TSMMT Ch 63

The Fall

The carriage came to a halt to allow a change of sheets. Rain rarely pierced the thick canopy of a massive tree where the procession stopped, prompting the attendants to move busily through their tasks.

Dianna watched the forest shrouded in a thick fog. The gloomy weather mirrored her dark future.

[Knight] "Demanding a change of sheets, seriously."

The complaints of several knights drifted through the air. Dianna recognized the men. Guiscard's knights, the Vargrhati Order, always treated her with absolute disrespect and disloyalty.

[Logaple] "They say the sheets of the carriage are fixed to the seats, so we can't change them right now. However, we will cover them with a clean blanket."

The young knight spoke quietly to her. She nodded.

[Dianna] "Do as you wish."

I never requested this anyway.

She spoke with complete indifference, letting fate take its course. Yet her cold tone and detached attitude clearly enraged the Lodbrog soldiers, earning her freezing glares from the crowd. Yes, exactly like right now. Those glares pierced her like daggers.

The hostile atmosphere of the Vargrhati Order extended to the Royal Guard. Dianna endured the irritated escort of the knights and rarely moved, even within the royal palace. She consistently maintained a calm facade while walking on eggshells around everyone.

This is only the beginning.

The knights' bitter attitude marked the start. Dianna possessed absolutely no desire to clear any misunderstandings. She remained the hated enemy of their lord; no amount of effort on her part would change that reality. She ignored their chatter and looked up at the sky.

[Logaple] "No, Sir! The atmosphere was suffocating, so I suggested changing them."

The knight who caused the misunderstanding defended her. But his words changed nothing.

[Knight] "Why waste your time on something so useless?"

[Knight] "She is hardly someone who deserves such consideration."

That was the reality. Nothing worked on people who resolved to hate.

Dianna sat on the stone ground beneath the tree, inhaling the damp air. Surrounded by the bustling crowd, she sat dazed.

Will my life end in this place?

Will I rot away here?

Will this life terminate in suicide once more?

As she stared blankly past the distant forest, someone extended a blanket toward her. It was Guiscard. She gestured no upon seeing it. Although a chill gripped her, she refused to accept his kindness.

[Guiscard] "Wrap it around yourself."

[Dianna] "I am fine."

[Guiscard] "Do you wish to catch a sickness and die?"

She offered no reply to his cold voice.

I prefer that exact outcome.

Instead, she gave a gloomy smile and spoke.

[Dianna] "Your Majesty…… you don't wish for my death."

[Guiscard] "……."

[Dianna] "Why did you save my life?"

He furrowed his brow. His violet eyes glared at Dianna. As a sinister aura filled the air once more, she let out a short laugh.

[Dianna] "No, asking a question when I already know the answer is utterly foolish."

His gaze thoroughly examined her face. His expression contorted upon meeting her eyes.

[Guiscard] "Since My Lady knows the answer so well, why did you run away?"

He countered her mockery with a biting sneer.

[Dianna] "Because I believed escape was possible."

[Guiscard] "Foolish."

He spoke the truth. She was foolish. Dianna despised the misguided righteousness swelling within her.

[Guiscard] "You had better abandon all thoughts of running away."

[Dianna] "……."

[Guiscard] "I know you possess a strange power. Yet that power will prove completely useless in this forest swarming with monsters."

Dianna offered no reply. She knew escaping remained impossible anyway.

When she remained silent, a blanket descended over her. Surprised by the heavy weight, she looked up.

Guiscard sat before her, locking his gaze with hers as he wrapped the cloth securely around her frame. His meticulous attention carried a trace of tenderness, mirroring the days when he served her as a slave. Of course, Dianna possessed enough sense to keep those thoughts to herself.

Suddenly, Guiscard extended a massive hand. She flinched unconsciously. He narrowed his eyes at her reaction. His large, thick fingers brushed against her cheek. The copper scent of blood still radiated from his hand. He merely rested a few fingers against her skin rather than his entire palm.

[Guiscard] "Your body is still freezing."

Look at you, you are the same. You loathe touching me as well.

She offered absolutely no reply.

[Guiscard] "I know a precious lady like you will never find satisfaction here."

[Guiscard] "……."

[Guiscard] "If anything causes you discomfort, speak."

What on earth is wrong with this man? Why does he continue to act like a slave?

Dianna nodded unconsciously. In response, his expression softened for a fleeting instant.

The young knight's name was Logaple. He constantly stayed by Dianna's side, chattering away. Having grown up with many older sisters, the boy conversed endlessly, exhausting Dianna.

Yet a single reason prevented her from completely ignoring Logaple: guilt. She knew what transpired with the knight in her past life. Following her escape and subsequent capture by monsters in the previous timeline, Logaple's face had vanished entirely. She later discovered by chance that the crown executed him.

Ultimately, her actions had driven him to his death. Hearing the boy speak of his five older sisters and younger brother brought a strange weight to her chest. The person her past choices had killed was an actual, living human being.

[Dianna] "Why are we rushing like this?"

She questioned Logaple. He widened his eyes, caught off guard by her first inquiry.

[Logaple] "Well, that is……"

[Dianna] "It seems you have not reached an agreement with Grand Duke Blake."

[Logaple] "Exactly."

That meant she might find an opportunity to escape upon reaching the Grand Duke's territory. She gestured no to the rising thought. She couldn't allow the Grand Duke and Guiscard to clash because of her.

In her past life, those two factions never engaged in open conflict. The Grand Duke had granted her shelter; she refused to bring further harm upon him. Having witnessed the public execution of the Panborough royalty in her previous life, Dianna knew the cost. She couldn't allow a similar tragedy to unfold.

[Dianna] "I wish to write a letter to a friend. Could you procure a pen and paper for me?"

[Logaple] "No."

He spoke firmly. She widened her eyes in surprise, caught off guard by the uncharacteristically harsh tone from the usually gentle boy.

[Logaple] "A pen tip is sharp."

[Dianna] "……."

[Logaple] "It is His Majesty's command. Furthermore, I refuse to watch My Lady drive a pen tip into her own neck."

[Dianna] "……."

I should have succeeded during my first suicide attempt.

It was a bitter lesson, even though she had not explicitly intended to end her life right then.

[Logaple] "However, if you dictate your message, I shall write and send it on your behalf."

She nodded. Staring at the boy, guilt gripped her once more.

---

Dianna sat dazed inside the prison-like carriage. Exhaustion forced her into fitful sleep, and she forced down meals only when provided. Guiscard occasionally checked on her, inquiring about any discomforts, leaving her with no choice but to shake her head each time.

The wound on her neck healed over time, allowing the removal of her bandages. In her past life, escaping required constant vigilance, followed by a severe illness that kept her bedridden, making this current monotony slightly tedious.

Despite fleeing the Grand Duke's territory rapidly, the fear of clashing with pursuing ducal knights dictated a punishing pace, forcing her to sleep continuously in the carriage. The rations tasted awful, and the cramped berth offered minimal comfort.

Loathing the hostile glares of the knights, Dianna remained confined to the vehicle, refusing to step outside even during breaks. Yet her tiny sanctuary soon collapsed into ruin.

[Knight] "W-Wyvern!"

A piercing shriek echoed through the air. A massive, ground-shaking roar erupted. Dianna hid inside the carriage in terror. Logaple had already rushed outside. Reports of rising incursions of monsters had reached her ears recently, yet she never anticipated an attack against such a large gathering.

Shouts and screams resounded from outside. No matter how much she welcomed death, she refused to become meat torn apart alive by beasts. Yet the monsters clearly possessed a shred of cunning intelligence.

Wood splintered violently as the carriage shook. The beast shattered the roof and glared down at her. Its crimson eyes blinked greedily, pupils dilating with hunger. Dianna scrambled backward.

Should I flee?

But the cunning beast dug its talons into the frame, lifting the entire carriage into the air. As the claws gripped the corners, the floor tilted dangerously.

Lifted with its top completely torn open, the walls of the vehicle inverted to form the floor. Worse, Dianna rolled across the surface, nearly plunging into the open sky. A mad gale roared past. Rising high into the clouds, the reality struck her: a wyvern had snatched her away.

[Guiscard] "Ann!"

Guiscard bellowed from directly below. Dianna looked down. Several knights engaged the flying wyverns in combat. Guiscard tracked her with bloodshot eyes. If this continued, the beast would drag her to its nest to become live prey.

Dianna fixed her gaze on the wyvern gripping the carriage. Intent on flight, the monster paid absolutely no attention to her. She furrowed her brow. If the distance from the ground increased further, the beast would surely secure a tighter hold on her.

She summoned Sylph and leaped into the open air without a single moment of hesitation. Frantic screams rang out instantly. Dianna harbored no fear. Sylph would surely slow her descent.

Right on cue, a massive gale erupted, breaking her velocity. She fought to maintain her balance, yet her body tipped headfirst into the plunge. The exact instant she reached the ground, someone caught her in a tight embrace, and they rolled across the dirt.

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