The King's Rejected Lady

Only Death Can Stop Us Now

LILLIAN STOPPED ROWAN'S ARM. "W-Wait! The Duke—Duke of Castaña is interrogating her inside the Duke's office. I feel something is off. After yesterday w-when Lady Tori stormed out of the Duke's office. I heard from Lady Sabina's handmaiden, Shena, that Lady Sabina alone would inherit the Duchy and Lady Tori would act as her support. They said—they said that she poisoned Lady Sabina because of what happened yesterday. But I know her, I know her Rowan!"

Calming Lillian, Rowan patted her drenched hair. "I know. She would not do something as obvious as that. If anything, her sister or worse, the Duke might corner her."

Running under the heavy rain, Tori's two of the most loyal aides marched like men on a mission to the Rozenreff main house where their beloved master was being interrogated. Rowan knew that there was barely anything they could do against the nobles, but he would gladly lay down his life to save Tori, the very first person who encouraged him to live in this unfair world.

Clad in their soaked clothes, Rowan and Lillian entered the main house through the servants' door. Not wasting any second, the two of them run like being chased by the devil, but the Duke came prepared. Knights were being stationed in every nook and cranny of the Rozenreff mansion.

"Now I am a hundred percent sure that something is going on." Sharp eyes and steeled eyes, Rowan was seething from imagining what Tori was enduring right now.

Stifling her sob, Lillian covered her mouth from sobbing out. "They are treating her like a criminal."

Two knights immediately spotted them. Their eyes met, and they were about to take the other longer route when Teresa and Johanes came.

Fuck

Teresa and Johanes had blank faces that made the two of them. "You can't stop us." Lillian walked in their direction, which astounded Rowan. He did not expect that the shivering Lillian would be so determined.

But I agree with Lillian. Only death can stop us now.

Marching just behind Lillian, they went straight to Teresa and Johanes. They steeled themselves for the incoming onslaught, but it did not come. Instead, Johanes and Teresa made their way and faced the incoming knights who were following them.

Stopping on his track, Rowan turned to the two. "Why? You're supposed to be loyal to your master."

Teresa glanced at him to answer his question."We are and we're proving our loyalty now."

Rowan realized the weight of what Teresa was saying. They just chose the master they would serve until the end. For the four of them, it would be Lady Victoria Rozenreff. If it is not you, then I rather not serve any master anymore.

Nodding at her answer, Rowan tugged Lillian to continue where they left. They needed to go to the Duke's office before they were too late. The two ran and ran, not minding the cold engulfing their body. For them, time's their enemy.

Dashing to every corner and stairs, the two came face to face with Sabina's handmaidens led by Shena. Stopping in their tracks for the nth time, an angry Lillian faced the smirking Shena.

"Move, Shena. Or so help me, Gaia, I will whack that smug face of yours." Lillian practically growled at Shena but was stopped when she realized that over ten handmaidens were surrounding them.

I can kill them with a single swish of my sword, but that will make me more powerless. How can I help Tori when I become a criminal myself?

"Are you really in the position to threaten us, Lillian? Now that your oh-so-beloved master faces the guillotine." Her mocking voice and the snickers of the other handmaidens snapped something inside Lillian that she clawed toward Shena. The latter was balder dashed by the sudden outburst that made her stumbled backward.