Chapter 44

Injury
Lord Doyle had bravely leapt from the carriage to protect the fleeing girl. While he managed to shield her from the pursuing men’s attacks, it seemed that he had injured his ankle when he caught the girl as she nearly fell.

After checking the affected area, I confirmed that it wasn’t broken. A sprain, most likely.

"Can you walk?"

"Somehow… but running is out of the question."

With my support, Lord Doyle managed to stand, but in this condition, dance practice was impossible. Worse still, even attending the actual event was uncertain.

"This is all… my fault…"

The girl, who had escaped from her pursuers, looked at Lord Doyle with a pale, guilt-ridden expression.

It wasn’t her fault, but she clearly felt responsible. I was about to reassure her when something caught my eye.

A pendant.

She was wearing an ornate necklace, set with a striking red gemstone that gleamed brilliantly. Even to an untrained eye, it was obviously valuable.

Could that have been what those men were after?

"That pendant… where did you—"

"Ah…!"

Before I could finish my question, the girl clutched the pendant with both hands, as if to hide it. Then, she suddenly bowed her head and, in a hurried voice, said, "Thank you for saving me!"

The next instant, she turned and sprinted toward Glacera.

"Hey! Wait—!"

I called after her, but she didn’t stop.

"You mentioned the pendant… did something seem off about it?"

"It just seemed completely out of place for her."

Her clothes didn’t resemble those of a city dweller. Rather, they looked like the kind of garments worn by the children of Curtis Village, only resized for an older girl. Yet, despite her simple attire, she wore a pendant so valuable that even an amateur could tell its worth.

At first, I wondered if she had stolen it and the men were trying to retrieve it—but their actions didn’t match that theory at all.

There were other odd details, too.

Her clothes were strangely clean, almost as if they had never been worn before.

And her speech and mannerisms… they carried an air of refinement, as though she had been raised in a noble household.

Perhaps she was a noble’s daughter, deliberately disguising herself as a village girl?

If that were the case, then the men’s actions would make sense.

A girl from an influential family had, for some reason, chosen to wander around dressed as a commoner. The men, knowing her true identity, had tried to kidnap her for ransom.

It was just a theory, but when I pieced together the strange events, it seemed like the most plausible explanation.

After that, I turned back toward Glacera to hand over the captured men to the knights stationed there.

Meanwhile, Lord Doyle returned to the mansion to receive treatment. A full recovery wouldn’t be easy, but Elina had pain-relieving herbs. I instructed Mr. Brough to stop by the outpost, explain the situation, and pick her up.

Hopefully, the newly assigned knights in Glacera might have some information about the girl.

What do you think about this chapter?