"Cecilia—!!"
Blood splattered from Cecilia's wounded body. She stumbled, failing to stop herself from collapsing to the ground. Through blurred vision, she saw Damian's pale face as he caught her, barely managing to keep her from falling completely. Beyond that, he seemed shocked as Cecilia struggled to breathe through the pain tearing through her wound.
"Cecilia…?"
His voice broke after a moment. Damian stared in horror at the blood soaking through her cloak. Only when Cecilia coughed up blood did the truth finally sink in—she was bleeding because she had taken the hit meant for him.
"Your Highness!"
Not far away, Robert and Fiona—who had been secretly trailing Gilbert's troops—panicked when they saw a bright red glow flaring from Cecilia's body as her concealment was ruined the moment she fell.
"Move!"
