“What do you want?!”

Since she was unable to get away with pretending to be asleep, Ann decided to just cut straight to the point.

“Do you seriously have no idea?”

Instead of answering, Four asked back tauntingly.

 

Ann gulped before answering, “You want me to be on your side, right? Sorry, but I decline. And what will your king do if he is without a heir?”

Four and Ten gritted their teeth at the same time when they heard Ann’s answer.

“You can’t force me to abide your will. It’s useless even if you kidnap me like this,” Ann said.

“Even if we do this?” Four suddenly inched closer and a sharp knife was already pointing at Ann’s neck.

“But I am your king’s heir. Are you seriously going to kill me? Are you not afraid your king will murder you all once he knows?”

“Tch,” Four clicked her tongue.

 

“You know what? I’d kill to be you—the king’s child, yet you—what are you doing with your privilege?!” Four blurted our her real thought.

“Hmm… I don’t want it,” Ann said.

“Well, no matter. We’re only instructed to bring you back there. We aren’t asked to ask you to be obedient,” Four added.

“Huh? Just what are you planning to do with me?” Ann asked, now curious.

“Who knows,” Ten shrugged his shoulders.

Based on their expressions, they seemed to be telling the truth. It seemed like the two of them were really obedient servants, doing what they were asked, without questioning what. Rueben was cautious enough not to let his plan spill… Ann could only be on alert.

 

“Now that you’re awake, hurry and follow our lead,” Four said, still with her knife on Ann’s neck. Being threatened with a dagger and with roughly pushed by Four, Ann could only walk in order to not let herself be hurt.

“Wait,” Ann suddenly stopped before turning around to ask, “What about Faye, my maid?”

“This girl? Well, she is of no use, so of course—”

“Don’t kill her!”

Ann interrupted before Four could finish her sentence.

 

“Oh? Who are you to order us around like that?” Four asked while looking down at Ann.

The audacity—!

They really consider Rueben as their only master and I, as the one who occupy his daughter’s body, isn’t also the master by association, huh?

This is bad…

“If… If you let her go, then I will not give you any trouble until you complete your mission. I will follow you quietly until we arrive to Rueb—my father’s side,” Ann said.

Anyway, I can just think about ways to run away later after that. But first, Faye has to be safe and sound!!

 

“If we let her go, she’d be able to seek help and hinder us. Why should we do that?” Four asked.

Ann was left speechless by this.

True that…

Ann’s eyes wandered around, trying to find any inspiration when a sudden realization hit her.

“Actually, you can just let her go once we’re far enough from home. If she isn’t familiar with the place, how is she supposed to go back, let alone look for help?” Ann tried to bargain.

When she was in the modern world, there were lots of mean people who’d catch an animal that they saw as a hindrance around their area, like a cat or a dog, transport it to quite a distant, and leave them there. Most of the time, the animal wouldn’t be able to go back to their original area, but some were able to do that, though it’d take time…

If it was Faye, she’d be able to do so.

But as long as she could be safe, then it’d be alright.

 

“Hmm… What she said makes sense. Shall we do that, Four?” Ten asked.

“But, still—”

“I promise I won’t be an eyesore and follow you obediently. Isn’t that what you want?” Ann didn’t leave any leeway for them to think. She continued with her offer.

But when she didn’t get any response in a while, Ann continued with her voice low, “If you kill her, I won’t forgive you. Try me if you don’t believe I can make it difficult for you.”

 

“…”

Four then let Ann go before she went to Ten and whispered something in his ears.

Ten then looked at Four and nodded.

After that, Four returned to grab Ann and said, “Alright.”

“Okay, so you’re going to let her go, right?” Ann asked.

“Not now, later on when we’re a bit farther,” Four said.

“Sounds good to me,” Ann nodded as she turned to look at Faye.

Faye was still unconscious, perhaps because she was still a child that she was knocked out more than Ann.

Then, Ann saw that Ten splashed some water to Faye’s face.

“…!” Poor Faye woke up with a fright.

“…,” Ann’s mouth opened for a while before she reluctantly closed it again.

She wanted to protest for their harsh treatment to Faye, but she was afraid that her protest would just put Faye in more harm than good.

Endure… I have to endure.

Ann tried to calm the fire that was lit in her heart.

For now, prioritize Faye’s safety, then my safety too, above all.

We can endure harsh treatment just fine… Right?

Ann looked at Faye who was surprised and frightened at first, before realization seemed to hit her—as shown through Faye’s eyes as she found Ann.

Seeing Faye being urged and pushed by Ten as she still looked at Ann’s direction, Ann slightly nodded to gesture Faye that Faye had to be obedient for now.

Luckily, Faye was a sensible child that grasped Ann’s meaning well. She didn’t put any resistance and followed Ten obediently, sparing her from Ten’s rough shoving.

Ann heaved a sigh of relief upon watching that.

 

Apparently, they were moving from the carriage they were in to another one that was already provided at the secluded area where they stopped.

Crap, they really came here prepared. Switching transportation like this will make it harder to be tracked down…

Ann felt like she had underestimated the rebels a lot.

In the middle of all this happening, she tried looking here and there for an opportunity and way to escape.

 

“Trying to see how you can run away? You wish,” Four could guess what Ann was thinking and quickly said as they were boarding on the new carriage.

Ten would be the driver again, while this time, Four, Ann, and Faye were riding together at the back, together with what seemed to be goods.

“No, it’s not like I can do anything. And anyway I have promised you. I am a man of words… a woman of words, well, you get it,” Ann said as she just realized her own stupidity.

There was no use trying to find an opportunity to escape as she couldn’t do anything anyway, but there was no helping it. It was a reflex.

“It’s good that you understand your position,” Four said.

Then, the carriage’s door was closed and not long afterwards, it started rocking due to the road that wasn’t smooth.

 

The three of them in the back were silent. Ann and Faye were sitting beside each other, with Four across Ann.

Faye was still a child, so it was no wonder that she’d be scared and could only look down.

Meanwhile, Ann was staring at Four silently.

 

After awhile, Four was unable to pretend that Ann never existed, so she turned around and asked, “Enough. What are you staring at me like that for?”

“Free me. I promise I won’t run away,” Ann said.

“Hmph, you think I am stupid?!”

It was exactly at that moment that Faye’s stomach growled.

“No. Give us food. We’ve been out for quite a while, right? Are you going to starve us? Weren’t you instructed to bring me alive?” Ann asked.

“Tch, weakling,” Four said, but she threw two pieces of breads at Ann and Faye.

“Eat that. I won’t untie your ropes, though,” Four said.

“Fine,” Ann said as she struggled to take the bread that was thrown at her, and Faye followed along.

The two of them were too starved to care about anything else. Even when the bread was tasteless and a bit hard, they still ate it in order to quell the hunger and to survive.

 

Another wave of silent engulfed them after the two finished eating.

The sound of drizzle hitting the carriage could be heard faintly and soon, it evolved into a downpour.

Following after that was the sound of thunder.

The road turned rougher, perhaps due to the rain as well, as the carriage shook more often and roughly.

Though the inside of the carriage was already dark enough because there was only a small window there, next to Four’s side, above their heads, after the heavy rain started, it turned even darker and carried an air of gloom.

With this kind of atmosphere, coupled with the residual effect of the drug and their exhaustion, Ann and Faye found it harder to keep their heavy eyelids from closing.

Just as they had let their alertness down, Four peeked through the small window as she mumbled, “It’s time.”

Before Ann could even figure out what it meant, Four quickly grabbed onto Faye’s body, opened the door, and still with the carriage running in a high speed… She threw Faye’s body roughly outside.

 

“…Faye!! What are you doing?!” Ann was immediately shocked awake, wanting to rush to see how Faye was doing, but Four closed the door quickly.

From what little she could see, it seemed that the rain was very heavy, the path they were on was muddy and rough and the surrounding looked like a deep forest.

And then, Faye was thrown out to the wilderness that nobody knew where, like that, with the carriage still going on a full speed…

There is no way she’d be alright!!!

 

“I released her, just as I promised you,” Four smirked as she answered.

“You…!!” Ann gritted her teeth in anger. She was seeing red.

“I’ve already shown my mercy by letting her go. You have to abide to your promise,” Four said.

 Hearing Four’s remark, Ann tried to calm herself down by closing her eyes and controlling her breathing that turning rough.

She’s right. It’s already good that they didn’t kill Faye… Whether or not Faye can survive and run to seek help, at least for herself, will be up to her…

Still, I can’t help but be worried, for a child like Faye be treated that way…

She’s getting involved in something as dangerous as this because of me…

Faye… Please be alright!!!

If something were to happen to you, I don’t know if I can forgive myself and them for that…