Escape

1“Clatter clatter clatter…”

The sound of hooves pounded like drums as the carriage sped out of the duchy, raising clouds of dust as it rushed toward the distance.

Their destination—

The Imperial Capital.

Inside the carriage sat two people.

One lay flat, while the other sat on the wooden bench.

That very afternoon, after climbing down the cliff at lightning speed, they had bought a carriage at an inn and fled toward the capital.

“Boss… this is really thrilling…”

Eugene laughed awkwardly.

Even now, he couldn’t understand her plan.

Why not infiltrate in disguise?

Why climb a cliff instead?

And worst of all—

That wall-breaking impact…

At the time, he had been on the tree.

After that kick, the entire tree shook violently.

He barely managed to hold on and survive.

“You’re a mage. You wouldn’t understand!”

His boss replied righteously, completely unfazed.

That was Luna…

Terrifying.

Mages simply couldn’t understand warriors.

That’s what his magic textbook said.

But this warrior…

Was different.

Have you ever seen a warrior drag a mage along for barehanded cliff climbing?

No normal person would do that.

He rubbed his forehead and closed his eyes, questioning life.

“Clunk!”

The carriage made an odd sound.

“Drive properly!”

Sensing something wrong, Luna opened the door and shouted at Eugene.

But this wasn’t just a bump—

It was far worse.

The carriage wheel suddenly came loose.

It tilted left.

More and more—

Until the carriage flipped.

Rolling into a wheat field.

“Ahhh—!”

Amid screams and shouts, the carriage overturned.

Even the horse was dragged into the field.

“Not a good start…”

Luna climbed out and sighed at the mess.

Since their escape, everything had gone strangely.

First, in a hurry, they bought a random horse.

It turned out to be extremely unruly.

Even Luna struggled to control it.

After some forceful “training,” it finally behaved.

But still—

Problems kept appearing.

…

“Ailian, do you remember me?”

Luna asked as gently as possible.

Ailian looked nervous.

Luna remembered her expressions well.

When anxious, her brows would tighten slightly.

Her voice would tremble.

It was her way of showing fear.

Which made this even stranger.

She clearly should recognize her.

Yet this reaction was genuine.

It felt like their first meeting again.

The scent was the same.

Her demeanor was the same.

But—

It was wrong.

“I don’t remember… but I feel like I’ve seen you before…”

Ailian replied painfully.

She had said this over ten times.

“I don’t know you… I really don’t…”

Again and again.

Yet the red-haired girl always looked in disbelief.

She shook her head helplessly.

“My name is Luna. You can call me Sister Luna.”

By mental age, Luna was barely twelve.

After the Holy War, she was only fifteen.

Still young.

Ailian had been nineteen back then.

Three years later, she should be twenty-two.

But those three years were gone from her memory.

Like a dream.

Even so, her mental age was still older than Luna’s.

Calling her “sister” felt premature.

“My name is Ailian… I don’t have a surname…”

She hesitated when mentioning it.

Then gave up.

Luna understood why.

She already knew Ailian’s past.

Now, with her memories gone, everything reset.

She had returned—

Only to be hurt again.

Betrayed again by her own family.

How tragic.

These past months…

She must have suffered.

Luna’s heart ached.

She hadn’t expected it.

Her own brother, disguised, coming for her.

Eugene had warned her.

She hadn’t believed it.

Until she saw it herself.

In the end—

She followed her instincts.

And chose Luna.

Even she didn’t understand why.

A stranger—

Yet strangely familiar.

Without hesitation, she had thrown her only hope—the chisel—at her brother.

Though it missed.

“Hahaha… I never imagined… they would treat me like a monster…”

She laughed through tears.

Luna said nothing.

She gently stroked Ailian’s silver hair.