Chapter 337
The officer killed two prisoners in quick succession, terrifying the rest into complete silence. Blood pooled across the ground, the metallic stench thick in the forest air.
The chief officer charged into the woods and froze at the appalling sight, his eyes widening in horror. He roared, "He was just going to relieve himself! How could you kill him?"
The two officers blinked rapidly, their dazed expressions clearing as they stammered, "Someone said he was trying to run, so we did this!"
"Who said that?" the chief officer barked, scanning the surroundings. The terrified prisoners huddled together, their faces twisted in fear.
The chief officer scoured the crowd, but Willow was nowhere to be seen. He scratched his head in confusion. Then, it came to him. "It was the young madam of the Osborne family, Willow."
"Where is Willow?" the chief officer bellowed.
Then, one of the prisoners pointed into the woods and cried, "She's escaped!"
The officers finally came to their senses: they'd been played by Willow. It was Willow who had truly intended to escape. She deliberately created chaos and manipulated the officers into killing Fletcher and his wife.
The chief officer said, "Stop just standing there like idiots. Go after her! If we don't catch her, we'll all be thrown straight into prison!" The ones who died were Fletcher and his wife. If they couldn’t give a proper explanation, they’d be in deep trouble.
The officers split up, with some staying behind to guard the prisoners while the rest gave chase to Willow.
Only after Willow had fled deep into the woods did the true weight of fear finally overwhelm her. Willow told herself, "No matter how terrified I am, it's still nothing compared to dying on this wretched exile road."
There was nothing else Willow could do. Running was her only option now. Willow thought, "Just get through this forest and cross that mountain, and I'll reach the border. It's almost deserted out there. I'll find a way to survive somehow."
Clutching this desperate hope, Willow lied to herself like a madwoman. She tumbled and fell to the ground again and again, but each time she forced herself back up. The heavy iron shackles around Willow’s wrists and ankles made it impossible for her to run fast. Additionally, deep in the mountain wilderness at night, she couldn’t even tell which way to go.
Before long, Willow found herself lost in the forest. The eerie cries of night birds in the forest sent chills down Willow’s spine. The distant roars of wild beasts made Willow tremble uncontrollably. One wrong step, and she’d tumble off a cliff. No one would ever find her body. Worse yet, the mountain forest was a dense tangle of thorns, leaving Willow’s hands and legs crisscrossed with bloody scratches.
As dawn broke, the forest around her gradually came into focus. As the forest’s edge finally came into view, Willow’s eyes lit up with joy. "Yes! I've finally escaped. I'm free!" Willow said ecstatically. Willow let out a triumphant cheer, a surge of strength flooding her as she dashed toward the edge of the forest.
Just then, several figures materialized in front of Willow, blocking her path. "Why'd you stop?" one of the officers sneered. The officers blocked Willow’s path, their faces twisted into menacing snarls as they stared her down.
The officers had been up all night, running after Willow. On top of that, Willow had tricked them the night before, causing them to kill for the wrong reason. By this point, the officers were incandescent with fury, practically itching to run Willow through.
Willow shrieked in terror and whirled around to flee back the way she came. But before she could even fully turn, a sudden kick from an officer sent her sprawling to the ground. She collapsed to the ground, a long cold blade instantly pressed against her throat.
An officer snarled, "You damn bitch. You made me chase you halfway across these godforsaken mountains. I won't rest until I see you dead."
As the man raised his long blade to strike, another officer sneered, "Boss, killing her now would be letting her off too easy. Look at that soft skin. Let's have fun with her first, then finish her off."
The law granted officers the authority to execute fleeing prisoners on the spot and report afterwards. The officers all bared their teeth in savage grins at Willow, then fell upon her. Agonized screams soon pierced the forest.
Two hours later, Willow lay on the ground like a broken doll. Tattered shreds of her clothing lay scattered around her. Willow stared blankly up at the sky, her eyes hollow yet burning with bitter resentment.
"Why did it come to this?" Willow thought desperately. She had all the cards stacked in her favor, yet she played them all wrong. She thought, "I time-travelled from the modern world into this one. With all my extraordinary knowledge and skills, I should have been able to live a life of wealth and privilege. All because of that bitch, Athena, I’ve been reduced to this wretched state. I can’t accept this. I just can’t!"
Seeing Willow lying motionless, one of the officers strode over and gave her a couple of hard kicks. "Time to send you off..." Two officers stepped forward, cinched a rope tightly around Willow’s neck, and pulled hard. Willow struggled violently as the sudden choking sensation seized her. Her face rapidly turned crimson from the pressure, her eyes bulging and bloodshot.
As her consciousness faded, Willow wasn’t thinking about all the sins she’d committed. Instead, she thought to herself, "If only I’d killed Athena from the very beginning, would I have ended up like this?" Even in death, Willow refused to repent.
Just as Willow was on the verge of suffocating, the pressure around her neck abruptly loosened. Air flooded into Willow’s lungs as she gasped desperately for breath, her body convulsing in violent coughing fits. All the officers around her fell dead, each pierced through the heart by an arrow.
Willow stared in disbelief. Not far away, a black-clad masked figure was sprinting toward her, bow and arrow at the ready.
"Willow!" A familiar voice cut through her daze, snapping her back to reality. The man approached and draped his cloak over Willow’s shoulders. Then, he pulled down his mask, revealing his true face. It was Nicolas.
Willow stared at him, her heart swelling with overwhelming relief and disbelief. Letting out a broken cry, she flung herself into Nicolas’s arms and sobbed. "Nicolas! You finally came to save me. You’re really here. I’m not dreaming, am I?"
Nicolas held Willow close, his voice trembling with emotion. "I'm sorry, Willow. This is all my fault."
Willow sobbed uncontrollably in Nicolas’s arms, her tears soaking his clothes. Through gritted teeth, she spat, "It's all that bitch Athena’s fault. She’s reduced me to this state. I swear that I will kill her one day!"
"Alright, I'll get you out of here first," Nicolas said as he lifted Willow into his arms in a protective carry. His attendants immediately fell in step behind them.
Willow looked at Nicolas in astonishment and blurted out, "Nicolas, how did you escape? Where are Dad and Mom? Are they safe?"
"Mom has been thrown into death row and is scheduled for execution. Dad is with me, and so are Matthew and Joseph," Nicolas said, his words bringing Willow much-needed comfort.
"Thank goodness, I finally have someone to protect me," Willow thought as a wave of relief washed over her. But as Willow looked at Nicolas, her eyes held a mix of emotions.
Willow thought, "He is the last crown prince of the previous empire. He isn't the Monson family's heir, nor that doting big brother who always cherished me. Will Nicolas still be this good to me from now on?"
Nicolas seemed to sense Willow’s doubt. Gently stroking her hair, he said softly, "I will always protect you."
Hearing this, Willow could no longer suppress the overwhelming joy in her heart. She threw herself into Nicolas’s arms, clinging to him tightly.
Nicolas carried Willow into the carriage. With a sharp crack of the whip, the horses bolted forward, the carriage hurtling northward. Dazed and half conscious, Willow murmured, "Where are we going?"
"Somewhere safe," Nicolas replied.
After an indeterminate amount of time, the carriage came to an abrupt halt. Surrounded by dense forests, a fortified stronghold suddenly appeared before her eyes. Armed sentries stood guard at the gate, all carrying weapons. To her shock, this was actually a bandit stronghold.
A person said, "The Chief's back! Lower the drawbridge now!"
Willow stared at Nicolas in astonishment. He offered her a reassuring smile and said gently, "I know it's not ideal, but for now, you’ll have to put up with staying here. Once our forces have grown stronger, I promise I’ll get justice for you."
"But we're poorly armed. If the officers find us, we'd stand little chance of escaping!"
Willow’s eyes gleamed with ruthless determination as an idea struck her. "Nicolas, I can help you. I’ve been holding something back. With it, you’ll be unstoppable!"