Two days had passed during the Royal Hunt. Through extreme caution and keeping a low profile, Elara had managed to avoid major trouble for the time being. Like an inconspicuous pebble, she tried to hide herself in the corner of the camp's edge, praying only to survive these few days peacefully.
However, some people, like hyenas smelling blood, don't easily let go of prey within reach.
That afternoon, Elara was sent by Piers into the small woods adjacent to the camp to gather more dry firewood in preparation for the night. The woods were dim, secluded, filled only with the rustling sound of fallen leaves. As Elara bent down to pick up dry branches, she suddenly felt a vicious gust of wind behind her!
She instinctively dodged sideways and looked back to see none other than Hugo, the male servant who had harassed her days ago! His face now wore a savage grin; clearly harboring resentment, he had specifically sought this opportunity for revenge!
"Running away? Little bitch!" Hugo, having lost face with Elara previously and being reprimanded by the knight, had been nursing his anger. Seeing no one else around now, he felt even more emboldened. "You got lucky last time, let's see who can help you now!"
Elara's heart sank; she knew this couldn't end well. While slowly backing away, she warily watched Hugo. "Goodman Hugo, I was only ordered to gather firewood, please don't..."
"Shut up!" Hugo interrupted her rudely, closing the distance in a few strides and grabbing Elara's thin arm with a grip so strong it felt like it could crush her bones! "You dared use Goodman Piers' name against me last time? What do you think you are! Let me tell you, in these woods, even if I break your legs, nobody will know!"
Elara gasped in pain, trying to pull free, but the difference in strength was too great; she was no match for Hugo. Malice glinted in Hugo's eyes; he seemed to relish her struggle and fear. He shoved Elara hard against the rough trunk of a tree,the impact jarring her back painfully.
"What? Scared now?" Hugo pressed closer, a lewd smile on his face. "Beg me! Beg me like a dog, maybe I'll..."
At that critical moment!
A voice, cold and devoid of any warmth, sounding as if it came from the depths of hell, echoed unexpectedly nearby:
"Truly... noisy."
Hugo's movements instantly froze! The savage grin and lewdness shattered like a mask, replaced by utter terror! He whipped his head around towards the source of the voice.
There, standing silently in the shadows of the woods, as if materialized from thin air, was Duke Reinhardt. He wore dark,practical riding attire. His face was expressionless, his deep, icy eyes observing them dispassionately. Behind him, two equally silent, stone-faced personal knight guards were faintly visible.
"Your... Your Grace..." Hugo's voice trembled uncontrollably. His legs gave way, nearly sending him collapsing to his knees. "I... I was just... just teaching a disrespectful servant a lesson..."
Duke Reinhardt's gaze didn't even linger on Hugo for more than a second, as if he disdained to even look at such a minor character. He merely spoke, his voice still level, yet carrying a suffocating pressure: "Since when is it your place to dispense lessons in my woods?"
His tone was light, yet seemed to carry the weight of mountains, crashing down on Hugo's heart!
Thump! Hugo fell completely to his knees, trembling like a leaf, unable to utter another word, only banging his head repeatedly on the ground.
The Duke seemed to lose all interest. He tilted his head slightly, giving a subtle glance to one of his guards. The guard immediately stepped forward, grabbed the limp Hugo like a chick, and dragged him deeper into the woods. Hugo didn't even manage a cry for mercy before disappearing into the darkness, leaving only a few rustling leaves behind.
The entire process was incredibly swift, incredibly cold.
Leaning against the tree trunk, Elara watched everything, still in shock. She saw the arrogant Hugo become less than an ant before the Duke, disposed of in an instant.
This Duke, rumored to be ruthless... had he just... saved her?
Although his appearance was silent, his words icy, and the way he dealt with Hugo chillingly indifferent... he had stopped Hugo's assault.
Perhaps... this Duke wasn't purely tyrannical as the rumors suggested? Perhaps he was merely cold-natured, but possessed the dignity of a high lord who wouldn't tolerate squalor within his "domain," and... some degree of justice?
For the first time, a tiny, faint flicker of... hope? – one she herself barely registered – sparked within Elara's heart towards this fearsome Duke. Like a drowning person grasping at a vine that seems sturdy but might actually be a venomous snake.She even felt that beneath the Duke's icy facade, there seemed to hide a... god-like inviolable dignity, giving her the illusion of wanting to look up to... and rely on him.
Just as her thoughts ran wild, Duke Reinhardt's cold eyes finally, slowly, landed on her.