I Raised the Beast Well - Chapter 94

“Take a look at the map! I told you to turn left at the crossroad! Are you blind or something?”

“I’m looking at it, too! My eyes are blurry because I’m too scared! There’s a fainted princess in the back!”

“Shhh! Quiet! What are you going to do if someone hears it?!”

“Who would listen to us in this forest? Anyway, I’m scared to death. I really don’t want to follow this order!”

“Be quiet! I’m scared, too! But everyone will die if we don’t do it! Do you want to see your wife die? I don’t want that!”

Soon, they went down a rough road, and the two bickering voices were covered by the rattling noise of the wheels.

Belinda was still deeply concentrating. Those two who sat in the horseman’s seat seemed to have kidnapped her under someone else’s order. 

If those two were going to kill me, they would’ve eliminated me already. There must be a reason to keep me alive and take me somewhere else.

Otherwise, they wouldn’t run away like this while still keeping the princess breathing life. It would have been easier for them to kill her and bury her somewhere than to take the risk to keep her alive.

Belinda, who was ruminating over something all alone, stroked the now calmed down sparrow.

“Mazetto. You should fly outside.”

“No. I’ll go with Belinda.”

“No. We can’t beat them,  it’s dangerous. Mazzeto, you should go and call Aymon.”

“But, but, the carriage will be further away when I come back! What if I can’t find Belinda?!”

Mazzeto squeaked and cried.

He should have called Aymon as Belinda said, but if he did, he would inevitably lose the carriage. And so, he may lose Belinda forever.

“Aymon will find me somehow. If we go farther away like this, we might really die, but together, without Aymon having any clues. Please, Mazetto.”

Belinda gently persuaded the little bird.

The two horsemen didn’t have any intention to kill her right away, but no one knows what would happen next. Assuming the worst case scenario, Belinda opened the window.

Perhaps Mazetto thought that Belinda was right about that, and so flew out the window with determination.

“Okay! I’ll be back soon!” 

Mazetto’s last words dissipated along with the sound of his fluttering wings.

Not long ago, Adelai ordered the two Imperial horsemen to: 

‘Kill Belinda as soon as you leave the capital.’   

The two horsemen were shaking in fear when they heard that. 

Now matter how loyal I am to Princess Adelai, the one I was told to kidnap is still a member of the royal family, right? What should I do with that order?

‘If any of you disobey me, I’ll kill you and your entire family. The same goes if you spread the words around.’

That threat, to put their family’s lives in danger, absolutely terrified them.

As they were contemplating what to do, Count Otoman secretly came to them and whispered ominously.

‘I’ll persuade Princess Adelai, so keep Princess Belinda alive.  Take her to the villa I tell you about and just keep an eye on her after.’

Then he handed over a map.

Thus, the horsemen ran so wildly and quickly toward the villa that Otoman told them about. They kidnapped the Princess, but it felt a little relieving that they didn’t have to kill her in the end.

Adelai tried to kill Belinda out of malice, but Count Otoman secretly blocked her plan. Because he assumed that Belinda was a good tool that shouldn’t be killed.

Princess Belinda was the only weakness that could hold and shake the black leopard. Hence, he was so certain that if he saved Belinda, she would be useful for him.  

Rattle.

The carriage shook greatly again.

At some point, the carriage reached a crossroad. By that time, Belinda decided to put her life at stake, holding onto the faith that the horsemen wouldn’t kill her.

After violently flung the window open, she let out a muffled scream.

“Stop the carriage right now.”

The two men were surprised and turned behind. The voice came from the Princess, who was supposed to be unconscious as if she were dead until they arrived at the villa. But they didn’t stop the carriage despite her order. 

So Belinda grabbed the door handle, and poked her body out of the window.

“If you don’t stop, I’ll jump right here. I don’t care if I fall and die!”

One of the the temporary coach drivers, startled by what she said, abruptly pulled the bridle. However, the brown-haired man, who quickly realized something, stopped the other man. He turned his head and whispered while glancing at Belinda.

“Don’t stop! She might run away! Do you really think she would jump down?”

“What if she gets hurt?!”

“She’s just scaring you with words. How could such a precious and spoiled person do th- No, no! wait, Stop!”

The man, who was dissuading the other man to stop, was surprised and stopped the horse himself by pulling the bridle. Because Belinda suddenly poked her upper body out of the window.

Her body was on the verge of falling, at any minute now. If she felt that way, she’d snap her neck bone or gotten injured in another area.

“Please don’t jump out!”

“I’ll stop! I’ll stop!”

The urgent scream of the horsemen was mixed with the horse neighs. The carriage stopped right after that.

Belinda secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

As I thought. I’m glad that I was right.

She almost fell off the carriage and died, just because of an assumption.

When the horse completely stopped, the two men jumped down from the horse’s seat.

“What the hell are you doing!?”

The subjects who kidnapped the Princess were scolding her for acting dangerously.

Belinda smiled and pulled her upper body back inside the carriage. 

“I see that you have no intention to kill me.”

Soon, she sat leisurely and leaned against the carriage chair, gesturing arrogantly toward them. It was an order to open the carriage door and face her.

The two men opened the carriage door, facing her as they stood in front of the carriage.

She was kidnapped and she was in danger, but for some reason, they were stunned by her deliberately overbearing attitude.

Belinda asked in a voice as calm as possible.

“Did you need money?”

“…….”

“I see that you were bold enough to kidnap a royal. Alright, how much are you supposed to get? I will give you five times the amount you are supposed to receive unconditionally.”

Of course, she knew well that this kidnapping was not simply because of money.

It was impossible that such a dangerous thing would happen for such a simple reason. Wasn’t she from the royal family, not just any noble? Once they get caught, it won’t only end with their death. 

Furthermore, their crouched shoulders was a clear indication of fear. There was no confidence in their act.

‘‘Then why? If not for money, then what for? And why did the brown haired Shinsu attack my palace earlier?’

There were lots of things she didn’t understand. However, Belinda commenced her original plan to threaten them and buy time until Aymon arrived.

She had to drag out the situation even by spouting nonsense. This place was still close enough to the place where she parted ways with Mazetto earlier.

“Who’s your owner? I don’t think you were moving on your own.”

The two startled men remained silent. Only then did Belinda slowly get up. With overflowing elegance, she took a step out of the carriage, while the two flustered men approached her.

“P, Please don’t come out!”

However, Belinda didn’t even pretend to hear and held out her hand. She asked to be escorted.

There’s no way these stunned men could even think of being courteous toward a royal family. Whether they were frozen in place or not, Belinda came down from the carriage. 

They were completely swayed by her. 

Were all the royal family members this confident? 

They weren’t able to respond as they seemed to be suppressed by her overbearing elegance.

In the end, the brown-haired man took out a dagger.

“I told you not to move!”

The tip of the dagger trembled. It’s sharp tip touched Belinda’s neck. He dared to raise the blade against a royal.

Belinda lifted her chin haughtily without a single crack on her expression.

“Do you want to stab me? Fine. Go ahead.”

“…….”

“Why don’t you try it if you are so brave?”

The brown-haired man eventually lowered the dagger.

Only then did Belinda gulp down her shaking breath.

Thank god. As I thought, they can’t kill me. Then how can I waste more time?

She swallowed the lump of nervousness in her throat. She acted so brave and exposed her neck, but she was scared. 

How can I appear brave when my life lay in the hands of these men? What should I do now?

I have to drag out more time without overly agitating them.

Belinda looked around and quietly spoke to the two men.

“I don’t feel good. Let’s take a rest before we go.”

“…….”

The two men glanced at each other and hesitated on what to do. Belinda stared at them.

“Isn’t this all because of the drugs you forced me to eat? If you had asked me to follow you, I would have followed you. I’m sure you fed me a cheap drug.”

“T,That’s not true!”

“I’ll get in the carriage when I feel better after getting some fresh air. I’ll follow you, so don’t worry.”

Her voice was as low as a calm lake. Her peaceful tone sounded like a request, but it was actually close to a command. The men exchanged glances and nodded as if they understood.

Their opponent was a beautiful princess with a frail body. No matter what she attempts to do with that body, there won’t be anything dangerous.

“But don’t take too long, Princess.”

“Alright.”

Belinda walked past them and approached the tree. The nervous horsemen followed her closely with dagger on their hands.

Should I just run away like this?

The thought passed her mind briefly, but soon she shook her head. Her mind was disoriented after taking the drug and her physical condition wasn’t good.

Even if she ran away in this state, she’d agitate them rather than push them away.

Grabbing a tree, she breathed shallowly.

After sending Mazetto off, there was a crossroad…

She tore her sleeve lace and tied it tightly to a branch. The human scent, which only animals could smell, was scattered in the wind.

“Princess?!”

“What are you doing! If you’re trying to do something useless, we won’t wait any longer!”

The men who watched her closely from behind, shouted. Fortunately, they didn’t seem to notice what she was trying to do.

Belinda turned around with a smile, and touched the ribbon she tied beautifully.

“What do you think? Isn’t it similar to the vase ribbon I saw in my palace?”

It was a carefree attitude, just like a child who feared nothing.

The men sighed and approached her. It was absurd to waste time on a child’s play.

Belinda ripped off two jewels on her chest and threw it lightly to them. The men only blinked at these jewels they randomly received for no reason.

“It’s uncomfortable because the carriage is so cheap that it rattles like crazy. You should pay attention to the carriage you use to serve the royal family.”

Belinda continued, lifting her chin haughtily.

“This time, I’d like it if you drive slowly, gently, and courteously. You must never forget that the one you serve is a member of the royal family.”

Don’t forget that I’m a member of the royal family. That was a warning for them by emphasizing on her status.

I’m not an easy target for you to kill. I’m a member of the great imperial family.

‘Imperial family.’

The weight of those words is something that you guys should never overlook.