By Zephyria 
Basilisk raised its head sharply. Its jaws, stained red with blood, exhaled hot breaths.
It seemed no longer interested in the dead prey, as its bright yellow pupils scanned the surroundings closely. Unfortunately, Yuria was sitting right within its line of sight.
Yuria covered her mouth with both hands, unable to make a sound. Even though she had survived in the monster-infested dark forest, facing such a beast right in front of her was terrifying.
As if it had decided on its next meal, Basilisk growled and began to move.
“Oh no, no!”
Yuria dragged her bottom backward. She wanted to get up and run away immediately, but her legs were weak, and all she could do was crawl.
The ferocious beast licked its lips and lumbered forward. Perhaps intending to toy with its prey, it circled around slowly instead of pouncing right away.
Cecile, witnessing this, quickly aimed an arrow at Basilisk. Having never used a bow before, she was merely mimicking what she had seen, but she pulled the bowstring with all her might.
“Yuria! Run!”
With the command, she released the taut bowstring. The arrow missed Basilisk entirely and landed uselessly on the ground. However, it reached close enough to divert the beast’s attention.
“Grrr!”
The beast’s head snapped toward Cecile, its fierce gaze now fixed on her. Having discovered another potential meal, Basilisk quickly changed its focus.
“Run away!”
At the shout, Yuria hurriedly stood up, but she hesitated, unable to leave Cecile behind.
In the meantime, Basilisk was rapidly closing the distance. In an instant, it charged forward, knocking Cecile down and climbing on top of her.
“Ugh! Damn it! This beast!”
Cecile struggled as she was pinned to the ground. She barely managed to shove the bow into Basilisk’s mouth to avoid being bitten, but the beast’s strength was overwhelming.
The power of its jaws was so strong that the thick wooden bow snapped with a crunch. As Cecile fumbled on the ground, she finally grasped her last hope, a dagger.
‘If you try something foolish, you should just give up. At your level, you’ll be torn apart before you can even stab.’
Why did the advice she had heard before her death come to mind now? Cecile didn’t think she could kill the beast with a small dagger. It was merely a last-ditch effort.
She never expected to die while trying to save Yuria.
If it had been the Cecile of her previous life, she would have prioritized her own life, using Yuria as bait to escape. No, she wouldn’t have even set foot in such a dangerous hunting ground in the first place.
But now, the situation was different.
Cecile had a goal to continue living for one more time, and she had to survive for Alexis as well.
Neither Yuria nor herself would die here. She resolved to endure, even if her limbs were torn apart.
“Damn it! I won’t be defeated by the likes of you!!”
Cecile swung the dagger she had tightly grasped. Perhaps her swordsmanship training hadn’t been entirely in vain, as her grip on the weapon was steady.
With all her strength, she struck the beast’s face without hesitation. The black-furred skin split open, revealing red flesh beneath. Basilisk roared loudly, its jaws wide open.
“Ugh!”
The sharp claws dug into Cecile’s skin. It felt as if a hole had been pierced in her abdomen, and a terrible pain spread throughout her body. Cecile gritted her teeth and endured the pain.
Just as the beast seemed ready to chew her up with its sharp fangs, she raised her dagger once more.
Swoosh!
The blade, imbued with a sharp edge, sliced through Basilisk’s head in one swift motion. Hot, bloody gore erupted from the severed surface, drenching Cecile, who was pinned beneath.
Cecile’s eyes widened in shock at the sudden turn of events. She couldn’t even comprehend what had just happened.
“Cecile!”
A strong hand grabbed the collar of Cecile’s shirt and lifted her upper body.
As the dark beast disappeared from her view, a bright light filled her sight. The platinum hair was unmistakable. It was Alexis.
“Get a grip!”
Alexis called out to the stiff Cecile multiple times. He kicked the still bleeding carcass of the beast aside and cradled Cecile in his arms, checking her condition.
“Are you okay? Basilisk is dead. You’re safe now.”
“Gasp, cough, huff.”
“Breathe slowly, it’s okay.”
Fortunately, they had encountered the royal guard and managed to fend off all the assassins. They had arrived just in time to save Cecile. If they had been even a moment later, she would have been torn to shreds.
“Get some water!”
One of the guards rushed over with a canteen. Alexis poured cold water all over Cecile’s head. He washed the blood-soaked face and received another canteen to bring to her lips.
Most of it spilled out, but that didn’t matter. After repeating this several times, the hazy green eyes finally focused.
Her frail body still trembled. Cecile was breathing heavily, her limbs shaking. The fear she had barely suppressed lingered like an echo.
“Get a grip, do you recognize who I am?”
Alexis held Cecile’s face, forcing her to meet his gaze. She looked as if she might lose consciousness at any moment, so he gently tapped her wet cheek.
Cecile nodded slightly. Seeing Alexis calmed her trembling heart little by little. She swallowed the bitter taste in her mouth and finally managed to speak.
“…What happened to the assassins?”
“Only one remains; we took care of the rest.”
“Is Yuria safe?”
Only then did Alexis turn to look behind him. In the chaos, he hadn’t checked on Yuria. Fortunately, Claude had taken care of her, and she seemed to be fine.
He turned his head back and let out a long sigh.
“Yeah, she seems to be okay.”
“That’s a relief.”
“You… don’t look so good.”
Cecile, barely propped up against a wooden post, was still trembling slightly. Her thin silk shirt and the vest she wore over it were soaked in blood. Although she was covered in Basilisk’s blood, the trickling liquid was undoubtedly her own.
Alexis looked down at her lower abdomen, where the claw marks were clearly visible, and unconsciously bit his lip.
“The wounds are severe.”
“Ha, it could have been worse. I could have died.”
“I need to see the wounds.”
“It’s just a scratch.”
Cecile protested, but Alexis was already untying the tattered ribbon of her vest. As he began to unbutton her shirt, Cecile urgently grabbed his wrist.
“I’m fine, I tell you!”
“Are you saying you’re fine while grimacing in pain?”
“I don’t want to do this here! It’s dirty, ugh, who knows what germs could be transferred!”
She could never bring herself to say that she couldn’t show her body to Alexis. A well-educated prince would surely be able to read the ancient numbers inscribed on her chest.
Even while groaning in pain, Cecile stubbornly resisted, and Alexis, unable to suppress his rising anger, glared at her with piercing blue eyes.
“Stop being so stubborn, Cecile Adrian.”
“I won’t! Absolutely not! I will only receive treatment back at the palace!”
“Are you saying you’ll make it back to the palace in this condition? I just saved you, and you want to bleed out and die?”
“No, I can’t. Absolutely not…”
Cecile was so stubborn that she held her ground. Sweat began to bead on her round forehead. Despite her defiance, she couldn’t hide the pain, and her complexion grew increasingly pale.
“You really… are hard to understand.”
Eventually, Alexis set aside the clothes he had intended to remove. After glaring at Cecile for a while with a displeased expression, he pulled out a handkerchief from his pocket.
He pressed the palm-sized cloth against Cecile’s wounds. It was far from sufficient to stop the bleeding, but there was no other option at the moment.
“Can you move?”
Instead of answering, Cecile merely nodded. Despite her near-death appearance, her gaze was clearer than before.
Alexis lifted Cecile into his arms. As he moved, he gestured with his chin, and the quick-witted guards prepared a horse for the prince.
He placed Cecile on the saddle and mounted right behind her. Even with two adult men on its back, the sturdy horse showed no signs of strain as it trotted along.
Alexis grasped the reins tightly and shouted.
“We will return to the palace. All follow-up matters will be entrusted to Commander Vandell. Ensure that no false rumors spread!”
“Yes! Your Highness!”
The guards responded in unison with voices full of energy. The crown prince, seated on the horse, surveyed the crowd with an authoritative presence. When his gaze met Claude’s, who was with Yuria, a silent understanding passed between them.
I will entrust Yuria to you.
In the long-standing trust they had built, no further explanation was necessary.
Soon, the horse carrying the two of them galloped away, its hooves pounding the ground. As it pushed through the underbrush, the flag bearing the royal emblem fluttered behind them. It was a symbol that a being not to be trifled with was riding.