In A World Full of Silence, My Heart Will Find Its Way To You - Chapter 98

The carriage, which had been racing relentlessly through the night, finally reached the entrance of the castle, crossing a vast forest.

Every time the carriage passed over the bumpy cobblestone road, all that could be heard was the clattering sound, and the inside of the carriage, where a woman was bound in a shrimp-like position, was eerily quiet.

The carriage, which had been rushing fiercely, suddenly stopped vibrating. A voice from outside the carriage reached their ears.

“What’s going on?”

“The castle gates are closed!”

“The gates are closed? What do you mean?!”

“I’m not sure of the exact situation, but it seems strange. The knights are currently checking the identities of all the visitors at the castle gates.”

“What…? Does that mean they’ve gotten ahead of us?!”

At the loud voices of the men outside, Aria, who had lost consciousness, barely opened her eyes.

In a haze of thirst, she instinctively reached out her hand, but both her hands and feet were already tightly bound with ropes. Her pupils, half-covered by her brown hair, began to tremble faintly.

Outside, their loud voices echoed.

“Could it have been the work of the guards?”

“Damn it, just our luck. By the way, it’s certain that he’s dead, right?”

“Yes. I definitely saw the arrow I shot pierce his chest. He won’t survive.”

“Well, that’s a relief. As long as that woman gets to the Count safely, we’ll be greatly rewarded.”

Aria’s body trembled at their conversation. Suddenly, she was reminded of the moments before she lost her memory.

In the midst of a bloody battle, an arrow had flown toward Eric. The sharp tip tore through his shirt and lodged in his shoulder. And then…

As she bit her lip, she heard his words clearly in her ears.

“So don’t falter and stay by my side. Just like now.”

The price for choosing him, and the price he had paid for choosing her. Tears uncontrollably filled Aria’s eyes.

“Think about the people who are desperately holding on for you. The butler, your family, and of course, me too.”

His blue eyes, which had quietly looked down at her. His face, which had smiled softly.

Memories she could never discard, no matter how much she wanted to forget. Strange thoughts that kept filling her mind.

A world without him was simply despair.

“Run away. I can’t believe it until I see it with my own eyes…”

Aria gathered all her strength and focused on her fading gaze.

She struggled to untie the ropes, but ended up collapsing to the ground with a thud.

Pale, Aria tried desperately to rise, but being bound made it impossible.

The noise from outside quickly turned into an eerie silence.

Instinctively, Aria shrank into the corner of the carriage, nervously scanning her surroundings.

“What’s that noise?”

“It sounds like something from the carriage.”

“Check the inside of the carriage right now!”

With a shout, the door to the carriage was thrown open. Aria quickly buried her face into the floor.

The person who had entered checked her quickly and then closed the door again.

“It’s nothing. It seems like the woman fell unconscious onto the floor.”

“If we stay like this, we won’t be able to escape their pursuit. Running in the carriage has its limits.”

“If we head west, we’ll reach the Brochter coast. How about using a boat from there?”

“A boat…”

“Taking a boat would be the fastest and safest way. It’s also the shortcut to Bailey.”

The man who had suggested this thought for a moment and then shouted to everyone around him.

“We’re going to Brochter! As soon as we get there, we need to find a boat!”

“Yes!”

The carriage began moving again, as if waiting for the command.

Each time the carriage bumped along, Aria’s body trembled slightly. She struggled to lift her eyes toward the window.

The carriage sped through the dense forest at full speed. She clenched her teeth, pushing herself to hold on.

“He’s someone who survived countless battles. There’s no way he’s dead. I have to find a way to escape.”

Her barely open eyes reflected a deepened gaze. She kept staring out, trying to stay conscious.

As the carriage reached the edge of the village, the loud sounds of people talking could be heard. The carriage continued on and arrived at a coastal area.

Near the Brochter coast, there was a large public space. It had an open square and market where anyone could enter, and tucked between narrow alleys were taverns and inns.

Especially by the harbor, people were seen waiting in line to board boats. A captain who had gathered enough people soon led his ship away.

Aria, who had been looking outside with her eyes half-open, suddenly shut her eyes tightly when the carriage door was opened.

The man who opened the door clicked his tongue and untied the ropes from her legs. Aria, suddenly scared, opened her eyes.

With a menacing look, the man threatened her with a small knife, speaking in a low voice.

“Get down quietly. If you try anything funny, I’ll make sure that pretty face gets a scratch.”

Aria was forced to step down from the carriage. The man then took her to his leader. Soon, someone came running toward them and whispered something secretly.

“Captain, there’s a ship heading south that will depart in two hours. How about using that one?”

“Is the ship large enough?”

“It’s a suitable size for our group.”

“That’s fortunate. We can’t afford to draw attention. While we’re waiting for the boat, let’s all take a break.”

“There’s an inn over there. Let’s head there.”

The captain nodded coldly and gave a slight gesture to his subordinates.

Before he left, he glanced at Aria and gave strict orders.

“Don’t touch her. If you want all our efforts to be in vain, go ahead.”

“Yes. While we wait, I’ll put her in an inn room.”

The captain then seemed satisfied and headed toward the inn. Passing through the noisy tavern on the first floor, they ascended the stairs, and Aria was pulled into a shabby room on the second floor.

Left alone in the room, silence filled the space. Aria, once again bound, lay helplessly on the old carpet, unable to do anything.

Her mind was blank as she stared at the floor.

If this continued, they would use the boat to return to Bailey. The crazed Edward would imprison Aria, making sure she would never escape again.

Or worse, he would eventually take her life.

Just then, someone entered the room. The man, holding a glass of water, set it down on the table and looked at Aria silently.

When his hand brushed against her body, Aria instinctively flinched.

“The captain’s order is for you to drink. Don’t think about causing trouble.”

He untied her hands and handed her the glass. When Aria turned her head and turned away, he sighed.

“I’ll leave it here. You can drink it if you want.”

After placing the glass on the table, he left the room.

The noise from outside faded as the men moved downstairs to the first floor.

“I have to escape. If not now, there won’t be another chance…”

Aria muttered quietly to herself as she looked around. Her frantic gaze landed on the slightly open window.

The only way to escape this place, avoiding their watchful eyes, was to jump out of the window.

But with her feet tightly bound, moving freely was impossible.

Then, a sudden thought flashed through her mind. Her eyes, focused on the glass of water on the table, grew intense.

She threw the glass to the floor, and it shattered instantly. Aria quickly picked up a shard and used it to cut through the rope.

It felt like forever, but she slowly managed to cut through the thick knots. Finally free, she hurriedly stood up and opened the window.

The height was dizzying, but the only thought in her mind was that she had to escape.

She took a deep breath, closed her eyes tightly, and without hesitation, leaped out.

Her body tumbled down to the first floor.

“Ugh!”

Pain shot through her ankle and chest, and she couldn’t help but let out a groan. She quickly covered her mouth, swallowing the scream.

Aria scrambled to her feet, but her shoe fell off.

With no time to worry about it, she ran barefoot, moving desperately forward.

Her limp steps led her in an unknown direction. She just needed to escape.

The sharp pain that kept striking her mind made it hard to think clearly, but there was no time to waste.

Then, she heard a shout from behind.

“The woman is running that way! Catch her!”

Startled, Aria ran into a narrow alley, unsure of which direction to go.

‘Hide!’

She quickly scanned the area and saw a large table at the end of the alley. She hid behind it.

As she held her breath, the footsteps of the men drew closer.

‘Please…!’

She tightly gripped her aching ankle, trying to ignore the pain. Without even realizing the pain, the men spread out to search for her.

The footsteps grew louder, and Aria’s whole body began to tremble.

Then, a voice called out.

“It’s the guards!”

The footsteps of the man who had been coming toward her quickly receded.

Aria instinctively knew that this was her last chance.

‘Please…!’

She gripped the hem of her skirt tightly and dashed toward the alleyway, heading for freedom.

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