# 13
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The boy was hugging Grace tightly, almost apologetically. Even as they were rolling around tangled in complete chaos, he was hugging her with fierce stubbornness, as if he refused to let go of her no matter what, so Grace did not lose consciousness.
After a while, the world that was revolving around her stopped. She got up with all the strength she had left, but Andrew was flabby and motionless. Grace hurried to feel his pulse.
Please...please.
“Huh...”
As soon as she felt a clear pulse under her fingertips, she unconsciously let out a long sigh. However, the reassurance did not last long.
Repeat…
A brutal, murderous howl rose from behind her, and the hair on her entire body rose. Grace held her breath and turned around slowly. Among the shadows of the bare trees, the monster's eyes shone with a terrifying gleam.
Grace quickly got up and faced him. Cold sweat ran down her spine.
At that moment, someone's voice came down the slope, shouting:
“Back off!!!”
Every time you take a step back, he takes a step forward. Under the moonlight, his fangs looked like they would gnaw at her at any moment. There was still some distance between them, but it meant nothing to a four-legged creature.
She felt Andrew's body at her heels. If you back down any further, the boy will surely die.
Grace glanced around for a weapon. She didn't find a sword, but she saw arrows. She watched the wolf slowly lower her body, and he lowered his body in turn.
Her heart almost exploded from the intensity of the beating, and her breath accelerated violently. She quickly picked up the bow and arrow and got up, recalling her teacher's teachings, and placed the arrow on the string with lightning speed.
The moment the arrowhead headed towards the werewolf, the monster lunged. She wanted to release the bowstring immediately as it approached, but she gritted her teeth and held on.
The teacher's voice echoed in her head:
“Hunting... is a matter of timing.”
A little later.
Come closer.
When he finally got into shooting range, Grace's arrow shot through the air.
The arrow hit the monster's front leg, but it was not enough to kill a giant wolf. The creature twisted in pain, then lunged at her with even fiercer ferocity.
However, Grace remained calm as she prepared the next arrow. His sharp fangs were at a close distance, but she did not retreat. There was nowhere to retreat at all. This time, I aimed for his neck.
When there was less than three meters between them, Grace fired the second arrow. But the arrow missed his neck and hit his back.
Didn't give up. She prepared another arrow, but repeatedly pulling the hard string made her right arm visibly tremble. The wolf's stench carried on the wind numbed her nose, and the sound of its feet hitting the dry ground was frighteningly close. As death inevitably approached, she saw her parents' burning carriage, black, like a shadow looming before her eyes.
“No...hold on!”
However, she couldn't stop her right hand from trembling. Are you releasing the string now? And while despair was rushing in strong
She suddenly felt an incredible warmth, and a huge, solid body pressed against her from behind. A large hand covered her right hand, which was barely pulling the string, and pulled the string with decisive force instead.
The shadow of the burning carriage disappeared, and she saw the neck of the monster jump, perfectly lined up with the arrowhead.
Grace shouted quickly:
“Shoot!”
Walter trusted that it was correct, and left the string.
Fash!
The two arrows shot together like a bolt of lightning, penetrating the wolf's open mouth. His huge body fell to the ground a step away, so Walter stepped forward and blocked Grace with his body.
The breath she had been holding came out all at once. After taking a long breath, she raised her head. Walter was looking at her. Behind his back, the bright yellow moon radiated a strange presence, but Grace couldn't take her eyes off the man who was silently contemplating her.
He remained silent for a moment, with an unreadable face, and then turned away without a word. He pressed his palm against her back with lightning force, then pushed her away.
“……?”
“It seems the gargoyle's claws only penetrated the cloak, fortunately.”
Before she had a chance to respond, he lifted the sleeve of her left arm. Blood had pooled on her forearm where the tough tendon had passed.
Only then did Grace remember Andrew. She hurriedly turned around and saw two knights standing behind Walter, checking on the boy.
“You bastard, get up!”
Despite the harshness of the words, the hands supporting him were careful.
“Is he okay?”
asked Grace as she approached, and Sirius, who had picked up his brother's arrows, answered:
“Don't worry. "This is nothing."
“But he is unconscious...”
“Thank you.”
«……»
The moment the wolf appeared, Sirius knew his brother was going to die. If Grace had taken a single step back, Andrew would have been killed.
But incredibly, she didn't back down. She stood like a shield in front of Andrew, facing off against a monster many times her size with an arrow and a bow. Even seasoned knights had their knees trembling in front of such a creature, but the gentle noblewoman had endured until the end and released her arrow at the right time.
Many knights saw that scene. No one is left wondering how Taylor's daughter is so good with a bow. The important thing is that she protected Andrew and killed the wolf.
Sirius bowed once again to her respectfully, then lifted Andrew onto his back himf. Climbing this slope would be difficult even for the noblewoman, but he glanced at the person behind her and thought:
He'll take care of it.
As for Grace, she was worried about the dilapidated Andrew, and at the same time immersed in practical thought: How would she get up? As if her inner voice had been heard, a low voice came from behind her:
“Can you come up?”
Just having Walter standing behind her was enough to block the wind. Grace bit her lip and exhaled a little. What do you do? While she was thinking, the moonlight reflected on Andrew's back, carried on his brother's shoulders. Then, Grace made a small decision.
On the other hand, Walter was thinking about how he would go up with a noblewoman who did not appear to have major injuries, but was undoubtedly full of bruises... so he suddenly froze.
Grace turned around and extended her arms slightly towards him, as if asking him to hold her.
«……»
Walter tilted his head with his eyes half closed, Grace bit her lip for a moment, then said quietly:
“You said you weren't going to just act, didn't you?”
She must have planned this a long time ago. Otherwise, she wouldn't have been able to ask such a thing so calmly.
Walter shook his head lightly, but finally bowed. Her slender arms wrapped around his neck without hesitation. As the distance suddenly approached, Walter held his breath for a moment, then supported her thigh with his left arm. A warm heat moved between their close bodies.
“Hold on tight.”
"Thank you."
The whisper that touched his ear sent a slight shiver running through his body. Walter calmed down the turmoil in his chest and began to walk up the rugged slope as if it were flat ground. The wind coming from above was slapping his face sharply, but his solid body did not shake one bit.
In his arms, Grace looked at the foot below her. The situation was horrific, and yet… I just felt reassured. Because she was sure that this man would never let her fall.
She slowly turned her head and looked up the slope.
Five hundred knights, hardened by ten years of facing death, stronger than anyone in the empire, looked upon her. There was no doubt that their eyes held respect and affection for the brave noblewoman.
This wasn't part of her plan, but...
Grace turned her head and hid her face. A slow smile appeared on her pink lips.