After Putting the Slayer of the Night to Sleep, I Ran Away - Chapter 55

“Father doesn’t say anything, but he must be upset. He always cherished Ayla so much. Of course, as her sister, I want my sister to be happy, but I don’t know if this marriage is right for Ayla’s happiness. Maybe Father has been too protective. I’m worried she still can’t tell right from wrong.”

Worried?

Vivian couldn’t help but scoff and open her mouth.

“It seems to me that it’s the Princess who can’t tell right from wrong.”

The words burst out before she could stop them, and the gazes of the ladies, including Shuelle, turned to Vivian, who was standing nearby.

In the tense atmosphere, Shuelle frowned her beautiful brow and asked in disbelief.

“…Lady Vivian Helios. Are you talking to me?”

“Who else is always trying to put down their younger sister besides you, Princess?”

“What did you say?”

“I’ve heard it several times. You pretend not to, but you’re always badmouthing Princess Ayla. You say you’re worried, or that you hope she’s happy, but when you listen, it’s all gossip. You should be ashamed.”

Vivian’s direct way of speaking caused the gathered ladies to murmur.

In the center of it all, Shuelle, her face also pale, didn’t back down and retorted.

“This is a bit embarrassing, Lady Helios. Why are you slandering me?”

“Ha. Slandering?”

Vivian shook her head as if she couldn’t believe it and added.

“If you don’t know what you’ve done wrong, there’s no need to talk anymore.”

She wanted to have a big fight with Shuelle, but she was in a hurry to find Ayla.

“Put your hand on your heart and think about it, Princess. Who slandered whom.”

“……”

“Then, goodbye.”

She turned to leave.

Vivian, who was hurrying along, suddenly stumbled as if her foot had caught on something.

As if not wanting to miss the opportunity, someone’s hand pushed her back, and Vivian fell helplessly to the floor. Shuelle burst out laughing at the sight.

“Heh! Lady Helios needs to learn to walk first.”

“That’s right. She tried to teach the Princess a lesson, but she can’t even take care of herself.”

“Exactly, you need to know when to step in and when not to.”

“The Princess understands. What would a provincial noble know?”

“I guess so. She’s been hanging around Ayla a lot lately, and she seems to be seriously mistaken about something.”

Vivian bit her lower lip tightly at the jeers of Shuelle’s group surrounding her.

She endured the pain in her left ankle and tried to get up, but she was pushed again and fell to her knees.

The laughter surrounding Vivian grew louder.

At this point, she was more angry than wronged.

Clenching her teeth, Vivian got up and glared at Shuelle, who had tripped her in the first place, and shouted.

“Tripping me and pushing me, what are you doing?”

“Goodness. This is really embarrassing, Lady Helios. Why are you falling on your own and blaming me?”

“You tripped me!”

At Vivian’s shout, unable to contain her anger, Shuelle coldly retorted as if she had been waiting for it.

“I did? Do you have proof?”

“You’ve got to be kidding me!”

Vivian’s patience snapped.

At the same time, a scream erupted from Shuelle’s mouth.

“Aah! Let go!”

Vivian reached out and grabbed Shuelle’s hair.

Shuelle also reflexively reached out and grabbed Vivian’s hair. Then, Vivian instead gave strength to her grip and screamed.

“I won’t let go! No, I can’t let go!”

“Ugh, won’t you let go now?”

“You let go, you fake!”

After a power struggle, grabbing each other’s hair, Shuelle lost her footing.

Eventually, Shuelle fell on her butt, and Vivian ended up on top of her. The ladies were shocked and squealing, just stamping their feet.

“That’s enough.”

Leo, who had appeared unnoticed, used his strength to separate the two.

To be exact, he grabbed the back of Vivian’s neck and pulled her off of Shuelle.

“What, won’t you let go?”

“I can let go.”

Vivian, panting, turned to look at Leo’s face.

“It looks like the situation is a bit much to keep fighting.”

Vivian bit her lip as she became aware of her surroundings only then at Leo’s words, who shrugged with the same expression as usual.

She was belatedly embarrassed to face the people who were all looking at her.

She could hear the sound of the surrounding ladies picking up Shuelle, who had fallen, from behind.

Even Shuelle’s sobs, pretending to be a victim.

Vivian, who was about to say something, changed her mind when she saw Shuelle’s disheveled appearance.

Seeing Shuelle, who always pretended to be noble and elegant, in such a mess, it seemed like the resentment that had been building up was relieved.

Vivian dusted off her dirty skirt and turned around as if taking the lead.

“Let’s go, Your Highness.”

“I have to find Ayla.”

“I was on my way to Ayla anyway.”

“Ah. Then we have the same destination.”

Leo nodded casually and was about to follow Vivian when.

“Stop right there!”

Shuelle’s venomous shout stopped the two in their tracks.

“Aren’t you going to apologize right now?”

It was directed at Vivian, but the answer came from Leo.

“I’m warning you.”

“……?”

“It would be best to stop there, Princess Everett.”

Leo’s gaze towards Shuelle was chilling.

“The sister that the Princess is putting down is going to be my wife, and Lady Helios is a friend of the person who is going to be my wife. That means they are under my protection.”

It was a calm tone without inflection, but the aura he exuded was a clear threat.

It was enough to make Shuelle’s breath catch in her throat, who was standing close by.

“I hope you all realize what that means.”

Leo’s gaze left Shuelle and turned to everyone who was watching them.

“If you have to experience it to know, I won’t hesitate.”

After finishing his words with a smirk, Leo turned and started walking.

As Leo walked away, Shuelle finally released the breath she had been holding and collapsed on the spot.

Her whole body trembled uncontrollably.

‘What is, that kind of person?’

Shuelle’s terrified eyes followed Leo’s back.

His forgotten nickname came to mind.

The Night Slaughterer, Leomond Zigranta.

His eyes, which looked at her as if she were prey, were bloodshot, perfectly fitting the title of slaughterer.

Rodrigo paced the balcony, waiting anxiously for Ayla to come out.

Since his engagement with Ayla was broken, his life had been severely impacted to the point where he wondered if it was okay.

Every marriage proposal he made was rejected, and his father, furious, declared that if a suitable match did not come along, he would pass the title on to his younger brother.

He couldn’t stand the injustice.

‘Do you think I’m the only one who will suffer?’

No matter how much he thought about it, there was only one way out.

To marry Ayla again.

If he could only have the Everett Dukedom behind him, he could repay the shame of the present at any time.

He just needed to kidnap Ayla and hold the consecration ceremony first.

He had paid off the priest who would perform the consecration ceremony, and he had also prepared a small house on the outskirts of the capital where he could hide her. All that was left was to take Ayla away. He kept looking for an opportunity, but she was already staying at Leomond’s townhouse.

‘You’re the only one who pretends to be clean, you dirty bastard.’

After learning that fact, he was so angry that he couldn’t stand it.

But he had no intention of giving up.

He was already cornered, and the more he was, the more he wanted to trample on Ayla.

‘Ayla Everett, you will eventually kneel before me.’

She, who didn’t know her place and brought up the broken engagement, would eventually return to his side.

Revenge could be done later.

That would be even more satisfying.

To do that, he had to make sure that today’s mission was successful.

He had been looking for an opportunity, but he was getting impatient because he couldn’t approach Ayla.

Marcus appeared at the right time, and an opportunity arose.

“It’s almost done.”

For privacy protection, the higher the family’s rank, the more the inner lounge is assigned.

The balcony on the second floor would not be a problem for him, a knight, so objectively speaking, the situation was favorable to him.

Marcus had left the lounge alone a little while ago, so now Ayla would be the only one inside that curtain.

He was wondering if he should go in and take Ayla away right away.

“Damn it.”

Rodrigo, who had quickly hid himself, muttered a curse.

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