He wasn’t far away, so I quickly recognised him.
Of the nearly ten knights that had been with him earlier, less than half remained.
‘How could this happen to the people I saved…’
Frustration and anger welled up inside me, and a strong desire to save them surged through me.
But as someone currently being protected, I couldn’t act recklessly.
I stood there, helpless, my heart aching as I watched.
Then, I noticed the captain of Benjamin’s guard looking in our direction.
A moment later, he shouted something to his men, and they began clearing a path as he and Benjamin ran toward us.
The remaining knights held off the monsters to give them time to escape.
“Ha!”
Edwin saw them approaching us and let out a sharp, cynical laugh.
I briefly hoped he might help them, but Edwin coldly ignored their plight.
All I could do was pray that they made it to us safely.
But then, just before they reached our range of protection, one of the monsters attacked from an unexpected direction, badly injuring the captain.
“Ugh. Young Master, run!”
With all his remaining strength, the captain fought off the monster and shouted to Benjamin.
Benjamin hesitated, torn between fleeing and staying with the bleeding knight. He looked utterly lost, unable to move.
“Benjamin! Run!”
I shouted, motioning for him to come toward us.
Benjamin wavered for a moment before finally making a break for it, running in my direction.
I wanted to run and help him, but with Edwin and the knights protecting me, I couldn’t leave my spot.
“Just a little more, just a little further,” I thought desperately, stretching my hand toward him.
But my hopes were dashed.
Just as Benjamin was about to reach our safety, a monster lunged from a direction no one expected, and Benjamin fell to the ground.
“No!”
I screamed, and Edwin turned to look at me.
“Edwin, Benjamin… if we leave him like this…”
I couldn’t bring myself to say that he’d die, so I just looked at Edwin with pleading eyes.
“My bride is too soft-hearted,” Edwin said with a slight click of his tongue. He gave Beryl a quick nod, and Beryl, along with another knight, rushed to help.
In no time, Beryl dispatched the monster and carried the injured Benjamin back to us. However, Benjamin’s body was in terrible condition, battered and covered in blood.
Beryl gently laid him on the ground before returning to the fight.
“Stay here. Don’t move,” Edwin ordered, his focus solely on me as if Benjamin didn’t matter at all.
His face was cold and serious, and I quickly nodded.
Even then, Edwin hesitated for a moment, watching me carefully before returning to battle against the monsters.
Benjamin lay there, unconscious, looking more like a corpse than someone alive. Blood continued to pool around him, growing larger by the second.
Trembling, I reached out to touch his nose, trying to feel for any sign of breath.
A faint, barely detectable breath brushed against my fingertips, indicating that life still clung to him, but it wouldn’t last long.
Fear flooded me—he was on the verge of death.
“I have to save him,” I thought.
Though I had only met Benjamin earlier that day, the memory of his courage and determination wouldn’t leave my mind.
More importantly, he was someone I had saved once already, and I couldn’t bear the thought of losing him now.
Driven by urgency, my hand instinctively reached for the anklet holding the jewel…
But before I could do anything, a large hand grabbed mine.
Startled, I looked up to see Edwin’s stern face, shaking his head.
It was then that I realised what I had almost done.
If I used my jewel-crafting powers here, it would expose everything we had worked so hard to keep hidden.
All my efforts to survive would be undone in an instant.
I looked down at Benjamin’s pale, lifeless face once more.
The decision weighed heavily on me, but I knew what I had to do.
“I have to save Benjamin,” I said firmly.
“I care more about you, Lina,” Edwin replied, pulling me up and lifting me into his arms.
His actions made it clear he intended to remove me from Benjamin’s side as if to prevent me from intervening. Desperate, I grabbed onto his collar, unwilling to let go.
“I can save him.”
“No.”
Edwin shook his head firmly, his energy raging with clear anger. I could feel my heart shrinking in fear, but thinking of Benjamin, I couldn’t back down.
“Please. I want to save Benjamin.”
“It’s dangerous,” Edwin frowned in displeasure.
“Take us somewhere people can’t see us. You can do that, can’t you?”
It was a shameless request, given that I was the one being protected, but I had faith Edwin could manage it.
There was no immediate response, only a cold gaze.
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