THE GRAND DUCHESS ESCAPE

YOUR WALK IS OVER

Asella ran for her life.

It was a pitch-black night, even the moon was covered behind the clouds and was nowhere to be seen. The path in front of her was dark so it was hard for her to see the way, but she couldn't stop now.

Asella walked through rough branches and thorny bushes, clearing her way with her bare hand, but now wasn't a great time to think about the pain in her body.

Her slender white fingers were now filled with cuts and wounds, but her mind was only filled with only one thought which was running away.

'I have to get away.'

Silence befell the forest, and the only things breaking the silence were her gasping for breath and the sound of her weak footsteps.

But she knew...

Once he found out that she's gone, his people would chase her relentlessly.

The Grand Duke Calix Benvito. Her husband.

'Just a little bit, just a little bit more...'

Her body wasn't strong enough to be running through a dark forest, as she spent her whole life doing nothing other than walking in mansion gardens.

Right now, her heart was beating like crazy. Even taking a breath seemed like a difficult task; she was running for so long through the rough forest and mountain road that her steps started to get slower and slower due to the severe pain.

But Asella couldn't stop.

To stop meant to die.

'Oh no...'

Her legs began to betray her and failed to keep her standing. She fell on the moist earth. Her long silky silver hair that was tied nearly got loose and scattered around her touching the ground beneath her.

'Come on, get up...'

She struggled helplessly to lift her body from the ground. Perhaps due to the shock from falling, her body was trembling like a leaf in the face of the wing and her leg was throbbing with pain, but there was no time to delay. Even at this moment, the pursuers were approaching, narrowing her escape.

'Please...'

But God turned a blind eye to Asella's earnest request.

'...!'

She managed to finally straighten her upper body, but once she did, her body froze...

Since when did these people in black uniforms surround her?

They were covered in black from head to toe with only their eyes visible. It was hard to identify who they were due to the darkness.

But Asella knew.

They were assassination group that controlled the underworld under the name "Karma". Their name alone spread fear in the hearts of all citizens in the Kharmenian Empire.

The realisation of her chaser's identity sent goosebumps down her spine.

Her body trembled with fear.

'I didn't think he would go this far and send Karma to catch me.'

"...."

However, even after finding her, they didn't make any move on her and a strange silence filled the dark forest. Not even the sounds of cricket could be heard.

After a moment, the black figures spit into two lines, as if making a path, then knelt on one knee.

Before she could process what was happening in front of her, someone appeared.