Thank You For The Confinement, Grand Duke! - Chapter 56.1
Sherry was cautious of its surroundings right now.
That was right.
“…It seems I shouldn’t speak carelessly.”
Just as we were discussing being prepared, Enfrise’s eyes sharpened.
“Chaperil, don’t leave my side.”
I nodded and stepped back slightly, then turned my gaze away from where Enfrise was looking.
Sherry had sent an alert in the direction he was watching. It was clear that someone was there, but it was uncertain if someone else might be on this side. It would be better to be prepared even if there was no one. Better safe than sorry.
“….”
Enfrise remained motionless. He couldn’t afford to leave my side, but the enormous tension felt like heat emanating from him.
Speaking now would certainly be a distraction. It could prevent him from hearing even a slight noise. Why hadn’t I started learning self-defense as I had decided before?
‘…This time, I really need to learn.’
The future was the future, and I, who was utterly useless at the moment, held my breath. Even my breathing could disturb him.
How much time had passed?
“Ppiriri—ppik! Ppiririri—! Hwiiiii! Ppirik! Ppik ppik!”
Sherry’s cries became more urgent.
That must be a warning that someone was getting closer. Even though I didn’t know who it was, they were incredibly cautious. They weren’t approaching quickly—whether they were wary of us or just a lost person.
It was difficult to say, but I felt it was probably the former.
“… They’re coming.”
Enfrise, who had been tense and still, drew the sword from his waist. The white blade gleamed coldly in the sunlight.
“….!”
As Enfrise moved, someone burst out of the bushes. And from behind me, something came flying.
“Get down!”
There was no time to reply.
I quickly crouched down as a flaming arrow passed just over my head, narrowly missing. Enfrise, having narrowly dodged the sword from the man who had leaped from the bushes, struck the arrow from above, causing the flaming arrow to scatter into nothing in the air.
Magic.
This time, a wizard was involved.
“Chaperil! Eyes…! Kugh!”
Seizing the moment when Enfrise’s posture was momentarily disturbed, another man burst from the bushes. I thought the foliage wasn’t dense enough to hide someone, but where were they all coming from?
From the previous arrow alone, it seemed these people didn’t intend to hurt me. Their target is solely Enfrise. It might be easier for him to act if I step away, but…
If their goal was to kidnap Chaperil, the moment I separated…
“Chaperil, close your eyes!”
Eyes? Why?
I glanced at Enfrise, who was struggling to fend off the two men’s swords. Or should I say, doing it with ease?
He wasn’t focusing on the men but on me. Why was he telling me to close my eyes? Still, there wasn’t time to ponder deeply, so I immediately closed my eyes and crouched down as much as possible, trying not to hinder him.
“Uugh…!”
“Kuh!”
A groan mixed with pain filled the air just as I closed my eyes.
Enfrise’s voice? No, that couldn’t be.
Knowing yet…
I opened my eyes.
“Chaperil!”
A shout that seemed almost like a scolding.
It didn’t bother me at all. Ah, this was why Enfrise told me to close my eyes. Him confidently saying that he could protect me wasn’t a lie. He had been intercepting the men’s swords up until now to prevent me from seeing this scene.
It was… a scene I had never seen before.
A sight often glossed over or deliberately focused elsewhere in novels or comics to avoid direct description. Something that had just now painted our peaceful green surroundings red. From the wounds, something protruded…
“Chaperil! Close your eyes! Don’t look!”
I thought I shouldn’t look.
I was told that extreme stress was a trigger for my excessive magical output. I knew this would likely cause me to overheat significantly after this.
Yet, I couldn’t look away.
As if frozen.
My gaze.
“D*mn it!”
Enfrise, while keeping an eye out for the unseen wizard, moved towards me. He rushed over and hugged me tightly, blocking my view.
“Chaperil, calm down. It’s okay. I’ll protect you.”
However, that wasn’t the point. I wasn’t worried about dying. Like all heroes in stories, Enfrise would undoubtedly display superhuman strength to protect the female lead. And Enfrise and I would safely return to the mansion.
Yet, something would inevitably change.
“The wizard…”
“Yes?”
“The wizard… is still out there.”
I closed my eyes.
The gruesome scene clung to the inside of my eyelids. Finally. I felt like I’d truly seen the reality of the world I was in.
And then.
Something snapped.
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