Looking for a Husband to Confine Me - Chapter 31.1
Chapter 31.1
I faltered for a moment, looking at Kelliard.
‘I’ve done enough. I even dragged him all the way here because he’s family. Why does a knight faint so easily?’
I clicked my tongue in annoyance. Then, I slowly replayed the events in my mind. ‘It’s strange. Wherever we go, the beasts find us. It’s not just their keen sense of smell; they even pinpoint our location when I create magical barriers. After I separated from the group, fewer beasts approached.’ “More accurately, after separating from Bashar…”
“Ugh!”
Lost in thought, I looked up at the sound of a man’s groan. I wondered if Kelliard had regained consciousness, but he was still out cold, breathing evenly. The groan came from the main hallway beyond the storage room door.
“Huff… huff…”
Tap, tap, tap tap tap.
Rough breathing followed by the clicking of claws. Occasionally, I heard a soft popping sound. Someone was being chased by a beast. It seemed fixated on that person alone. But there were no sounds of fighting back, no clash of swords… could it be…?
I carefully opened the door. The sounds originated from quite a distance. I could see Bashar hiding and a feline beast prowling excitedly nearby. It seemed as if the beast would discover Bashar’s hiding spot any second. ‘It was Bashar, after all.’ He must have been with the knights when a beast they couldn’t stop started chasing him.
The problem was I had no weapon, and even if I did, my swordsmanship wasn’t good enough to subdue a beast like the knights could. But I couldn’t just leave Bashar like that.
I looked around the pantry. Among the numerous food items, a chunk of meat caught my eye.
“I should save the prince first.”
I’d momentarily forgotten with the sudden appearance of the beast, but I’d come here today to get closer to the prince. ‘Though it seems like that’s already failed.’ I smiled bitterly and untied the ribbon holding my hair. My neatly tied hair cascaded down my back and around my face. It had been loosely tied, so it hadn’t left any marks.
I tightly bound my left forearm with the ribbon and looked around for something sharp, something that could draw blood. But there was nothing but food in the pantry. It seemed I’d have to break the mirror I always carried and use a shard. I opened my bag.
“…Huh?” I tilted my head, examining the object inside. I carefully picked up a palm-sized dagger. “I don’t remember packing this.”
It was a sharp dagger with a white handle. The polished blade reflected my face. I’d never seen it before, but it was a fortunate find in this situation. It would be much easier to use than a mirror shard.
I used the dagger to lightly slice my arm. The sharp sensation of the blade tearing my skin was vivid. I let the blood dripping down my arm fall onto the meat. “Honestly, what am I doing?”
I wrapped the ribbon around the wound to staunch the bleeding, picked up the meat, and approached the hallway. “I was just trying to find a husband.”
All I wanted was to find someone to protect me from my family, a madman, and my ex-fiancé, all of whom threatened my comfortable life. I never intended to get involved with magical beasts.
Grumbling, I pressed my ear against the door. Tap, tap, tap. The steady clicking of claws echoed, indicating the beast was still prowling. It hadn’t found Bashar yet.
I slowly opened the door and peeked out. I saw the beast’s fur-covered hindquarters and Bashar hiding. “Your Highness, Bashar.”
Our gazes finally met.
“D*mn it!”
Understanding my intent, Bashar immediately ran towards the pantry. At the same time, I threw the meat behind him.
“How…?”
“This doesn’t seem like the time for greetings, Your Highness.”
Roar!
The beast, which had been about to pounce, changed direction, lured by the meat. The tumbling meat fell down the stairs. After confirming the beast had followed it, I pulled Bashar inside. Thud! I slammed the door shut and leaned against the wall.
“Huff… huff… huff…”
For a moment, only Bashar’s ragged breathing filled the space.
“It’s fortunate there was only one.”
“…Ha… But it will return.”
“We’ll think about that later.”
I answered calmly to Bashar, who was still catching his breath. The beast that had been chasing him wouldn’t be coming back. It had followed the meat. ‘After licking my blood, it’ll lose consciousness.’ There was no need for Bashar to know this, so I gave a vague reply.
“Why were you in a place like this?”
“I was running and hid. Fortunately, it was close to the sanctuary.”
Bashar’s gaze followed my gesture to the annex visible through the pantry window.
“Indeed. It’s possible from here.” He then looked at me, questioning why I was still in the pantry instead of heading to the annex.
