Surviving As The Villainess's Attendant

"My journey’s finally come to an end."

I muttered under my breath, leaning my head against the carriage window as the northern winds howled outside. The landscape beyond was cold and distant—white fields stretching endlessly, the sky a dull gray that matched my mood.

After leaving the dungeon, I barely had time to process everything before my knights found me. They’d been scouring the desert, practically tearing it apart in search of me. The moment I reunited with them, I didn’t even get a moment to rest.

Straight back to them.

The very place I’d been trying to escape.

And now, here I was again.

I closed my eyes briefly, letting the carriage rock gently beneath me. Truthfully, I hadn’t planned to come back. Not like this. Not with all the secrets I now carried—the hidden profession, Doran’s teachings, the relics tucked away in my ring.

But I couldn’t run.

If I even tried, it wouldn’t just be my head on the line. The Duke would see it as betrayal—a personal insult. He’d send men across the entire continent if he had to. And my family? They’d be the first to pay the price for my disappearance.

So no, there was no choice.

Returning wasn’t bravery.