How to Escape from My Possessive Fiancé - Chapter 67

At that moment, a growling sound came from somewhere.

It wasn’t like the growl of a dog or a cat—it was much bigger, shaking the air and threatening the ground. It was the kind of sound that sent chills down your spine.

Ezekiel immediately moved Sophia behind him and drew his sword, ready to fight. Sophia was surprised by how quickly his expression changed.

“It looks like we disturbed a large animal.”

“Was it the arrow I shot earlier?”

“Stay behind me. I think more than one is coming.”

Ezekiel warned her calmly. Soon after, a pack of wolves quietly began to surround them. Seven large wolves, each as tall as a grown man’s chest.

‘Why are there so many of them just because of me?’

Sophia was speechless. At the same time, she was so scared that she felt her back tingle. She knew in her head that she shouldn’t grab onto him in fear, but her body kept wanting to cling to him.

“If you move suddenly, they’ll attack. Stay as still as possible.”

“I’m sorry. I… this is all my fault…”

“There’s no need to say that. It’s not your fault.”

“But…”

“That’s enough. Hold my arm. Just pretend we’re dancing.”

“Dancing?”

Sophia didn’t understand what he meant by dancing in a situation like this. But as soon as she held his arm, she understood.

A large wolf rushed at them. Ezekiel dodged its open jaws and stabbed it in the side. At the same time, he spun Sophia around to avoid another wolf that tried to attack her. Sophia struggled to keep quiet as he pulled her back and forth.

Her eyes were wide open, and everything felt chaotic. She could see the sharp wolf teeth passing dangerously close, the flash of Ezekiel’s sword, the loud barking of the wolves, and blood splashing everywhere.

“Ah!”

Warm blood splashed on her face before she could even scream. She sensed something above her and quickly dropped to the ground. A wolf had lunged at Ezekiel just a second later. Ezekiel blocked it with his sword, then smiled at Sophia.

“You did well.”

He even had time to praise her. Ezekiel shook off the wolf by swinging his sword, then turned quickly and stabbed another wolf in the jaw that was coming from behind.

Sophia, pulled along, saw the sword pierce up through the wolf’s head from its lower jaw. She shut her eyes tightly as she stepped over the body.

“Watch out…!”

Ezekiel pushed Sophia aside just in time. A wolf had taken advantage of the moment when she slipped. Thankfully, because he pushed her away, Sophia wasn’t hurt—but Ezekiel was bitten on the shoulder.

With a crunching sound, the wolf bit near his neck. Ezekiel kicked the wolf in the belly and switched his sword to the other hand to stab its side and then cut its throat. The heavy wolf dropped to the ground.

Sophia sat frozen, staring at Ezekiel standing among the dead wolves. For a moment, she thought this must have been what he looked like on the battlefield.

The pale white “war ghost,” surrounded by corpses on a wide grass field—this was Ezekiel.

She could almost see how many lives he had taken with his own hands.

“Are you okay?”

Ezekiel asked her. His long white eyelashes lowered, and the sun shone on his blood-splattered hair and face. He shook his sword to flick off the blood.

Even after being bitten on the shoulder by a giant wolf, he still asked if she was okay. Sophia couldn’t understand how he could be so calm.

“I… I’m fine…”

“I’m fine too. It’s nothing serious.”

He said that and, as if he wasn’t in pain, reached out a hand to help her up. Sophia stood on her own, trying not to look at the wolf corpses. Then she walked over to him with the handkerchief he had tied around her wrist.

“Y-your wound is really bad…”

Sophia’s face turned pale, even though Ezekiel was the one who was hurt. But he just smiled.

“This kind of wound is nothing.”

But despite his words, blood kept dripping from his injury. Sophia tried to stop the bleeding with the handkerchief, but it was soaked quickly. She had never seen so much blood before and started to panic.

“J-just a moment.”

She spoke like she was asking the wound to wait. Then she tried to tear her skirt. Ezekiel stopped her.

“No need. It’s already a short riding skirt. If you tear it, your calves will show.”

“Does it matter right now?”

“It does. People will talk. You said yourself that society is different from the battlefield.”

“Forget that. Do it for me. Just looking at your wound makes me feel sick.”

“Then you ride the horse first. I’ll walk behind you.”

“Ha.”

Sophia was speechless and just stared at him.

‘Is he being sarcastic?’ she thought. But his face was so calm that she got confused. Maybe he really meant it.

Meanwhile, blood kept soaking through his right side. Feeling dizzy, Sophia took her dagger and began to tear her skirt. Ezekiel tried to stop her, but Sophia warned him with a serious face.

“If you stop me again, I’ll scream.”

There were no people around, but that was the only threat she had. Strangely, Ezekiel flinched and backed off obediently.

He looked annoyed, but he didn’t stop her from wrapping the cloth around him like a bandage.

“Are you really okay?”

Ezekiel looked away so he wouldn’t see her exposed legs and spoke. Sophia became even more embarrassed and nudged him.

“Don’t act like that. You’re making me feel even more awkward.”

“But I really can’t look.”

“If you at least blushed while saying that, I’d understand.”

“My face doesn’t blush easily.”

“Enough. Let’s go.”

Sophia quickly grabbed Ezekiel’s hand. She didn’t mean anything by it—she was just in a rush. Ezekiel looked surprised and stared at their joined hands. Sophia felt awkward too, but instead of letting go, she held on tighter.

“Why are you being so shy? You say all kinds of things with your mouth, but…”

“Do you often act like this with other people, Sophia?”

“Are you asking if I’m too free with others?”

“No, that’s not what I meant…”

Sophia quickly pulled him up onto the horse. Ezekiel looked away, then sighed and climbed up behind her.

She thought it was silly. She was wearing stockings, after all, not showing bare skin. But she hurried back toward where the others were.

Still, she was too shaken by the wolves, blood, and killing to realize what was about to happen.

When Sophia and Ezekiel appeared in front of the nobles, who had been calmly enjoying tea and conversation, it was a shock.

At first, they screamed and shouted that the second prince, a war hero, needed treatment. But after he left for the medical tent, they turned their attention to Sophia—who rode in on the same horse, showing her bare legs.

“No matter what, it’s shocking to show her legs like that.”

“How indecent.”

“Did they ride the same horse?”

“What happened to Miss Hilden’s horse?”

“Even if she’s unmarried, that’s too much.”

“And she’s engaged, too!”

“Even if she wasn’t, it’s unacceptable!”

“Where is the duke?”

“He went into the emperor’s tent to discuss something.”

They all glanced toward the emperor’s tent, covering their faces with fans.

Meanwhile, Sophia, still overwhelmed, was explaining the situation to the knight commander in charge of the hunt.

People kept glancing at her legs and whispering, but Sophia was too focused on explaining how seven wolves had suddenly appeared.

Then, the emperor’s tent finally opened.

“Is it true that Ezekiel was hurt?”

The emperor stepped out in shock and asked the knight standing nearby. The knight nodded and quickly guided him to where Ezekiel was.

Right after that, the long-awaited duke appeared. Even after hearing that Ezekiel was injured, the duke walked out with a bored expression, showing no surprise at all.

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