I Became the Maid of the Lout Prince-Chapter 486: Chase (2)

Two days had passed since I left the Blackwood Mansion.

While the days passed, nothing extraordinary had happened. Battles with bandits or monsters were no longer anything out of the ordinary.

For now, I’d been using nearly every moment, except for eating and sleeping, on traveling. I had no plans to wander aimlessly forever, but putting as much distance as possible between myself and the Blackwood Estate seemed wise. I didn’t know if Ethan had read my letter and let go of any feelings for me, but staying close to Blackwood would increase the chances of eventually crossing paths.

The last thing I wanted was a chance encounter with Ethan after he’d settled down with a family I’d know nothing about. I needed to move to a place so remote that neither Ethan nor anyone else could contact me.

I wanted to avoid getting tangled up with anyone from the academy. Anyone in the swordsmanship division—especially the Hero, Natalie, or Karaham—was to be avoided, as well as anyone else in their circles. I wouldn’t mind seeing others outside that circle eventually, but it would be best to keep a low profile until all the key people graduated.

‘Come to think of it....’

After spending the night with Ethan the day before yesterday, did I remember to use Clean for contraception? I didn’t think so; things were so chaotic that I must have forgotten.

New n𝙤vel chapters are published on novelbuddy.cσ๓.

Obviously, there hadn’t been a chance to use it after leaving the mansion, so while I could still take care of it now, part of me hesitated.

‘...Or maybe I won’t bother.’

The night we were together wasn’t during a particularly risky time, and if I did use Clean now, it would feel like erasing that last memory of him myself. Besides, I was in a hurry to travel, and stopping on the road, pulling down my pants, and doing something weird didn’t feel appealing.

‘If, by any chance, I really do get pregnant... Well, I’m done with the academy, so it doesn’t matter much now.’

If a child came out of this, I’d accept it as fate. Then again, it’s not like missing contraception once would lead to anything anyway.

⁎ ⁎ ⁎

“Hmm...”

A full day had passed since Lilith left Blackwood Mansion.

After learning to ride in haste, the Blackwood heir discovered signs of a fight at the entrance to a mountain path on the estate’s outskirts.

“Cold. Decomposition has already started. They’ve likely been dead for at least a day.”

On these remote trails, it wasn’t unusual to come across bodies killed by monsters or bandits. But what stopped Ethan in his tracks was something else.

Five men, all with sturdy builds but varying in size, bore wounds from the same weapon. He paused to examine the injuries.

“Not deep, but precisely targeted at vital points. Whoever did this was skilled.”

The weapon was likely a dagger, and the person he knew who handled daggers best was, of course, Lilith. He checked the men’s pockets and found them empty; not a single coin was left, and what appeared to be their supplies lay scattered nearby.

Ethan concluded that Lilith had passed through, killed the bandits, and stolen either a horse or wagon to speed up her escape.

“Father was right about learning how to ride. I would’ve been in trouble otherwise.”

Who would’ve thought that in just a day, she’d secure transport and distance herself so quickly? Did she really want to escape from him that badly?

Or was she fleeing in fear of seeing the imaginary fiancée she’d convinced herself he had?

Either way, he had to pursue her, following the trail of hoofprints ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) left behind.

“Wait for me, Lilith.”

“When I find you, I won’t let you go again.”

⁎ ⁎ ⁎

A sudden chill ran down my spine.

While traveling on my second horse, Zerahon, an unexpected shiver made me pull my coat tighter around me.

‘Is it just cold today? Spring’s still a few days away.’

Luckily, I’d packed a few extra clothes, and with Sally and Say by my side, I wouldn’t need to worry about the cold.

Once I crossed Blackwood’s borders, I’d choose my next destination. In a fantasy world like this, drifting aimlessly was as dangerous as it was foolish. Here, following the winds could make me part of nature’s scenery—literally.

‘I need a place I haven’t visited before, somewhere unconnected to academy people, with plenty of traffic and good lodging facilities....’

After all, this was the game world I’d been so familiar with, so a few locations came to mind. Among them, one in particular stood out as suitable.

The artisan village of Ironhold.

It was far enough from Blackwood and had a blacksmith guild that bought monster materials. A guild meant access to weaponry and armor, so I might even upgrade my equipment. I’d lay low and act as an assassin, avoiding any unnecessary attention.

The Blackwood dagger wasn’t ideal for going unnoticed, especially with the Blackwood family crest engraved on it. What assassin would carry a weapon bearing a duke’s family symbol?

‘I’ll get a lighter dagger and maybe some leather armor. Though, with my chest, I might draw a bit of attention as an “assassin”....’

Well, I’d worry about that later. Besides, in my past life, the “big-chested kunoichi” trope was common, so why not have some well-endowed assassins here in this fantasy world too?

⁎ ⁎ ⁎

Once I decided on Ironhold as my destination, I drove Zerahon directly westward. Bandits and monsters occasionally showed up, but with my skills, they were hardly a challenge.

For some reason, people seemed to think a lone woman was an easy target. There’s an old saying in martial arts: beware of women, children, and the elderly. This fantasy world, however, seemed to lack such wisdom.

Perhaps it was because of the typical mindset in this eroge-inspired world, where brains took a back seat. Naturally, the end result was usually them losing their heads—literally.

I didn’t go out of my way to avoid fights. Every encounter was a source of experience, and now that I had a horse, I could pick up loot to sell in the next town and build up my funds.

Even if I couldn’t buy a grand mansion like Blackwood, the more money I had, the better chance of someday purchasing a cozy three-story home in a safe area.

After nearly five days of travel, Zerahon and I reached the empire’s western region.

I could see the smoke rising from forges in the distance, marking my arrival at Ironhold.

‘When I first left the mansion, I was a little nervous, but now that I’m actually out here, it’s sort of exciting.’

This was the first true taste of freedom since waking up in the world of Luminor Academy. Explorations for classes didn’t count, and every outing before this had required Ethan’s presence.

Now, I’d arrived at a new place based on my own decisions.

While I might only spend about a year here, who knew what would happen? If things went well, I might settle down and live here long-term.

After surveying the village, I rented a room in an inn with an attached stable and flopped onto the bed to rest.

“Ahh, I’m exhausted...”

Days of non-stop riding had left my legs sore. Zerahon would need a break in the stable for a while.

If I had any energy left, I’d have checked the adventurer’s guild for work, but I was too tired even for that. I could fall asleep right here and now.

“I’ll rest today and start looking for work tomorrow... If I’m going to act as an assassin, I’ll need to visit the artisan district and get some new gear...”

As I muttered my plans, my eyelids grew heavier. I ended up drifting into sleep, skipping dinner and even a bath on my first night here.