Lady To Queen Chapter 27 - I See You Everywhere

Chapter 27 – I See You Everywhere

The wind whipped across Patrizia's cheeks as she rode her horse. The faster she went, the stronger the wind. She liked the feeling of sweat forming and sliding across her forehead, and the cool air drying the sweat. She smiled widely and tightened the reins even harder.

“Hyaa!”

Patrizia was jogged on her seat as if she were about to fall. She loved teetering the line between danger and safety, as it was a thrilling and dizzying sensation.

“Woah, woah.”

She finally urged Sally into a stop when they were deep into the forest. Patrizia's breathing was heavy, and she took a moment to rearrange her disheveled hair. After she dabbed her forehead with a handkerchief, she set off for the hunt in earnest. Although this wasn't a life she intended to enjoy in the beginning, shouldn't she at least catch a rabbit to save her prestige as queen?

She drew an arrow from her quiver and cast her eyes about in search of game. Her ears pricked when she heard the sound of grass shifting and something moving.

Game!

Her heart leaping in excitement, Patrizia urged Sally forward, and a short distance later, she spotted a deer. She quickly drew her bow, held her breath, and aimed.

-Puk!

-Puk!

She hit it!

However, there were two arrows embedded in the creature instead of one. She looked perplexed and rode her horse towards the deer. Along with her own arrow, there was someone else's. Someone shot an arrow at the game she had already selected. Patrizia wondered who her opponent was, but when she recognized the familiar arrow, her face hardened.

“I see you everywhere,” a voice said.

“Your Majesty.”

It was Lucio. Patrizia sighed inwardly. Out of all the people she had to run into in this vast hunting ground, why did it have to be him? He even targeted the same deer. Her misfortune with this man really did seem to be endless.

“Greetings to the Sun of the Empire,” she greeted him, but almost with resignation.

“I've come all this way, and I see you once again.”

“You are everywhere I go, Your Majesty.” She looked away and pulled her arrow from the deer's flesh. The tip was covered in blood, but she wiped it on her clothes and placed it back in the quiver. Lucio watched her with interested eyes.

“Is that arrow yours?” he asked.

“Yes, Your Majesty. We shot it together.”

“Well then…who hunted the deer?”

“You did. I yield.”

“No, I yield.”

“…”

Such frivolous arguments were childish. Patrizia did not want to be childish, especially in front of this man. She thanked him instead, hiding her tired expression. “Thank you, Your Majesty.”

“That makes you as good as me. But haven't you come out too far? Where is your guard?”

He had many questions. Patrizia didn't feel like answering him, but it was impolite to ignore him.

“I told them that they didn't have to follow me. I wanted to be alone…so I could enjoy this competition.” She glanced around his vicinity. He didn't have any of his guards either. She looked at him with an expression that demanded an explanation, and he cleared his throat and made an excuse.

“…My reason is the same as yours.”

“Even though—”

“I needed time to be alone. I believe you of all people can understand that, right?”

“…”

Patrizia closed her mouth, as the desire wasn't anything foreign to her. But was this man thinking? He wasn't in any immediate danger, but he was the only direct Imperial Family member by blood left in the Empire. He shouldn't be so careless!

She opened her mouth to say something, but she closed it again. Come to think of it, she wasn't in a position to point her finger at him. She let out a sigh. “We'd better return now. We're a little far from the starting point, and there's only the two of us here—”

Suddenly, out of nowhere, Lucio pulled out his sword and swung it at her. Patrizia shrieked and stumbled back in astonishment, squeezing her eyes shut with terror. What the hell? Why did he do that all of a sudden?

When she opened her eyes, she saw a strange arrow on the forest floor. She turned to Lucio with a startled look.

“Your Majesty!”

“Show yourself!” Lucio shouted into the air.

Patrizia's blood froze. She knew immediately that they had fallen into an ambush. But who in the world was it? Before she even had time to finish that thought, a group of masked men appeared.

Damn it. Patrizia spat out a curse and quickly drew two arrows from her quiver.

Her eyes swiveled around to take in the scene, making some rapid judgments—did Rosemond send them to kill her? The thought made her hair stand on end. Ah, stupid Patrizia. Why didn't she foresee this? Of course Rosemond would take advantage of this opportunity. Why on earth did Patrizia think that the concubine wouldn't plot against her? Why was she so complacent? Why on earth!

“Can you shoot a bow?” Lucio's question interrupted Patrizia from her rambling thoughts, and she answered without hesitation.

“A little.”

“I'll cover you, so take the back ranks. I'll deal with the front ones.”

The conversation ended there. There was no more time to talk. Even if Rosemond sent these men, Patrizia had to dispose of them first, otherwise Patrizia's final conversation would be in this spot.

She placed two arrows on the bow and drew back the string. She released them one after another, and the mysterious assassins in the back started to fall.

She didn't have time to celebrate, however, and her hand automatically reached for the next set of arrows. Fortunately, she had plenty of arrows in preparation for any situation, but in the middle of an emergency, she could not afford to waste a single one.

The number of men, who started at just over twenty, started to dwindle, but Patrizia's strength was wearing away fast. Nevertheless, every single cell in her body was alert and fiercely determined to keep her alive. If she wasn't awake now, then she would never wake up again. More importantly, the masked men were highly skilled; she was merely competent, and in order to survive, she had to be vigilant.

“Ha, ha.”

She drew ragged breaths as her stamina began to be depleted. She quickly reached for another arrow in her quiver. There were about five or six men left. They had a chance of winning, but the question was how much longer she and Lucio could hold out…

Patrizia threw a quick glance over to him. Fortunately he didn't appear too tired. Nevertheless, Patrizia summoned her last reserves, as he couldn't deal with five men alone. It wouldn't be long now.

“Agh!”

The last man was slain. Immediately after, Patrizia's legs threatened to give way beneath her. Lucio immediately rushed to her side and supported her.

“Are you alright? Do you have any injuries?” he asked.

“Haah…I'm fine, Your Majesty,” Patrizia panted. “Are you alright?”

“I'm fine. Whoever did this—”

Lucio suddenly collapsed to the ground, and Patrizia, who was unable to keep her balance, fell down with him. She wanted to question him what this was about, when the sight before caused her to freeze.

“Your—Your Majesty!”

“Agh…!” His face squeezed in pain at the arrow embedded in him. Patrizia quickly pulled him into her arms.

“Your Majesty! Are you alright?” she said urgently.

“Haah…I'm fine.”

“Why…why on earth…”

Why on earth did he get hit by an arrow instead of her? Why? Why? Why the hell!

She looked at him with tear-filled eyes and wanted to demand an answer, and he looked up at her with a faint expression.

“Ha…more importantly…I think we should…get out of here…” he muttered weakly, as if he had no energy left in him.

At that moment, Patrizia's head quickly shot up and she looked around. Shit, a few more masked men showed up. Why didn't they just appear all at once!

She stared angrily at the men approaching from a distance with Lucio in her arms. She cast her eyes towards her quiver, but found out that she used up all her arrows in the previous battle. To make matters worse, it was Lucio that was injured instead of her, and it was impossible to face the assassins alone without any weapons.

Patrizia turned to Lucio, keeping her expression calm. “Can you ride, Your Majesty?”

Lucio shifted from her arms and rose up slowly. However, even in Patrizia's eyes, she could see that he was struggling. Under these conditions, an all-out fight was foolish. Their first priority was to escape.

Patrizia seized Lucio's hand, pushed him on her horse, and started galloping away together at a fast pace. They had to get out of here as soon as possible.

The masked men pursued them from behind, and Patrizia pulled out Lucio's sword and blocked any flying arrows.

The horse ran at will, before coming to an abrupt stop at the edge of a cliff.

“Damn it!” Patrizia cursed.

______________

Chapter end