Chapter 18 (1/2)

Face to face, neither of us moved nor spoke

Hilde was the one to break the long silence that had fallen over the area

—CLNK

The sound of her footstep resounded throughout the passage

“Halt”

Klaus cut her off right away

Placing himself to protect me, he stared her doith cold eyes

“The area beyond is restricted Begone,” he coinably severe voice

Repri to a halt, the pallid girl looked at ly Her ar

“…Your Royal…Highness…” her voice wrung out

I couldn’t hide irl Even if she was asking for help, I didn’t knohat to do Klaus stepped in front ofmy view

“I told you to leave Did you not hear?”

Klaus placed his fingers on the sword hanging fro with a faint sound, but conversely seemed dreadfully loud

I wanted to talk to Hilde, but the situation was getting ugly Not sure if she was planning soly, if she dared venture closer, Klaus seemed prepared to cut her down

“…………”

Stand down, I tried to order her, but before I could—

“I didn’t know…!” she yelled “It’s all…everything is, I…it’s wrong, different…I didn’t know”

Hilde was confused, babbling incoherently like she was about to go mad

“What nonsense is this?”

Klaus knit his brows in suspicion, but I felt like I could understand what she had said

She didn’t know things would turn out this way

It was staggering

That guy had involved her in such a big scheme, and he had only revealed a fraction of it to her She was literally a sacrificial pawn A scapegoat to be used and throay

I was moved to pity

Just because she doesn’t see, it doesn’t mean she’s not, I scolded myself If she’s cornered, she may lie

Even though I tried to warn myself, my heart went out to her

“I, I…”

Hilde walked forith dangerously unsteady footsteps

Her eyes were sunken in her ashen face, and her always neat hair was in disarray, but she didn’t seehost I couldn’t see hoas possible to fake that

If it was all an act put on to beg for a lesser punishment, then she was really talented at the rare role of a villainess

“Princess Rosemarie, please stand back”

With Hilde approaching, one step at a time, Klaus finally unsheathed his sword from its scabbard

Seeing the dull brightness eether

This wasn’t the time to lose focus

“Klaus,” I said in a panic, “don’t be too rough—”

“I understand,” he very cal off my attempts to control him

Seeing him point his sword at Hildeleft to do but trust hiht up in my actions, Hilde desperately followed suit, the expression on her face so tragic, it stole my breath

Wait!

Without a voice, my lips only formed the words

At that h footsteps could be heard in the distance, and a e

Clad in the arht, his suit clanked as he fiercely pushed toward us Unsheathing the sword hanging fro his blade down

“RUN!”

“??”

Hilde had gone still at his sudden appearance, but she i to the side

“Nn, gahhh!!!”

But without any protection, the sword tore cruelly into her right shoulder She was bloay by the force; her body slay, she slid dohere struck Blood began to flow fro her clothes red

“………ah”

Swinging his sword to rid it of blood, the man turned to me