FTA Ch 14
by winter<Chapter 14>
* * *
Late night.
Gloria had just fallen into a light and hazy sleep.
“Gloria.”
Leonard gently shook Gloria’s shoulder with cautious hands.
“Someone has broken into the manor.”
Gloria’s eyes snapped open.
“It’s not just one person, at least three persons.”
Leonard’s voice became urgent as he confirmed Gloria was awake.
“They’ve just passed the garden and are likely entering the manor now.”
Upon hearing this, Gloria quickly got out of bed.
“Are they after you?” Gloria asked.
“Probably.”
Leonard slightly drew back the curtain, peering outside.
“No, there are four of them.”
Leonard’s lips curled into a dark twist as he muttered, watching the approaching figures.
“Sending four assassins to handle a man dying of a curse. How considerate of them.” Gloria said
Gloria came closer to confirm the figures outside the window.
“This isn’t the first time there have been intruders, is it?” Gloria asked.
“It’s the first.”
Leonard turned to Gloria, his smile bitter.
“It seems the dismissal of the servants has only now reached the Emperor’s ears.” Gloria explained.
“Does the Emperor know I’m staying here?” Leonard asked.
“Perhaps.”
It was hard to be sure, but the odds leaned toward yes.
The servants Gloria dismissed from the Grand Duke’s estate were all the Emperor’s agents.
Spies who dutifully reported Leonard’s condition as he edged closer to death day by day.
These same servants poisoned his food and drink at every meal.
While Leonard who a Swordmaster with a resistance to toxins,
He had emerged unscathed.
If he been a regular man, he would have died long ago.
The Emperor had always wanted his death.
“I shouldn’t have let them go so easily.” Leonard sighed heavily, his face drawn.
“I’m sorry for getting you entangled in this.” Gloria said.
“Don’t be. I expected as much. In fact, it’s better this way.”
Gloria patted Leonard’s shoulder reassuringly while keeping an alert eye on the closed bedroom door.
To hide the Grand Duke’s recovery, dismissing the servants had been necessary.
Given their efforts to poison him daily, they were the most likely to notice any changes.
She hadn’t expected the Emperor to act so swiftly, but perhaps that was for the better.
They would overpower the assassins tonight and leave this place immediately after.
“If I can deal with these assassins decisively, even the Emperor won’t dare send more. Meanwhile, we’ll move to the barony.” Gloria said.
Though sudden, such an event was neither shocking nor unexpected.
From the moment she allied with Leonard, Gloria had braced herself for battle with the Imperial family.
To be precise, she had enlisted Leonard specifically for the impending conflict.
“You stay here and take care of anyone who enters this room.” Gloria ordered.
Naturally, Gloria didn’t intend for Leonard to encounter any assassins.
She planned to stop them well before they reached the bedroom.
However, she phrased her intentions carefully.
Knowing he wouldn’t remain idle if she declared she’d handle them all herself.
Gloria looked at Leonard with a calm yet firm gaze, hiding her inner resolve.
“All right. As you say.” Leonard nodded and picked up an old, worn out sword.
After making sure he was prepared, Gloria opened the bedroom door and stepped into the corridor without hesitation.
‘It’s my first time fighting real opponents outside of training.’
She wasn’t sure she could control her strength.
She hoped to avoid taking lives if possible.
With all her senses heightened, she moved quietly, every step measured and silent.
She soon spotted a man wearing a black mask.
“…Saintess?” The man froze, staring at her like he had seen a ghost.
“What… Why is the Saintess in the Grand Duke’s manor…?” The man murmured to himself
He frozen in place, his expression one of disbelief.
The Saintess whom he had only ever seen in portraits, was standing before him.
He couldn’t believe what he saw.
‘From his reaction, it seems my presence here hasn’t reached the Emperor yet.’
This hesitation was all the opportunity Gloria needed.
Without a moment’s pause, she clenched her fist and punched the man hard in the stomach.
“Ughh!” The man coughed up blood and collapsed.
Gloria approached the crumpled figure and struck his nape with the edge of her hand, knocking him unconscious.
‘He shouldn’t die from this… right?’
Though he bled a little, the injuries weren’t fatal.
After observing him for a moment, she grabbed his arm and dragged him to a corner of the corridor before continuing forward.
She repeated this process exactly three more times.
“Uuugh!”
“Aaargh!”
“Gahhh!”
And so, the sudden midnight disturbance was completely suppressed.
* * *
“I decided there was no need for unnecessary killing, so I just knocked them out. Since we’re leaving soon, let’s lock them up here for now.” Gloria spoke, casually brushing off her hands.
Despite singlehandedly dragging four unconscious men to the basement, she didn’t look remotely tired.
“But if they wake up and escape before we’re gone, that could be a problem…” Gloria thought like that.
After a moment of thought, Gloria remembered the poisonous herbs she had received from Renny, one of the dismissed maids.
She had carried them just in case, and now seemed the perfect time to use them.
The poison wasn’t fatal in small doses and worked slowly.
It would serve perfectly to incapacitate the men for a short while.
Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out the pouch of herbs.
“If they wake up, we can feed them this. it’ll keep them too weak to run.” Gloria said.
“I’ll take care of it.”
For the first time that night, Leonard stepped in.
He unable to watch from the sidelines any longer.
“I’ll handle it. You should go back to the bedroom and rest.” Leonard said
“Hmm.” Gloria looked skeptical, making no effort to hide her doubts.
“I said I’ll take care of it.”
“…”
“I’ll handle it.”
“…Fine.” Reluctantly, Gloria stepped back.
“I’m still worried, so I’ll wait in the hallway. Is that okay?” Gloria confused.
“No. Go back to the bedroom.”
“Why?”
Leonard’s response was cold and cutting.
Gloria felt a twinge of hurt.
She thought they had grown close while living together.
‘Had that been one-sided?’
“Do you not want me here?” Gloria asked.
“…That’s not it.”
‘Of course, it wasn’t.’
Leonard sighed softly before deciding to tell her the truth.
“I need to interrogate them to confirm whether the Emperor sent them.” Leonard’s eyes dropped.
He couldn’t meet Gloria’s clear gaze as he said this.
Having spent half her life as the Saintess, her reaction to his intentions was unpredictable.
“But didn’t they seem surprised to see you here?” Leonard exhaled and continued.
“That means we need to be certain of who sent them. If it’s the Emperor, fine. But if it’s someone else, then another force is targeting us.” Leonard explained.
“I see…”
“I don’t want you witnessing this process. Please, wait for me in the bedroom.” Leonard ordered.