Chapter 63

"Ha... ha..."

Due to being cooped up in the room for so long, my stamina had waned, making it hard to breathe, my lungs ached, and my legs felt heavy. Still, I kept telling myself I couldn't stop and continued running.

It was probably about two hundred meters to the forest from the open area. Once I got into the dense forest, my chances of escaping would increase significantly.

"Hey, wait a minute!"

Then I saw unfamiliar men chasing after me from behind, and I gasped.

I realized that Gerald would never let me go so easily, and a cold sweat ran down my back.

With my lack of stamina and the wedding dress I was wearing, it was obvious they would catch up to me quickly.

Still, I couldn't afford to give up and stop. If I were caught here, not only would I be in trouble, but Eliza and Norman would spend the rest of their lives swapped.

I had to escape and tell everyone the truth, and I had to take the magical artifact from Mabel.

"Absolutely, catch her! Even if her limbs are gone, as long as she's alive!"

"......"

A chill ran down my spine at Gerald's words as he stumbled out of the cathedral.

I could tell he was serious, and his twisted love was terrifying. Gerald really didn't care as long as my soul was inside.

I couldn't let Eliza's precious body be harmed, so I endured the pain and continued running.

"Ah...!"

Just as I was about to reach the forest, one of the men's magical attacks hit my leg, and I fell to the ground in intense pain, losing my balance.

"U... ghh..."

My legs below the knees felt like they were on fire, and I realized it was impossible to run in this state.

Even though I knew this, I didn't want to give up. As I tried to stand up, enduring the pain and placing my hands on the ground, I heard a voice.

"–Saidy!"

I looked up at the unmistakable voice.

Sure enough, Rufus was there, and my vision blurred.

"...W-Why?"

Why was he here? Why did he call me "Saidy" in this state?

There were so many questions, but seeing Rufus's face, I felt a deep sense of relief, and the tears I had been holding back overflowed uncontrollably.

"I'm sorry I'm late, are you okay?"

"...Uu...n..."

There were countless things I wanted to say, but no words came out. The warmth of Rufus's gentle hand touching me told me this wasn't a dream or an illusion.

As I clung to Rufus's arm, crying, he repeatedly apologized and stroked my back.

"Hey, give us that girl."

But as the men who were chasing me approached, the air around Rufus changed.

"...Just wait a moment. This will be over soon."

Standing up, Rufus drew his sword and instantly cut down the men coming at him.

I was so stunned by the speed that I could only stare at his back in shock.

Eventually, his gaze turned to Gerald, who was standing in front of the cathedral. The effects of the flower still seemed to be affecting him, and he looked pale, barely able to stand.

When I told Rufus that the flower's effects had blinded Gerald, he simply murmured, "I see."

"–This is a joke!"

Gerald's voice echoed around us.

Rufus gently reassured me, but his gaze on Gerald was colder than I had ever seen.

Even though Gerald couldn't see, he must have sensed who had come to my rescue.

"Getting in the way... Stay away from Saidy!"

The moment Gerald turned his palm toward us, a sharp wind like a blade came our way.

"Saidy, stay back."

Rufus shielded me and countered with wind magic, creating a loud, ear-splitting noise and a fierce wind.

Given that Gerald couldn't see and Rufus was the head of the knight order, the outcome was clear.

"Guh...!"

Eventually, Gerald's body was slammed into the cathedral wall and he collapsed to the ground, apparently unconscious from hitting his head.

"That man will be restrained. Please wait a moment."

Rufus went to Gerald, restrained him with a tool, and used a magical artifact to contact someone.

"Kevin should be here soon. ...I'm really sorry I'm late, you must have been through a lot."

When Rufus returned and embraced me, the tears wouldn't stop at his gentle voice.

Rufus picked me up, and I leaned heavily into his embrace, surrounded by his beloved scent and warmth, and lost consciousness.