Home/I confined you, but I have no ill will/ch 103

103.

Clang—

With the sound of the bolt sliding, the organ music and guests' murmurs vanished. The room was bare—only a prayer chair and a white lamp on the wall. It had become a sealed chamber.

Ibelin surveyed the room, looking at the wall with the god's symbol. She slowly knelt and clasped her hands to pray. As she closed her eyes and whispered, figures emerged from the darkness—members of the Black Scorpion.

Unlucky woman.

She'd caught the Archduke's eye, but he had many enemies. She couldn't be called lucky—especially since she'd die today.

They moved silently. The Swordmaster was in the same building; few knew the true extent of a Swordmaster's power. They only knew legends—monsters who had reached the pinnacle of swordsmanship.

So they needed to deal with her quickly and quietly.

The assassin's hand held a poisoned dagger.

Just then, Ibelin opened her eyes. An ordinary lady would have frozen—but Ibelin was no ordinary woman. A smile curved her lips.

When her grandfather first taught her to fight beasts, her heart pounded with fear—but the first successful hunt brought exhilaration. Though she'd denied it, Ibelin didn't dislike fighting. She realized it in the North, fighting alongside Kite.

Combat made her blood race, her mind cool, her body move—and she found it compelling. So even now, she could smile.

"I've been waiting."

The cold whisper startled the assassin, who threw the dagger. Ibelin didn't dodge—she boldly lifted her skirt, revealing a hidden gun, and fired.

BANG—!

The bullet pierced the assassin's right knee. Trained not to scream, his eyes widened in pain. But she didn't stop.

She fired at others while drawing a knife, trampling a fallen assassin's shoulder to leap and scatter blades.

"Madness!"

Even the assassin couldn't help but curse. She was supposed to be an ordinary noble—was she a substitute? He checked—no, it was the face he'd memorized.

Some kind of magic.

The legendary age had ended, but its legacy remained, mostly in noble hands. Archduke Gracias must have some. But one thing was clear:

Information leaked.

They'd moved quietly, but he'd known.

BANG—!

She fired again and again. When the bullets ran out, she threw smoke bombs and drew more knives. She didn't need to kill all of them—just stall for time. They knew it, too.

With vision obscured, they hesitated—she was clearly not ordinary. They threw knives to create openings, but she used her torn skirt to deflect. One approached—she grabbed his wrist and ruthlessly twisted it.

"Ghk."

With his wrist broken, she drove her knee into his jaw—he collapsed, his brain rattled.

"You bitch!"

A third assassin lunged from behind. Without turning, she dropped low and stabbed backward, wounding him.

Between breaths, she reloaded. Then—

The sealed door burst open as if struck by a battering ram. Kite entered, disabling the nearest assassin in two moves—his expression calm, but his eyes were those of a mad beast.

He'd been attacked to be delayed, but the assassins were dealt with quickly. His knights followed, subduing the rest.

"Ibelin."

He couldn't approach. She wasn't hurt—her dress was torn for mobility. But the bloodstains in the sacred space weighed on him. He'd wanted her to be happy.

She noticed.

I'm fine.

She walked to him, avoiding the broken floor.

"Any regrets?"

"Yes."

"What?"

"That I let you face assassins."

She pouted and poked him.

"So you'll always face danger alone?"

"...That would ease my mind."

"It would trouble mine."

She touched her reddened ear.

"No one wants their loved one fighting alone—especially someone who can fight. Two is better than one, isn't it?"

He froze, then let out a laugh—growing into uncontrollable laughter.

"Haha, hahahaha!"

The sudden laughter drew all eyes.

"You keep making me fall for you more."

He pulled her close.

"I'm already deep—how much deeper do you want me?"

Her face flushed tomato-red. She wished he'd say such things in private.

Alex was about to whistle—Lucen smacked his head first.

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