Chapter 2
2. A Surprise Attack by Bayendor at This Moment
Meanwhile, Franz, the eldest son of King Hayworth and Annette’s older brother, came rushing over in tears after belatedly hearing the news.
“I’m sorry, Annette. Your brother was so useless that I couldn’t even say a word about your marriage. How could Father be so heartless? After all you’ve done for the kingdom…”
Franz tried to smile after wiping away his tears, though his expression remained awkward as he looked at Annette, who said nothing.
“I heard from the attendants that the Grand Duke of Harzent is a kind man, well respected by many. And you’re such a kind and gentle girl. I’m sure the Grand Duke will care for you.”
Well. Annette had heard that the Grand Duke of Harzent possessed such breathtaking beauty that just one glance could enchant anyone.
But now that he had lost that beauty due to the blood of a beast, could he possibly feel any affection for her—someone who bore the same red eyes as the beasts?
Annette was sure that would never happen, but she didn’t show it in front of Franz.
Born with a weak heart, Franz had grown up frail, especially after their mother, the former queen, died and he was left without proper care.
He had never attended social gatherings or even stepped outside the palace. The only ones who could deliver news to him were the palace attendants.
It seemed they had chosen not to tell him the horrifying rumors about the Grand Duke, probably afraid he might collapse from shock.
‘Kind and well respected? After being tainted by the beast’s blood, he’s said to have turned into a savage killer who delights in blood and carnage.’
Even before that, he was known as a war fanatic.
Still, Annette thought it was a relief that her delicate brother didn’t know the truth.
“Don’t worry about me. Just focus on getting healthy enough to attend the ceremony.”
Because the purpose was to guard against the Bayendor Empire, the alliance between the Alcan Empire and the Kingdom of Hayworth had been conducted in secret.
But while the engagement was rushed, the royal marriage would be a grand affair hosted by the Empire.
Annette hoped that her only family, Franz, would attend and bless her wedding.
But she also feared that he might discover the rumors were true on that day.
‘Maybe it’s better if he never finds out anything…’
“……?!”
At that moment, Annette snapped her head up.
With a sharp whistling sound through the air, something pierced through the carriage door.
Thwack!
Annette quickly caught the arrow flying toward her.
With her bare hand—and not even her dominant left hand, but her right.
If Queen Esther and the nobles who had demoted her from the position of commander of the Royal Knights upon learning she could no longer wield a sword had witnessed this, they would have been shocked speechless.
In fact, aside from the Royal Knights, few people in the Kingdom of Hayworth had ever seen Annette fight beasts firsthand.
No matter how gifted she was, she was still a child of the beasts, born after killing her mother during childbirth. Her strange strength and healing abilities were feared, suspected as the result of dark beastly sorcery.
Unlike the royal family of the Alcan Empire, whose superhuman powers were believed to be divine blessings, she was treated with the opposite reaction.
But no matter how much people tried to deny it, Annette was undeniably the greatest swordsman on the continent.
Ignoring the slight sting in her palm, she examined the arrow.
The faint red hue of the shaft and the two large fletchings clearly marked it as one from the Bayendor Empire.
Upon confirming the blackened arrowhead, Annette’s eyes narrowed.
‘A surprise attack by Bayendor at this moment?’
A royal courier had just returned from the Alcan Empire with the signed engagement documents last night.
As soon as the documents arrived, Annette signed them, and the King immediately ordered her to deliver the pledge to the Empire in person.
The King had always hated her presence in the palace, so this sudden order wasn’t unexpected. But because the decision to leave for Alcan had been so abrupt, this ambush could only mean one thing.
Bayendor, which opposed the alliance between the two nations, had a collaborator.
‘Who could it be?’
Since even the Alcan Empire didn’t yet know she was on the way, the traitor must be someone from within the Kingdom.
A noble? Or maybe someone working in the palace…
There was also the possibility that Bayendor had planted spies long ago.
“H-Haaah! A-a beast!”
Just then, a sudden scream erupted from outside, which had been put on alert after the arrow attack.
Annette immediately leapt out of the carriage upon hearing the terrified voice of Count Randell.
She clearly remembered how he had insulted her as useless junk just moments ago, but she didn’t care.
Far more people had mocked and scorned her than treated her decently, and Annette had always fought for them regardless.
“Ugh!”
But the moment she stepped out and set foot on the ground, Annette almost collapsed.
It was only then that she realized she wasn’t wearing her usual knight’s attire, but a heavy dress and high heels.
Because this was a political marriage to the Alcan Empire, the King had ordered her to dress like a proper princess.
Of course, perhaps unable to stand the sight of her dressed up, he’d also ordered her to wear a black hooded cloak covering her from head to toe until she reached the Empire.
‘And I was told to remove it before getting off the carriage.’
Yet now she was face-to-face with beasts in this outfit.
Annette frowned as she looked at the monsters encircling the carriage.
Given the poisoned arrow, she had expected assassins from Bayendor to be waiting. But instead—beasts?
They had sharp fangs and vaguely resembled wolves, but were the size of bears. Fully grown, wolf-like beasts began growling in unison.
“Grrrr…”
The one in the center flashed its blood-red eyes and roared, as if ready to pounce.
“Q-Quick! Kill them! Now!”
Count Randell screamed at the knights in panic, but the knights, too, faltered in fear.
They were not beast-hunting royal knights, but palace guards.
With a soft sigh, Annette instinctively reached for her waist, looking for her sword—then cursed under her breath.
Of course, she wouldn’t have it. Not while wearing a dress.
Even the sword that Franz had given her when she insisted on going beast-hunting at age fourteen had been taken away after her forced retirement.
Suppressing her regret, she gripped the arrow tightly in her right hand.
Then, for the sake of those who had no intention of protecting her, she tore off the hem of her dress and kicked off her heels.
“Huff…”
“T-The princess…”
“Screeech!”
With agile movements, Annette dashed forward and drove the arrowhead into the beast’s vital spot. The thick hide that even swords struggled to cut was pierced by her hand.
It was only possible because it was her.
From that moment, every spot Annette passed was left littered with the corpses of beasts, and those who witnessed it felt chills down their spines.
‘Who the hell did I just insult…?’
Especially Count Randell, who had been the loudest in mocking her, turned ghostly pale.
He stumbled back instinctively, and then his legs gave out and he collapsed.
When Annette, having slain the surrounding beasts, turned her head sharply, Randell found himself staring into her blood-red eyes—and felt a fear greater than when the beasts had first appeared.
“H-Hiiiek!”
Annette frowned and began walking toward the Count.
She’s going to kill me. I’m going to die.
“Count…”
“D-Don’t come closer!”
The terrified Count scrambled to stand, fell again, and kept crawling in a desperate attempt to escape. Just as he turned his back on Annette—
Splat!
With a terrifying sound, a crimson spray of blood filled the air.
The Count’s bold claim that he would never make a mistake in the Empire came true after all.
Annette sighed as she recalled the moment the Count’s head was torn from his body hours ago.
Even though all the visible beasts were slain, the air still felt wrong.
She had only meant to tell him not to lower his guard and to stay close behind her.
But perhaps she had looked more like a beast.
The moment she moved toward him, Count Randell fled in terror—only to be snatched and killed by a flying beast at terrifying speed.
His head was ripped off, blood shooting out like a fountain, his body collapsing in a spray of gore.
The attendants and knights, who had witnessed the Count’s gruesome death right before their eyes, were thrown into utter panic.
And, just as she feared, more beasts appeared, surrounding them once again.
Annette urgently told the survivors to stay behind her—but it was already too late. None of them could hear her anymore.
And as a result—
‘I wonder if even one of them made it out alive.’