or is she just that naive?’

Once tonight was over, she might say she would rather die than go through such hardship again.

“I’m looking forward to it, Emilia.”

Louid slowed his steps a little more, curious how much she would grumble.

“Louid, wait for me.”

As Emilia’s voice rang out right behind him, he suddenly sped up.

“No, seriously.”

He could almost hear her fuming. With the corners of his lips curling up, Louid went faster and slower by turns as he led the way down the mountain path.

He did intend to tease her, but it was also part of her training. Since there were people targeting the grand duchess, she needed to be trained to escape on her own if she ever found herself in danger, like during the kidnapping incident.

“Wow, it’s delicious.”

By the time they returned from their walk, the food cooked in the earth was ready.

Lamb, venison, beef, and other meats, along with sweet potatoes and potatoes, had all been roasted until tender, filling her mouth with bliss.

“This is the best food I’ve ever eaten in my life.”

With her mouth stuffed full, Emilia gave a thumbs-up as she spoke.

“Please eat plenty, Your Highness.”

The knights, sitting together on a spread cloth with their plates in hand, burst into hearty laughter at her words.

‘She must be exhausted….’

Louid watched Emilia closely. He found it surprising how well she adapted even to an uncomfortable campsite. Without a trace of displeasure, she sat among the knights and ate her meal with great appetite.

He marveled at how easily Emilia, a noblewoman, adjusted to such harsh conditions that most ladies could not endure. From his own plate, he picked up a meaty leg and set it on Emilia’s plate. Then he added a perfectly roasted potato as well.

After they finished eating and quickly cleaned up, the party prepared to sleep. Emilia also went into the tent and changed into comfortable clothes.

“Your Highness, I brought tea and water. Sleep well.”

“Alright, you sleep well too.”

When Helen left, Emilia slowly looked around the inside of the tent. Despite being pitched quickly, it was spacious and conveniently arranged. On one side, several thick blankets were layered as a makeshift bed, and the canvas was so sturdy that even without a campfire inside, it was not cold.

‘This must be thanks to their tough training, right?’

Once again, she thought the knights were truly incredible. Not only were their sword skills outstanding, but they must have undergone immense training until they could pitch a perfect tent and prepare food in no time. And the one who trained and led such knights was Louid. Since she had learned a bit of swordsmanship herself, she now saw Louid as truly remarkable and even felt a sense of respect.

‘What should I do….’

After a moment, Emilia stared at the blankets, her expression turning serious.

‘They are way too small.’

At the first inn, the bed had already been narrow and troublesome, and now that they were camping, the bed was even smaller than that.

Between herself and Louid, there needed to be a distance at least three times wider than that blanket. They were on the verge of divorce, yet she kept finding herself drawn to him. If they grew any closer than they already were, it would be a problem.

‘Louid will sleep in a different tent, of course!’

Compared to the bed at the grand duke’s castle, the blankets laid out in the tent were laughably small, so she couldn’t imagine he would insist on sleeping beside her. They could always pitch another tent.

The knights were so skilled that setting up one more tent would be nothing.

Having reached that conclusion, Emilia lay back on the blankets. Exhaustion washed over her, and she soon drifted off.

‘Ugh…. It’s cold.’

By dawn, it had grown quite chilly. Curled up like a squirrel, she inched sideways in search of warmth. The moment she brushed against a warm body, a satisfied smile spread across her face and she slipped back into sleep.

When she woke in the morning, Louid was nowhere to be seen.

‘He must have slept in another tent.’

Relieved, Emilia smiled and quickly got up to prepare for departure.

“Your Highness, are you awake?”

Helen entered the tent carrying a simple breakfast and tea.

“Yes. Did you sleep well too?”

“Yes, Your Highness. They say we’ll arrive at the imperial capital after just one more day.”

Helen spoke with a bright expression. Emilia thought the long journey must have been hard on her as well.

“Good. You’ve worked hard too. Let’s eat together.”

“No, it’s alright. I’ve already eaten. Please eat quickly. His Highness the Grand Duke is waiting outside.”

“Already?”

At the news that Louid was waiting, Emilia hurried through her meal, changed into her traveling clothes, and stepped out of the tent.

“Emilia, we’re leaving right now.”

While giving instructions to the coachman and knights, Louid glanced at her and spoke.

“Yes, alright.”

Emilia answered loudly and climbed into the carriage with the help of a knight. A moment later, Louid also boarded the same carriage.

On the last day of their journey, the carriage entered the final canyon just before reaching the imperial capital. Once they passed through here, wide plains would open up again, and soon after, the outskirts of the capital.

“Wow…!”

The canyon visible through the carriage window was massive and mysterious. Emilia couldn’t stop letting out gasps of awe.

“Emilia. You can’t look outside now.”

Seeing her on the verge of sticking her head out the window, Louid warned her.

“What? Why?”

Emilia turned to him with a puzzled look.

“It’s a dangerous area from here on.”

“…Ah!”

There might be assassins hiding atop the canyon walls, so Louid pulled the curtains over the windows carefully.

The reason he had ridden with Emilia from the start, and the reason he’d slept beside her even at the inn and in the tent despite the narrow beds, was because assassins were targeting her.

If they avoided the canyon and took another route, it would add two to three more days to their journey, giving assassins more opportunities to strike.

That was why they had taken the shortcut through the canyon, even though enemies could be lying in wait above. To prepare, Louid had already ordered the coachman and knights to ride at full speed.

“From here, we won’t stop and will run quickly. The carriage will shake a lot, so hold on tight.”

“Yes, I will.”

Just as he said, the carriage soon began to pick up speed.

“Oh my.”

Emilia’s body swayed wildly like a reed in the wind. The carriage was a high-quality one designed not to shake, so the fact that it did meant they were moving incredibly fast.

Clatter, clatter. She could hear the sound of horses running close by. The escort knights must have been riding right alongside the carriage.

“Ugh.”

To keep her head from hitting the carriage wall, Emilia grabbed the armrest tightly and clenched her teeth.

“Damn it!”

The assassins hiding above the canyon clicked their tongues as the fast-moving procession came into view. The speed was an issue, but another problem was that all the carriages looked identical.

“Boss, the carriages are coming too fast. At this rate, we won’t even know which one the Grand Duchess is in.”

“Doesn’t matter. When they get close, just shoot every carriage.”

The one called the boss gave the order.

“Yes!”

Whish. Whish, whish.

Moments later, several arrows shot through the curtains of the carriage windows. Emilia heard the arrows strike the carriage with sharp thuds.

Sitting across from her, Louid lunged forward and pulled her down into the space between the seats. Emilia’s body was completely covered beneath his.

Terrified, Emilia held her breath and stayed still.

The carriage didn’t stop and continued to race forward at full speed. After a short while, the sporadic sound of arrows stopped. But Louid still wasn’t getting up.

“Louid? Louid?”

Calling his name, Emilia grabbed his clothes and shook him.

“…?”

Gasp. What’s this?

The fabric of Louid’s clothes in her grasp was soaked through. Using all her strength, Emilia wriggled out from beneath him and laid him flat.

Lying between the narrow carriage seats, he couldn’t open his eyes.

Emilia opened her hand. Bright red blood was clearly smeared across her palm.

“B-blood. What do I do? Louid! You can’t die. Louid!”

One side of Louid’s shoulder was drenched in blood.

“Louid, please wake up. Louid.”

Thankfully, an arrow hadn’t pierced him, but it must have grazed him deeply, because a considerable amount of blood was flowing.

Emilia pressed down on his shoulder with both hands as tears poured down like a waterfall.

“Louid, you can’t die. Sob….”

She couldn’t think at all. Calling Louid’s name, she sobbed like a child, crying her heart out.