In A World Full of Silence, My Heart Will Find Its Way To You - Chapter 99

Aria tightly gripped her fluttering skirt with both hands and sprinted toward the alley.

She was panting heavily as she stepped onto the main road.

Just as she was about to run out, someone suddenly grabbed her arm, halting her steps.

Turning her head, she saw a menacing gaze staring at her, and she felt a chill run down her spine. The leader bared his teeth at Aria, glaring fiercely at her.

“Dare to run away? You insolent little thing!”

He muttered harshly and quickly shouted to his subordinates.

“I found the woman! We must avoid the imperial guards’ eyes. We’ll leave by boat immediately!”

He grabbed Aria and hurriedly dragged her toward the harbor.

Surrounded by large, burly men, Aria had no choice but to be dragged along, unable to resist.

Her body stiffened with fear. She had to stay alert—if she let her guard down, she might lose her chance to escape.

She looked around anxiously, hoping to spot the imperial guards, but all she could see were vendors selling goods.

How long had she been walking? Finally, they reached the captain at the very end of the harbor. The captain was readying the boat to set sail.

‘If it continues like this…’

She quietly bit her lower lip.

“Stop!”

In an instant, the imperial guards in silver helmets surrounded them.

The well-trained guards had a numerical advantage, making the situation far more favorable for them.

“Capture them!”

As they were surrounded, the leader and his subordinates showed panic on their faces. One of his men urgently asked.

“Captain, there are too many of them! What should we do?”

The leader stood frozen for a moment, lost in thought. Then, his sharp gaze quickly shifted to Aria.

He pulled her roughly toward him, drew a small knife from his coat, and held it to her neck.

“Do you think I’ll let you go this easily? If I lose her, we’re all dead anyway!”

His harsh voice echoed through the alley. The guards, startled, quickly drew their own swords.

Vendors nearby began screaming and running away.

The leader surveyed the guards, sneering, then pressed the cold blade against Aria’s delicate neck. A few red droplets of blood began to trickle down the blade, staining her fair skin.

Aria shuddered at the cold, sharp sensation. Her body froze, and she couldn’t move an inch.

Her dizzy vision blurred, and the leader’s threatening voice echoed in her ears.

“Back off! If you don’t, I’ll kill her instantly!”

The guards hesitated, their swords raised but unsure of how to proceed.

The leader seized the moment and turned to his subordinates, giving orders.

“Set sail immediately!”

“Yes, sir!”

As they hurried to prepare the boat, Aria’s mind went blank.

She had no choice. She had to either follow the leader back to Bailey’s or…

Then, someone appeared in her mind. She remembered those brilliant blue eyes, gleaming even in the dimmest light.

The person who had been her only sanctuary in a lonely and difficult life. The one who had made her feel useful despite her own shortcomings.

If she could only return to that person…

Aria took a deep breath to calm the rising tension in her body. Then, she shouted toward the imperial guards, who were still hesitant.

“Don’t back off! You have to capture him!”

“Are you… trying to die?!”

“Don’t mind me! You must capture him for the lieutenant’s sake…! Ugh!”

“Shut up!”

The knife dug deeper into her neck, making Aria’s vision blur even more.

Her surroundings darkened, and she couldn’t focus her body properly, but she had no room to retreat.

With the knife pressed against her neck, she pushed her head further into it. Then, she shouted again.

“Please, capture him right now! I’m fine…!”

“Shut up!”

The leader quickly tried to stop her, but Aria’s determined eyes remained fixed on the guards.

The meaning behind her gaze was clear to anyone watching: she didn’t care about her own life—she just wanted them to capture him.

The guards exchanged looks and gripped their swords tightly, moving toward her.

The leader, completely caught off guard, took a few steps back, realizing the situation had turned against him.

Frustrated, he muttered under his breath.

“Either way, this is the end for all of us. If you’re ready to die, I’ll kill you without hesitation.”

He tightened his grip on the sword, and a rush of blood flowed from Aria’s neck. Her vision grew even more blurry, and everything around her seemed to fade away.

As she began to lose consciousness, she silently wished.

‘I want to see you… Eric…’

Just as all her senses seemed to shut down, the leader suddenly gasped.

“Ugh!”

The pressure on her neck suddenly loosened as a blade pierced the leader’s back.

The leader collapsed to the ground.

As he fell, Aria saw a familiar figure—Eric—standing behind him.

Eric immediately threw his sword to the ground and rushed to Aria.

“Aria!”

Her fading vision caught a glimpse of the voice she had desperately wanted to hear.

With great effort, Aria opened her eyes slightly.

She could barely believe it and slowly blinked, extending her hand toward Eric’s pale face.

“Master… you’re alive… I’m so relieved…”

“Stay awake!”

Eric gently shook her, trying to rouse her from her fading consciousness.

He quickly pressed his hand to her neck, trying to stop the bleeding, but Aria’s face had already lost all color.

Her lips curled into a faint smile as her eyes fluttered shut.

“Aria, stay awake! Please…”

At the desperate voice calling her name, Aria managed to open her eyes.

She saw Eric’s blue eyes shining through her blurred vision.

She struggled to move her stiff neck and whispered.

“Master…”

Eric sighed in relief, opening his eyes to look down at her.

Her brown hair, soaked with sweat, and her body, covered in bruises and wounds.

He closed his eyes tightly, blaming himself.

“Where… where am I? What happened to the men…?”

Struggling to speak, Eric slowly opened his eyes and gently brushed the hair from her face.

“We’re at a nearby inn. The men are all captured. How are you feeling now?”

Aria nodded faintly but winced in pain as she tried to sit up, her neck wound still hurting.

“Ugh!”

“Don’t move. You need to rest.”

“But…”

“You don’t have to worry. The emperor has sent more guards after hearing the report. We’re near the palace, so we’re safe here.”

He helped her sit up and handed her a glass of water.

“Drink. You’ve been sweating so much while healing, you must be thirsty.”

Aria took the glass, and the cool water soothed her dry throat, making her feel a bit better.

As she drank, she noticed the white bandages around Eric’s shoulder and chest, and her eyes widened in shock.

“Why… why are you hurt?”

“Don’t worry about me. It’s nothing.”

“Was it from an arrow?”

“It was just a scratch. Focus on yourself. Your ankle is swollen, you must’ve injured it when you fell. You should be more careful.”

“About that…”

“Don’t do something like that again. You were lucky it wasn’t worse.”

“Okay, I understand.”

Aria nodded, and Eric seemed to relax, finally showing a faint smile.

“You’re probably cold and hungry. I’ll have some warm soup brought in.”

Eric called outside, and a familiar face entered—a subordinate with messy hair.

“You’re awake! It’s good to see you’re alright!”

Henry smiled warmly at Aria, though his eyes were uncertain.

Eric shot him a sharp glance.

“Why are you looking at her like that?”

“Well, Lieutenant, I’ve already arranged food. You’ll need a good meal before we leave tomorrow!”

“We’ll leave tomorrow, after one more round of treatment.”

“I expected that. I told the doctor to come back tomorrow.”

“Always so observant…”

At Eric’s words, Henry grinned, then leaned toward him and whispered.

“I’ve never seen you care for someone like this before.”

“What are you saying now…?”

“I’m fully supportive of your marriage, as your subordinate.”

Eric raised an eyebrow at Henry’s teasing, and Henry quickly backed off.

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