Secret Private Life of the Villainous Grand Duke - Chapter 109

“Haa…”

Lily let out a deep sigh as she collected her thoughts while heading toward Kretail in the carriage.

If she could become close to Moritz’s sister, perhaps they wouldn’t be able to kill her so easily. Maybe this was also an opportunity to confirm if he was indeed preparing for war. If she searched through documents and such discreetly, she might find a clue.

But if that were true… if Moritz was indeed after the throne…

A shadow crossed her delicate features. Lily clenched and then opened her small, slender hands. She knew better than anyone that she had no real power. Yet she didn’t want to see either Moritz or Matthias dead.

The carriage continued to race onward for half a day, carrying a pensive Lily. As they crossed a bridge leading into the Kretail region and entered the wooded path, the driver abruptly halted the carriage with an alarmed look.

What’s going on? They hadn’t even arrived yet.

Lily glanced around. There was an eerie atmosphere in the woods. Looking closely, she noticed several men with their mouths and noses covered by black masks lurking nearby.

“What, what is this…?”

They looked like a group of assassins. Lily felt terrified. Her face, which had previously shown calmness even while knowing Moritz would eventually kill her in the game, now became terrified.

The reason she hadn’t been afraid of Moritz until now was that she knew he would be kind to her until the very moment he decided to kill her.

As long as she could change his mind before that final moment, she would be safe.

But this armed group was different. She had no certainty that they would spare her, whether they were robbers or unknown villains. And there were multiple of them. She couldn’t persuade or seduce them all.

“Miss, run away!”

The driver urged. Lily shook her head. Where could she possibly flee? The men wielding swords surrounded the carriage in the middle of the road.

“But… I have nowhere to escape to…”

“Just hold on tight!”

With a determined look, the driver cracked the whip and charged toward the Pax family’s henchmen. Suddenly, swords and arrows rained down, landing near the horse’s hooves.

Neigh! The startled horses twisted their bodies and jumped, one of them breaking free of the reins and bolting away.

The carriage shook violently with a loud clatter. Lily gripped the seat tightly. This couldn’t be how she dies. What would happen to her if she dies here?

She absolutely could not die.

It wasn’t just fear of death. Lily preferred this reality to her previous life. This was her reality now.

Because she had thought of this as just a game, her feelings and emotions had been dulled compared to anyone else in this place. For the first time, she felt her heart racing wildly and her hands and feet tingling.

Fear was one of the most intense sensations that reminded her she was alive.

“Please… save me… someone…”

Even the driver was dragged away, as if to mock her desperate pleas. Thud. Thud. The sound of the driver being beaten by the Pax family’s henchmen echoed in the air.

Moments later, a few of the henchmen approached Lily.

“This is the one, right?”

“Seems like luck is on her side. She came rolling right into our hands.”

Surrounded by the henchmen of the Pax family, Lily trembled. The name that popped into her mind was ironically Moritz, the very person who had taken her life multiple times in the game.

Help me, Moritz…

* * *

Before Duke Pax, Lily, with her hands and feet bound, couldn’t even scream. No, she wasn’t able to. It was pointless; she was already captured. Even if she shouted, no one would come to her aid.

Who is that man? Lily glanced fearfully at the man sitting at the desk.

He was the kind of man she had always admired—a strikingly handsome man, yet she felt nothing but dread.

Judging by his attire, he was undoubtedly a nobleman, but a scar that looked like a knife wound crossed his sharp jawline.

Lily instinctively sensed it. She didn’t even know his name, but she knew he was the most dangerous person in all of Moonique. Tears streamed down her cheeks.

What should she do when faced with someone she had never seen before in the game…? Being trapped in the den of a hungry tiger meant certain death, whether she remained conscious or not.

“What about the driver?”

Hartmut, the head of the Pax family, asked. His voice was as impressive as his looks, deep and resonant like it echoed from inside a cavern. The sound made Lily shiver.

“I left him near the bridge leading to Kneiss Castle.”

“Right, Claudia should find him within a day or two.”

Thank goodness, the driver was still alive. Lily felt a sense of relief. But then doubt crept in. He had said he left him there, but did that mean the driver was truly unharmed? Her anxiety deepened.

“What shall we do with her?”

Hartmut looked down at Lily. The woman from the Raven family who Moritz Kneiss was infatuated with. As rumored, Lily was indeed quite beautiful.

Her delicate frame and unique jade-colored eyes sparked a protective instinct. It was as if she had two jade beads set into her eyes. Like other beauties, she had captivating eyes, rosy cheeks full of life, a prominent nose, and luscious, red lips.

She possessed all the elements that defined beauty.

But Hartmut had one lingering question. Had there truly been no woman of her caliber for Moritz all this time?

No. Beautiful women were everywhere. Elma, who had been Moritz’s partner for a long time, was also an object of desire among the men of the Empire.

In other words, Lily was ordinary. Just an average beauty that could distract men. But Moritz wasn’t an ordinary man.

What was her true allure? It was impossible to ensnare Kneiss with just pretty looks. To him, everyone—men and women alike—were merely tools.