***
Franz, raising himself with a self-deprecating sigh, gazed down at Judith, who barely reached his shoulder.
A fleeting flicker of pity crossed his emotionless eyes.
Though there was a two-year age gap, seventeen was the age when both men and women were almost fully grown.
Franz wasn’t particularly short, but even considering that, Judith’s stature was ridiculously small.
Not only was she short, but her shoulders and arms were devoid of any flesh.
Her wrists looked so fragile, as if they could snap with the slightest squeeze.
The queen would surely torment this frail, birdlike princess to death.
It was as if she would suck all the blood and flesh out of her, leaving her a hollow shell, deriving pleasure from the young princess’s tears.
But he had no power to stop it.
Franz merely felt a twinge of regret.
Though he hadn’t known her until just today, and while he wouldn’t come to love her, she was still his princess.
In this strange land, with no family, she had only him to rely on.
Yet, Franz had no shield to protect her from the queen’s wrath.
He thought, if there were any way he could, he would help her find a way to escape, create a chance for her to hide and live somewhere else.
Or, if she simply said she didn’t want to go to Lotheir, he would have found a way to help her stay away.
“I’m fine now, Your Highness.
Please get in the carriage.
It’s getting dark soon, and we need to find a place for the horses and men to rest,” Judith said.
Queen Gilsis had belittled her, calling her not only frail but also a simpleton who couldn’t even look people in the eye.
She even said that Franz should be grateful for having such a woman as his princess.
But the Judith Franz saw now was entirely different from the queen’s description.
Frail she might be, but everything else was the opposite.
Yet, he didn’t hold onto hope.
He wasn’t pleased or happy.
He simply considered it fortunate for Judith.
If she was truly as clever as she seemed, she would likely trample over him just to win favor with Queen Gilsis.
He thought that if Judith ever needed his neck to protect herself, he could feign ignorance.
It would be better than withering away under the queen’s oppressive rule.
* * *
The carriage had been traveling towards Lotheir for two days and was now entering the afternoon of the second day.
They were about half a day’s journey from the Lotheir border, but Judith couldn’t relax.
Franz seemed to think it was just the usual motion sickness, but the real reason was different.
She knew that before reaching the border, a band of armed bandits would ambush the carriage near the Black Forest.
‘I was exhausted and asleep back then… So, I don’t remember exactly where in the Black Forest we were attacked.’
The journey was arduous for her weak body, and since Franz hadn’t said a word, she had been frozen in place, eventually falling into a deep sleep by the second day.
It was only later that she learned the place where they were nearly killed by the bandits was near a notorious thicket called the ‘Black Forest’ in the Lotheir Kingdom.
She considered warning Berzi’s secretary beforehand, but soon dismissed the thought.
The secretary was skilled enough to handle untrained bandits on his own.
Since no one would be hurt or killed in this attack, she thought it was better to avoid doing anything that might raise suspicion.
‘I just need to protect Franz.
Marianne will be protected by Berzi’s secretary…’
The carriage began to jolt more and more violently.
She lifted the curtain that covered the window slightly, peering out at the forest where the darkness was slowly thickening.
Through the dense, nameless trees, the sharp top of a spire, like a blade, faintly emerged.
The eerie sight made Judith flinch involuntarily.
Samona’s words just before her death flashed through her mind.
“Her Majesty claims that His Highness Franz’s madness has gone too far, and she has imprisoned him in a spire deep within the Black Forest.
Your Highness…”
It was Samona’s words that had pushed Judith, weakened as she was, into the deepest despair after enduring a year of harsh confinement.
Without realizing it, Judith turned her head towards Franz.
Their eyes met unexpectedly, and she startled, quickly lowering her gaze.
His eyes felt unnervingly sharp, as though he knew exactly what she was thinking, what she was worrying about.
‘No, that can’t be.
Calm down.’
A pale light began to filter onto the floor of the carriage.
The bandits appeared as their surroundings grew dimmer.
Judith pretended to look out the window, hiding her trembling fingers beneath her knees, trying to maintain a composed expression.
Was it the pounding of her heart from the fear?
A sudden surge of anxiety washed over her.
What if something went wrong and Franz was hurt or fatally wounded?
Or what if she was the one who ended up like that?
‘That can’t happen.’
She silently bit her lip and closed her eyes as if in prayer.
Thud!
Something solid struck the carriage with a heavy thud, and the horses reared up, whinnying in panic.
This was it!
She realized instinctively that it was an attack, even before it fully unfolded.
As the carriage swayed violently, she reached out and grabbed Franz, nearly pulling him into an embrace, as he lost his balance.
“Your Highness, lower yourself!”
She held him tight and slumped down to the carriage floor just as the soldiers’ shouts rang out.
“Ambush!”
“Bandits!
Protect His Highness Franz and Her Highness the Princess!”
The sounds of clashing weapons, screams, and terrified cries of the horses filled the air.
The carriage leaned precariously, as if about to tip over.
Judith couldn’t help but let out a sharp cry.
“Ah!”
An arrow sliced through the air, and with a crash, the carriage window shattered.
Judith huddled her shoulders to avoid the shards and felt something fluttering down on top of her head.
She opened her eyes to see what it was and lifted her head in surprise.
It was Franz’s jacket.
“Your Highness!
It’s dangerous if you stand up…!”
Then it happened.
Franz, who had risen and was urgently clutching the corner of the carriage ceiling, bit his lip and tore off a piece of it with a loud snap.
Crack!
A sword emerged from the torn ceiling.
Judith’s eyes widened in shock.
She hadn’t realized there was a sword hidden there.
And she certainly hadn’t thought Franz would pull it out.
“Your Highness!”
He kicked open the carriage door.
At the same time, a man in tattered, dark clothes swung a hand axe at his head.
“Gah!”
Too stunned to scream, Judith stared at his back, wondering if what she was witnessing was real.
As the man lunged, Franz, holding the sword upside down, struck the man’s Adam’s apple with the blunt end of the hilt.
The man dropped the axe, clutching his throat and staggering.
Franz didn’t miss the opportunity and swiftly drew the sword, executing a lightning-fast strike.
“Your Highness, be careful!”
Berzi’s secretary shouted from a distance.
But he seemed not to hear him, as he slashed at the bandits who swarmed towards him, one after another.
Yet, he never left the front of the carriage.
He did the best he could within the narrow space.
‘This man…’
The jacket he had removed slid off Judith’s head.
Arrows were still flying from the forest, some of them piercing the carriage.
But Judith, engrossed in watching Franz wield the sword, didn’t notice the chaos surrounding her.
She couldn’t understand why Franz wouldn’t leave the front of the carriage.
Or rather, there was only one possible reason, but it seemed unbelievable.
He was doing it to protect her, and no one else.
There was no doubt about it.
‘But why?
Why would he protect me?’
“Your Highness!
On your right!”
Berzi’s secretary shouted as he ran towards Franz.
At the same time, Franz swung his sword to the right, deflecting an arrow that was flying at him.
The crudely carved wooden shaft of the arrow snapped, sending splinters scattering.
The bandits who had attacked first were killed by the secretary and Franz, and the remaining ones retreated into the forest.
The soldiers didn’t pursue them.
It would be a loss if they chased them into the forest and got lost.
Besides, after taking this much damage, they knew the bandits would hide for a while.
“Your Highness, are you… injured?”
“I’m fine, take care of the princess.”
Franz said, wiping his cheek with the end of his sleeve.
“Princess, are you injured?”
“I’m fine… I’m not injured.
Your Highness…”
‘I’m fine because you protected me.’ But she couldn’t bring herself to say it.
Instead, she blushed, noticing a streak of blood on Franz’s cheek, which was tilted to the side.
“Your Highness!
You’re bleeding…!”
“It was just a scratch from a splinter.
…Are there any injured or dead soldiers?”
“There are no serious injuries or deaths.”
“Then, as soon as the horses calm down, we’ll depart immediately.
The border is nearby.
It would be much more dangerous to stay here overnight.”
“Yes, sir.”
Berzi’s secretary replied.
Judith stopped him as he was about to bow and turn away.
“Marianne… What about the child I brought with me?
Is she alright?”
“Yes, Princess.
Marianne is fine.
I will tell her that you are safe, so please don’t worry.”
She nodded, and he gave a brief nod in return before heading off to give orders to the soldiers.
Franz boarded the carriage, tossed the piece of ceiling he had ripped off to retrieve the sword out the window, and closed the door.
“Your Highness, you’re still bleeding.
Perhaps you would like a handkerchief…?”
“How?” Franz stared intently at Judith.
“How did you know it was an ambush just from the carriage swaying?
How did you know to tell me to lower myself?”
“…Your Highness, what are you talking about?
Of course I didn’t know anything.
I just said that if the carriage overturned, it would be a big problem, so I told you to lower yourself to be as safe as possible.”
“You weren’t even scared?
The horses went wild and the carriage wheel was lifted halfway up, but you seem to have quite a lot of courage.”