Chapter 60
Chapter 60: Leaving the City
***
I blinked my eyes.
The horned carriage was gradually picking up speed, and the cabin started to become bumpy.
“Actually, I didn’t want to kill you 3 years ago. Really, believe me. I just accidentally… who told you not to listen to me? If you had listened to me, things wouldn’t have turned out that way.”
Edward rubbed his hands together, seemingly wanting to touch my face or head. I glared at him, and he suddenly appeared to remember something, hesitating as he lowered his half-raised wrist.
Then he showed an ambiguous smile.
“That day I just wanted you to help me lure Lafayette out to discuss some important matters. You didn’t understand any of this, yet you insisted on causing trouble, resulting in what happened… I didn’t want that either, and I didn’t dare tell Lafayette and uncle…”
“You used to always listen to me, why didn’t you listen that time? Bringing trouble upon yourself… After you fell, I thought you were dead. But thankfully, because of my constant prayers to the gods these past 3 years, you were able to come back alive… Later, I went to church every day to pray for you, it must have been my sincerity that moved the gods.”
“Now you’ve returned safely, and your face wasn’t injured. See, I’ve always had you in my heart. You’re too beautiful, so beautiful that I simply couldn’t accept anyone else, how could I bear to kill you… That fall must have been very hard, right? Who saved you? Tell me, I want to reward them generously, grant them a title… By the way, your body doesn’t have any scars left, does it?”
The horned carriage drove around a bend at high speed, and I could clearly feel the centrifugal force.
I looked at Edward, who continued talking non-stop, with an expressionless face.
This person… he seemed to be trying to salvage something through his words.
His attitude was as if what happened 3 years ago — that 15-year-old girl named Peylo, during the most helpless, painful, and darkest moment in her short life — was just a small misunderstanding.
As if simply saying sorry would make everything forgivable.
He didn’t even say sorry. He was still blaming me, saying it was because I didn’t go along with his wishes that such serious consequences occurred.
…Peylo, was she killed by someone like this?
It’s really… not even worth cursing about.
My body was slightly trembling.
I struggled to control my emotions, constantly telling myself that I must first confirm Lafayette’s safety, and not make any unnecessary moves before then.
I blinked my eyes again.
My star-like pupils shifted slightly, revealing no emotion within.
“Don’t look at me with those eyes…” Edward’s brow showed a trace of helplessness. After staring at me for a while, he turned to the golden mask beside him and said, “Mr. Longman, can you make her speak? I want to talk with her.”
“Your Highness the Crown Prince, you must be joking. I’m only good at killing people, healing isn’t my specialty, I can’t do such things.”
Edward could only wave his hand, then immediately smiled and said: “Never mind, I was just saying. Mr. Longman, don’t worry about it. Thanks to your anesthetic powder this time, I was able to bring Peipei back to my side… You’re very capable. Isn’t this stuff only available to Church doctors? How did you get it?”
“Your Highness the Crown Prince, there are many things we can do, please don’t doubt this point.”
“I’m not doubting… anyway, how much longer will the effects of this thing last?”
“Given the amount she ingested, under normal circumstances, she probably won’t be able to move for an entire day.”
“That’s wonderful.”
Edward was very happy upon hearing this, and looked at me again, his eyes revealing a filth that disgusted me.
I had to avoid his gaze, or I wouldn’t be able to control myself any longer.
“Your Highness, after dealing with Lafayette, what do you plan to do with her?”
“Hm? Do with her? She’s my empress, why would I do anything to her?”
The golden mask was silent for a moment. It seemed he was choosing his words, then spoke again shortly after.
“Your Highness, let me be direct. This girl’s power is too strong. Keeping her by your side like this might be dangerous. My suggestion is to…”
Edward immediately interrupted him.
“Impossible, she is my empress.”
“Your Highness, there are many beautiful girls. If you need, I can arrange a different one for you every day.”
“Could any of them be as beautiful as her?”
“……”
“Relax, it’s fine. I am the future emperor of the empire, Peipei is just a little girl, what does it matter how strong her power is? This world isn’t about who has the bigger fist.” He paused, then pointed his finger at his head, “It’s about this, understand?”
Hmm…
I don’t know if it was my imagination, but I felt the golden mask must have rolled his eyes at this point.
Maybe it’s because I wanted to roll my eyes.
Seeing that the golden mask didn’t respond, Edward continued.
“Uncle must know what I’ve done by now, but he can only kill a few spies to vent his anger. The Church won’t stand by and watch him oppose my father, those religious fanatics will also stop my uncle because it doesn’t serve the Church’s interests. As long as you’re by my side…”
He patted the golden mask’s shoulder.
“As long as you all are by my side, Lafayette won’t escape death… Once he’s dead, no one will be able to stop my progress. Rest assured, I’m not that rigid, I won’t be like those old folks in the palace, digging into your origins. No matter who you are, as long as you serve me wholeheartedly, you’ll eventually get what you want.”
“In a few years, when my father emperor is old, that position will be mine. At that time, I will fulfill my promise, satisfy your demands, and let the Holy Church fade from this country’s sight, I’ll keep my word. You rats who have been hiding in the darkness for years will be able to come out and breathe openly.”
Edward’s eyes flashed with fanatical light.
“The great Valen Empire is the fruit of hundreds of years of blood and sweat from us Wintermoons. Besides ourselves, no one is qualified to possess it — not even the gods.”
Quite ambitious.
From my understanding of this world, it’s almost impossible, and I don’t know where he gets his confidence from.
But the golden mask seemed to believe it completely. He straightened up and gave Edward a slight bow.
“Your Highness, on behalf of the empire’s assassins, I pledge our loyalty to you.”
This made Edward overjoyed, and he burst out laughing.
“Hahaha! Having your word puts me at ease. As long as you serve me wholeheartedly, once I become emperor, I will immediately grant you a title and reward you with the most fertile territory.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
The horned carriage continued speeding along.
The golden mask wasn’t a talkative person, and after expressing his loyalty to Edward, he remained silent, making the atmosphere in the carriage somewhat heavy.
Gradually, Edward became bored and turned his attention back to me.
“Peipei, your big brother really loves you. As soon as he heard the news of your return, he couldn’t sit still and rushed back to the capital, not even taking his guards. He lost his composure, giving me the opportunity I needed. Now he’s deep in the quagmire, unable to save himself!”
His words were still unpleasant to hear, but I felt slightly relieved.
At least Lafayette was still safe for now.
“You really are my little lucky star.”
Hehe.
I closed my eyes, not wanting to see that face anymore.
The atmosphere became quiet again.
Not long after, the carriage suddenly jolted, startling me, then I felt the horned carriage’s speed rapidly decreasing.
Edward’s smile froze.
“What’s wrong?”
His tone was somewhat panicked. The masked man didn’t speak, carefully listening to the sounds outside.
The horned carriage gradually came to a stop, and Valarr’s voice came from the front of the carriage.
“Open the gate, quickly open the city gate!”
Someone nearby responded: “Where’s the leader?”
“In the carriage.”
Edward lifted the carriage curtain, and the towering city wall came into my view.
“We’re at the White Gate.”
The White Gate was a side gate in the south city wall, usually only opened for supply caravans arriving at night, as I learned from Hoover and others’ casual conversations.
Now it seems they were planning to leave the city through here.
Powell Street itself wasn’t far from the city wall, which was probably one of the reasons they chose it as their ambush location, to be able to escape as quickly as possible. And the person who just asked clearly was someone waiting to assist their escape.
But where were the hunters stationed here?
The rumbling sound of the city gate opening arose, and Edward breathed a sigh of relief.
“Let’s go quickly! Soon the next patrol of hunters will arrive here, our actions will be exposed shortly, the further we can get before then, the better.”
“What about the others?”
“They’ll have to find their own way out of the city, we can’t worry about that now.”
“…I understand.”
“We’ll go first, you all follow as soon as possible.”
“Yes, be careful on the way… Go!”
After this brief exchange, the horned beast stomped its iron hooves, pulling the carriage swiftly through the city gate.
For a moment, I seemed to see several hunters lying scattered in the corner of the city wall, their fate unknown.
And the people who opened the city gate all wore masks.
These images flashed by quickly, then were hidden by the lowered carriage curtain.
The horned carriage bumped along as it left Winter City.