With meticulous care, she tried to aim the tip of the blade to her skin. But even though she wanted to avoid major blood vessels, her consciousness was shaky, and she couldn’t live up to her goal.

“!”

The moment her hand weakened, the dagger fell to the ground.

Get a grip!…There is no other first aid method. I’m a maidservant. I absolutely can’t hurt My Lady’s spirit…No, I’m no longer a maidservant now. I should awaken Teacher Hakurei. But that was supposed to be in my alchemist life…

Some things turned muddled up. She gasped and reached for the dagger that had fallen right beside her.

Although My Lady went to call for help, people from the Order would not be able to enter the Forbidden Forest…I have to take care of this myself. There’s no one who’d risk to come here and make an enemy of the Order…

Something denied her thoughts. Rishe squatted and frowned.

…Why does Arnold Hein’s face come to mind?

That Emperor was the man who had waged war on the country where Rishe served as a knight.

She pushed herself to think of it that way, but her discomfort was growing stronger and stronger. She had to take immediate action, but the world was shaking terribly.

Emperor Arnold Hein is His Majesty, Zahad‘s enemy… He’s the man who decimated the Koyor Kingdom and executed the royalty of various countries – the tyrannical Emperor who tried to kill My Lady and His Highness. He killed Captain and Senior Joel. He was a ruthless man who started a world war and caused the death of many people…He’s mean and…

Her wound throbbed and pulsed, and the feverish sensation aggravated.

As she put her hands on the ground and tried to raise her upper body, she subconsciously pictured the man in her mind.

His swordplay is beautiful. His bearing is aesthetically pleasing, and he performs his official duties with precision. He’s sincere towards people, thoughtful and bold, but sometimes seems very scared.

Footfalls on fallen leaves suddenly sounded.

However, the current Rishe couldn’t deftly pick it up.In her almost hazy consciousness, there were only a few things that were clear.

For example, his dark hair, his sea-blue eyes.

The soft voice he used to call her, and the way he stroked her hair, which he has been doing recently.

The astounded look on his face when looking at her, or the way he smiled on rare occasions.

He is always looking at me straight in the eye. He lies, but he’s not really a liar and a very kind man at heart. I’m getting married. My…

Rishe slowly looked up.

Feeling like crying, she looked at the figure standing in front of her.

“…Husband…”

“―― ……”

Arnold was panting.

She’d never seen him breathe unevenly.

Arnold looked down at Rishe and clicked his tongue with an abject expression. He grabbed her shoulders tightly as he sat down.

“!”

He forcibly brought her to her feet and pressed her back against the trunk of the tree behind her.

Before she could register anything, he gripped her by the shoulders and bit into her already bleeding neck.

“U-Aahh?!”

Then she heard a strong sucking sound.

She recoiled at the strange sensation and paled after a beat.

He was biting into her neck and sucking the poison out.

Rishe tensed upon realizing this.

“Pwa…”He spat out the blood he had sucked out onto the ground and took a short breath.

When Arnold tried to kiss Rishe’s neck again, she resisted with all that was left of her strength.

“Your Highness, d-don’t!!…If you do…”

“…”

Arnold sucked on Rishe’s wound, turning a deaf ear to her desperate protests.

Rishe’s objections were stifled as Arnold’s fingers dug into her wrist and stitched it to the tree behind her.

“Your Highness, please, let me go!…It’s poison. Don’t put it in your mouth. It’s dangerous…”

“Shut up.”

A low voice commanded after spitting her blood, with a pair of glittering eyes scowling at her.

This was probably the first time Arnold seriously scowled at Rishe in this life.

“For once, I won’t listen to your wishes.”

His beautifully shaped lips were wet with red blood.

He gingerly wiped it away with the back of his hand and whispered in a hushed voice, “I told you…I won’t allow you to die.”

“U-u…!”

He bit her and sucked roughly.

He couldn’t tell if it was hot or painful, but the numbness of the remaining poisonous liquid on her skin eased. Nonetheless, she didn’t feel safe, and her mind was in turmoil.

Why not?…I don’t want you to do anything dangerous. I don’t like it. And yet, here you are…

She felt like crying, but more than that, she felt dizzy. She couldn’t endure for long because she just wasn’t strong enough.

…Oh, God, it’s really…

Rishe slowly closed her eyes as she felt the world spin.

It’s like when I’m dying..

A familiar sensation snatched her consciousness and she sank into that warm sea.